Planet Money

Hire power Oct 15, 2021

Noncompete agreements have become an integral part of job contracts. A show about what they are and how we got here. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

How Do You Feel? (Classic) Oct 13, 2021

We tend to think of economists as cold, unfeeling, attempting to be as rational as possible. But once a month, economists pick up the phone to just... check in with us. How are we feeling? Good, bad, worse than a year ago? It's a very specific phone call with very specific questions and a few years ago we looked into the origins of this very important survey that factors into economic decision making. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

LIBOR pains Oct 08, 2021

For decades, banks used one rate to help set all other rates: LIBOR. After it came out that it'd been rigged, regulators said: no more. Now it's a race — and a road trip — to find an alternative. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

We set up an offshore company in a tax haven (Classic) Oct 06, 2021

The Pandora Papers released this week reveal how many world leaders allegedly hold wealth through the use of shell companies. We listen back to when we set up our very own Planet Money shell companies.

The Rent Help Is Too Damn Slow Oct 01, 2021

Congress created a massive pile of money to help people pay rent during the pandemic. Why have so few people gotten help? We follow the money. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

When The U.S. Paid Off The Entire National Debt (Classic) Sep 29, 2021

There was one time the U.S. federal government stopped borrowing and paid off every penny of national debt. It did not end well. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

When Luddites Attack (Classic) Sep 24, 2021

A couple centuries ago, a group of English clothworkers set out to destroy the machines that had been taking their jobs. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Original Sign Sep 22, 2021

A request for dozens of stop signs flummoxes a town and angers a resident. A show about infrastructure, decision making and stop signs. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Two Indicators: Women And Work Sep 17, 2021

Women start a lot of businesses, but when it comes time for them to grow, many hit a wall, or the women founders end up losing control. Why? We bring you two indicators on women and work from our daily podcast The Indicator. Also, Amanda and Stacey go on a picnic to prove a point. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Afghanistan's Money Problem Sep 15, 2021

Afghanistan's economy changed — almost overnight — after the Taliban retook control of the country | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Flood Money (Classic) Sep 10, 2021

Bill Pennington's house floods a lot: Three times over the course of three years. And every time his house floods, the government pays to help him repair the damage. Is something wrong here? | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

This Is Your Brain On Drug Ads Sep 08, 2021

Apologies to listeners who received two episodes in their feed today. The U.S. is one of two countries in the world that allows pharmaceutical companies to advertise prescription drugs directly to consumers. Why? And what does that do to us Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Two Indicators: Water Pressure Sep 03, 2021

It's another extremely dry, hot summer for the American West. Our daily podcast, The Indicator from Planet Money, brings us two stories about the water shortage in the West with economic ideas that may help. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

SUMMER SCHOOL 6: Crypto & Commencement Sep 01, 2021

In the last class of Planet Money Summer School Season 2, we cover one more important market — cryptocurrency. If you're thinking about investing in crypto, do you know exactly what it is that you're buying? Or how it should (if at all) fit alongside the rest of your investments? | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here and take don't forget to take the Summer School Final Quiz.

The Lost Archives of Sadie Alexander Aug 27, 2021

The work of our first Black economist was lost to history. Professor Nina Banks set out on a quest to find it. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

SUMMER SCHOOL 5: Bubbles, Bikes, & Biases Aug 25, 2021

Investing during a bubble can leave you bust. But how to tell the difference between a bubble before it bursts and an investing rocket ship taking off? We'll run through a historical example and look inside our own thinking to find the mental biases that can contribute or exacerbate bad bubble thinking. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Two Indicators: Will Remote Work Kill The Office? Aug 20, 2021

It's Stacey vs Greg in a face off on the future of the office. Each takes a side, armed with studies, historical examples, theories on efficiency and happiness and from their closet studios, they bring their indicators for the future of the office. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here. And our daily podcast The Indicator hosted by Stacey here.

SUMMER SCHOOL 4: Bonds & Becky With The Good Yield Aug 18, 2021

A few years back, Cardiff asked for an unusual Christmas present: a junk bond... Parallel to the stock market, the bond market offers different levels of risk and reward. In this class, what is a bond, how do they differ from stocks, and how do they help companies grow? | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Big Little Ideas Aug 13, 2021

There are a lot of fancy terms for the things we experience — but are they really useful? Yes! We explain four social-science terms that can help us understand our world. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

SUMMER SCHOOL 3: Smooth Spending & The 401K Aug 11, 2021

Even if you don't own stocks, there are a lot of reasons to care about investing. We meet some of the folks left out of the stock market who deploy sophisticated economic thinking, even creating their own alternate financial systems. Our professors help us understand how consumption smoothing and life-cycle hypothesis apply to personal finance. And we meet the creator of the 401(k). | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Mobile Home Parked Aug 06, 2021

We find out what happens when big investors spend billions of dollars buying mobile home parks and make them less affordable for the people who live there. Then we learn how the government helps them do it, with super low-cost loans that were meant to support affordable housing. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

SUMMER SCHOOL 2: Index Funds & The Bet Aug 04, 2021

In 2006, Warren Buffett bet a million dollars that the most brainless, boring investment around would do better than the researched, handpicked investments of some of the smartest hedge fund managers in the world. The second class of Summer School looks at how that bet played out, the origins of the index fund, and why it's so hard to beat the market. Returning to the underlying theme of risk and reward, we also discuss how diversification reduces risk.

Three Reasons for the Housing Shortage Jul 30, 2021

America's housing shortage has been decades in the making. A lot of people blame Baby Boomers — but is it really their fault? We unpack three big reasons for the shortage. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

SUMMER SCHOOL 1: The Stock Market & Penelope The Cow Jul 28, 2021

The first class of Planet Money Summer School starts off with a field trip. With the help of a cow, two economists, and three cute animals, we learn what a stock is and how stocks are priced, and we begin to see the psychological forces that make prices move up and down on the stock market. Keep an eye out throughout for our big theme for the course this summer: risk and reward.

Banque Worms Jul 23, 2021

Last year, one of the biggest banks accidentally paid off a client's loan to its lenders — a $900 million mistake. Some of the recipients wouldn't give the money back. And then a surprising court ruling affirmed their no give-back. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Video Gaming The System Jul 21, 2021

Two groups of people who would never meet in real life collide in a world of wizards and dragons. They battle it out in a low-tech video game, and it shakes the lives of a lot of real people living in a collapsing economy. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

The Great Inflation (Classic) Jul 17, 2021

For much of the 1970s inflation was bad. Prices rose at over 10 percent a year. Nothing could stop it — until one powerful person did something very unpopular. Today's show: How we beat inflation. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

100 Years Since Sadie Alexander Jul 14, 2021

In 1921, Sadie Alexander became the first Black person in America to receive a PhD in economics. Then, she was functionally shut out of economics jobs, got a law degree, and became an attorney instead. A century later, economics has made notably little progress bringing Black women into the field. We work with The Sadie Collective to bring you three stories from three eras of recent history that show us how the field has changed, where it still falls short, and the unique joys of being a Black woman and loving economics. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Of Memestocks and Milk Bags Jul 09, 2021

We answer your questions about memestocks, milk in bags, the size of cereal boxes, and products exclusive to the rich, but not for long? | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Two Indicators: Clogged Ports And Corporate Vets Jul 07, 2021

We bring you two stories from The Indicator on two industries that are undergoing rapid change: vets and container shipping. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

The Rest Of The Story, Summer 2021 Jul 02, 2021

We follow up on takeout cocktails, college athletes at the Supreme Court, bankrupt Hertz, and the new shape of pasta. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

What's A Bubble? (Classic) Jun 30, 2021

Can you tell if the economy is in a bubble? How? And why do bubbles happen? Robert Shiller and Eugene Fama shared the economics Nobel back in 2013 despite fundamentally disagreeing over the meaning of a bubble. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Bobby Bonilla Day Jun 25, 2021

How the worst deal in baseball explains one of the most important concepts in economics. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Corporate Fugitive: Carlos Ghosn Jun 23, 2021

Japan once served sushi in the shape of Carlos Ghosn's face. Then Japanese authorities arrested the celebrity CEO who remade Nissan. We bring you first hand accounts of his spectacular rise, sudden fall and dramatic escape. | This episode is a collaboration with HBR IdeaCast.

