Planet Money
Episodes
SUMMER SCHOOL 5: Car Parts, Celery & The Labor Market
11 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You can learn a lot about a person from their job. The same can be said of an economy. The market for jobs can us a lot about how the economy is doing...
A new way to pay for college (Update)
05 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
College has gotten incredibly expensive. And some colleges are offering students a new way to pay. It's not a scholarship. It's not quite a loan. It's...
SUMMER SCHOOL 4: Inflation & Drinking Buddies
04 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Inflation can be one of the scariest forces in the economy. As prices rise and your dollar doesn't go as far, you feel poorer, and it's all out of you...
We Buy a Superhero 8: Micro-Face: The Musical
01 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This episode, Micro-Face: The Musical. A full concert recording of a one-of-a-kind Planet Money superhero musical, taped during our recent live show a...
Two recession Indicators
29 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
So are we in a recession or not? The jury is still out, but there are some warning signs. GDP is down and inflation is up. But how much do we know abo...
SUMMER SCHOOL 3: Booms, Busts & Us
28 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Life has its ups and downs. Same for the economy. Today we ask, can the business cycle be tamed? Two stories of recession and techniques for moderatin...
Little House on the Blockchain
22 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It has great bones, three bedrooms and one and half baths, and it comes with its own machine that mines cryptocurrency. But in a year of reckoning for...
SUMMER SCHOOL 2: GDP & What Counts
21 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What even is "the economy"? And how do you measure it? Our path out of the economic darkness and into the light has been guided in large part by one s...
Best by, sell by, use by
16 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Wait, wait...don't throw that out! What if much of what you've been told about food expiration dates is... wrong? | Subscribe to Planet Money+ in Appl...
SUMMER SCHOOL 1: Recessions & Rap Battles
14 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's macro time! Today: Keynes vs. Hayek. Season 3 of summer school is here asking the biggest economic questions about what makes an entire economy g...
A tale of two cityhoods
08 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There's a movement underway in Georgia. More and more communities around Atlanta are choosing to keep their tax dollars very local, and become their o...
Two crypto crash Indicators
06 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Two stories of consternation from inside the crypto world. Can a crypto crash spread to the wider economy? How does contagion work? And ... why has cr...
Suitcases, secret lists, and Citizens United
01 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On today's show: the Watergate scandal you haven't heard about – that led directly to Citizens United and multi-billion dollar elections. | Subscrib...
When Subaru came out (Classic)
29 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the early 90s, Subaru was struggling to stand out in a crowded automobile market. In their greatest time of need, they turned to an unlikely ally:...
Recession referees
25 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Whenever the economic data start to look rough, we're forced to confront a familiar question: Are we in a recession, or about to be? But there are act...
The tale of the Onion King (Update)
22 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How one man's quest to dominate the onion market changed commodities trading, and potentially how much you pay at the grocery store, forever. | Subscr...
The debate over what's causing inflation
17 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The last few months have made us acutely aware of inflation. We all agree that it's making our lives harder, but economists disagree about what's caus...
Let them eat lunch
16 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For many Americans, desk lunches are the norm. You might even be having one right now. But what if it didn't have to be this way? | Fill out our liste...
The Gecko Effect
11 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Years ago advertising was dominated by cars and beer. Today on the show, how a simple slogan and a talking gecko helped the insurance industry become ...
On the case: Recession, formula, and greenbacks
09 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It was just another day at the office. Then the phone started ringing and the caseload kept growing...on today's show, your favorite Planet Money gums...
Homer Simpson vs. the economy
03 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When the beloved Simpsons family made its TV debut in 1989, it squarely represented middle-class America. Today ... not so much. That house, those two...
The bank war (Classic)
01 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the 1800s, populist president Andrew Jackson went head-to-head with the most powerful banker in America over who should control the country's money...
We Buy a Superhero 7: Collectibles (Live Show!)
28 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What transforms a regular object into a collectible? At our live show earlier this month, we went on a journey through collectibles history. And we ha...
The NRA's Secret Tapes
26 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Soon after the mass shooting at Columbine High School in 1999, leaders of the National Rifle Association held a conference call to craft their respons...
Investing in mediocrity
20 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Is the key to success in financial markets a matter of luck or skill? One former bond manager shares his strategy: Win big by avoiding winning. | Subs...
How the burrito became a sandwich (Classic)
18 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A sandwich is generally defined as something delicious slapped between two slices of bread. New York tax code would beg to differ. | Subscribe to our ...
Buy now, pay dearly?
14 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A wave of companies that allow customers to pay for items from their favorite stores in four interest-free installments has taken over the country. Bu...
A 12-year-old girl takes on the video game industry (UPDATE)
11 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When Maddie Messer was 12 years old, she noticed an unfair dynamic in the video games she loved: playing as a man was often free, but she had to pay t...
The day Russia adopted the free market
07 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the early 90s, American economist Jeffrey Sachs was a part of a team that tried to transform Russia's economy. It did not go as planned. He tells u...
Escheat show (Classic)
04 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you're looking for money you've forgotten about, there's a chance the government might have it. The good news is that you can get it back. | Subscr...
Planet Money book club
29 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Behind every Planet Money episode is a ton of reading. Today, we share some of our favorite books from along the way. Here are our picks:From Mary, Am...
Risky business
27 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Two stories on how businesses are using insurance to navigate new kinds of risks. First, how music venues are handling pandemic-related risks. And how...
We Buy a Superhero 6: The Comic Book
22 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After many, many delays, the Micro-Face comic book is here! And we answer the burning question: Why did it take so long to make a comic book? | Come s...
TikTok to the top
21 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Thanks to TikTok, Tai Verdes went from struggling musician to Top 40 hitmaker. But first, he had to crack the algorithm of how to go viral. | Come see...
The student loan paaaaauuuuuse
15 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The pause on federal student loan payments was just extended for the sixth time in two years. So...what's that been like for the borrowers, and what's...
Peanuts and Cracker Jack (Classic)
13 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ballpark vendors share their strategies and other secrets to selling the most hot dogs at baseball games. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.Le...
How manatees got into hot water
08 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
While on the brink of extinction in the 1970s, manatees found sanctuary in the warm waters of Florida power plants. Now, they're hooked on fossil fuel...
Turkey's runaway inflation problem
06 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Turkey is facing really high inflation, over 60 percent. Its president is taking an unorthodox approach to dealing with it. | Subscribe to our weekly ...
When bricks were rubles
01 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For a brief, strange period after the U.S.S.R. collapsed, "real" money was less valuable than tradeable objects like bricks or towels. We look back at...
The Bond King
30 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Investing legend Bill Gross revolutionized the bond market, built an empire, and lost it all. Our very own Mary Childs talks about her new book, The B...
Fashion Fair's makeover
25 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Fashion Fair was the first big national brand to make makeup for Black women, but it slowly faded into obscurity. Now that it's relaunched, can it com...
Two inflation Indicators: Corporate greed and mortgage rates
24 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Corporate profits are soaring. So are prices. Can corporations just not raise prices? Would that fight inflation? We examine this theory making the ro...
Tech giants and tiny dogs
18 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What a business that makes ramps for wiener dogs teaches us about the massive power of tech giants. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.Learn mo...
Escape from Russia
16 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
An American business owner with employees in Russia extracts her colleagues from the country. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.Learn more abo...
Grocery delivery wars
11 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Behind the scenes at a new kind of grocery store that promises delivery in minutes. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.Learn more about sponsor...
The dollar at the center of the world (Classic)
10 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After World War II devastated the global economy, there was a push for a new universal currency. This is the story of how the U.S. dollar won. | Subsc...
Of oligarchs, oil and rubles
05 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Three stories about how the sanctions imposed on Russia are playing out – for regular Russian people, for Russia's super-rich, and for Russia's ener...
'Fortress' Russia put to the test
02 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The U.S. is putting Russia's defense plan against sanctions to the test. Meanwhile, Russia's role as a huge exporter of oil and natural gas could caus...
Putin's big bet: Sanction-proofing Russia
25 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The U.S. is imposing economic sanctions on Russia to punish it for invading Ukraine. But Russia has spent years trying to make its economy immune to s...
How bad is inflation?
24 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Two stories about the effects of inflation on the economy. We meet a gig worker who's seen an increase in wages, but because of inflation, how much of...
Predictions: Inflation!
18 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
It's time for another round of "Planet Money Predictions!" Economic forecasters square off to predict the future of inflation and explain what's going...
SPAM strikes back
17 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Hormel Foods makes SPAM, and for generations, the company also created jobs for families in Austin, Minnesota. Today, the story of a labor strike that...
Waste land (Bonus)
14 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Recycling most plastic doesn't work. It never has. In 2020, we ran an episode showing how big oil companies misled the public into thinking plastic wo...
Our Valentines 2022
11 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We profess our love for our curiosities, obsessions, and the things we wish we'd thought of first. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.Learn mor...
A SWIFT getaway
10 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In 2016, thieves tried to steal nearly a billion dollars from the Bank of Bangladesh's reserves without ever entering the building. And six years late...
Uncle Sam wants YOU to fight inflation
05 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How war bonds, controlled prices, and a national network of nosy neighbors helped beat inflation during WWII. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here....
The M&M anomaly (Classic)
02 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Despite costing the same price, a pack of peanut butter M&M's weighs 0.06 ounces less than a pack of milk chocolate M&M's. A trade secret explains why...
The Spider-Man Problem
29 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Spider-Man isn't the first film franchise to be rebooted over and over again. But the infamous off-screen drama between Marvel Studios and Sony Pictur...
Two indicators: supply chain solutions
26 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Two stories about people trying to overcome supply chain challenges. We follow a ship that is forced to get creative to bypass clogged ports, and we v...
'Soul Train' and the business of Black joy
21 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When Soul Train first launched in 1970, Black audiences weren't understood as a viable target market. Don Cornelius changed that forever with his week...
Patent racism (classic)
19 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Economist Lisa Cook has been nominated to serve on the Federal Reserve board. In 2020, she talked to us about proving that racism stifles innovation. ...
The rapid testing show
15 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Planet Money team fans out across the nation with one goal: to get a Covid test in 24 hours. It is easier said than done. | Subscribe to our weekl...
No such thing as a free return
13 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Lenient policies have shoppers making more returns than ever — around half a trillion dollars worth of products. Today, we find out the fate of some...
HBO 2.0
08 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when the iconic symbol of your brand no longer makes sense? Today, HBO tries to evolve their sonic brand. This episode was adapted from t...
The rest of the story, 2021
05 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On protests, pasta and forgiven payments. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoic...
The holiday industrial complex (Classic)
31 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Where do holidays like National Potato Chip Day and Argyle Day come from? We trace the roots of one made-up holiday until we find out who is running t...
The economic indicator of the year
30 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Will it be inflation? Striketober? The supply chain? Our hosts make their case, and the choice is up to you.Learn more about sponsor message choices: ...
Bell wars (Classic)
24 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The two biggest handbell companies in the world have been locked in a feud for decades. Why? | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.Learn more abou...
Planet Money's Supply Chain Holiday Extravaganza
23 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Planet Money's Supply Chain Holiday Extravaganza Did the supply chain wreck your holiday shopping? Planet Money comes to the rescue. | Subscribe to ou...
No shortages of labor stories
18 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We asked for your dispatches from the labor market, and boy did we hear back. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.Learn more about sponsor messa...
We buy a lot of Christmas trees (Classic)
15 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 we...
Two music indicators
11 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ticket scalping frustrates fans, but it fascinates economists. It's been a favorite topic of ours in the past. This time, Darian turns to friends and ...
Is a Stradivarius just a violin? (Classic)
08 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Many music aficionados will tell you that violins and violas made by legendary craftsman Antonio Stradivari represent the pinnacle of the instruments....
Consider the lobstermen
04 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A tense conflict between Indigenous fishermen and commercial lobstermen flared up in Nova Scotia in the fall of 2020. Today, how it all got started an...
A locked door, a secret meeting and the birth of the Fed (Classic)
02 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The story of the back-room dealings that created America's central bank. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.Learn more about sponsor message ch...
Day of the Debt
26 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We make a loan to the U.S. government, and it does not go the way we thought it would. Plus: the story of that one time the U.S. defaulted. Subscribe ...
You asked for real raises, free shipping, and a special delivery
25 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
It's listener question time. We've got answers about "free" shipping, full employment, when a raise isn't a raise, Taylor Swift, crypto seizures and o...
A trunk full of truffles (Update)
20 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Truffles are one of the most expensive and sought after ingredients in the world. Today, we look back at our NYC adventure with a truffle smuggler and...
Of boats and boxes
17 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We take a trip to ports on the east and west coasts to ask what's on everyone's mind: why are they so clogged? And how can we fix it? | Subscribe to o...