Inflation isn’t gone—it’s moving upstream. This episode breaks down rising PPI, what it signals about future prices, and why small businesses and young people will feel the squeeze first, all while the Fed holds rates steady.

In this episode of BlackEcon 101, hosts Amza and Sol sit down with Malika Ramadina, a campaign finance intern at FK&Co, to unpack one of the most interesting conversations in politics right now: Zohran Mamdani, New York City, and the future of business and political leadership. Together, they explore why Mamdani’s rise has captured so much attention, what his approach says about the Democratic Party, and how his ideas around cutting red tape could reshape opportunities for small businesses and young entrepreneurs in New York. The conversation also dives into political relatability, representation, local economies, and what it means for a politician to truly speak to the people.

The podcast continues — with a new team behind the mic.

In this episode, we introduce ourselves as the latest cohort of interns at Creative Investment Research. Coming from diverse academic backgrounds — economics, international affairs, data science, and law — we share what brought us here and what we hope to contribute.

From attending Supreme Court hearings on Federal Reserve independence to working on economic dashboards, social return research, and community-focused initiatives, we reflect on how this internship is shaping our understanding of policy, inequality, and impact.

This season, we aim to make the podcast more dynamic — bringing humor, real conversations, student perspectives, and deeper discussions about economics, politics, and the world we’re inheriting.

New voices. Same commitment to impact. And this is just the beginning.