Ba-dee-yah! Say do you remember? Ba-dee-yah! Questions in September!

That's right - it's time for Listener Questions!

Every so often, we like to hear from listeners about what's on their minds, and we try to get to the bottom of their economic mysteries. On today's show, we have questions like:

Why is September historically the worst month for the stock market?
How did the Bass Pro Shops hat get so popular in Ecuador?
Are casinos banks?
What is the Federal Reserve's new plan to make bank transfers faster?

Today's show was hosted by Sarah Gonzalez and produced by James Sneed. The audio engineer for this episode was Josephine Nyounai. It was fact checked by Sierra Juarez and edited by Dave Blanchard. Alex Goldmark is our executive producer.

Help support Planet Money and get bonus episodes by subscribing to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Would you say that you and your family are better off or worse off, financially, than you were a year ago? Do you think in 12 months we'll have good times, financially, or bad? Generally speaking, do you think now is a good time or a bad time to buy a house?

These are the kinds of questions baked into the Consumer Sentiment Index. And while the economy has been humming along surprisingly well lately, sentiment has stayed surprisingly low.

Today on the show: We are really bummed about the economy, despite the fact that unemployment and inflation are down. So, what gives? We talk to a former Fed economist trying to get to the heart of this paradox, and travel to Michigan to check in on the place where they check the vibes of the economy.

Help support Planet Money and get bonus episodes by subscribing to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

What if you could borrow money on the cheap and use it to pay for just about anything? The U.S. government can, and does, with U.S. Treasuries. But the market for Treasuries might be more fragile than we know.

In this episode, Yesha Yadav of Vanderbilt Law School explains why.

This episode was first published as a bonus episode for our Planet Money+ listeners. Today we're making it available for everyone. To hear more episodes like this, and to hear Planet Money and The Indicator without sponsor messages, support the show by signing up for Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

By one estimate, 40 percent of American workers get laid off at least once in their careers. And when that happens, companies will often say, "It's not personal. It has nothing to do with you or your performance. We're just changing priorities, making a strategic shift."

It's like the business version of: "It's not you, it's me." And just like a breakup, it feels terrible.

This happened to a man we're calling V, who was working at the same company as his husband when he got laid off. And for V, the experience felt shocking. It left him and his husband with a lot of unresolved questions.

On today's show, the story of that layoff. And we help that couple get some answers by taking their questions to an HR expert who gives the low-down on lay-offs.

This story is adapted from a 3-part series on layoffs produced by Yowei Shaw for her show, Proxy. The layoff series was edited by John DeLore with research and reporting help from Kim Nederveen Pieterse. You can listen to the full layoff series from Proxy wherever you get your podcasts, and you can support the show and find out more by going to patreon.com/proxypodcast. And you can check out her original song "Gold Star" on Spotify and YouTube.

Help support Planet Money and hear our bonus episodes by subscribing to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

There's a behind the scenes industry that helps big brands decide questions like: How big should a bag of chips be? What's the right size for a bottle of shampoo? And yes, also: When should a company do a little shrinkflation?

From Cookie Monster to President Biden, everybody is complaining about shrinkflation these days. But when we asked the packaging and pricing experts, they told us that shrinkflation is just one move in a much larger, much weirder 4-D chess game.

The name of that game is "price pack architecture." This is the idea that you shouldn't just sell your product in one or two sizes. You should sell your product in a whole range of different sizes, at a whole range of different price points. Over the past 15 years, price pack architecture has completely changed how products are marketed and sold in the United States.

Today, we are going on a shopping cart ride-along with one of those price pack architects. She's going to pull back the curtain and show us why some products are getting larger while others are getting smaller, and tell us about the adorable little soda can that started it all.

By the end of the episode, you'll never look at a grocery store the same way again.

Help support Planet Money and hear our bonus episodes by subscribing to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

At the core of most of the electronics we use today are some very tiny, very powerful chips. Semiconductor chips. And they are mighty: they help power our phones, laptops, and cars. They enable advances in healthcare, military systems, transportation, and clean energy. And they're also critical for artificial intelligence, providing the hardware needed to train complex machine learning.

On today's episode, we're bringing you two stories from our daily show The Indicator, diving into the two most important semiconductor chip companies, which have transformed the industry over the past 40 years.

First, we trace NVIDIA's journey from making niche graphics cards for gaming to making the most advanced chips in the world — and briefly becoming the world's biggest company. Next, we see how the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company's decision to manufacture chips for its competition instead of itself flipped the entire industry on its head, and moved the vast majority of the world's advanced chip production to Taiwan.

Help support Planet Money and hear our bonus episode about NVIDIA by subscribing to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Find all the episodes from this season here. And past seasons here. And follow along on TikTok here for video Summer School.

When we last left the United States of America in our economic telling of history, it was the early 1900s and the country's leaders were starting to feel like they had the economic situation all figured out. Flash forward a decade or so, and the financial picture was still looking pretty good as America emerged from the first World War.

