The Pie: An Economics Podcast

• Crypto’s Fatal Flaw: Trust, Scale, and the Economics of Blockchain

  Crypto’s most groundbreaking innovation, permissionless consensus, may also be its greatest vulnerability. In this episode, Chicago Booth economist Eric Budish breaks down the core mechanics of blockchain trust, the staggering energy costs behind mining, and why these systems are fundamentally exposed to majority attacks. Tune in for a deep dive into the economic limits of cryptocurrencies, and what they mean for the future of decentralized finance.

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• Will They or Won't They? A Former Fed Official on This Week’s Interest Rate Decision

  This week, the Federal Reserve's Open Market Committee meets to decide whether to adjust interest rates or keep them steady. What should we expect amid today's economic and political uncertainty? On this episode of The Pie, Randy Kroszner, former Federal Reserve Governor and Norman R. Bobins Professor of Economics at the Booth School of Business, discusses the factors influencing the Fed’s decision.

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• Should Performance Reviews Be Scrapped?

  Many of us react to the term “performance review” with a shudder. It’s that awkward periodic conversation in which we have to hear feedback, share our assessments of each other, and, occasionally, clash with our colleagues. But do performance reviews have to be like that? We hear from Chicago Booth's Stacey Kole. Does she think that performance reviews are worth saving, and if so, how can they be revamped? -- Today we’re bringing you a special episode from our podcast colleagues here at the University of Chicago. Now, if you’ve ever held a job – almost any job – you’ve probably experienced the performance evaluation. The annual review. The quarterly goal setting update. That moment when you’re asked… or told… how you’ve been doing in your job. Sometimes it comes as a surprise email over a weekend telling you to list five things you did last week or be fired. But more often, it’s part of a regular process in your workplace. So here’s the question: how valuable are those moments? What good do they do? Are they worth the time and energy put into them? I have many thoughts – but will keep them to myself and instead hand the microphone over to our friends at the Chicago Booth Review podcast, and my fellow U Chicago podcasthost Hal Weitzman. Here’s Hal getting answers to those questions and more – while I go fill out my performance review. Perfection! Five stars! Right?

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• The Future of U.S. Energy Policy Under Trump

  President Donald Trump has declared a “national energy emergency,” expanding executive powers to shape U.S. energy policy in his second term. What could this mean for the future of American energy? In this episode of The Pie, Ryan Kellogg, the Ralph and Mary Otis Isham Professor and Deputy Dean for Academic Programs at the Harris School of Public Policy, discusses the implications of these federal policy changes. From tariffs on Canadian oil and fuel efficiency standards to tax credits for renewable energy, Kellogg explores how these decisions could shape gas prices, the energy market, and the transition to a green economy.

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• The Economics of Health Insurance: Denials, Pre-Authorizations, and Cost Control

  The debate over health insurance denials intensified last year after the assassination of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO. In this episode of The Pie, host Tess Vigeland unpacks the economic forces shaping the US healthcare system with economists from the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy. Josh Gottlieb examines the financial burden of insurance denials, Zarek Brot-Goldberg explores how pre-authorizations influence prescription drug choices, and Maggie Shi reveals how hospitals adjust to oversight by reducing wasteful care.

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