More K-shaped spending

February 12, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

🎙️ The Voices & The Context

The Format: Daily news magazine-style broadcast with host-led segments, expert interviews, on-the-ground small business check-ins, and market updates.
The Key Players:
- Host: Kristen Schwab, filling in with a steady, engaging delivery on economic stories.
- Guests: Economists like David Tinsley (Bank of America Institute) on consumer spending; small business owners Ashley Morgan (Unglued gift shop), Katherine Lundine (Londines Gifts), Johanna Dominguez (Put a Plant on It); Maggie Hennessy (journalist on fridge woes); academics Nick Bloom (Stanford) and others on WFH; Mark Scorka (Opera America president emeritus) on arts drama.
The Vibe: Educational and analytical, with optimistic undertones from resilient small businesses amid economic pressures—light-hearted rants on fancy appliances add relatable fun.

🗝️ Key Themes & Topics

The episode explores economic inequality, retail resilience, consumer trends, workplace shifts, and arts funding challenges in a tough market.

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What you'll learn

1 (01:38) **The K-Shaped Economy**
2 (05:22) **Small Business Check-In: Unglued Gift Shop (Ashley Morgan)**
3 (07:49) **Fancy Refrigerators and Consumer Frustrations (Maggie Hennessy)**
4 (12:45) **Return-to-Office Policies by Firm Age**
5 (15:43) **Small Business Check-In: Londines Gifts (Katherine Lundine)**
6 (21:16) **Small Business Check-In: Put a Plant on It (Johanna Dominguez)**
7 (23:16) **Kennedy Center Drama and Washington National Opera (Mark Scorka)**

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Show Notes

When high earners ramp up their spending while low earners pull back, that’s a symptom of a "k-shaped" economy. But what about middle-income households? New evidence shows the middle class is also struggling in comparison to the wealthiest Americans. It’s sort of like a K shape within a K shape. After that: Newer firms are more likely to offer work-from-home options, Washington National Opera has financial reasons for splitting from the Kennedy Center, and we check in with a few small businesses ahead of an upcoming inflation report.

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