Most economic textbooks will tell you that there can be real dangers in running up a big national debt. A major concern is how the debt you add now could slow down economic growth in the future. Economists have not been able to nail down how much debt a country can safely take on. But they have tried.

Back in 2010, two economists took a look at 20 countries over the course of decades, and sometimes centuries, and came back with a number. Their analysis suggested that economic growth slowed significantly once national debt passed 90% of annual GDP... and that is when the fight over debt and growth really took off.

On today's episode: a deep dive on what we know, and what we don't know, about when exactly national debt becomes a problem. We will also try to figure out how worried we should be about the United States' current debt total of 26 trillion dollars.

This episode was hosted by Keith Romer and Nick Fountain. It was produced by Willa Rubin and edited by Molly Messick. It was fact-checked by Sierra Juarez with help from Sofia Shchukina and engineered by Cena Loffredo. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money's executive producer.

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We often hear that air travel is worse than it's ever been. Gone are the days when airplanes touted piano bars and meat carving stations — or even free meals. Instead we're crammed into tiny seats and fighting for overhead space.

How did we get here? Most of the inconveniences we think about when we fly can be traced back to the period of time just after the federal government deregulated the airlines.

When commercial air travel took off in the 1940s, the government regulated how many national airlines were allowed to exist, where they were allowed to fly, and how much they could charge for tickets. But the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 swept all these restrictions aside – and stopped providing subsidies for the air carriers. Airlines had to compete on ticket prices. That competition led to a more bare-bones flying experience, but it also made air travel a lot more affordable.

In this episode, we trace the evolution of air travel over the past century to discover whether flying really is worse today — or if it's actually better than ever. We'll board a plane from the "golden age" of air travel, hear the history of one of the original budget airlines and meet feuding airline CEOs. Along the way, we'll see how economic forces have shaped the airline industry into what it is today, and what role we, as consumers, have played.

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Episodes each Wednesday through labor day. Find all the episodes from this season here. And past seasons here. And follow along on TikTok here for video Summer School.

In the middle of the twentieth century, China and its neighbors in East Asia were poor, mostly rural economies. China had been wrecked by a brutal civil war. Taiwan became the home of people fleeing from that conflict. Japan and Korea were rebuilding after their own wars. And then in the later half of the twentieth century, they started their comeback. The governments made some explicit choices that unleashed the power of individual incentives and free market forces and lifted millions of people out of poverty. We focus specifically on China and Taiwan during this time, when they showed a burst of economic progress rarely seen on this globe. Why then? Why there? Can other nations copy that? We'll try to find out.

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.

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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.

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When Cody Fischer decided to get into real estate development, he had a vision. He wanted to build affordable, energy efficient apartments in Minneapolis, not far from where he grew up.

His vision was well-timed because, in 2019, Minneapolis's city council passed one of the most ambitious housing plans in the nation. One aim of that plan was to alleviate the city's housing shortage by encouraging developers like Cody to build, build, build.

But when Cody tried to build, he ran into problems. The kinds of problems that arise all over the country when cities confront a short supply of housing, and try to build their way out.

Today on the show, NIMBYism, YIMBYism and why it's so hard to fix the housing shortage. Told through the story of two apartment buildings in Minneapolis.

This episode was hosted by Amanda Aronczyk and Kenny Malone. It was produced by Emma Peaslee and Sofia Shchukina, and edited by Molly Messick. It was engineered by James Willets and fact-checked by Sierra Juarez. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money's executive producer.

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Table saws are extremely dangerous. The government estimates that injuries from table saws send something like 30,000 people to the emergency room every year. 3,000 of those end in amputations. The costs of those injuries are enormous. Are they also avoidable?

In 1999, inventor Steve Gass had a realization: Humans conduct electricity pretty well; Wood does not. Could he develop a saw that could tell the difference between the two?

Steve invented a saw that can detect a finger and stop the blade in milliseconds. Then, he tried to license it to the big tool companies. He thought it was a slam dunk proposition: It would dramatically reduce the injuries, and the cost of medical treatments and lost wages associated with them.

