For decades, Saudi Arabia's economy has been defined by its abundant oil reserves. Its ability to influence global oil supply propelled Saudi Arabia to one of the richest countries in the world. The Saudi royal family became important players on the world stage. However, waning dominance in the oil market is forcing the Saudi government to think differently about its reliance on the commodity.
Today on the show, we explain Saudi Arabia's fantastical vision for its future and how the government is using its present influence in the oil market to fund it.
Related episodes:
Why oil in Guyana could be a curse
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Curious City - What Was The American Negro Exposition Of 1940?
Fed up with how Black Americans were portrayed at world’s fairs, Black organizers created the “first real Negro World’s Fair” in Chicago in 1940. As Arionne Nettles reports, this exposition paved the way for Black institutions. Nettles’ debut book, "We Are The Culture: Black Chicago’s Influence on Everything," is out on April 16, 2024.
Curious City - What Was The American Negro Exposition Of 1940?
Fed up with how Black Americans were portrayed at world’s fairs, Black organizers created the “first real Negro World’s Fair” in Chicago in 1940. As Arionne Nettles reports, this exposition paved the way for Black institutions. Nettles’ debut book, "We Are The Culture: Black Chicago’s Influence on Everything," is out on April 16, 2024.
The Indicator from Planet Money - Is Wall Street’s hottest trend finally over?
WeWork, DraftKings, Lucid Motors. These are a few companies that have taken an untraditional route to go public through something called SPACs or special purpose acquisition companies. The obscure investment vehicle took off during the pandemic, but has since fallen back to earth. Today, we consider the rise and fall of SPACs and how recent rule changes will affect these deals.
Related episodes:
The SPAC is back
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Related episodes:
The SPAC is back
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60 Songs That Explain the '90s - “Black or White”—Michael Jackson
Rob reminisces on his time witnessing Janelle Monae perform at South By Southwest in the year of Michael Jackson’s passing, before looking back at the King of Pop’s televised funeral. Along the way, Rob looks back at the height of Jackson’s powers in the '80s as well as a bit more tumultuous era in the '90s. Later, Wesley Morris joins the show to aid in deciphering how to process Michael Jackson’s career draped in success and controversy.
Host: Rob Harvilla
Guest: Wesley Morris
Producers: Jonathan Kermah and Justin Sayles
Additional Production Support: Chloe Clark
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The Indicator from Planet Money - Did pandemic business support work?
The U.S. launched the Paycheck Protection Program in April 2020 to save jobs and businesses from the worst effects of the pandemic. Today on the show, a post-mortem on the controversial program and whether it fulfilled its objective. Also, we hear from one company that voluntarily paid back its PPP loan — with interest — even though it could have qualified for forgiveness.
Related episodes:
Could cash payments ease recessions? (Apple / Spotify)
Small banks' corona crunch
The big small business rescue
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Related episodes:
Could cash payments ease recessions? (Apple / Spotify)
Small banks' corona crunch
The big small business rescue
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The Indicator from Planet Money - Could cash payments ease recessions?
Although we have dodged the bullet for now, the threat of a recession is always a concern for policy makers. The question is: will we be prepared next time? In this episode, we consider an alternative approach to stabilizing the economy during a recession through automatic monthly cash payments. The hope: faster relief, a reduced racial wealth gap and predictable income. Can it work?
Related episodes:
The Sahm Rule with the eponymous economist
Hear us out: We ban left turns and other big ideas (Apple / Spotify)
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Related episodes:
The Sahm Rule with the eponymous economist
Hear us out: We ban left turns and other big ideas (Apple / Spotify)
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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The Indicator from Planet Money - How local government is propping up the U.S. labor market
The most recent jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the United States economy exceeded expectations by adding 353,000 jobs in January. This continues the labor market's years-long trend of resilience in the face of the Federal Reserve's interest rate hikes. However, digging deeper into the numbers reveals figures that economists are keeping a close eye on.
Today, we explain why it's not necessarily ideal for local government jobs to lift up a booming labor market.
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Today, we explain why it's not necessarily ideal for local government jobs to lift up a booming labor market.
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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The Indicator from Planet Money - Why the FTC is cracking down on location data brokers
It's no secret — your phone knows where you are, and if that data exists, someone else might have it. Back in 2022, we covered the murky market for smartphone location data. Now, the Federal Trade Commission is cracking down on this multi-billion dollar industry. In today's episode, we explain why the agency is trying to ban a data broker from selling information tied to sensitive places like medical facilities.
Related episodes:
Ad targeting gets into your medical file (Apple / Spotify)
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Related episodes:
Ad targeting gets into your medical file (Apple / Spotify)
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Curious City - Chicago Is Where Black Cinema Took Root
In 1913 Chicagoan William Foster became the first Black director to make a film with an all Black cast. Yet most people have never heard of him. Join Arionne Nettles as she tells Foster's story, the story of Black filmmaking in Chicago, when our city was the pre-Hollywood movie capital of the world. It's the first of 3 Curious City podcasts in a row celebrating Black History Month 2024!