The Capitol Forum
by The Capitol Forum
Power in Washington isn't announced — it's revealed. The Capitol Forum brings you inside the policy discussions and corporate investigations that move markets and shape American life. Listen to Second Request with Teddy Downey for sharp, unfiltered analysis of antitrust policy in America. Then stay for TCF Investigates with Arjun Singh, a narrative documentary series bringing listeners inside the reporting, sources, and regulatory developments shaping markets and corporate strategy.
Episodes
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How the Capitol Forum Brought Down Zynex (Second Request)
Today, we’re re-airing our award-winning episode of TCF Investigates, “Zynex Fought the Capitol Forum and Ended Up Bankrupt,” which won a Signal Award for Best Individual Episode in the business category. In this episode, Arjun Singh sits down with reporter Michael Williams to discuss Williams’...
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Bermuda Triangle of Insurance (Private Credit Crisis)
If your insurer goes under, there’s no FDIC waiting to make you whole. Today on Private Credit Crisis, Executive Editor Teddy Downey talks with retirement industry veteran Peter Gould about why the safety net behind annuities is far weaker than most retirees think, and why the regulators meant to...
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The End of a Fair Price (Second Request)
Corporations have figured out how to squeeze more out of every purchase, and new technology is making it easier than ever. In this episode of Second Request, Teddy sits down with Lindsay Owens, president and CEO of the Groundwork Collaborative, to talk about her new book, Gouged: The End of a…
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Fake Polls, Real Consequences (TCF Investigates)
A polling outlet that fooled news organizations and campaigns just admitted it was making up its numbers. In this episode of TCF Investigates, Paul McLeod and Teddy Downey talk with pollster G. Elliott Morris, whose team uncovered the fraud. They also dig into what the real polls are saying two...
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Black Eyes for BlackRock (Private Credit Crisis)
Your retirement savings might be buying a ballpark. Today on Private Credit Crisis, Executive Editor Teddy Downey sits down with Barry James Dyke, president of Castle Asset Management and author of “Black Eyes for BlackRock.” They discuss how annuity money ends up tied to sports teams and AI data...
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How Streaming is Upending the NFL (Second Request)
Editor's Note: This is a re-broadcast of a previous episode. In 1961, Congress granted the NFL an antitrust exemption allowing the league to collectively negotiate broadcasting rights, revolutionizing sports broadcasting in America. Now, streaming companies like Amazon argue the law doesn't cover...
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The Affordability Election Comes for Your Phone (TCF Investigates)
Electronics prices are soaring, and the handful of memory chip makers that control the market say the artificial intelligence boom is eating up their supply. A new lawsuit alleges they’re acting like a cartel. It’s a midterm problem for Republicans, who are already facing blowback on prices. In...
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Shadow Insurance (Private Credit Crisis)
Regulators fixed the problem shadow insurance was invented to solve a decade ago. Insurers kept doing it anyway. Today on Private Credit Crisis, Executive Editor Teddy Downey talks with Daniel Schwarcz, a University of Minnesota law professor who first wrote about "shadow insurance" in 2015. They...
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John Deere’s Crumbs for Farmers (Second Request)
John Deere has agreed to pay $99 million to settle a class action over farmers’ right to repair their own equipment. But after lawyers and administrators take their cut, farmers could be left with a small slice of the pie. In this episode of Second Request, Executive Editor Teddy Downey sits down...
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Who’s to Blame for High Gas Prices? (TCF Investigates)
Americans are furious about President Donald Trump’s role in driving up gas prices. With the midterm elections just weeks away, even Republican voters are souring on Trump over the cost of everything. In the first episode of our election series, TCF Investigates host Arjun Singh and senior...
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Bad Grades (Private Credit Crisis)
The ratings agencies already failed investors in 2008. Are they about to do it again? Today on Private Credit Crisis, Executive Editor Teddy Downey talks with Rod Dubitsky, who rated subprime bonds at Moody's before the financial crisis. They discuss whether the high ratings on private…
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Can Anything Save the House GOP? (Second Request)
With a month until the midterms, the polls have Democrats favored to take the House and voters angry about high prices, especially at the pump. In this episode of Second Request, Executive Editor Teddy Downey, senior podcast producer Arjun Singh and reporter Paul McLeod sit down with G. Elliott...