Predictions! Jun 18, 2021

Two forecasters predict the future of the U.S. economy — and promise to come back on the show to see who was right, and who was wrong. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

How Uncle Jamie Broke Jeopardy (Update) Jun 16, 2021

James Holzhauer took a math degree, a gambling career, and a buzzer, and turned it into a fortune on a game show. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Used Car Talk Jun 11, 2021

How supply and demand stalled out the used car industry. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

How Stuff Gets Cheaper (Classic) Jun 09, 2021

In the world of consumer electronics, it pays to be cheap. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Amateur Hour at the Supreme Court Jun 04, 2021

College athletes are considered amateur players. And amateurs don't make any money. But can they get more education paid for at least? | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Black Wall Street Jun 02, 2021

100 years ago, Black Wall Street was destroyed. But how was it built? And what does it take to get restitution? | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

One Hack to Fool Them All May 28, 2021

How a single hack pried open the networks of giant corporations and the U.S. government itself. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Runaway Recommendation Engine May 26, 2021

Recommendation systems have changed how we choose what we want. But are they choosing what we want? | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Big Government Cheese (CLASSIC) May 21, 2021

That time the U.S. government accidentally created a cheese surplus so large it had to be stored in a ginormous cave. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Get The Vaccine, Lose The Skinny Jeans May 19, 2021

Two stories from our Indicator team about the sometimes-unlikely people who shape what we buy and what we do. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Blood Money May 14, 2021

The United States is one of the few countries that lets companies pay people for their blood plasma. Why? | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Hot Cheetos May 12, 2021

A janitor walks out of a chip factory with a bag of dustless Cheetos and changes the global snack game forever. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Emission Impossible May 07, 2021

Carbon offsets have become a popular tool to combat climate change. But how effective are they? | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

DIY Reparations May 05, 2021

Some Vermonters were tired of waiting around for reparations. So they decided to take matters into their own hands. | This episode was produced with our friends at Invisibilia. Check out their new season here.

We Buy A Superhero 5: Hollywood Apr 30, 2021

In the last and greatest chapter to our superhero saga, Micro-Face tries to make the jump from comic books to movies. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

The $100 Million Deli Apr 28, 2021

Why is a single New Jersey deli worth so much? And what does it tell us about how the stock market works? | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

We Buy A Superhero 4: Sellout Apr 23, 2021

Two months ago, Planet Money got its own superhero. Today, we sell him out. | Find the full Planet Money Superhero series here.

The Writers Revolt (UPDATE) Apr 21, 2021

We have a winner in an epic Hollywood story. A couple years back, 7,000 TV writers across the U.S. fired their agents. All on the same day. It was part of a battle over how creative work gets valued and compensated in TV and film. Now, we have the dramatic resolution. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

India, Farming, and the Free Market Apr 16, 2021

For decades, India has shielded its agricultural sector from the free market. Now, the government wants to let it in. Millions and millions of farmers are not happy about it. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Workin' 9 To 5 Apr 14, 2021

The movie "9 to 5" used humor to highlight the struggles of women in the workplace 40 years ago. Where are we now? | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

About Your Extended Warranty Apr 09, 2021

Calls about "extended auto warranties" blow up our phones over and over. But what are these robocalls actually offering? | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

How Jacob Loud's Land Was Lost Apr 07, 2021

Today's show: the arcane laws that have cost Black landowners their property, and the lawyer who is trying to fix those laws. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Two Indicators: Boomtown & Bye Bye Apr 02, 2021

We look at housing prices in Montana, an oil market milestone, and give a fond farewell. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

The Curse Of The Black Lotus (Update) Mar 31, 2021

When the popular card game Magic: The Gathering entered a speculative bubble, its creators found a way to keep it from bursting. We check in to see if their strategy is still working. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Socialism 101 Mar 26, 2021

Today on the show: The critics of capitalism. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

You Asked For Shots, Tuna, Metal, and Money Mar 24, 2021

Listeners send us questions every day. It's about time we answer a few of them. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

The New Shape Of Pasta Mar 19, 2021

What do you do when you can't find the perfect pasta shape? You invent a new shape. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

The Even More Minimum Wage Mar 17, 2021

The tipped minimum wage hasn't changed for decades. Is now finally the time? | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

The $69 Million JPEG Mar 12, 2021

An artist called Beeple just sold a piece at Christie's for millions. But it wasn't a painting... it was a kind of crypto. We speak with him and the others behind the first NFT auction. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Nigeria, You Win! (Update) Mar 10, 2021

Nigerians heard a radio ad offering millions of dollars for people with business proposals. They thought it was a scam. It wasn't. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

The Marriage Pact Mar 05, 2021

They say true love is hard to find. Whoever says that isn't an economist. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Happy Fed Independence Day (Update) Mar 03, 2021

The story of the day the Federal Reserve got its independence and the fight — an actual physical fight — to keep it. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

We Buy A Superhero 3: Resurrection Feb 26, 2021

We have found the perfect superhero. Now we just have to make him our own. | Find the full Planet Money Superhero series here.

Bond Voyage Feb 24, 2021

The government used to be afraid to borrow too much money. Today, it borrows hand over fist. And it's ... fine? | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

We Buy A Superhero 2: Loophole Feb 19, 2021

Marvel was not interested in selling us Doorman. But there is another way to jumpstart our superhero empire. | Find the full Planet Money Superhero series here.

Why Printers Are The Worst Feb 17, 2021

The real money is in the ink. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

We Buy A Superhero 1: Origins Feb 12, 2021

Marvel has 7,000 characters, many of them forgotten. We want to buy one from their vault and launch our own little Planet Money franchise. | Find the full Planet Money Superhero series here.

Can't Let It Go Feb 10, 2021

Irrational decisions. Things we can't let go. Friend of the show Sam Sanders comes by to talk obsessions. We turn to economics for advice, clarity and comfort. | Subscribe to Sam's podcast, It's Been A Minute.

Fine and Punishment Feb 05, 2021

When you get out of prison, you have to start paying off fees. Some are related to committing a crime. Others are not. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Robinhood's Very Bad Day Feb 03, 2021

How the stock trading app works. And why it almost broke last week. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Can't Stop GameStop Jan 29, 2021

Video game stores. Hedge Funds. Reddit forums. How this mad lib resulted in the biggest short squeeze in years. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

The World's Biggest Battery (Classic) Jan 27, 2021

California has a ton of solar power. But as soon as night falls, it's gone. Today on the show: how to bottle the sun

How Desi Invented Television Jan 22, 2021

The television was invented by Philo Farnsworth in 1927. TV was invented by Desi Arnaz in 1951.