On today's episode: What does it take to make table saws safer? When someone gets hurt by a power tool, there are tons of costs, tons of externalities. We all bear the cost of the injury, in some way. So, it can be in society's best interest to minimize those costs. We follow Steve's quest to save thousands of fingers. It brought him face-to-face with roomfuls of power tool company defense attorneys, made him the anti-hero of the woodworking world, and cost the lives of many, many hot dogs.

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(Note: A version of this episode originally ran in 2016.)

Back in 2016, things were pretty bad in Venezuela. Grocery stores didn't have enough food. Hospitals didn't have basic supplies, like gauze. Child mortality was spiking. Businesses were shuttering. It's one of the epic economic collapses of our time. And it was totally avoidable.

Venezuela used to be a relatively rich country. It has just about all the economic advantages a country could ask for: Beautiful beaches and mountains ready for tourism, fertile land good for farming, an educated population, and oil, lots and lots of oil.

But during the boom years, the Venezuelan government made some choices that add up to an economic time bomb.

Today on the show, we have an economic horror story about a country that made all the wrong decisions with its oil money. It's a window into the fundamental way that money works and how when you try to control it, you can lose everything.

Then, an update on Venezuela today. How it went from a downward spiral, to a tentative economic stabilization... amidst political upheaval.

This original episode is hosted by Robert Smith and Noel King. It was produced by Nick Fountain and Sally Helm. Today's update was hosted by Amanda Aronczyk, produced by Sean Saldana, fact checked by Sierra Juarez, and engineered by Neal Rauch. Alex Goldmark is our Executive Producer.

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The Philadelphia-born singer found a thriving community of jazz and blues musicians after moving to Japan.

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The Philadelphia band is back with a new self-titled album.

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Hear a live performance from the young Cajun group Amis Du Teche as they perform songs from their latest self-titled album.

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Find out which songs the English musician chose to perform for World Cafe's new feature called Backtracking.

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This year's election saw historic voter turnout. But in a divided democracy, how else can we commit to our civic duties? This hour, Baratunde Thurston joins Manoush with ideas on how to citizen.

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Original broadcast date: December 4, 2020. Last year's election saw historic voter turnout. But in a divided democracy, how else can we commit to our civic duties? This hour, Baratunde Thurston joins Manoush with ideas on how to citizen.

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Original broadcast date: December 4, 2020. The 2020 election saw historic voter turnout. But in a divided democracy, how else can we commit to our civic duties? This hour, Baratunde Thurston joins Manoush with ideas on how to citizen.

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In the interest of New Year's resolutions, we're bringing you this bonus episode from our friends at the Ten Percent Happier podcast. Host Dan Harris speaks with meditation expert Jon Kabat-Zinn about starting a practice and being more mindful in our everyday lives.

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Original broadcast date: December 9, 2022. We think our faces are our own. But technology can use them to identify, influence and mimic us. This week, TED speakers explore the promise and peril of turning the human face into a digital tool. Guests include super recognizer Yenny Seo, Bloomberg columnist Parmy Olson, visual researcher Mike Seymour and investigative journalist Alison Killing.

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.

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Forgetting a name, a poorly executed hug, the 7th grade — awkwardness is part of our lives whether we like it or not. But what if we put the embarrassment aside and embraced our awkward selves? Guests include social scientist Ty Tashiro, cartoonist Liana Finck, journalist Melissa Dahl and sex and relationship counselor Erin Chen.

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.

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AI, EVs, and satellites are tackling the climate crisis. But they have environmental downsides. This hour, TED speakers explain how to use these tools without making global warming worse. Guests include AI researchers Sasha Luccioni and Sims Witherspoon, climate researcher Elsa Dominish and astrodynamicist Moriba Jah.

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.

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Thirty years into the opioid crisis, we still struggle to find other options for pain relief. This hour, TED speakers explain new understandings of how the brain interprets pain and new ideas to cope. Guests include equestrian Kat Naud, physician and researcher Amy Baxter and opioid reform advocate Cammie Wolf Rice.

