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Planet Money The economy, explained, with stories and surprises. 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. That's what we're going for at Planet Money. People seem to like it.

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The wide open possibility of the high seas
ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images

Planet Money

The wide open possibility of the high seas

by Paddy Hirsch ,

The high seas — water 200 nautical miles from shore — are an ocean of possibility for industries looking to cash in. But without proper oversight, the problems could be as deep as the ocean itself.

The wide open possibility of the high seas

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Inside a bank run
Alex Goldmark

Planet Money

Inside a bank run

by , ,

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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We grade Fed Chair Jerome Powell

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 07: Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell testifies before the Senate Banking Committee March 7, 2023 in Washington, DC. Win McNamee/Getty Images hide caption

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Win McNamee/Getty Images

Planet Money

We grade Fed Chair Jerome Powell

by , , ,

We're putting Fed Chair Jerome Powell in the hot seat. Without fear and without favor, our guests look at Powell's record on jobs, inflation and financial stability.

We grade Fed Chair Jerome Powell

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What banks do when no one's watching
NOAH BERGER/AFP via Getty Images

Planet Money

What banks do when no one's watching

by ,

Recent banking turmoil is shining a spotlight on the people whose job it is to monitor banks themselves. Today, we examine the bank examiners and learn why their job is so important for the banking sector. Plus, a recent government report that shows they could be in short supply very soon.

What banks do when no one's watching

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The demise of Credit Suisse

Photo taken on December 6, 2008 shows the logo of Credit Suisse at one of the Swiss bank branches in Zurich. FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images

Planet Money

The demise of Credit Suisse

by , ,

Credit Suisse was a 167-year-old financial giant. A favored place for the world's super-rich to stash their cash. So why did it collapse?

The demise of Credit Suisse

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Planet Money Records Vol. 3: Making a hit
Sasha Fominskaya/NPR

Planet Money

Planet Money Records Vol. 3: Making a hit

by , , , , ,

Since we started Planet Money Records and released the 47-year-old song "Inflation," the song has taken off. It recently hit 1 million streams on Spotify. And we now have a full line of merch — including a limited edition vinyl record; a colorful, neon hoodie; and 70s-inspired stickers — n.pr/shopplanetmoney.

Planet Money Records Vol. 3: Making a hit

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Banks gone wild: SVB, Signature and moral hazard
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Planet Money

Banks gone wild: SVB, Signature and moral hazard

by , , , ,

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank continues to ripple across banking and tech. Today, three indicators on the fallout, including what's next for some startup CEOs and why you might be hearing the term, moral hazard. And we talk about the other bank failure that's been overshadowed by SVB, New York-based Signature Bank.

Banks gone wild: SVB, Signature and moral hazard

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Need workers? Why not charter a private jet?
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Planet Money

Need workers? Why not charter a private jet?

by , , ,

It's time for another edition of the Beigie Awards! Today, our winner comes through with one of the best anecdotes in Beigie history with a story about a Montana construction company that flew in workers via a private jet.

Need workers? Why not charter a private jet?

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Silicon Valley Bank's collapse and rescue
Noah Berger/AFP via Getty Images

Planet Money

Silicon Valley Bank's collapse and rescue

by , , ,

Silicon Valley Bank was the 16th largest bank in America, the bank of choice for tech startups and big-name venture capitalists. Then, in the span of just a few days, it collapsed. Whispers that SVB might be in trouble spread like wildfire through group texts and Twitter posts. Depositors raced to empty their accounts, withdrawing $42 billion in a single day. Last Friday, after regulators declared that SVB had failed, the FDIC seized the bank.

Silicon Valley Bank's collapse and rescue

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New drugs. Cheaper drugs. Why not both?

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 06: Activists hit a piñata carrying empty pill bottles during a protest against the price of prescription drug costs in front of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) building on October 06, 2022 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images hide caption

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Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Planet Money

New drugs. Cheaper drugs. Why not both?

by , ,

Why are American consumers paying out the wazoo for drugs? Drug companies say it's because they need that money to fund the research and development that goes into making new life-saving drugs. Today we talk to a health economist who says you actually can have it all, lower prices and more innovation.

New drugs. Cheaper drugs. Why not both?

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The Fed's new dilemma: Protect banks or fight inflation?

