NPR: Planet Money

The town of Orick sits just steps away from Redwood National Park. It has prime real estate for recreation and tourism, so why are its motels and restaurants shuttered and its residents impoverished?

A new study shows the simple math of why — absent radical measures — America's racial wealth gap won't be closing anytime soon.

Despite low unemployment, solid spending, and continued job growth, signs are flashing that the U.S. economy is headed for another downturn.

Will our Micro-Face comic book become the most collectible item ever created? Find the full Planet Money Superhero series here.

In a new book, Ben Bernanke explains how and why the U.S. Federal Reserve has evolved to play such an important role in the economy.

A new book argues that greater public support for parents is critical for the brain development of America's kids.

Companies might have thought a silver lining from the pandemic was that remote work was slashing emissions. They're thinking again.

The prices of cooking oil are rising. Why that could put global security at risk.

Russian central bank chief Elvira Nabiullina has cultivated the image of a nerdy, opera-loving technocrat, trapped in place by Putin's decision to go to war in Ukraine. It's not that simple.

Musk is now Twitter's largest shareholder. That gives him a legal right to coerce and cajole and persuade and shout about what the company does.

The Russian ruble lost nearly half its value when Russia invaded Ukraine. Since then, it has been the top-performing currency in the world.

In 2000, Vladimir Putin began targeting oligarchs who did not bend to his authority. The loyalists who remained — and new ones who subsequently got rich — became like ATM machines for the president.

In the 1990s, reformers adopted a radical economic program in Russia. It devastated ordinary Russians and created a new class of oligarchs. And it explains the rise of Putin and the leader he is today

A new book looks at the rise and fall of "The Bond King." It's a wild ride.

The Russian economy is cratering under the weight of Western sanctions. Russian policymakers are struggling with how to respond — and what to wear.

The U.S. is still the largest producer of oil, but we're a long way from pumping what we were before the pandemic. Blame backwardation.

The U.S. has a long tradition of favoring old people over kids. A new paper investigates why.

In 2020, President Trump signed a deal with the Chinese government to improve trade relations. China, for the most part, has not followed through.

To control inflation during WWII, the U.S. government resorted to wide-ranging price controls. Their unintended consequences might explain why today's policymakers are reluctant to try it again.

A new book develops a science of scaling.

"The Great Resignation" looks mostly like workers negotiating for a better deal.

It's a bad time to be a world leader. COVID did that.

Carbon removal went mainstream in 2021. But the technology is still light years away from making a real difference combating climate change. A group of economists wants to help change that.

For decades, Montreal has used generous tax subsidies to boost its video game industry. The policy has succeeded, but the city may need to keep the subsidies in place to keep companies from leaving.

A new study looks at the finances of 3 million households over the course of a year. It finds significant differences in the standard of living across America.

The Biden administration has doubled duties on lumber imported from Canada. Critics argue it hurts the goal of affordable housing.

GE announced it's breaking into three. Meanwhile, tech companies continue to take over a wider swath of industries.

Trade with China devastated American communities. A research project offers lessons on how to avoid repeating the same tragedy.

The economy is malfunctioning. We're spending more and getting less. The problem is bigger than just standard inflation.

Americans are exiting their employers' doors and Zoom meetings in droves. In fact, 2.9% of the entire workforce quit their jobs in August, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

David Card, Joshua Angrist, and Guido Imbens win a Nobel Prize for revolutionizing how economics is done.

Haiti is one of the poorest nations in the world, and rich countries have their fingerprints all over the nation's stunted development.

Here's what a troubled property developer tells us about the Chinese economy.

A new book explains why "the age of urban miracles" is far from over.

California homes are burning. Why are they still increasing in value in regions prone to fire?

The real estate startup Pacaso has rocketed to a billion-dollar valuation — but its recent fights with communities could foreshadow business troubles ahead.

A new study helps to explain the dynamics of our bonkers housing market.

A new book argues that we've seen a fundamental shift in the treatment of pets since 1998.

A new study finds finance professionals fail at their jobs in a surprising way. There are lessons for all of us.

We speak with the Nobel Prize-winning founder of behavioral economics about the new — and last — version of his classic book, Nudge.

America has seen decades of consolidation of its hospitals, raising prices for consumers. President Biden now wants to do something about it.

Apple joins the ranks of tech firms freeing many employees from Silicon Valley offices. What this might mean for the geography of the American economy.

Products are shrinking. Only some people are noticing.

The historic surge of new businesses seen in 2020 has continued through the first half of 2021. Is it merely a pendulum swing back to a normal economy, or a rocket ship to a better economy?

We speak with one of the leading scholars of automation about its evolving impacts on society.

The U.S. trade deficit is hitting record highs — and it's fueled by a surge in demand for imports, mostly from East Asia. On both land and at sea, the shipping industry is struggling to keep up.

Homelessness has gotten out of control in the Golden State. Will California be able to solve it?

The nation's big trucking employers have been arguing for decades that there's a trucker shortage. Is it really a shortage or something different?

A new study looks at the effects of government-funded preschool in Boston and finds big benefits for kids.

A new book argues that the growing profitability of big business is bad news for workers.