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Kenny Malone Kenny Malone is a cohost for NPR's Planet Money podcast.
Kenny Malone, photographed for NPR, 2 August 2022, in New York, NY. Photo by Mamadi Doumbouya for NPR.
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Kenny Malone

Kenny Malone, photographed for NPR, 2 August 2022, in New York, NY. Photo by Mamadi Doumbouya for NPR.
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Mamadi Doumbouya/NPR
Kenny Malone, photographed for NPR, 2 August 2022, in New York, NY. Photo by Mamadi Doumbouya for NPR.
Mamadi Doumbouya/NPR

Kenny Malone

Cohost, Planet Money

Kenny Malone is a cohost for NPR's Planet Money podcast. Before that, he was a reporter for WNYC's Only Human podcast. Before that, he was a reporter for Miami's WLRN. And before that, he was a reporter for his friend T.C.'s homemade newspaper, Neighborhood News.

Malone's stories have investigated everything from abuse in Florida's assisted living facilities to health hackers building their own pancreas to the origins of seemingly made-up holidays like National Raisin Day. Or National Golf Day. Or National Splurge Day.

His work has won the National Edward R. Murrow Award for Use of Sound, the National Headliner Award, the Scripps Howard Award, and the Bronze Third Coast Festival Award. He studied mathematics at Xavier University in Cincinnati and proudly hails from Meadville, PA, where the zipper was invented.

Story Archive

Friday

A million-dollar fossil, and other indicators
STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN/AFP via Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

A million-dollar fossil, and other indicators

Today on the show, we cover this week's top indicators in new work permits for Venezuelan migrants, behind-the-scenes climate meetings and a million-dollar dinosaur skeleton sale.

A million-dollar fossil, and other indicators

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Friday

The secret entrance that sidesteps Hollywood picket lines

LEFT: Bill Wolkoff is a strike captain for the Writers Guild of America, coordinating the picket at the Television City lot. Prior to the strike, Wolkoff wrote for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. RIGHT: Sara Bibel is a writer picketing at Television City. She spent 13 years working at The Young and the Restless. Dave Blanchard/NPR hide caption

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Dave Blanchard/NPR

Planet Money

The secret entrance that sidesteps Hollywood picket lines

Across Hollywood right now, writers and actors are picketing in front of studio lots. They're walking back and forth, holding up signs demanding concessions on things like pay, how many writers work on projects, and the use of AI in TV and movies.

The secret entrance that sidesteps Hollywood picket lines

Listen · 21:57
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Friday

Tale as old as time: Indicators of the Week
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

Tale as old as time: Indicators of the Week

In a week jam-packed with major economic news, we've selected a few of our favorite stories for Indicators of the Week. Today we cover an Italian bank story, the drop in Chinese imports and the $1.6 billion acquisition of Simon & Schuster.

Tale as old as time: Indicators of the Week

Listen · 9:30
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The new Biden plan that could still erase your student loans
Paul Morigi/Getty Images for We The 45 Milli

Planet Money

The new Biden plan that could still erase your student loans

This summer, the Supreme Court struck down Biden's plan to forgive student loan debt for millions of borrowers. Except, on the same day Biden first announced that plan, he also unveiled another, the SAVE plan. And though SAVE sounded less significant than Biden's big forgiveness pledge, it's still alive and could erase even more student debt.

The new Biden plan that could still erase your student loans

Listen · 27:01
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Friday

Planet Money Paper Club
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Planet Money

Planet Money Paper Club

We here at Planet Money love economics papers. And that is also the case for so many of the economists we speak with. For them, new research can explain something they have always wondered about, or make them see something they have never noticed before. And it inspires their own work.

Planet Money Paper Club

Listen · 23:24
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Thursday

Technology

Voicing concerns: The future of AI voice replacement

AI can now be trained to realistically imitate the voices of celebrities. The Planet Money podcast explore this new world of synthetic voices.

