During the pandemic, mostly unregulated lenders went after struggling restaurants and music venues, charging at times sky high rates. Now, they’ve found a new market: small businesses that desperately need cash to pay tariffs.
Today on the show, the story of a financial lifeline that can turn into a financial choke hold.
Come see Planet Money live on stage in April! 12 cities. Details and tix here: https://tix.to/pm-book-tour.
Related episodes:
Can I get my tariff money back now?
Three ways companies are getting around tariffs
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.
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Consider This from NPR - Four years in, war in Ukraine grinds on. Is that what Russians want?
Russian planners and Western intelligence predicted the invasion of Ukraine would be quick and decisive. Of course, Kyiv did not fall quickly - and still hasn’t.
In the four years since Russia first invaded, the Kremlin’s so-called “special military operation” has evolved into the deadliest conflict on the European continent since World War II. According to Western governments and think tanks, more than 1.5 million people are dead.
And throughout the war, one of the biggest questions has been, is this what Russian people want?
For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
This episode was produced by Christine Arrasmith, Mia Venkat and Connor Donevan, with audio engineering by Stacey Abbott. It was edited by Nick Spicer and Sarah Handel. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
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In the four years since Russia first invaded, the Kremlin’s so-called “special military operation” has evolved into the deadliest conflict on the European continent since World War II. According to Western governments and think tanks, more than 1.5 million people are dead.
And throughout the war, one of the biggest questions has been, is this what Russian people want?
For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
This episode was produced by Christine Arrasmith, Mia Venkat and Connor Donevan, with audio engineering by Stacey Abbott. It was edited by Nick Spicer and Sarah Handel. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:
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The Ezra Klein Show - I Asked a Former Trump Official to Justify This War
I’m opposed to this war. The Trump administration did not consult the American public or try to persuade Congress before authorizing the strikes on Iran. I don’t think the administration is prepared for what the strikes might unleash.
But I wanted to try to understand President Trump’s decisions from the perspective of somebody much friendlier to his foreign policy. Nadia Schadlow is a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and served as a deputy national security adviser during Trump’s first term. She led the drafting and publication of the 2017 National Security Strategy of the United States.
In this conversation, Schadlow gives the conservative case for war with Iran, and for attacking without first building support in Congress or with the public. And I ask her how she squares Trump the candidate, who ran on a promise of not starting new wars, with the Trump of today, who’s deposed two heads of state since the start of 2026, and now says he won’t rule out boots on the ground in Iran. Is there a consistent worldview here? Or did Trump change?
Mentioned:
“National Security Strategy of the United States of America”
War and the Art of Governance by Nadia Schadlow
“The Globalist Delusion” by Nadia Schadlow
“The Great Lie of War” with Ben Rhodes on “The Ezra Klein Show”
Book Recommendations:
America in the World by Robert B. Zoellick
The Mystery of Capital by Hernando De Soto
The Peacemaker by William Inboden
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Thoughts? Guest suggestions? Email us at ezrakleinshow@nytimes.com.
You can find transcripts (posted midday) and more episodes of “The Ezra Klein Show” at nytimes.com/ezra-klein-podcast, and you can find Ezra on Twitter @ezraklein. Book recommendations from all our guests are listed at https://www.nytimes.com/article/ezra-klein-show-book-recs.
This episode of “The Ezra Klein Show” was produced by Annie Galvin. Fact-checking by Michelle Harris with Mary Marge Locker and Kate Sinclair. Our senior engineer is Jeff Geld, with additional mixing by Aman Sahota. Our executive producer is Claire Gordon. The show’s production team also includes Marie Cascione, Rollin Hu, Kristin Lin, Emma Kehlbeck, Jack McCordick, Marina King and Jan Kobal. Original music by Pat McCusker. Audience strategy by Kristina Samulewski and Shannon Busta. The director of New York Times Opinion Audio is Annie-Rose Strasser.
Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.
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Pod Save America - Trump Says War Is Over, Vows to Keep Fighting
The war in Iran enters its second week and Donald Trump declares that it's about to end — and also that it's going to last a very long time. Jon, Tommy, and Lovett react to the president's conflicting statements, the cascading global energy crisis he created, and the way Republicans — especially warmonger Lindsey Graham — are reacting to the war. Then, they discuss why some Democrats are hesitant to cut off funding for the strikes, the administration's arrests of American citizens protesting its deportation campaign, and the Trump sons' new business venture: drone warfare. Then, Tommy talks to Congressman Pat Ryan, an Iraq War veteran, about our new war and what Democrats can do to oppose it.
For a closed-captioned version of this episode, click here. For a transcript of this episode, please email transcripts@crooked.com and include the name of the podcast.
