Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff

In this week's episode of Economic Update, Professor Wolff delivers updates on Die Linke ("The Left") political party surging in Germany, the errors and omissions in Bessent's anti-Iran sanctions program, and the background of the historic victory of unionized public workers (bus drivers) in Jackson, Mississippi, with the help of Jackson's political leaders. The second half of today's show features an interview with Kshama Sawant, revolutionary socialist, and 3-time election winner of a seat on Seattle City Council. Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff is a production of Democracy at Work, Inc., and any reproduction in whole or part is strictly prohibited without written permission. We make it a point to keep the show ad-free and rely solely on viewer support to continue doing so. Every donation counts and helps us reach a larger audience with the information they need to better understand the events around the world that they won't find anywhere else. We want to thank our devoted community of supporters who help make this show and the others we produce possible each week. We kindly ask you to also support the work we do by encouraging others to subscribe to our YouTube channel and website: www.democracyatwork.info Professor Wolff's latest book, "Understanding Capitalism," is available now for purchase: https://linktr.ee/understandingcapitalism Professor Wolff's "Understanding Series," is available for purchase: https://linktr.ee/RichardWolffBooks © 2026 Democracy at Work, Inc. All Rights Reserved

In this episode, Professor Wolff delivers updates on new research documenting market failure to meet the urgent, large need for childcare in the US, the selective morality of Ambassador Huckabee, the empty threats by corporations and the rich to leave jurisdictions that dare to tax them, and the significance of the debt passing milestone of $40 trillion. The second half of today's show features an interview with long-time activist and organizer, David Cobb, on the resurgence and importance of activism in the U.S. today We want to thank our devoted community of supporters who help make this show and the others we produce possible each week. We kindly ask you to also support the work we do by encouraging others to subscribe to our YouTube channel and website: www.democracyatwork.info Professor Wolff's latest book, "Understanding Capitalism," is available now for purchase: https://linktr.ee/understandingcapitalism Professor Wolff's "Understanding Series," is available for purchase: https://linktr.ee/RichardWolffBooks © 2026 Democracy at Work, Inc. All Rights Reserved

This week on Economic Update, Professor Wolff delivers updates on the Starbucks Workers United call-to-boycott, the powerful lyrics of Dolly Parton's song "9 to 5,"  and the recent electoral victories by socialists and progressives, especially N'Kiyla Jasmine Thomas in Oklahoma. The second half of the show features an interview with Alissa Quart, co-author with Barbara Ehrenreich and founder of the Economic Hardship Reporting Project. We want to thank our devoted community of supporters who help make this show and the others we produce possible each week. We kindly ask you to also support the work we do by encouraging others to subscribe to our YouTube channel and website: www.democracyatwork.info Professor Wolff's latest book, "Understanding Capitalism," is available now for purchase: https://linktr.ee/understandingcapitalism Professor Wolff's "Understanding Series," is available for purchase: https://linktr.ee/RichardWolffBooks © 2026 Democracy at Work, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Today's entire program is devoted to tracing the origins and evolution of socialism through its splits and growth to become a global movement shadowing capitalism. Particular attention is paid to the specialist focus on capturing the state and the split between electoral/evolutionary approaches to that capture, as well as revolutionary approaches. A guiding theme is the relevance of socialism's rich history to its resurgence via the DSA in the US today. We hope you enjoy this discussion and look forward to joining you next week for another all-new episode of Economic Update. Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff is a production of Democracy at Work, Inc., and any reproduction in whole or part is strictly prohibited without written permission. We make it a point to keep the show ad-free and rely solely on viewer support to continue doing so. Every donation counts and helps us reach a larger audience with the information they need to better understand the events around the world that they won't find anywhere else. We want to thank our devoted community of supporters who help make this show and the others we produce possible each week. We kindly ask you to also support the work we do by encouraging others to subscribe to our YouTube channel and website: www.democracyatwork.info Professor Wolff's latest book, "Understanding Capitalism," is available now for purchase: https://linktr.ee/understandingcapitalism © 2026 Democracy at Work, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Today's entire program approaches the economic role of the state in U.S. society, past and present. We analyze two major tensions: one between minimizing the state (liberalism/libertarianism) and maximizing it (New Deal/Trumpism), and the other between a state that serves the employer class and one that serves the working class. We end with a glance at where the current rise of the DSA fits into that second tension. We hope you enjoy this discussion and look forward to joining you next week for another all-new episode of Economic Update. Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff is a production of Democracy at Work, Inc., and any reproduction in whole or part is strictly prohibited without written permission. We make it a point to keep the show ad-free and rely solely on viewer support to continue doing so. Every donation counts and helps us reach a larger audience with the information they need to better understand the events around the world that they won't find anywhere else. We want to thank our devoted community of supporters who help make this show and the others we produce possible each week. We kindly ask you to also support the work we do by encouraging others to subscribe to our YouTube channel and website: www.democracyatwork.info Professor Wolff's latest book, "Understanding Capitalism," is available now for purchase: https://linktr.ee/understandingcapitalism © 2026 Democracy at Work, Inc. All Rights Reserved