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The podcast explores whether the current AI boom is a bubble and examines the potential economic consequences. It presents research challenging the efficient market hypothesis, offering clues to detect bubbles, including high valuations, volatility, issuance, and acceleration. The conversation references the dot-com bu...
The Planet Money podcast explores the rise and fall of Johnson Products, a pioneering Black-owned hair care company. It details how George and Joan Johnson built a business empire by catering to the needs of Black consumers, starting with Ultra Wave hair straightener and later Afro Sheen. The company's success funded c...
Venezuela's economic history, particularly its reliance on oil money and subsequent collapse, is examined. The initial mismanagement of oil wealth under Hugo Chavez, including heavy spending on social programs and neglect of other industries, set the stage for disaster. When oil prices plummeted, the government's attem...
The Planet Money podcast episode features an "Indicators of the Year" competition among Darian Woods, Kenny Malone, and Greg Rosalsky, who present and debate their chosen economic indicators for 2025: the CAPE ratio, consumer sentiment, and tariffs, respectively. Listeners are invited to vote for the winner. The episod...
This is a bonus episode of the Planet Money podcast featuring an interview between Greg Rosalsky and MIT economist David Autor. The conversation revolves around Autor's research on the "China shock," which refers to the devastating impact of increased Chinese imports on American manufacturing jobs and communities after...
In this episode of Planet Money, Kenny Malone and Wailin Wong delve into the economics of streaming and the impact of binge-watching on the television industry. They explore the history of Netflix, from its DVD rental days to its current status as a streaming giant, focusing on key moments and television shows that sha...
Planet Money discusses the rising electricity prices for consumers, focusing on Ken and Carol, a retired couple in Ohio, as an example. The podcast investigates the impact of data centers and AI development on electricity costs, exploring the roles of local distribution (AEP Ohio), long-distance transmission, and power...
This Planet Money podcast episode features a pop culture draft where hosts Kenny Malone, Jeff Guo, and Wailin Wong select pop culture artifacts from 1999 with a Planet Money lens, arguing for each pick's economic or business relevance. The draft includes three rounds: a movie, a song, and a wildcard. They debate the me...
This episode of Planet Money investigates the privatization of Chicago's parking meters in 2008, a deal that has become infamous for its negative impact on the city and its residents. Through interviews and analysis, the hosts, Nick Fountain and Alexi Horowitz-Ghazi, explore how Mayor Daley's administration, facing bud...
In this episode of Planet Money, Alexi Horowitz-Ghazi interviews Avery Trufelman, host of Articles of Interest, about the surprising influence of the U.S. military on fashion and the outdoor gear industry. They discuss how World War II led to the development of innovative clothing technologies like layering systems, an...
This episode of Planet Money discusses catastrophe bonds (cat bonds), a financial tool used to transfer the risk of natural disasters from insurance companies and countries to investors. The podcast traces the history of cat bonds, starting with Karen Clark's modeling of hurricane risks, and explains how these bonds wo...
This episode of Planet Money, a segment of NPR's The Indicator, explores the impact of artificial intelligence on the job market, drawing parallels to the Industrial Revolution. The hosts, Darian Woods and Wailin Wong, discuss Ford CEO Jim Farley's prediction that AI will replace a significant portion of white-collar j...
Planet Money presents a segment from Vox's "Today Explained," dissecting Taylor Swift's business acumen, particularly regarding her album release strategies. The discussion features Noel King interviewing Elias Light from The Wall Street Journal and Anne Powers from NPR Music, who provide insights into Swift's record-b...
This Planet Money episode investigates the impact of USAID budget cuts on global aid programs, focusing on a Cameroon healthcare project facing funding loss. The narrative follows Givewell, a philanthropic organization, as it evaluates whether to allocate funds to this project. The episode highlights the challenges of ...
Planet Money discusses the unusual divergence between low consumer sentiment and strong consumer spending in the US economy. Typically, these two indicators move in tandem, but recently, spending has remained high despite widespread economic pessimism. The hosts, Sarah Gonzalez and Kenny Malone, along with economist De...
This Planet Money episode, titled "The Tariff at the Door," investigates the impact of tariffs on American consumers. The episode begins by framing the ongoing tariff situation as a high-stakes soap opera. It then uses the personal experience of Planet Money producer James Sneed, who was surprised by unexpected tariffs...
Planet Money discusses the U.S. Treasury Secretary's decision to provide $20 billion to Argentina through the Exchange Stabilization Fund, a little-known Treasury slush fund. The episode explores the history of the fund, its intended purpose, and how it has been used in the past, specifically referencing a similar situ...
This Planet Money episode explores the rise of "buy now, pay later" (BNPL) services, detailing how they work, why they've become so popular, and their potential pitfalls. The story follows Amelia, a college student who fell into debt using BNPL for online shopping, influenced by social media trends. The podcast explain...
This Planet Money episode features reporting from Maine Public Radio's Susan Sharon about an experiment in Maine prisons: allowing inmates to work remotely and earn fair market wages. The story focuses on two inmates, Darlene George and Preston Thorpe, and Commissioner of the Maine Department of Corrections, Randall Li...
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