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  <itunes:author>Chris and Meg</itunes:author>
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  <description><![CDATA[<p>Husband and wife duo Chris and Meg tackle the news that falls through the cracks. Chris loves politics. Meg is learning to love it!</p>]]></description>
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    <itunes:title>Why Are Groceries So Expensive? </itunes:title>
    <title>Why Are Groceries So Expensive? </title>
    <itunes:summary><![CDATA[In this episode Meg and Chris explore the exploding cost of groceries in America. The unprecedented effects from COVID and the Ukraine War, in addition to the steady forces adding to inflation year after year.  Sources:  https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-022-00502-1 https://www.npr.org/2025/09/19/nx-s1-5539547/grocery-prices-tariffs-food-inflation https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/08/business/grocery-prices-trump-poll https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/infographics/how-the-russian-in...]]></itunes:summary>
    <description><![CDATA[<p>In this episode Meg and Chris explore the exploding cost of groceries in America. The unprecedented effects from COVID and the Ukraine War, in addition to the steady forces adding to inflation year after year. </p><p>Sources: </p><p>https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-022-00502-1</p><p>https://www.npr.org/2025/09/19/nx-s1-5539547/grocery-prices-tariffs-food-inflation</p><p>https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/08/business/grocery-prices-trump-poll</p><p>https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/infographics/how-the-russian-invasion-of-ukraine-has-further-aggravated-the-global-food-crisis/</p><p><a href='https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10015268/'>https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10015268/</a></p><p><a href='https://concernusa.org/news/ukraine-food-crisis-explained/'>https://concernusa.org/news/ukraine-food-crisis-explained/</a></p><p><a href='https://www.epi.org/blog/corporate-profits-have-contributed-disproportionately-to-inflation-how-should-policymakers-respond/'>https://www.epi.org/blog/corporate-profits-have-contributed-disproportionately-to-inflation-how-should-policymakers-respond/</a></p><p><a href='https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/2024/03/26/high-food-prices-consolidation/'>https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/2024/03/26/high-food-prices-consolidation/</a></p><p><a href='https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/26/tuesday-briefing-how-climateflation-is-pushing-food-prices-ever-higher-and-changing-how-we-eat'>https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/26/tuesday-briefing-how-climateflation-is-pushing-food-prices-ever-higher-and-changing-how-we-eat</a></p><p><a href='https://www.epa.gov/climateimpacts/climate-change-impacts-agriculture-and-food-supply'>https://www.epa.gov/climateimpacts/climate-change-impacts-agriculture-and-food-supply</a></p><p><a href='https://www.farmaid.org/issues/corporate-power/how-consolidation-by-meatpacking-giants-is-hurting-farmers-and-consumers-and-what-the-biden-administration-is-doing-about-it/'>https://www.farmaid.org/issues/corporate-power/how-consolidation-by-meatpacking-giants-is-hurting-farmers-and-consumers-and-what-the-biden-administration-is-doing-about-it/</a></p><p><a href='https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/11/trump-administration-cracks-down-on-foreign-owned-meat-packing-cartels/'>https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/11/trump-administration-cracks-down-on-foreign-owned-meat-packing-cartels/</a></p><p><a href='https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/07/trump-meatpackers-investigation-beef-prices-00643152'>https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/07/trump-meatpackers-investigation-beef-prices-00643152</a></p>]]></description>
    <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In this episode Meg and Chris explore the exploding cost of groceries in America. The unprecedented effects from COVID and the Ukraine War, in addition to the steady forces adding to inflation year after year. </p><p>Sources: </p><p>https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-022-00502-1</p><p>https://www.npr.org/2025/09/19/nx-s1-5539547/grocery-prices-tariffs-food-inflation</p><p>https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/08/business/grocery-prices-trump-poll</p><p>https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/infographics/how-the-russian-invasion-of-ukraine-has-further-aggravated-the-global-food-crisis/</p><p><a href='https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10015268/'>https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10015268/</a></p><p><a href='https://concernusa.org/news/ukraine-food-crisis-explained/'>https://concernusa.org/news/ukraine-food-crisis-explained/</a></p><p><a href='https://www.epi.org/blog/corporate-profits-have-contributed-disproportionately-to-inflation-how-should-policymakers-respond/'>https://www.epi.org/blog/corporate-profits-have-contributed-disproportionately-to-inflation-how-should-policymakers-respond/</a></p><p><a href='https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/2024/03/26/high-food-prices-consolidation/'>https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/2024/03/26/high-food-prices-consolidation/</a></p><p><a href='https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/26/tuesday-briefing-how-climateflation-is-pushing-food-prices-ever-higher-and-changing-how-we-eat'>https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/26/tuesday-briefing-how-climateflation-is-pushing-food-prices-ever-higher-and-changing-how-we-eat</a></p><p><a href='https://www.epa.gov/climateimpacts/climate-change-impacts-agriculture-and-food-supply'>https://www.epa.gov/climateimpacts/climate-change-impacts-agriculture-and-food-supply</a></p><p><a href='https://www.farmaid.org/issues/corporate-power/how-consolidation-by-meatpacking-giants-is-hurting-farmers-and-consumers-and-what-the-biden-administration-is-doing-about-it/'>https://www.farmaid.org/issues/corporate-power/how-consolidation-by-meatpacking-giants-is-hurting-farmers-and-consumers-and-what-the-biden-administration-is-doing-about-it/</a></p><p><a href='https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/11/trump-administration-cracks-down-on-foreign-owned-meat-packing-cartels/'>https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/11/trump-administration-cracks-down-on-foreign-owned-meat-packing-cartels/</a></p><p><a href='https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/07/trump-meatpackers-investigation-beef-prices-00643152'>https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/07/trump-meatpackers-investigation-beef-prices-00643152</a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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    <itunes:author>Chris and Meg</itunes:author>
