In 2009, Bitcoin launched as the first cryptocurrency. Just under two decades, President Trump has signed an executive order to create the "Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and United States Digital Asset Stockpile." On today's show, we look at what the U.S. government plans for this new strategy, plus who benefits from a crypto reserve.
Related episodes: Is an American sovereign wealth fund such a bad idea? (Apple / Spotify) Is 'government crypto' a good idea? (Apple / Spotify)
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Every March, the United States experiences a period known as March Madness. It is the time when college basketball teams compete for a national championship.
The process of crowning a national champion is a months-long process where teams vie for a chance to make the national tournament.
From there, in theory, every team that makes the big dance has a shot at becoming a champion. All you have to do is win five, or maybe six, consecutive games.
Learn more about March Madness and how the NCAA Basketball tournament works on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.
Thirty years ago, the U.S. helped create the World Trade Organization, a group of countries linked by a common set of free trade agreements. But then the U.S., starting with the Obama administration, turned against the WTO. This leaves a void where there should be a referee to settle trade disputes between countries. On today's show, how American grievances paralyzed the WTO's dispute settlement system and what happens when the U.S. no longer wants to play by the rules it once agreed to.
Related listening: A polite message from Canada to the U.S. (Apple / Spotify) Trump's contradictory trade policies (Apple / Spotify) Worst. Tariffs. Ever. (Update) (Apple / Spotify)
For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
In a new memoir, Olympic gymnast Jordan Chiles describes moments of deep uncertainty in her storied career. For example, there was a time in her mid-teens when she considered quitting the sport. But a pivotal conversation with friend and future teammate Simone Biles encouraged her to continue. I'm That Girl details other challenges in Chiles' career, like being scrutinized for her appearance – and her hair in particular. In today's episode, the gymnast talks with NPR's Juana Summers about the difficulty of losing a bronze medal on a technicality, life as a student-athlete at UCLA, and Chiles' thoughts on the 2028 Olympics.
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Episode: 2075 Rudolph Ackerman and his amazing chronicles of 19th-century art and technology. Today, architectural historian Margaret Culbertson tells us about a great chronicler of technology and art.
China has set out its target for economic growth this year: around 5 percent. That's a hefty goal for a nation coming off a painful real estate slump. But leaders have their eyes set on other industries to help its economy grow. Today, we dig into the headwinds and tailwinds facing China's economy.
Related episodes: The mess at the heart of China's economy (Apple / Spotify) The race to produce lithium (Apple / Spotify) What's really happening with the Evergrande liquidation (Apple / Spotify)
For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
All of you are familiar with the ABCs. It is one of the very first things that children are taught.
Not only are they taught the letters that comprise the alphabet, but they are also, usually at the same time, taught the order of the alphabet.
The order of the alphabet is something that is so ingrained that most of us usually don’t even think about it. Yet, if you think about it, the order of the letters is completely arbitrary, but if we didn’t have an order, our world would be very different.
Learn more about why the alphabet is in alphabetical order on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.