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.

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Do you have "screen apnea"? Our special series Body Electric continues with former Microsoft executive Linda Stone who coined the term. Around 2007, Linda noticed she had an unhealthy habit while answering emails: she held her breath. On this episode, she tells host Manoush Zomorodi how she tested her friends and colleagues for "screen apnea" and what she's done since.

Then, Manoush talks to the bestselling author of Breath, science writer James Nestor, who explains how shallow breathing impacts our physical and mental health. He takes us through a simple exercise to 'reset' our breath and relieve screen time stress.

Binge the whole Body Electric series here.

Sign up for the Body Electric Challenge and our newsletter here.

Talk to us on Instagram @ManoushZ, or record a voice memo and email it to us at BodyElectric@npr.org.

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Early adopters are flocking to AI bots for therapy, friendship, even love. How will these relationships impact us? MIT sociologist Sherry Turkle delves into her new research on "artificial intimacy." Later in the episode, host Manoush Zomorodi speaks with Somnium Space founder Artur Sychov.

Note: A few weeks ago, we talked to Sherry Turkle in a Body Electric episode called "If a bot relationship FEELS real, should we care that it's not?" Today's episode is an even deeper dive into that conversation with Sherry. We hope you enjoy it!

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

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It's never too late to make things right—even when cracks form within our relationships with our families, our environment...or the inevitable. This hour, TED speakers offer healing solutions. Guests include clinical psychologist Becky Kennedy, death doula Alua Arthur and indigenous community leader and conservationist Valérie Courtois. Original broadcast date: October 6, 2023

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

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In a report released today, more than 20 researchers provide strategies that center equity and justice in LADWP’s transition.

UCLA School of Law’s Cara Horowitz and Ann Carlson discuss regulations, litigation and California’s pivotal role.

Scott Schieman, a professor of sociology at the University of Toronto explains why earning more money — beyond a certain level — doesn't make us feel even happier and more satisfied.

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 following is a list of University of Toronto experts who can comment on Brexit: how did it happen, political impact and shock in Britain. *Please see U of T News story on the vote. Check in throughout the day for reaction from our experts Randall Hansen, Professor of Political Science at Munk School of Global […]

TORONTO, ON – A new comprehensive modeling assessment of contamination in the Athabasca Oil Sands Region indicates that officially reported emissions of certain hazardous air pollutants have been greatly underestimated. The results of the assessment, which was carried out by University of Toronto Scarborough Environmental Chemistry professor Frank Wania and his PhD candidate Abha Parajulee, […]

TORONTO, ON — New research from the University of Toronto Scarborough shows that animal dispersal is influenced by a gene associated with feeding and food search behaviours. The study, which was carried out by UTSC Professor Mark Fitzpatrick and PhD student Allan Edelsparre, provides one of the first aimed at gaining a functional understanding of […]

TORONTO, ON — Countries with higher levels of compassion and openness score better when it comes to environmental sustainability, says research from the University of Toronto. A new study by Jacob Hirsh, an Assistant Professor of Organizational Behaviour & Human Resource Management at the University of Toronto Mississauga’s Institute for Management & Innovation, who is […]

A quantum change in our understanding of how much of Earth’s crust may be habitableTORONTO, ON — A team of scientists, led by the University of Toronto’s Barbara Sherwood Lollar, has mapped the location of hydrogen-rich waters found trapped kilometres beneath Earth’s surface in rock fractures in Canada, South Africa and Scandinavia. Common in Precambrian […]

U of T experts to discuss how sport shapes identity and reflects humanityToronto, ON — How can sport act as a platform to promote human rights and break down barriers? How can it reflect and define our cultural identity and shape gender roles? Join U of T’s Faculty of Kinesiology and Physical Education for Sport, […]

Racial bias begins earlier than previously thought, new insights into causeToronto, ON – Two studies by researchers at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) at the University of Toronto and their collaborators from the US, UK, France and China, show that six- to nine-month-old infants demonstrate racial bias in favour of members of […]

