Best Dinner Table Debates Podcasts (2025)

1
Thanksgiving Prep: An Optimist’s Guide to Dinner Table Debate 53:09

Play Pause

1d ago53:09

53:09

Your drunk uncle calls Social Security a Ponzi scheme. Your crypto-bro cousin thinks tariffs make China pay. Your grandfather blames working women for tanking wage growth. Economist Kathryn Edwards takes on a dozen hostile dinner-table challenges to help optimists everywhere prepare for dinner table debate. Robin plays every annoying relative you'v…

1
Cheers to hosting better parties this holiday season 23:17

4h ago23:17

23:17

The holidays are just around the corner. And for many, it might mean being a guest at, or hosting, a friendsgiving get-together or other holiday party. Regardless of which side of the gathering you’re on, it can be stressful. But fret not! Casey Elsass, author of the book “What Can I Bring? Recipes to Help You Live Your Guest Life,” joins Kimberly …

1
Off-price retailers shine as consumer moods sour 25:39

5h ago25:39

25:39

TJX, the parent company of off-price retailers T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods, posted excellent earnings this week, while Target cut its sales forecast. “Off-price” means TJX sells excess inventory at a discount, which may be more attractive to increasingly stressed shoppers hunting for deals. Also in this episode: Political affiliation colors…

1
The White House wants more offshore drilling 6:31

12h ago6:31

6:31

The Trump administration has unveiled plans for a huge expansion of offshore oil drilling. Federal law requires the Interior Department to come up with five-year schedules of oil and gas lease sales. The most recent proposal includes as many as 34 potential offshore lease sales, near the coasts of Alaska, California, and Florida. Also on the show: …

1
How ICE raids are disrupting D.C.'s economy 6:49

15h ago6:49

6:49

After months of ICE raids on the nation’s capital, some construction workers are afraid to go into Washington, D.C. for work, fearing arrest and deportation. Meanwhile, the contractors who need them are struggling to adapt. We'll check in on some of the businesses that are being most affected. But first: why markets ended yesterday on a sour note, …

1
Japan borrows heavily to stimulate its economy 6:51

16h ago6:51

6:51

From the BBC World Service: Japan's cabinet has approved a stimulus package worth more than $130 billion. It's the first major policy initiative of the new prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, and aims to help households and companies with measures like energy subsidies and tax cuts. Then, the global climate change conference COP30 is drawing to a close…

1
Bytes: Week in Review — Meta wins antitrust case 10:38

17h ago10:38

10:38

The holiday shopping season is here, and AI companies are pushing new chatbot retail partnerships. But, can these tools deliver on their promises to make shopping easier? Plus, the return of Vine, the beloved video app known for its ultra-short absurdist memes. But first, Meta is not a monopoly, according to a federal judge’s ruling this week in th…

1
The long-awaited September jobs report arrives 25:43

15h ago25:43

25:43

The September jobs report finally arrived after a six-week delay, showing employers added 119,000 jobs — well above expectations. The BLS also recorded an unusually strong 80% employer response rate, the highest since 2019. Improved accuracy came as a consequence of the deferred report. Also in this episode: Food service gained 36,000 jobs, America…

1
The COP without the U.S. 15:34

1d ago15:34

15:34

The United Nations’ climate summit, COP30, is underway in Brazil. But one country is notably absent: the United States. On today’s show, climate law expert Jennifer Haverkamp joins Kimberly to share her takeaways from COP30 so far and what the United States’ absence means for the future of global climate progress. Plus, the growing debate over whet…

1
Finally, clues about the job market 9:44

1d ago9:44

9:44

After a month and a half delay due to the government shutdown, we are finally getting some official economic data. It is old (from September), but it's here. The economy gained 119,000 jobs, and the unemployment rate went up for the third month in a row. What's that mean for job seekers? Plus, declining consumer sentiment doesn't translate to decli…

1
AI to the rescue (for now) 6:58

1d ago6:58

6:58

Nvidia reported earnings yesterday after markets closed, and it did not disappoint. Nvidia makes 90% of all chips used in AI. Tech stocks, including Nvidia, have been carrying a lot of weight in markets, and investors had started getting a little nervous about whether the AI boom was a bubble — but Nvidia's results have been pretty reassuring. Also…

1
Will AI bubble fears persist? 9:04

1d ago9:04

9:04

From the BBC World Service: Wall Street was cheered last night by better-than-expected results from the chip giant Nvidia. But the AI boom continues to fuel fears of a market bubble. In the past few weeks, a growing number of the world’s leading figures in finance have suggested that AI stocks are unrealistically inflated in value. Plus, Meta says …

1
The difference between Grokipedia and Wikipedia 7:06

1d ago7:06

7:06

Grokipedia, the AI-powered encyclopedia launched by Elon Musk's xAI last month, promises to be an ideological alternative to Wikipedia. But the tool doesn't just have a different political flavor, argues Ryan McGrady, senior fellow at the Initiative for Digital Public Infrastructure at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He recently wrote, for…

1
Too little, too late? 25:15

1d ago25:15

25:15

China's purchase of 1 million tons of U.S. soybeans ends a trade war freeze. And while it's better than nothing, it's still far below typical November numbers. With no confirmation of more big shipments, and cheaper suppliers like Brazil and Argentina ready to fill in, how are U.S. farmers reacting? Plus: What to expect in September's jobs report, …

1
Why are retailers hiring fewer seasonal workers? 7:10

2d ago7:10

7:10

In a word: uncertainty. Retail chains like Target are pulling back on hiring temporary workers ahead of this year’s holiday shopping season as tariffs take their toll, consumer sentiment slumps, and little government data leaves them with little guidance. We’ll hear more. But first: there’s a lot riding on Nvidia results, and investors are split on…

1
Shock, frustration for those losing ACA subsidies 7:02

1d ago7:02

7:02

Some 24 million people buy health insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace. But subsidies and tax credits that have made these plans more affordable for the past few years are expiring, and the cost of health insurance is likely going to double, on average, for those losing subsidies. How do you plan for that? Plus, a Cloudflare outage…

1
US issues apology for Hyundai immigration raid 6:49

3d ago6:49

6:49

From the BBC World Service: The chief executive of the South Korean firm Hyundai said that the White House phoned him personally to apologize for an immigration raid at a massive battery factory in Georgia in September. More than 300 South Korean workers were detained and later sent back to South Korea, stoking tensions between the two nations. Plu…

1
This school trains the workforce behind China's automated factories 4:11

3d ago4:11

4:11

China recently came out with its latest five-year plan for growth, which will guide the world’s second largest economy through 2030. In it, top Communist Party leaders have pushed to boost the country's strength in manufacturing to the next level by upgrading older factories with advanced technologies for automation. The challenge, according to the…

1
Rural hospitals were already short-staffed. Then came Trump's H-1B visa fee 25:48

3d ago25:48

25:48

The White House’s $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa applications is adding extra pressure to health care systems in rural and low-income areas. Historically, the visa has been a critical pipeline for skilled health workers in hard-to-staff settings. Affected hospitals are already feeling the added strain. Also in this episode: A bitcoin downturn won’t …

1
Are we on the cusp of another big health care debate? 21:16

3d ago21:16

21:16

For the Affordable Care Act, it’s been one battle after another. The ongoing fight over the ACA subsidies at the center of the government shutdown are just the latest flash point in the law’s 15-year history. KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner joins Kimberly to break down where things stand with the ACA and whether we’re on the cusp of another national …

1
Aid for farmers, but not from tariffs 6:57

3d ago6:57

6:57

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is starting a second round of aid — about $16 billion — for farmers affected by natural disasters. The aid is aimed at growers of fruits, vegetables, and tree nuts. As for aid from President Donald Trump's tariffs? The government's still busy crunching the numbers. Plus, we'll discuss what direction the U.S. econo…

1
Do city-owned grocery stores work? 6:47

4d ago6:47

6:47

New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani swept the election on a campaign all about affordability. One pillar of that platform was the idea of city-owned grocery stores. The thinking: Prices at these city-owned stores would be lower because they’d operate in city-owned spaces, so they wouldn’t have to pay rent or property taxes. Other cities have t…

1
Google's CEO on the AI boom and potential bubble 6:57

4d ago6:57

6:57

From the BBC World Service: The artificial intelligence revolution is firmly underway, with tech giants investing billions in research and battling to secure key assets. It's led to a surging stock market, but also panic about the potential impact on jobs and society. Google is one of the companies investing heavily in the new technology. Today, we…

1
For politicians, what makes a successful TikTok? 13:06

4d ago13:06

13:06

One thing almost everyone can agree on about Zohran Mamdani, mayor-elect of New York City: he's very good at vertical short-form video. Love it or hate it, the format has a stylistic language all its own. So, we asked Joshua Scacco, professor of communications and director of the Center for Sustainable Democracy at the University of South Florida, …

1
Why we've got an eye on this week's corporate earnings 25:20

4d ago25:20

25:20

A few big box retailers report earnings soon, including Target, Walmart and Lowe’s. That could give some clarity on the state of the American consumer as we head into the holiday shopping season. Though of course Nvidia, the top-performing tech firm on Wall Street, will be the most exciting earnings call of the week. We’ll explain what all the hype…

1
Checking in with American exporters and Chinese buyers 6:48

5d ago6:48

6:48

After President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping met in South Korea late last month, some tariffs have been suspended or lowered, and China said it will restart purchases of U.S. soybeans and other agricultural goods. To hear about the mood among Chinese buyers and U.S. exporters, Marketplace's Jennifer Park recently attended a trade show…