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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.
Planet Money

Planet Money

The Economy Explained
What's really going on with unions
PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

What's really going on with unions

Baristas and warehouse workers unite! After decades of decline, we're hearing a lot about new unions starting around the country. But union membership actually declined last year. We look at what's really happening.

What's really going on with unions

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A new way to pay for college (Update)
Andrew Hancock/Andrew Hancock/Purdue University

Planet Money

A new way to pay for college (Update)

by , Jacob Goldstein

College has gotten incredibly expensive. And some colleges are offering students a new way to pay. It's not a scholarship. It's not quite a loan. It's more like the students are selling stock in themselves. We check in on how income share agreements at one school have been working. | Subscribe to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney.

A new way to pay for college (Update)

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If the world had no accountants
Davies/Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

If the world had no accountants

We crunched the numbers (on Excel of course), and the results are in. There's not enough Certified Public Accountants right now. Can the world of finance come up with a solution to address this issue?

If the world had no accountants

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Summer School 4: Inflation & Drinking Buddies
James Yang/James Yang

Planet Money

Summer School 4: Inflation & Drinking Buddies

Inflation can be one of the scariest forces in the economy. As prices rise and your dollar doesn't go as far, you feel poorer, and it's all out of your control. To better understand inflation, we turn to the story of Brazil, where, in the 90s, hyperinflation threatened to derail the whole economy until the country turned to a group of unlikely heroes: four drinking buddies. | Subscribe to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney. |At this Summer School, phones ARE allowed during class... Check out this week's PM TikTok! | Listen to past seasons of Summer School here.

Summer School 4: Inflation & Drinking Buddies

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Planet Money Summer School 4: Inflation & Drinking Buddies
James Yang/James Yang

Planet Money

Planet Money Summer School 4: Inflation & Drinking Buddies

by , Chana Joffe-Walt

Inflation can be one of the scariest forces in the economy. As prices rise and your dollar doesn't go as far, you feel poorer, and it's all out of your control. To better understand inflation, we turn to the story of Brazil, where, in the 90s, hyperinflation threatened to derail the whole economy until the country turned to a group of unlikely heroes: four drinking buddies. | Subscribe to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney. |At this Summer School, phones ARE allowed during class... Check out this week's PM TikTok! | Listen to past seasons of Summer School here.

Planet Money Summer School 4: Inflation & Drinking Buddies

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Climate Change Is Tough On Personal Finances

Heat advisories have been issued throughout central Texas this week. Brandon Bell/Getty Images hide caption

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Brandon Bell/Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

Climate Change Is Tough On Personal Finances

More than three-quarters of adults in the United States say they've experienced extreme weather in the last five years, according to a nationwide survey conducted by NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Climate Change Is Tough On Personal Finances

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Lessons from the 'Pandemic MVPs'
JUSSI NUKARI/Lehtikuva/AFP via Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

Lessons from the 'Pandemic MVPs'

After two long years, the results seem to be in. Which countries were the 'Pandemic MVPs,' the countries most resilient to COVID-19? And more importantly, what was the secret to their success?

Lessons from the 'Pandemic MVPs'

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The semiconductor shortage (still)
JENS SCHLUETER/AFP via Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

The semiconductor shortage (still)

by Paddy Hirsch ,

The world runs on semiconductors. From cameras to cars, tiny chips power most electronic devices. So why do we have such a shortage of them?

The semiconductor shortage (still)

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BONUS: Micro-Face: The Musical

Micro-Face: The Musical Trisha Pickelhaupt/NPR hide caption

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Trisha Pickelhaupt/NPR

Planet Money

BONUS: Micro-Face: The Musical

This episode, Micro-Face: The Musical. A full concert recording of a one-of-a-kind Planet Money superhero musical, taped during our recent live show at the Roulette Theater in Brooklyn, New York.

BONUS: Micro-Face: The Musical

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Drugs, electric cars, taxes
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The Indicator from Planet Money

Drugs, electric cars, taxes

by , , Paddy Hirsch

We assess the Inflation Reduction Act: Will there be unintended consequences from taking on Big Pharma? Will electric vehicles become cheap? And does the tax department need more money?

