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Halloween

Monday

The Grim Reaper of retail: Spirit Halloween
Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

The Grim Reaper of retail: Spirit Halloween

Spirit Halloween is known for its unique business model. On Halloween, we bring you an episode of It's Been A Minute about why this pop-up scheme is such a hit.

The Grim Reaper of retail: Spirit Halloween

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After Seoul's Halloween tragedy, South Koreans are searching for answers

Mourners in the Itaewon neighborhood of Seoul pay tribute Monday to the victims of a deadly crowd crush that took place during Halloween celebrations Saturday night. Chris Jung/NurPhoto / Getty Images hide caption

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Chris Jung/NurPhoto / Getty Images

World

After Seoul's Halloween tragedy, South Koreans are searching for answers

As the police launch an investigation, the country is mourning the victims of Saturday night's deadly stampede in Itaewon. Eyewitnesses are lamenting the lack of crowd control measures.

Sunday

Friday

Thursday

Wednesday

Fear, Halloween and the real-life horrors of the past
Cindy Ord/Getty Images

Code Switch

Fear, Halloween and the real-life horrors of the past

It's that time of year again: celebrations of the macabre hit a little too close to home and brush up against our country's very dark past. We talk about navigating fake horror amid what's actually terrifying and how scaring ourselves, on purpose, can help us. This episode first ran in October 2019.

Fear, Halloween and the real-life horrors of the past

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Tuesday

The Grim Reaper of retail: Spirit Halloween
Yasin Ozturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images; Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images; John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images; Amanda Edwards/Getty Images; Photo Illustration by. Kaz Fantone

It's Been a Minute

The Grim Reaper of retail: Spirit Halloween

Every fall, with the same regularity as birds flying south, Spirit Halloween materializes in locations across the country. The superstore sells all manner of trappings for spooky season, including costumes, props and décor. It boasts about 1,400 pop-ups nationwide, and often takes over temporary leases in malls where a big-box retailer struggled to stay open. This penchant for swooping in on failing businesses has led many consumers to see the company as a kind of Grim Reaper of retail – and turned the store into an internet meme.

The Grim Reaper of retail: Spirit Halloween

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Monday

Saturday

Thursday

The Dance of the Dead (2021)
Hokyoung Kim

Throughline

The Dance of the Dead (2021)

Halloween — the night of ghost stories and trick-or-treating — has religious origins that span over two thousand years. Over time, the Catholic Church, pagan groups, and even the brewing company Coors have played a role in shape-shifting the holiday. How did Halloween turn from a spiritual celebration to a multi-billion dollar industry? From the Great Famine of Ireland to the Simpsons, we present the many evolutions of Halloween.

The Dance of the Dead (2021)

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Tuesday

What's next for the world-champ pumpkin? A parade, pics and a record-setting makeover

Travis Gienger, right, from Anoka, Minn., watches as his winning pumpkin is lifted and weighed Monday at the 49th World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, Calif. Haven Daley/AP hide caption

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Haven Daley/AP

National

What's next for the world-champ pumpkin? A parade, pics and a record-setting makeover

Travis Gienger plans to turn his 2,560-pound gourd into a record-setting jack-o'-lantern. If you want your own shot at a great pumpkin, he'll be selling its seeds.

Saturday

Opinion: Timely Halloween costumes

Children wear face masks to protect them during the pandemic while trick-or-treating on Halloween night in Thornhill, Ontario, Canada, on Oct. 31, 2020. NurPhoto via Getty Images hide caption

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NurPhoto via Getty Images

Opinion

Simon Says

Opinion: Timely Halloween costumes

NPR's Scott Simon muses on some of the costumes he'd like to see this second pandemic Halloween.

Opinion: Timely Halloween costumes

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Friday

Are you afraid of inflation?
Cindy Ord/Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

Are you afraid of inflation?

Boo! The Indicator team invites you to listen to a spooky episode about an invisible monster that has given our economy a fright. Listen at your own risk...

Are you afraid of inflation?

Listen · 10:00
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