Platypus Economics with Justin Wolfers

Latest Episodes:

The Economic Cost of Trump's War on The Press | Diving In Sep 22, 2026

Show notes

When the White House pulled the press badges of CNN, MS Now, and Politico, most of us reached for the First Amendment. Justin Wolfers asks a different question: what does a free press actually DO for us? What happens to your wallet when a president gets leverage over the reporters?

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the Podcast 👉 https://platypuseconomics.com/podcast

Follow on Social Media @PlatypusEconomics and @JustinWolfers

What If We Just Gave Poor People Money? Sep 21, 2026

Show notes

Official poverty fell to 10.2% — so why does the better measure show almost no change?

The new poverty numbers are out, and the headline looks like good news: official poverty dropped to 10.2%, a third straight annual decline. But Justin Wolfers explains why that single statistic hides more than it reveals — and why the broader "supplemental" measure tells a very different story.

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on Apple Podcasts 👉 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/platypus-economics-with-justin-wolfers/id1523898793

on Spotify 👉 https://open.spotify.com/show/4sOVMPFJmCROADLMDdDwjs

Follow on Social Media @PlatypusEconomics and @JustinWolfers

The Fed Raised Rates. Here's What It's Fighting. | Off The Clock Sep 19, 2026

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The Fed just raised rates unanimously — and Justin Wolfers explains why that 12-0 vote matters more than the rate itself. Joined by Bloomberg Businessweek's Stacey Vanek-Smith on Off The Clock, Justin unpacks what "Silent Kevin" Warsh actually signaled, why the president's dream of 1% interest rates would light a fire under inflation, and why even a government that repays its debts can end up unable to borrow again.

Then, Justin and Stacey debate whether "the feelings are the data," and Stacey builds the whole global economy into one bacon cheeseburger

Finally, Justin turns thousands of YouTube comments into a data set to show Americans something the U.S. media keeps missing: just how angry Canadians are, and why they'll accept real economic pain.

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on Substack 👉 https://newsletter.platypuseconomics.com

the Podcast 👉 https://platypuseconomics.com/podcast

Follow on Social Media @PlatypusEconomics and @JustinWolfers

The Hawk Behind The Hike | The Professor Is In Sep 18, 2026

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The Fed just raised its target rate by a quarter of a percentage point, the first hike since 2023 — but Justin Wolfers argues the number on the front page isn't the real story. In this episode of The Professor Is In, producer Augusta Chapman brings you audience questions, and Justin explains why the bigger signal was new Fed chair Kevin Warsh convincing markets he's a genuine inflation hawk.

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on YouTube 👉 https://youtube.com/platypuseconomics

on Substack 👉 https://newsletter.platypuseconomics.com

the Podcast 👉 https://platypuseconomics.com/podcast

Follow on Social Media @PlatypusEconomics and @JustinWolfers

Understanding The Fed’s Rate Hike Decision | Diving In Sep 16, 2026

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Understanding The Fed’s Rate Hike Decision | Diving In

The Federal Reserve raised interest rates on Wednesday by a quarter of a percentage point. It’s the first time the Central Bank upped rates since July, 2023.

All 12 members of the Federal Open Market Committee, including Fed Chair Kevin Warsh, voted in favor of a rate hike. Justin Wolfers, professor of economics and founder of Platypus Economics, breaks down the Fed’s decision, and unpacks how it’ll impact your life.

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on YouTube 👉 https://youtube.com/platypuseconomics

on Substack 👉 https://newsletter.platypuseconomics.com

on Apple Podcasts 👉 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/platypus-economics-with-justin-wolfers/id1523898793

on Spotify 👉 https://open.spotify.com/show/4sOVMPFJmCROADLMDdDwjs

Follow on Social Media @PlatypusEconomics and @JustinWolfers

The Canadian Boycott is About More than Economics | The Professor Is In Sep 14, 2026

Show notes

Why an "infinity percent" tariff on Canada may hurt Americans more than Canadians.

The U.S.–Canada trade war just got weirder, and Justin Wolfers walks through what actually changed. After Canada answered Washington's tariffs with a measured, dollar-for-dollar response, the White House escalated again. They proposed an outright import ban on things like Canadian alcohol, dairy, and auto products. His point: banning a product punishes the American buyers who wanted it most and now can't get it at any price.

