Do women get paid 80 cents on the dollar compared to men? That figure has been a political football, but is it overagreggated? How much are pay differences a matter of employer bigotry versus employee choice? FEEcast discusses this hot button issue. Show Notes: Harvard Study: "Gender Wage Gap" Explained Entirely by Work Choices of Men and Women Truth and Myth on the Gender Pay Gap The Wage Gap Between Men and Woman Virtually Disappears When Differences in Behavior Are Taken into Account Not All Gender Pay Gaps Are Worth Worrying About

FEEcast

Are Women Being Underpaid?

With the 24-hour news media, countless blogs and videos, and near-infinite social media commentary, there’s a lot of noise out there. As a society, we are all struggling to combat disinformation, or “fake news,” and get at the truth. Of course, that’s easier said than done. Joined by guest Jon Miltimore, the FEEcasters discuss how to combat fake news and how constant advisories on everything from romaine lettuce to FBI Russia investigations begin to lose their sense of importance. Show Notes: Daryl Davis: Making Friends From Enemies There’s No Such Thing as “Her Truth” or “His Truth”—Only the Truth George Orwell: Looking back on the Spanish War

Do we have a “Truth Crisis” in America?

‘Tis the season for holiday sales, so the FEEcasters discuss the economics of the products they’ve got their eyes on: makeup and Apple products. Celebrity-driven brands are disrupting the established players in the beauty care industry by expanding the diversity of the skin tones they serve. And Apple stock is down due to soft iPhone sales. It all goes to show that, now matter how dominant a company may seem, the consumer holds the ultimate power to make or destroy business fortunes. Show Notes: How Kylie Jenner Is Changing the Face of Entrepreneurship A 'Made in America' iPhone Would Cost $2,000, Studies Show Capitalism Encapsulated: Mises in Four Easy Pieces I, Pencil Apple CEO Tim Cook on privacy: 'we have to admit when the free market is not working' Apple CEO Tim Cook explains why Apple products were exempt from Trump’s China tariffs

Makeup, Macs, and Markets

Cities and states across the country have been courting Amazon. Each eagerly wanted to host the retail giant’s second headquarters. And each offered billions in tax incentives and cash handouts to entice the company. Now Amazon has made its decision, and “HQ2” ended up being HQ2 + 3. The FEEcasters are fans of Amazon (except, ahem, for Marianne), but they disagree on one thing: how should we think about the tax breaks Amazon got? Are they welcome tax relief or crony-capitalist subsidies? It’s debate time on FEEcast. What do you think?  FEEcast is taking a break next week. FEE wishes you a happy Thanksgiving! Show Notes: What Ocasio-Cortez Gets Right about Amazon's $2 Billion Government Handout Tax Breaks Aren't Subsidies Amazon Snags $2 Billion in Bribes and Tax Credits From New York and Virginia Amazon HQ2 Is the Only Competition Where the Losers Are Winners

Amazon’s HQ Tax Breaks: FEEcast Debate!

Every year, political strife gets more rancorous and invades more of our lives. On the fringes, our hyper-politicized climate even precipitates violent atrocities. Is this a reflection of how much government itself has steadily encroached on our lives? What perspective can we adopt to foster harmony? Watch this episode of FEEcast to find out! Note: FEEcast will take a week off next week. See you again on November 16! Show Notes: Four Things Everyone Gets Wrong About Mass Violence—A Social Psychologist’s Perspective Hannah Arendt on the Link Between Bureaucracy and Violence Who I'm Voting For

How Election Season Sets Us against Each Other

From Kendall Jenner to Elizabeth Warren, cultural appropriation is in the news. And coverage of the topic always ramps up as Halloween approaches. Who is allowed to dress up as whom? What should we consider offensive, and how should we respond to offense taken by others? The FEEcast crew, joined by T.K. Coleman, considers these questions, as well as the economics of Halloween costumes and a recent law passed against adult trick-or-treaters. Show Notes: Why Halloween Costumes Used to Be Terrible | Richard Lorenc Don't Vote Like a Halloweener | Lawrence W. Reed Halloween Has Been Commercialized Too, Thank Goodness | James Walpole Peace, Love, and Cultural Appropriation | FEEcast Cultural Appropriation Is Love | TJ Brown Cultural Appropriation Is Intellectual Property on Stilts | Pierre-Guy Veer

Halloween Costume Controversies

After 132 years, Sears is filing for bankruptcy. But it’s not necessarily over for the company which has a surprising and honorable history of disrupting racial hierarchies in the days of Jim Crow. On this episode of the FEEcast, Richard, Anna Jane, and Marianne discuss the company that was truly the Amazon of the 20th century and tackle the question: how likely is it that today's corporate giants will stand the test of time? Show Notes: Sears, the store that changed America, declares bankruptcy How Sears mail-order catalogs undermined Jim Crow racism Antitrust Myths and the Fall of Sears Chris Kjorness on How Capitalism Midwifed the Birth of the Blues Only 53 US Companies Have Been on the Fortune 500 since 1955, Thanks to the Creative Destruction That Fuels Economic Prosperity

Sears Was the 20th Century’s Amazon

Taylor Swift recently broke her political silence by endorsing Democratic candidates and dishing out progressive buzzwords. These words were music to some ears and noise to others. Kanye West is rarely silent (as Swift knows from experience), particularly about politics these days. Kanye recently made more waves in his MAGA hat, first on SNL, then on Twitter, where he called for abolishing the 13th amendment. Where some detected a pro-slavery message, others inferred a critique of the prison system. How do our “moral taste buds” (in psychologist Jonathan Haidt’s terminology) shape the way we hear statements from across the political divide? The FEEcasters discuss! Show Notes: Why Conservatives Can't Understand Liberals (and Vice Versa) 5 Possible Reasons Incivility and Outrage Are on the Rise How Facts Get Chosen and Minds Get Changed

