Planet Money
The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, "Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy." Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.
The real horror of ‘Alien’ and how it explains why we’re not paid enough
Maybe the real monster in the Alien franchise isn’t actually the killer alien. Because behind the...
ListenCan computer hackers get inside your mind?
The cyber weapon that might have prevented nuclear war.The U.S. and Israel have long been in conflict...
ListenIt’s my tree. Why can’t I cut it down?
Can the government stop you from cutting down your own tree? In many towns and cities these days, removing...
ListenTwo indicators for lowering the rent
One specific type of affordable housing used to be popular in American cities, kept rents low, then...
ListenWhy is there a supplement craze if they don’t even work?
One reason the $70 billion supplement industry is set to double in the next seven years? Lax regulation.On...
ListenThere's no business like dough business
Have you ever walked around a street, mall, or airport and noticed two or three of the same franchise...
ListenThe sneaky way companies get new chemicals into our food
99% of chemicals in our food right now were added without FDA approval. Many were added in secret, through...
ListenThe leaked tapes that show how the rich avoid taxes
Tax avoidance -- that is, legally reducing your tax bill -- is as American as apple pie. But the line...
ListenThe giant factory town that might be a giant mistake
How does a poor country become a rich country? There's a simple blueprint — or at least, that's what...
ListenVacation and why Americans take so little
Do you work more for more money? Or work less for more time? For some, this is the ultimate economic...
ListenJerome Powell and the Future of Fed Independence
If you have a credit card, hope to buy a house, or just want stable grocery prices – let’s talk...
ListenThe secret meeting that launched OPEC
Recently, a listener wrote in with a question about OPEC and oil prices. She was prepping for a camping...
ListenDiary of a WNBA negotiator
Today the WNBA season tips off, but Dallas Wings veteran forward Alysha Clark has already won a high-stakes...
ListenHow we got free agents in baseball
Curt Flood was the best center fielder in baseball and one of the game’s highest paid players. He...
ListenHow to make a BOOK into a bestseller
In the world of commercial publishing, there are few crowning achievements more coveted than a place...
ListenSpirit Airlines and the future of cheap flights
It’s way more than fuel costs that pushed Spirit Airlines to the brink of liquidation and led President...
ListenBattlefield rare earths: How the U.S. lost to China
At one point in history, one U.S. company monopolized the rare earths industry. Then China took over...
ListenLive: Anthropic co-founder on AI and jobs
We talk with Anthropic co-founder Jack Clark and Chief Economist at Redfin Daryl Fairweather about two...
ListenDo prediction market bettors make anything better?
Have you noticed a lot of young people getting into antenna-maxxing as alpha? Or, maybe searching for...
ListenHow to get through the Strait of Hormuz
The United States has been at war with Iran since February 28th. And for a month and a half, Iran’s...
ListenBOOKstore Economics
How do bookstores choose the books they stock, and how does that affect what customers read? It may...
ListenA pro-worker experiment in private equity
Live event info and tickets here. If your company got bought by a private equity firm, how would you...
ListenReese’s heir vs. chocolate skimpflation
Live event info and tickets here. When ingredient costs skyrocket, companies have three basic options:...
ListenDark times for Cuba’s economic experiment
Live event info and tickets here. For more than 60 years, Cuba has survived on two seemingly contradictory...
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