Modern Monetary Theory (Classic) Jan 20, 2021

We rethink everything we know about government spending, taxes, and the nature of money.

The Great Gatsby Jan 15, 2021

All of it. Read by the staff of Planet Money.

Nervous TikTok Jan 13, 2021

The U.S. was going to ban TikTok... and then it didn't. We break down the beef with TikTok, and see what life would have been like without it. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Planet Monet (Classic) Jan 11, 2021

Investors are pouring money into art, but a lot of it is disappearing into storage. We find out why. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

The Bees Go To California (Classic) Jan 08, 2021

Almonds taste great. And the logistics behind pollinating almond trees are un-bee-lievable. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Chaos At The Capitol Jan 06, 2021

With an insurrection at the Capitol, we interrupt Planet Money and turn the feed over to tonight's episode of the NPR Politics podcast. | Subscribe to Planet Money's weekly newsletter here.

Bitcoin Losers (Classic) Jan 01, 2021

The Bitcoin market is still crazy, but a lot of people can't even find their Bitcoins. We go looking for lost billions. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

The Rest Of The Story, 2020 Dec 30, 2020

We check in on The Fed, a vaccine scientist, and the mixed martial arts. Oh, and a bunch of escheaters. So long, 2020! | Support our show here.

How To Stop An Asteroid (UPDATE) Dec 25, 2020

Some smart people say we should be doing more to protect the Earth from asteroids. The technical issues are relatively easy. The economics — figuring out who's going to pay — are much harder. | Support our show here.

Fork The Government Dec 23, 2020

A global pandemic might not be the best time to try something new with technology. But Taiwan decided to do it anyway. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

The Mixtape Drama Dec 18, 2020

Mixtapes were the heart of hip-hop culture in the 90s. Until an arrest in 2007 brought it all down. | Today's episode is from our friends at Louder Than a Riot.

The Case Against Facebook Dec 16, 2020

The government just filed one of the largest antitrust cases in history against Facebook. Why now? And what will it mean? | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

We Buy A Lot Of Christmas Trees Dec 11, 2020

Nick and Robert head to the world's largest Christmas tree auction with $1,000 and a truck. And get schooled in the tree market. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

The Stolen Company (Classic) Dec 09, 2020

When an American company named ABRO learns their goods are being counterfeited in China, they start their own trade war. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

How The Rat Blew Up Dec 04, 2020

Unions have been putting giant inflatable rats in front of businesses for years. Now businesses are trying to deflate them, in court. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Before The Shot In The Arm Dec 02, 2020

Inventing a vaccine for COVID-19 was hard, but getting billions of doses to billions of people is going to be even harder. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Hot Dog Hail Mary (Classic) Nov 27, 2020

The Falcons are trying something radical: Making their food cheaper. It could break stadium economics.

Swamp Gravy (UPDATE) Nov 25, 2020

Colquitt, Georgia, was struggling. And then musical theater came along. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

All Your Genes Are Belong To Us Nov 20, 2020

Who owns your genes, anyway? For a while, Big Biotech patented 20% of the human genome. Then a lawyer took them to the Supreme Court. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Trade Show (UPDATE) Nov 18, 2020

It's been a rough four years for free trade. Today on the show, we present 244 years of trade in 22 minutes. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Biden Time Nov 13, 2020

Four things Joe Biden can do as president — even if the Democrats don't control Congress. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Worst. Tariffs. Ever. (Classic) Nov 11, 2020

One of the few things a new president has a lot of control over is tariff policies. But it wasn't always that way. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Hacking The Perfect Auction Nov 06, 2020

A Nobel-Prize winner spent years designing an auction to sell off the airwaves, which are owned by the public. But Wall Street found a tiny flaw. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

What's Next for the Economy? Nov 04, 2020

A research group at Harvard came up with a faster way to check the economy's pulse. It may change how we fight recessions. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

What Economy Are You Voting For? Oct 30, 2020

Two candidates. Two very different ways of thinking about the economy. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Who Gets To Vote In Florida? Oct 28, 2020

Angel Sanchez was 17 and in prison when he learned felons couldn't vote in Florida. When he got out, he tried to change that. It was working – until money got involved.| Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Frame Canada Oct 23, 2020

For years, Wendell Potter ran a campaign to terrify Americans... about health care in Canada. Now he explains how he did it, and why. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Hey Google, Are You Too Big? Oct 21, 2020

The government just filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google. In this episode, we talk about why, and why it matters. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Opening Schools And Other Hard Decisions Oct 16, 2020

Emily Oster wanted to understand the risks of opening schools. So she started a massive data collection campaign. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Caste Arrives In Silicon Valley Oct 14, 2020

For some Indian employees of big U.S. tech companies, caste discrimination is real. To combat it, first people have to talk about it. That's hard. | Today's episode is from our friends at Rough Translation.

Political Ad Nauseam Oct 09, 2020

It's presidential election season, and that means it's political ad season. But who do ads target, anyway? | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Rethinking Black Wealth Oct 07, 2020

Homes in Black neighborhoods are valued lower than homes in white neighborhoods. Why? This episode, Dr. Andre Perry flips the narrative of the racial wealth gap. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Call Center Call Out Oct 02, 2020

We visit life on the other side of your customer service call and get a glimpse into the troubling future of work in America. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Trump's Tiny Taxes Sep 30, 2020

A totally refreshing 20 minutes or so of infotainment related to Trump, taxes and toy wooden arrows. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Sell Me Your Climate Bombs Sep 25, 2020

There are tanks all over the U.S. that are like little climate change time bombs, ticking away. Today on the show, getting to them before they go off. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

REDMAP (Update) Sep 23, 2020

The result of national elections is shaped in a big and underappreciated way by very local elections. This is the story of the man who shaped many, many local elections to tip the national scales. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Apple v Everybody Sep 18, 2020

When Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney sued Apple over its App Store, it started a war about antitrust and the internet.

After The Plague Sep 16, 2020

The Black Death was one of the worst catastrophes to ever hit humanity. But it also helped upend feudal hierarchies, redistribute wealth, and make daily life better for a lot of medieval Europeans.

Waste Land Sep 11, 2020

Recycling plastic has never worked very well. So who convinced us this was a good idea? In this episode, we might have the answer. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

We Buy A Junk Bond Sep 09, 2020

Team Indicator buys Cardiff a surprise present. A terrible, extremely risky, but wildly interesting investment. Then it gets interesting. The company that issued the junk bond declared bankruptcy. But that wasn't the end of the story. | Subscribe to our daily podcast, The Indicator here.

The Murderer, The Boy King, And The Invention Of Modern Finance Sep 04, 2020

John Law killed a man in a duel, brought the first paper money to France, and became one of the richest people in the world. Then it all collapsed.

SUMMER SCHOOL: Graduation! Sep 02, 2020

Summer School graduates take the stage to show us how we can all see our everyday world through the beautiful lens of economics. | Take the final exam and get your diploma here.

The Old Rules Were Dumb Anyway Aug 28, 2020

When the pandemic hit, the old rules went out the window. What rules will stay broken when things go back to normal?Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

SUMMER SCHOOL 8: Risk & Disaster Aug 26, 2020

Inside one insurance policy is a world of incentives and bad behaviors.Take the final exam and get your diploma here.

Crisis At The Post Office Aug 21, 2020

The United States Postal Service is in the middle of a political firestorm. What happened, and can it be fixed? Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

SUMMER SCHOOL 7: Advertising & Race Aug 19, 2020

A Black ad executive figures out how to reach diverse audiences.

