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The Economy Explained
Baby's first market failure

Wesley Wade and his wife Giovonni couldn't find day care for their two kids, Helena and Ella. Wesley, a mental health counselor working on his PhD, ended up quitting his job to take care of the girls. All over the U.S. there is a shortage of child care. Wesley Wade hide caption

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Wesley Wade

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Baby's first market failure

by , , ,

Anyone who has tried shopping for day care knows that it is tough out there.

Baby's first market failure

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Arthur Burns: shorthand for Fed failure?

Presidential nominee Richard Nixon poses with a team of economic advisers in San Diego, CA, Aug. 14, 1968. From left to right; Dr. Pierre A. Rinfret; Dr. Milton Friedman; Nixon; Dr. Arthur Burns; Dr. Don Perlberg. AP hide caption

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Arthur Burns: shorthand for Fed failure?

by , , ,

History remembers Arthur Burns as the Fed chair who let inflation run rampant. That's precisely the outcome that current Fed chair Jerome Powell wants to avoid. Today, we look back at the '70s to find out what went wrong.

Arthur Burns: shorthand for Fed failure?

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Groundhog Day 2023

Groundhog handler John Griffiths holds Punxsutawney Phil after he saw his shadow predicting six more weeks of winter during 128th annual Groundhog Day festivities on February 2, 2014 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images) Jeff Swensen/Getty Images hide caption

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Groundhog Day 2023

by , , ,

It's Groundhog Day, and once again, the eyes of the nation have turned to a small town in Western Pennsylvania. Every February 2nd, the only story anyone can talk about is whether or not Punxsutawney Phil will see his own shadow. If he does: six more weeks of winter. If he doesn't: spring is on its way.

Groundhog Day 2023

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The Beigie Awards: All about inventory
George Frey/Getty Images

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The Beigie Awards: All about inventory

by , , ,

A Fed vice president gets a new pair of shoes. Does that mean supply chains are fixed?

The Beigie Awards: All about inventory

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The return of Chinese tourism?

Bridestowe is a lavender farm on the island of Tasmania in Australia. It became a popular destination for some Chinese tourists after a Chinese model posted a photo of herself with a Bridestowe lavender bear on social media. Bridestowe Estate hide caption

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Bridestowe Estate

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The return of Chinese tourism?

by Paddy Hirsch , , ,

Chinese citizens are once again allowed to travel internationally and the global tourism industry is ready to welcome them with open arms. Why? Chinese tourism has meant big money in the past. In 2019, Chinese travelers spent a fifth of all tourist dollars. But a full rebound in Chinese tourism might be a ways off.

The return of Chinese tourism?

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Indicators of the Week: tips, eggs and whisky

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 23: Miniature bottles of Fireball Whisky on display during the 2022 Bar & Restaurant Expo and World Tea Conference + Expo at the Las Vegas Convention Center on March 23, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images for Nightclub & Bar Media Group) David Becker/Getty Images for Nightclub & Bar hide caption

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Indicators of the Week: tips, eggs and whisky

by , ,

Tips, eggs and whisky...it's a food edition of Indicators of the Week! We talk egg-spensive food costs and why at least one whisky drinker is upset with the maker of Fireball.

Indicators of the Week: tips, eggs and whisky

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To all the econ papers I've loved before
Ian Waldie/Getty Images

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To all the econ papers I've loved before

by , , ,

A great economics paper does two things. It takes on a big question, and it finds a smart way to answer that question.

To all the econ papers I've loved before

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What's the deal with the platinum coin?
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What's the deal with the platinum coin?

by , , ,

Forget extraordinary measures. Today we're going full extra extraordinary. How a trillion-dollar platinum coin could get the country around the debt ceiling limit.

What's the deal with the platinum coin?

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The story of "Monopoly" and American capitalism
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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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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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?
NurPhoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images

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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

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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

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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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