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The Fox Guarding the Hen House (Private Credit Crisis)
Private equity owned life insurers are supposed to prepare for the worst, but some of them aren't preparing for anything close to it. Today on Private Credit Crisis, Executive Editor Teddy Downey talks with Corwin Zass, a consulting actuary who has spent more than 25 years advising life insurers…
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Antitrust in Trump 2.0 (Second Request)
From Ticketmaster to Paramount-Warner Bros., the Trump administration has had a full docket of antitrust-related cases to deal with. In this episode of Second Request, Executive Editor Teddy Downey sits down with Karina Lubell, partner in Brunswick Group's global antitrust and competition…
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Clouding Accounting (Private Credit Crisis)
Two life insurers can own the exact same bond and tell their regulators two different stories about how risky it is. In this episode of Private Credit Crisis, Executive Editor Teddy Downey sits down with Florida State University professor Kyeonghee Kim to discuss what changes at a life insurer...
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The Anonymous Data Problem DOGE Created (Second Request)
Everyone knows their data gets sold. Almost nobody knows how much of it companies just give away, blurred enough to call it anonymous. In this episode of Second Request, Executive Editor Teddy Downey sits down with former Capitol Forum correspondent and privacy lawyer Ben Neumeyer to discuss how...
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Hiding Money in Bermuda (Private Credit Crisis)
There's a hole in the life and annuity sector's balance sheet, and private equity dug it. In this episode of Private Credit Crisis, Executive Editor Teddy Downey sits down with Nick Nemeth, an investor and the writer of Mispriced Assets, to discuss the life and annuity industry's growing exposure...
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The Perils of Personalized Pricing (Second Request)
With little response from the federal government, state legislatures around the country are looking at banning the use of personalized pricing. Today on Second Request, Executive Editor Teddy Downey sits down with Hal Singer and Gavin Sicard to explain what personalized pricing actually is, and…
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Lies, Loans and Lawsuits (Private Credit Crisis)
We're excited to introduce Private Credit Crisis, a new weekly podcast from The Capitol Forum examining the policy problems building inside the private credit industry. In this first episode, Executive Editor Teddy Downey and reporter Josh Kosman sit down with attorney Jim Woolery, who is…
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Streaming Is the New IP Battleground (Second Request)
When phone makers turned on Qualcomm, the company built an intricate, multi-front strategy to fight back. Now, two former employees say the same playbook is being run in streaming. Today on Second Request, Christie Thoene and Kirti Gupta sit down with executive editor Teddy Downey to revisit…
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Meta's House of Cards (Second Request)
This week, Meta reached a multibillion-dollar settlement in federal court over allegations that it was aware of the harm its products could cause to teenage mental health. That may be the tip of the iceberg for Mark Zuckerberg's problems. Today on Second Request, Executive Editor Teddy Downey…
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AI Needs to Nearly Triple Productivity to Pay Off (Second Request)
To earn the return on its investment, artificial intelligence will need to nearly triple productivity in the U.S. economy. So what will it do? Today on Second Request, Executive Editor Teddy Downey sits down with Jessica Wachter, the Dr. Bruce I. Jacobs Professor of Quantitative Finance at the...
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Paramount's Long Odyssey to Own Warner Bros. (TCF Investigates)
The Ellison family has been on a quest to reshape American media and Hollywood — their next target: Warner Bros. Discovery, home of HBO Max and CNN. Today on TCF Investigates, Arjun Singh sits down with editors Jeff Bliss and Jim Oliphant to hear about The Capitol Forum's exclusive reporting on…
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Alternative Protein vs Big Meat (Second Request)
Plant-based protein has become a mainstay in restaurants and household dinners, but as an emerging industry it's susceptible to the market power of major food companies. Today on Second Request, Executive Editor Teddy Downey sits down with Andy Fitch and Cynthia Hanawalt of Columbia Law School's...
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How Private Equity Could Create a New Financial Crisis (Second Request)
Millions of life insurance policies are tied to the fortunes and speculation of the world's biggest private equity companies. Now, their risk of defaulting on their obligations is increasing, and some worry it could lead to another financial crisis. Today on Second Request, Teddy Downey sits down...