Big Rigged Aug 14, 2020

Driving a truck used to mean freedom. Now it means a mountain of debt. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

SUMMER SCHOOL 6: Taxes & Donald Duck Aug 12, 2020

The surprisingly entertaining history of the income tax. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Mask Communication Aug 07, 2020

Why won't some people wear masks? Is there anything we can do to convince them? We look to behavioral economics for help. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

SUMMER SCHOOL 5: Trade & Santa Aug 05, 2020

The economics of free trade and what happens when governments get involved. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

College Fails Jul 31, 2020

The pandemic is transforming college from a can't-miss into a can't-attend experience. Can colleges survive? | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

SUMMER SCHOOL 4: Scarcity & Pistachios Jul 29, 2020

Class 4 brings us an economic conundrum: how do you efficiently share a scarce resource? | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Rest of the Story, Pandemic Edition Jul 24, 2020

Rest of the Story, Pandemic Edition We check in on the people we've met and stories we've covered since this whole thing started. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

SUMMER SCHOOL 3: Profit & Cocaine Jul 22, 2020

In our third class, we take all that we've learned about decisions and markets and bring it to a former drug kingpin. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

BONUS: The Kerner Commission Jul 20, 2020

In 1967, President Johnson created a commission to investigate racial unrest in America. But, the answer they came up with was not the answer he was hoping for. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Getting Out Of Prison Sooner Jul 17, 2020

Shortening prison sentences might be about morals, but it's definitely about money. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

SUMMER SCHOOL 2: Markets & Pickles Jul 15, 2020

In our second class, we meet our old friends supply and demand and do graphs using only the power of the human voice. Then, we show you how markets can be created anywhere by telling the story of a food bank that had too many pickles and not enough pancake syrup. It's economics to the rescue. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Hollywood's Black List Jul 10, 2020

In 2005, an anonymous list of the best unmade scripts in Hollywood shook up the movie biz. This episode: how a math-loving, movie nerd solved Hollywood's script problem. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

SUMMER SCHOOL 1: Choices & Dating Jul 08, 2020

First lesson: Economics is not about money. It's a lens of great power and beauty. In this episode, we meet our teachers and learn the first four fundamental concepts of economic thinking, and watch them applied to things like dating and hailing a cab. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Planet Money Summer School Jul 06, 2020

Introducing an economics education for your ears! We're calling it Planet Money Summer School. It's all the economics you meant to learn, but didn't get around to. Each Wednesday, we'll serve up a Planet Money story, or selection of excerpts, paired with insights from our economists-in-residence for the summer. Get an understanding of the basic concepts of economics going to the beach. You can pick up your economics knowledge while you bike, stroll the sand or just lay in the grass. Amuse your friends. Win arguments. Throw the words "diminishing marginal utility" into every discussion. Wednesdays in the PM feed this summer. (Fridays will be our usual coverage of the economy). Start listening to the episodes here.

Reparations For Police Brutality (UPDATE) Jul 03, 2020

For years, some Chicago police officers tortured suspects. Survivors fought for reparations — and got them. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Inflation, Deflation Jul 01, 2020

After decades of relative stability, prices in the US may be about to go through the roof — or the floor. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Seed Spy Jun 26, 2020

Espionage. Deceit. Theft. In this episode we follow the case of a global effort to steal top secret high technology: seeds. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Owner Of A Broken Hertz Jun 24, 2020

Rental car giant Hertz declared bankruptcy last month, which should have made their stock worthless. So how come people keep buying it? | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Money And Justice Jun 19, 2020

Money and social change. We talk policing, nonprofits, reparations, and the awkwardness of brands getting woke. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

The Problem Of The Root (2018) Jun 17, 2020

Wild ginseng sells for thousands. We go to a farm hidden in the Appalachian mountains to find out why. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Patent Racism Jun 12, 2020

Violence, including racist attacks, stifles innovation and the economy. Dr. Lisa Cook proved how. It took 10 years to be heard. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

The Very First Vaccine Jun 10, 2020

We've only made vaccines for so many diseases. Let's look at the history. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Police Unions And Police Violence Jun 05, 2020

We look at the data connecting police unions and police violence. Today's episode comes from our daily podcast, The Indicator. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Where'd The Money Go, And Other Questions Jun 03, 2020

When the economy tanks, does money just vanish? Why are home prices still so high? You asked these and other questions. We try to answer. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Small America Vs. Big Internet May 29, 2020

Small towns need fast internet. One town tried to solve the problem itself, but ran into a legal firewall. What gives? | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Three Big Ideas May 27, 2020

On today's show, ideas to fight the virus, get people money, and revive a multibillion-dollar corner of the economy. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

J. Screwed May 22, 2020

This month, J.Crew went bankrupt. But not before inventing a whole new way of playing hardball with lenders. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

How To Get Trillions To Millions May 20, 2020

Unemployment offices and small banks are getting money from the government to the people who need it. But it's like trying to smoosh a fifty foot pile of money through a ten foot hole. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Episode 1,000 May 15, 2020

It's here! We did it! 1,000 episodes! And, to thank all our listeners for riding shotgun the whole way — we're gonna let you in on our secrets... | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

The Restaurant From The Future May 13, 2020

With over 5.5 million workers unemployed or furloughed, no other industry has been hit harder than restaurants. Yet one guy is thinking about expanding. Huh? | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Journey To The Center Of The Fed May 08, 2020

We get on a boat and go to the Federal Reserve to talk about why it may be the most important institution in the world right now. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Georgia's Open Question May 06, 2020

Can you safely reopen a business right now — and should you? | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

About That Hazard Pay May 01, 2020

We spend a morning at a grocery store and we ask: How much is essential work worth? | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Buybacks And Bailouts Apr 29, 2020

Over the past decade, American companies spent billions buying back their own shares. Now they need a taxpayer rescue. Do they deserve it? | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Making It Work Apr 24, 2020

Since lockdown began, some companies are doing unexpectedly well. This episode: Farm animals, a crafty comeback, Clint Eastwood, and a story with a twist. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Negative Oil Apr 22, 2020

On Monday, the price of a barrel of oil in the United States fell to negative $37. That's never happened before. What's going on with the price of oil? | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

The Mask Mover Apr 17, 2020

States are scrambling to find any way to get more masks, gloves, anything. Including mass emailing people who have nothing to do with it. Enter, a man with a van. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Lives Vs. The Economy Apr 15, 2020

Is it worth it to shut down the economy to save lives? How do you know when to reopen it? Should we let people die to save the economy? Economists say each human life is worth about $10 million dollars. How did they get that number? | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

The Big Small Business Rescue Apr 10, 2020

There's a brand new government program with $349 billion in aid for small businesses. The problem? It was thrown together in a week. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

What If No One Pays Rent? Apr 08, 2020

We follow the distress from a laid-off worker, to her landlord, to the multi-trillion-dollar mortgage market. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

The Economics Of Hospital Beds Apr 03, 2020

Bellevue, the oldest public hospital in the nation, has seen everything and survived everything. But even they might not have enough beds. Here's why. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

The Race To Make Ventilators Mar 31, 2020

Ventilators are the supply and demand problem of the COVID pandemic. We go inside the scramble to build more, fast. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

America Unemployed Mar 28, 2020

A record number of Americans filed for unemployment this week. The system isn't designed for this. What's next? | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Where Do We Get $2,000,000,000,000? Mar 26, 2020

