Why the Price of Plastic Is Crashing After a Record Surge
Plastic is in almost everything and prices of polypropylene, polyethylene and a host of other polymers went nuts in 2021, surging to record highs. Now they've come crashing back down to Earth and have...
26 Des 202236min
What a Bakery Can Tell Us About the Economy Right Now
We talk a lot about macroeconomic trends on the podcast. What's happening with inflation? Is the labor market too hot? Will there be a recession next year? On this episode of Odd Lots, we take a close...
22 Des 202249min
Where Things Stand Now With Inflation and the Fed
Last week was a big one. On Tuesday, we got a CPI report that came in substantially cooler than expected. Then on Wednesday, the Fed hiked 50 basis points, which was a step down from the series of 75 ...
19 Des 202249min
Younger and Menand Explain How We Got the Modern Banking System
The US financial system today is pretty much taken as a given. We have the Federal Reserve, which sets interest rates and provides various liquidity backstops. We have regulated banks, which lend and ...
15 Des 20221h 7min
This Is What We Know About How Tether Works
2022 has seen numerous crypto disasters, most notably FTX. Also the price of most coins has tumbled massively. One coin that's done fine is the stablecoin Tether, which is interesting, because its had...
12 Des 202249min
What Extreme Weather Events Are Doing to Global Insurance Markets
Heatwaves, droughts, hurricanes, floods... in a year of commodity shortages and supply chain disruptions, a host of extreme weather events have added stress to the system. So how do companies address ...
8 Des 202246min
Brad DeLong on the FTX Collapse and the South Sea Bubble
We're in the aftermath of an extraordinary bubble in cryptocurrencies and the collapse of FTX is a defining chapter of the industry's turmoil. But what does history tells us about the cycle of bubbles...
5 Des 202248min
The Covid Protests in China and Why They Happened Now
China has seen a surge in protests in cities all around the country, targeted at the country's Covid Zero policies. But nearly three years into this pandemic, why did they happen now? How does recent ...
1 Des 202242min