Voicing concerns: The future of AI voice replacement

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Wednesday

Friday

Our first podcast episode made by AI
London Express/Getty Images

Planet Money

Our first podcast episode made by AI

It's the thrilling conclusion to our three-part series on AI — the world premiere of the first episode of Planet Money written by AI. In Part 1 of this series, we taught AI how to write an original Planet Money script by feeding it real research and interviews. In Part 2, we used AI to clone the voice of our former colleague Robert Smith.

Our first podcast episode made by AI

Listen · 33:20
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Wednesday

Grimes used AI to clone her own voice. We cloned the voice of a host of Planet Money.
Keystone Features/Getty Images

Planet Money

Grimes used AI to clone her own voice. We cloned the voice of a host of Planet Money.

In Part 1 of this series, AI proved that it could use real research and real interviews to write an original script for an episode of Planet Money.

Grimes used AI to clone her own voice. We cloned the voice of a host of Planet Money.

Listen · 31:46
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Friday

Can ChatGPT write a podcast episode? Can AI take our jobs?
GERARD JULIEN/AFP via Getty Images

Planet Money

Can ChatGPT write a podcast episode? Can AI take our jobs?

We used to think some jobs were safe from automation. Though machines have transformed industries like agriculture and manufacturing, the conventional wisdom was that they could never perform what's called "knowledge work." That the robots could never replace lawyers or accountants — or journalists, like us.

Can ChatGPT write a podcast episode? Can AI take our jobs?

Listen · 34:03
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Wednesday

The hidden history of race and the tax code

It may not seem like it at first, but race is also a part of our taxes and who gets audited. LA Johnson/Getty/design by NPR hide caption

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LA Johnson/Getty/design by NPR

Planet Money

The hidden history of race and the tax code

This past January, researchers uncovered that Black taxpayers are three to five times as likely to be audited as everyone else. One likely reason for this is that the IRS disproportionately audits lower-income earners who claim a tax benefit called the earned income tax credit. And this, says law professor Dorothy Brown, is just one example of the many ways that race is woven through our tax system, its history, and its enforcement.

The hidden history of race and the tax code

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Wednesday

A Great Recession bank takeover
Karen Bleier/AFP via Getty Images

Planet Money

A Great Recession bank takeover

Earlier this month, we saw the largest bank collapse since the 2008 financial crisis. For many of us, seeing Silicon Valley Bank's meltdown brought us right back to that time 15 years ago, at the beginning of what would become the Great Recession.

A Great Recession bank takeover

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Thursday

Inside a bank run
Alex Goldmark

Planet Money

Inside a bank run

Sometimes you hear these stories about an airplane that suddenly nosedives. Everyone onboard thinks this is it, and then the plane levels out and everything is fine. For about 72 hours, people and companies that had deposited millions of dollars at the Silicon Valley Bank — many of whom were in the tech industry — thought they had lost absolutely everything to a bank collapse.

Inside a bank run

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Friday

Exploring Seinfeld through the lens of economics
David Turnley/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images

Planet Money

Exploring Seinfeld through the lens of economics

The 90s sit-com Seinfeld is often called "a show about nothing." Lauded for its observational humor, this quick-witted show focussed on four hapless New Yorkers navigating work, relationships...yada yada yada.

Exploring Seinfeld through the lens of economics

Listen · 18:34
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Wednesday

CBOhhhh, that's what they do
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Planet Money

CBOhhhh, that's what they do

If you are a congressperson or a senator and you have an idea for a new piece of legislation, at some point someone will have to tell you how much it costs. But, how do you put a price on something that doesn't exist yet?

CBOhhhh, that's what they do

Listen · 24:20
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Wednesday

Friday

Super Bowl betting, snacks and corporate buybacks
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

Super Bowl betting, snacks and corporate buybacks

It's indicators of the week, when we break down our favorite economic headlines! This one's for all the flavor dust lovers out there.