What We Hear When Taylor and Kanye Get Political

Jeff Bezos announced that Amazon will raise its minimum wage to $15/hour. This made Bernie Sanders happy, but will it lead to layoffs? And what’s up with Bezos turning around and voicing support for increasing the federal minimum wage? Is all this really about compassion or about using government to squash the competition? Tune in to FEEcast for an in-depth discussion. *After this recording concluded on Wednesday, news broke that Amazon will discontinue monthly bonuses and stock options for warehouse workers. Show Notes: Is Amazon’s Minimum Wage Move a Political Ploy? https://fee.org/articles/is-amazon-s-minimum-wage-move-a-political-ploy/ The New York Times Explains Why the Minimum Wage Should Be $0.00 https://fee.org/articles/the-new-york-times-explains-why-the-minimum-wage-should-be-000/ Higher Minimum Wages Can Mean Fewer Work Benefits https://fee.org/articles/higher-minimum-wages-can-mean-fewer-work-benefits/ Amazon's hourly workers lose monthly bonuses and stock awards as minimum wage increases https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/03/amazon-hourly-workers-lose-monthly-bonuses-stock-awards.html Amazon eliminates monthly bonuses and stock grants after minimum wage increase https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/3/17934194/amazon-minimum-wage-raise-stock-options-bonus-warehouse

Why Did Amazon Raise Its Minimum Wage?

Senator Bernie Sanders recently proposed “Stop BEZOS” (Stop Bad Employers by Zeroing Out Subsidies), a tax bill that doesn’t hide its chief target: Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon. But would this law help low-income workers or hurt them? Find out on FEEcast! Show Notes: Bernie Sanders' Stop BEZOS Campaign Ignores Several Basic Economic Realities Bernie Sanders’s Tax Bill Would Wreak Havoc on the Working Poor Are Food Stamps Really Reducing Labor Costs for Amazon?

Who Helps Working Americans, Bernie or Bezos?

Teacher pay has again been a hot button issue this back-to-school season, as unions have protested for raises and received sympathetic coverage from the media. But are school teachers really underpaid? And if so, what can they do about it? The FEEcast crew and special guest TK Coleman discuss the numbers, economics, and ethics of the matter. Show Notes: How Media Outlets Misinform the Public about Teacher Pay https://fee.org/articles/how-media-outlets-misinform-the-public-about-teacher-pay/ No, Teachers Are Not Underpaid https://fee.org/articles/no-teachers-are-not-underpaid/ Quit Rates Suggest Teachers Are Doing Just Fine https://fee.org/articles/quit-rates-suggest-teachers-are-doing-just-fine/

What Teachers Can Do to Raise Their Pay

Hurricane Florence was descending upon the US east coast as this FEEcast was recorded. The panel, along with guest Jon Miltimore, FEE.org’s managing editor, discuss the economics of hurricanes. It turns out economic laws still apply during natural disasters. The FEEcasters discuss the “Broken Window Fallacy,” the issue of “price gouging,” and more. Show Notes: Hurricanes Have No Silver Lining Hurricanes Don’t Blow Away Economic Law How Price Gouging Helped My Family During a Storm

Hurricane Economics

Georgia recently became a “hands-free” state by banning texting while driving. Many consider this a common-sense policy, but the law of unintended consequences has a way of surprising those who assume that new laws are the way to solve every problem. The FEEcasters discuss this and share some of their own experiences on the road. Show Notes: Why a Nationwide Ban on Texting While Driving Is a Bad Idea Can Safety Regulations Make Us Less Safe? Want More? Check out other podcasts and amazing videos at fee.org/shows Follow us on social media: @feeonline

Libertarians in Cars Getting Tickets

CNBC recently reported that Google and Apple, among other big companies, have stopped listing a college degree as a requirement for potential employees. But these checkboxes were always a lot more negotiable than people realize. What do employers really want? What is the value and the cost of a college degree? Is it a good bargain for everybody? Are there better and cheaper ways of getting what college offers? The FEEcasters discuss all this and more. Show Notes: “College Degree 'Requirements' Were Never as Real as You Thought” by Derek Magill “Best Alternative to College: Launch Your Career Now” by Dan Sanchez “Student Debt is Squashing Startup Growth” by Zak Slayback Podcast Episode: Words and Numbers: “Is a College Degree Worth the Cost?”

Is College Necessarily a Smart Move?

Podcasters like Tim Ferris and Joe Rogan draw millions of listeners who are more interested in self-improvement than identity politics. Are these “podcast bros” (as the New York Times has dubbed them) placing too much emphasis on individualism and not enough on collective injustices? Or are they offering an empowering alternative to debilitating narratives of victimhood? The FEEcasters are joined by guest-host Sean Malone to discuss! Show Notes: “The 'Podcast Bros' Are Doing More to Inspire Individuals Than Politics Ever Could” by Brittany Hunter “Young Minds Are Undermined by Today's Fashionable Philosophies” by Sean Malone “Clean Your Room, Change the World” by Dan Sanchez “How Believing in Socialism Can Make You Miserable” by Brittany Hunter and Dan Sanchez

Self-Help Vs. Victimhood Politics

The Foundation for Economic Education proudly presents our weekly show FEEcast, a lively and intelligent exploration of today’s most interesting stories and issues through the clarifying lens of economic thinking.

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