Platypus Economics with Justin Wolfers

Understanding The Fed’s Rate Hike Decision | Diving In
The Federal Reserve raised interest rates on Wednesday by a quarter of a percentage point. It’s the first time the Central Bank upped rates since July, 2023.
All 12 members of the Federal Open Market Committee, including Fed Chair Kevin Warsh, voted in favor of a rate hike. Justin Wolfers, professor of economics and founder of Platypus Economics, breaks down the Fed’s decision, and unpacks how it’ll impact your life.
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Why an "infinity percent" tariff on Canada may hurt Americans more than Canadians.
The U.S.–Canada trade war just got weirder, and Justin Wolfers walks through what actually changed. After Canada answered Washington's tariffs with a measured, dollar-for-dollar response, the White House escalated again. They proposed an outright import ban on things like Canadian alcohol, dairy, and auto products. His point: banning a product punishes the American buyers who wanted it most and now can't get it at any price.
That’s not the only way Americans are getting hurt. Canadian consumers are boycotting anything U.S. You can see it in the empty hotel rooms in Las Vegas and half-full convention centers. Canadians are "speaking from their heart" about sovereignty and dignity. No handshake between leaders will make that disappear.
Why should you care? Because the price of the clowning around lands in your pocket. This could look like a lost bonus, a thinner paycheck, or your employer's shrinking income. If Canada decides it can't trust its neighbor and diversifies toward Europe and Asia, that shift outlasts any single election.
Chapters:
0:00 Jazz hands and an update
1:00 What's changed since the last video
3:19 Meet the "infinity percent" tariff
4:30 Why a ban punishes American buyers
5:30 Do consumer boycotts actually work?
9:07 The real cost is the clowning around
11:07 How big a hit is this, really?
12:10 Should Canada diversify away from the U.S.?
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Why does the bond market matter more than the stock market for your wallet? Justin Wolfers and Bloomberg Businessweek columnist Stacey Vanek Smith take on August's inflation report, the rising odds the Fed hikes rates, and the one market that quietly sets the price of your car loan, your student loan, and your mortgage.
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Inflation is stuck at 3.4% and prices are outrunning your paycheck. Here's what August really showed.
The August inflation report just landed, and Justin Wolfers walks you through what it means for your wallet. Plus the all-important burrito price index.
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Is the promise real, and who actually pays for it?
At a midterm campaign rally Wednesday night, President Trump promised every adult American citizen a $5,000 check, but only if Republicans win both the House and the Senate. He's calling them "Trump dividends."
Justin Wolfers is here with a reality check, on Diving In.
Subscribe — I'll owe you $5,000, and I promise about as much as the President does:
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on Substack 👉 https://newsletter.platypuseconomics.com
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