Planet Money

About Planet Money

Wanna see a trick? Give us any topic and we can tie it back to the economy. At Planet Money, we explore the forces that shape our lives and bring you along for the ride. Don't just understand the economy – understand the world. Support public media by joining NPR+ at plus.npr.org (http://plus.npr.org/). You’ll get perks for over 25 NPR podcasts, including bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening for Planet Money.

Publisher

fert

Category

business · news

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

9 Jun 2023

Latest episode

14 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

356 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   14 Oct 2026

   Wanna slow down AI? These biologists can help.

   Fifty years ago, scientists pioneering a terrifying gene-splicing technology figured out a way to collectively hit pause. Can we do it again with AI? We ask because some top AI industry leaders are saying the technology they’re pushing forward is moving too quickly … and might kill us all. They’re effectively saying, ‘Please, please regulate us! Slow us down! Tie our hands!’ But, by and large, they’re not slowing down, because they don’t want to be left behind. In other words, it’s a classic collective action problem. A type of problem that’s scary, but solvable. We’ve been here before. In 1975, a group of scientists holed up for four days on California's foggy Central Coast to stop the runaway technology of their generation: a new DNA splicing technology that they feared could cause mass death. On today’s show, how they set aside ambition and competition to stop a runaway technology. Live Show: Planet Money Live at Kilkenomics. Kilkenny, Ireland Nov. 6th - 7th (https://kilkenomics.com/) Read Planet Money: Our book: Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life (https://lnk.to/i3AukBdD) Our weekly longform Planet Money newsletter (https://n.pr/3zrFvUB) Our weekly Indicator round-up newsletter (https://www.npr.org/newsletter/indicator) Follow Planet Money: Instagram (https://n.pr/3FqLuws) TikTok (https://n.pr/3sGZdrq) YouTube (https://lnk.to/iCVDaW3C) Facebook (https://n.pr/3h92GwS) Listen to more Planet Money: Our short, daily podcast, The Indicator from Planet Money (https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510325/the-indicator-from-planet-money) Over 1,000 episodes in our archive on the NPR App (https://app.npr.org/aggregation/510289) Merch: NPR Shop (https://shopnpr.org/search?q=planet+money&options%5Bprefix%5D=last) The Planet Money game, Sell Me A Sasquatch (https://shopnpr.org/products/planet-moneys-sell-me-a-sasquatch-board-game?_pos=1&_sid=c2996cc29&_ss=r) Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org (http://plus.npr.org/). This episode was produced by Vito Emanuel. It was edited by Marianne McCune and fact-checked by Sierra Juarez. It was engineered by Travis Hagan. Alex Goldmark is our executive producer. Music: NPR Source Audio - "Left Coastingg," "Going Nuts," and "Unsatisfied Reflection" See pcm.adswizz.com (https://pcm.adswizz.com) for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy (https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy)

2. 

   9 Oct 2026

   Should we all be getting tariff refunds right now?

   Companies are getting billions of dollars back. How about us? It seems simple, right? We paid higher prices for imported goods because of tariffs. Then the tariffs were ruled illegal. Courts said the money paid to the U.S. government had to be refunded. Companies are getting that money now. It would seem like we, the customers, should get paid back, too. But … it’s not so simple. Once again, we’re dipping back into the drama of import tax law. We’re engrossed in the ups, downs, betrayal, and romance of … the Days of our Tariffs. In this edition:  “Refunds and Regrets.” How and why some companies and people are getting their IEEPA tariff refunds and other people are out of luck. Live Show: - Planet Money Live at Kilkenomics. Kilkenny, Ireland Nov. 6th - 7th (https://kilkenomics.com/) Read Planet Money: - Our book: Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life (https://lnk.to/i3AukBdD) - Our weekly longform Planet Money newsletter (https://n.pr/3zrFvUB) - Our weekly Indicator round-up newsletter (https://www.npr.org/newsletter/indicator) Follow Planet Money: - Instagram (https://n.pr/3FqLuws) - TikTok (https://n.pr/3sGZdrq) - YouTube (https://lnk.to/iCVDaW3C) - Facebook (https://n.pr/3h92GwS) Listen to more Planet Money: - Our short, daily podcast, The Indicator from Planet Money (https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510325/the-indicator-from-planet-money) - Over 1,000 episodes in our archive on the NPR App (https://app.npr.org/aggregation/510289) Merch: - NPR Shop (https://shopnpr.org/search?q=planet+money&options%5Bprefix%5D=last) - The Planet Money game, Sell Me A Sasquatch (https://shopnpr.org/products/planet-moneys-sell-me-a-sasquatch-board-game?_pos=1&_sid=c2996cc29&_ss=r) Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org (http://plus.npr.org/). This episode was hosted by Kenny Malone. It was produced by Sam Yellowhorse Kesler and James Sneed. It was edited by our executive producer Alex Goldmark. It was fact-checked by Sierra Juarez and Sam Yellowhorse Kesler. It was engineered by Jimmy Keeley and Cena Loffredo. Special thanks this week to everyone who wrote in with a tale of tariff drama. See pcm.adswizz.com (https://pcm.adswizz.com) for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy (https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy)

3. 

   7 Oct 2026

   Charles Ponzi's scheme (plus a new scam)

   Charles Ponzi was down on his luck. In 1919, the Italian immigrant had spent a decade and a half in the U.S. He was looking for a way to get rich and tried his hand at everything — including bookkeeping, sign painting, grocery clerk, dishwasher, and librarian. He caught a lucky break in August, when he received a letter from Europe. In the envelope was an International Reply Coupon, a clever way to prepay for international postage. Ponzi realized he might be able to use these coupons to make his fortune. All he needed was investors. What happened next made him a household name. This is the story of the man behind the eponymous Ponzi scheme — a tale of financial fraud that lives up to its linguistic legacy. (Note: The original version of this episode ran in 2023 (https://www.npr.org/2023/01/20/1150332566/charles-ponzi-financial-scam).) Read Planet Money: • Our book: Planet Money: A Guide to the Economic Forces That Shape Your Life (https://lnk.to/i3AukBdD) • Our weekly longform Planet Money newsletter (https://n.pr/3zrFvUB) • Our weekly Indicator round-up newsletter (https://www.npr.org/newsletter/indicator) Follow Planet Money: • Instagram (https://n.pr/3FqLuws) • TikTok (https://n.pr/3sGZdrq) • YouTube (https://lnk.to/iCVDaW3C) • Facebook (https://n.pr/3h92GwS) Listen to more Planet Money: • Our short, daily podcast, The Indicator from Planet Money (https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510325/the-indicator-from-planet-money) • Over 1,000 episodes in our archive on the NPR App (https://app.npr.org/aggregation/510289) Merch: • NPR Shop (https://shopnpr.org/search?q=planet+money&options%5Bprefix%5D=last) • The Planet Money game, Sell Me A Sasquatch (https://shopnpr.org/products/planet-moneys-sell-me-a-sasquatch-board-game?_pos=1&_sid=c2996cc29&_ss=r) Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org (http://plus.npr.org/). This episode was produced by James Sneed. It was fact checked by Sierra Juarez, mastered by Natasha Branch, and edited by Jess Jiang. It's based on the book Ponzi's Scheme, by Mitchell Zuckoff. See pcm.adswizz.com (https://pcm.adswizz.com) for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy (https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy)