Mint the coin?

10/02/21 • 23 min

2 Listeners

With the debt ceiling crisis still pending, a popular old idea has sprung up: a trillion-dollar coin. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has said it’s a no-go, but how come? We talk about what the trillion-dollar coin is and why it isn’t the best (or worst) idea. We also discuss Google backing out of the finance game and share some interesting sound from Disneyworld’s 50th anniversary. Finally, a round of everybody’s favorite game, Half Full/Half Empty!

Here’s everything we talked about on the show today:

“The trillion dollar coin idea is back as a wacky way to prevent financial Armageddon” from CNN
“Google is scrapping its plan to offer bank accounts to users” from The Wall Street Journal
“What would the trillion dollar coin look like?” from Marketplace
“FAA plans to reduce the time planes spend taxiing on the runway” from Marketplace
“NYC hopes congestion pricing can reduce traffic. How has it worked elsewhere?” from Marketplace
“Macy’s is trying to block Amazon from advertising atop its Herald Square store” from CNBC
“Grocery store opens chat registers for lonely customers” from Vice

Read the transcript here.

Our show needs your voice! Tell us what you think of the show or ask a question for our hosts to answer! Send a voice memo or give us a call at 508-82-SMART (508-827-6278).

Here’s everything we talked about on the show today:

“The trillion dollar coin idea is back as a wacky way to prevent financial Armageddon” from CNN
“Google is scrapping its plan to offer bank accounts to users” from The Wall Street Journal
“What would the trillion dollar coin look like?” from Marketplace
“FAA plans to reduce the time planes spend taxiing on the runway” from Marketplace
“NYC hopes congestion pricing can reduce traffic. How has it worked elsewhere?” from Marketplace
“Macy’s is trying to block Amazon from advertising atop its Herald Square store” from CNBC
“Grocery store opens chat registers for lonely customers” from Vice

Read the transcript here.

Our show needs your voice! Tell us what you think of the show or ask a question for our hosts to answer! Send a voice memo or give us a call at 508-82-SMART (508-827-6278).

Previous Episode

Facebook is spinning

Let’s talk about the results of Facebook investigating itself. TLDR: The company says the research it did — on its apps having a negative effect on young people — isn’t what we think it is. Plus, Sen. Joe Manchin is “feeling his oats,” and get ready for slower mail delivery.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

“Facebook grilled by Senate over company’s impact on kids” from CNN
Facebook’s research
“Covid is killing rural Americans at twice the rate of people in urban areas” from NBC News
“USPS First Class Mail delivery is getting slower: Here’s why” from Fast Company
“Manchin proposed $1.5T top-line number to Schumer this summer” from Politico
Manchin’s deal sheet
The tweet that made Molly lol

Join us on YouTube Fridays at 3:30 p.m. Pacific/6:30 p.m. Eastern for our live happy hour episode! Subscribe to our channel and sign up for notifications so you don’t miss it.

Next Episode

Facebook goes down. What timing!

Facebook went down for six hours today. The outage happened a day after a former employee went on national television saying the company has put profits above, well, everything else. We’ll talk about how this could’ve happened and what it meant for global commerce. Plus, the federal debt limit debate is at DEFCON 2, and New Zealand gives up on its yearlong, zero-COVID strategy. And, it’s Fat Bear Week!

Here’s everything we talked about today:

“Gone in Minutes, Out for Hours: Outage Shakes Facebook” from The New York Times
“Battling Delta, New Zealand Abandons Its Zero-Covid Ambitions” from The New York Times
Signs the debt limit has turned into DEFCON 2
“Company That Routes Billions of Text Messages Quietly Says It Was Hacked” from Vice
“Hollywood Crew Union Votes to Authorize Strike Against Studios” from The New York Times
It’s Fat Bear Week

Read the transcript here.

Our show needs your voice! Tell us what you think of the show or ask a question for our hosts to answer! Send a voice memo or give us a call at 508-82-SMART (508-827-6278).