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What Planet Are You From?

I look forward to listening to my podcasts every week.  During my time in the car, I catch up on a variety of news programs with topics ranging from the arts and culture to politics and religion.  


I have learned so much from the Planet Money team. If you haven't checked out their stories on NPR or the stories they do in conjunction with the PRI program This American Life, you are missing out.  Planet Money covers topics from "Should we use a dollar bill or coin?" to "How did the United States get into a housing crisis?" With their stories, I have gained new insight into topics that are barely brushed over in most other media outlets.  One of the most important things I have learned is that any current problem our country is experiencing related to money is complicated.  There is no quick fix. There is no easy answer. Yes, most of the causes of monetary problems come down to greed. However, finding a solution that works for everyone without major disruption of the "status quo" is...well...a challenge.


The Planet Money team has produced many programs over the years. Here are a few of my favorites:


Take the Money and Run...for Office The link takes you to the This American Life story but NPR has been running shorter stories on the same topic.  Did you know that members of congress spend more time fundraising than they do running the government? Do you know why? Listen to this podcast to find out. 


Someone Else's Money Do you hate "Obamacare"? Are you a proponent of socialized medicine? Regardless of your opinions, you may find new insight into the health care industry with the stories shared here.  


Killing the Dollar Bill People have talked for years about banning the penny. Now they are talking about replacing dollar bills with dollar coins.  Interesting arguments all around.  Although, interestingly, I don't think they interviewed a single stripper for an expert opinion on the debate of bill vs. coin. 


How to Create a Job It's all about jobs, right? Jobs, jobs, jobs, jobs jobs.  That's how we fix the country.  That's what every politician promises.  What does that promise really mean?  


The Invention of Money It seems like an easy question. What is money? Where does it come from? How do we use it? Where does it all go? It's more complicated than you might think. A fascinating story.  


Happy listening! Happy learning!


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