Watchdog on Wall Street with Chris Markowski

Latest Episodes:

The “No Shill Zone” — Truth Without a Team Mar 13, 2026

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Tax “Solutions” That DON’T Help Anyone Mar 13, 2026

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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/watchdog-on-wall-street-with-chris-markowski/id570687608
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Here we go again — politicians rolling out shiny new tax plans that promise fairness, relief, and billions in revenue. Washington State wants a 9.9% tax on income over $1 million, while senators like Cory Booker and Chris Van Hollen are pitching sweeping changes to deductions, credits, and brackets. It all sounds bold… until you actually think about who these policies hit.
In this episode, we break down:
• Why Washington’s millionaire tax will barely touch the ultra-rich
• How executives paid in stock avoid the income taxes politicians are targeting
• Why these policies actually squeeze small business owners and entrepreneurs
• Why wealth taxes trigger migration — just ask California
• How Booker and Van Hollen’s proposals complicate the tax code even more
• The real issue politicians refuse to address: government spending

Democrats Misused This Moment At Jesse Jackson’s Funeral Mar 12, 2026

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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/watchdog-on-wall-street-with-chris-markowski/id570687608
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Political history has a funny way of repeating itself. Back in 2002, after Senator Paul Wellstone’s tragic plane crash, his funeral became a partisan rally — and it backfired badly on Democrats heading into the midterms. Watching the scenes from Jesse Jackson’s funeral this week, it’s hard not to remember that moment.
In this episode, we break down:
• How political speeches at funerals can quickly turn voters off
• Why Democrats risk repeating the Wellstone backlash from 2002
• The awkward optics of national politicians eulogizing someone they barely knew
• Why grandstanding during moments of mourning rarely plays well outside partisan circles
• How voters often see through staged political theater
• And why the Democratic Party may be underestimating how these moments land with the public

Washington’s New Housing Bill Will Make Homes MORE Expensive Mar 12, 2026

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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/watchdog-on-wall-street-with-chris-markowski/id570687608
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PtgPvJvqc2gkpGIkNMR5i
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Republicans are looking for a populist win — something they can point to and say they’re “looking out for the folks.” Enter the 21st Century Road to Housing Act, a massive federal housing package packed with grants, subsidies, and federal involvement in local zoning.
The problem? It solves nothing — and may make the housing crisis worse.
In this episode, we break down:
• Why subsidizing housing always pushes prices higher
• How federal grants and loan programs distort local markets
• The real issue with corporate ownership of single-family homes
• Why tax policy — not subsidies — is the real lever to discourage corporate home buying
• Why Washington has no business dictating zoning in local communities
• How new federal powers could let the Treasury reshape housing markets nationwide
• And the real reason housing supply stays tight: bad incentives in the tax code

Why Did Congress Kill a Bill That Would Expose Sexual Misconduct Settlements? Mar 12, 2026

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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/watchdog-on-wall-street-with-chris-markowski/id570687608
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PtgPvJvqc2gkpGIkNMR5i
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For years, taxpayer money has quietly been used to pay off sexual harassment claims involving members of Congress and their staff. Now a proposal to make those cases public has just been buried — by Congress itself.
In a 357–65 vote, the House sent a resolution to committee that would have forced disclosure of sexual misconduct allegations and settlements involving lawmakers and aides. In Washington terms, that means the bill is essentially dead.
In this episode, we break down:
• How taxpayer money is used to settle sexual harassment claims involving politicians
• Why Congress refused to make those settlements public
• The argument lawmakers used to justify killing the transparency bill
• How sending legislation “to committee” is often a quiet way to bury it forever
• Why accountability disappears when Congress investigates itself
• And what this says about how Washington protects its own

The Biggest Mistake Investors Make During Market Volatility Mar 12, 2026

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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/watchdog-on-wall-street-with-chris-markowski/id570687608
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PtgPvJvqc2gkpGIkNMR5i
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Every time markets get volatile, the same questions start pouring in: What should I trade? What should I move today? Where is the market going tomorrow?
Turn on financial TV and the “experts” will happily tell you exactly what to do — predicting where oil, stocks, or the market will be by the end of the day. The problem? Nobody ever holds them accountable when they’re wrong.
In this episode, we break down the real principle most investors ignore: wealth is built through discipline, not shortcuts.
We explain:
• Why trying to trade daily market moves is a losing strategy
• The dangerous mindset that leads investors to take unnecessary risks
• Why financial preparation matters more than market predictions
• How volatility creates opportunities for long-term investors
• The math most investors forget: why big losses are so hard to recover from
• And why chasing quick gains often leads to a destructive spiral of bigger losses

Who Profits Most from Trump’s War in Iran? Mar 11, 2026

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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/watchdog-on-wall-street-with-chris-markowski/id570687608
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PtgPvJvqc2gkpGIkNMR5i
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Turn on cable news and you’ll hear endless debates about drones, military readiness, and why America supposedly doesn’t have the right equipment. Generals, pundits, and analysts all talking in circles — but nobody asking the obvious question: why didn’t we adopt the technology that already existed?
In this episode, we break down:
• How Ukraine developed battle-tested drone defense systems during its war with Russia
• Why Ukrainian officials reportedly offered that technology to the U.S. months ago
• How interceptor drones could have strengthened U.S. and allied defenses against Iranian-style attacks
• Why the proposal was rejected despite growing drone threats worldwide
• How the Pentagon is now scrambling to build similar systems and why

This Is How We End the War in Iran…Or Not Mar 11, 2026

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LISTEN and SUBSCRIBE on:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/watchdog-on-wall-street-with-chris-markowski/id570687608
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PtgPvJvqc2gkpGIkNMR5i
WATCH and SUBSCRIBE on:
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Remember the line from The Princess Bride: “How does it end?”
That’s the question everyone should be asking right now — because the reality is far more complicated than the talking points coming from Washington, the media, and the war hawks on Capitol Hill.
In this episode, we break down:
• Who the new Iranian supreme leader Mostaba Khamenei is — and why he may be even more hardline than his father
• Why the personal nature of recent strikes could make this conflict far more dangerous
• How politicians and pundits are already pushing for escalation
• Why the military-industrial complex always seems to favor “one more operation”
• What the Wall Street Journal’s editorial board is calling for next — and what that would actually require militarily
• Why a ground raid against deeply buried nuclear facilities could carry massive casualties
• And the uncomfortable reality: wars like this rarely end cleanly

War, Tweets, and Market Chaos: How to Decode the News Cycle Mar 11, 2026

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LISTEN and SUBSCRIBE on:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/watchdog-on-wall-street-with-chris-markowski/id570687608
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2PtgPvJvqc2gkpGIkNMR5i
WATCH and SUBSCRIBE on:
https://www.youtube.com/@WatchdogOnWallstreet/featured
It’s chaos out there. Between war headlines, deleted government tweets, shifting military goals, and political messaging, trying to follow the news cycle right now is almost impossible. One statement sends oil prices crashing. A correction sends them soaring again. And markets are moving faster than anyone can fact-check.
In this episode, we break down:
• How a single government tweet about escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz briefly sent oil prices crashing
• Why the tweet was later deleted — and how misinformation moves markets instantly
• The constantly shifting goals behind the Iran conflict
• Why talk of regime change, nuclear destruction, and deterrence keeps evolving
• How the military-industrial complex and political messaging shape the narrative
• Why the Strait of Hormuz remains the most critical chokepoint in global energy markets
• And how Iran could attempt to drive oil prices toward $200 a barrel

“You Can’t Handle the Truth”: When Politics Replaces Principles Mar 09, 2026

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