Wanna see a trick? Give us any topic and we can tie it back to the economy. At Planet Money , we explore the forces that shape our lives and bring you along for the ride. Don't just understand the economy – understand the world. Support public media by joining NPR+ at plus.npr.org . You’ll get perks for over 25 NPR podcasts, including bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening for Planet Money.
Norway’s economic prosperity stems from a disciplined approach to managing massive oil wealth, effectively avoiding the "resource curse" that plagues many resource-rich nations. By implementing high taxes on oil extraction and funneling surplus revenue into a sovereign wealth fund—now valued at $2.3 trillion—the countr...
Economic development in Africa hinges on fostering human capital and overcoming the "missing middle"—the scarcity of mid-sized enterprises between informal micro-businesses and large corporations. Nigeria’s "YouWin" competition demonstrated that providing direct capital to small-scale entrepreneurs can effectively stim...
The industrialization of the lettuce supply chain has transformed leafy greens into a year-round, value-added commodity, yet this evolution has introduced significant food safety risks. The development of breathable bag technology allowed for centralized, large-scale processing, which inadvertently created a multiplier...
The investigative series We Keep Us Safe examines the 2020 Capitol Hill Organized Protest (CHOP) in Seattle, where protesters occupied eight city blocks and established a police-free community following intense standoffs with law enforcement. While initially envisioned as a utopia centered on mutual aid and racial just...
Major League Soccer (MLS) is leveraging the 2026 World Cup as a pivotal opportunity to convert casual sports fans into long-term supporters. Teams are employing distinct strategies to capture this momentum: the New England Revolution focuses on hosting matches to showcase the live atmosphere, while the Chicago Fire uti...
China’s rapid economic ascent stems from an "Engineering State" model, where leadership with technical backgrounds prioritizes massive infrastructure projects to drive growth. This strategy, while successful in lifting millions from poverty, has resulted in significant malinvestment, exemplified by underutilized airpor...
The secondhand luxury market has transformed from a niche sector into a major industry, creating a direct conflict between resellers like The RealReal and heritage brands like Chanel. At the heart of this tension is the challenge of authentication, which relies on inspecting materials, construction, hardware, and uniqu...
Economic policy varies significantly across borders, offering unique laboratories to observe how market mechanisms and central banking strategies function. Australia addresses water scarcity through a sophisticated trading system that allocates resources to their highest-value use, though this model faces scrutiny over...
Penalty kicks in professional soccer function as a high-stakes application of game theory, where success depends on mastering "mixed strategies" to remain unpredictable. Rather than relying solely on physical ability, elite players and goalkeepers must balance their natural tendencies with randomized choices to outmane...
The Trump administration is capping federal student loans for most graduate programs at approximately $21,000 annually to combat rising tuition. This policy stems from the Bennett Hypothesis, which argues that unlimited federal loan subsidies allow universities to inflate prices without market consequences. Evidence re...
General Magic, a 1990s startup, serves as a cautionary tale for how excessive resources and a lack of constraints can stifle innovation. Despite having brilliant talent and significant funding, the company failed because it lacked a clear customer focus, specific deadlines, and defined priorities, resulting in an incoh...
Prediction markets leverage the "wisdom of the crowd" to forecast events, often outperforming traditional polling methods by incentivizing participants to accurately reflect their beliefs with money. While modern iterations like the Iowa Electronic Markets gained prominence in 1988, these mechanisms have deep historica...
The Alien film franchise serves as a practical framework for understanding modern labor economics, highlighting how corporate power structures exploit workers. Through the lens of "negative amenities" and "shrouded attributes," the discussion reveals how companies like the fictional Weyland-Yutani utilize hidden contra...
The mysterious malware "FAST16" represents a sophisticated form of cyber sabotage designed to undermine the integrity of high-precision physics calculations. Discovered by security researcher Juan Andres "Jags" Guerrero Saade, the code specifically targeted software like LSDyNA, which is utilized for simulating nuclear...
Municipal tree protection ordinances increasingly clash with individual property rights, forcing a re-evaluation of what homeownership truly entails. While cities implement these laws to preserve urban canopies, mitigate flooding, and manage neighborhood aesthetics, they often impose restrictive permitting regimes that...
Corporate landlords are often blamed for rising housing costs, yet institutional investors account for less than one percent of national home purchases. While their presence can marginally drive up prices, these entities frequently increase rental supply through "build-to-rent" developments and renovations of distresse...
The $70 billion U.S. supplement industry operates in a regulatory "no man's land" where products face minimal oversight regarding safety or efficacy. Unlike pharmaceuticals, supplements do not require rigorous testing, and companies often bypass FDA scrutiny by self-certifying ingredients as "generally recognized as sa...
Clustering multiple Wetzel’s Pretzels within a single transit hub like the Atlantic Avenue Barclays Center station functions as a strategic response to the nature of impulse retail. Unlike destination products, pretzels require high-traffic, high-visibility placement to drive sales, as consumers rarely plan these purch...
The U.S. food safety system relies on the "Generally Recognized as Safe" (GRAS) loophole, which allows manufacturers to self-certify new additives without prior FDA approval. Originally intended for common ingredients, this provision has been exploited to introduce novel, untested chemicals into the food supply. A prim...
The "Malta loophole" allows wealthy Americans to avoid significant capital gains taxes by stashing appreciated assets, such as stocks and real estate, into supercharged Maltese retirement accounts. Originating from a 2008 U.S.-Malta tax treaty intended to protect retirement savings, the arrangement was exploited to shi...
Follow this podcast in Podwise
Sign in to get AI summaries, transcripts and mind maps for any episode, including new ones.
