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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 cost of a dollar in Ukraine

In Lviv, Kateryna Sporysh holds a box of medicine to donate to people living near Ukraine's front lines. Joel Wasserman/Joel Wasserman hide caption

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Joel Wasserman/Joel Wasserman

Planet Money

The cost of a dollar in Ukraine

by , , ,

How one Ukrainian is circumventing the government exchange rate to turn U.S. dollars into medicine for Ukrainians near the front lines.

The cost of a dollar in Ukraine

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What's the cure for America's doctor shortage?

HOUSTON, TX - DECEMBER 14: (EDITORIAL USE ONLY) A medical staff member Stephanie takes a short nap in nursing station in the COVID-19 intensive care unit (ICU) at the United Memorial Medical Center on December 14, 2020 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Go Nakamura/Getty Images) Go Nakamura/Getty Images hide caption

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Planet Money

What's the cure for America's doctor shortage?

by ,

The doctor shortage is a growing problem across the U.S. But there was a time when the government, researchers, and medical professionals worried about a doctor surplus.

What's the cure for America's doctor shortage?

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A Great Recession bank takeover
Karen Bleier/AFP via Getty Images

Planet Money

A Great Recession bank takeover

by Chana Joffe-Walt , , ,

Earlier this month, we saw the largest bank collapse since the 2008 financial crisis. For many of us, seeing Silicon Valley Bank's meltdown brought us right back to that time 15 years ago, at the beginning of what would become the Great Recession.

A Great Recession bank takeover

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Batteries are catching fire at sea

Feb. 18, 2022, smoke billows from the burning Felicity Ace car transport ship as seen from the Portuguese Navy NPR Setubal ship southeast of the mid-Atlantic Portuguese Azores Islands. (Portuguese Navy via AP, file) Portuguese Navy via AP/AP hide caption

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Portuguese Navy via AP/AP

Planet Money

Batteries are catching fire at sea

by , , , Noah Glick ,

Lithium-ion batteries—used in everything from smart phones and laptops to electric scooters and cars—are catching fire on land and at sea. A former cargo ship captain walks us through why these fires are so hard to put out and why ocean-going car carriers are particularly at risk.

Batteries are catching fire at sea

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Why tech bros are trying to give away all their money (kind of)
Marta Lavandier/AP

Planet Money

Why tech bros are trying to give away all their money (kind of)

by , , Audrey Dilling ,

How do you do the most good in the world? Money and data! That's according to this new wave of philanthropy known as effective altruism, heralded by the likes of Sam Bankman-Fried. Today on the show we uncover the art and science of effective altruism.

Why tech bros are trying to give away all their money (kind of)

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Blood, oil, and the Osage Nation: The battle over headrights

Richard Lonsinger at his home in Lawrence, Kansas, holding a photo of himself as a child shortly after he was adopted. Sam Yellowhorse Kesler/NPR hide caption

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Sam Yellowhorse Kesler/NPR

Planet Money

Blood, oil, and the Osage Nation: The battle over headrights

by , , ,

Richard J. Lonsinger is a member of the Ponca tribe of Oklahoma, who was adopted at a young age into a white family of three. He eventually reconnected with his birth family, but when his birth mother passed away in 2010, he wasn't included in the distribution of her estate. Feeling both hurt and excluded, he asked a judge to re-open her estate, to give him a part of one particular asset: an Osage headright.

Blood, oil, and the Osage Nation: The battle over headrights

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Too many subscriptions, not enough organs
Maggie Shannon/The Washington Post via Getty Images

Planet Money

Too many subscriptions, not enough organs

by , , ,

Our indicators of the week: how a federal agency is trying to make it easier for you to cancel your subscriptions. And what's being done to address the 100,000-plus person backlog for organ transplants.

Too many subscriptions, not enough organs

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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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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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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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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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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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