Alex Blumberg : NPR

Accessibility links

Alex Blumberg Alex Blumberg is a contributing editor for NPR's Planet Money. He is also a producer for the public radio program This American Life, and an adjunct professor of journalism at Columbia University.

Stories By

Alex Blumberg

Story Archive

Subscribe to NPR's Up First Email

Wednesday March 20, 2019

Episode 189: Why A Dead Shark Costs $12 Million

The famous work "The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living" by British artist Damien Hirst. REGINA KUEHNE/ASSOCIATED PRESS hide caption

toggle caption

REGINA KUEHNE/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Planet Money

Episode 189: Why A Dead Shark Costs $12 Million

March 20, 2019 • Today's show is about the fickle market for art. What makes a dead shark cost $12 million, and a photo of steel wool that looks like a tornado cost only $1,265?

Wednesday July 18, 2018

Episode 472: The One-Page Plan To Fix Global Warming ... Revisited

Camille Seaman/Barcroft Media/Landov

Planet Money

Episode 472: The One-Page Plan To Fix Global Warming ... Revisited

July 18, 2018 • Tax carbon emissions. That's basically the whole plan. What's the hold up?

Wednesday July 11, 2018

Episode 427: LeBron James Is Still Underpaid

FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images

Planet Money

Episode 427: LeBron James Is Still Underpaid

July 11, 2018 • LeBron James is getting hosed. The NBA team owners, the players, the fans and even LeBron James himself want to keep it that way.

Wednesday January 10, 2018

Episode 489: The Invisible Plumbing Of Our Economy

Oyvind Solsatd/Flickr

Planet Money

Episode 489: The Invisible Plumbing Of Our Economy

January 10, 2018 • Why does it take days to send money electronically?

Friday December 6, 2013

Planet Money T-Shirt Exposes Issues Of Work, Trade And Clothes

Josh Davis/Planet Money

Planet Money's T-Shirt Project

Planet Money T-Shirt Exposes Issues Of Work, Trade And Clothes

December 6, 2013 • All this week, All Things Considered and Morning Edition has aired stories about the global journey a T-shirt makes from seed to finished product. Over the months NPR's Planet Money team spent reporting the series, they tackled questions about trade, work and clothes play in the global economy.

Planet Money T-Shirt Exposes Issues Of Work, Trade And Clothes

Listen · 5:24 5:24

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/249339951/249333987" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

Wednesday May 1, 2013

Lam Vo/NPR

NPR Extra

Host ProFile: 'I Love Figuring Stuff Out And Explaining It To People'

May 1, 2013 • As co-host of Planet Money, Alex Blumberg is making a t-shirt (well, about 1,000 of them) – and bringing listeners on the complicated global odyssey behind the production of the basic cotton tee.

Monday December 31, 2012

The Fiscal Cliff: A Love Story

Not so scary. Blue Canoe/Flickr hide caption

toggle caption

Blue Canoe/Flickr

Planet Money

The Fiscal Cliff: A Love Story

December 31, 2012 • Wonks from across the political spectrum look at the upside of the cliff.

The Fiscal Cliff: A Love Story

Listen · 4:17 4:17

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/168311513/168334705" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

Friday December 7, 2012

Why The Falling Birthrate Is Bad News For My 2-Year-Old Son

Please don't make me pay for your retirement. Alex Blumberg/NPR hide caption

toggle caption

Alex Blumberg/NPR

Planet Money

Why The Falling Birthrate Is Bad News For My 2-Year-Old Son

December 7, 2012 • By the time our children get to be our age, there will be fewer working people for each retiree. So they'll have to pay a bigger share of our retirement costs.

Why The Falling Birthrate Is Bad News For My 2-Year-Old Son

Listen · 3:07 3:07

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/166682253/166713177" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

Tuesday July 3, 2012

Does Medicaid Make People Healthier?

Karen Roach/iStockphoto.com

Planet Money

Does Medicaid Make People Healthier?

July 3, 2012 • The question is more contentious than it sounds. A new study may finally provide an answer.

Does Medicaid Make People Healthier?

Listen · 4:35 4:35

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/155920847/156216606" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

Wednesday June 6, 2012

Why Does The Mortgage-Interest Tax Deduction Still Exist?

Alex Brandon/AP

Planet Money

Why Does The Mortgage-Interest Tax Deduction Still Exist?

June 6, 2012 • If you own a home in the U.S., if you have a mortgage, you can deduct the interest you pay on that mortgage from your taxes. It's a popular, well-entrenched policy. But according to one policy adviser in Washington, "the mortgage-interest deduction ... makes no sense."

Why Does The Mortgage-Interest Tax Deduction Still Exist?

Listen · 4:00 4:00

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/154344781/154408048" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

Friday April 20, 2012

When Lobbyists Pay To Meet With Congressmen

Charles Dharapak/AP

Planet Money

When Lobbyists Pay To Meet With Congressmen

April 20, 2012 • "...the fundraiser has 35,000 bucks in checks sitting in her pocket right now. And we're going to talk about public policy while we take the checks."

When Lobbyists Pay To Meet With Congressmen

Listen · 3:43 3:43

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/150984304/150959513" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

Thursday April 19, 2012

Planet Money

Why Lobbyists Dodge Calls From Congressmen

April 19, 2012 • We imagine the lobbyist stalking the halls of Congress trying to use cash to influence important people. But often, the Congressman is stalking the lobbyist, asking for money.

Why Lobbyists Dodge Calls From Congressmen

Listen · 4:24 4:24

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/150904641/150936427" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

Friday April 6, 2012

Planet Money

The Most (And Least) Lucrative Committees In Congress

April 6, 2012 • See which committees do the most (and which do the least) to help lawmakers raise money for re-election.

The Most (And Least) Lucrative Committees In Congress

Listen · 5:25 5:25

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/149714908/150112244" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

Friday March 30, 2012

Take The Money And Run For Office

Lam Thuy Vo / NPR

Planet Money

Take The Money And Run For Office

March 30, 2012 • We imagine lobbyists stalking the halls of Congress, trying to influence lawmakers with cash. But often, it's the other way around: Members of Congress stalk lobbyists, looking for contributions.

Senator By Day, Telemarketer By Night

"I think most Americans would be shocked..." - Sen. Dick Durbin. Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption

Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images

Planet Money

Senator By Day, Telemarketer By Night

March 30, 2012 • Lawmakers have two jobs: making laws, and raising money. "I think most Americans would be shocked ... if they knew how much time a United States Senator spends raising money," says Sen. Dick Durbin.

Senator By Day, Telemarketer By Night

Listen · 3:43 3:43

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/149648666/149669057" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

Friday January 27, 2012

Jack Abramoff Explains The 'Lobbyist Safecracker Method'

Jack Abramoff in 2004. He's the one on the right. Dennis Cook/AP hide caption

toggle caption

Dennis Cook/AP

Planet Money

Jack Abramoff Explains The 'Lobbyist Safecracker Method'

January 27, 2012 • What do you do if you're a lobbyist and you need to get in the door to talk to a hostile senator? Start rounding up checks.

Jack Abramoff Explains The 'Lobbyist Safecracker Method'

Listen · 4:39 4:39

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/145908291/145950616" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

Friday January 6, 2012

Forget Stocks Or Bonds, Invest In A Lobbyist

Money goes in. More money comes out. Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption

Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images

Planet Money

Forget Stocks Or Bonds, Invest In A Lobbyist

January 6, 2012 • For every dollar spent on lobbying for a 2004 corporate tax bill, companies benefited $220, a new study says. That's a return of 22,000 percent.

Forget Stocks Or Bonds, Invest In A Lobbyist

Listen · 4:44 4:44

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/144737864/144778492" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

Thursday December 22, 2011

Planet Money

Payroll Tax Fight: Where Are The Lobbyists?

December 22, 2011 • "We are spectators at a dysfunctional and buffoonic clown show," one lobbyist says.

Tuesday November 22, 2011

Planet Money

The National Debt: What The Left And Right Agree On

November 22, 2011 • The supercommittee failed. But when it comes to long-term U.S. debt, the left and right agree. A lot.

The National Debt: What The Left And Right Agree On

Listen · 4:24 4:24

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/142648816/142667768" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

Wednesday October 19, 2011

Planet Money

Californians: Planet Money Is Coming!

October 19, 2011 • David Kestenbaum and Alex Blumberg will be doing two live events next week in Santa Barbara and Chico.

Tuesday September 6, 2011

How To Avoid The Oil Curse

Hasan Jamali/AP

Planet Money

How To Avoid The Oil Curse

September 6, 2011 • Resource-rich countries like Libya often end up with broken economies and autocratic rulers. The trick to avoiding the resource curse: Fight basic human nature.

How To Avoid The Oil Curse

Listen · 4:29 4:29

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/140110346/140228395" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

Friday August 12, 2011

Preschool: The Best Job-Training Program

Job training. The Co-Op School hide caption

toggle caption

The Co-Op School

Planet Money

Preschool: The Best Job-Training Program

August 12, 2011 • If you want adults to have jobs, the best time to train them is when they're 3 years old, an economist says.

Preschool: The Best Job-Training Program

Listen · 5:19 5:19

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/139583385/139584597" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

Friday May 13, 2011

An Internet Rock Star Tells All

Another day at the office. Dale May hide caption

toggle caption

Dale May

Planet Money

An Internet Rock Star Tells All

May 13, 2011 • Jonathan Coulton's songs almost never get played on the radio. He doesn't have a contract with a music label. Yet he's a one man counterargument to the idea that musicians can't make money making music. In 2010, his music brought in $500,000.

An Internet Rock Star Tells All

Listen · 4:47 4:47

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/136279162/136279933" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

Wednesday May 4, 2011

A Former Crack Kingpin On The Economics Of Illegal Drugs

"Freeway" Rick Ross was one of L.A.'s biggest crack dealers. via freewayenterprise.com hide caption

toggle caption

via freewayenterprise.com

Planet Money

A Former Crack Kingpin On The Economics Of Illegal Drugs

May 4, 2011 • Do economists' theories about drugs hold up in the real world? To find out, we asked "Freeway" Rick Ross, one of L.A.'s biggest crack dealers in the '80s and '90s.

A Former Crack Kingpin On The Economics Of Illegal Drugs

Listen · 4:31 4:31

Download
Embed <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/135991890/135993962" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Transcript

More from Alex Blumberg

Browse archive or search npr.org