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The economy explained. Imagine you could call up a friend and say, "Meet me at the bar and tell me what's going on with the economy." Now imagine that's actually a fun evening.

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Two Indicators: Congressional game theory and the debt ceiling
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Two Indicators: Congressional game theory and the debt ceiling

We bring you two stories from The Indicator on the recent battles being fought in Congress. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Two Indicators: Congressional game theory and the debt ceiling

Listen · 17:15
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Burnout (Classic)

The company SpotHero built a Zen Den to help employees avoid burnout. Stacey Vanek Smith/NPR hide caption

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Stacey Vanek Smith/NPR

Burnout (Classic)

All types of companies are struggling with burnout. Many try to fix it. Most of them fail. One exception: A 26-year-old call center manager, with stress balls and costumes in her arsenal. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Burnout (Classic)

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Bonus: Janet Jackson's 'Control'

Thirty-five years ago, Janet Jackson released an album that changed the course of her career, and of pop music. Blake Cale for NPR hide caption

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Blake Cale for NPR

Bonus: Janet Jackson's 'Control'

On the 35th anniversary of Janet Jackson's first No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit, our friends at It's Been A Minute look back at Control, her career-defining album that changed the trajectory of pop music in the late '80s and '90s.

Bonus: Janet Jackson's 'Control'

Listen · 41:22
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Hire power
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Hire power

Noncompete agreements have become an integral part of job contracts. A show about what they are and how we got here. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

Hire power

Listen · 19:33
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How Do You Feel? (Classic)

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ancient history/Flickr

How Do You Feel? (Classic)

We tend to think of economists as cold, unfeeling, attempting to be as rational as possible. But once a month, economists pick up the phone to just... check in with us. How are we feeling? Good, bad, worse than a year ago? It's a very specific phone call with very specific questions and a few years ago we looked into the origins of this very important survey that factors into economic decision making. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

How Do You Feel? (Classic)

Listen · 19:51
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LIBOR pains
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LIBOR pains

For decades, banks used one rate to help set all other rates: LIBOR. After it came out that it'd been rigged, regulators said: no more. Now it's a race — and a road trip — to find an alternative. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

LIBOR pains

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We set up an offshore company in a tax haven (Classic)

A beach in Belize, where we set up one of our shell companies (Photo by PEDRO PARDO/AFP via Getty Images) AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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AFP via Getty Images

We set up an offshore company in a tax haven (Classic)

The Pandora Papers released this week reveal how many world leaders allegedly hold wealth through the use of shell companies. We listen back to when we set up our very own Planet Money shell companies.

We set up an offshore company in a tax haven (Classic)

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The Rent Help Is Too Damn Slow

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AFP via Getty Images

The Rent Help Is Too Damn Slow

Congress created a massive pile of money to help people pay rent during the pandemic. Why have so few people gotten help? We follow the money. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

The Rent Help Is Too Damn Slow

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When The U.S. Paid Off The Entire National Debt (Classic)
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When The U.S. Paid Off The Entire National Debt (Classic)

There was one time the U.S. federal government stopped borrowing and paid off every penny of national debt. It did not end well. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

When The U.S. Paid Off The Entire National Debt (Classic)

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When Luddites Attack (Classic)
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When Luddites Attack (Classic)

A couple centuries ago, a group of English clothworkers set out to destroy the machines that had been taking their jobs. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.

When Luddites Attack (Classic)

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