Multilevel marketing – or MLM – first became popular in the period that followed World War II. Since then, millions have tried their luck as salespeople for companies like Amway, Mary Kay, Cutco and Herbalife. MLMs offer themselves as low-cost paths to entrepreneurship, but very few of their participants are able to earn a living wage. A new book Little Bosses Everywhere by Bridget Read traces the history and culture of the MLM industry. In today's episode, Read speaks with NPR's Ayesha Rascoe about why this business model flourishes in economic uncertainty, the unregulated nature of the industry, and the blurred lines between MLMs and pyramid schemes.
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The Indicator from Planet Money - How Trump is making coin from $TRUMP coin
Just before Trump began his second administration in January, he and his business partners launched the $TRUMP coin. It's a meme coin that quickly raked in hundreds of millions of dollars. And there's a lot of earning potential still left on the table. Is any of this legal?
Today on the show, we examine how the $TRUMP coin works and talk to an expert about how the president's meme coin gambit interacts with the Foreign Emoluments Clause of the Constitution.
Related episodes:
How the memecoin game is played
Did Trump enable insider trading?
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Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
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Today on the show, we examine how the $TRUMP coin works and talk to an expert about how the president's meme coin gambit interacts with the Foreign Emoluments Clause of the Constitution.
Related episodes:
How the memecoin game is played
Did Trump enable insider trading?
For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
NPR Privacy Policy
Engines of Our Ingenuity - The Engines of Our Ingenuity 2463: Serendipity
Episode: 2463 Serendipity and the Inventive Mind. Today, not-so-dumb luck.
ATXplained - What’s the history of segregation at Barton Springs Pool?
Austin’s crown jewel has bought people together from all walks of life to enjoy a day in the sun. But before 1962, that wasn’t the case.
The post What’s the history of segregation at Barton Springs Pool? appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.
The World in Brief from The Economist - Trump confronts Ramaphosa; UN accuses Israel of blocking aid, and more
An Oval Office meeting turned testy when Donald Trump showed Cyril Ramaphosa, South Africa’s president, a video purporting to prove unfounded claims of “white genocide” in the African country.
CBS News Roundup - 05/21/2025 | World News Roundup Late Edition
President Trump has a contentious Oval Office meeting with South Africa's president at which he showed a video, claiming genocide of white farmers. Judge says administration is in violation of court order in deportation of immigrants, possibly to war-torn South Sudan. Pentagon accepts gifted Qatari plane. CBS News Correspondent Matt Pieper with tonight's World News Roundup.
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WSJ Minute Briefing - Bitcoin Hits New Intraday Record, Passing Inauguration Day High
Plus: Lowe’s shares drop as the company maintains its outlook and discloses lower sales. Google shares rebound from yesterday’s dip fueled by concerns about AI. T.J. Maxx’s earnings outlook misses expectations due to tariff-affected merchandise. Ariana Aspuru hosts.
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WSJ What’s News - Boycott Over Diversity Dents Target’s Sales
P.M. Edition for May 21. In its first quarter earnings reported today, Target’s sales declined more than analysts expected and the company lowered its outlook for fiscal 2025. WSJ reporter Sarah Nassauer discusses the challenges facing Target’s business. Plus, a meeting between President Trump and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa grew tense over Trump’s unsubstantiated claims that white South Africans were the victims of a possible genocide. And a report from the Boston Fed examines potential risks of the rapidly expanding nonbank lending, which is often financed by banks. Platform editor Isaac Taylor breaks down what that means. Alex Ossola hosts.
Boycotting Target: A WSJ Podcast Series
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Audio Poem of the Day - I Had a Pet Rabbit
By Sarah Burgoyne
WSJ Minute Briefing - Target Sales Hit by DEI Boycott
Plus: Nvidia CEO Huang says U.S. export controls on advanced chips to China have failed. And Crusoe’s Texas data center for OpenAI secures $11.6 billion in funding to expand from two to eight buildings. Alex Ossola hosts.
Boycotting Target: A WSJ Podcast Series
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