Super Bowl betting, snacks and corporate buybacks

Listen · 9:10
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Wednesday

Groundhog Day 2023

Groundhog handler John Griffiths holds Punxsutawney Phil after he saw his shadow predicting six more weeks of winter during 128th annual Groundhog Day festivities on February 2, 2014 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images) Jeff Swensen/Getty Images hide caption

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Jeff Swensen/Getty Images

Planet Money

Groundhog Day 2023

It's Groundhog Day, and once again, the eyes of the nation have turned to a small town in Western Pennsylvania. Every February 2nd, the only story anyone can talk about is whether or not Punxsutawney Phil will see his own shadow. If he does: six more weeks of winter. If he doesn't: spring is on its way.

Groundhog Day 2023

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Wednesday

Planet Money Movie Club: It's a Wonderful Life

James Stewart, left, Thomas Mitchell, right, and Donna Reed appear in the 1946 movie "It's A Wonderful Life." (AP Photo) ASSOCIATED PRESS hide caption

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Planet Money

Planet Money Movie Club: It's a Wonderful Life

Welcome to the Planet Money Movie Club, a regular series from Planet Money+ in which we watch an economics-related movie and discuss! On today's episode, Kenny Malone, Wailin Wong, and Willa Rubin talk about Frank Capra's 1946 classic 'It's A Wonderful Life.' They discuss CPI adjustments, how a copyright lapse helped make the film more popular, and what exactly a 'Building and Loan' is.

Planet Money Movie Club: It's a Wonderful Life

Listen · 22:47
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Friday

In defense of gift giving

The hosts of Planet Money at exchanged gifts at their remote Secret Santa party. They not only received presents to forever cherish, but also a lesson in economics they'll never forget. Sam Yellowhorse Kesler/NPR hide caption

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Sam Yellowhorse Kesler/NPR

Planet Money

In defense of gift giving

Cold economic reasoning says, supposedly, that gifts are inefficient transfers of wealth. But Planet Money host Jeff Guo believes in the economic virtues of gift giving. On today's show, Jeff tries to win over Planet Money's resident Scrooge, Kenny Malone, by going on a quest to find him the perfect gift. Along the way, they're visited by the spirits of three Nobel prize-winning economic theories that can explain why gift-giving is actually good. And by the end, Kenny's heart may just grow three sizes larger. Subscribe to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney

In defense of gift giving

Listen · 21:38
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Friday

The sports ticket price enigma

Kenny and Robert learned a lot about tickets (and skepticism) at Madison Square Garden. Robert Smith/NPR hide caption

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Robert Smith/NPR

Planet Money

The sports ticket price enigma

Inflation is making prices go up, except not for...sports tickets? So, we set out on a daylong sporting event marathon to learn why.

The sports ticket price enigma

Listen · 28:32
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Friday

Economy

Flexible spending accounts are back to use-it-or-lose-it

During the pandemic, the IRS allowed Americans to roll over the balances in their health flexible spending accounts. But the end of 2022 marks the return of the use-it-or-lose-it policy for most FSAs.

Flexible spending accounts are back to use-it-or-lose-it

Listen · 3:11
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Friday

My Favorite Tax Loophole
Scott Olson/Getty Images

Planet Money

My Favorite Tax Loophole

There's a big difference between tax avoidance and tax evasion. But sometimes even avoiding taxes (legally) can feel like you're getting away with something. Today, we share some of our — and your! — favorite loopholes in the U.S. tax code.

My Favorite Tax Loophole

Listen · 26:10
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Wednesday

Asia

Taiwan faces a global feud. Its defense may be its powerful semiconductor industry

The NPR podcasts Throughline and Planet Money collaborate to tell the story of how Taiwan transformed into the world's semiconductor superhub, and the man who helped lead the way.

Taiwan faces a global feud. Its defense may be its powerful semiconductor industry

Listen · 6:18
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