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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.

Wanna go deeper? Subscribe to 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

Most Recent Episodes

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If AI is so good, why are there still so many jobs for translators?

If you believe the hype, translators will all soon be out of work. Luis von Ahn, CEO and co-founder of the language learning app Duolingo, doesn't think AI is quite there... yet. In this interview, Greg Rosalsky talks with Luis about AI and how it's reshaping translation jobs and the language learning industry. We also ask him about headlines earlier this year suggesting Duolingo laid off some of its workers and replaced them with AI.

If AI is so good, why are there still so many jobs for translators?

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How useful, really, are the steps you can take after a data breach?

The dreaded data breach notification... It tells you your personal data's been compromised and suggests steps you can take to minimize the potential harm. On today's episode, Kenny Malone pulls out a data breach letter he received and goes over what it recommends with Amanda Aronczyk. Amanda recently did a show about the legal and illegal markets for data and tells us how useful these steps actually are. It's news you can use to protect yourself, whether or not you've been part of a data breach!

How useful, really, are the steps you can take after a data breach?

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US Federal Reserve Board Chairman Jerome Powell arrives to testify during a House Committee on Financial Services hearing on "The Federal Reserve's Semi-Annual Monetary Policy Report," on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, February 12, 2025. ALEX WROBLEWSKI/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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ALEX WROBLEWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

A primer on the Federal Reserve's independence

President Donald Trump has been loudly critical of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for years now. Since January, the President has accused him of playing politics by keeping interest rates high. Trump has also threatened to oust Powell — which would mark an extraordinary shift away from the independence of the central bank.

A primer on the Federal Reserve's independence

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Sam Mertens checks on his chickens. Sam Mertens/NPR hide caption

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Sam Mertens/NPR

How much for that egg

Recently, one of our NPR colleagues wrote a message to all of NPR saying he had extra eggs to sell for cheap, but needed a fair way to distribute them during a shortage. What is Planet Money here for if not to get OVERLY involved in this kind of situation?

How much for that egg

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Career staff of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs work in the New Executive Office Building. Keith Romer/NPR hide caption

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Keith Romer/NPR

OIRA: The tiny office that's about to remake the federal government

OIRA — the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs — is an obscure, but powerful federal office around the corner from the White House. President Trump has decided that it should get even more powerful.

OIRA: The tiny office that's about to remake the federal government

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Alix Rodrigues, owner of Nut Hut in Vancouver, packing almonds. Amanda Aronczyk/NPR hide caption

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Amanda Aronczyk/NPR

Trade war dispatch from Canada

How do you run a business when a trade war is brewing? As President Trump's tariffs kick in - or are paused or are restarted - businesses around the world are trying to navigate the uncertainty.

Trade war dispatch from Canada

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WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 02: Charts that show the "reciprocal tariffs" the U.S. is charging other countries are on display at the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House on April 2, 2025 in Washington, DC. Alex Wong/Getty Images hide caption

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Alex Wong/Getty Images

Do trade deficits matter?

At the heart of President Trump's tariffs is this idea that we should not be buying more from other countries than they are buying from us. Basically, he wants to get rid of the trade deficit.

Do trade deficits matter?

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A bowl of blueberries which have been imported from Peru to the United States. Erika Beras/NPR hide caption

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Erika Beras/NPR

How the War on Drugs got us... blueberries

Ever wondered why you can buy fresh Peruvian blueberries in the dead of winter? The answer, surprisingly, is tied to cocaine. Today on the show, we look at how the War on Drugs led to an American trade policy and a foreign aid initiative that won us blueberries all year round.

How the War on Drugs got us... blueberries

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WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 26: U.S. President Donald Trump displays a signed an executive order in the Oval Office of the White House on March 26, 2025 in Washington, DC. President Trump announced 25% tariffs on all foreign-made cars. Win McNamee/Getty Images hide caption

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Win McNamee/Getty Images

Tariffs: What are they good for?

What are tariffs good for?

Tariffs: What are they good for?

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