72: America’s Affordability Crisis and How MAGA is Making it Worse

America is in an affordability crisis. Basic needs like groceries, rent, childcare, and healthcare keep getting more expensive, while wages struggle to keep up. Seventy-four percent of Americans say the economy is in poor shape, and for many Millennials and Gen Zers, the idea of owning a home is becoming laughable. Yet Donald Trump and his MAGA allies insist the economy has never been better. This week, Stacey sits down with U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal and New York Times Business Reporter Talmon Smith to break down the growing disconnect between what Americans are feeling in their wallets and what the White House is selling from the podium. They dig into the real state of the economy, the latest jobs numbers, and whether Democrats have found a message on affordability that actually meets the moment.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.Learn & Do More: Be Curious: If you enjoyed my conversation with Talmon Smith, check out his work at The New York Times and keep an eye out for his upcoming book, Clout and Capital, published by Simon & Schuster, when it’s released later this year. Solve Problems: Seventy percent of Americans say raising children is too expensive. Many Democrats in Congress have joined forces in support of the Child Care for Every Community Act, which would lower childcare costs. Call your members of Congress and urge them to support this legislation. Call your governor and state representatives to ask them to back state legislation that would secure universal childcare in your state, like they have done in New Mexico. Do Good: This year marks the 50th anniversary of Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit with roots in Georgia that builds safe, affordable housing around the world. Consider volunteering or donating to help families in your community who lack affordable housing. And it’s the most wonderful time of year—Girl Scout cookie season. Girl Scouts of Greater New York Troop 6000 is a first-of-its-kind program serving families in temporary housing in the New York City shelter system, helping them transition to permanent housing. Visit https://www.girlscoutsnyc.org/troop6000 to purchase cookies from their digital store.

The media landscape in the US continues to undergo drastic transformations, with billionaire ownership and corporate consolidation leading to mass layoffs and content censorship. This week, Stacey is joined by Joy Reid, host of the Joy Reid Show and the first black woman to host a primetime program on cable news. They talk about the layoffs at the Washington Post, why she transitioned into independent media, what is lost when Black journalists are no longer at the table, and what people can do to inform themselves in an era where billionaires with agendas control the news.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.Learn & Do More: Be Curious:  If you enjoyed my conversation with Joy Reid, check out her podcast, “The Joy Reid Show” and her Substack, “Joy’s House.”  Solve Problems: Quality, well-funded journalism is essential to holding power to account, and local journalism is particularly essential. Subscribe to your local paper today. Also, please consider contributing to the Invest in Black Media campaign, which is highlighting the National Association of Black Journalists this month. Go to NABJ.org > click the donate button > and select the “Jubilee Endowment-Black History Month Match” to contribute. Onyx Impact is matching up to $100,000 for the fund. Do Good: As RFK Jr continues to dismantle our healthcare system and sow doubt and fear about the safety of vaccines, it is incumbent upon all of us to fight back, especially with measles cases on the rise.. Be watchful of friends and loved ones who are slipping into vaccine hesitancy, and push back on misinformation and disinformation you see on your social platforms. Visit vaccineinformation.org to get accurate , shareable information about vaccines and the diseases they prevent.

Voting rights are the Trump administration’s next big target. This week, Stacey is joined by Pod Save America’s Jon Favreau to discuss the aftermath of a raid by federal authorities in Fulton County, GA for boxes of election related materials from the 2020 cycle. They also talk about the Democrats leveraged a government shutdown to insist on ICE reforms, the latest polling data,  how this all intersects with the continued ICE raids in Minnesota, and what it means for Democrats to lead in this moment. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast. Learn & Do More: Be Curious: If you enjoyed my conversation with Jon Favreau check out Pod Save America and Offline.  Solve Problems: The fight to defend voting rights starts now. If you haven’t already, find out about signing up as a poll worker or volunteer with the League of Women Voters, Fair Fight and Common Cause.  Do Good: The people of Minnesota continue to live under siege. Donate to the immigrant rapid response fund, which provides food, supplies, housing, and healthcare to immigrants in need. Rent relief funds can help those who are unable to work right now but still need to pay their bills. Minneapolis rapid response needs donations to help legal observers access safety gear and PPE. Check out the show notes for  an article from New York Magazine’s The Cut that includes links to these organizations and other ways to help.

The unjust murder of Alex Pretti is the latest ICE killing in the city of Minneapolis, and he joins a growing body count for DHS. Protestors continue to flood the streets across Minnesota as the Trump administration and Republicans mislead the public as they continue to perpetuate state violence. This week, Stacey is joined by Hysteria’s Erin Ryan to discuss the aftermath of Pretti’s death, the escalation of federal actions in Minnesota, the connection to other assaults on Americans and what Democrats need to do in response. Then, Stacey and Erin turn to the March for Life rally that took place last weekend and examine how the Trump administration’s handling of abortion policy is putting it at odds with members of its own anti-abortion base.Learn & Do More: Be Curious: If you enjoyed my conversation with Erin Ryan, go check out Hysteria and her YouTube series This Fucking Guy.  Solve Problems: Call your senator and demand that they block increased funding to the Department of Homeland Security. Many of our immigrant friends and neighbors are being forced to stay indoors right now—volunteer to pick up groceries or other supplies so they can remain in place as the siege continues.  Do Good: The winter storm moving across the country is impacting communities that aren’t equipped to manage freezing weather. Rebuild.us is an organization led by disaster response professionals and dedicated to building a disaster relief system that’s responsive to our climate reality. Visit rebuild.us to donate and sign up to take action.

This week, Stacey begins by offering a response to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins’ ridiculous assertion that Americans could save money if only they limited their dinners to a piece of chicken, a piece of broccoli, and a corn tortilla. Then she speaks to Jelani Cobb, Dean of the Columbia Journalism School and Author of “Three or More Is A Riot” to talk about what historic parallels can teach us about authoritarianism and activism in this moment. As protests grow in response to violent ICE encounters in Minnesota and other parts of the country, history offers insight into what ordinary Americans have done to stand up for each other, and offers a hopeful blueprint for our future. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast. Learn & Do More: Be Curious: Pick up a copy of Jelani Cobb’s book  “Three Or More Is A Riot”. Solve Problems: A group of cyclists known as CyclingXSolidarity are riding across Chicago, buying out food carts from vendors who may be undocumented, so the workers can stay home without losing wages. And they are distributing the food they purchase to help those in need across the city. Check them out at cyclingxsolidarity.com to support them, and consider taking similar action in your own communities. Do Good: Last Tuesday, the Supreme Court held oral arguments on the constitutionality of state bans on transgender women and girls participating in sports that align with their gender identity. Volunteer with and donate to organizations like The Trevor Project at thetrevorproject.org to support LGBTQ+  youth at this difficult time.

The killing of Renee Good by an ICE officer in Minneapolis has sparked outrage and protests, but also  an outright defense of the use of state violence by the Trump administration and its allies. This week, Stacey is joined by NYU Law Professor and Strict Scrutiny host Melissa Murray to talk about the fallout from Minneapolis, the legal ways citizens can fight back against ICE, and the politicization of the Justice Department and the investigation of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast. Learn & Do More: Be Curious: No matter your legal status, knowing your rights when you encounter ICE is more important than ever. Visit the national immigrant justice center at https://immigrantjustice.org/for-immigrants/know-your-rights/ice-encounter/ to learn more about how to prepare and protect yourself, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation at https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/02/yes-you-have-right-film-ice to learn best practices for lawfully filming ICE activity. Solve Problems: Contact your officials to put pressure on them to take action, including your  congressional representative, governor, mayor, and  city councilor Do Good: Donate to organizations like the Envision Freedom Fund at envisionfreedom.org, which helps free people from immigrant detention and advocates for policies against incarceration.

If the first week of 2026 is any indication, President Trump and his regime has their eyes set on controlling not only the United States, but the entire western hemisphere. This week, Stacey talks about the administration’s brazen move to attack Venezuela and send a special forces team in to kidnap President Nicolas Maduro and his wife. She’s joined by Ricardo Zuniga, founding partner of Dinamica Americas, to talk about how the dictator came to power in Venezuela, where the opposition currently stands, and how the country’s oil reserves are inextricably linked to its political fortunes. They also comb through the truths and lies of Venezuela’s role in narco-trafficking, and how Trump’s cabinet members and staff are leveraging foreign policy for personal and dangerous ambitions. Learn & Do More: Be Curious: Seek out trusted sources of information on both domestic and international policy. To learn more about modern authoritarianism and the fight for Democracy, pick up a copy of the book “The Dictator’s Learning Curve: Inside the Global Battle for Democracy” by William Dobson. Solve Problems: This issue is closer to home than many of your friends and loved ones may think. Talk to them about why this matters, start rallying your community to protest the administration’s actions, and call your members of Congress. Do Good: If you’d like to help the nearly 600,000 Venezuelan refugees in the US now subject to deportation, visit www.immigrationadvocates.org. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.

In the last episode of 2025, Assembly Required is focusing on our audience. Stacey reflects on the lessons learned this year and answers listener questions about everything from how to defeat authoritarianism to what her favorite books were. We also hear stories from listeners who took action in their communities this year. Joining the conversation is the show’s Associate Producer, Farrah Safari. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.

The internet was originally seen as a tool of progress and innovation, but the reality has turned out to be economically, politically, and morally fraught. The question isn’t whether technology is good or bad. It’s who it serves, who it harms, and who profits. Our dependence hasn’t just created better gadgets, it’s created a new economic ruling class. Companies that don’t just dominate the market; they are the market. Platforms that don’t just reflect culture; they steer it. This week, Stacey is joined by former Special Assistant to the President for Technology and Competition Policy, law professor, and author of The Age of Extraction, Tim Wu to break down how these dominant platforms manipulate attention, extract wealth, and deepen inequality. For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast.Learn & Do More  Be Curious: If you enjoyed Stacey’s conversation with Tim Wu check out his book, “The Age of Extraction” Solve Problems: Right now, Congress is again considering legislation that would prevent states from passing their own AI regulations, and Trump has floated an executive order that would override state laws. In contrast, Senator Richard Blumenthal has proposed a minimum set of federal regulations while also allowing states to add their own. Call your member of Congress and ask them to oppose any legislation that would block AI regulation. In addition, urge your state legislature and local leaders like your school board to pass legislation for policies that protect data and privacy. Urge them to do it now, before Congress takes action. Organizations like the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the ACLU, and the Center for Humane Technology can be resources for understanding good local tech policy. You also have power as a consumer. Look to alternative platforms for search like Duck Duck Go, and NPR has an excellent resource for ethical shopping options. Do Good: Take a tech mini-break. Go do something that exists off-screen. See a friend in person, take a workout class, sit in a park, go for a walk. If you’re game, try and set some real limits for yourself.

This week on Assembly Required, Stacey sits down with Alex Wagner, veteran journalist and host of the new Crooked Media podcast “Runaway Country”. Together, they unpack Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s alleged order to execute the two remaining survivors of an American missile strike on a fishing boat suspected of drug smuggling in the Caribbean, and the rare moves in Congress to investigate the matter. They also talk about how the Trump administration is using the shooting of two National Guard members in D.C. to further anti-immigrant policies, what the Republicans’ razor-thin House majority means for the 2026 midterms, and more.For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email [email protected] and include the name of the podcast. Learn & Do More  Be Curious: If you enjoyed Stacey’s conversation with Alex Wagner, be sure to check out her new podcast Runaway Country. Solve Problems: As protests continue across the country in response to ICE’s cruel abductions and other authoritarian actions by this administration, it’s more important than ever to know your rights. Visit the ACLU’s website at aclu.org/know-your-rights/protesters-rights for comprehensive guidance on organizing a protest, participating safely, filming law enforcement, and more. Do Good: Republicans in Congress have allowed Affordable Care Act subsidies to expire, putting millions of Americans at risk of skyrocketing premiums and losing healthcare access altogether. Just Fix It is a nationwide, nonpartisan activation led by the 10 Steps Campaign in partnership with SEIU-NW, Caring Across Generations, MomsRising, and other labor and advocacy organizations. Learn how you can get involved and help protect healthcare for everyone.