Podcast · 373 episodes
Planet Money, page 2
by NPR · English
Wanna see a trick? Give us any topic and we can tie it back to the economy. At Planet Money, we explore the forces that shape our lives and bring you along for the ride. Don't just understand the economy – understand the world. Support public media by joining NPR+ at plus.npr.org. You’ll get perks for over 25 NPR podcasts, including bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening for Planet Money.
All episodes, page 2
Building things and breaking things in China (Summer School World Tour)China’s “engineering state” and the risks of rapid, centrally guided growth—illustrated through the real estate boom/bust, prestige infrastructure, and today’s youth unemployment and low birth rate.15 Jul 2026 · 39 min · 13 chapters
Seven allegedly fake Chanel bags vs The RealRealThe rise of secondhand luxury (especially Chanel) and how buyers can trust authenticity, amid Chanel’s lawsuit against The RealReal over allegedly fake bags.10 Jul 2026 · 26 min · 8 chapters
Our mission: Find the world’s best economic ideas (Summer School World Tour)Planet Money Summer School World Tour (Australia + New Zealand). It uses two case studies to teach how policy and market rules shape outcomes: (1) Australia’s water markets for drought allocation;…8 Jul 2026 · 37 min · 8 chapters
How to win a penalty shootout (with game theory)Planet Money episode “How to win a penalty shootout (with game theory)” explains why elite penalty kicks aren’t just about shooting skill, but about unpredictability.3 Jul 2026 · 18 min · 9 chapters
Can the Trump administration make college cheaper?The Trump administration’s plan to make graduate college cheaper by capping federal student loans (especially Grad Plus) starting July 1, aiming to pressure universities to lower tuition.1 Jul 2026 · 29 min · 12 chapters
We almost had a smartphone in the 90s. Why did it fail?How General Magic (early 1990s) tried to build a “smartphone” before the iPhone, why it failed despite huge talent and funding, and what constraints later enabled Tony Fadell’s successful iPod/iPhone…26 Jun 2026 · 27 min · 9 chapters
Before Kalshi and Polymarket there was the Iowa Electronic MarketsThe history of prediction markets, focusing on election markets—how the Iowa Electronic Markets (1988 onward) revived interest after earlier “golden ages” of election betting and how/why those…24 Jun 2026 · 23 min · 7 chapters
The real horror of ‘Alien’ and how it explains why we’re not paid enoughPlanet Money uses the Alien franchise to explain modern labor economics, arguing that the “real horror” is monopsony power—workers can’t easily switch jobs, so wages and conditions stagnate.19 Jun 2026 · 32 min · 16 chapters
Can computer hackers get inside your mind?The “invisible war” of cyber sabotage between the U.S./allies and Iran, focusing on a mysterious NSA-listed malware called Fast 16 that may have sabotaged nuclear weapon development by corrupting…17 Jun 2026 · 30 min · 13 chapters
It’s my tree. Why can’t I cut it down?Property rights vs city tree-protection laws; when zoning/permit rules go too far, and what happens when a “protected” tree becomes dangerous.12 Jun 2026 · 25 min · 7 chapters
Two indicators for lowering the rentWhether corporate/institutional landlords and related regulations affect housing affordability, plus how ultra-cheap single-room occupancy (SRO) housing declined and what that means for homelessness.10 Jun 2026 · 18 min · 8 chapters
Why is there a supplement craze if they don’t even work?The episode examines why the U.S. supplement craze persists despite weak evidence, focusing on how supplements are marketed, manufactured, and regulated (or not).5 Jun 2026 · 35 min · 13 chapters
There's no business like dough businessWhy there are multiple Wetzel’s Pretzels clustered within minutes of each other at major transit/mall hubs, using the Atlantic Avenue–Barclays Center Station in Brooklyn as the mystery.3 Jun 2026 · 27 min · 15 chapters
The sneaky way companies get new chemicals into our foodHow the U.S. FDA food-additive system lets companies add new chemicals to food via the GRAS “generally recognized as safe” loophole, including “secret GRAS” where firms don’t notify the FDA, leading…29 May 2026 · 36 min · 15 chapters
The leaked tapes that show how the rich avoid taxesHow a U.S.-Malta tax treaty helped create a “Malta loophole” for wealthy Americans to shelter capital gains and other appreciated assets in Malta-like Roth accounts, and how the IRS tried to draw the…27 May 2026 · 26 min · 9 chapters
The giant factory town that might be a giant mistakeWhy Brazil’s “industrialization blueprint” (factories + government incentives) created a manufacturing boom in Manaus but may have stalled long-term development, contributing to the “middle-income…22 May 2026 · 27 min · 9 chapters
Vacation and why Americans take so littleWhy Americans take so little paid vacation, compared with other rich countries that legally guarantee it.20 May 2026 · 25 min · 8 chapters
Jerome Powell and the Future of Fed IndependencePlanet Money’s episode marks Jerome Powell’s last day as Fed chair and examines whether Fed independence held up during his tenure.15 May 2026 · 29 min · 9 chapters
The secret meeting that launched OPECHow OPEC formed and came to influence oil prices, starting with a 1959 “secret meeting” by oil ministers to counter the “Seven Sisters” (Shell, Gulf, Texaco, etc.), then how OPEC later used supply…13 May 2026 · 28 min · 10 chapters
Diary of a WNBA negotiatorPlanet Money reports on WNBA collective bargaining for a new CBA, focusing on Alysha Clark’s role as a player negotiator and how the players secured a revenue-share system.9 May 2026 · 29 min · 12 chapters
How we got free agents in baseballHow Kurt Flood’s 1969–72 fight against baseball’s reserve clause helped create modern free agency and shifted bargaining power from owners to players.6 May 2026 · 29 min · 12 chapters
How to make a BOOK into a bestsellerPlanet Money’s first book launch and the broader “bestseller hacking” ecosystem around the New York Times list—how the list works, why it’s self-fulfilling, and how people try to game it (fake…2 May 2026 · 47 min · 20 chapters
Spirit Airlines and the future of cheap flightsSpirit Airlines’ rise as an ultra–low-cost carrier, why customers hated the “pay for everything” model, and how legacy airlines and the post-pandemic economy pushed budget carriers toward…29 Apr 2026 · 26 min · 10 chapters
Battlefield rare earths: How the U.S. lost to ChinaThe discovery of rare earths at California’s Mountain Pass, how Molycorp built a U.S.24 Apr 2026 · 34 min · 13 chapters