What lobbying Congress can really buy

Norfolk Southern, the train company involved in the recent derailment in Ohio, spent $1.8 million on lobbying last year. One listener called in to ask about what lobbying dollars actually pay for. We’ll explain and answer more of your questions about how menstrual symptoms can affect productivity and what it might take for climate NIMBYs to become climate YIMBYs. Plus, Kimberly and guest host Reema Khrais share financial advice they’d give their younger selves.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

“Lobbying Data Summary” from OpenSecrets

“How Corporate Lobbyists Conquered American Democracy” from The Atlantic

“‘Crafting an illusion’: US rail firms’ multimillion-dollar PR push” from The Guardian

“Before Ohio derailment, Norfolk Southern lobbied against safety rules” from The Washington Post

“Productivity loss due to menstruation-related symptoms: a nationwide cross-sectional survey among 32 748 women” from BMJ

“Menstrual cycle-associated symptoms and workplace productivity in US employees: A cross-sectional survey of users of the Flo mobile phone app” from National Library of Medicine

“Even in the U.S., poor women often can’t afford tampons, pads” from Reuters

“Solar Tax Credit By State In 2023: What You Need To Know” from Forbes

“Wind energy gives American farmers a new crop to sell in tough times” from USA Today

“The Power of Compound Interest: Calculations and Examples” from Investopedia

Got a question for the hosts? Leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART or email us at [email protected].