Episode 460: It's Hard To Do Good
A retired contractor from Colorado has spent the past two years building a school in Haiti. If he had it to do over, he tells us, he might do things differently.
Developing Economies
Planet Money posts about Developing Economies
Episode 458: Bangladesh's T-Shirt Economy
The Planet Money men's t-shirt will be made in part in Bangladesh.
Episode 290: North Korea's Illegal Economy
North Korea's exports include illegal drugs, counterfeit U.S. dollars, and giant statues.
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'Give Me The Money Or I'll Shoot The Trees'
A pristine rainforest in Ecuador sits on top of the equivalent of millions of barrels of oil. Ecuador has offered a deal to the rich countries of the world: Pay us billions of dollars, and we'll leave the rainforest untouched.
Episode 433: Holding A Rainforest Hostage?
Ecuador says it will leave its rainforest untouched — if rich countries give Ecuador billions of dollars.
Episode 320: How Fear Turned A Surplus Into Scarcity
The mystery why there was a global rice shortage and ever-increasing prices, all while countries were hoarding rice.
Planet Money On This American Life
What happened when a poor country took a small part of its territory and said: Here, we're going to start from scratch.
Why A Hedge Fund Seized An Argentine Navy Ship In Ghana
by Jacob Goldstein
More than a decade after Argentina refused to pay back $100 billion in debts, the country's assets are still vulnerable to being impounded by the repo man.
No One Trusts China's Unemployment Rate
by Zoe Chace
China's national statistics office works hard, but the country is so big and changing so quickly that it's hard to keep track of what's going on.
Two-Player Sudoku, Invented By The World Bank's New Chief Economist
by Jacob Goldstein
Also, he thinks paying bribes should be legal in some cases.
Those Nigerian Email Scams Are Ridiculous For A Reason
by Caitlin Kenney
A new paper suggests it's actually a brilliant strategy designed to save time and maximize profit.
The World's Richest Countries And Biggest Economies, In 2 Graphics
by Lam Thuy Vo
The U.S. is the world's biggest economy, but it's not the richest country. China is a huge world power, but it's still quite poor.
How Economic Reforms Are Contributing To The Conflict In Syria
Depriving rural communities of both their economic and political rights is proving to be one of the most fateful decisions Assad ever made.
Why Is Syria Locked In Endless Conflict?
The answer has to do with history, politics, and a growing class of entrepreneurs who are struggling to pick a side.
Crony Capitalism, Syria Style
by Dan Kedmey
Meet the guy who embodies everything that's wrong with Syria's economy. He's the president's cousin, and his nickname is "Mr. Ten Percent."