But then, everything came crashing down with the stock market collapse of 1929. Businesses closed, banks collapsed, one in four people was unemployed, families couldn't make rent, the economy was broken. And this was happening all over the world. Today we'll look at how leaders around the globe intervened to turn the international economy around, and in the process, how the Great Depression rapidly transformed the relationship between government and business forever.

This series is hosted by Robert Smith and produced by Audrey Dilling. Our project manager is Devin Mellor. This episode was edited by Planet Money Executive Producer Alex Goldmark and fact-checked by Sofia Shchukina.

Help support Planet Money and hear our bonus episodes by subscribing to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney.

Always free at these links: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the NPR app or anywhere you get podcasts.

Find more Planet Money: Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / Our weekly Newsletter.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

What happens when paralyzing fear stops you from following your dream? In our final episode of the season...Jim Von Stein has written 8000 songs, but almost nobody has heard a single one of them...until now...

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

In "My Way," the new season of the StoryCorps podcast— stories from people who found a rhythm all their own and confidently marched to it their whole lives. Our first episode features a graduate of Hamburger University, one man's remarkably brave appearance on conservative radio in the 1990s, a New Yorker who took his mugger out to dinner, and more.

If you want to leave the StoryCorps Podcast a voicemail, call us at 702-706-TALK. Or email us at podcast@storycorps.org.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Howie Gordon starred in over a hundred porn films in the 70s and 80s under the name Richard Pacheco. But his greatest role was as a father. At StoryCorps, he talked with his son Bobby Gordon about sex, shame, and dirty movies.

If you want to leave the StoryCorps Podcast a voicemail, call us at 702-706-TALK. Or email us at podcast@storycorps.org.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

This hour, futurist Amy Webb guides us through innovations that give a glimpse into the future of transportation, wellness, tech, commerce, and travel ... and the impacts they'll have on our lives.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Original broadcast date: July 14, 2023. From the bugs in our backyards to prehistoric reptiles, animal biology and behavior are full of puzzles and conundrums. On this episode, we hear from experts solving the mysteries of the animal kingdom. Guests include paleontologist Dean Lomax, biochemical engineer Saad Bhamla, herpetologist Gowri Shankar and conservation biologist Patrícia Medici.

TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at: plus.npr.org/ted

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

From our planet's underwater caves to its ancient soils, there are entire worlds right beneath our feet. This hour, we explore the subterranean forces that shape our lives above the ground. Guests include cave diver Jill Heinerth, death care advocate Katrina Spade, soil scientist Asmeret Asefaw Berhe and paleontologist Nizar Ibrahim. Original broadcast date: March 11, 2022.

TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at plus.npr.org/ted.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy

Experiment launched aboard SpaceX CSR‑9 mission to International Space Station should deliver answersToronto, ON – U of T Engineering researchers are launching an experiment that aims to solve the longstanding myster of how water behaves in space. Their experiment will launch at 12:45 am on Monday, July 18 aboard SpaceX CRS‑9 from Cape Canaveral, Florida, headed […]

The future of Toronto’s economy, transportation and environmentIn the third episode of this miniseries, U of T Cities features University of Toronto experts working to build more sustainable cities in the realms of environment, infrastructure and economy. Learn more http://bit.ly/ZMDJK4 Landscape architecture professor Liat Margolis describes her work on green roofs and its implications for emergency management, energy […]

Students from Ada Elementary spent a week at the John Ball Zoo learning all about biology! Fourth-graders, like Evelyn Helder, took their time observing various animals before returning to the classroom to build their own miniature zoo exhibits.

The post Lions, Tigers and Bears, Oh My! appeared first on Forest Hills Public Schools.

This week, we feature two stories about women forced to make tough choices about their health. This episode is hosted by Sarah Austin Jenness.

Host: Sarah Austin Jenness

Storytellers:

Robin Utz

Jill Chenault

If you are interested in more stories that spotlight these issues – through the experiences of those who lived them – visit themoth.org for an extended playlist.

In this hour, stories of self-reliance and autonomy. What's in a name, the ties that bind us, and a life-altering diagnosis. This episode is hosted by Moth Senior Director Jenifer Hixson. The Moth Radio Hour is produced by The Moth and Jay Allison of Atlantic Public Media.

Storytellers:

Shaylan Clark grows up in Harlan County, where every family has at least one coal miner. 

Quetzalli Castro is frustrated by teachers who can't pronounce her name.

Daisy Joy Rodrigo worries that her parents won't approve of her boyfriend.

Brian Jeansonne describes how living with ALS has impacted his family.

Podcast # 889

One week after a contentious U.S. election, we speak with Harvard political philosopher Michael J. Sandel about making sense of what’s happening in America.

Should you always be looking for another job, never make a lateral move, or be sure to stay at a job for two years? There's a lot of conflicting advice out there. HBR's Amy Gallo helps you sort the myths from the facts.

I'm very excited to depart for Japan on Sunday for the first time in five years! The week of November 11, I'll be part of Katie Anderson‘s Japan Study Trip, this time after five previous trips between 2012 and 2019 with Kaizen Institute and Honsha Consulting. Read my posts about past trips. Each time, I've learned something new, visited new companies, and met new people — and have just enjoyed everything about being in Japan. […]

The post Reflecting on my First Time Meeting Isao Yoshino in Japan — 2012 by Mark Graban appeared first at Lean Blog.

