Wanna see a trick? Give us any topic and we can tie it back to the economy. At <em>Planet Money</em>, we explore the forces that shape our lives and bring you along for the ride. Don't just understand the economy – understand the world.<br><br><em>Wanna go deeper? <em>Subscribe to </em><em>Planet Money+ and get sponsor-free episodes of Planet Money, The Indicator, and Planet Money Summer School. Plus access to bonus content. It's a new way to support the show you love. Learn more at plus.npr.org/planetmoney</em><br></em>
Episodes
We almost had a smartphone in the 90s. Why did it fail?
Jun 26, 2026 · 26 min
Before Kalshi and Polymarket there was the Iowa Electronic Markets
Jun 24, 2026 · 22 min
The real horror of ‘Alien’ and how it explains why we’re not paid enough
Jun 19, 2026 · 32 min
Can computer hackers get inside your mind?
Jun 17, 2026 · 29 min
It’s my tree. Why can’t I cut it down?
Jun 12, 2026 · 25 min
Two indicators for lowering the rent
Jun 10, 2026 · 17 min
Why is there a supplement craze if they don’t even work?
Jun 5, 2026 · 34 min
There's no business like dough business
Jun 3, 2026 · 27 min
The sneaky way companies get new chemicals into our food
May 29, 2026 · 35 min
The leaked tapes that show how the rich avoid taxes
May 27, 2026 · 26 min
The giant factory town that might be a giant mistake
May 22, 2026 · 26 min
Vacation and why Americans take so little
May 20, 2026 · 25 min
Jerome Powell and the Future of Fed Independence
May 15, 2026 · 28 min
The secret meeting that launched OPEC
May 13, 2026 · 27 min
Diary of a WNBA negotiator
May 9, 2026 · 29 min
How we got free agents in baseball
May 6, 2026 · 28 min
How to make a BOOK into a bestseller
May 2, 2026 · 46 min
Spirit Airlines and the future of cheap flights
Apr 29, 2026 · 25 min
Battlefield rare earths: How the U.S. lost to China
Apr 24, 2026 · 34 min
Live: Anthropic co-founder on AI and jobs
Apr 22, 2026 · 29 min
Do prediction market bettors make anything better?
Apr 18, 2026 · 32 min
How to get through the Strait of Hormuz
Apr 14, 2026 · 18 min
BOOKstore Economics
Apr 10, 2026 · 40 min
A pro-worker experiment in private equity
Apr 8, 2026 · 25 min
Reese’s heir vs. chocolate skimpflation
Apr 4, 2026 · 33 min
Dark times for Cuba’s economic experiment
Apr 2, 2026 · 27 min
The skyscrapers that NIMBYs and zoning couldn't stop
Mar 28, 2026 · 22 min
Our BOOK vs. the global supply chain
Mar 26, 2026 · 46 min
Inside a BOOK auction
Mar 21, 2026 · 43 min
The little pet fish that saved a town in the Amazon
Mar 18, 2026 · 33 min
Chef vs. Robot
Mar 13, 2026 · 25 min
The laws of the office revisited
Mar 11, 2026 · 29 min
Planet Money vs. the NBA’s tanking problem
Mar 6, 2026 · 30 min
The Business of Heated Rivalry
Mar 4, 2026 · 27 min
Don't hate the replicator, hate the game
Feb 27, 2026 · 36 min
The ICE hiring boom
Feb 25, 2026 · 18 min
The Supreme Court struck down a bunch of Trump's tariffs. Now what?
Feb 21, 2026 · 25 min
How to get what Greenland has, with permission
Feb 18, 2026 · 27 min
Betty Boop, Excel Olympics, Penny-isms: Our 2026 Valentines
Feb 13, 2026 · 31 min
The Invention Invention
Feb 11, 2026 · 30 min
Iran, protests, and sanctions
Feb 7, 2026 · 33 min
Riding with the repo man (update)
Feb 4, 2026 · 29 min
Can Trump make buying a home more affordable?
Jan 31, 2026 · 27 min
Can transforming neighborhoods help kids escape poverty?
Jan 28, 2026 · 27 min
A trip to the magic mushroom megachurch
Jan 24, 2026 · 31 min
BOARD GAMES 3: What’s in a name?
Jan 22, 2026 · 36 min
Chevron, Venezuela and the Paradox of Plenty
Jan 17, 2026 · 33 min
How much money President Trump and his family have made
Jan 14, 2026 · 30 min
So are we in an AI bubble? Here are clues to look for.
Jan 10, 2026 · 24 min
How Black hair care grew Black power
Jan 7, 2026 · 29 min