Slate Money

Anna Szymanski, Reuters editor and former Slate Money host, brings finance expertise. Hillary Frey, Slate’s editor-in-chief, offers cultural and editorial perspective. They dissect Kit Harington’s Henry Muck, class and privilege in the series, Eric Tao’s tragic fall, Yasmin’s manipulative arc, short selling as narrative, and the show’s real-world echoes and visual style.

They unpack the Supreme Court ruling that upended presidential tariff power and the messy fallout over refunds and new legal routes for tariffs. They walk through the surprise unraveling of the multi-billion sale of a major studio and how a late bidder flipped the script. They also dig into what sparked a private credit scare at a big asset manager and why it did not become a banking-style run.

Alex Mayyasi, Planet Money contributor and author, guides listeners through economic storytelling. He explores Argentina’s failed push for local manufacturing and the Tierra del Fuego BlackBerry experiment. He unpacks market design from organ matching to spectrum auctions. He also reveals how credit card interchange fees create a reverse-Robin Hood that favors wealthy cardholders.

Mariana van Zeller, investigative journalist and documentary host who has spent two decades reporting on black and gray markets. She explains how underground economies mirror legal business structures. She describes how cartels diversify into pharmaceuticals, how lawyers and marketing enable illicit trade, and why corruption and inequality keep these markets running.

They unpack Alphabet’s surprising 100-year bond and why insurers crave ultra-long assets. They debate a Fed analysis that Trump-era tariffs function like a regressive tax and whether tariffs can be a pragmatic revenue tool. They defend knockoffs and remix culture while weighing harms to small designers. Quick numbers and pop-culture tidbits round out the conversation.

A rapid unpacking of how a small AI plugin triggered massive market losses for SaaS companies. A deep look at whether AI agents could replace subscription dashboards and displace workers. Analysis of Disney picking its parks chief as CEO and what that signals about company priorities. A dive into why users tend to lose more on prediction markets than on traditional sportsbooks.

Andrew Biggs, economist and former Social Security deputy commissioner, challenges the idea of a U.S. retirement collapse. He disputes the pessimistic narrative, compares pensions and 401(k)s, and contrasts past and present retiree incomes. He probes longevity, health and housing costs, Social Security’s financing gap, reform politics, and practical steps like modest saving increases or working longer.

Volatility in Japanese government bonds and how a spike in yields can topple global carry trades. The weakening US dollar and market reaction to Trump's Fed nominee. Corporate America’s muted messaging after immigration raids and the pressure from tech workers pushing CEOs to respond.

A rundown of why Davos feels geopolitically relevant again and how leadership shifts reshaped the meet-up. A look at Trump’s Davos remarks and whether affordability belongs on the international stage. A discussion about AI hiring tools and a lawsuit pushing them under stricter reporting and audit rules.

Joe Salama, Chief Compliance Officer at Coinbase and an expert in anti-money laundering, joins to discuss the global landscape of money laundering. He explores the intricate stages of laundering and highlights cash-heavy businesses versus trade-based schemes. Salama shares insights into the staggering $2–$5 trillion laundered annually, the vulnerabilities of the art market, and the influence of Chinese currency controls on laundering networks. He argues for improved international cooperation and the role of blockchain in tracing illicit flows.