Category: 3-EconSometimeCommentary

Today on the show – our crypto president. Just before President Donald Trump began his second administration in January, he and his business partners launched the $TRUMP coin. It's a memecoin that quickly raked in hundreds of millions of dollars. And there's a lot of earning potential still left on the table. Is that even legal?

We bring you two stories from our daily show, The Indicator about President Trump and his ties to crypto. First, the Trump coin. We explain what it is, how the real Donald Trump profits from it, and yes, whether this whole crypto scheme is within the law. Then we take a look at Stablecoins: how they work, how they make money, and for whom.

The original episodes from The Indicator were produced by Cooper Katz McKim and Corey Bridges. They were engineered by Harry Paul and Robert Rodriguez. They were fact-checked by Sierra Juarez. Kate Concannon edits the show. This episode of Planet Money was produced by James Sneed and edited by Emma Peaslee. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money's executive producer.

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Every year, America celebrates its independence with millions of dollars worth of explosives imported from China. Zachary Crockett lights a fuse and backs away quickly.

 

• SOURCES:
  • JJ Brau, fireworks coordinator for J&M Displays.
  • Mark Johnson, vice president of J&M Displays.

 

• RESOURCES:
  • "The explosive history of fireworks, from ancient China to Revolutionary America," by Joe Hernandez (NPR, 2024).
  • "July 4 fireworks fiasco solved – technically," by Jonathan Horn (The San Diego Union-Tribune, 2016).
  • "The Fireworks King," by Damian Paletta and Emily Rauhala (The Washington Post, 2018).
  • "Exploding The Mystery Of Blue Fireworks," by Short Wave (2013).
  • "How Do Fireworks Make Shapes?" by Natalie Wolchover (Live Science, 2011).

 

• EXTRAS:
  • "Agreement Between The City of Rapid City and J&M Displays, Inc. for Annual Fireworks Displays" (2023).

Over the last few months U.S.-China trade relations have been pretty hard to make sense of – unless you look at what's happening through the lens of game theory. Game theory is all about how decisions are made, based not just on one side's options and payoffs, but on the choices and incentives of others.

So, are Donald Trump and Xi Jinping competing in a simple game of chicken? Or is the game more like the prisoner's dilemma? On today's show, we try to decide which of four possibilities might be the best model for this incredibly high-stakes game. And we take a look at who is playing well and who might need to adjust their strategy.

For more on the U.S.-China trade war:

- The 145% tariff already did its damage
- What happened to U.S. farmers during the last trade war
- What "Made in China" actually means

This show was hosted by Keith Romer and Amanda Aronczyk. It was produced by Sam Yellowhorse Kesler. It was edited by Jess Jiang, fact-checked by Sierra Juarez and engineered by Kwesi Lee with help from Robert Rodriguez and Cena Lofreddo. Additional production help from Sylvie Douglis. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money's executive producer.

Find more Planet Money: Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / Our weekly Newsletter.

Listen free at these links: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the NPR app or anywhere you get podcasts.

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Austan Goolsbee, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, is less reserved than the average banker. He explains why vibes are overrated, why the Fed’s independence is non-negotiable, and why tariffs could bring the economy back to the Covid era.

The post “Fault-Finder Is a Minimum-Wage Job” appeared first on Freakonomics.

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We revisit four interviews from our 2023 series on failure. To get subscriber-only episodes, sign up for SiriusXM Podcasts+ on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus.

The post Fail Again. Fail Better. appeared first on Freakonomics.

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American universities are where people go to learn and teach. They're also where research and development happens. Over the past eight decades, universities have received billions in federal dollars to help that happen. Those dollars have contributed to innovations like: Drone technology. Inhalable Covid vaccines. Google search code.

The Trump administration is cutting or threatening to cut federal funding for research. Federal funding for all kinds of science is at its lowest level in decades.

Today on the show: when did the government start funding research at universities? And will massive cuts mean the end of universities as we know them?

We hear from the man who first pushed the government to fund university research and we talk to the chancellor of a big research school, Washington University in St. Louis. He opens up his books to show us how his school gets funded and what it would mean if that funding went away.

This episode is part of our series Pax Americana, about how the Trump administration and others are challenging a set of post-World War II policies that placed the U.S. at the center of the economic universe. Listen to our episode about the reign of the dollar.

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Listen free at these links: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the NPR app or anywhere you get podcasts.

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On this episode, Erwin Dekker chats with Director Tomasz Agencki on the making of "Notes on the Margin" (2024), a full length documentary on the life and legacy of Carl Menger, founder of Austrian economics. Despite limited archival material and conflicting accounts, Agencki crafts a visually rich story highlighting Menger’s intellectual journey and reformist spirit.

Tomasz Agencki is a freedom-focused movie maker who travels around the world to cooperate with like-minded creators. Agencki has over 15 years of experience in film and tv production, directs and films many of his own documentaries, and is a professional audiobook voice artist. Watch Agencki's “How Sweden Quit Smoking” (2024) or find his other works here.

If you like the show, please subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and tell others about the show! We're available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and wherever you get your podcasts.

Virtual Sentiments, a podcast series from the Hayek Program, is streaming. Subscribe today and listen to season three, releasing now!

Follow the Hayek Program on Twitter: @HayekProgram

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CC Music: Twisterium

These glistening round gemstones have come a long way since your grandmother's time, but procuring them is still a lot of work. The world is Zachary Crockett’s oyster.

 

• SOURCES:
  • Jeremy Shepherd, C.E.O. of Pearl Paradise.
  • James Brown, owner of Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm.

 

• RESOURCES:
  • "Pearls Have Acquired a New Luster Among Young Designers," by Victoria Gomelsky (New York Times, 2024).
  • "The Value of Pearls: A Historical Review and Current Trends," by Akitsugu Sato and Laurent Cartier (GemGuide, 2022).
  • "From Single Source to Global Free Market: The Transformation of The Cultured Pearl Industry," by Russell Shor (Gems & Geology, 2007).

 

You might have seen these texts before. The scam starts innocently enough. Maybe it's a "Long time no see" or "Hello" or "How are you." For investigative reporter Zeke Faux it was – "Hi David, I'm Vicky Ho. Don't you remember me?"

Many people ignore them. But Zeke responded. He wanted to get scammed. This led him on a journey halfway around the world to find out who is sending him random wrong number texts and why. After you hear this story, you'll never look at these messages the same way again.

To hear the full episode check out Search Engine's website.

Search Engine was created by P.J. Vogt and Sruthi Pinnamaneni. This episode was produced by Garrott Graham and Noah John. It was fact-checked by Sean Merchant. Theme, original composition, and mixing by Armin Bazarian. Search Engine's executive producers are Jenna Weiss-Berman and Leah Reis-Dennis.

Find more Planet Money: Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / Our weekly Newsletter.

Listen free at these links: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the NPR app or anywhere you get podcasts.

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Just beneath the surface of the global economy, there is a hidden layer of dealmakers for whom war, chaos, and sanctions can be a great business opportunity. Javier Blas and Jack Farchy, the authors of The World for Sale, help us shine a light on the shadowy realm of commodity traders.

The post The Most Powerful People You’ve Never Heard Of appeared first on Freakonomics.

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