E128: The Fall of Venezuela: Prof. Tim Gill on Politics, Oil, & Sanctions

Former UC Berkeley Chancellor Nicholas Dirks joins the podcast to discuss the cost crisis, politics, and purpose of American universities.Guest Bio: Nicholas Dirks is a historian and former chancellor of UC Berkeley. He currently serves as President and CEO of the New York Academy of Sciences. Previously, he held senior academic positions at Columbia University and is the author of City of Intellect: The Uses and Abuses of the University.Discussed Topics:What a university chancellor actually doesShared governance, faculty resistance to change, and budget politicsThe collapse of public funding for universities (UC funding dropped from 75% to 12%)Skyrocketing tuition and the unsustainable student debt crisisThe contradictions of big-time college sportsTenure, adjunctification, and faculty accountabilityWhy most students no longer fit the “traditional” college moldHow AI could help nontraditional learners and support academic successMismatch between degrees and job readiness in a shifting economyWhat universities must do to rebuild public trustTop Quote:“Tenured faculty are in an enormously privileged position... but the way you balance the budget, if they don’t get involved, is you hire more adjuncts—and then they complain about that too.” 📺Watch full episode on YouTube:👉 https://youtu.be/sonoJJaLIOg 🎙 The Pod is hosted by Jesse Wright💬 For guest suggestions, questions, or media inquiries, reach out at https://elpodcast.media/📬 Never miss an episode – subscribe and follow wherever you get your podcasts.⭐️ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show. It helps others find us. Thanks for listening!

4 Juli 202451min

Shamil Ismail, author of The Age of Decay, explains how aging and shrinking populations threaten to unravel civilization’s economic, social, and political stability.Guest Bio: Shamil Ismail is a South Africa–based investment analyst and Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with over 30 years of experience in consumer markets. He is the author of The Age of Decay: How Aging and Shrinking Populations Could Usher in the Decline of Civilization.Discussed Topics:Global fertility decline and demographic collapseWhy shrinking workforces threaten essential services and infrastructureWhy AI and raising the retirement age won’t save aging economiesThe false hope of pro-natalist policiesWhy Africa may become the world's demographic and economic centerInvestment strategies for a graying worldThe dangers of ignoring demographic tipping pointsWhy peak civilization may already be behind us📺Watch the full podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ct08de3wJlc 🎙 The Pod is hosted by Jesse Wright💬 For guest suggestions, questions, or media inquiries, reach out at https://elpodcast.media/📬 Never miss an episode – subscribe and follow wherever you get your podcasts.⭐️ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show. It helps others find us. Thanks for listening!

27 Juni 202453min

Five retirees share real-world stories of how they left the U.S. to retire affordably and joyfully in Portugal, Panama, and Arizona—exploring costs, healthcare, safety, and the meaning of home.👥 Guest Bios:Clyde & Terry – Former firefighter/paramedic and writer duo who retired early and spent two years as global house-sitting nomads before settling in Tavira, Portugal.Mary Ellen – Painter and pickleball enthusiast who retired to Panama’s Pacific coast after exploring Central America.Rob & Jodie – Former Denverites now living in Sun City, Arizona; Jodie runs a popular fashion and lifestyle blog JTouchofStyle, while Rob assists with content creation.🗣️ Topics Discussed:Cost of living and healthcare in Panama, Portugal, and ArizonaHouse-sitting as a global travel lifestyleVisa requirements, insurance, and elder care abroadBuilding friendships, finding purpose, and new hobbies in retirementCultural integration, safety, and the emotional aspects of leaving the U.S.Differences in infrastructure, food, and daily lifeLong-distance family dynamics and coping with being far from kids or grandkids💬 Top Quote:"If you have to see your grandbaby every two weeks, don’t move out of the United States—period." – Clyde 📺Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/xcltBH-DJ2A 🎙 The Pod is hosted by Jesse Wright💬 For guest suggestions, questions, or media inquiries, reach out at https://elpodcast.media/📬 Never miss an episode – subscribe and follow wherever you get your podcasts.⭐️ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show. It helps others find us. Thanks for listening!

23 Juni 20241h 27min

Joey "The Joyful Rambler" shares her transformative experience hiking the Appalachian Trail at 52, offering insight for older adults considering long-distance backpacking.Guest bio: Joey, known online as The Joyful Rambler, is a YouTuber, hiker, and vanlifer who began backpacking in her 50s. She completed a nontraditional thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail and now documents her travels, hikes, and minimalist lifestyle on her YouTube channel.Topics discussed:Planning and budgeting for the Appalachian TrailGear selection and ultralight backpackingHiking as a retiree or older adultTrail life, zero days, and town strategiesSafety concerns and solo female hikingPhysical preparation and recovery at older agesComparisons between the Appalachian Trail, Colorado Trail, and other thru-hikesTrail culture, community, and common challengesTop quote:"I just encourage people to, you know, if you're dreaming about something, figure out how to make it happen."   🎙 The Pod is hosted by Jesse Wright💬 For guest suggestions, questions, or media inquiries, reach out at https://elpodcast.media/📬 Never miss an episode – subscribe and follow wherever you get your podcasts.⭐️ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show. It helps others find us. Thanks for listening!

18 Juni 202443min

Investigative journalist Brody Mullins reveals how corporate lobbying has quietly become more powerful than Congress and the presidency, shaping U.S. policy from the shadows.Guest Bio:Brody Mullins is a Pulitzer Prize–winning investigative reporter at The Wall Street Journal, where he covers lobbying, business, and campaign finance. He is the co-author of The Wolves of K Street: The Secret History of How Big Money Took Over Big Government, which chronicles the rise of corporate influence in Washington.Discussed Topics:How lobbying has evolved from steak dinners to sophisticated public campaignsThe undercounting of lobbyists and rise of “shadow lobbying”Insider stock trading and conflicts of interest among federal officialsThe post-Watergate shift that decentralized congressional powerHow corporations now lobby to harm competitors, not just reduce regulationBig Tech’s lobbying dominance and lessons learned from Microsoft’s misstepsHow lobbying distorts antitrust enforcement and policymakingThe revolving door between Capitol Hill and K StreetWhether we're witnessing the beginning of corporate lobbying’s declineTop Quote:“Corporate America actually has more influence over public policy than the president of the United States or Congress combined.” — Brody Mullins 🎙 The Pod is hosted by Jesse Wright💬 For guest suggestions, questions, or media inquiries, reach out at https://elpodcast.media/📬 Never miss an episode – subscribe and follow wherever you get your podcasts.⭐️ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show. It helps others find us. Thanks for listening!

11 Juni 20241h 6min

Tax policy expert Scott Hodge joins to discuss how America’s complex tax code impacts your daily life, punishes success, and what real reform could look like.Guest bio: Scott Hodge is President Emeritus and Senior Policy Advisor at the Tax Foundation, where he served as president from 2000 to 2022. A leading voice on tax reform, he played a key role in shaping the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and is the author of Taxocracy: What You Don’t Know About Taxes and How They Rule Your Daily Life.Topics discussed:Why the U.S. tax code grew from 27 pages to over 7,000The hidden layers of taxation on income, savings, and estatesHow tax exemptions fuel lobbying, inequality, and corruptionProblems with tax credits for EVs, education, and housingThe IRS as a welfare agency and the rise of improper paymentsHow nonprofits, universities, and credit unions game the systemThe sustainability of Social Security and U.S. national debtLessons from Estonia’s 88-page flat tax systemThe myth of “tax the rich” and the real income tax burdenWhy U.S. tax policy often punishes success and risk-takingTop quote:"The tax code has become a tool for punishing success—success taxes are the new sin taxes."  🎙 The Pod is hosted by Jesse Wright💬 For guest suggestions, questions, or media inquiries, reach out at https://elpodcast.media/📬 Never miss an episode – subscribe and follow wherever you get your podcasts.⭐️ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show. It helps others find us. Thanks for listening!

5 Juni 202459min

Timothy Carney joins the podcast to discuss his new book Family Unfriendly, exploring how cultural norms, workism, and modern safetyism have made raising kids in America harder than it needs to be.Guest bio:Timothy P. Carney is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and a columnist at the Washington Examiner. He is the author of several books, including Alienated America and the newly released Family Unfriendly: How Our Culture Made Raising Kids Much Harder Than It Needs to Be.Topics discussed:Fertility decline and demographic trends in the U.S. and abroadCultural barriers to parenthood, including workism and safetyismThe limits of pro-natalist government policiesRole of religion and subcultures in sustaining birth ratesHelicopter parenting, loss of community, and childhood independenceHousing, education, and economic myths around family affordabilityHow cultural expectations delay family formationPolicy ideas for building a more family-friendly societyTop quote:“Pregnancy is contagious... It’s not primarily through sermons or rational discourse that people decide to have kids—it’s through culture, community, and what they see around them.” 🎙 The Pod is hosted by Jesse Wright💬 For guest suggestions, questions, or media inquiries, reach out at https://elpodcast.media/📬 Never miss an episode – subscribe and follow wherever you get your podcasts.⭐️ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show. It helps others find us. Thanks for listening!

29 Maj 202456min

Real estate reporter Brooklee Han explains how the recent NAR settlement and commission lawsuits will reshape home buying, especially for first-time buyers, veterans, and the future of buyer’s agents.Guest Bio:Brooklee Han is a real estate reporter at HousingWire who covers residential real estate, mortgage trends, title insurance, and proptech. A former Olympic-level figure skater, she brings the same discipline and insight to her journalism.Topics Discussed:Origins and outcomes of the NAR commission lawsuitsImpacts of the Sitzer-Burnett jury verdict and settlements by major brokeragesUpcoming rule changes taking effect August 2025The potential consequences for buyers, sellers, veterans, and low-income homebuyersThe future of buyer representation agreementsIndustry shakeout and rise in professionalism among agentsBrooklee’s transition from Olympic-level figure skating to real estate journalismTop Quote:“Veterans are a major loser in this as it currently stands… they either have to go into the transaction unrepresented or they cannot use their VA loan benefit.” 🎙 The Pod is hosted by Jesse Wright💬 For guest suggestions, questions, or media inquiries, reach out at https://elpodcast.media/📬 Never miss an episode – subscribe and follow wherever you get your podcasts.⭐️ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show. It helps others find us. Thanks for listening!

22 Maj 202449min