The COVID-19 rescue bill is the largest ever. Where will that money come from? | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Food And Farmworkers Mar 25, 2020

To find out what's happening with our food, we talk to an economist, a farmer, and, of course, farmworkers. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

You Asked About The Virus Economy Mar 23, 2020

Some answers: The deal with toilet paper; stock market circuit breakers; coronabucks; corporate paper & how to help. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

How To Save The Economy Now Mar 20, 2020

Neel Kashkari is the President of the Minneapolis Fed. And he's run a bailout of an economy already. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

How To Test A Country Mar 18, 2020

Making a test for a pandemic — which rules should you keep, and which to bend? | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

The Fed Fights The Virus Mar 16, 2020

The central bank is trying to prevent a health crisis from becoming a financial crisis. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Medicine For The Economy Mar 13, 2020

COVID-19 is hammering our economy. We ask three super smart economists what we should do about it. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Coronavirus, Oil, and Kansas Mar 11, 2020

Oil prices are way down. We follow the story from an outbreak in China, to a meeting in Vienna, to a small-time oilman in Kansas. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Where's The Vaccine? Mar 06, 2020

Coronaviruses didn't come out of nowhere. They've actually been around for years. But economics makes it hard to find a vaccine. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Terms Of Service Mar 04, 2020

An online review turns into a fine-print nightmare — until the victims fight back. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Reparations In New Zealand Feb 28, 2020

A wool magnate gets pulled into a fight with the government over reparations. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Vodka Proof Feb 26, 2020

Vodka is the best-selling spirit in the United States, and there are zillions of brands. But is there any difference between them? | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Michael Milken Feb 21, 2020

Michael Milken once made $550 million in one year. Then, he went to prison. This week, the President pardoned him. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Indicate This Feb 19, 2020

From our daily podcast The Indicator: How Amazon Prime packages reach you so damn fast? And why Lancaster, PA became the refugee capital of America?

The CryptoQueen Feb 14, 2020

A mysterious woman promises a financial revolution. That promise leads to greed, corruption and... a beauty pageant. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Our Valentines 2020 Feb 12, 2020

We're sending valentines to books, ideas, and other stuff we love. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Raw Milk Deal Feb 07, 2020

A farmer in California built an empire dealing raw milk. And then the Feds showed up. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Small Change Feb 05, 2020

How fast is the world really changing? The answer affects everything from how we live, to whether robots really will take all our jobs. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

The Island No One Owns Jan 31, 2020

In Barbuda, land isn't a thing you buy. It's something you just... have. Put up a fence and it's yours. But all that might change. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

The Trouble With Table 101 Jan 29, 2020

We re-engineer a restaurant with a consultant so good, she can move a table a few inches, and make thousands of dollars. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Escheat Show Jan 24, 2020

You may be owed money. The government may decide to just use it. So we go looking for it inside a little-known "lost and found" of forgotten fortunes. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

The Rise Of Putin Jan 22, 2020

Our friends at Throughline dive into the life of Vladimir Putin and try to understand how he became Russia's new "tsar." | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Das Green Old Deal Jan 17, 2020

We team up with Vox's The Impact, to tell the story of how one man changed the way Germany – and arguably the world – uses energy. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

BILLBOARDS Jan 15, 2020

We are dedicating an entire show to billboards: good and old-fashioned, or fancy and high-tech. And we put up our own. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

13,000 Economists. 1 Question. Jan 10, 2020

We went to the American Economic Association's annual conference and asked: What's the most useful idea in economics? | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

The Cost Of Free Doughnuts Jan 08, 2020

Free is cool, but it can backfire. On today's show, what happens when you take something that's free and give it a price. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Advanced Fairness At The Marathon Jan 03, 2020

Four lessons for creating fairness from a big race in New York. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

How Four Drinking Buddies Saved Brazil Jan 01, 2020

Inflation in Brazil was out of control for a decade. Four former drinking buddies from grad school fixed it. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

The Rest Of The Story, 2019 Dec 27, 2019

A lot can happen after we put an episode out into the world. In The Rest Of The Story, we check-in on stories we've reported. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here

The Writers Revolt Dec 25, 2019

In April, 7,000 TV writers across the U.S. fired their agents. All on the same day. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Things We Learned in 2019 Dec 20, 2019

Tom Whitwell made an amazing list of 52 things he learned this year. We dig into our favorite items. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

When Reagan Broke the Unions Dec 18, 2019

When air traffic controllers went on strike in 1981, Reagan gave them 48 hours to return. Labor would never be the same. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

You're Giving Your Boss A Loan Dec 13, 2019

Getting paid twice a month is like loaning money to your boss. What if you got paid every day? | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

The Bell Wars Dec 11, 2019

The two biggest handbell companies in the world have been locked in a feud for decades. Why? | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

The Carriage Tax Dec 06, 2019

People have been arguing over the constitutionality of wealth taxes since 1794, when Washington put a tax on carriages.| Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Slot Flaw Scofflaws Dec 04, 2019

Where there are casinos, there are people trying to cheat. And now, they're using iPhones. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Pirate Videos Nov 29, 2019

Blackbeard, a filmmaker, and a fight between two powerful forces in American law. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

We Cooked A Peacock Nov 27, 2019

In the 1600s, a good spice rub was the ultimate display of wealth. People would risk their lives for a sack of cloves. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

What Is Foreign Interference, Anyway? Nov 22, 2019

We've heard a lot about illegal foreign meddling in the United States elections. But what about legal foreign participation? | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Three Sides Of A Car Loan Nov 20, 2019

7 million Americans are at least 3 months behind on car payments. It's a record but is it a crisis? | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Sperm Banks Nov 15, 2019

Denmark is a big exporter of human sperm. And mad cow disease may have helped. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Snakebite Nov 13, 2019

Snakebites are common but antivenom is expensive to develop. So a doctor goes to extreme lengths to find a solution. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Overrated Or Underrated? Nov 08, 2019

Today on the show, economist Tyler Cowen rates the NBA, Karl Marx, Adam Smith, the humanities, your neighbors, and more. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Free Love, Free Market Nov 06, 2019

A free-love commune of perfectionists in upstate New York embraced the free market, and became a blockbuster brand. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

The Pigou Club Nov 01, 2019

A hundred years ago, economist Arthur Cecil Pigou explained how to tax things like pollution. Countries are starting to do it. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

A Series Of Unfortunate Recessions Oct 30, 2019

A Halloween journey into the economists' worst nightmare, an endless time loop of recession after recession after... | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Some-of-the-Money Ball Oct 25, 2019

Income pools could change the way baseball players, and maybe the rest of us, think about how we get paid. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Fries Of The Future Oct 23, 2019

Fast food delivery is threatening the french fry. So a band of potato scientists go to work. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

The Liberty City Oct 18, 2019

A man in Texas had a dream: To build a whole new kind of city, with no property tax, no debt, and a whole lot of freedom. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Blockchain Gang Oct 16, 2019

Charlie Shrem went from living in his parents' basement, to bitcoin millionaire, to federal prison in just a few years. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

We Should Have Mentioned That Oct 11, 2019

Sometimes we forget to mention something. And our listeners always let us know. Today on the show, we make good. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

BOTUS Oct 09, 2019

Two years ago, we built a machine that bought and sold stocks automatically based on President Trump's tweets. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Unicorn Cowboy Oct 04, 2019

The risk-addicted investor who made WeWork possible and changed the way startups work. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Capitalism In The Courtroom Oct 02, 2019

Investors can fund lawsuits for profit, which gives more people access to the courts. But some worry it will warp the justice system. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Three Bets Sep 27, 2019

We jog to New Jersey to bet on tennis, we solve a mystery in Las Vegas, and we venture into the world of video game loot. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

When India's Cash Disappeared Sep 25, 2019

When India suddenly got rid of most of its cash, in an effort to end corruption and modernize its economy, chaos ensued. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Interest Rates... Why So Negative? Sep 20, 2019

All over the world, interest rates are very, very low. In some places, they're negative: you lend out money, and get less back. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Strike One Sep 18, 2019

Strikes these days are pretty boring. But they weren't always like this. In the past, strikers risked their lives. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

The Working Tapes Of Studs Terkel Sep 13, 2019

Hear what ordinary people told Studs Terkel about their jobs in the 70s — and what they have to say now. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

How To Make It In The Music Business Sep 11, 2019

The hidden economy of producers buying and selling sonic snippets, texting each other beats, and angling for royalties. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

The Marshall Plan Sep 06, 2019

Sometimes the way to help yourself is to help your enemy. After WWII, the U.S. launched what might be the most successful intervention in history, rebuilding Germany and also the rest of Western Europe. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Where Dollar Bills Come From Sep 04, 2019

Every dollar bill in the world comes from the same paper mill in Massachusetts. Today on the show, we get a front-row seat to the dollar-making process. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Moving To Opportunity? Aug 30, 2019

In the 90s, the government ran an experiment: What happens if we move people out of high-poverty neighborhoods and into low-poverty ones? Housing policy as hope? The results surprised them. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

The Modal American Aug 28, 2019

Kenny takes Jacob on a nerdy quest to find the "typical American." Naturally, it ends up harder⁠—and nerdier⁠—than we planned, and the answer is more subtle than we expected. | Subscribe to our newsletter here.

You Asked For A Food Show Aug 23, 2019

The top producer of Top Chef helps us spice up this food edition of listener questions. How do you master the salad bar? Why do Americans refrigerate eggs? The story of Choco Pies and more. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Two Yield Curve Indicators Aug 21, 2019

An inverted yield curve has predicted recessions for the past six decades. The curve is inverted right now. What does that tell us? | Subscribe to our newsletter here.

Find The Helium Aug 16, 2019

Helium is so special, and so rare, that the U.S. government once tried to buy it all up. And hide it. But the government's helium stockpile is running low. And we need it for MRI machines and NASA rockets.

How Solar Got Cheap Aug 14, 2019

For a long time, only rich people could afford to put solar panels on the roof. Not anymore. Here's what changed.

Deep Learning With The Elephants Aug 09, 2019

Elephants are in danger. Counting them is crucial to saving them. But they're hard to see in the rainforest. So scientists are enlisting the help of AI technology.

The IT Guy Vs. The Con Artist Aug 07, 2019

A notorious con artist offered Felipe an IT job. He took the job —and tried to con the con man. | Plus, listen to a full double feature all about cons here.

Twins Aug 02, 2019

Scientists have studied twins for years, hoping to figure out how big a role genes play in human behavior. Our very own pair of twin reporters are on the case.

That Time We Shorted America, Part Two Jul 31, 2019

Everyone said betting against the entire stock market was a terrible idea. We did it anyway. Today, we find out the results, and revisit the first short ever done in the 17th century.

That Time We Shorted America, Part One Jul 26, 2019

Today on the show, we ignore the advice of some very smart people and bet against something people love.

Could A Wealth Tax Work? Jul 24, 2019

Elizabeth Warren wants to tax the wealth of the mega-rich to help fix inequality. Europe tried this, and failed. Can it work in the U.S.?

Hong Kong Jul 19, 2019

In 1960, a 12-year-old boy left mainland China, hidden in the bottom of a fishing boat. He later became one of Hong Kong's richest people. His story is the story of Hong Kong.

The Indicator In The House Jul 17, 2019

Two highlights from our daily podcast, The Indicator, about houses. A plan to lower rents pits state against city, and a private firefighter breaks down his business for us.
| Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

So, Should We Recycle? Jul 12, 2019

Cities might be picking up your recyclables, but there is a very good chance they aren't being recycled. And that might be a good thing...if you really care about the planet. Part two of a two-part series. ⎸Subscribe to our newsletter here.

A Mob Boss, A Garbage Boat and Why We Recycle Jul 10, 2019

In 1987, an Alabama man had an idea. So he made a deal with the mob. And ended up with 3,186 tons of trash no landfill would take. This is the accidental birth of recycling in the U.S. ⎸Subscribe to our newsletter here.

Stuck In China's Panopticon Jul 05, 2019

China is building a high-tech surveillance state to capture minorities' every move and word. We go inside it and find that some Americans are involved. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter npr.org/planetmoneynewsletter

Eagles vs. Chickens Jul 03, 2019

A farmer in Georgia became more in tune with nature. Then eagles started killing his chickens. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter: npr.org/planetmoneynewsletter

Good Teachers, Bad Deal Jun 28, 2019

Teachers made a deal with the Department of Education. They kept their end of the bargain. Why didn't the government?

The Cost of Getting Your Money Back Jun 26, 2019

Accidentally sending $1,500 to a stranger on Venmo reveals just how hard it is to get your money back in the new economy.

Tales From The Parking Lot Jun 21, 2019

Three stories: A tire-booting vigilante, a surge price conspiracy, and the civil rights fight over parking tickets.

What Should We Be Worried About? Jun 19, 2019

The economic recovery turns 10 this month. Don't get too comfortable. There's plenty to be worried about.

Are Cities Overrated? Jun 14, 2019

Big cities used to be the land of opportunity for most people. But with changes in work, some economists are wondering: Are cities overrated?

The Planet Money Workout Jun 12, 2019

Gyms don't want you to workout. Or at least, not often. It's better for business that way. Economics explains why.

The Day Of Two Noons Jun 07, 2019

People didn't always know what time it was. But in the nineteenth century, a high school principal, a scientist, and a railroad bureaucrat synchronized the nation.

The Salmon Taboo Jun 05, 2019

In Japan, salmon used to be garbage fish. Today, it's a delicacy. How one Norwegian with a lot of extra fish changed the tastes of a nation.

Quit Threat! May 31, 2019

Sometimes an economy can get so strong the power dynamic between bosses and workers flips: Full employment. Are we there yet?

The Whistleblower Whisperer May 29, 2019

Jordan Thomas is a lawyer who represents some of Wall Street's biggest whistleblowers. The life that led him here is extraordinary.

How To Meddle In An Election May 24, 2019

In which someone runs a science experiment on an actual election, on actual voters, to test the persuasive power of ethically sketchy methods.

Trump and Deutsche, A Long Affair May 22, 2019

After Donald Trump's companies declared four bankruptcies, several major banks stopped loaning him money. But Deutsche Bank didn't.

Counting The Homeless May 17, 2019

From renting hotels to a jobs report-like census in the night, we look at ways communities are helping the homeless.

A Mathematician, The Last Supper, And The Birth Of Accounting May 15, 2019

The story of an innovation that changed the way the world works, and of the man who made this innovation possible: Luca Pacioli.

How Uncle Jamie Broke Jeopardy May 10, 2019

James Holzhauer took data, probability and a lot of practice with a fake buzzer, and turned it into a fortune on a game show.

