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The headline numbers look great: unemployment down, GDP up, trade deficit shrinking. But once you dig past the surface, a very different story emerges. In this deep dive, Chris breaks down the latest labor, trade, and GDP data—and explains why the official narrative doesn’t line up with economic reality.
Job growth is weak and narrowly concentrated, hiring is sluggish, and layoffs are quietly spreading through small and mid-sized businesses. The “improving” trade deficit? Strip out massive gold shipments and it actually worsens. GDP growth? Inflated by savings drawdowns, falling imports, and gold exports—not rising incomes or real consumer strength.
This is why we don't play the TV guessing-game with economic numbers anymore. You have to look inside the data, not just at the headlines. The real economy isn’t what the wizards of smart want you to believe—and you’re better off being your own economist.

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Everyone wants lower mortgage rates—but strong-arming the Federal Reserve or squeezing banks isn’t the answer. In this episode, Chris lays out practical, free-market solutions that could actually bring mortgage rates down without political pressure or economic distortions.
Drawing on how commercial loans and bond markets really work, Chris explains why features like prepayment risk drive mortgage rates higher in the U.S. Unlike many business loans or callable bonds, American mortgages allow borrowers to prepay at any time—forcing lenders to charge more to compensate for that risk.
So what’s the fix? Options like non-prepayable mortgages with penalties, Fannie and Freddie offering alternative loan structures, and even portable or assumable mortgages that allow buyers to take over existing low-rate loans. These changes could shave meaningful basis points off rates while improving market efficiency.
Instead of grandstanding and pressure campaigns, there are intelligent, market-based reforms sitting right in front of us. If policymakers are serious about affordability, this is where the conversation should start.

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Are prosecutors really coming after the Federal Reserve Chair—or is this something else entirely? Reports that the Justice Department is investigating Jerome Powell over testimony related to the Fed’s building renovation have ignited speculation, outrage, and a very real debate about central bank independence.
In this episode, Chris breaks down what’s actually happening, why grand jury subpoenas matter, and how this investigation fits into a broader campaign of political pressure on the Fed. With interest rates at the center of a heated midterm-year fight, Powell says the probe is a pretext designed to intimidate the central bank into lowering rates—despite inflation realities saying otherwise.
Chris also unpacks the misconceptions about interest rates, why mortgage rates don’t move the way people think they do, and why using the legal system as a political weapon sets a dangerous precedent. If this is about accountability, where are the prosecutions everyone was promised elsewhere? And if it’s about pressure, what does that mean for the future of independent monetary policy?
This isn’t just about Jay Powell—it’s about whether evidence-based policy survives political intimidation.

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At first glance, a 10% cap on credit card interest rates sounds like a win for consumers. Who wouldn’t want relief from 20–30% APRs? But dig one layer deeper, and this proposal turns from populist applause line into an economic mess that would hurt the very people it claims to help.
In this episode, Chris explains how the credit card industry actually works—who really charges interest, where swipe fees go, and why Visa, Mastercard, and AmEx aren’t the villains they’re made out to be. Spoiler: banks take the risk, banks charge the interest, and credit cards are largely unsecured, non-recourse loans.
Cap rates at 10%, and banks won’t suddenly become generous—they’ll pull credit, cancel cards, jack up fees, or require cash collateral. Young workers, lower-credit borrowers, and anyone new to the system get squeezed out first. That’s how credit rationing works, every time.
Chris breaks down why this idea is straight out of the price-control playbook, why it’s midterm political theater, and why it can’t be enforced without blowing up access to credit across the country.
Misusing credit cards is a real problem—but government-mandated rate caps won’t fix it. They’ll just make credit scarcer, more expensive in other ways, and far less accessible.

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Picture it: Tommy Norris, the Clampetts, and J.R. Ewing all strolling into Washington as Big Oil’s finest gather with the president to talk Venezuela. As entertaining as that image is, the reality was far less glamorous—and far more troubling.
In this episode, Chris breaks down the tense, lukewarm reception oil executives gave the president’s push to invest billions in Venezuelan oil. Promises of “security guarantees” raise a serious question: should U.S. taxpayers—and even U.S. troops—be on the hook to protect corporate oil investments in one of the most unstable countries on earth?
With assets previously seized, billions written off, sanctions still looming, and the State Department warning Americans to get out of Venezuela immediately, Big Oil isn’t buying the pitch. Exxon flatly called Venezuela “uninvestable,” and behind closed doors, executives were likely relieved when the White House walked that back.
Chris also unpacks the contradictions, the fact-free tangents, and the dangerous idea that past losses should simply be forgotten in the hope of future profits—all while ignoring the real technical, legal, and geopolitical barriers to Venezuelan oil production.
Let companies risk their own money if they want. But taxpayers and the military? Absolutely not.