That’s not the only way Americans are getting hurt. Canadian consumers are boycotting anything U.S. You can see it in the empty hotel rooms in Las Vegas and half-full convention centers. Canadians are "speaking from their heart" about sovereignty and dignity. No handshake between leaders will make that disappear.

Why should you care? Because the price of the clowning around lands in your pocket. This could look like a lost bonus, a thinner paycheck, or your employer's shrinking income. If Canada decides it can't trust its neighbor and diversifies toward Europe and Asia, that shift outlasts any single election.

Chapters:

0:00 Jazz hands and an update

1:00 What's changed since the last video

3:19 Meet the "infinity percent" tariff

4:30 Why a ban punishes American buyers

5:30 Do consumer boycotts actually work?

9:07 The real cost is the clowning around

11:07 How big a hit is this, really?

12:10 Should Canada diversify away from the U.S.?

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on Substack 👉 https://newsletter.platypuseconomics.com

Follow on Social Media @PlatypusEconomics and @JustinWolfers

The Hidden Link Between Government Debt and Everyday Credit | Off the Clock Sep 12, 2026

Show notes

Why does the bond market matter more than the stock market for your wallet? Justin Wolfers and Bloomberg Businessweek columnist Stacey Vanek Smith take on August's inflation report, the rising odds the Fed hikes rates, and the one market that quietly sets the price of your car loan, your student loan, and your mortgage.

Subscribe — it's the one interest rate that never rockets up on you:

on YouTube 👉 https://youtube.com/platypuseconomics

on Substack 👉 https://newsletter.platypuseconomics.com

Follow on Social Media @PlatypusEconomics and @JustinWolfers

What August’s Inflation Report Means for You Sep 11, 2026

Show notes

Inflation is stuck at 3.4% and prices are outrunning your paycheck. Here's what August really showed.

The August inflation report just landed, and Justin Wolfers walks you through what it means for your wallet. Plus the all-important burrito price index.

Subscribe — it's the one price that isn't rocketing up this month:

on YouTube 👉 https://youtube.com/platypuseconomics

on Substack 👉 https://newsletter.platypuseconomics.com

Follow on Social Media @PlatypusEconomics and @JustinWolfers

Vote Republican, Get $5,000? | Diving In Sep 10, 2026

Show notes

Is the promise real, and who actually pays for it?

At a midterm campaign rally Wednesday night, President Trump promised every adult American citizen a $5,000 check, but only if Republicans win both the House and the Senate. He's calling them "Trump dividends."

Justin Wolfers is here with a reality check, on Diving In.

Subscribe — I'll owe you $5,000, and I promise about as much as the President does:

on YouTube 👉 https://youtube.com/platypuseconomics

on Substack 👉 https://newsletter.platypuseconomics.com

Follow on Social Media @PlatypusEconomics and @JustinWolfers

How Governments Manipulate Statistics Without Lying | Professor Is In Sep 10, 2026

Show notes

Can you still trust the jobs numbers after Commerce dropped its ban on political interference?

In August the Commerce Department quietly crossed out the rules that shielded official statistics from political meddling — meaning reports can now be delayed, buried, reworded, or stripped of their uncertainty. So can you still trust the numbers that shape your paycheck, your mortgage rate, and the price of your groceries?

In this episode of The Professor Is In, Justin Wolfers answers the question a whole audience asked: in light of this, why should we believe the latest jobs numbers?

Most useful of all, Justin hands you a rule of thumb for telling independent statistics from political claims — trust the official statistical agencies, be wary of anything from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, and remember that someone who lied to you once will lie to you again.

Chapters:

0:00 An expensive way to make propaganda

0:56 Can we still trust the jobs numbers?

1:56 Which agencies are actually at risk

2:50 Why the jobs data is still protected

3:50 How statistics really get manipulated

6:22 The one report that was a lie

9:11 The tin-pot dictator club

10:02 Why propaganda destroys data's value

13:12 A rule of thumb for reading statistics

15:39 Official agencies vs. 1600 Pennsylvania Ave

Subscribe — it's one number you can trust to go up honestly: