Archive for the ‘Planet Money’ Category
Link: https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2018/01/30/581923542/weed-gdp
Summary: Ever wonder what goods and services contributes significantly to a country’s economy? GDP is the basic measure that does just that and, in this podcast, the director general of Statistics Canada goes on a journey to determine the figures that represent marijuana’s contribution to Canada’s GDP to see the economic effects of marijuana legalization within the country.
Original Air Date: January 30, 2018
Length: 6 minutes 4 seconds
Link: https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2018/02/07/584032956/obama-trump-and-trade
Summary: THE INDICATOR discusses the Trump administration trade policy thus far regarding the tariffs on solar panels and washing machines that were implemented during Obama’s administration. How much of an impact do tariffs actually make on a country’s economy, if they do at all?
Original Air Date: February 7, 2018
Length: 5 minutes 18 seconds
Link: http://www.npr.org/2017/10/12/557444669/northern-california-wildfires-destroy-thousands-of-businesses
Summary: There are many factors that can damage businesses, but not all businesses can say that mother nature is a leading factor in disrupting their operations. Winery businesses located in Sonoma and Napa counties are the main focus of this podcast, discussing how Northern California wildfires have made business owners realize just how detrimental they are to not only the future of their businesses, but to them and their employees as well.
Original Air Date: October 12, 2017
Length: 3 minutes 34 seconds
Link: http://www.npr.org/2017/10/13/557628589/equifax-hack-brings-renewed-attention-to-the-credit-reporting-industry
Summary: There are hundreds of millions of consumers who receive their credit reports from Equifax, but with the recent announcement of a cyber-security breach caused by hackers, what does that now mean for the agency? In this podcast, the Planet Money team discusses the roots of how the multi-billion-dollar industry came to be. One may think that the large hack will only pose a threat to individuals’ identities, but think about how it can negatively impact the economy as well.
Original Air Date: October 13, 2017
Length: 3 minutes 37 seconds
Link: http://www.npr.org/sections/money/2017/10/13/557645729/episode-800-north-koreas-capitalists?utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=bufferffd48&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
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?
Link: http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/09/13/550607440/organic-industry-sues-to-push-animal-welfare-rules
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/2017/10/11/556973877/fed-s-departing-vice-chair-on-stocks-the-federal-debt-and-transparency
Summary: In this podcast, economics meets finance. We learn how Stanley Fischer, the departing vice chair of the Fed, connects interest rates to the stock market, how he views the level of transparency of the Fed, and we learn his input on how the country’s economy has been functioning as a whole.
Original Air Date: October 11, 2017
Length: 5 minutes 28 seconds
