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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Audio Mises Wire - Charlie Kirk and the Sacred Totem of Civil Rights

One of the reasons Charlie Kirk was considered "divisive" was that he spoke out against the civil rights laws, which was interpreted as his supporting Jim Crow segregation. Yet, these laws did not increase liberty but rather imposed a new progressive vision on Americans.

Original article: https://mises.org/mises-wire/charlie-kirk-and-sacred-totem-civil-rights

More or Less: Behind the Stats - Is it true that out-of-work benefits have almost doubled?

Tim Harford investigates some of the numbers in the news. This week:

Nigel Farage says 6.5 million people are on out-of-work benefits – with some benefits up 80% since 2018. Are those numbers right?

Do French pensioners really earn more than their working-age compatriots?

How is it possible for one kilogram of fish food to produce one kilogram of salmon?

And do we really have five senses?

If you’ve seen a number you think we should take a look at, email the team: moreorless@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Tim Harford Reporter: Lizzy McNeill Producer: Nicholas Barrett Series producer: Tom Colls Production co-ordinator: Maria Ogundele Sound mix: Neil Churchill Editor: Richard Vadon

The Indicator from Planet Money - The crypto market is hot. But is it an illusion?

There has been an inordinate amount of trading activity recently in the crypto markets. But what if much of that activity was an illusion? A smokescreen? A fraud? Today on the show, we look at the practice of wash trading, and how it’s evolved in the crypto world. 

Related episodes: 
The fake market in crypto 

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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The Indicator from Planet Money - Why the Federal Reserve wants to avoid an aggressive rate cut

The Federal Reserve is expected to make a modest cut to interest rates this week of about a quarter or half a percentage point. President Trump, however, believes they should take a far more aggressive approach: a 3-percentage point cut. 

Today on the show, we examine what a 3-percentage point cut would actually look like, and why that outcome would likely backfire on the president. Related episodes: 

It's hard out there for a Fed chair 

Should presidents have more of a say in interest rates? 

Can the Federal Reserve stay independent? 

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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