The NASDAQ had its worst week since Liberation Day, dropping nearly 2%. But the real story isn't the meltdown—it's what it reveals about who actually wins and loses in the AI revolution.

In this episode, Mattie Duppler explains why investors are suddenly skeptical of Big Tech's hundreds of billions in AI spending, why software-as-a-service companies are facing an existential crisis, and how AI's democratization of coding is creating victims across the entire economy—not just in tech.

Learn the difference between companies spending on AI (the MAG-7) versus those delivering AI products consumers actually use (OpenAI, Anthropic). Discover why business development corporations are vulnerable, and why the old rule "correlation is not causation" has flipped in this AI trade.

Most importantly: why 2026 might be the year we have to rethink how economic inputs actually affect your life.

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In this episode of The Tradeoff, Mattie debuts a new recurring segment, The Duppler Radar, designed to help listeners understand whether key economic trends are moving toward or away from their wallets.

Originally scheduled to break down the latest JOLTS report, this episode pivots after another government shutdown delays critical labor market data. Instead, Mattie walks through three major economic indicators released over the past two weeks: GDP growth, the U.S. trade deficit, and labor productivity.

The episode unpacks why third-quarter GDP posted a strong 4.4 percent annualized growth rate, how tariff uncertainty and distorted gold pricing contributed to a sharp swing in the trade deficit, and why a surprising surge in productivity does not necessarily translate into higher real wages for workers. Mattie explains how government shutdowns and trade policy are creating unusually “lumpy” data, making it harder to read the true health of the economy.

Finally, the episode looks ahead to 2026, exploring why companies may begin passing tariff-related costs on to consumers, how that could show up in inflation and future GDP prints, and why the delayed JOLTS report will be critical to understanding whether productivity gains are being driven by technology, worker leverage, or layoffs.

This episode is a practical guide to reading today’s most important economic data and understanding how volatility in trade and labor markets may soon affect prices, wages, and household budgets.

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The Federal Reserve just announced it’s holding interest rates steady. No hike. No cut. Just a pause. But is “doing nothing” actually good news?

In this episode of The Tradeoff, Mattie Duppler breaks down what the Fed’s decision not to change rates really tells us about the economy, the labor market, and what households should expect in 2026. Rather than focusing on the headline itself, Mattie walks listeners through why markets respond to Federal Reserve decisions and how to read the central bank’s signals when rates don’t move at all.

You’ll learn how to track changes in the Fed’s official statement, why the removal of language about “downside risks to employment” matters, and what it suggests about job strength, wage growth, and future rate cuts. Mattie also explains why a confident Fed may be better for household budgets than another quarter-point cut and why political pressure on the central bank can send the wrong economic signal.

With another Fed meeting coming in March, leadership turnover ahead this summer, and Supreme Court decisions looming over central bank independence, this episode gives you a practical roadmap for understanding what’s next and how interest rate decisions show up in your daily life.

Economic headlines decoded, in the time it takes to grab your coffee.

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Can Congress actually stop ICE’s behavior by defunding it — or is that just a political mirage?

In this episode of The Tradeoff, Mattie Duppler breaks down the high-stakes spending fight over U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement funding and explains why federal budget battles rarely deliver the policy outcomes politicians promise. Against the backdrop of escalating ICE activity in Minnesota and an imminent government shutdown, Mattie walks listeners through how federal budgeting and appropriations really work — and where the “defund” strategy runs into hard structural limits.

Drawing on her experience of sitting at the appropriations negotiating tables, she explains why stripping the Department of Homeland Security funding bill is not a silver bullet for proponents of eliminating the agency. Most importantly, she outlines what would work: targeted appropriations riders that constrain behavior, impose training requirements, and create real accountability.

This episode is a practical guide to understanding federal spending fights, government shutdowns, and the difference between effective policy change and symbolic politics — for anyone who wants results, not just rhetoric.

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What looks like a legal fight over the Federal Reserve is actually a referendum on how much power any president really has.

In this episode of The Tradeoff, Mattie Duppler breaks down why the administration’s clash with the Fed at Supreme Court of the United States isn’t just about interest rates or one central banker. It’s about whether any independent agency can remain independent, and how many real policy votes President Donald Trump will control for the rest of his presidency.

At the center of it all is the structure of the Federal Reserve itself. With Governor Lisa Cook’s seat in limbo, the president effectively has only one full appointment to shape monetary policy. Even a favorable court ruling doesn’t unlock immediate control. It narrows it.

This episode explains why undermining the Fed’s independence could backfire politically, why courts and markets care more about credibility than loyalty, and how a case meant to increase presidential leverage may instead lock in constraints for years to come.

Because the real tradeoff isn’t winning a court case.

It’s what happens when power looks bigger on paper than it is in practice.

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A fight over Greenland sounds like a foreign policy sideshow. It isn’t.

In this episode of The Tradeoff, Mattie Duppler explains how the president’s tariff threats tied to Greenland triggered warnings from Europe about dumping U.S. bonds—and why that matters far beyond diplomatic posturing. When allies start talking about Treasuries, markets listen. And when markets listen, interest rates move.

This episode breaks down how bond markets translate political threats into higher borrowing costs, why Europe’s leverage runs through U.S. debt, and how rising interest rates quietly hit households through mortgages, credit cards, car loans, and monthly budgets.

The economy isn’t abstract. It’s choices, at scale—and those choices always come with a price tag.

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In this episode, Mattie gives you fast context on why the Trump administration’s move to launch a criminal inquiry tied to renovations at the Federal Reserve is less about construction costs and more about pressure on interest rates. At the center of the story is Jerome Powell, the independence of the Federal Reserve, and a White House increasingly frustrated with monetary policy it cannot directly control.

The episode explains why central bank independence is critical for market confidence, inflation expectations, and long-term economic stability, and why even the perception of political interference can raise borrowing costs and increase volatility. Mattie also unpacks the significance of the upcoming case at the Supreme Court of the United States over whether a president can remove a Federal Reserve governor, arguing that the timing of this pressure campaign suggests concern inside the White House about losing that legal fight. All in less than 10 minutes!

Looking ahead, the episode explores what happens when Powell’s term as chair ends in June, why installing a more “hardline” pick may actually make it harder for the president to get lower rates, and how the Fed’s consensus-driven structure limits any single individual’s power. The key takeaway: publicly bullying the Fed doesn’t increase presidential influence over monetary policy. It weakens it.

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The latest CPI report offers more than a snapshot of inflation. It reveals how prices are moving beneath the surface and why those movements matter for both the economy and the 2024 election.

In this episode, Mattie Duppler breaks down what today’s inflation data actually tells us, separating headline trends from the components that tend to linger in household budgets. She explains why the distinction between energy prices and energy services matters, how inflation shows up differently in everyday costs, and where the data signals continued pressure versus genuine cooling.

The episode also explores the political timeline of inflation. Voters tend to lock in their economic perceptions during the summer months, long before ballots are cast. That means inflation data now may play an outsized role in shaping how voters feel about the economy and how they ultimately vote in November.

This episode connects the CPI report to consumer behavior, economic confidence, and electoral outcomes, explaining why inflation remains one of the most powerful forces in American politics this year.

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