Advocates for US military intervention have invoked the war against the Barbary pirates as justification. Yet, an examination of that conflict shows that President Jefferson’s actions were limited and followed the direction of Congress.
Americans are moving at record lows for work. What’s driving people to, well, not drive cross-country for jobs? On today’s Jobs Friday, we explore the rising homebody economy.
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 Corey Bridges. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
Was Jackson’s victory over the Second Bank of the United States a triumph for liberty, or did it merely expand federal authority under the guise of constraining it? His legacy is complicated, but there is much we can learn from it.
The Renaissance period is seen as mostly positive by historians, but the sinister development of absolutism and the imperial state complicates the legacy of that time.
Although the political establishment claims the Comey indictment represents an unprecedented moment in our history, the truth is much different. Federal prosecutors have a long history of bringing unjustified, politically-motivated prosecutions.
The federal government shuts down as the Supreme Court returns. Our panel looks at the Trump team’s plan to use the shutdown for mass layoffs —and previews a new Supreme Court term packed with big fights over tariffs, emergency powers, and the future of “independent” agencies.
Featuring: Ryan Bourne, Gene Healy, Thomas Berry, and Jeffrey Miron
You know the building: Two stories, an apartment unit on each floor, usually with bay windows and a facade of brick or greystone.
But how did the two-flat become so popular, and who was it originally built to serve?
In our last episode, we looked at the types of places Chicago’s single women lived in at the turn of the 20th century.
In today’s episode, we explore the Bohemian origins of the humble Chicago two-flat. As it turns out, the advent of the two-flat mirrors the development of the city’s middle class.
“Our design No. 144 is a two-family flat designed for a money making proposition,” begins a 1915 ad enticing homebuyers to build a two-flat. “Anyone wanting a comfortable home and at the same time a good income on the investment will do well to consider this proposition.”
Plus, we answer another housing-related listener question: why are Chicago fire escapes distinctively wooden (read: flammable) and are they actually effective during fires?
This episode was reported by Chris Bentley and was originally published in 2014.
We have seen a blurring of boundaries between government and business under President Trump. It has some political commentators ringing the alarm bell over something called “crony capitalism" — a corrupt system where political power meets big business. Today on the show, is the Trump administration nudging the U.S. further down the road toward crony capitalism?