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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

Monday

When Uncle Sam stops paying the childcare bill
Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Planet Money

When Uncle Sam stops paying the childcare bill

by , , ,

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the United States took dramatic action to invest in child care. Now in 2023, the majority of those investments are coming to an end. Today, we talk to childcare providers about what those funds meant—and where the end of the pandemic-era programs leaves an essential but strained system.

When Uncle Sam stops paying the childcare bill

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Friday

Twerking, tote bags, and the top of the charts

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 14: In this image released on October 14, Bad Bunny performs onstage at the 2020 Billboard Music Awards, broadcast on October 14, 2020 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, CA. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Kevin Winter/Getty Images hide caption

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Kevin Winter/Getty Images

The Indicator

Twerking, tote bags, and the top of the charts

by , , , ,

On this musical edition of Indicators of the Week: Live Nation stops taking a cut of small artists' merchandise sales. Meanwhile, some fans are using the Billboard charts formula to boost their favorite artists to the top. And a Jamaican duo is staking a claim to the famous rhythm that defines Reggaeton. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

Twerking, tote bags, and the top of the charts

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Thursday

The walking dead NFTs

CANNES, FRANCE - JUNE 21: Paris Hilton, Gary Vaynerchuk and Swan Sit on stage during The NFT Revolution and What It Means For Brands at the Debussy Theatre (Photo by Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images for Cannes Lions) Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images for Cannes Lions hide caption

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Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images for Cannes Lions

Planet Money

The walking dead NFTs

by , , ,

The NFT mania may have finally run its course. Not too long ago, these pieces of digital art exploded in value with the help of celebrities like Justin Bieber and Paris Hilton. But even the most successful digital artists knew it was a bubble. Today, we consider whether this multi-million dollar fad has truly come to an end or if it's still on its last legs and due for a reimagining.

The walking dead NFTs

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Wednesday

How EV batteries tore apart Michigan (Update)
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Planet Money

How EV batteries tore apart Michigan (Update)

by , , , ,

This episode was originally published on November 14, 2022

How EV batteries tore apart Michigan

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The natural disaster economist
Tatyana Deryugina/Gies College of Business

Planet Money

The natural disaster economist

by , ,

There seems to be headlines about floods, wildfires, or hurricanes every week. Scientists say this might be the new normal — that climate change is making natural disasters more and more common.

The natural disaster economist

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Tuesday

Chasing the American Dream at Outback Steakhouse
Alexi Horowitz-Ghazi/NPR

Planet Money

Chasing the American Dream at Outback Steakhouse

by , , ,

How often do you hang out with people in a different socioeconomic bracket than you? And where do you meet and congregate? Economist Maxim Massenkoff, and his co-author Nathan Wilmers, looked at cell phone location data to figure out where people with vastly different incomes commune together. Today on the show, Maxim discusses his research, and Darian and Alexi head to a restaurant to try and witness some of this class mixing in action.

Chasing the American Dream at Outback Steakhouse

Listen · 9:20
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A Nobel prize-winning immigrant's view on American inequality

US-British economist Angus Deaton speaks at a press conference after winning the Nobel Prize for Economics at Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey, on October 12, 2015. JEWEL SAMAD/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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JEWEL SAMAD/AFP via Getty Images

Newsletter

A Nobel prize-winning immigrant's view on American inequality

by

In a new book, Nobel Prize-winning economist Angus Deaton offers a scathing critique of American politics and economic policy.

Friday

A black market, a currency crisis, and a tango competition in Argentina

Dancers Saya Date and Shashank Duggal (center couple) perform in the improvised "Tango de Pista" category at the annual Mundial de Tango competition in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Lucas Babic/NPR hide caption

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Planet Money

A black market, a currency crisis, and a tango competition in Argentina

by , , Molly Messick ,

The Nobel-prize winning economist Simon Kuznets once analyzed the world's economies this way — he said there are four kinds of countries: developed, underdeveloped, Japan... and Argentina.

A black market, a currency crisis, and a tango competition in Argentina

Listen · 23:57
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A million-dollar fossil, and other indicators
STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN/AFP via Getty Images

Planet Money

A million-dollar fossil, and other indicators

by , , , ,

Today on the show, we cover this week's top indicators in new work permits for Venezuelan migrants, behind-the-scenes climate meetings and a million-dollar dinosaur skeleton sale.

A million-dollar fossil, and other indicators

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Thursday

Selling safety in the fight against wildfires
David McNew/Getty Images

Planet Money

Selling safety in the fight against wildfires

by , , ,

Wildfires are becoming more frequent and serious due to human-caused climate change. This is prompting a new industry focused on residential wildfire preparedness. Today, we consider the new technology addressing wildfire risk and the cost of protecting yourself.

Selling safety in the fight against wildfires

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Wednesday

"Based on a true story"
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Planet Money

"Based on a true story"

by , ,

When a group of amateur investors rallied around the stock for GameStop back in 2021, the story blew up the internet. News outlets around the world, including us here at Planet Money, rushed in to explain why the stock for this retail video game company was suddenly skyrocketing, at times by as much as 1700% in value, and what that meant for the rest of us.

"Based on a true story"

Listen · 28:55
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Tuesday

The Beigie Awards: Manufacturing takes center stage
Miba Industrial Bearings

Planet Money

The Beigie Awards: Manufacturing takes center stage

by , , ,

The Beigies roll around once again to recognize the regional Federal Reserve Bank with the best Beige Book entry. This edition's winner put a spotlight on a company increasing their efforts to recruit young people for an important piece of the manufacturing puzzle.

The Beigie Awards: Manufacturing takes center stage

Listen · 9:09
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Monday

Coca Cola v. Coca Pola
Schneyder Mendoza/AFP via Getty Images

Planet Money

Coca Cola v. Coca Pola

by , , ,

The coca leaf has been an important part of Andean culture for thousands of years. But when one indigenous woman decided to use the plant in a drink she calls Coca Pola, she awoke a sleeping giant. Today on the show, a small business goes head to head with Coca-Cola over a trademark dispute.

Coca Cola v. Coca Pola

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Friday

How to launder $600 million on the internet
Rick Bowmer/Associated Press

Planet Money

How to launder $600 million on the internet

by , , ,

Erin Plante is a private detective who specializes in chasing down stolen cryptocurrency. In March of 2022, she got the biggest assignment of her career: Hackers had broken into an online game called Axie Infinity and made off with over $600 million worth of digital money.

How to launder $600 million on the internet

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Economics, boosternomics and Swiftnomics
Kevin Winter/Getty Images for TAS Rights Mana

Planet Money

Economics, boosternomics and Swiftnomics

by , , , ,

For this week's Indicators of the Week, Darian is joined by NPR colleagues Jeff Guo and Sydney Lupkin. We get into the latest numbers on child poverty in the U.S. and what it tells us about effective policy intervention. Sydney brings an update on the new covid booster and who's paying for it. And Jeff talks about Taylor Swift...again. He promises it has to do with economics.

Economics, boosternomics and Swiftnomics

Listen · 9:21
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