I'm thrilled to be back in Japan for the first time in five years. Today is the start of Katie Anderson's Japan Study Trip (learn more about joining her in May 2025). It's great to be here for another week of learning and great experiences. Little did I know, I'd kick off the trip by nearly losing my iPhone on the streets of Tokyo–a mistake that ended up teaching me a valuable lesson about Japan's […]

The post Lost My iPhone in Tokyo: A Lesson in Japanese Kindness and Culture on My Japan Study Trip by Mark Graban appeared first at Lean Blog.

“Maybe soon I’ll add ‘measured response to frustration’ to the list of things I can pass on to my children. It’s not as fun as singing ditties about teachers or toilets, but it’s arguably a more essential skill that will serve them well in their own lives.”

“Perfection isn’t a prerequisite for self-trust... It’s consistency in another form: knowing that I do my best, learn from my mistakes, practice honesty, and pull through most of the time. Understanding my version of ADHD has transformed my ability to trust myself.”

Serious consequences can befall a worker who reveals their ADHD diagnosis to an employer. Here’s what leading experts advise.

School refusal impacts up to 28% of children. It often stems from anxiety associated with ADHD and learning challenges. Follow this three-pronged approach to get your child back into the classroom without trauma.

American shoppers will have to pay between $1.6 billion and $3.2 billion more for connected devices such as gateways, modems, routers, smart speakers, smartwatches and other Bluetooth enabled products.

While the caliper is a versatile tool, it is not one of the most precise. Skill is required for positioning and interpreting measurement results.

This month, I'm honored to speak at the ASQ Columbus (Ohio) Section’s annual conference on the theme "What is in Your Toolbox?" I'll discuss the seven basic quality tools I've extensively used over my 30+ years as a quality professional. Interestingly, unlike with my children, I do have a favorite among these tools.

St. Nicholas of Myra LIMITED EDITION CANVAS by James Christensen is a(n) Limited Edition. The Edition is Limited to Limited to 450 pcs

Entertainers - Mystique by John Holyfield is a(n) Limited Edition. The Edition is Limited to Limited Edition of 100 pcs

Entertainers - Mystique by John Holyfield is a(n) Limited Edition. The Edition is Limited to Limited Edition of 1000 pcs

My Corner by Susan Rios is a(n) Limited Edition. The Edition is Limited to Limited Edition Of 295 pcs

MY TURN by Lladro Black Legacy is a(n) Black Legacy. The Edition is Limited to 6026 pcs

KISSES FOR MOMMY by Lladro Black Legacy is a(n) Open Edition. The Edition is Limited to Open Edition pcs

Someday My Prince Will Come by Harrison Ellenshaw is a(n) Limited Edition. The Edition is Limited to Limited Edition of 195 pcs

Only In My Dreams Hand Embellished Giclee on Canvas by Harrison Ellenshaw is a(n) Limited Edition. The Edition is Limited to 50 pcs

MYSTIC OF THE PLAINS LIMITED EDITION PRINT by James Reynolds is a(n) Limited Edition. The Edition is Limited to Limited to 1000 pcs

Bell [TXT] said on Wednesday it will keep production of the fuselage for the Army’s Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) in Wichita, Kansas, after taking on the assembly work […]

The Army has awarded Repkon USA a contract worth up to $435 million to build a new TNT production facility in Graham, Kentucky, the service said on Friday. The contract […]

The eleventh in our series on the thorax describes the Trachea, Bronchi and Tracheostomy.
See our website for accompanying diagrams

The Massachusetts facility will provide lectures and hands-on laboratory experiences led by seasoned LG instructors.

The new $48 million Aquatic Center at Mylan Park is unquestionably the most state-of-the-art indoor pool complex in West Virginia.

Some beliefs, like Greek mythology, last for generations because they contain a valuable lesson. Others, like these, are just ready to become ancient history.

Hulland is the associate director of strategic planning and market intelligence for residential and light commercial HVAC at Carrier.

Edaena Salinas talks with Tammy Butow about Chaos Engineering. Tammy is a Principal Site Reliability Engineer at Gremlin. The discussion covers: how Chaos Engineering emerged, the types of chaos that can be introduced to a system, and how to structure...

Jeremy Howard from fast.ai explains deep learning from concept to implementation. Thanks to transfer learning, individuals and small organizations can get state-of-the-art results on machine learning problems using the open source fastai library...

Jeremy Miller, Senior Software Architect at Calavista Software, compares and contrasts his experiences with waterfall and agile methodologies. Host Jeff Doolittle spoke with Miller about the history of these methodologies and how teams can experience...

In this episode, Deepthi Sigireddi of the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) spoke with SE Radio host Nikhil Krishna about how Vitess scales MySQL. They discuss the design and architecture of the product; how Vitess impacts modern data problems;...

Young adult author Jordan Ifueko has created new worlds with her best-selling series Raybearer, centering Black characters and workers.