Category: Series

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More or Less: Behind the Stats - Is JD Vance right about left-wing violence?

On September the 10th 2025, right-wing political activist and media personality Charlie Kirk was assassinated while speaking at an event in Utah. In the aftermath, his friend JD Vance, the US Vice President, hosted a special memorial edition of ‘The Charlie Kirk Show’, live from the White House, during which he called for unity, but said that could only be found by “climbing the mountain of truth”.

“While our side of the aisle certainly has its crazies, it is a statistical fact that most of the lunatics in American politics today are proud members of the far left,” he said. We investigate the statistical evidence around political violence – both in people’s attitudes and the crimes themselves.

Presenter: Tim Harford Reporter: Lizzy McNeill Series producer: Tom Colls Sound mix: Hal Haines Editor: Richard Vadon

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The Indicator from Planet Money - The Fed cuts rates, America’s FICO dips, and forever ends for sweepstakes winners

It’s … Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news. 

On today’s show: A rate cut and drama at the Federal Reserve, the average American gets a little less creditworthy, and those giant check sweepstakes winners? Well, they might have to get a job soon. 

Related episodes: Why an aggressive rate cut could backfire on Trump Trump's unprecedented attack on the Fed What goes into a credit score? 


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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Cato Podcast - Free Speech and Domestic Tranquility

Are Americans becoming dangerously tolerant of political violence? After Charlie Kirk’s assassination, our Cato panel looks at trends in public opinion, past episodes of political terrorism, and new risks to free expression. Plus, Milei’s electoral setback in Buenos Aires province—what now for Argentina's libertarian experiment?


Alex Nowrasteh, "Politically Motivated Violence Is Rare in the United States," September 11, 2025.

Emily Ekins, "The State of Free Speech and Tolerance in America," October 2017 Survey Report.

YouGov, "What Americans really think about political violence," September 12, 2025.

Ian Vasquez, "Deregulation in Argentina." Spring 2025.

Lorenzo Bernaldo de Quirós, "Argentine President Milei Should Let the Peso Float," September 17, 2025.

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Curious City - Is your local mall dying, thriving or evolving?

Malls hold a special spot in the hearts of many Americans of a certain age. One may have been the setting for your first date, the place you caught a now-classic summer blockbuster, or even a daycare of sorts after mom dropped you off with a few friends (and maybe a few bucks). In our last episode, we looked back at the history of Chicago’s Ford City Mall and the heyday of mall culture in America: the 1980s and 1990s. In this episode, we look at how malls are doing today with Stephanie Cegielski, vice president of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC). She says reports of the death of the mall are overblown, that malls are adapting to a new era by offering experiences, and that Gen Z is playing a large role in malls’ resilience. Cegielski cites an ICSC survey of over 1,000 people aged 16-26 that found 60% of respondents say they visit malls just to socialize or meet friends, even if they don’t need to purchase something specific. “We just asked them blankly, ‘Do you still go to the mall?’” Cegielski said. “And the short answer was yes.”
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The Indicator from Planet Money - Why “free” public education doesn’t always include school supplies

Back-to-school supplies are getting more expensive … so why are parents and teachers at public schools expected to foot the bill? Today on the show: An economist explains how the cost of school supplies fits into the larger history of public school funding, and what one school district is doing differently. 

Related episodes: 

A food fight over free school lunch 

Mailbag: Children Edition 


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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Cato Podcast - The Rise of University Administration

When Syracuse University forced its social work faculty to partner with a for-profit corporation that takes two-thirds of online tuition revenue, professor Kenneth Corvo began investigating where student money actually goes in higher education. His findings reveal a systemic problem across American universities: more administrators than faculty at the college level, expanding bureaucracies focused on "student experience" and compliance, and minimal transparency about how tuition dollars are spent. The discussion with Cato's Walter Olson traces how federal funding, regulatory requirements, and the erosion of scientific rigor have combined to create institutions that increasingly fail their core educational mission.

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