Bloomberg Benchmark

As much as economics permeates our lives, the concepts behind the subject can often be rather dry. Fortunately, the smash Broadway musical "Hamilton" takes some of those concepts and sets them to catchy hip-hop tunes. Matt Rousu, an economics professor at Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania, is already creating lessons for his students based on some of the musical's songs as well as numbers in other Broadway shows. Scott Lanman and Dan Moss break down some of the music with Matt and find the connections between the songs and talking about the Federal Reserve -- who knew?

Now that slavery, of all things, has popped up as one of the weirder talking points in the bizarre U.S. presidential campaign, we figured it might be time to examine just how much of a link slavery -- and everything it connotes -- has to do with international economics. And yes, we did get into Brazil just last week, but with the Olympics starting this month, what better region to focus on than Latin America? Join Dan Moss and Kate Smith, along with Sao Paulo-born Vivianne Rodrigues, who runs economic and government news in the region, as we discuss why some nations clung so long to plantation-based economies that they lagged in making the leap to industrialization.

Police strikes, threats of Zika and a $20 billion tab: Welcome to the 2016 Summer Olympics games in Brazil. But Rio's position isn't just matter of bad luck. It was actually self-imposed. Every four years countries vie to be the next host of the summer Olympics, despite cautionary tales of unnecessary stadium spending from places like Montreal and Athens. What is it about sports that make otherwise rational politicians make irrational decisions? To help answer that question, Dan and Kate are joined this week by Neil deMause, an expert in the world of publicly financed sports facilities.

No one thinks the Fed is going to raise interest rates at its next meeting. Chair Janet Yellen isn't scheduled to hold a press conference, and there won't be any new rate projections from Fed officials. So what should you look for when the central bank issues its statement on Wednesday? In this special bonus episode, reporters Chris Condon and Jeanna Smialek join host Scott Lanman to tell you the five things you need to know to become an expert translator of the next iteration of Fed-speak.

How would the U.S. economy fare under President Donald J. Trump? Hosts Scott Lanman and Kate Smith journey one year into the future to track the Benchmark podcast from July 21, 2017. Joning them is Neil Dutta from Renaissance Macro Partners, who helps explain just what's happened during Trump's first six months -- and we also learn just how crazy this Pokemon Go thing has gotten.

China wasn't on the ballot when U.K. citizens made the surprise decision to leave the European Union. But it has played a major role in the forces of globalization that Britons rebelled against with their vote in June. How does one connect the dots from Deng Xiaoping's opening up of the Chinese economy in 1978 to Brexit in 2016? Marc Champion, a reporter for Bloomberg News in London, joins Dan and new co-hosts Kate Smith and Scott Lanman to talk all about it -- once Scott stops showing off his Mandarin skills.

From the U.S. to the U.K., immigration and its consequences are flaring up as never before. But how exactly do they shape the economy, and how are native workers affected when immigrants enter the labor force? For answers to these questions as well as a frank discussion on where policy should go from here, Tori and Aki talk to Giovanni Peri, a professor at the University of California at Davis and one of the top economists in the field of human migration.

Drug companies and researchers have made huge advances in recent years to treat cancer, possibly the world's leading cause of death. And more breakthroughs are likely. But it will come with a big price tag, and getting all the way to a cure will be tricky. What does it all have to do with the global economy? And what's a moonshot, anyway? Dr. Louis Weiner, director of the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center in Washington, explains it all to Dan Moss and guest host Scott Lanman, who has a deep personal connection to the topic at hand.

Why is Norway attracting attention in a post-Brexit Britain? Saleha Mohsin, who followed Norwegian politics and economics for Bloomberg, joins Dan Moss to explain `EU Decaf.' How does it work and how is it different, if at all, than being a full member of the EU? You get freedom of goods, services, capital and -- critically -- labor. Norway even contributes to the EU budget! Yet Norwegians are happy with EU Decaf. Oh, and an EU referendum was defeated there as well. Twice.

Have British voters rejected more than the EU? The vote to leave the Union, which grew from the idea seven decades ago that enmeshed economies won't wage war on one another, is a blow to the liberal order that's prevailed since 1945. It's also a shot across the bow of modern family life. Paul Gordon from London joins Dan Moss to explain why. We also find out what the barista said to Paul as dawn broke in London and how he will greet his German wife when he comes home to Frankfurt.

Will the government still feed me when I'm 64? How about 74, or even 84? Americans are living longer than ever, but the retirement age has barely budged from the original 65. How can Washington adjust the public retirement system -- a political third rail -- without enraging millions of U.S. workers? What the heck do we mean by a third rail? Join us for a chat with Peter Coy, economics editor at Bloomberg Businessweek, Dan Moss and guest host Kate Smith about the future of Social Security and why you should care right now.

Venezuela, home to the world's biggest oil reserves, is in the throes of economic crisis. With inflation projected at nearly 300 percent this year, how do Venezuelans live amid six-hour lines for groceries, crumbling hospitals and growing violence? Nathan Crooks, Bloomberg's Caracas bureau chief, walks Aki and guest co-host Catarina Saraiva through his daily life, how things got so bad and what's next for the troubled country.

Every day the gig economy gets bigger, whether you're talking about drivers on Uber or programmers on Upwork. Are these workers freed from the drudgery and rigidity of full-time jobs, or are they exploited by companies that want to sidestep the commitments and the costs of traditional employees? Danny Margulies, who catapulted from unemployment in 2012 to a freelance copywriter commanding as much as $250 an hour, joins Aki and guest co-host Saleha Mohsin this week to offer a peek into his own life. Danny loves his arrangement, but as Benchmark's own Tori Stilwell reports this week, some economists worry it's leading to a more precarious labor market for middle and low-wage workers.

Washington is once again mired in political gridlock, this time involving the Supreme Court. A seat on the highest court in the land has been open since February, and it probably won't be filled until a new president is elected. How do businesses fare in the face of so much uncertainty? For answers, Tori speaks with Al Franken, the junior senator from Minnesota and a former star of Saturday Night Live, along with Bloomberg's Supreme Court reporter Greg Stohr. As an added bonus, Franken shares his thoughts on Donald Trump, the Benchmark theme song, and rumors he may be Hillary Clinton's vice president.

After decades of progress in U.S. mortality rates, scores of white middle-aged Americans are dying or reporting that their health is deteriorating and life is increasingly painful. What does this have to do with the economy, and even the election? More than you might think. To discuss, Tori and Aki talk to Princeton professor Anne Case, whose work with husband Angus Deaton has documented the stunning regression.

For criminals looking to sell drugs, fund terrorism, evade taxes or bribe government officials, cash is king. That's why a growing chorus of academics and policy makers want to do away with high-denomination bills around the world, culminating last week in the European Central Bank's decision to stop printing the 500 euro note. But does this put us on a slippery slope toward a cashless society, where Big Brother can monitor our every financial move? Tori and Aki discuss with Peter Sands, a senior fellow at Harvard's Kennedy School and the former CEO Standard Chartered Bank, whose research helped spark the debate.

Puerto Rico missed a $400 million debt payment on Sunday, and bigger, more consequential defaults could follow. But how did things get so bad in the first place? Michelle Kaske, Bloomberg's municipal bonds reporter, joins Dan and Aki to discuss the best- and worst-case scenarios for the U.S. Territory as its next payment deadline approaches.

The Affordable Care Act is back in the news, as insurers around the nation complain they're losing money in exchanges designed to bring health coverage to millions of Americans. A host of economic woes have been ascribed to Obamacare, including a higher incidence of part-time work and sour business sentiment, which opponents cite as evidence the federal government shouldn't have tried to remake the health insurance market. Supporters, meantime, argue the law achieved its primary goals and just needs further refinement. They also point to a jobless rate of 5 percent and ask how on earth can it be hurting employment? For both sides of the story, Tori and Dan are joined by Kathleen Sebelius, the former secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services who helped shepherd the law through Congress, and Jim Capretta, a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center who has spent more than two decades studying U.S. health care policy.

Japan's been having a tough time lately. The central bank used unorthodox tools to jumpstart growth -- and has little to show for it. It's closing in on deflationary territory. And now, the nation also has to worry about a strengthening yen, which has the potential to worsen both those issues. Dan and Tori discuss Japan's options, joined by Bloomberg reporter Toru Fujioka on the ground in Tokyo, and Jeff Young, co-founder and chief economist at DeepMacro LLC.

The Federal Reserve has two mandates: price stability and full employment. Yet now many wonder whether the Fed, like many large and powerful organizations, has outsourced policy. And no, we're not talking about China or Mexico -- but rather to the financial markets. Instead of setting policy and letting markets respond, are investors really in the driver's seat? Is the Fed merely following their cue? Bloomberg's Rich Miller discusses the new dynamic with Dan, while Bob Burgess and Madeleine Lim try to let him know who's boss.