Planet Money

  • Why does the government fund research at universities?

    American universities are where people go to learn and teach. They’re also where research and development happens. Over the past eight decades, universities have received billions in federal dollars to help that happen. Those dollars…

  • The secret world behind those scammy text messages

    You might have seen these texts before. The scam starts innocently enough. Maybe it’s a “Long time no see” or “Hello” or “How are you.” For investigative reporter Zeke Faux it was – “Hi David,…

  • How economists (and TikTok) know if a recession is coming

    Lately we’ve noticed that something we think about all the time here at Planet Money is having a viral moment: recession indicators! From the more practical (like sales for lipstick going up and men’s underwear…

  • The 145% tariff already did its damage

    Even though the 145% tariff on Chinese imports only lasted a month, it already inflicted its scars on the economy. Global trade is just not something you can turn off and on like that. Some…

  • What happened to U.S. farmers during the last trade war

    The U.S. exports billions of dollars worth of agricultural products each year — things like soybeans, corn and pork. And over the last month, these exports have been caught up in a trade war. U.S.…

  • Is the reign of the dollar over?

    For decades, dollars have been the world’s common financial language. Central banks everywhere hold dollars as a way to safely store their wealth. Countries, businesses, and people use it to trade; around 90% of all…

  • What “Made in China” actually means

    Virtually every product brought into the United States must have a so-called “country of origin.” Think of it as the official place it comes from. And this is the country that counts for calculating tariffs.…

  • Why it’s so hard to find a public toilet

    Why is it so hard to find a bathroom when you need one? In the U.S., we used to have lots of publicly accessible toilets. But many had locks on the doors and you had…

  • Planet Money complains. To learn.

    On today’s show: we’re … venting. We at Planet Money are an ensemble show – each with different curiosities and styles. But we recently realized many of us have something in common: We’re annoyed consumers.…

  • How 23andMe’s bankruptcy led to a run on the gene bank

    Reporter Alexi Horowitz-Ghazi’s Aunt Vovi signed up for 23andMe back in 2017, hoping to learn more about the genetic makeup of her ancestors. Vovi was one of over 15 million 23andMe customers who sent their…