Link: https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2018/01/12/577710151/the-recession-predictor
Summary: There appears to be fear that another recession is approaching the United States, but what are the warning signs for the country’s economy? From talks about inflation, interest rates, and borrowing, the yield curve is known to be a powerful and the most accurate predictor of recessions.
Original Air Date: January 12, 2018
Length: 9 minutes 5 seconds
Link: http://www.marketplace.org/2016/03/21/world/venezuela-hot-dog
Summary: Marketplace breaks down the complexities of the Venezuelan economy using the local pepito as a metaphor to explore inflation and the impacts of an oil-dependent economy.
Original Air Date: March 23, 2016
Length: 3 minutes 16 seconds
Summary: The Planet Money team investigates how the price of a Coke was able to stay at 5¢ for 70 years. In finding the explanation, the Planet Money team also considers the reasons for Coke’s global success.
Original Air Date: November 18, 2015
Length: 19 minutes 7 seconds
Link: http://www.npr.org/sections/money/2015/10/23/451228005/episode-659-how-to-make-3-trillion-disappear
Summary: The Planet Money team discusses the end of quantitative easing – how it works and how it is coming to an end. A particular focus is how this process will impact commercial banks and their clients.
Original Air Date: October 26, 2015
Length: 15 minutes 25 seconds
Link: http://www.npr.org/sections/money/2015/11/20/456855788/episode-664-the-great-inflation
Summary: In this Podcast, high inflation in the 70’s and 80’s is examined in depth. The Planet Money team find there is more to inflation than just a surplus of money in the economy.
Original Air Date: November 21, 2015
Length: 24 minutes 45 seconds
Link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2014/10/03/353300404/episode-573-why-textbook-prices-keep-climbing
Summary: Something strange is going on in the textbook market. The price has steeply increased over the past decade–and they’re only getting higher. There is a disconnect between the chooser (the professors) and the buyers (the students). Technically, the professor is the consumer, and they’re spending their students’ money. The podcast offers the opposite: high school textbooks, where costs are kept low because the books are paid for by the schools.
Original Air Date: October 3, 2014
Length: 14 minutes 56 seconds
Discussion Question/ Prompt: Propose a solution to the rising textbook price problem. (Example: a price ceiling? professor awareness of prices? incentives for lower prices?)
Link: http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2014/11/28/366793693/episode-586-how-stuff-gets-cheaper
Summary: The Planet Money team looks at how some things get cheaper over time. The podcast hosts visit a company called Monoprice, whose job it is to find out ways to make things cheaper–in other words, a lot of detective work.
Original Air Date: November 28, 2014
Length: 14 minutes 11 seconds
Prompt: Write a brief letter to Monoprice with your thoughts on their job. Is it efficient? Is it cost-productive?
