National Debt

Eating Doritos While Drowning in Debt

Plus: A listener asks if there are any libertarian solutions to rising obesity rates.

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In this week's The Reason Roundtable, editors Matt Welch, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Nick Gillespie, and Peter Suderman lament the latest dire forecast from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) last week forecasting a $2 trillion budget deficit in 2024.

02:31—$2 trillion federal budget deficit

21:17— Joe Biden vs. Donald Trump on immigration

37:02—Weekly Listener Question

46:23—Revisiting Anthony Fauci and COVID-19 origins

55:18—This week's cultural recommendations

Mentioned in this podcast:

"Federal Budget Deficit Forecast Jumps $400 Billion, Fueled by Student Debt Forgiveness," by Emma Camp

"The National Debt Is Now So High That Every American Essentially Owes $100,000," by John Stossel

"Why We Need To Shrink the National Debt, and Fast!" by Nick Gillespie and Mark McDaniel

"The Golden Age of Groupon Government," by Nick Gillespie

"Trump Suddenly Loves Immigration," by Liz Wolfe

"Protections for the Undocumented," by Liz Wolfe

"There Is No Party of Immigration in American Politics," by Matt Welch, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Peter Suderman, and Nick Gillespie

"Should the U.S. Shut Its Borders? A Free Press Debate," featuring Nick Gillespie

"The Five Best Arguments Against Immigration—and Why They're Wrong," by Nick Gillespie and Todd Krainin

"The End of Obesity?" by Ronald Bailey

"Whole Foods' John Mackey: We Must Change How We Think About Capitalism," by Nick Gillespie

"Government Subsidies Keep Your Food Boring," by C. Jarrett Dieterle

"Mandatory GMO Disclosure Doesn't Sway Shopping Habits (But Will Drive Up Costs)," by Elizabeth Nolan Brown

"The War on Fat," by Jacob Sullum

"American Slender," by Nick Gillespie

"Maybe Brian Williams Just Needs to Write a Book Denouncing the Drug War?" by Matt Welch

"Anthony Fauci's Inner Circle Initially Thought COVID Came From a Lab," by Rand Paul

"In Congress, Debate Rages About How To Prevent the Next Lab Leak," by Christian Britschgi

"COVID-19 Misinformation: Brought to You by the U.S. Government," by Robby Soave

"'Vast Majority' of Pandemic Employee Retention Credit Claims Are Likely Scams, Says IRS," by J.D. Tuccille

"Make the CDC an Infectious Disease Epidemic Fighter Again," by Ronald Bailey

"Presidential Screen Test," by Nick Gillespie

"Based on a True Story: Bill Clinton and the New Court Culture," by Nick Gillespie

"Is Rob Lowe a Libertarian?: 'I want the government out of almost everything,'" by Nick Gillespie

Upcoming Events:

Send your questions to roundtable@reason.com. Be sure to include your social media handle and the correct pronunciation of your name.

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  • Students for Liberty
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Audio production by Ian Keyser; assistant production by Hunt Beaty.

Music: "Angeline," by The Brothers Steve