Episode 522: Disinteresting Rates

<p>What&#39;s the deal with bonds and interest rates? Find out on Words &amp; Numbers, where we will use both words and numbers to get to the bottom of things.</p><p><br></p><p>0:00 Introduction and Episode Preview</p><p>0:42 Free Speech and the First Amendment</p><p>7:45 Rutgers Dean Caught Recording Students</p><p>09:55 Renaming the Great Lakes “Lake America”</p><p>11:41 Foolishness of the Week: George Santos Gets Banned From Kalshi</p><p>14:27 Is the Government Running Out of Places to Borrow?</p><p>20:24 Why Treasury Investors Are Demanding Higher Returns</p><p>22:10 The Federal Debt and the Interest Rate Spiral</p><p>24:06 Can the Government Tax Its Way Out of the Deficit?</p><p>26:24 Will the Government Eventually Monetize the Debt?</p><p>27:43 The Federal Reserve vs. the Treasury</p><p>33:05 Scott Bessent’s Plan to Push Interest Rates Down</p><p>36:42 Is the Treasury Gambling on Short-Term Debt?</p><p>41:37 Is the Treasury Trying to Conduct Monetary Policy?</p><p>44:38 Are We Seeing the Beginning of a U.S. Debt Crisis?</p><p>49:03 Can Social Security Force Congress to Confront the Debt?</p><p>51:35 Closing Thoughts: Find an Excuse to Be Nice</p>