2024 was a wild year for the U.S. economy: The economy did well in terms of inflation and unemployment, but vibes ruled the roost. (Mostly didn't feel great!) Additionally, Bitcoin went to the moon and some wacky stuff was happening with unemployment and job opening rates, showing that we might have achieved an economic soft landing.
So ... which of these economic stories defined the year?
Our hosts from Planet Money and The Indicator duke it out in ... Family Feud!
Tell us who you think won today's episode by submitting your vote to Planet Money's Instagram or email us with "Family Feud" in the subject line.
For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
About 25 years ago, Fernet-Branca went from a somewhat eclectic drink, shared among the city's old school bartenders, to one of the most iconic spirits in San Francisco. Its polarizing taste profile has been compared to Vicks NyQuil and VapoRub on one end of the spectrum, to a delightful Christmas Tree or Chinese herbs on the other end. How did this divisive Italian spirit work its way into the hearts of San Franciscans? Bay Curious producer Amanda Font bellies up to the bar to find out.
This story was reported by Amanda Font. Kelly O'Mara contributed. Bay Curious is made by Olivia Allen-Price, Amanda Font, Ana De Almedia Amaral and Christopher Beale. Additional support from Jen Chien, Katie Sprenger, Maha Sanad, Holly Kernan and the whole KQED family.
Go to quince.com/daily for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order!
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A new cookbook from America's Test Kitchen pays homage to the diverse communities of women who have defined food in the American South. When Southern Women Cook includes recipes and accompanying culinary histories from women with a variety of backgrounds. Each of the book's 14 chapters opens with an essay from a historian, author or chef that goes deep on a recipe's backstory or cultural context. In today's episode, co-authors Toni Tipton-Martin and Morgan Bolling join Here & Now's Robin Young to talk about the project. They discuss the physical and cultural boundaries of the South, restoration of recipes like Aunt Jule's Pie, and permanent slaw.
To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday
The "silver tsunami" of aging Americans is often seen as a potential way to alleviate the country's housing affordability woes. However, the data suggests that an influx of empty-nester homes coming on the market won't have much of an impact on the problem—because of a geographical mismatch.
Today on the show, we speak to an economist who's looked into the silver tsunami's impact on the housing market and thinks this theory might be more of a red herring.
The First World War was one of the most devastating conflicts in human history.
When the armistice was signed on November 11, 1918, the fighting might have stopped, but the impact of the war continued.
Today, over a century after the war concluded, it can still be felt. Not in the third or fourth-order geopolitical ramifications but in the literal ground where the people of Belgium and France live and work.
Learn more about Zone Rouge, the Iron Harvest, and the lingering effects of the First World War on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.
Go to quince.com/daily for 365-day returns, plus free shipping on your order!
ButcherBox
New users that sign up for ButcherBox will receive 2lbs of grass fed ground beef in every box for the lifetime of their subscription + $20 off your first box when you use code daily at checkout!
After a high school English teacher introduced Alizah Holstein to Dante's Divine Comedy, the Italian capital Rome became the first place she wanted to go. Rome's rich history was the one thing she wanted to study most. As an adult, she did spend time researching and exploring in Rome, believing that becoming a Roman historian was her destiny. But while working on her Ph.D. back in the U.S., Holstein came face to face with gender biases in academia – and she pivoted to another, wholly different path. In today's episode, Holstein speaks with NPR's Robin Young about her memoir My Roman History, the gender biases she encountered, and how Rome has continued to be a city that inspires wonder in her.
To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday