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Bullet trains have been a major component of transit systems in places like Japan, China, and Europe for decades. Why hasn’t high-speed rail taken root in the supposedly forward-thinking United States? Mark and Joe set off on a journey of discovery through issues like inadequate infrastructure, population density, and the usual economic and political obstacles before reaching its terminus in America’s ongoing, dysfunctional love affair with cars. Daunting as these challenges are, there’s still a way forward, if we have the will to get there (a big if). (Recorded May 30, 2025.)

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To meet the increased demand for carbon-free electricity that might mitigate the climate crisis that is already upon us, nations the world over are reconsidering nuclear energy. Mansplaining listeners of a certain age remember the No Nukes movement that gained steam after frightening meltdowns at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl. What they may not realize is that nuclear power remains an important piece of the world’s energy portfolio. Joe and Mark assess nuclear’s risk profile to determine whether it’s part of the problem or part of the solution. (Recorded May 11, 2025.)

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Recent estimates are that the United States has a shortage of housing volume of 4-7 million homes. A problem of that scale doesn’t happen overnight and involves decades of neglect and inaction. With the chronic lack of housing likely to be a major issue for the foreseeable future, public policy experts have been brainstorming about potential solutions, and a few have dusted off an idea that’s older than the Republic: a tax on the value of land without regard to the buildings and other property improvements on it. Mark and Joe trace the history of the land-value tax, the difficulty of implementing it, and whether it can be part of the solution to our housing crisis. (Recorded April 18, 2025.)