The federal government shut down on Wednesday, which in the near-term probably sounds worse than it is. Yes, 750,000 workers are expected to be furloughed and yes, certain functions including visitor centers at national monuments and the release of economic data will pause. But functions deemed “essential” are continuing: mail is still being delivered, courts are still open, airport security continues and animals at the National Zoo are being fed.

In other words, you might be forgiven for ignoring the latest dispute, which stems from a White House insistence that Democrats vote for a new spending bill and Democratic leaders insist the Republicans restore some of the massive cuts to health care they pushed through earlier this year before millions lose coverage. But this shutdown may play out differently, as Justin Wolfers, the University of Michigan economist and author, explains on this week’s episode of Everybody’s Business.

The White House, led by budget director and Project 2025 author Russell Vought, has indicated it wants to go beyond merely furloughing staff–and instead use the threat of a crisis to make the kinds of drastic job cuts Donald Trump attempted in the early months of his second term. Like many of those cuts, these too are arguably illegal and already being challenged in court. The first round, under the auspices of Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency, was both wildly unpopular and disruptive, leading to a backlash that ultimately may have cost Republicans a special election in Wisconsin and forced Musk to leave the White House. The government shutdown gives Trump—through Vought this time—a second bite at the apple.

Later on the episode, Bloomberg reporter Zeke Faux joins to talk about his latest story on Justin Sun, the crypto entrepreneur whose colorful life has included a diplomatic post in Grenada, spaceflights with Blue Origin, a prime minister post in a libertarian micronation and the purchase of one of the most talked-about works of art in recent memory. Most recently though, the headlines have centered around his dealings with Trump and how in just a few short months Sun managed to go from being sued by the Securities and Exchange Commission to seeing the case dropped and having dinner alongside the Republican president.

Finally, we discuss the Bustle story about a supposed vibecession in sex work. Apparently, “sugar daddies” are cutting back on payments to their romantic partners, who have derisively begun calling them “Splenda daddies.” Stacey explains why, vibecession or no, the entire phenomenon is depressing.

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This year came with a promising start for Argentina. Inflation seemed under control, investment was coming back, double-digit poverty was (according to the government) beginning to fall and President Javier Milei—the chainsaw wielding, leather jacket-wearing, self-described libertarian—was being hailed by supporters as a tough-love leader bringing the country’s economy back from crisis. Milei also became a favorite of fellow political travelers to the north, namely Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

But the year hasn’t been kind to Argentina or its populist leader. Once again, the country finds itself in crisis—crushing debt, panicked investors and the threat of political instability. But this time the US is pledging to help. The Trump administration has offered its support, both in terms of money and encouraging investment in Argentine businesses. This week, Max and Stacey talk to David Papadopoulos, executive editor of markets, about what happened and whether Milei can turn the economy around.

Also this week, Lucas Shaw joins the show to talk about two of the modern kings of digital: David Ellison, son of Oracle founder Larry Ellison, who quickly became one of the most important players in Hollywood when his company Skydance snapped up Paramount last month; and MrBeast, the YouTube breakout star who has built an empire on video stunts (and more recently chocolate bars) and whose company, Best Industries, after years of astonishing growth, is experiencing growing pains.

The show also explores the latest fad in workplace culture: Quiet cracking. The combination of low hiring rates, increasing workplace unhappiness and an uncertain economy is squeezing workers to the limit.

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On this week’s episode of Everybody’s Business we're joined by Rohit Chopra, former director of the now largely kneecapped Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. He argues that Trump’s efforts to apply political pressure to the Fed present an opportunity to scrutinize the central bank’s decision-making. Chopra points out that the Fed’s governors, who tend to either come from academia or Wall Street, originally came from a more eclectic array of backgrounds—with perhaps more sensitivity to the needs of small business owners and consumers.

“I really think a good central bank is really good for democracy,” Chopra says. “But I think it has to also change with the times so that it is responsive and that it is not seen as a group of priests and priestesses who make determinations about our lives without really understanding how the economy is working on the ground.”

Also this week, we bring in Bloomberg News reporter Randall Williams to unpack the story that is currently roiling the world of professional basketball: allegations that Los Angeles Clippers-owner Steve Ballmer improperly funneled payments to one of the team’s stars via a dubious (and now bankrupt) fintech company, Aspiration. Ballmer has denied the allegations, which first surfaced in an episode of the podcast Pablo Torre Finds Out. Aspiration’s co-founder has denied being party to any scheme to evade the salary cap.

Williams explains why the story has garnered so much interest among NBA owners and how it illustrates the importance of salary caps in order to maintain competitive balance.

Finally, we unpack a strange case of fake branding, involving the logo of Elon Musk’s aerospace company.

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