In this limited series, Odd Lots explains some of the thorniest issues facing the US economy through the medium of … chicken. Chicken occupies a unique position in the US diet, but issues facing the poultry industry illustrate wider points about the development of the US economy and the decisions being made about how it's structured and who benefits from it. So why has the chicken industry evolved in the way that it has? What’s been driving the price increases in eggs and meat? And what does it all say about things like inflation, the labor market and the nature of American capitalism?

Check out Beak Capitalism on Odd Lots wherever you get your podcasts.

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Taylor Swift embodies a rare cultural presence and moment – and she’s everywhere. She inhabits her presence (amid an unusual amount of glare) with an unusual amount of grace. But now, a lot of weird conspiracy theories from Fox and conservative commentators have attached themselves to her. Nevertheless, Taylor Swift has kept her wits about her when everyone else is losing theirs. Emma Gray co-writes a culture Substack called Rich Text, is the author of “A Girl’s Guide to Joining the Resistance,” and is a columnist with MSNBC.

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Joe Biden secured a victory in the Democratic primary in 2020 after Rep. Jim Clyburn threw his support, and that of his Black constituents in South Carolina, behind the candidate. Black voters – and young Black voters in particular – appear to be much less enthusiastic about Biden these days. They’re the most unenthusiastic they’ve been about a Democratic president in decades. Republicans have also intentionally thrown roadblocks in front of efforts to mobilize the full power of the Black vote: think gerrymandering, voter ID laws and the like. Nia-Malika Henderson is a political columnist for Bloomberg Opinion.

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Latinos represent the US electorate’s second fastest-growing voting group, with about 36.2 million Latinos expected to vote in the 2024 presidential election. Latino voters have tended to have low turnout rates in elections, but this hefty increase in that electoral pool is due to the mobilization of enthusiastic and engaged younger and US-born Latino voters. Latino voters have strong regional differences in their cultures and values and this plays out around what they care about: Entrepreneurial opportunities, abortion, voting rights, citizenship, and immigration, among other issues. Latino voters played a pivotal role in Joe Biden’s 2020 victory and they will figure prominently in a 2024 presidential race in which Donald Trump can leverage strides he’s made courting them. Maria Teresa Kumar is the CEO of Voto Latino, an influential advocacy group that mobilizes Latino voters around a range of issues. 

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The first act in the Republican Party’s presidential primary season, the Iowa caucuses, has come and gone. Other contests in New Hampshire, South Carolina, Michigan, and the collection of 15 Super Tuesday states all lie ahead. Donald Trump registered a resounding win in Iowa and if polls are to be believed, he is situated to easily continue his sprint to the GOP nomination – the flagbearer of a party shaping itself in his image. Meanwhile, President Joe Biden comes to the race with his own strengths and weaknesses. Nancy Cook is a political reporter for Bloomberg News. 

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In early 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a sprawling, brutal follow-up to his land-grab of Crimea in 2014. The war initially produced an international show of support for Ukraine and its embattled leader, Volodymyr Zelenskiy – after all, the broader fate of Western Europe hung in the balance, a consequential geopolitical reality for the United States, as well. The Gaza War has now captured the world’s attention and headlines, diverting attention from Ukraine, and further financial and military aid for Ukraine from Europe and the U.S. has dried up. Yet the stakes haven’t changed, and the world remains at risk. Marc Champion is a columnist with Bloomberg Opinion who has lived and worked in Russia. 

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It’s been one year since Crash Course launched, and what a year it’s been! From Trump to Putin, Climate Change to Artificial Intelligence, SVB to SBF, Florida to Gaza, the Supreme Court to Barbie, and so much more – we covered a lot of ground this year, and we learned a lot. That’s a key part of Crash Course: we want to learn something new in every episode. So to mark the one year anniversary of Crash Course, Tim wanted to listen back through the tape and remember some of the key learnings from the past year. We’ll remember the people, conflicts, and cultural moments that made this year one for the history books.

The full episodes mentioned in this episode include: 

• Elon Musk vs. the Twitterverse
• Putin’s Russia vs. Ukraine
• Sam Bankman-Fried vs. the Crypto Grift
• Trump vs. The Law
• Israel vs. Hamas
• Silicon Valley Bank vs. the Fed
• Fox News vs. The Big Lie
• Mother Nature vs. Life As We Know It
• Pity City vs. The Workplace
• Artificial Intelligence vs. Humanity
• Barbie vs. The Men, and The Real World

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Robert Netzly is an Evangelical Christian trying to realize his values and stay true to his own beliefs while working in investing – and he personifies a bigger war going on in the investment world and American politics over a little acronym called ESG. In the last year, there’s been a Republican backlash to the trillions of dollars committed to investing practices that take environmental, social, and governance concerns (such as climate change and gender inequalities) into account.

We first published this special episode last spring, based on reporting Bloomberg News' ESG reporter Saijel Kishan did for a fascinating piece called “What Would Jesus Buy: Investor Charts Course for $2 Billion Fund.” In this special episode, she shares more of that story, which is a tale of two conflicts, in a way. Should there be biases in the investing world, be it faith-based or social activism? And should ESG exist at all?

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Remember the early days of COVID-19 lockdowns when, practically overnight, it seemed that every shop closed its doors? Do you remember how all of those small businesses you might have taken for granted – the ones that gave life and an identity to your community – suddenly felt essential to you? Tim watched lots of small businesses in his small town in New Jersey struggle, including his favorite local bakery, Montclair Bread Company.

We first published this episode back in March, marking three years since the initial lockdowns in the US. But the holiday season is the most important time of year for small businesses, so it feels fitting to share this episode again now. In this episode, Tim tracks the trials and tribulations this unimaginable public health and economic crisis threw at the bakery and its owner, Rachel Wyman. 

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Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial in New York is drawing to a close – testimony recently ended – and sometime in early 2024 a state judge will rule on the case. It’s within the judge’s power to impose a fine of as much as $250 million on Trump and permanently ban him and his company from ever doing business in New York again. The state where Trump grew rich may send him into financial exile. The New York case is one of several lodged against the former president, all landing while Trump appears to be well on his way to securing the Republican nomination for the presidency next year. It’s serious. It’s a mess. And the rule of law is being severely tested. Andrew Weissmann is a professor at NYU Law School and spent many years as a federal prosecutor and investigator.

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