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Gaby speaks with Karen Diver, appointee of President Obama as the Special Assistant to the President for Native American Affairs. They discuss tribal economies, the impact of COVID-19 on businesses, how Native American nations have been handling the spread of the virus and the ways the federal government has failed the tribes during this pandemic and beyond. Content Warning: Discussion of racismSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why can’t we just cancel all student loan debt? The Department of Education could do it right now. But they don’t. Seth Frotman, the executive director of the Student Borrower Protection Center, comes on the show to talk about the 45 million Americans who get a student loan bill every month. Why won't the federal government just take this financial burden off its people? Plus, how the government has completely bungled helping those with student loans during a global pandemic. We absolutely can cancel all student loan debt. And we should.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gaby speaks with economist William Darity. He breaks down why reparations for descendants of enslaved people absolutely needs to happen, how reparations would work in the U.S., how much money could begin to fix the generational wealth gap and who benefitted from the labor of enslaved people. Plus, addressing assumptions and racist fears about reparations and what would need to change politically for reparations to happen.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gaby tackles her latest research obsession -- private prisons. Who is making a profit from locking people up? The Marshall Project’s Joe Neff joins the show to talk about the mistreatment of prisoners in the time of COVID-19, who makes money off federal, state and private prisons, the ways prisoners are nickeled and dimed for everything (from soap to slippers to shoes), and the ways we can better rehabilitate people who have committed crimes.     Read more about the criminal justice system at TheMarshalProject.org.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Everyone is donating. But where should we donate and how do we know what impact our money is having? Gaby talks to Open Philanthropy's program officer for criminal justice reform, Chloe Cockburn. It's her job to figure out the best places to put your money if you want to help with criminal justice reform, ending bail, electing politicians and District Attorneys that share your progressive values, ending mass incarceration and tons of other worthwhile causes. Aside from donating money, we'll also discuss other ways to effectively get involved with activism at a local level.     Resources:   Chloe's Twitter Thread of Recommended Places To DonateA Criminal Justice Expert’s Guide To Donating Effectively Right NowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gaby gathers listener emails, voicemails and questions about money during the COVID-19 pandemic. She invites financial therapist Amanda Clayman on to give advice about what to do about the stress of unemployment, loss of control, having more than your friends and family, and redirecting your long-term money plans now that the world is totally different. Clayman, host of Financial Therapy with Amanda Clayman, and Gaby respond to your voicemails and emails and try to provide context for the structural, systemic and emotional changes that need to happen in the U.S.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can we decide what our cities spend money on? Should we defund the police? Gaby is joined by Lexis-Olivier Ray, a black journalist covering protests against police brutality in Los Angeles. He describes his most recent work, reporting on homelessness and the housing crisis’ tie to crime rates, funding and police brutality. Gaby and Lexis-Olivier also break down the People’s Budget LA, which seeks to defund the LAPD and redirect funds towards housing, parks, libraries, crisis management, mental health services and other proactive rather than reactive community safety measures.   Black Lives Matter. Learn more:   Black Lives Matter MPD 50 on Instagram Black Visions Collective on Instagram Coverage by Lexis-Olivier Ray at LA Taco Donation Option #1 Donations Option #2 Other Ways To DonateSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’ve talked about buying a better you. But how are we being sold our health and wellness during “these trying times?” Gaby talks to linguist and author Amanda Montell about the capitalistic language shifting to sell people wellness and “immunity-boosting” products of varying levels of harm during the coronavirus pandemic. What scams should we be looking out for? Is it possible to buy total safety from COVID-19? Why are we so desperate to believe the language of advertising? And, like in every episode of this season, we ask: Are we all just trying to buy control?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can you buy better mental health? Gaby talks to psychiatrist Dr. Imani Walker, who works primarily with homeless patients and those who’ve been convicted of crimes, about mental illness in the time of COVID-19. What is it like to see patients now? What should mental health services cost when so many more people are suffering from depression, anxiety and PTSD? And what are we realizing as a country are the basic necessities for at-risk populations to thrive today? Especially now that those same problems are affecting the wealthy and privileged. Content Warning: Discussion of mental health and domestic violenceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Is it possible to buy perfect skin? And now, under quarantine, are we spending more on skin care products just to trick ourselves into an illusion of control? How has being forced to do beauty regimens at home changed how people are spending their money? Gaby talks to Natch Beaut podcaster and beauty expert Jackie Michele Johnson about aligning your self-care budget with your ethics, if it’s possible to buy “perfect” skin and how during a very scary and uncertain time, something as simple as skin care can provide ritual, control and comfort.    