You Asked The Listener Question Hotline May 08, 2019

We answer a bunch of the questions you asked — and even one you *didn't* ask.

Economics, Sexism, Data May 03, 2019

A young economist holds a mirror up to her field. And starts a national conversation about women in economics.

Why The Price of Coke Didn't Change For 70 years May 01, 2019

For 70 years, the price of a bottle of Coca-Cola stayed a nickel. Why? The answer includes a half a million vending machines and a 7.5 cent coin.

Dollar Stores Vs Lettuce Apr 26, 2019

Every six hours a new dollar store opens in the U.S. Are they killing grocery stores?

I Am Not A Robot Apr 24, 2019

The remarkable story of the online "CAPTCHA" tests we've all taken to prove that we're not robots.

Two Spring Indicators Apr 19, 2019

The Indicator from Planet Money explores trade wars, peanuts, hurricanes, and happiness.

How Much Does This Cow Weigh? Apr 17, 2019

We wanted to understand an eerie phenomenon that drives everything from the stock market to the price of orange juice. So we asked you to guess the weight of a cow.

The Chicago Boys, Part II Apr 12, 2019

How a ruthless dictator, and a bunch of economists known as the Chicago Boys, took Chile from socialism to capitalism.

The Chicago Boys, Part I Apr 10, 2019

In the late 1950s and early '60s a handful of Chilean students went to study economics at the University of Chicago. What they learned changed their country.

Joke Theft Apr 06, 2019

Copyrighting comedy is expensive. So comedians have devised an informal system of sanctions to protect their jokes from theft. Sometimes it works.

Tax Hero Apr 03, 2019

Joe Bankman, professor at Stanford, figured out a way to make filing your taxes easy and painless. Then the tax lobby found out about it.

A New Way To Pay For College Mar 29, 2019

Some colleges are offering students a new way to pay. It's not a scholarship. It's not a loan. It's more like the students are selling stock in themselves.

The Phoebus Cartel Mar 27, 2019

The story behind two sneaky forces that drive us to buy more products, more often: Planned obsolescence and psychological obsolescence.

Bad Cops Are Expensive Mar 22, 2019

There's an industry of people working to eliminate bad police behavior. They're not activists or protestors. They're insurers.

Why A Dead Shark Costs $12 Million Mar 20, 2019

Today's show is about the fickle market for art. What makes a dead shark cost $12 million, and a photo of steel wool that looks like a tornado cost only $1,265?

The Stolen Company Mar 15, 2019

When an American company named ABRO learns their goods are being counterfeited in China, they start their own trade war.

Cat Scam Mar 13, 2019

The internet was supposed to get rid of middlemen--but instead they are taking over the global economy.

Mexico Fights The Fuel Pirates Mar 08, 2019

Thieves are stealing billions of dollars worth of gasoline in Mexico. The President is taking drastic action to cut them off, and it comes at a serious cost. Content warning: Audio of deadly pipeline explosion.

The Starbury Mar 06, 2019

The story of an NBA All-Star and an experiment: To make a desirable basketball shoe cheap enough for anyone.

Happy Fed Independence Day Mar 01, 2019

The story of the day the Federal Reserve got its independence and the fight—an actual physical fight—to keep it.

New Orleans Vs. Airbnb Feb 28, 2019

Airbnb has changed New Orleans. And now landlords and preservationists are fighting over the future of the city.

Antitrust 3: Big Tech Feb 22, 2019

What does the rise of dominant tech companies say about competition and the state of antitrust law? Third in a series.

Antitrust 2: The Paradox Feb 20, 2019

How Robert Bork won the fight over the very meaning of competition in America, and paved the way for some of the biggest companies we've ever seen.

Antitrust 1: Standard Oil Feb 15, 2019

At the turn of the 20th century, Ida Tarbell investigated John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil. What she discovered changed the economy of the United States.

A Fake Bank For Money Laundering Run By The Government Feb 13, 2019

To catch drug traffickers, the U.S. government tried something it had never tried before. It set up and ran a fake offshore bank for money laundering. Fake name. Fake employees. Real drug money.

Our Valentines 2019 Feb 08, 2019

We give a shout out to the stuff we've been obsessing over in the office — those stories that were so good, we wished we had thought of them ourselves.

The Lost Plane Feb 06, 2019

In December, a commercial flight had to make an emergency landing in Iran. They discovered that landing there would be easy. Getting out – much, much harder.

Who Won The Bet Over Bitcoin? Feb 01, 2019

Five years ago, two sides met on our show to make a bet about the future of bitcoin. Today, we announce the winner.

Who Started The Wildfire? Jan 30, 2019

After a wildfire, teams of investigators start combing the wreckage for clues. Finding the cause means, maybe, finding someone to pay. But where's the line between a natural disaster and a human one?

The Division Problem Jan 25, 2019

Today on the show, we take on one of life's most vexing problems: Sharing.

Brilliant Vs. Boring Jan 23, 2019

John Bogle died last week. His creation — the index fund — changed investing. Today, how his invention set off a million dollar bet between some of the biggest brains on Wall Street, including Warren Buffett.

The Pay-What-You-Want Experiment Jan 18, 2019

In 2010, Panera launched several pay-what-you-want cafes. On today's show: How this charitable experiment worked out.

The First Shutdown Jan 16, 2019

In 1879, Congress and the President were locked in a battle over the rights of African-Americans. It led to the first government shutdown.

You Asked For It, Yet Again Jan 11, 2019

On today's show we answer questions about silver dollars, Venmo, and Brexit. Why? Because you asked!

All In Jan 09, 2019

We go inside a professional poker tournament, where some of the smartest betting takes place behind the scenes.

The Price of a Hack Jan 04, 2019

Hackers are an expensive headache for companies. But there might be a simple economic fix.

Do It For Your Country Jan 02, 2019

People are the engine that fuels an economy. But what happens when you start running out of people?

The Rest Of The Story, Winter 2018 Dec 28, 2018

We check in on some stories we did this year to see what's changed. Find a full list of the episodes we referenced at our website, NPR.org/money.

The Curse Of The Black Lotus Dec 26, 2018

How the card game "Magic: The Gathering" deflated a speculative bubble. You can support our show at donate.npr.org/planetmoney.

BONUS INDICATOR: The Calculator That Time Forgot Dec 24, 2018

Most products in this world are vulnerable to creative destruction: as new products are developed, they make old ones obsolete. But there are some exceptions — products that persist, resisting change while economic evolution continues without them. For instance: the graphing calculator. (This episode is from our other podcast, The Indicator from Planet Money. Subscribe to it wherever you get your podcasts.)

A Very Planet Money Christmas Carol Dec 21, 2018

Charles Dickens wanted to pick a fight with economists. So he invented Ebenezer Scrooge. But did he get it all right? Also: If you want to support our show, head over to donate.npr.org/planetmoney. We appreciate it.

Synthetic Reefer Madness Dec 19, 2018

How a professor invented a formula for synthesizing cannabinoids and unintentionally helped launch a drug revolution.

BONUS INDICATOR: The Measure Of A Tragedy Dec 17, 2018

Ricardo Hausmann, a Harvard-based Venezuelan economist, has constructed his own indicator, one that captures the horrifying scale of the economic catastrophe in Venezuela. (This episode is from our other podcast, The Indicator. Subscribe to it wherever you get your podcasts.)

