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NPR · Business

Planet Money

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.

Episodes

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Why I joined DOGE

14 Jun 2025
27m
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This Planet Money episode delves into the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a secretive cost-cutting effort within the Trump administration, through the experiences of Sahil Lavingia, a software engineer who joined the initiative. Sahil, motivated by his experience of slimming down his own tech startup and a ...

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Are Trump's tariffs legal?

11 Jun 2025
24m
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This Planet Money episode explores the legal challenges to President Trump's tariffs, focusing on a lawsuit filed by Susan Weber of the Blackfeet Nation. The podcast examines the constitutional basis for tariffs, traditionally a Congressional responsibility, and how Trump has utilized the International Emergency Econom...

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When Chinese manufacturing met Small Town, USA

06 Jun 2025
31m
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This episode of Planet Money explores the complexities of bringing manufacturing back to the United States, using the example of a Chinese-owned battery factory, Goshen, proposed for Green Charter Township, Michigan. The narrative follows Jim Chapman, the town supervisor, who initially saw the factory as an economic bo...

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Trump's crypto interests (Two Indicators)

04 Jun 2025
18m
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This Planet Money episode explores the intersection of cryptocurrency and politics, specifically focusing on Donald Trump's involvement with meme coins and stablecoins. The hosts discuss the Trump coin, how it works, its potential legal implications, including foreign emoluments clause and election financing laws, and ...

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The U.S.-China trade war, according to game theory

30 May 2025
28m
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The Planet Money podcast episode analyzes the U.S.-China trade war through the lens of game theory, exploring different game models to understand the strategies of both countries. The hosts, Keith Romer and Amanda Aronczyk, along with insights from trade economist Emily Blanchard and China expert Yun Sun, consider the ...

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Why does the government fund research at universities?

28 May 2025
27m
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This Planet Money episode explores the history and potential future of federal funding for American universities, particularly focusing on Washington University in St. Louis. The episode traces the origins of this funding system back to Vannevar Bush's post-World War II vision of government-supported university researc...

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The secret world behind those scammy text messages

23 May 2025
34m
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This Planet Money episode features a collaboration with the Search Engine podcast, where host P.J. Vogt and investigative reporter Zeke Faux delve into the world of "pig butchering" scams. Faux recounts his experience engaging with a scammer named Vicky Ho, tracing the flow of money to uncover a network of human traffi...

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How economists (and TikTok) know if a recession is coming

21 May 2025
23m
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In this episode of Planet Money, co-hosts Kenny Malone and Keith Romer explore recession indicators, contrasting viral social media trends with the data economists use. They discuss alternative indicators like the Men's Underwear Index and the Lipstick Index, then delve into the SOM rule, named after economist Claudia ...

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The 145% tariff already did its damage

16 May 2025
26m
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This episode explores the economic impact of the recent trade war between the U.S. and China, specifically focusing on a short-lived 145% tariff and its subsequent reduction to 30%. The discussion begins with the Port of Los Angeles, where a significant drop in ship arrivals and container volume has led to job losses, ...

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What happened to U.S. farmers during the last trade war

14 May 2025
25m
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This episode explores the impact of trade wars on American farmers, particularly focusing on the 2018 trade war between the U.S. and China and its potential implications for the future. Against the backdrop of increasing globalization and trade relations, the episode details how tariffs imposed by both countries led to...

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Is the reign of the dollar over?

09 May 2025
26m
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This episode explores the potential end of the U.S. dollar's reign as the world's reserve currency, examining the factors that have historically supported its dominance and the emerging challenges to its status. Against the backdrop of President Trump's tariff announcements and their impact on global markets, the episo...

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What "Made in China" actually means

07 May 2025
27m
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This episode explores the complexities of determining a product's country of origin in the age of global supply chains, focusing on the U.S.'s "Substantial Transformation Test." Against the backdrop of President Trump's tariffs on imported goods, particularly from China, businesses are increasingly concerned with accur...

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Why it's so hard to find a public toilet

02 May 2025
24m
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This episode explores the history and disappearance of public pay toilets in the United States, intertwining a personal anecdote with broader societal shifts. The narrative begins with Teddy Siegel, a "public toilet influencer," who created a crowdsourced map highlighting accessible restrooms, highlighting the current...

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Planet Money complains. To learn.

30 Apr 2025
25m
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This episode explores the annoyances of modern consumerism, focusing on the perspectives of both consumers and businesses. The hosts and guests initially vent about everyday frustrations, such as excessive marketing emails and the lack of free coffee refills. Against this backdrop, the discussion pivots to the economi...

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How 23andMe's bankruptcy led to a run on the gene bank

26 Apr 2025
30m
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This episode explores the implications of 23andMe's bankruptcy filing on the privacy of its 15 million customers' genetic data. Against the backdrop of 23andMe's financial struggles, including a data breach and failure to monetize its vast genetic database, the podcast investigates the potential sale of this sensitive...

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A primer on the Federal Reserve's independence

23 Apr 2025
19m
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This episode explores the importance of the Federal Reserve's independence from political influence, particularly concerning President Trump's actions and statements. Against the backdrop of Trump's repeated criticisms of Fed Chair Jerome Powell and threats to remove him, the podcast examines the Fed's dual mandate of ...

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How much for that egg

18 Apr 2025
31m
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This episode explores the problem of fairly allocating a scarce resource—farm-fresh eggs—among a group of colleagues, given a fixed low price set by the egg supplier (a colleague with backyard chickens). Against the backdrop of a nationwide egg shortage, the hosts initially propose auctioning or using a lottery system,...

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OIRA: The tiny office that's about to remake the federal government

16 Apr 2025
26m
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This episode explores the expansion of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA)'s power under President Trump's Executive Order 14215. Against the backdrop of a large and complex federal government, the episode highlights the role of OIRA in reviewing regulations from various agencies, ensuring consiste...

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Trade war dispatch from Canada

11 Apr 2025
26m
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This episode explores the impact of US tariffs on a small Canadian nut business, Nut Hut, owned by Alex Rodriguez. Against the backdrop of escalating trade tensions between the US and Canada, Alex's reliance on American suppliers, particularly Shirley Rallo's native pecans from Arkansas, is severely threatened by retal...

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Do trade deficits matter?

09 Apr 2025
23m
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This episode explores the implications of President Trump's surprisingly high tariffs on various countries, focusing on the methodology behind their calculation. The discussion begins with an economics writer's personal experience with increased coffee prices due to a 32% tariff on Indonesian imports. Against this ba...

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