Nuclear power payment plan

June 15, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

Nuclear power payment plan

The Federal Reserve's new chair Kevin Warsh faces his first major test this Wednesday as the Open Market Committee meets amid conflicting pressures: President Trump wants rate cuts, but markets expect no change because inflation is being driven by a spike in energy prices from the Iran war. Meanwhile, a preliminary framework agreement to end the war in the Middle East has been signed, though details remain unreleased. And in Missouri, lawmakers are debating who should pay for new nuclear power plants as electricity demand rises alongside prices.

The Fed's tricky inflation problem

The current bout of inflation is driven by energy prices tied to the Iran war, and historically the Fed has "looked through" headline inflation — which includes food and energy — to focus on core inflation. Core inflation last month was much closer to the Fed's 2% target. That might tempt officials to treat the spike as temporary, but Wharton professor Peter Conti-Brown warned against repeating the mistake of 2021: "The Fed's error in 2021 was precisely this — was to assume that the supply shocks were temporary, transitory in the word of the day, and they were caught flat footed. They don't want to make that mistake again."

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What you'll learn

1 (01:04) **Week Ahead Preview** - Host Kristen Schwab sets up a big news week: a preliminary Iran deal, a Fed meeting, and economic data.
2 (01:53) **Fed's Tricky Inflation Decision** - The Fed meets Wednesday with new Chair Kevin Warsh under pressure from Trump to cut rates, but facing a spike in energy-driven inflation.
3 (04:57) **Nuclear Power Payment Plan Debate** - As electricity demand rises, states like Missouri debate "construction work in progress" (CWIP) policies that let utilities charge customers for new nuclear plants during construction.
4 (08:20) **How Generosity Became "Cringe"** - A look at the shift from viral charity campaigns (Ice Bucket Challenge) to a more cynical online culture where performative giving feels tone-deaf.
5 (14:34) **World Cup Advertisers Target Latino Viewers** - The World Cup is breaking viewership records, with 9 million of 25 million US viewers watching in Spanish.
6 (17:21) **Market Numbers** - DJIA +468 pts (0.91%), NASDAQ +795 pts (3.10%), S&P 500 +122 pts (1.63%). Oil down 4%, travel stocks up.
7 (20:18) **The Great American Cotton Plan** - The federal government is promoting American cotton over synthetics, but the health and environmental picture is complicated.

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Guests on this episode

Sarah Herschander

Show Notes

Nuclear energy can lower one cost that has seen rapid inflation in recent years: electricity bills. But nuclear power plants aren’t cheap to build. In one state, legislators wade into a debate over whether taxpayers or utility companies should shoulder the burden. Also in this episode: Kevin Warsh faces war-driven inflation ahead of his first FOMC meeting as Fed chair, MAHA movement drives up cotton demand, and advertisers leverage the World Cup to reach Latino consumers.

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