A Couple of Lefties

Why Are Groceries So Expensive?

In this episode Meg and Chris explore the exploding cost of groceries in America. The unprecedented effects from COVID and the Ukraine War, in addition to the steady forces adding to inflation year after year.  Sources:  https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-022-00502-1 https://www.npr.org/2025/09/19/nx-s1-5539547/grocery-prices-tariffs-food-inflation https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/08/business/grocery-prices-trump-poll https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/infographics/how-the-russian-invasion-of-ukraine-has-further-aggravated-the-global-food-crisis/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10015268/ [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10015268/] https://concernusa.org/news/ukraine-food-crisis-explained/ [https://concernusa.org/news/ukraine-food-crisis-explained/] https://www.epi.org/blog/corporate-profits-have-contributed-disproportionately-to-inflation-how-should-policymakers-respond/ [https://www.epi.org/blog/corporate-profits-have-contributed-disproportionately-to-inflation-how-should-policymakers-respond/] https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/2024/03/26/high-food-prices-consolidation/ [https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/2024/03/26/high-food-prices-consolidation/] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/26/tuesday-briefing-how-climateflation-is-pushing-food-prices-ever-higher-and-changing-how-we-eat [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/26/tuesday-briefing-how-climateflation-is-pushing-food-prices-ever-higher-and-changing-how-we-eat] https://www.epa.gov/climateimpacts/climate-change-impacts-agriculture-and-food-supply [https://www.epa.gov/climateimpacts/climate-change-impacts-agriculture-and-food-supply] https://www.farmaid.org/issues/corporate-power/how-consolidation-by-meatpacking-giants-is-hurting-farmers-and-consumers-and-what-the-biden-administration-is-doing-about-it/ [https://www.farmaid.org/issues/corporate-power/how-consolidation-by-meatpacking-giants-is-hurting-farmers-and-consumers-and-what-the-biden-administration-is-doing-about-it/] https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/11/trump-administration-cracks-down-on-foreign-owned-meat-packing-cartels/ [https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/11/trump-administration-cracks-down-on-foreign-owned-meat-packing-cartels/] https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/07/trump-meatpackers-investigation-beef-prices-00643152 [https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/07/trump-meatpackers-investigation-beef-prices-00643152]

What is Fueling the Health Insurance Market Price Surge?

In this episode Meg and Chris Discuss the government health insurance marketplace. How it was formed and why prices on the marketplace are drastically increasing next year.  Sources:  https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/health-policy-101-the-affordable-care-act/?entry=table-of-contents-what-is-the-affordable-care-act [https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/health-policy-101-the-affordable-care-act/?entry=table-of-contents-what-is-the-affordable-care-act] https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/aca-marketplace-premium-payments-would-more-than-double-on-average-next-year-if-enhanced-premium-tax-credits-expire/ [https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/aca-marketplace-premium-payments-would-more-than-double-on-average-next-year-if-enhanced-premium-tax-credits-expire/] https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-house-vote-deal-end-longest-government-shutdown-history-2025-11-12/ [https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-house-vote-deal-end-longest-government-shutdown-history-2025-11-12/] https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/11/19/aca-obamacare-tax-credit-shutdown/87336302007/ [https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/11/19/aca-obamacare-tax-credit-shutdown/87336302007/]

The Soybean Saga

The inaugural podcast for the Lefties! Chris and Meg discuss the struggles US soybean farmers have been facing since the Trump tariffs. How did we get here? What is at stake for these farmers?