NPR: Planet Money

Some signals on the economic dashboard are warning we could be heading for a downturn within a couple of years. Are we ready to fight off a recession?

2018 was one of the most volatile stock market years on record. And the market continues volatile today. But that's not necessarily a bad thing.

At the year's biggest economics conference, gender issues were the main event.

The Fed chair and his two predecessors speak at a big conference about Friday's stellar jobs report, and why, despite what the Phillips Curve might predict, they're not too worried about inflation

Hackers are an expensive headache for companies. But there might be a simple economic fix.

The miniseries Stockholm tells the story of a group of friends, one of whom is a frontrunner for the Nobel Prize in economics. But there's a problem: he's dead

Shows developed by Aaron Sorkin included a lot of economics. We look at free trade in The West Wing, and Glass-Steagall in The Newsroom.

People are the engine that fuels an economy. But what happens when you start running out of people?

In Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan, the lead character is an economist in the CIA, tracking down terrorists by following their money.

Explaining the game theory in the plot of the movie Crazy Rich Asians.

The #MeToo movement transformed the experience of women in the workplace. The strong job market helped some women feel secure enough to speak up, but for others it still doesn't feel safe.

We check in on some stories we did this year to find all kinds of updates.

The opioid problem has reached into all parts of American life, including the workplace. But the workplace could be key in addressing the problem.

2018 was a rough year for the housing market. We take a look at what happened.

How the card game Magic: The Gathering deflated a speculative bubble.

Applications for H-1B work visas fell 16 percent in 2018 from 2017. Does that mean the U.S. could lose its edge in attracting global talent?

Charles Dickens wanted to pick a fight with economists. So he invented Ebenezer Scrooge. But did he get it right?

Our pals Josh Barro of New York Magazine and Jennifer Doleac from Texas A&M tell us what they're keeping an eye on in 2019.

What are the best indicators for 2019? Some of our best friends tell us what they'll be watching.

Synthetic drugs like "Spice" and "K2" have helped jumpstart a revolution in the drug trade.

Depression severity, Australia's housing market and the minimum wage. You asked: here are some answers.

Cryptocurrency had a rough 2018. The big cryptos lost about 80% of their value. So what happened? Is crypto poised for a comeback or are we talking tulips?

Is Trump's tax cut helping working people?

We commemorate some of the darkest and funniest business and economic blackspots of the year.

A truce in the U.S.-China trade war seemed close. And then the arrests started.

President Donald Trump has made building a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico one of his signature issues. Today, the Indicator looks at the economics of a border wall.

There are so many mattress stores in America, and they always seem to be empty. So how can they afford the real estate? And how do they stay in business?

We try to figure out what makes cents.

The U.S. economy looks in fine shape — for now — but even a lot of Americans with jobs still struggle financially. Here are three Indicators to monitor economic insecurity in the U.S.

How one bike-sharing company used behavioral economics to solve one of its most vexing problems.

UK Prime Minister Theresa May's plan to exit the European Union has hit a wall. What happens now?

Amazon is opening a new office in Long Island City, Queens. Critics of the plan say New York got ripped off from a big corporation. We spent a day in the neighborhood asking people what they think.

In honor of jobs day, we look at the jobs that used to be high-paying, that are now low-paying. What happened to these jobs? And what can it tell us about the U.S. economy?

For years after the Great Recession, the Federal Reserve kept short term interest rates near zero percent. It began raising rates in 2015 — but did it jump the gun.

The U.S. and Europe just can't agree on car safety standards. That puts car companies in a weird position, makes car cost more and just seems kind of random and wasteful.

What the yellow vest protests in Paris tell us about economic reform in France and the parallels with politics in the U.S.

When the yield curve inverts, people worry that it's a sign we're headed for recession. But its predictive reliability also depends on the way it inverts.

China and the U.S. have been locked in a trade war for most of 2018, but peace may be on the horizon.... at least a partial peace.

The Federal Reserve spends a lot of effort trying to target the level of inflation to about 2 percent. Why? Because tiny New Zealand did it first.

NASA has been taking a more hands-off approach to extra-planetary exploration. What will that mean for the economics of space?

From moon missions and space shuttles to public-private partnerships.

We talk to Kid Rock about how he tried to cut scalpers out of the business, then compare that to what Taylor Swift did.

Sanctions have become an increasingly common foreign policy tool for the U.S. How effective are they?

Colleges and universities are finding creative ways to make money.

Marilyn Cohen talks bonds, rating agencies and the yield curve, in overrated, underrated.

We go deep inside the market for mugshots. Is it extortion? Or is it a First Amendment right?

The stock market has been on a wild ride lately. Today, the Indicator looks at what's going on and whether we should worry for the economy.

We talk turkey with the American Farm Bureau about changes in the price of Thanksgiving Dinner.

Parkinson's Law says work expands to fill the time allotted. Goodhart's Law says you get what you measure. Has anyone ever tested these laws of the modern workplace?

Parkinson's Law says work expands to fill the time allotted. Goodhart's Law says you get what you measure. Has anyone ever tested these laws of the modern workplace?