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Lobbyists have always shaped policy from the shadows—but today, a more deceptive force is at work: paid online influencers. Unlike traditional lobbyists, whose money trails can at least be tracked, political influencers are quietly paid to push ideologies, narratives, and agendas without disclosure.
In this episode, Chris pulls back the curtain on how social media personalities have become unregulated mouthpieces for governments, corporations, and industries—often without audiences realizing they’re being sold an opinion. From payola in radio to “paid advertisements” buried in fine print, this practice isn’t new—but its scale and impact are far more dangerous now.
Drawing from firsthand experience in finance, media, and political pressure campaigns, Chris explains why undisclosed influencer advocacy undermines critical thinking, distorts public debate, and does more societal harm than old-school lobbying ever did.
Who’s paying these voices? Why aren’t they required to disclose it? And how can you protect yourself from manufactured consensus?
As always: do your own homework—and demand transparency.

 Chris Markowski, the Watchdog on Wall Street, delves into various pressing financial topics, including the war on drugs, the economic situation in Venezuela, the challenges facing the oil industry, and the current state of the U.S. economy. He discusses the implications of rising bankruptcies, government fraud, and the realities of the real estate market, while emphasizing the importance of understanding economic indicators and the need for reform in agricultural practices. Markowski encourages listeners to seek financial freedom and be aware of the truths behind the financial narratives presented by the media and government.

Chris Markowski discusses various pressing issues in the financial and political landscape, including government intervention in the housing market, the implications of property taxes on ownership, the defense industry's challenges, and the recent government shutdowns affecting healthcare subsidies. He also delves into the controversial topic of Greenland and the potential use of military force, questioning the morality and practicality of such actions.

Chris Markowski discusses the harsh realities of the financial world, emphasizing the importance of building wealth and the dangers of identity politics. He explores how society's obsession with ideology can lead to self-destruction and the need for individuals to focus on building, creating, protecting, and teaching within their communities. The conversation also touches on the rise of individual traders, the pitfalls of financial discipline, and the pervasive scams that prey on people's greed and fear.

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Minnesota feels like it’s trapped in a cycle of manufactured anger—an “anger harvest” driven by instant reactions, political narratives, and a refusal to wait for the facts. In the aftermath of a tragic shooting that left a young mother dead and her children orphaned, the rush to judgment has been as disturbing as the event itself. Pundits, politicians, and activists on all sides felt compelled to speak immediately—often saying things that simply weren’t true.
This isn’t leadership or compassion; it’s recklessness. When officials and commentators push narratives before understanding what actually happened, they inflame tensions and make a bad situation worse. The honest answer—“I don’t know yet”—has become unacceptable in a culture addicted to outrage and algorithms.
What we’re watching is deeper than one incident. Political beliefs have become personal identities, turning disagreement into a perceived personal attack. Facts, logic, humor, and humility get tossed aside in favor of defending the tribe at all costs. From the far left to the MAGA right, the result is the same: louder, angrier, and dumber discourse.
Sometimes the most responsible thing to say is nothing at all—wait for the tape, wait for the facts, and stop feeding the rage machine before it tears us apart.

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December’s ADP jobs report came in far weaker than expected, with just 41,000 jobs added—raising serious concerns about the true state of the U.S. labor market. Nearly all the growth came from services like education and healthcare, fueled largely by government spending, while manufacturing slipped further into negative territory. Small and mid-sized businesses showed only modest hiring, and large firms barely moved at all.
As pundits cheer trade deficit headlines, this report suggests a more troubling reality: Americans may simply be spending less, and companies are signaling they’re not planning to hire much in 2026. With inflation still sticky, jobs weakening, and even the Fed questioning the reliability of government data, markets are left stuck in a “good news is bad news” loop—desperate for rate cuts that may not come.
The bottom line: the jobs picture in the U.S. is deteriorating, uncertainty is rising, and the risk of a recession is real. Markets will sort themselves out—but the country needs a stronger, more stable economic foundation, not daily chaos and misleading headlines.