CADRE VIDEOS
TRANSCRIPTS AND SOURCES
Every video we post, with the full transcript and the sources behind it.
2026-10-30
How private equity closed a Philadelphia hospital for its land
In 2018 Paladin Healthcare Capital bought Hahnemann University Hospital, separated it from the 6 acres of downtown Philadelphia land it sat on, and leased the land back. A year later the hospital closed, and private equity now owns 447 hospitals, 10% of all hospitals and 27% of for-profit ones.
2026-10-30
How private equity killed Toys R Us
In 2005, KKR, Bain Capital and Vornado bought Toys R Us in a $6.6 billion leveraged buyout that left it paying about $400 million a year in interest. The owners cut jobs and collected hundreds of millions in fees. When the chain collapsed in 2018, its 33,000 workers were left without the $75 million in severance they were owed.
2026-10-28
Grading Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith
Mississippi's Republican senator, up for re-election November 3rd, has taken $1.3 million from PACs this cycle and voted to block a ban on members of Congress trading stocks. Her grade is 23.4 out of 100.
2026-10-27
Grading billionaires: Sergey Brin
Part of a series grading billionaires. This one gives Google co-founder Sergey Brin a grade, using three news stories: his subpoena in the lawsuit over JPMorgan's ties to Jeffrey Epstein, his fight against California's billionaire tax, and a 2018 report about Google employees and a masseuse room.
2026-10-27
Why an ambulance ride costs almost $2,000
An ambulance ride now costs almost $2,000, and private ambulances were 50% more expensive than public ones even in 2017. The No Surprises Act left ground ambulances out, and they now have the highest out-of-network billing rate in the country, totaling $129 million.
2026-10-24
Why Sergey Brin spent $100 million fighting California's billionaire tax
Sergey Brin owns 3% of Google, a $3.9 trillion company, and has spent $100 million trying to block California's billionaire tax. The video asks whether that ownership reflects the tens of thousands of people who did the work.
2026-10-23
How private equity bought Second City
Second City was sold for about $50 million in 2021 to a private equity firm run by the CEO of the company behind Grand Theft Auto, and its comedy instructors have since threatened to strike over pay. Firms like Blackstone and Silver Lake are also putting money into Hollywood comedy and buying up comedy venues.
2026-10-14
Who profits from American prisons
Private equity owns the food, phones, healthcare, and construction inside US prisons, and funds politicians who keep people locked up longer.
2026-10-12
How private equity made youth sports pay to play
Youth sports is now a $40 billion industry. Families spend 46% more than in 2019, and low-income kids are getting shut out.
2026-10-03
How I got into UChicago with a B- average
My application depended on privileged opportunities most kids never get. That's the point.
2026-09-29
Private equity and your grocery bill
Private equity has bankrupted some grocery chains and tried to merge others into giants. Both push groceries toward an oligopoly.
2026-09-28
Why your burger costs so much
Private equity put almost $100 billion into restaurants, loaded them with debt, raised prices, and moved them to the same supplier.
2026-09-23
Private equity just bought the Lakers
The Lakers sold for $12.5 billion, the NBA rewrote its private equity rules to allow it, and the buyers plan to nearly double ticket prices.
2026-09-16
What private equity changes at your dentist
Prices only rise about 3% after a buyout. The bigger change is which procedures get pushed.
2026-09-11
How private equity bought its way into porn
After a 2020 scandal cut off its payments, a Canadian private equity firm bought one of the biggest adult sites for pennies on the dollar. Then the FTC fined it $5 million.
2026-09-02
What private equity does to nursing homes
Fewer staff, fewer paid hours, and 11% higher death rates, paid for mostly with public money.
2026-08-31
How private equity took over your vet
Vet bills are up 60% since 2014. Corporate owners now hold about 30% of practices and 75% of emergency vets.