$140,000 Is Not Poor, $400,000 Is Not Middle Class episode artwork

EPISODE · Dec 3, 2025 · 1H 25M

$140,000 Is Not Poor, $400,000 Is Not Middle Class

from Central Air · host Josh Barro, Ben Dreyfuss, and Megan McArdle

On this week’s show: is $140,000 a year the new poverty line? Is $400,000 a moderate income? Is the softening in car buying an indication that middle-income Americans have grown more financially pressed in recent months?Plus: we revisit the “you must refuse illegal orders” video in light of news reports about an awfully illegal-sounding “double tap” strike on a suspected drug boat off Venezuela, and we discuss the Trump administration’s crackdown on Afghan migrants. We also talk about casinos in New York City and two environments that bring Americans together: the craps table, and the Benihana table. Finally: Josh angers people on the internet. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.centralairpodcast.com/subscribe

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Dec 3, 2025

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$140,000 Is Not Poor, $400,000 Is Not Middle Class

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This episode was published on December 3, 2025.

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