NPR: Planet Money

Planet Money's roundup of a crazy few days in economic news.

As fears of coronavirus spread, so does price gouging for masks, which are in limited supply.

Japan rethought the bathroom. Why hasn't America?

Italy's young workers have been leaving for decades. One of them worked for Planet Money last winter. Here's what it's like to leave a stagnant economy in a country you love.

Calling econ nerds, story junkies, and podcast addicts.

Researchers tried to help low-income workers sign up for free money with letters and text messages. They failed.

The federal government said no. But New Yorkers rallied anyway and got the job done.

An economist uses a broad range of data from 132 countries to understand why middle age is such a drag.

After 75 years, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis is developing alternative measures of economic well-being.

Despite decades of work, there's been little or no progress on increasing diversity in economics.

Two legal scholars have been arguing about the constitutionality of a wealth tax for twenty years. Now people are actually paying attention.

Esther Duflo is the first female economist to win the Nobel Prize. Planet Money talks to her about her win, the state of gender inequality in economics, and her new book.

Over the last year, the media has focused on a wealth tax. But there's another type of wealth taxation also on the table, and it might stand a better chance of surviving judicial review.

The most profitable company in the world was supposed to make its international debut, listing public shares for the first time at a valuation of $2 trillion. Now it's staying local. What happened?

With a dictator gone, a peace deal in place, and a historic joint civilian-military council sworn in, what's next for Sudan's economy?

It's distortionary. It's regressive. And right now it only benefits a sliver of taxpayers and nonprofits. It's time to talk about the charitable deduction.

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?