Topic: Economic Data

Jen Psaki attempts to "prepare" the public for poor jobs numbers, blaming the Omicron spike for 9 million people calling out sick during the data collection period. The hosts mock this explanation, questioning how sick leave translates directly to job losses in the official data. They view it as a desperate attempt to manage negative economic narratives.

The Commons Project, supported by the World Economic Forum and trustees like Esther Dyson, has launched CommonPass to standardize digital health records. The platform allows travelers to share COVID-19 test results or vaccination status with airlines and border authorities. The system was first tested within the East African Community to facilitate cross-border trucking between Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda.

The September 2017 jobs report showed the U.S. economy losing 33,000 jobs, which the government attributed to hurricane impacts. The hosts discuss the significance of the number 33 in news reporting and point out contradictions between the labor participation rate and the falling unemployment percentage.

The hosts criticize the involvement of young children in political protests, labeling it a form of "child abuse." The conversation shifts to the U.S. unemployment rate, contrasting the official 4.9% figure with "Shadow Stats" estimates of 22-23% to explain why so many people have time to protest.

White House economist Austan Goolsbee proposes reforms to the patent system, including expedited processing for higher fees. During a National Association of Business Economics meeting, a speaker tells a story about Alan Greenspan's videotaped calls for better economic data being destroyed in the September 11 attacks. The hosts find the audience's laughter at the anecdote suspicious.