The Prisoners of the Trade War Dec 14, 2018

A truce in the U.S.-China trade war seemed close. The leaders of China and the United States were meeting to discuss a fix. And then arrests started. It got even more confusing, so today, we call up our man on the ground in Shanghai to make sense of it all. The key to understanding the latest turn in the trade war centers around a giant company most Americans haven't heard of called Huawei. Its rise traces the rise of China's economy and Chinese-style capitalism.

What's A Penny Worth? Dec 12, 2018

We try to figure out what makes cents.

Is Amazon Good For New York? Dec 07, 2018

It feels like all of New York City is arguing about Amazon's new office in Queens. But what do the people in Long Island City think?

Why Car Safety Is A Trade Barrier Dec 05, 2018

The U.S. and Europe just can't agree on car safety standards. That puts car companies in a weird position, makes cars cost more and just seems kind of random and wasteful.

The Secret Target Nov 30, 2018

Their plan was dangerous, risky, and extremely unpopular. But America copied them anyway. Today on the show: how a tiny country on the other side of the world changed how America runs its economy.

Kid Rock Vs. The Scalpers Nov 28, 2018

We talk to Kid Rock about how he tried to cut scalpers out of the business — and still sell cheap tickets to his shows.

VIDEO: The Price Of Coke Stayed The Same For 70 Years — Why? Nov 26, 2018

For 70 years, a Coca-Cola cost a nickel. The price didn't change. How is that even possible? You can also watch the video here: https://youtu.be/Bcz0BJGEVUY

Mugshots For Sale Nov 23, 2018

We go deep inside the market for online mugshots. Is it extortion? Or is it a First Amendment right?

The Laws of The Office Nov 21, 2018

You get what you measure. Work expands to fill the time allotted. Who comes up with this stuff? And is it true?

VIDEO: Put A Chip On It Nov 19, 2018

A quick history of slow credit cards. This video also available here: https://youtu.be/2IksSNiEo2g

Kansas City Vs. Kansas City Nov 16, 2018

A bunch of you asked why so many cities threw billions in tax breaks at Amazon. It reminded us of an episode we did in 2016.

Patent Deception Nov 14, 2018

How World Patent Marketing stole nearly $26 million. And how the acting attorney general was involved.

VIDEO: A Grave Promise Nov 12, 2018

If you die in America, chances are the cemetery is going to promise to maintain your grave forever. Americans take this for granted, but it's a wacky, wild promise that we maybe should not be making. You can also watch this video here: https://youtu.be/xYDYDThuJe4

Why Did The Cow Cross The Border? Nov 09, 2018

To take advantage of the surprising benefits provided by an interlocked economic system on the other side.

Hot Dog Hail Mary Nov 07, 2018

The Falcons are trying something radical: Making their food cheaper. It could break stadium economics.

VIDEO: Inventing Price Tags Nov 05, 2018

For most of human history, you had to haggle over prices before you could buy something. Then came the idea of the price tag.

The Seattle Experiment Nov 02, 2018

Seattle's radical solution to big money in politics: Flood elections with even more money.

The Halloween Tapes Oct 31, 2018

Something spooky has been happening here at Planet Money.

Video: The Miracle Apple Oct 30, 2018

We're kicking off a quick season of our bonus video series, Planet Money Shorts. Watch how apples became brands, and started being more than delicious.

Blacklisted In China Oct 26, 2018

China is trying a bold experiment to help people trust each other more: The social credit score. Will it work? Does it go too far?

The First Lottery & How To Beat The Odds Oct 23, 2018

The first lottery was a royal affair with poems, golden flatware and invited criminals. Also, how someone won the lottery over and over.

Trump vs. Red Tape Oct 19, 2018

President Trump promised to slash regulations. How has he done?

What Causes What? Oct 17, 2018

We try to tell the difference between correlation and causation.

The Student Loan Whistleblower Oct 12, 2018

Seth Frotman worked overseeing student loans for the government. He saw things that made him quit, and tell all.

The History of Light (Nobel Edition) Oct 08, 2018

Bill Nordhaus just won the economics Nobel. In this show: He shows how history of light is the history of economic growth — of things getting faster, cheaper, and more efficient.

Moneyland Oct 05, 2018

We follow writer Oliver Bullough as he explores how stolen money moves around the world, and what that might mean for democracies.

Anatomy Of A Scam Oct 03, 2018

Ever seen one of those signs asking if you want to work from home? We find out what happens when you call.

Special Report: Asylum Crackdown Sep 28, 2018

We tell the story of a massive crackdown on asylum fraud, and the fallout.

Modern Monetary Theory Sep 26, 2018

We rethink everything we know about government spending, taxes, the nature of money... All of it.

Tweak This Sep 21, 2018

We propose small fixes for baseball, weddings, salary negotiations and buying your morning coffee. Warning: They may be too rational.

The Tale Of The Onion King Sep 19, 2018

How one man took the onion market hostage.

The Central (Bankers') Question Sep 14, 2018

We crash a party of central bankers to get an answer to one of the biggest economic questions of our time.

For Our 10th Anniversary, Episode #1 Sep 12, 2018

In honor of our 10th anniversary, we revisit our very first episode.

The 13th Hole Sep 07, 2018

What a hole-in-one gone awry says about the state of charity.

When Subaru Came Out Sep 05, 2018

Subaru's sales had been slumping for years. Then they went straight to their biggest fans: Lesbians.

Big Government Cheese Aug 31, 2018

That time we accidentally created a cheese surplus so large it had to be stored in a ginormous cave.

New Jersey Bails Out Aug 29, 2018

California just did away with cash bail. But credit where credit is due. New Jersey already tried something similar.

Food Scare Squad Aug 24, 2018

When food makes people sick all around the country, an army of germ detectives jumps into action.

New Jersey Wine Aug 22, 2018

Today on the show: Could New Jersey become the next Napa?

The World's Longest Yard Sale Aug 17, 2018

Six states. Three days. One ugly cookie jar. Today on the show: Yard sale!

Trash! Aug 15, 2018

The line between trash and recycling is moving a lot these days. It's a tough time to be a recycler.

You Asked For Even More Aug 10, 2018

You have a lot of questions... about tariffs, unemployment rates, and RV dealerships, to name a few. We have answers.

Open Office Aug 08, 2018

This episode is for everyone who ever had to ask their coworkers to quiet down. Today on the show: We meet the man who stole your office door.

Venezuela's Fugitive Money Traders Aug 03, 2018

The Venezuelan government doesn't want you to know the real value of its currency. But Ruben and Mila figured it out. Now they're on the lam.

The Postal Illuminati Aug 01, 2018

Is there a secretive postal organization fixing international shipping rates, and giving American businesses a bad deal?

Yes In My Backyard Jul 27, 2018

There's a simple way to solve the housing crisis in U.S. cities. Only problem is, almost everybody hates it.

The Poop Cartel Jul 25, 2018

What happens when a group of economists applies the number one rule of economics... to number two?

The New Socialists Jul 20, 2018

Socialism was political poison in the U.S. for decades. Now it's gaining ground. Who are these new socialists? And what do they want?

The One-Page Plan To Fix Global Warming Revisited Jul 18, 2018

Tax carbon emissions. That's basically the whole plan. What's the hold up?

Peak Sand Jul 13, 2018

Sand. It's in buildings, windows, your cell phone. But there isn't enough in the world for everyone. And that's created a dangerous black market.

LeBron James Is Still Underpaid Jul 11, 2018

The best player in basketball is getting hosed. The NBA team owners, the players, the fans and even LeBron James himself want to keep it that way.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected