Newsletter : Planet Money : NPR

It was a classic rap beef. Then Drake revived Tupac with AI and Congress got involved

Rapper Tupac Shakur performs at the Regal Theater in Chicago, Illinois in March 1994. Raymond Boyd/Getty Images hide caption

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Raymond Boyd/Getty Images

It was a classic rap beef. Then Drake revived Tupac with AI and Congress got involved

May 14, 2024 • AI can conjure the voice or likeness of a dead celebrity with just a few clicks. This opens a host of legal questions about the rights of the deceased and their heirs to control their digital replicas

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Neoliberal economics: The road to freedom or authoritarianism?

May 7, 2024 • Nobel-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz's new book argues the road to tyranny is paved not by too much, but by too little government.

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How do you counter misinformation? Critical thinking is step one

April 30, 2024 • An economic perspective on misinformation

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Sleep training: Life preserver for parents or "symptom of capitalism"?

April 23, 2024 • The raging debate over how to juggle kids and work.

National Archives and Records Administration/National Building Museum

Could the U.S. force treatment on mentally ill people (again)?

April 16, 2024 • Sixty years ago, America began closing mental hospitals. A growing chorus is blaming that for the crisis of mentally ill folks living on our streets.

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How we got to 'Made in China'

April 2, 2024 • A new book tells the story of how corporate America shifted its view of trade with China.

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The dating app paradox: Why dating apps may be worse than ever

February 13, 2024 • Investors in dating app companies are suffering from heartbreak. As these companies shift gears and try to make a profit, many of their users are heartbroken too.

Farewell to Earnest Jackson, the iconic voice behind Planet Money's 'Inflation' song

RIP Earnest Jackson Sarah Gonzalez/NPR hide caption

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Sarah Gonzalez/NPR

Farewell to Earnest Jackson, the iconic voice behind Planet Money's 'Inflation' song

January 9, 2024 • The singer and songwriter behind Planet Money's "Inflation" song has passed away.

Was Milton Friedman Really 'The Last Conservative?'

10/17/1988 President Reagan and Nancy Reagan in the East Room congratulating Milton Friedman receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Wikimedia Commons hide caption

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Wikimedia Commons

Was Milton Friedman Really 'The Last Conservative?'

November 7, 2023 • A new book looks at the life and ideas of Milton Friedman.

A Nobel prize-winning immigrant's view on American inequality

US-British economist Angus Deaton speaks at a press conference after winning the Nobel Prize for Economics at Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey, on October 12, 2015. JEWEL SAMAD/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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JEWEL SAMAD/AFP via Getty Images

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A Nobel prize-winning immigrant's view on American inequality

September 26, 2023 • In a new book, Nobel Prize-winning economist Angus Deaton offers a scathing critique of American politics and economic policy.

I'm a new dad. Here's why I'm taking more parental leave than my wife.

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I'm a new dad. Here's why I'm taking more parental leave than my wife.

August 22, 2023 • More than 70 percent of American fathers return to work less than two weeks after having a baby. Here is why I'm not one of them.

Affirmative action for rich kids: It's more than just legacy admissions

CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS - JUNE 29: People walk through the gate on Harvard Yard at the Harvard University campus on June 29, 2023 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Scott Eisen/Getty Images hide caption

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Scott Eisen/Getty Images

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Affirmative action for rich kids: It's more than just legacy admissions

July 24, 2023 • A blockbuster new study finds that America's elite private colleges are systematically giving huge advantages to rich kids over their equally bright, yet less privileged peers.

Should we invest more in weather forecasting? It may save your life

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Should we invest more in weather forecasting? It may save your life

July 11, 2023 • Over the last century, we've seen a huge improvement in the accuracy of weather forecasts. A new study suggests these better forecasts have tremendous value for our lives and our economy.

The Explosive Growth Of The Fireworks Market

Fireworks explode over the Manhattan skyline during Independence Day celebrations in New York City on July 4, 2022. Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images

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The Explosive Growth Of The Fireworks Market

July 4, 2023 • Over the last few decades, states and counties across America have liberalized the use of fireworks. It's just one reason why sales of fireworks have exploded.

The Second Biggest Disaster at Mount Vesuvius

March 1944: A cloud of ash hangs over Vesuvius during its worst eruption in more than 70 years. In the foreground is the city of Naples. The nearby towns of Massa and San Sebastiano were destroyed by the flow of lava. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images) Keystone/Getty Images hide caption

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Keystone/Getty Images

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The Second Biggest Disaster at Mount Vesuvius

June 27, 2023 • Like an increasing number of national parks in the United States, Mount Vesuvius has begun rationing access with a quota system. The system has had some problems.

What personal financial stress can do to the economy

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What personal financial stress can do to the economy

June 13, 2023 • Financial stress. It feels personal, but it has big implications for the economy.

Chimp Empire and the economics of chimpanzees

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Chimp Empire and the economics of chimpanzees

June 6, 2023 • A new Netflix docuseries provides a fascinating picture of humanity's closest living relatives.

The case for financial literacy education

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The case for financial literacy education

May 16, 2023 • Financial literacy programs have been called useless in the past. But a new study suggests that's due to the way the subject is taught, rather than the subject itself.

What if AI could rebuild the middle class?

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What if AI could rebuild the middle class?

May 9, 2023 • We spoke with MIT's David Autor, one of the top labor economists in the world, about how AI could revolutionize the job market.

This company adopted AI. Here's what happened to its human workers

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This company adopted AI. Here's what happened to its human workers

May 2, 2023 • A group of economists conducted one of the first empirical studies of "generative AI" at a real-world company. They found it had big effects.

Peterson Institute for International Economics

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Where Are Interest Rates Going?

April 18, 2023 • The answer could matter for your home value, stock portfolio, and the future of the economy.

Why sanctions don't work — but could if done right

KYIV, UKRAINE - FEBRUARY 21: A group of people hold signs at the front of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry during a protest calling for the European Union to impose additional sanctions against Russia on February 21, 2022 in Kyiv, Ukraine. Chris McGrath/Getty Images hide caption