As relations between the US and Europe continue to sour, European countries are working to lower their reliance on the U.S. for weapons and security. Today on the show, we ask what Europe needs to do to become independent militarily and what potential barriers could stand in the way.
Related episodes: Europe's NATO members take an economic hit (Apple / Spotify) Two Indicators: Economics of the defense industry (Apple / Spotify)
For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
Over a thousand years ago, a wealthy family in Germany gave birth to their tenth child, a daughter.
They gave their child to the church, as was the custom in those days. She grew to become the leader of her monastic community.
More than that, she became one of the leading thinkers of her era. She composed music, wrote about medicine and theology, revolutionized brewing, and corresponded with kings and emperors.
Learn more about Hildegard of Bingen, the most influential woman of the Middle Ages, on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.
What's one word you'd use to describe the 2025 economy? That's the question we fanned out across the U.S. with microphones and open ears. From street parties in the South to an L.A. bookstore to a boardroom in Denver, we listen for financial signals in today's economy.
Related episodes: How many times can you say uncertainty in one economic report? (Apple / Spotify) The stock market is down, but you don't need to be (Apple / Spotify) The highs and lows of US rent (Apple / Spotify)
For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
Author Allison Epstein says when she read Oliver Twist, she found Charles Dickens' portrayal of Fagin, the novel's central scoundrel, to be stereotypical and antisemitic. But there was also something about the character that piqued her curiosity. Now, her new novel Fagin the Thief gives that character a backstory – and a literary second chance. In today's episode, Epstein speaks with NPR's Scott Simon about her research into where someone like Fagin might've grown up, her reimagination of the character's intentions, and how she came to view Dickens as a working writer.
To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday
Amanda Holmes reads Muriel Rukeyser’s “Käthe Kollwitz.” Have a suggestion for a poem by a (dead) writer? Email us: podcast@theamericanscholar.org. If we select your entry, you’ll win a copy of a poetry collection edited by David Lehman.
This episode was produced by Stephanie Bastek and features the song “Canvasback” by Chad Crouch.