Gas prices are back over $4—and once again, we’re being told it’s temporary. But this isn’t just about oil. It’s about a fragile global system where one disruption sends costs soaring for everyone else.

In this episode, we break down what’s really driving the spike, why inflation may be sticking around longer than promised, and how warning signs like the “Walmart Recession Signal” point to a broader economic slowdown already taking shape.

At the same time, workers are pushing back. From major union wins forcing Amazon to recognize the right to strike, to locked-out refinery workers holding the line, to a federal judge calling out union-busting at the VA—labor is testing its leverage in real time.

We also dig into the growing momentum behind a potential May Day general strike, the renewed push to tax the rich in New York, and what Oracle’s mass layoffs reveal about how corporations are using AI to cut workers out of the future.

This isn’t one story—it’s the same story from every angle: rising costs, concentrated power, and a growing question about what happens when workers decide they’ve had enough.

What happens when workers are expected to keep everything running—but stop getting paid?

This episode breaks down the fallout from a government shutdown hitting TSA workers, the spread of instability into everyday spaces like airports, and the bigger pattern behind it all: rising costs, unstable hours, and an economy that keeps pushing risk onto workers.

From underemployment and unpredictable schedules to growing strikes across industries, the pressure isn’t random—it’s systemic. We also look at what other countries get right about stability and what that says about life for workers here.

Gas prices surge. Costs climb. And we’re told it’s not a priority.

In this episode, we break down what the Iran conflict reveals about who the economy actually works for—and why working people are always treated as “the last concern.” From rising energy costs and the reality of the “$145K to get ahead” economy, to union-busting legislation in Florida, it’s the same pattern: decisions made at the top, consequences pushed down.

But it’s not all one-way. We also look at workers fighting back—from meatpacking strikes in Colorado to major gains in the WNBA, and growing momentum for unionization in the video game industry.

Then we dig into the reality behind AI at work. Instead of less stress and more freedom, many workers are seeing the opposite: more monitoring, more tasks, and less control over their time.

Finally, we zoom out to the bigger risk. Financial systems, tech, and global conflict are more connected than ever—and when things break, it won’t be executives taking the first hit.

Key themes:

• Rising gas prices and the real cost of war
• “Strong economy” vs. worker reality
• The $145K income gap and the “hamster wheel” effect
• Union-busting efforts and worker resistance
• AI, productivity, and labor intensification
• Systemic risk and who pays when it all falls apart