Curious City - Bodegas, ‘The Bear’ and why family business is the ‘backbone of the economy’

When you think of a family business, one of two images probably comes to mind: either the mom and pop shop around the corner or the dysfunctional family from “Succession.” But actually, “it could be anything,” says Jennifer M. Pendergast, family enterprise consultant and professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Last episode, we looked into the oldest family business in Chicago. And this got us thinking about family enterprise in general: Why do family members end up in business together? What happens when they do? Should they? Curious City’s Erin Allen sat down with Pendergast to talk about this, plus why she says family business is the “backbone of the economy.”

The Indicator from Planet Money - Who’s powering nuclear energy’s comeback?

Nuclear energy hasn't been a growing industry in decades. But now, it seems to be making a comeback. This week, the Biden administration announced a goal to triple nuclear energy capacity in the US by 2050. And over the past few months, Amazon, Microsoft, and Google have all made deals to use nuclear energy to power their artificial intelligence appetites. Today on the show, could nuclear energy work differently this time?

Related episodes:
The debate at the heart of new electricity transmission (Apple / Spotify)
Wind boom, wind bust (Two windicators) (Apple / Spotify)
How China became solar royalty (Apple / Spotify)

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60 Songs That Explain the '90s - “Kids”—MGMT

This week, Rob assures you that yes, he was there, boots on the ground, for the indie rock (nay, indie sleaze?) boom that hit New York City in the 2000s. Rob sets the stage for the music scene that MGMT launched itself into, before he ultimately unpacks the pop sensation qualities of its megahit “Kids.” Later, music writer Larry Fitzmaurice joins to parse the indie pop scene, share what it was like to cover MGMT during its ascension, and weigh in on the legacy that the band's music and particular aesthetic have today.


Host: Rob Harvilla

Guest: Larry Fitzmaurice

Producers: Jonathan Kermah, Justin Sayles, and Bobby Wagner

Additional Production Support: Olivia Crerie

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The Indicator from Planet Money - Why the government’s flood insurance program is underwater

Major flooding events are increasingly common across the U.S., but homeowners looking for flood insurance will find few choices. The main providers of flood insurance is the U.S. government through the National Flood Insurance Program, or NFIP. But even though the NFIP is one of the only flood insurance games in town, it's drowning in debt. On today's episode, the NFIP's struggle to stay afloat.

Related listening:
Hazard maps: The curse of knowledge (Apple / Spotify)
When insurers can't get insurance
Flood money

For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

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