Link: https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2018/01/19/579231506/therise-and-fall-and-rise-of-oil-prices
Summary: Oil prices have been fluctuating over the years, but when there is a price increase, many people may experience increases in the price of gas, heating, or a flight ticket back home as well. With the volatility of oil prices, what does this mean for determining future prices of oil and will these prices ever stabilize?
Original Air Date: January 19, 2018
Length: 7 minutes 4 seconds
Link: http://www.marketplace.org/2016/03/21/world/melinda-gates
Summary: Work around the house and for the family is unpaid work and mostly done by women. This reduces their labor force participation and ultimately hurts the GDP of a country. Melinda Gates suggests reducing the work through innovation for the developing countries and redistributing the work amongst partners for developed countries. Higher levels of equity between the sexes will contribute to a stronger social fabric and economy.
Original Air Date: March 23, 2016
Length: 8 minutes and 29 seconds
Link: https://www.marketplace.org/2017/10/10/health-care/cost-military-transgender-care-in-spotlight
Summary: In light of the cost of transgender health care, President Trump has advised the Department of Defense to eliminate transition-related care for veterans and active duty transgender troops due to potential high costs that the U.S. can face. Though, in this podcast, one argues that the actual expenses will come from firing perfectly competent transgender troops and training future armed forces. Morality, gender issues, and politics are factors that clash together in this podcast.
Original Air Date: October 10, 2017
Length: 2 minutes 35 seconds
Summary: Learn about a little group in North Korea, called the ‘donju.’ The economic prosperity that they developed went on to support the country’s nuclear program and contributed to the growth of their economy. This was all made possible when Kim Jong Un began allowing consultants from overseas to educate North Korean entrepreneurs on accounting, trade, and management. They did this without daring to actually call it a spread of capitalism, as North Korea still remains a strict socialist country.
Original Air Date: October 13, 2017
Length: 24 minutes 25 seconds
Discussion prompt (1): Having listened to this podcast, what type of economic system do you think North Korea has? What impact do you think this system has on people, businesses and the government. Use specific examples from the podcast to support your answer.
Discussion Prompt (2): The podcast points out that in N Korea’s economic system “the state technically owns everything.” How does this impact the ‘Donju’? Think particularly how it impacts the incentives they face to start and grow a business (contributing to economic development).
Discussion Prompt (3): Why would entrepreneurship not be something typically observed in a Centrally Planned/Socialist country? How are the economic incentives of this system related to this lack of entrepreneurship? According to this podcast, how did the economic actions of the Donju contribute to economic growth in N. Korea?
Summary: There is a thoughtful process behind the eggs that a consumer purchases from the grocery store. In this podcast, organic industries argue that meeting the basic needs of birds is crucial. This includes providing chickens the access to the outdoors where they can freely roam. As it is in everybody’s interest to shop for organic eggs from chickens that are “cage-free”, the organic industry demands the U.S. Department of Agriculture to implement new rules regarding animal welfare.
Original Air Date: September 13, 2017
Length: 2 minutes 32 seconds
Link: http://www.npr.org/2017/09/13/550607377/how-the-minimum-wage-affects-restaurant-hygiene
Summary: Cities across the U.S. have been making efforts to increase the minimum wage, which would impact restaurant workers. However, this move results to unexpected side effects due to the higher costs that restaurants will have to face, leading them to cut back on some services. This story discusses how the effects on increasing the minimum wage ties with the hygiene of restaurants and suggests potential steps that the restaurants can take to minimize their health violations.
Original Air Date: September 13, 2017
Length: 3 minutes 35 seconds
Link: https://www.marketplace.org/shows/marketplace-tech/04262017-mtech
Summary: Hacktivism is a topic for debate with the latest flurry of activity on the internet. Marketplace interviews a former hacktivist, who served time, but now is at a security firm. They discuss the value of hacktivism, and how technology’s role affects government. Also discussed is Phoenix’s rise as a technology hub, with autonomous cars being tested in Arizona.
Original Air Date: April 26, 2017
Length: 7 minutes 25 seconds
Link: 