The Capitol Forum

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What Happens If the AI Bubble Bursts? (Second Request) Jun 05, 2026

Show notes

Who will pick up the pieces if the AI hype fizzles?

Today on Second Request, Executive Editor Teddy Downey sits down with Matthew Scherer of the Open Markets Institute to discuss his recent report, "No Bailouts for Big Tech Billionaires: Policies for When the AI Bubble Bursts." Together, the two examine the massive debt fueling artificial intelligence spending and the role of private credit, shadow banking, and other opaque financing structures in AI markets.

The Future of Sports Streaming (Second Request) May 29, 2026

Show notes

In 1961, Congress granted the NFL an antitrust exemption allowing the league to collectively negotiate broadcasting rights, revolutionizing sports broadcasting in America. Now, streaming companies like Amazon argue the law doesn't cover them, and that NFL teams can't collectively bargain with them for broadcasting rights.

Today on Second Request, Executive Editor Teddy Downey speaks with Katie Van Dyck, Senior Legal Fellow at the American Economic Liberties Project, to discuss her recent article, "How an Obscure Law Lets Sports Leagues Rob Fans Blind."

Who Runs the Skies? (Second Request) May 22, 2026

Show notes

Will the budget airline die with Spirit Airlines? For decades, four major carriers have controlled most of the U.S. airline market — but the collapse of Spirit has renewed questions about the future of flying and what less competition means for airfare.

Today on Second Request, Executive Editor Teddy Downey sits down with Gene Burrus, founder of Burrus Competition Strategies, to talk about the state of competition and consolidation in the airline industry.

The Secret History of Forced Arbitration (Second Request) May 15, 2026

Show notes

When you signed up for Disney+, you probably signed away your right to sue Disney. Most Americans have — buried in the terms and conditions of many apps is a legal clause called forced arbitration, and it's become corporate America's get-out-of-court-free card.

Today on Second Request, Executive Editor Teddy Downey sits down with Brendan Ballou — former special counsel in the DOJ's Antitrust Division and author of the new book When Companies Run the Courts: How Forced Arbitration Became America's Secret Justice System — to discuss the history and impact of forced arbitration in America.

The New A.I. Gatekeepers (Second Request) May 08, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Second Request, Executive Editor Teddy Downey sits down with Dr. Courtney Radsch to discuss her new paper examining content licensing relationships between publishers and artificial intelligence firms. Together, the two look at how A.I. companies utilize published information and the policy tools that could empower publishers to prevent A.I. firms from improperly using their material.

Ticketmaster's Extraction Engine (TCF Investigates) May 05, 2026

Show notes

Is the Live Nation-Ticketmaster era finally over?

In a landmark verdict, a jury found that Live Nation-Ticketmaster operated an illegal monopoly — a conclusion that musicians, venue owners, and fans had been waiting years to hear. For decades, Ticketmaster held the concert industry in a stranglehold, leveraging its market dominance and even government resources to lock out any competition that dared to emerge.

Today on The Capitol Forum Investigates, reporters Krista Brown, Cole Cahill, and Rebecca Kern break down how Live Nation-Ticketmaster built the extraction engine that came to control live music — and what this verdict means for everyone who's ever bought a ticket.

Read Krista Brown's article about Ticketmaster in The American Prospect

What's the Beef With American Food? (Second Request) May 01, 2026

Show notes

Why is Irish butter better than American? It's about consolidation.

Today on Second Request, Executive Editor Teddy Downey sits down with author and agricultural policy expert Austin Frerick to look at the state of consolidation in the American food industry, and emerging regulatory trends in the agricultural sector.

Lawless Antitrust (Second Request) Apr 24, 2026

Show notes

In this episode of Second Request, Executive Editor Teddy Downey sits down with John Newman, an antitrust expert and professor at the University of Memphis, to discuss Newman's recent paper "Lawless Antitrust" and the how antitrust enforcement has deviated from statutory text.

Letting the Machine Decide: A.I. and Cognitive Surrender (Second Request) Apr 17, 2026

Show notes

Humanity is outsourcing decision making to machines.

Today on Second Request, Executive Editor Teddy Downey sits down with Gideon Nave and Stephen Shaw, two researchers from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania to discuss their recent research on the influence of artificial intelligence on human decision making.

Is the AI Boom About to Go Bust? (Second Request) Apr 10, 2026

Show notes

Trillions in commitments. Billions in off-balance-sheet debt. Circular investments between vendors and their own customers. The AI infrastructure build-out looks less like a gold rush and more like a house of cards — and policymakers have no plan for when it falls.

Today on Second Request, executive editor Teddy Downey sits down with Asad Ramzanali, Director of AI and Technology Policy at the Vanderbilt Policy Accelerator, to discuss his paper "After the AI Crash" — and why the time to prepare for a financial crisis is before it happens.

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