Episodes (Page 3)
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Tariffs have been repeatedly announced, adjusted, and re-announced, creating ongoing uncertainty for billions in commerce
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The U.S. offered Argentina a $20 billion loan through the Exchange Stabilization Fund, an obscure Treasury Department pool of money requiring no Congressional approval
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Buy now, pay later services (Affirm, Klarna, Afterpay) offer interest-free installments with no credit checks, attracting impulsive shoppers into debt
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Maine prisons launched an experiment allowing incarcerated people to work remote jobs from their cells at fair market wages
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Concert ticket prices are driven up by 'reseller bots' that manipulate the market, creating economic dysfunction despite serving some economic function
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A major SNAP funding crisis is looming due to cuts embedded in Trump's tax-cut and spending bill signed in summer
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The U.S. is the world's largest source of remittances, but an immigration crackdown is disrupting this global market
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Ken Jouppi, an Alaska bush pilot, had his $95,000 Cessna plane forfeited after a passenger was caught with beer
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TikTok developed a distinctive sonic identity
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Russia operates a 'shadow fleet' of hundreds of old tankers with fake names and obscure flag countries to transport sanctioned oil around the world
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New York City ran out of money in 1975 after a decade of debt accumulation to fund city employees and social services, nearly facing bankruptcy
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Hedge funds have entered the Treasury bond market and are executing a 'Treasury basis trade' that could either destabilize the financial system or help the government borrow more cheaply
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Cybercriminals use AI-generated audio deepfakes impersonating voices to scam individuals and businesses, prompting banks to deploy AI-based defenses in an arms race
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Planet Money is releasing a free downloadable and playable board game prototype
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Planet Money is creating an economics-themed board game to compete in a booming tabletop game market with 5,000 new games released annually
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The cold chain
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Jane Street Group's secret billion-dollar trading strategy involving Indian stock options was unexpectedly revealed in a Manhattan courtroom lawsuit
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Israel's blockade of physical currency into Gaza has left only pre-war cash in circulation, which is deteriorating from overuse
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CEO-to-worker pay gap has grown from reasonable levels to over 100-to-1 ratios
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President Trump announced a deal giving the U.S. government a 10% stake in Intel, making it the largest shareholder in a major American company