NPR: Planet Money

What happens when you put someone who wants to close an agency, in charge of that agency? Today on the show, we find out.

The census is more than a headcount. It determines how federal dollars are spent and how districts are represented in Congress.

For 70 years, a Coca-Cola cost a nickel. The price didn't change. How is that even possible?

Americans spend more on healthcare than people in other high-income countries, and it's not because we use more of it.

From Google Maps to Yelp to Instagram, the internet gives us access to all sorts of services without having to pay a cent. But are they really free?

A man who got caught insider trading explains everything — what he did, how he did it, and why.

One of the best gauges of the state of the oil business is a pretty simple one: just count the drilling rigs.

Independent bookstores are experiencing a surprising renaissance.

Trump says we have a trade deficit with Canada. He's right... and he's also wrong.

Planet Money joins the gold rush 170 years late. And the rules are still about the same. How did that happen?

The debate over tariffs is nothing new. In fact, it's as old as the country itself. A look at how the debate began.

Having disrupted the music business, Spotify is trying the same trick with the stock market.

What do sugar farmers have against candy? A lot, according to candy manufacturers.

The man who wrote the book on the collapse of Bear Stearns talks about what happened a decade ago and where we are today.

Bill McBride has been remarkably prescient about the big swings in the U.S. economy. And he's starting to get uneasy.

This is the story of how the invention of the 747 and some bad French phone lines led to the creation of the modern credit card.

How did the social security number become the most important identifier in the United States? And is that even a good idea?

The justification used by the Trump administration for its steel and aluminum tariffs is riskier for the global trading system than the tariffs themselves.

Team Indicator takes your questions, concerns, and James Bond-related car trivia.

Creative destruction is a fact of economic life that few products can resist. Graphing calculators are a notable exception

Two guys from different ends of the political spectrum agree that the economy is rigged. And they think they know who's responsible.

Why has the share of women in the labor force been stagnant for almost two decades?

In the red corner: the uncontested retail champion of the world: WalMart. In the blue corner, the behemoth of online sales: Amazon.

There's something wrong with the way we're doing science. Today on the show, we find out how to fix it.

What happens when a classical economist finds out the world is much more complicated than he thought?

Cobalt used to be a sideshow on the periodic table. Now it's the main event.

The average American car is now more expensive than it's ever been. And guess what? Sales of new cars are falling.

We ponder the price of chicken, safe haven currencies, and the cash value of coupons. Why? Because you asked.

There's a sweet spot for every oil well in America.

Over the past two decades, prices on average have increased. But certain things have gotten cheaper while others have gotten more expensive, and which is which can tell us a lot.

What do human blood, the conservative tax plan, and beer hops tell us about the world? Find out in today's episode.

To understand the Trump administration's approach to trade tariffs, look no further than the humble rubber band.

A story about hagglers, Quakers and department store founders.

Just kidding, it was the frozen chicken — then came the American tax that helped shape the domestic market for trucks.

We have a new Federal Reserve Chair. His name is Jay Powell. Here's what we can expect.

Why productivity could be the most important data point in the economy... and how did KFC manage to run out of chicken in the UK - for an entire week?

Vodka is the best selling spirit in the United States, and there are zillions of brands. But is there any difference between them?

Today more than two thirds of the guns in America are owned by just 20 percent of gun owners. That's not always good for gunmakers.

Imagine being able to work fewer hours during a difficult time in your life, without having to quit your job or interrupt your career. In Germany, for many workers, that's now a reality.

Our guest, Tyler Cowen, has insights into a ridiculously wide range of subjects. Our conversation touches everything from Afrofuturist flicks to the mouth-numbing qualities of the Sichuan peppercorn.

How do you reinvent something as simple as the wooden shipping pallet?

Russia spent 73 million Rubles a month to influence an American election. But what did they get for their money?

After a wildfire, teams of investigators start combing the wreckage for clues. Finding the cause means, maybe, finding someone to pay. But where's the line between a natural disaster and a human one?

You won't have to get coffee. But you might have to ride a hoverboard. Apply by Sunday, March 4.

How a classic econ book explains ABBA's costumes (among other things).

If you can't beat 'em, send 'em a valentine.

An economist from the Obama administration thinks the economy still needs stimulus. Will the Republican tax and spending bills provide it?

An index that was invented to measure people's expectations about the stock market may be driving the market itself.