Drugs, electric cars, taxes

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Two recession Indicators
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Planet Money

Two recession Indicators

So are we in a recession or not? The jury is still out, but there are some warning signs. GDP is down and inflation is up. But how much do we know about the 'indicators' that tell us how the economy is doing? Today, the stories of two of our most important indicators, the Consumer Price Index and GDP, and what they can and can't tell us about our current economic predicament.| Subscribe to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney.

Two recession Indicators

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It's GDP... the remix!
Ryan J. Lane/Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

It's GDP... the remix!

Ah, GDP, the titan of all economic indicators. But are we breaking it down correctly? Today, we're remixing GDP to evaluate the true health of an economy.

It's GDP... the remix!

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Summer School 3: Booms, Busts & Us
James Yang/James Yang

Planet Money

Summer School 3: Booms, Busts & Us

by , Sonari Glinton , , Alex Blumberg

Life has its ups and downs. Same for the economy. Today we ask, can the business cycle be tamed? Two stories of recession and techniques for moderating the ferocity of booms and busts. Plus, how bankruptcy is a secret weapon of the American economy. | Subscribe to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney. | At this Summer School, phones ARE allowed during class... Check out this week's PM TikTok! | Listen to past seasons of Summer School here.

Summer School 3: Booms, Busts & Us

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Planet Money Summer School 3: Booms, Busts & Us
James Yang/James Yang

Planet Money

Planet Money Summer School 3: Booms, Busts & Us

by , Sonari Glinton , , Alex Blumberg

Life has its ups and downs. Same for the economy. Today we ask, can the business cycle be tamed? Two stories of recession and techniques for moderating the ferocity of booms and busts. Plus, how bankruptcy is a secret weapon of the American economy. | Subscribe to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney. | At this Summer School, phones ARE allowed during class... Check out this week's PM TikTok! | Listen to past seasons of Summer School here.

Planet Money Summer School 3: Booms, Busts & Us

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Feeling inflation in the grocery store
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

Feeling inflation in the grocery store

Can you feel the inflation emanating from the milk aisle? Today on The Indicator, we explore how food prices – and who does the grocery shopping – affect how we think about inflation. Oh and don't forget your grocery list, because we're headed to the supermarket too.

Feeling inflation in the grocery store

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Super Mario meets his match in Italy
ANDREAS SOLARO/AFP via Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

Super Mario meets his match in Italy

When Mario Draghi saved the euro with a 2012 speech, the world was in awe. Then he was called in to lead Italy's six motley political parties through the pandemic, and turn around Italy's economy.

Super Mario meets his match in Italy

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What is a 'household'?
Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

What is a 'household'?

Love is sharing a password, but maybe not anymore. With streaming services cracking down on account sharing, this got The Indicator team wondering, what exactly is the definition of a household?

What is a 'household'?

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Little House on the Blockchain
Amanda Aronczyk/NPR

Planet Money

Little House on the Blockchain

It has great bones, three bedrooms and one and half baths, and it comes with its own machine that mines cryptocurrency. But in a year of reckoning for crypto, how interested are potential buyers? | Subscribe to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney.

Little House on the Blockchain

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Heating up the weekend with three climate indicators

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The Indicator from Planet Money

Heating up the weekend with three climate indicators

by , Paddy Hirsch ,

The sweltering heat has us wondering, how exactly are people responding to climate change? Today on The Indicator, we're going green with three environmental indicators. Stay tuned for a sliver of hope at the end.

Heating up the weekend with three climate indicators

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The alchemy behind falling metal prices

TOPSHOT - A worker polishes gold bullion bars at the ABC Refinery in Sydney. DAVID GRAY/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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DAVID GRAY/AFP via Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

The alchemy behind falling metal prices

by Paddy Hirsch ,

When in doubt, count on the price of metals like copper and gold to predict the economy. But what magical forces are driving prices in the metal market down?

The alchemy behind falling metal prices

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