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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 Economy Explained
Why are we so bummed about the economy?
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Planet Money

Why are we so bummed about the economy?

by , , Molly Messick ,

Would you say that you and your family are better off or worse off, financially, than you were a year ago? Do you think in 12 months we'll have good times, financially, or bad? Generally speaking, do you think now is a good time or a bad time to buy a house?

Why are we so bummed about the economy?

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Could SCOTUS outlaw wealth taxes?

People participate in a "March on Billionaires" in the summer of 2020. The march called on the NY Governor to pass a tax on billionaires. Spencer Platt/Getty Images hide caption

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Spencer Platt/Getty Images

The Indicator

Could SCOTUS outlaw wealth taxes?

by , , ,

The Supreme Court is set to hear arguments next week on whether the federal government can tax some "unrealized" gains. That's when an asset you hold, rather than sell, gains value. Tax experts say it's the biggest constitutional tax case seen in a century.

Could SCOTUS outlaw wealth taxes?

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How one Oregon entrepreneur is trying to sell marijuana out of state, legally

Matt Ochoa is the owner of Jefferson Packing House, a cannabis business in Oregon. Amanda Aronczyk/NPR hide caption

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Amanda Aronczyk/NPR

Planet Money

How one Oregon entrepreneur is trying to sell marijuana out of state, legally

by , , ,

In the state of Oregon, there is a glut of grass. A wealth of weed. A crisis of chronic.

How one Oregon entrepreneur is trying to sell marijuana out of state, legally

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Putting the 80/20 rule to the test
Julia Ritchey/NPR

The Indicator

Putting the 80/20 rule to the test

by , , ,

A favorite of productivity hackers, the Pareto Principle, aka the 80/20 rule, has taken on a life of its own since it was first observed by an Italian economist over a century ago. The concept states that a small number of causes generates a large number of outcomes. Today on the show, the origins of the Pareto Principle, why marketing and business-types love it, and whether it holds up under scrutiny.

Putting the 80/20 rule to the test

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Oil prices and the Israel-Hamas war
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The Indicator

Oil prices and the Israel-Hamas war

by , , ,

The Middle East is synonymous with oil production. And historically, oil prices usually surge when there's a conflict there.

Oil prices and the Israel-Hamas war

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Texas' new power grid problem
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The Indicator

Texas' new power grid problem

by , , ,

In 2021, a huge winter storm hit Texas. It caused a days-long blackout that resulted in hundreds of deaths. The Texas grid operator adopted a new policy to guard against another blackout: it would incentivize plants to keep power in reserve. The problem is: that may have caused major price spikes.

Texas' new power grid problem

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A very Planet Money Thanksgiving

Planet Money hosts a Thanksgiving feast - of food and economics. Sam Yellowhorse Kesler/NPR hide caption

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Sam Yellowhorse Kesler/NPR

Planet Money

A very Planet Money Thanksgiving

by , , ,

Here at Planet Money, Thanksgiving is not just a time to feast on turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casseroles and pie(s). It's also a time to feast on economics. Today, we host a very Planet Money Thanksgiving feast, and solve a few economic questions along the way.

A very Planet Money Thanksgiving

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A salary to be grateful for, and other Thanksgiving indicators
Julia Ritchey/NPR

The Indicator

A salary to be grateful for, and other Thanksgiving indicators

by , , , ,

It's an Indicator Friendsgiving! You're not alone in feeling the news has been awfully grim this year. So we're taking a collective breath and sitting down at the table to find some economic indicators to be thankful for. That includes an end to global shipping turmoil, the green-blue bubble détente and a palatable salary.

A salary to be grateful for, and other Thanksgiving indicators

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How political campaigns raise millions through unwitting donors
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The Indicator

How political campaigns raise millions through unwitting donors

by , , ,

A lot of people have experienced some version of this: You sign up for the free one-week trial of some subscription service, only later to be surprised when you get a bill for the deluxe, forever plan. Or you log into a website once, and now your inbox is a flood of promotional emails. All because of a little pre-checked box tucked away, unnoticed.

How political campaigns raise millions through unwitting donors

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The messy human drama behind OpenAI

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman looks on during APEC on November 16, 2023 in San Francisco Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption

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The Indicator

The messy human drama behind OpenAI

by , , ,

The company behind ChatGPT pushed out its CEO Sam Altman on Friday. OpenAI's board gave the public little insight into its controversial decision. On Sunday, Microsoft announced it was hiring Sam Altman. By Monday morning, hundreds of OpenAI employees are threatening to leave unless the board resigns. Kate Clark, deputy bureau chief at tech publication The Information, says the saga is far from over.

The messy human drama behind OpenAI

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Economic fact in literary fiction

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Planet Money

Economic fact in literary fiction

by , , , Molly Messick

Some of the most influential and beloved novels of the last few years have been about money, finance, and the global economy. Some overtly so, others more subtly. It got to the point where we just had to call up the authors to find out more: What brought them into this world? What did they learn? How were they thinking about economics when they wrote these beautiful books?

Economic fact in literary fiction

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Prices fall, unemployment rises and Boomers have all the houses
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The Indicator

Prices fall, unemployment rises and Boomers have all the houses

by , , , ,

We've been on a wild economic ride lately so let's find the key trends to make sense of where the economy's headed. On this edition of Indicators of the Week, the numbers you need to know about falling producer prices, rising unemployment claims and generational home-buying trends.

Prices fall, unemployment rises and Boomers have all the houses

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How do cheap cell phone plans make money? And other questions
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The Indicator

How do cheap cell phone plans make money? And other questions

by Brittany Cronin , , , , ,

You ask, we answer! Today we answer listener questions on whether certain jobs are becoming "feminized" since COVID started and how that affects what these jobs pay. We also examine labor unions' economic impact and why Ryan Reynolds keeps sending one of our co-hosts a Christmas card.

How do cheap cell phone plans make money? And other questions

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The evidence on school vouchers that'll please nobody
Ross D. Franklin/AP

The Indicator

The evidence on school vouchers that'll please nobody

by , , , ,

School vouchers, or school choice as it's known among advocates, is public funding for children to attend private schools. It's a controversial policy — some say it undermines the public school system, others say it gives parents the ability to choose the best school for their children.

The evidence on school vouchers that'll please nobody

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China's real estate crisis, explained

A worker prepares to weld a steel structure at a construction site in Beijing on May 8, 2021. Greg Baker/AFP hide caption

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Greg Baker/AFP

Planet Money

China's real estate crisis, explained

by , , ,

China's economic growth for the past few decades has been extraordinary. And much of that growth was fueled by real estate – it was like this miraculous economic engine for the country. But recently, that engine seems to have stopped working. And that has raised all kinds of questions not just for China but also for the global economy.

China's real estate crisis, explained

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Xi and him

The last face-to-face meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and China's President Xi Jinping was on Nov. 14, 2022, at the G20 Summit in Bali, Indonesia. SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images

The Indicator

Xi and him

by , , ,

President Joe Biden and China's President Xi Jinping have not sat down for a face-to-face discussion in a year. In that time, Chinese-American relations have become even more tense with the spy balloon incident, the US cracking down on advanced computer chips and the continuing trade war.

Xi and him

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When a staple becomes a luxury
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Planet Money

When a staple becomes a luxury

by Paddy Hirsch , , ,

Fish and chips have long been a staple cheap comfort food for millions of people in the U.K. However, economic headwinds are putting the squeeze on owners of fish and chip shops. Today, we explore how changes in economic conditions play a role in our dietary habits and how the U.K. is grappling with their affordable staple food turning into a luxury.

When a staple becomes a luxury

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Actors back. Pandas gone. WeBankrupt.
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The Indicator

Actors back. Pandas gone. WeBankrupt.

by , , , ,

This time on Indicators of the Week: actors reached a deal with Hollywood studios after their months-long strike.

Actors back. Pandas gone. WeBankrupt.

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The alleged theft at the heart of ChatGPT
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Planet Money

The alleged theft at the heart of ChatGPT

by , , , ,

When best-selling thriller writer Douglas Preston began playing around with OpenAI's new chatbot, ChatGPT, he was, at first, impressed. But then he realized how much in-depth knowledge GPT had of the books he had written. When prompted, it supplied detailed plot summaries and descriptions of even minor characters. He was convinced it could only pull that off if it had read his books.

The alleged theft at the heart of ChatGPT

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A radical plan to fix Argentina's inflation
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The Indicator

A radical plan to fix Argentina's inflation

by Sharon Beriro , , ,

In a little over a week, Argentines will head to the polls to pick a new president. Polls show a tightening race between right-wing populist Javier Milei and centrist challenger Sergio Massa. Both are pledging to address the country's out-of-control inflation. Today on the show, we look at Milei's radical proposal to change Argentina's currency to U.S. dollars and whether that could fix inflation.

A radical plan to fix Argentina's inflation

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Bond. World's oldest living bond.

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Photo provided by the New York Stock Exchange

The Indicator

Bond. World's oldest living bond.

by , ,

Hidden deep in an archive in New Jersey is the world's oldest living bond. Originally issued to fund a dike in the Netherlands after a big flood, these days, it's gearing up for its 400th birthday and still paying interest. Today on the show, we visit this elder bond and hear its story.

Bond. World's oldest living bond.

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We dare researchers to leave the ivory tower

Left: Alexi Horowitz-Ghazi helped author Brian Merchant commune with the Luddites by smashing machines. Right: Economist Kevin Lang visited an 1830s historical village to ride in a horse-drawn trolley. Alexi Horowitz-Ghazi/NPR hide caption

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Alexi Horowitz-Ghazi/NPR

Planet Money

We dare researchers to leave the ivory tower

by , ,

The world of economics has these two different sides. One one side, there are the economists in their cozy armchairs and dusty libraries, high up in their ivory towers. On the other, there's the messy world we're all living in, where those economics are actually playing out.

We dare researchers to leave the ivory tower

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