NPR: Planet Money

There is a pattern that has repeated itself throughout the history of the opium trade.

A new book bucks conventional wisdom and says the American tax system is not progressive.

You wont have to get coffee. But you might have to ride a hoverboard.

A new study by the International Monetary Fund finds that advanced nations have seen a rise in regional inequality since the 1980s.

Recent reports and studies suggest that the outsized political power of hospitals is a big reason why American health care is so expensive.

Seven of the 10 most profitable films of all time are horror movies, and the reason why is quite simple.

Index Funds offer an intoxicating promise: lower fees, diversified risk and better returns. But is there a dark side to their astonishing rise?

Now's your time to learn from Planet Money how to create podcast episodes. The deadline for the application is Friday, October 25.

Senator Bernie Sanders proposes an aggressive wealth tax to reverse inequality. But the policy faces major obstacles.

The story of India's "demonetization" has given economists a one-of-a-kind opportunity to understand the role of money in an economy.

As corporate America seeks to redefine its mission as a force for social good, new studies in economics are showing that there are self-serving reasons why they'd want to do that.

In the early 1600s there was one stock market with only one company's stock in it, and it didn't take long before someone tried to manipulate the price.

The Netflix documentary is one of the most honest and interesting looks at trade between China and the U.S.

Symptoms include persistently low interest rates and mediocre economic growth. It might be time to talk to former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers.

Meet Silvio Gesell, who inspired a worldwide movement to create money that expired. After nearly a century of obscurity, he's making a comeback.

Economists have long criticized summer vacation as economically inefficient. But one has come to its defense.

Here's what Kazakhstan, Hong Kong and Ireland have in common: They all have Irish pubs. And a bunch of them are the product of one man: Mel McNally.

Ten years after the financial crisis, it's like we're in another economic dimension. The old rules don't apply. Textbooks are being thrown out the window. It's time to talk about secular stagnation.

Last week, the Fed voted to cut interest rates despite a decade of economic growth and low unemployment. Interest rates are already super low. What's going on?

It all started at a hotel high in the mountains of New Hampshire.

Federer, Djokovic — and the debate between specialists and generalists.

Buying a lottery ticket is a bad deal. The odds are against you, even with a giant pot. But one guy figured out how to flip the odds in his favor ... 14 times.

The unemployment rate is at record lows — but maybe the unemployment rate doesn't mean what it used to.

Revolutions don't just happen. A data-driven approach to studying activism suggests two characteristics can vastly increase chances of success.

Revolutions don't just happen. A data-driven approach to studying activism suggests two characteristics can vastly increase chances of success.

Celebrating the legacy of Joan Robinson, the British economic theorist who named a powerful — and increasingly worried about — force in the economy.

The government manages a lot of things: air and water quality, roads and bridges, and, once upon a time, a whole lot of cheese.

Disney's first wish: longer copyright protection. And Congress was their genie.

The evidence supports the idea that many teachers are underpaid. But what's the best way to increase their pay?

This is the story of how plastic was invented, and how maybe we went too far with it.

The evidence is clear: tariffs are a tax on consumers. At best they're "a really inefficient jobs-creation program," according to a leading scholar. Who wins in a trade war? If anyone, only bystanders

Big Scooter is worth billions of dollars. Is this a sign we're in another tech bubble?

Vaccination eliminated measles from the U.S. nearly 20 years ago. But with this year's record-setting outbreaks, are we close to measles to making a sustained comeback?

Democratic congressional leaders called the White House meeting "very constructive," but the big question remains unanswered. The parties will reconvene in a few weeks to discuss funding options.

Writer and documentary filmmaker Erin Lee Carr, daughter of the late NY Times columnist David Carr, talks about her parents' drug addiction and what it was like to have her father as a writing mentor.

The changes would charge asylum-seekers application fees and limit access to work permits, among other things.

The state's jails have been cited by a recent Justice Department report for corruption, drugs, sexual abuse, lack of mental health support and crumbling facilities.

Tootsie, Beetlejuice and The Prom round up the Tony category for best musical, while The Ferryman, Gary, Ink, Choir Boy and What the Constitution Means to Me are all up for best play.

Subpoenas issued by House committees two weeks ago ask the banks to hand over documents related to Trump's finances.

If passed, a bill making its way through the state's House of Representatives could punish doctors who perform the procedure with at least 10 years in prison.

The Nobel laureate who co-created the way our nation measures home prices says that over the long run, they don't increase much. And when they do, it can mean a bubble. Are we in one now?

A report from Glassdoor reveals which industries have the starkest gender pay gaps.

Dollar General, Dollar Tree and Family Dollars are opening up stores every six hours around the country. Some towns are fighting them.

Superman could easily take over the world. But there are some good economic reasons why he doesn't.

On eBay right now: A baby T-Rex. The price? $2.95 million.

The remarkable story of the online CAPTCHA tests we've all taken to stop spam and prove we're not robots.

The first few months of 2019 looked troubling. But now we seem to be on the upswing.

The share of people aged 25 to 54 in the labor force has fallen in the past couple of decades. What happened?

Does raising the minimum wage kill jobs? No. Not really. But it could. The hunt is on to find the magic number. Here's the evidence.

New York will soon charge drivers to enter the most crowded parts of the city. Congestion pricing: Does it work? Who's doing it? And is it coming to a city near you?