How our billion-year-old cousin, baker’s yeast, can reveal — more reliably than leading algorithms — whether a genetic mutation is actually harmful.Toronto, ON – It’s easier than ever to sequence our DNA, but doctors still can’t exactly tell from our genomes which diseases might befall us. Professor Fritz Roth is setting out to change this by […]

Toronto, ON – Researchers at the University of Toronto have investigated the amount of free sugar in Canadian prepackaged foods and beverages. The results suggest that new guidelines and better food labeling is needed to help consumers make better choices. Free sugar, commonly referred to as added sugar, is considered a “hidden” source of calories, as […]

How can Torontonians learn to adore their city in the midst of the 2015 Pan Am & Parapan Am Games? Shawn Micallef writes about Toronto and urban issues for Spacing Magazine and the Toronto Star. He’s also authored The Trouble With Brunch and Stroll from Coach House Books. Micallef brings his own experiences from exploring […]

New report highlights how Mexico remains unsafe, particularly for people affected by HIVToronto, ON – Canada should remove Mexico from its refugee ‘safe’ list because of the country’s serious human rights abuses, the University of Toronto’s International Human Rights Program (IHRP) said in a new report released today. Failure to do so could place Canada in […]

In this hour, five stories of picking our battles. The internal and external pressures that guide how we speak up, speak out, or stay silent. Hosted by The Moth's Artistic Director Catherine Burns. The Moth Radio Hour is produced by The Moth and Jay Allison of Atlantic Public Media.

Hosted by: Catherine Burns

Storytellers:

Hillary Boone and her mother scheme to save Vermont from hate.

Maria Hodermarska fights for services for her son.

Ed Mabaya finds himself in danger while visiting his girlfriend.

Brad Lawrence and his sister work their mom's last nerve with their brawling.

Angela Lush struggles to speak up.

In this hour, stories of how we see ourselves, the perceptions of others, and the often gaping chasm in between. The struggle to prove oneself, challenge a stereotype, keep up appearances, and finally discover what really fits. This hour is hosted by Jay Allison of Atlantic Public Media, the producer of this show.

Storytellers:

Enrique García Naranjo is stopped by border patrol.

Aydrea Walden realizes her classmates see her differently.

Miles Crabtree tries out for his school's production of "How the West Was Won."

Kimberly Rose sees herself disappearing in her marriage.

Jessi Klein lands what she thinks is her dream job.

A special live edition of The Moth -- with five stories from a night showcasing the graduates of Moth High School storytelling workshops. Join us to celebrate student stories of first kisses, culture shock, finding a niche, and baking apple cake. This hour is hosted by Moth Teaching Artist Julian Goldhagen, with additional hosting by Moth Executive Producer Sarah Austin Jenness. The Moth Radio Hour is produced by The Moth and Jay Allison of Atlantic Public Media.

Storytellers:

Isobel Connelly grows up feeling like the stupid girl.

Saya Shamdasani feels caught between two cultures.

David Lepelstat is nervous about his first kiss.

Luna Azcurrain and her grandfather create a Thanksgiving tradition.

Beth Gebresilasie tries to protect herself from her family's constant moving.

Podcast: 651

First, realize there’s a difference between acting tough and actually being mentally strong.

How will the crisis affect the career paths of today's workforce. What are the new opportunities, and how can you write your own script for success?

Which country is responding best to the global crisis, and is the era of globalization dead?

Can a brief history of the modern office help us understand changes happening today?

You may have wondered how to say no to a not-so-great request from your boss. Here’s how.

Disagreements between work colleagues can get even more uncomfortable and tricky to navigate when you can’t work them out in person.

When we look back at 2020, what will we have learned after a global health crisis, a national reckoning around racism, and a divisive election?

Unhealthy competition is at the root of political dysfunction. A famous business framework can help identify the best ways to fix it.

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.

It never hurts to be prepared for the worst. Especially when it comes to losing your job.