10:00 AM Pacific Time: Fridays
Economics Professor Richard D. Wolff and guests discuss the current state of the economy, locally and globally. The program explores government policies, alternative ways to organize, and markets.
In this week’s Economic Update, Professor Richard Wolff devotes the program to understanding government spending, specifically how it shapes the larger society. In this discussion, he focuses on two questions: 1) What is the government spending on? and 2) How is that money going to be used, and who benefits? If government spending only flows … Continued
In this week’s show, Professor Richard Wolff examines U.S. spending on war materials for Ukraine and Israel, Chinese Electric Vehicle imports and the U.S.’s protectionist response, the possible convergence of worker cooperatives as part of union negotiating strategies, and the impact of Harvard college workers voting overwhelmingly to join two unions. Finally, we interview author … Continued
In this week’s Economic Update, Professor Richard Wolff discusses how the capitalist political economy can explain the Baltimore bridge disaster; why raising minimum wages helps big versus small businesses; and how cities can lower rents for their citizens, as Kingston, New York just did. Professor Wolff concludes with an Interview with Professor Jared A. Ball … Continued
On this week’s show, Professor Richard Wolff discusses the U.S. Treasury Department’s charge against Apple as a monopoly, Georgia’s state government siding openly with employers against unions, two union members deciding to enter important elections as independent voices in Nebraska and West Virginia, and a critique of the FED’s policy that keeps inflation and interest … Continued
In today’s show, Professor Richard Wolff discusses the latest on resurging child labor in the US, college athletes voting to join unions, and unionization sweeping not-for-profit charities (hospitals, museums, and so on), such as MassMoca in western Massachusetts. He also discusses how capitalism concentrates power in mass media (including social media), in authoritarian internal structures … Continued
On today’s show, Professor Richard Wolff discusses the UAW unions latest moves: organizing drives at auto plants and working to form unions among employed and free-lance journalists. In addition, Professor Wolff highlights New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s decision to deploy national guard troops in New York City subways and what that means for everyday residents. … Continued
On this week’s episode, Professor Wolff discusses United Kingdom politician George Galloway’s by-election victory and the raised minimum wage in the UK. He comments on Elon Musk’s lawsuit against the NLRB, as Trader Joe, Starbucks, and Amazon also join to ask a right-wing Supreme Court to gut business regulations. He then looks at US protectionism, … Continued
In this week’s episode, Richard Wolff discusses the underemployment of US college graduates, failed anti-Russian sanctions, the collapsed UK birth rate, and expanding wars in the Middle East. He also dives into the costs and risks in absence of a ceasefire in Gaza. Finally Professor Wolff welcomes Dr. Harriet Fraad, host of Capitalism Hits Home … Continued
This week’s episode, Professor Richard Wolff discusses the Philadelphia University of the Arts Faculty Union and its struggles; clarifies declining inflation and what it does and does not mean; and answers the question as to why sanctions fail. Then, Professor Wolff interviews Essence Magazine’s senior news & politics editor, author, and lawyer Malaika Jabali and … Continued
In this week’s special fund drive episode of Economic Update, Professor Richard Wolff discusses Germany’s recession; efforts by California fast-food workers to unionize; how the war in Ukraine boosts the US stock market and corporate stock holdings, while hurting most wage/salary incomes; and major injustices of the US federal tax system (tax exemptions for schools, … Continued
