The sewing machine changed the world - it created an entire industry, changed how we think about women in the labor force. But the sewing machine accidentally invented something else - something that undergirds nearly every invention since. The patent pool. buff.ly/F2CoFte

The Invention Invention: how the invention of the sewing machine helped get us more inventions www.npr.org/2026/02/11/n... @samkesler.bsky.social @erikaberas.bsky.social

NYC! On April 6, I'm going to be telling economics stories with @marychilds.bsky.social, @amandaaronczyk.bsky.social, Alex Mayyasi with special guest Emily Oster. It's @planetmoney.bsky.social live at @92ndstreety.bsky.social!

My latest from @planetmoney.bsky.social is about brand new research that looks at whether changing low-income neighborhoods into mixed-income neighborhoods improves outcomes for kids who grew up there. Potentially big lessons for all kinds of poverty alleviation policies. www.npr.org/2026/01/28/n...

fam, the team at @planetmoney.bsky.social is going on a book tour -- and our DEBUT FIRST STOP is @92ndstreety.bsky.social on April 6! Come hang out with me, @amandaaronczyk.bsky.social and @darianwoods.bsky.social and more! www.92ny.org/event/an-eve... +please bring your most burning econ questions

On the most recent @planetmoney.bsky.social: what did US sanctions do to Iran's economy? How did they feed into the latest protests and crackdown in Iran? Sanctions are supposed to avert war, but how different from war are they? www.npr.org/2026/02/06/n... with @fountain.bsky.social

The protests in Iran are about human rights, corruption, freedom. But they’re also about economic hardship. Caused, in part, by US sanctions. Sanctions are supposed to avert violence. But how did they play into the latest protests — and crackdown — in Iran?

Housing is too expensive. And President Donald Trump has started talking more about affordability - focusing on affordable homes. He’s got two new initiatives that aim to make buying a house easier. Will they work?

In the 90s, Congress created a program to improve public housing and economically desegregate poor neighborhoods. The hope was that this would improve opportunities for the people who lived there. But no one knew whether it worked … until now.

If you're in Chicago, come see me with Alex Mayyasi and Adriana Robertson on April 23!

SEE YOU IN NYC BABYYYYYY

At the Zide Door church, after making a donation members can receive “sacrament” in the form of psychedelic mushrooms - a Schedule 1 narcotic. How is this legal? On our latest episode, we talk to the lawyer fighting for the rights of mushroom churches to exist. buff.ly/8ObtpWz

We're going on the road for a book tour in April! Author Alex Mayyasi will be joined by Planet Money hosts and special guests. Attendees can get swag, like a tour-exclusive tote bag (while supplies last/restrictions apply). Ticket and tour info: planetmoneybook.com

Are you looking to buy your first home and struggling to figure out how to pay for it? Planet Money wants to talk to prospective homebuyers for an episode on affordability. Send us an email at [email protected] with the subject line: “First Time Homebuyer Bluesky”

Venezuela and Chevron have perhaps one of the strangest partnerships. Chevron, one of the world’s most famous and profitable oil corporations, has for decades, been plugging away in Venezuela, one of the world’s most famous and infamous socialist countries.

Suddenly a bit more curious about the Federal Reserve? Wondering what happens when a president pressures the Fed? Here's a playlist of our fav episodes on Fed Independence.

Are we in an AI bubble right now? Bubbles are infamously hard to predict, but economists say there might be some clues. On our latest: The dark art of bubble detection.

It is time to choose our indicators of 2025 AND our top indicator predictions for the new year. Tariffs, consumer sentiment, the CAPE ratio. Do you agree? Tell us what to pay attention to next year.

We answer the question: are AI data centers making power bills go up for the rest of us. Yes. But of course it’s more complicated than that. Listen:

We have updates! Why it’s still hard for you to unsubscribe from services; where is our diamond now; the Planet Money game has a new version; is there new money in Gaza yet? and more ... buff.ly/EmRxYhi

Has your power bill gone up a lot recently? If so, the reason might be AI data centers and the infrastructure needed to bring them power. On our latest episode, we go to Ohio to figure out which part of the electricity system is most to blame for high prices. buff.ly/2TjkZAa

Made a show about Chicago's infamous parking deal.

Chicago parkers hate this ONE WEIRD BUDGET TRICK!!! Today’s show, a parking privatization parable about that one time Chicago sold its 36,000 parking meters for 75 years. buff.ly/8FufijI

The story of the Army surplus economics, how military designs went from soldiers on the front lines to hippies on the war protest line to yuppies in line at Banana Republic. And why your favorite outdoor brands may be moonlighting as military suppliers. buff.ly/sTp2wXk

A few years ago, the Jamaican government made an unusual bet. It went to investors around the world asking if they'd like to wager on the chances a major hurricane would hit the island in the next couple of years. Would that bet pay off? And for whom?

Listeners, we’re asking you to vote for us. NPR is determining which podcast is definitively, objectively, and by-all-conceivable measures ... best. And we need you to tell them the truth: It’s us. Vote for Planet Money or The Indicator here:

After USAID got cut, I asked GiveWell if @planetmoney.bsky.social could ride along as they tried to figure out if and how to jump into the void. They said yes. They recorded weeks and weeks of deliberations. Here is the episode about it: www.npr.org/2025/11/26/n...

In the wake of USAID cuts, global aid programs had to drastically reduce their work. Private philanthropic groups tried to jump in. On today’s show, we get to listen in on one group’s decision-making: Givewell figures out if it can fund a program in Cameroon.

Today, a consumer spending mystery. Consumer sentiment about the economy is down, interest rates are still high, inflation is growing, tariffs have made the prices of goods go up. And yet, overall consumer spending looks good. But is the economy actually healthy? buff.ly/NsfkHU7

So … are we feeling the tariffs yet? Like, are tariffs hiking prices at grocery stores and coffee shops? On today’s episode, we get to the bottom of those questions, bust a collectible aardvark doll out of tariff jail and soft launch a soap opera. buff.ly/y7H6WW6

My latest from Planet Money is about the plumbing behind Scott Bessent’s offer to (functionally) loan Argentina $20 billion.

we had our dear @matt-levine.bsky.social on @planetmoney.bsky.social PLUS (our subscription platform) to talk about why Margin Call is the greatest finance movie ever made: www.npr.org/2025/11/18/n...

The US has offered $20 billion to Argentina. Congress didn’t authorize it–the money comes from an obscure Treasury slush fund called the Exchange Stabilization Fund. Where did this fund come from? And how likely is this bet on Argentina to pay off? buff.ly/kcsPx8e

How do Buy Now, Pay Later companies make money from our online shopping? Think Klarna, Afterpay, Affirm. One way is by getting you to spend more money than you normally would. We ask, are these services ever a good deal? And for whom? buff.ly/6qS1jMH

The typical prison job, like being a cook, pays maybe $0.63 cents per hour. In seven states, people in prison don’t have to be paid at all. But now, some prisoners are earning fair market wages while they’re incarcerated. And the pay… can be six figures. buff.ly/QuPkrOv

We're going live now on Zoom to talk about updates on our board game project. Come join Kenny, Erika, and Exploding Kittens. Bring questions. npr.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Reminder: We go live at 3pm ET TODAY to share updates on our Board Game project and take questions. Sign up here: buff.ly/LASbINs

The government shutdown has put millions at risk of losing their SNAP benefits. But, even after the shutdown ends, SNAP will still be in danger in a more permanent way. buff.ly/gJHASpB

24 hours until we go live to talk about the Planet Money board game project. Register here: buff.ly/LASbINs

The U.S. has long been the biggest source of remittances worldwide. But with immigration plummeting and the current ICE crackdowns, we try to figure out why remittances are surging in some countries. And why that surge in money sent home inspires joy – but also fear.

When Russia invaded Ukraine, western countries sanctioned Russian oil. But Russian oil exporters quickly sailed around them, building a shadow fleet of rickety oil tankers to move that sanctioned oil around the world.

I talked with @wailinwong.bsky.social of NPR @planetmoney.bsky.social about the US Administration’s unprecedented policy to slash immigration by high-skill STEM workers Americans can expect diminished innovation, entrepreneurship, and productivity across all sectors www.npr.org/2025/09/30/n...

@planetmoney.bsky.social made a board game! First episode about it is out now. A version of it was tested at my board game day. I love hearing about the industry wide aspiration to create a Monopoly killer. Monopoly is not a great game.🤘 www.npr.org/series/g-s1-...

Episode 2 with @planetmoney.bsky.social is out! Listen to us bring this game to life. You can also download the print-at-home prototype of the game and tell us what you think at planetmoneygame.com

Did you know you can download a prototype of the @planetmoney.bsky.social game? A friend of a friend printed this one. This is the most amazing home print job I’ve seen. He even made a box! Download your copy today at planetmoneygame.com and send us feedback if you’d like! Thanks for sharing Henry

The Treasury basis trade, OR: how the US government got hedge funded, on today's @planetmoney.bsky.social www.npr.org/2025/10/10/n...

Go to planetmoneybook.com to preorder our new book! It's filled with brand-new stories about all the economic forces that affect our lives — it’s everything you love about Planet Money, but in book-form. Preordering gets you one free month of Planet Money+ AND a Limited Edition poster!

The U.S. government spends way more money than it brings in. So, it borrows money – in the form of U.S. treasuries, which it sells on the international bond market in exchange for interest payments.

In 1975, New York City ran out of money. Teachers went on strike. Garbage piled up in the streets. For months, the city teetered on the edge of bankruptcy. On today’s show, the story of how NYC was saved. And how it changed the way the city was run, forever.

We want to hear from people whose jobs are affected by the shutdown. If the government hadn’t shut down, what would you be doing today? What is NOT getting done? How is this affecting you? Share your shutdown story with us: [email protected]. (We might use your note in a show!)