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The Emerging Antitrust Risks in Edge Computing (Second Request)
Waymo, Apple, Meta and Google have constructed ecosystems that have immense leverage over the global economy and infrastructure. So how should antitrust law tackle that? Today on Second Request, Executive Editor Teddy Downey sits down with J. Wyatt Fore to discuss the emerging antitrust risks in...
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Inside Uber's AI Strategy to Inflate Your Fare (Second Request)
Same ride, two different prices — that's the new reality facing Uber and Lyft passengers. Today on Second Request, Executive Editor Teddy Downey sits down with Derek Kravitz of Consumer Reports to talk about Kravitz's new reporting on how Uber and Lyft make use of algorithmic pricing to charge...
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How Credit Card Swipe Fees Became Multibillion Dollar Tolls (Second Request)
Today on Second Request, Executive Editor Teddy Downey sits down with Carter Dougherty, senior fellow for anti-monopoly and finance at Demand Progress, who argues that Visa and Mastercard enable banks to coordinate pricing without ever explicitly agreeing to it — and makes the case for how the...
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Is the Paramount-Warner Bros. Merger in Real Trouble? (Second Request)
Twelve states just sued to block Paramount's $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, arguing the deal would leave viewers with fewer choices and higher prices. Today on Second Request, Executive Editor Teddy Downey sits down with The Entertainment Strategy Guy, who writes one of...
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Can an AI Chatbot Be Responsible for Murder? (Second Request)
What happens if an AI chatbot tells someone to kill someone else? Tragically, this situation unfolded at a Florida school when a shooter asked ChatGPT for advice on how to conduct a school shooting. But do the creators of ChatGPT bear any responsibility? That's what Erie Meyer, former chief...
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The Surveillance Economy, Part Two (TCF Investigates)
In the second episode of The Surveillance Economy, a mini-series from The Capitol Forum Investigates, Arjun Singh sits down with Andrew G. Ferguson, a law professor and expert in policing and technology, to discuss his new book Your Data, Will Be Used Against You: Policing in the Age of...
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The Surveillance Economy, Part One (TCF Investigates)
Corporations are spying on you — and you've given them permission to do it. Every time we log on to a browser, open an app or share information with a business, that data is packaged and sold. This lucrative business, however, has turned consumer technology into a surveillance apparatus, and that...
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What Happens If the AI Bubble Bursts? (Second Request)
Who will pick up the pieces if the AI hype fizzles? Today on Second Request, Executive Editor Teddy Downey sits down with Matthew Scherer of the Open Markets Institute to discuss his recent report, "No Bailouts for Big Tech Billionaires: Policies for When the AI Bubble Bursts." Together, the two...
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The Future of Sports Streaming (Second Request)
In 1961, Congress granted the NFL an antitrust exemption allowing the league to collectively negotiate broadcasting rights, revolutionizing sports broadcasting in America. Now, streaming companies like Amazon argue the law doesn't cover them, and that NFL teams can't collectively bargain with…
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Who Runs the Skies? (Second Request)
Will the budget airline die with Spirit Airlines? For decades, four major carriers have controlled most of the U.S. airline market — but the collapse of Spirit has renewed questions about the future of flying and what less competition means for airfare. Today on Second Request, Executive Editor...
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The Secret History of Forced Arbitration (Second Request)
When you signed up for Disney+, you probably signed away your right to sue Disney. Most Americans have — buried in the terms and conditions of many apps is a legal clause called forced arbitration, and it's become corporate America's get-out-of-court-free card. Today on Second Request, Executive...
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The New A.I. Gatekeepers (Second Request)
In this episode of Second Request, Executive Editor Teddy Downey sits down with Dr. Courtney Radsch to discuss her new paper examining content licensing relationships between publishers and artificial intelligence firms. Together, the two look at how A.I. companies utilize published information…
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Ticketmaster's Extraction Engine (TCF Investigates)
Is the Live Nation-Ticketmaster era finally over? In a landmark verdict, a jury found that Live Nation-Ticketmaster operated an illegal monopoly — a conclusion that musicians, venue owners, and fans had been waiting years to hear. For decades, Ticketmaster held the concert industry in a...
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What's the Beef With American Food? (Second Request)
Why is Irish butter better than American? It's about consolidation. Today on Second Request, Executive Editor Teddy Downey sits down with author and agricultural policy expert Austin Frerick to look at the state of consolidation in the American food industry, and emerging regulatory trends in the...
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Lawless Antitrust (Second Request)
In this episode of Second Request, Executive Editor Teddy Downey sits down with John Newman, an antitrust expert and professor at the University of Memphis, to discuss Newman's recent paper "Lawless Antitrust" and the how antitrust enforcement has deviated from statutory text.
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Letting the Machine Decide: A.I. and Cognitive Surrender (Second Request)
Humanity is outsourcing decision making to machines. Today on Second Request, Executive Editor Teddy Downey sits down with Gideon Nave and Stephen Shaw, two researchers from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania to discuss their recent research on the influence of artificial...
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Is the AI Boom About to Go Bust? (Second Request)
Trillions in commitments. Billions in off-balance-sheet debt. Circular investments between vendors and their own customers. The AI infrastructure build-out looks less like a gold rush and more like a house of cards — and policymakers have no plan for when it falls. Today on Second Request,...
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A.I.'s Least Informed Users Think It's Magic (Second Request)
Understanding A.I., it seems, is the fastest way to start doubting it. Today on Second Request, we're re-sharing a conversation Executive Editor Teddy had with Chiara Longoni, Associate Professor of Marketing at Bocconi University, to discuss her research on AI literacy — and why people who...
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The Quiet Crisis Inside Your Insurance Policy (TCF Investigates)
Your life insurance policy may be private equity's ticking financial time bomb. In this episode of The Capitol Forum Investigates, reporter Lisa Epstein explains her recent investigation into sweeping changes in the life and annuities sector driven by private equity-owned insurers. Despite...
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Corruption Enforcement Under Trump 2.0 (Second Request)
In this episode of Second Request, Executive Editor Teddy Downey sits down with Brendan Ballou, founder of the Public Integrity Project, to examine corruption enforcement under the Trump administration. They also discuss the legal implications of Trump's presidential pardons, which have been...
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Can This Bank Account Help You Buy a House? (Second Request)
Affordability is the hottest word in politics, but how does it actually become a reality? One idea: home savings accounts to help new homebuyers compete in an inflated real estate market. Today on Second Request, executive editor Teddy Downey sits down with Jon Schweppe, director of policy...
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The Ticketmaster Lawsuit That Could've Been (Second Request)
Today on Second Request, Executive Editor Teddy Downey is joined by Jonathan Kanter, the former Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice from 2021 to 2024. Together, they unpack the evolving antitrust argument against Ticketmaster. Editor’s note: This...
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Warner Bros. and the 2026 Antitrust Outlook with Seth Bloom (Second Request)
Today on Second Request, Executive Editor Teddy Downey sits down with Seth Bloom, President and Founder of Bloom Strategic Counsel, to unpack what would have been the antitrust implications of Netflix's potential acquisition of Warner Bros. This conversation was recorded before Netflix announced...
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The DOJ's Ambiguous Proposed Settlement with RealPage (Second Request)
In November, the Department of Justice made headlines when they announced a settlement with the software company RealPage in the DOJ's lawsuit against the company for antitrust violations. But, some have questioned that strategy, especially with several state governments pursuing action against…
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Xponential Fitness' Predatory Franchise Fiasco (TCF Investigates)
When a Pittsburgh based business owner opened a franchise of one of Xponential Fitness' exercise brands, he had no idea it would end in bankruptcy, intimidation and threats of violence. Today on The Capitol Forum Investigates, investigative correspondent Kim Geiger discusses her multi-year...
About this show
Power in Washington isn't announced — it's revealed. The Capitol Forum brings you inside the policy discussions and corporate investigations that move markets and shape American life. Listen to Second Request with Teddy Downey for sharp, unfiltered analysis of antitrust policy in America. Then stay for TCF Investigates with Arjun Singh, a narrative documentary series bringing listeners inside the reporting, sources, and regulatory developments shaping markets and corporate strategy.
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