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Why Biden’s economic team would rather go “too big” on COVID relief
Feb 9, 2021

Why Biden’s economic team would rather go “too big” on COVID relief

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"The risks of going too small with this package far outweigh the risks of going too big," says the deputy director of the National Economic Council. Plus, how the end of slavery led to two different minimum wages.

Segments From this episode

"We need to fundamentally alter the trajectory of the recovery"

Feb 9, 2021
"The risks of going too small with this package far outweigh the risks of going too big," says Bharat Ramamurti, deputy director of the National Economic Council.
"The issue is that if you do too little, that means that people are going to go hungry," says Bharat Ramamurti, deputy director of the National Economic Council.
Sarah Silbiger/AFP via Getty Images

To undo Trump's net neutrality policy, the Biden admin drops a lawsuit

Feb 9, 2021
California passed its own internet regulation. The Trump administration challenged it.
The net neutrality "pingpong game" has been going on since 2002. Above, then-Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks on net neutrality at a press conference in 2018.
Mark Wilson/Getty Images

Fossil fuel pollution is killing 8.7 million people a year, study says

Feb 9, 2021
Further investment in fossil fuels, even for a pandemic recovery, could have devastating human costs, the study says.
"One of the worst things we could be doing is stimulating our economy with measures that then lead to more deaths on the fossil-fuel front," says climate economist Gernot Wagner.
Brook Mitchell/Getty Images

Small-business optimism hits 8-month low

Feb 9, 2021
Though some numbers show signs of hope, the uncertainty many businesses feel can't entirely be captured in a survey.
A restaurant serving patrons outdoors on a winter night. Business owners aren't sure what a new normal will look like.
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

How the end of slavery led to two different minimum wages

Feb 9, 2021
After the Civil War, companies didn’t want to reach into their own pockets to pay recently freed enslaved people.
The national tipped minimum wage is just $2.13 an hour. Companies have to kick in more if workers don't make at least $7.25 an hour when you add in their tips.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Should hospitals prioritize their own patients for COVID-19 vaccinations?

Feb 9, 2021
The practice by some hospitals is raising concerns about equity.
As the nationwide vaccination program expanded to include older Americans, some states have ordered hospitals to stop putting their patients ahead of the broader community.
Blake Farmer/WPLN News

Music from the episode

Mad (feat. Lil Wayne) Solange, Lil Wayne
Confessions Sudan Archives
Light Cycle Yppah
Turnmills Maribou State

The team

Nancy Farghalli Executive Producer
Maria Hollenhorst Producer II
Sean McHenry Director & Associate Producer II