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 07: Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell testifies before the Senate Banking Committee March 7, 2023 in Washington, DC. Powell spoke on the state of the U.S. economy and suggested that interest rates will need to stay higher for longer than expected in order to curb inflation. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) Win McNamee/Getty Images hide caption

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Win McNamee/Getty Images

Planet Money

The Fed's new dilemma: Protect banks or fight inflation?

by , , ,

Prices are rising. A major bank has collapsed. And the Fed is left holding the hose trying to put out these fires. The question of whether to raise interest rates or not just got even more challenging.

The Fed's new dilemma: Protect banks or fight inflation?

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The Collapse Of Silicon Valley Bank

SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 10: A worker (C) tells people that the Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) headquarters is closed on March 10, 2023 in Santa Clara, California. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption

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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Newsletter

The Collapse Of Silicon Valley Bank

by , , Paddy Hirsch ,

A major bank in Silicon Valley experienced a bank run and failed. Fearing a cascading catastrophe in tech and banking, the government stepped in to prevent contagion.

Silicon Valley Bank's three fatal flaws
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Planet Money

Silicon Valley Bank's three fatal flaws

by , , Noah Glick ,

For decades, Silicon Valley Bank was the bank for thousands of startups and tech companies in the Bay Area. No longer. SVB's sudden failure last week has roiled the tech world. And it forced regulators to step in as concerns grew about the wider financial system. On today's episode, we look at what happened at SVB, and the three reasons that made the bank especially vulnerable to collapse.

Silicon Valley Bank's three fatal flaws

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Why platforms like HBO Max are removing streaming TV shows

Casey Bloys, President of Programming of HBO, speaks onstage at HBO Max WarnerMedia Investor Day Presentation at Warner Bros. Studios on October 29, 2019 in Burbank, California. Presley Ann/Getty Images for WarnerMedia hide caption

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Presley Ann/Getty Images for WarnerMedia

Planet Money

Why platforms like HBO Max are removing streaming TV shows

by , , ,

Over the past year, dozens of shows have been disappearing from streaming platforms like HBO Max and Showtime. Shows like Minx, Made for Love, FBoy Island, and even big budget hits like Westworld have been removed entirely.

Why platforms like HBO Max are removing streaming TV shows

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We found the 'missing workers'
MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images

Planet Money

We found the 'missing workers'

by , , ,

Millions of people opted out of the labor force during the pandemic, and the Federal Reserve's most recent update on the economy explains why. Today, we hear from people who made that decision to leave the workforce.

We found the 'missing workers'

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How three letters reinvented the railroad business

A Canadian Pacific railway locomotive pulls train cars east along a rail line past Morant's Curve near Lake Louise in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada on November 26, 2021. Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images

Planet Money

How three letters reinvented the railroad business

by ,

After a series of train derailments, the railroad industry is under scrutiny from politicians, the public and rail workers themselves. Many workers blame a relatively new management philosophy called precision-scheduled railroading (PSR). What is PSR and how has it changed the industry?

How three letters reinvented the railroad business

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Why some Indonesians worry about a $20 billion climate deal to get off coal

A truck loaded with coal at the Karya Citra Nusantara (KCN) Marunda port in Jakarta. Adek Berry/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Adek Berry/AFP via Getty Images

Planet Money

Why some Indonesians worry about a $20 billion climate deal to get off coal

by , , ,

The U.S. is helping broker a $20 billion deal to transition Indonesia off coal. The hope is this climate financing plan could be a model to move other developing counties away from coal-fired electricity. But Indonesian energy experts and solar executives worry much of this deal may just be "omong kosong" — empty talk.

Why some Indonesians worry about a $20 billion climate deal to get off coal

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The value of good teeth
Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images

Planet Money

The value of good teeth

by Reema Khrais , Megan Detrie , Hayley Hershman , Peter Balonon-Rosen , Tony Wagner , , Micaela Blei

As a kid, Ryanne Jones' friend accidentally hit her in the mouth with a hammer, knocking out her two front teeth. Her parents never had enough money for the dental care needed to fix them, so Ryanne lived much of her adult life with a chipped and crooked smile.

The value of good teeth

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Listener Questions: baby booms, sewing patterns and rural inflation
harpazo_hope/Getty Images

Planet Money

Listener Questions: baby booms, sewing patterns and rural inflation

by , , , ,

It's another listener questions episode where we take on what you want to know! On today's show... We look at the U.S. birth rate. Are we booming or busting? Does the Consumer Price Index capture what's happening in rural America? And copyrighting knitting & sewing patterns, it's a tangled issue! If you have a question you'd like us to answer, email us at indicator@npr.org.

Listener Questions: baby booms, sewing patterns and rural inflation

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