The Indicator from Planet Money - Will Trump’s shipping insurance plan work?
More than a thousand ships are stranded outside the Strait of Hormuz, bobbing in the water. A big reason? Insurance. War insurance premiums have skyrocketed since the war with Iran began. It’s an add-on that covers things regular insurance doesn’t, like missile strikes. And shippers don’t want to foot the bill or put their crews at risk. Cue the traffic jam.
On today’s show, how a critical trade chokepoint became the parking lot of the sea. And taking stock of President Trump’s plan to offer reinsurance to get these ships sailing again.
Related episodes:
How the 'shadow fleet' helps Russia skirt sanctions
Will Iran block the Strait of Hormuz?
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.
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On today’s show, how a critical trade chokepoint became the parking lot of the sea. And taking stock of President Trump’s plan to offer reinsurance to get these ships sailing again.
Related episodes:
How the 'shadow fleet' helps Russia skirt sanctions
Will Iran block the Strait of Hormuz?
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.
To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
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The Commentary Magazine Podcast - Whack-a-Mullah
Today we discuss conflicting statements regarding the end of the Iran war, the progress of the American and Israeli attacks, reports that the new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei has already been eliminated, fluctuating oil prices surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, and the debate around "boots on the ground." Plus, CNN's awful tweet on the attempted IED attack outside Gracie Mansion in NYC, and the Mamdanis hosting Mahmoud Khalil for Ramadan.
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Chapo Trap House - 1017 – Mogging in Agharta feat. Will Sommer (3/9/26)
Will Sommer returns to the show to talk more about the Iran War, this time through the lens of a rapidly fragmenting Republican elite. We discuss the war between the Israel skeptics like Tucker Carlson and the hawks like Mark Levine, and how this ties into a hijacked shipment of nicotine pouches and the transvestigation of Laura Loomer. We also talk about Candace Owens’ docuseries on Erika Kirk, another leaked racist groupchat, and the emerging multiracial coalition of White Supremacy.
Follow Will Sommer on Twitter/X: https://x.com/willsommer
And check out his newsletter False Flag: https://www.thebulwark.com/s/false-flag
Consider This from NPR - What’s the war in Iran costing American consumers?
Americans are paying more for gas than they were a week ago.
On Sunday, the price of oil hit $118 a barrel. It's since come down from those highs, but remains up sharply from the pre-war price of $70.
The price is being pushed up by disruption to oil supply out of the Persian Gulf – The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, typically handles around 20 million barrels of oil a day – close to a fifth of global oil consumption.
But the war has brought tanker traffic in the Strait to basically a standstill.
For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
This episode was produced by Mia Venkat.
It was edited by Courtney Dorning, Kara Platoni and Luis Clemens.
Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
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On Sunday, the price of oil hit $118 a barrel. It's since come down from those highs, but remains up sharply from the pre-war price of $70.
The price is being pushed up by disruption to oil supply out of the Persian Gulf – The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, typically handles around 20 million barrels of oil a day – close to a fifth of global oil consumption.
But the war has brought tanker traffic in the Strait to basically a standstill.
For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
This episode was produced by Mia Venkat.
It was edited by Courtney Dorning, Kara Platoni and Luis Clemens.
Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
NPR Privacy Policy
The Commentary Magazine Podcast - Manufacturing Dissent
Today we discuss the media's eagerness to declare the Iran war a failure a mere eight days into the conflict, the failed IED attack on protesters in New York City, and Zohran Mamdani's wife's online support for the October 7 attack. Plus, John recommends the film It Was Just An Accident by Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi.
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Bad Faith - Episode 556 Promo – Big Tech’s Attack on Anonymity (w/ Taylor Lorenz)
Subscribe to Bad Faith on Patreon to instantly unlock this episode and our entire premium episode library: http://patreon.com/badfaithpodcast
They're calling it "age verification" and touting it as a measure to protect children. But, as is the case with most moral panics, the children are a pretext. New laws are being implemented around the globe to require citizens to provide identification to use the internet, meaning anonymity is dying and the risk of being targeted for one's formerly-anonymous beliefs or "likes" are growing. This is a largely bipartisan effort that has the potential to lead to a Minority Report-style crackdown on "pre-crime" based on online expressions of belief. Tech journalist Taylor Lorenz is ringing the alarm bell. Will the public resist before it's too late?
Subscribe to Bad Faith on YouTube for video of this episode. Find Bad Faith on Twitter (@badfaithpod) and Instagram (@badfaithpod).
Produced by Armand Aviram.
Theme by Nick Thorburn (@nickfromislands).