What exactly are tariffs, and how do they work? How do they drive up prices? Are tariffs a way to protect the U.S. economy from hostile powers like the Communist Party of China? No, not really. Or a way to protect the supply chains on which U.S. military supremacy depends? No, not that either. In short, tariffs are toxic, and we discuss why that is.

Within minutes of his swearing in, President Donald Trump shot out of the starting gate with a burst of executive orders covering everything from immigration, to DEI, to energy, and more. Keeping up with all this, much less making sense of it all, feels kind of like drinking from a fire hydrant. But we take a stab at it in this episode of Independent Outlook, tackling seven or eight of the most pivotal orders.

Californians will be in shock for a long time over the vast firestorms in Los Angeles. We don’t yet know what ignited each fire. But Santa Ana winds are a regular, predictable, feature of regional weather. California environmentalism discourages clearing of public and private land, and stymies upgrades of water delivery systems. And Los Angeles recently trimmed back its firefighting budget by $18 million. “Climate change” is not the culprit.

How will civil liberties survive Syria’s convulsions? Do Trump’s national security appointees form a coherent team? Why is healthcare taking the spotlight now...but in such a sick way? And what about Trump’s economic team? Are these guys primed to deliver low inflation and prosperity? With special experts on deck, we discuss these questions and more on this episode of Independent Outlook.

At this reception and discussion, Gregory J. Robson, Christopher Freiman, Phillip W. Magness, and Emily Nozick discuss Robert Nozick and his classic book, "Anarchy, State, and Utopia," first published fifty years ago. Nozick’s book refuted social-justice statism—but also rankled many conservatives and libertarians. This event coincides with the publication of the Fall 2024 special issue of The Independent Review, featuring scholars who revisit Nozick’s rational, complex, and balanced case for individual liberty and limited government. These scholars not only admire Nozick and deepen our understanding of his seminal work but also honor him with important disagreements and reinterpretations. Selected authors from the special issue will join us.

Is the upcoming new presidential era finally our opportunity to slay the beast of inflation, shrink federal spending, and stabilize the value of our currency? We talk with Judy Shelton, Senior Fellow with Independent, former Trump nominee to the Fed Board, and author of a new book explaining how money is a “moral contract between government and the citizens”--and how its value can be decoupled from the whims of politicians and bureaucrats.

In an election season, there are always personality issues, and everybody has personal favorites. But then there are policy issues—and there are a lot of big ones on the table for the 2024 election: economic populism, inflation, immigration, abortion, higher ed, and more. In this episode, we give you our rough survey—and short analysis—of the policy territory facing voters. Advance warning: policy wisdom does not line up neatly with one party or the other!

In the wake of hurricanes, we need to ask an uncomfortable question: has federal flood insurance policy made the damage more extensive? The East Coast port workers strike is temporarily settled, but the effort to kill port automation is still on the table; does automation kill jobs? California and Minnesota are outlawing political AI deepfakes. Is this a victory against hate and disinformation? And what about California’s new law banning legacy admission at even private colleges? We discuss these subjects and more on today's episode of Independent Outlook.