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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
The story of "Monopoly" and American capitalism
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Planet Money

The story of "Monopoly" and American capitalism

by , , , , , Victor Yvellez , , , Casey Miner , , , Amiri Tulloch

Monopoly is one of the best-selling board games in history.

The story of "Monopoly" and American capitalism

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Want a balanced federal budget? It'll cost you.

WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 25: Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) listens during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol Building on January 25, 2023 in Washington, DC. Senate Republicans held the news conference to discuss the ongoing negotiations between the House, Senate and White House over the national debt ceiling. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images hide caption

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The Indicator from Planet Money

Want a balanced federal budget? It'll cost you.

by ,

The U.S. reached its debt ceiling last week, and some lawmakers say they won't raise it unless there are also cuts to balance the budget. The problem? That would mean 25% reductions everywhere.

Want a balanced federal budget? It'll cost you.

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A big bank's big mistake, explained
Michel Euler/AP

The Indicator from Planet Money

A big bank's big mistake, explained

by , , , Audrey Dilling ,

One of the world's biggest banks acquires a promising tech company, and things go very, very wrong. It's a flashy tech startup story with some surprisingly low-tech twists and a web of alleged lies.

A big bank's big mistake, explained

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Can China save its economy - and ours?
Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

Can China save its economy - and ours?

by , , , ,

What's up with China's GDP, what's down with China's population numbers, and what Marvel's return tells us. Indicators from China to bring in the Lunar New Year.

Can China save its economy - and ours?

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Charles Ponzi's scheme
Alton H. Blackington Collection, Robert S. Cox Special Collections and University Archives Research Center, UMass Amherst Libraries.

Planet Money

Charles Ponzi's scheme

by , ,

Some of history's biggest financial scams owe their name to Charles Ponzi. Here's the story of the man behind the eponymous scheme.

Charles Ponzi's scheme

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Simon says we're stuck with the debt ceiling (Encore)
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

Simon says we're stuck with the debt ceiling (Encore)

by , Sally Herships , , ,

The debt ceiling approaches. A congressional standoff ensues. It wasn't always this way. So where did the debt ceiling come from? And how do other countries control their debt?

Simon says we're stuck with the debt ceiling (Encore)

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Big Rigged (Classic)
Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty

Planet Money

Big Rigged (Classic)

by , , Bryan Urstadt , Liza Yeager , Autumn Barnes , , Dylan Sloan

Driving a truck used to mean freedom. Now it means a mountain of debt.

Big Rigged (Classic)

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Did AI write this headline?
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The Indicator from Planet Money

Did AI write this headline?

by , , ,

A chatbot that can do your homework for you? Sounds like every student's dream. But one college senior is building an app to call out the fakes.

Did AI write this headline?

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A chat with the president of the San Francisco Fed
Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco

The Indicator from Planet Money

A chat with the president of the San Francisco Fed

by , ,

Today, a conversation with Mary Daly, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. Her family faced the pain of high prices and a turbulent economy decades ago, so she dropped out of high school to earn money. That experience, she says, helps guide her today, as the Fed tries to bring down inflation without sparking a recession.

A chat with the president of the San Francisco Fed

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CEO predictions, rural voters on the economy and IRS audits
Karen Bleier/AFP via Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

CEO predictions, rural voters on the economy and IRS audits

by , , , Corey Bridges ,

We comb through the surveys, polls, and reports so you don't have to! Three caught our attention for Indicators of the Week: one asking CEOs on whether we're headed for a recession, another on the economic challenges facing rural communities, and a report offering further evidence on the high audit rates of low-income workers.

CEO predictions, rural voters on the economy and IRS audits

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Two Indicators: The 2% inflation target
KAREN BLEIER/AFP via Getty Images

Planet Money

Two Indicators: The 2% inflation target

by , , , Nicky Ouellet , ,

If the Fed had a mantra to go along with its mandate, it might well be "two percent." We look into how that became the target inflation rate, why some economists are calling for a change and how the inflation rate becomes unanchored.

Two Indicators: The 2% inflation target

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Jobs vs prices: the Fed's dueling mandates
Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

Jobs vs prices: the Fed's dueling mandates

by , , ,

The Federal Reserve has a dual mandate: keeping prices stable (and inflation low) and promoting "maximum employment." But sometimes, as the Fed attacks one goal, it can potentially hurt the other. It's a dueling dual mandate.

Jobs vs prices: the Fed's dueling mandates

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The pregnant workers fairness act, explained
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The Indicator from Planet Money

The pregnant workers fairness act, explained

by , , ,

What happens if someone can't perform their job in the same way because of pregnancy? Until now, they could be sent home without pay – essentially lose their job. But a new law aims to change that, by requiring employers to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnant people. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

The pregnant workers fairness act, explained

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Planet Money Movie Club: It's a Wonderful Life

James Stewart, left, Thomas Mitchell, right, and Donna Reed appear in the 1946 movie "It's A Wonderful Life." (AP Photo) ASSOCIATED PRESS hide caption

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Planet Money

Planet Money Movie Club: It's a Wonderful Life

by , , , ,

Welcome to the Planet Money Movie Club, a regular series from Planet Money+ in which we watch an economics-related movie and discuss! On today's episode, Kenny Malone, Wailin Wong, and Willa Rubin talk about Frank Capra's 1946 classic 'It's A Wonderful Life.' They discuss CPI adjustments, how a copyright lapse helped make the film more popular, and what exactly a 'Building and Loan' is.

Planet Money Movie Club: It's a Wonderful Life

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The precarity of the H-1B work visa
David Ryder/Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

The precarity of the H-1B work visa

by , , ,

Many sectors of the American economy depend on foreign nationals holding H-1B work visas for valuable skilled labor. But if a H-1B visa holder gets laid off, they're on their own.

The precarity of the H-1B work visa

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Jobs Friday: Why apprenticeships could make a comeback
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The Indicator from Planet Money

Jobs Friday: Why apprenticeships could make a comeback

by , , Corey Bridges ,

Apprenticeships: not just for medieval guilds, but also useful in today's tight labor market! More employers in fields such as healthcare are turning to apprenticeship programs to train new hires for critical roles.

Jobs Friday: Why apprenticeships could make a comeback

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The economics lessons in kids' books

Mandy Robek's classroom at Shale Meadows Elementary School in Lewis Center, Ohio. Emma Peaslee/NPR hide caption

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Emma Peaslee/NPR

Planet Money

The economics lessons in kids' books

by , ,

All sorts of lessons (even about economics) can be learned from kids' books. On today's show, we visit an elementary school to try to teach third graders econ using some beloved childrens' classics. And, along the way, we learn a few things ourselves.

The economics lessons in kids' books

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The never-ending strike
Stephan Bisaha/NPR

The Indicator from Planet Money

The never-ending strike

by Stephan Bisaha , , Dylan Sloan , ,

The average labor strike lasts just over 40 days, but a union of coal miners in Alabama has been on strike for over a year and a half. Protesting for that long requires help, both from the community and the economy.

The never-ending strike

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Listener Questions: Airline tickets, grocery pricing and the Fed
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The Indicator from Planet Money

Listener Questions: Airline tickets, grocery pricing and the Fed

by , , ,

Dear listeners: You had questions, and we have answers! Today, we're digging into airline fares, buying in bulk at the supermarket and the Fed's wacky (?) district boundaries. It's a listener questions episode!

Listener Questions: Airline tickets, grocery pricing and the Fed

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How to keep your New Year's resolutions (Encore)
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The Indicator from Planet Money

How to keep your New Year's resolutions (Encore)

by , , ,

This episode originally came out in January 2022. We're back with a new episode tomorrow!

How to keep your New Year's resolutions (Encore)

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