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    <pubDate>Sun, 07 Dec 2025 09:00:00 -0800</pubDate>
    <itunes:duration>1501</itunes:duration>
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    <itunes:title>What is Fueling the Health Insurance Market Price Surge? </itunes:title>
    <title>What is Fueling the Health Insurance Market Price Surge? </title>
    <itunes:summary><![CDATA[In this episode Meg and Chris Discuss the government health insurance marketplace. How it was formed and why prices on the marketplace are drastically increasing next year.  Sources:  https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/health-policy-101-the-affordable-care-act/?entry=table-of-contents-what-is-the-affordable-care-act https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/aca-marketplace-premium-payments-would-more-than-double-on-average-next-year-if-enhanced-premium-tax-credits-expire/ https:/...]]></itunes:summary>
    <description><![CDATA[<p>In this episode Meg and Chris Discuss the government health insurance marketplace. How it was formed and why prices on the marketplace are drastically increasing next year. </p><p>Sources: </p><p><a href='https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/health-policy-101-the-affordable-care-act/?entry=table-of-contents-what-is-the-affordable-care-act'><b>https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/health-policy-101-the-affordable-care-act/?entry=table-of-contents-what-is-the-affordable-care-act</b></a></p><p><a href='https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/aca-marketplace-premium-payments-would-more-than-double-on-average-next-year-if-enhanced-premium-tax-credits-expire/'><b>https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/aca-marketplace-premium-payments-would-more-than-double-on-average-next-year-if-enhanced-premium-tax-credits-expire/</b></a></p><p><a href='https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-house-vote-deal-end-longest-government-shutdown-history-2025-11-12/'><b>https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-house-vote-deal-end-longest-government-shutdown-history-2025-11-12/</b></a></p><p><a href='https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/11/19/aca-obamacare-tax-credit-shutdown/87336302007/'><b>https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/11/19/aca-obamacare-tax-credit-shutdown/87336302007/</b></a></p>]]></description>
    <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>In this episode Meg and Chris Discuss the government health insurance marketplace. How it was formed and why prices on the marketplace are drastically increasing next year. </p><p>Sources: </p><p><a href='https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/health-policy-101-the-affordable-care-act/?entry=table-of-contents-what-is-the-affordable-care-act'><b>https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/health-policy-101-the-affordable-care-act/?entry=table-of-contents-what-is-the-affordable-care-act</b></a></p><p><a href='https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/aca-marketplace-premium-payments-would-more-than-double-on-average-next-year-if-enhanced-premium-tax-credits-expire/'><b>https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/aca-marketplace-premium-payments-would-more-than-double-on-average-next-year-if-enhanced-premium-tax-credits-expire/</b></a></p><p><a href='https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-house-vote-deal-end-longest-government-shutdown-history-2025-11-12/'><b>https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/us-house-vote-deal-end-longest-government-shutdown-history-2025-11-12/</b></a></p><p><a href='https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/11/19/aca-obamacare-tax-credit-shutdown/87336302007/'><b>https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/11/19/aca-obamacare-tax-credit-shutdown/87336302007/</b></a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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    <itunes:author>Chris and Meg</itunes:author>
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    <pubDate>Sun, 23 Nov 2025 21:00:00 -0800</pubDate>
    <itunes:duration>1408</itunes:duration>
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    <itunes:title>The Soybean Saga</itunes:title>
    <title>The Soybean Saga</title>
    <itunes:summary><![CDATA[The inaugural podcast for the Lefties! Chris and Meg discuss the struggles US soybean farmers have been facing since the Trump tariffs. How did we get here? What is at stake for these farmers?  ]]></itunes:summary>
    <description><![CDATA[<p>The inaugural podcast for the Lefties! Chris and Meg discuss the struggles US soybean farmers have been facing since the Trump tariffs. How did we get here? What is at stake for these farmers? </p>]]></description>
    <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The inaugural podcast for the Lefties! Chris and Meg discuss the struggles US soybean farmers have been facing since the Trump tariffs. How did we get here? What is at stake for these farmers? </p>]]></content:encoded>
    <enclosure url="https://www.buzzsprout.com/2557759/episodes/18207351-the-soybean-saga.mp3" length="13708127" type="audio/mpeg" />
    <itunes:author>Chris and Meg</itunes:author>
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    <pubDate>Mon, 17 Nov 2025 13:00:00 -0800</pubDate>
    <itunes:duration>1141</itunes:duration>
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