Listen to the Natch Beaut podcast See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Call your Congressperson. Seriously. Gaby wants to learn more about what the U.S. government is doing for us during the COVID-19 pandemic, so she calls up California Congressman Rep. Mark Takano on Zoom. They discuss how the community comes together to fill in the gaps in social safety nets, potential upcoming legislation for those suffering financially and how to show you give a damn during a worldwide economic crisis. (Content Warning: Suicide Mention)See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gaby interviews reporter Olga Khazan, who wrote an article for The Atlantic about the increasingly visible class divide during the COVID-19 pandemic. What does it mean to be able to buy safety and when you do, who else are you putting at risk? As Khazan wrote, “the poor get socially close, so the rich can socially distance.” Plus, will the possible eventual revolution result in fairer wages and better social safety nets, as it has at other points in history? Or will it just allow middle-aged white women to get haircuts? Gaby is… cautiously optimistic.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Can good health be bought? We flashback to when Coronavirus cases were newly emerging in the states. Gaby revisits an interview she did with public health expert Dr. Abdul El-Sayed about what compels us to invest in wellness trends and how much it actually costs to be healthy. (Spoiler alert: it’s prohibitive as hell.) And later, how are health scams working in the midst of COVID-19? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gaby reflects on the meaning of success in today’s uncertain world. We flash back to our early plans for the season, including an interview with associate philosophy professor Jennifer Morton. What does it mean to be successful? What are we willing to sacrifice? After the interview, Gaby shares how her perspective on money has changed since so many lives were upended by the Coronavirus pandemic. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What is life right now? So many of us are overwhelmed and stressed about a future that’s feeling more and more uncertain. In season 6 of Bad with Money, Gaby Dunn explores how during a crisis, we get stuck in cycles of trying to buy our way into some semblance of personal control. But as it turns out, being safe, healthy, generous, clean, attractive and happy is really freakin’ expensive -- especially when you have no idea what’s about to happen next in the world. Through interviews before and after the global pandemic and economic crisis, Gaby tries to make sense of the “bettering” power of money when we are at our most isolated, anxious and emotionally vulnerable.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gaby makes a final decision. Is it time to uproot her life and build a new one outside the U.S.? But wait! There's one more destination we want to explore as we wrap season 5. How expensive would it be to live... ON THE MOON? First, Gaby talks to scientist and aerospace engineer Kathleen Howell, a total badass who works with NASA, about the achievements and restrictions of living, working and colonizing the moon and in the space between the Earth and the moon. Then, she speaks with The Verge’s senior science reporter Loren Grush about space capitalism. Finally, Gaby nerds out with friend and sci-fi writer Garrick Bernard about Star Trek’s lack of currency and a future where knowledge replaces money. This is the final frontier for Bad With Money season 5. Stick around until the end of the episode for news about season 6!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After YEARS of only getting snippets of listeners’ stories on social media, Gaby finally calls up a few members of her Bad with Money family. Is it worth saving your money to move abroad? How much would you sacrifice to leave the U.S.? We hear experiences from three listeners: Madeline Christensen from Texas, Madison Walsh from Kansas and Gabriela Marrero from Pennsylvania.    Madeline has her mind set on fleeing to Europe, Madison refuses to settle anywhere, bouncing from country to country and Gabriela moved abroad, but returned to America with a powerful sense that she needed to be present to help change her country for the better. Bad with Money family… Let's chat! Gaby needs your advice!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gaby contemplates what it’s like to live in Paris, a place most tourists would call “romantic as heck.” Why is Paris such a hub for love and how much would it cost for Gaby to take her partner Mal Blum there on a date? First, Gaby talks to Chris O’Brien, a journalist living in France, who happens to share a name with her ex-boyfriend. (Yikes!) And then she lays out a date night plan for her beloved Mal. Would they like to visit or even live with Gaby in France? Happy Valentine’s Day, deadbeats!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What’s it like to travel and live outside the U.S. when you're at high risk for harassment? Gaby talks with queer travel writer Meg Ten Eyck about what should you invest in for safety and what information you need to know before you move or even visit a new country as someone that is queer, gender non-conforming or another member of the LGBTQ community. Plus, find out why countries should be marketing to LGBTQ tourists. Then, we talk to Timothy Anderson, a black teacher from Tennessee, who moved to Japan and regularly finds himself sticking out like a sore thumb. What’s it like to live in a country where you’re one of very few black people? CONTENT WARNINGS: homophobia, racism and sexismSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gaby plots her escape plan by talking to Malte Zeeck, founder of InterNations and a German-born expert on expat communities, about the costs of moving abroad and how to find the right place for you. Then, she hears first-hand from Danielle Roberge, an American who moved to Spain and found that lower salaries were a fair trade off for better work-life balance and social safety nets. What are the biggest factors to consider before moving abroad? How much might it cost and what steps do you need to take? Let’s find out!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.