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The two companies driving the modern economy

A closeup of a silicon wafer on display at Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institution on September 16, 2022 in Hsinchu, Taiwan. Annabelle Chih/Getty Images hide caption

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Annabelle Chih/Getty Images

Planet Money

The two companies driving the modern economy

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.

The two companies driving the modern economy

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Seattle Kraken new assistant coach Jessica Campbell speaks during an NHL hockey press conference Wednesday in Seattle.

Seattle Kraken new assistant coach Jessica Campbell speaks during an NHL hockey press conference Wednesday in Seattle. Campbell will become the first woman to work on the bench of an NHL franchise after the team hired her as an assistant coach. Jason Redmond/AP hide caption

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Jason Redmond/AP

Sports

Jessica Campbell will be the 1st woman on an NHL bench as assistant coach in Seattle

Campbell was hired Wednesday for the Kraken, becoming the first woman in an on-the-bench role as an assistant or associate coach in NHL history. She was a decorated player in the NCAA and in Canada.

The game theory that led to nuclear standoffs
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The Indicator from Planet Money

The game theory that led to nuclear standoffs

Last week, Vladimir Putin vowed to make new nuclear weapons and consider placing them close to NATO countries. Meanwhile, here in the US, the government boosted its nuclear weapon spending by 18% between 2022 and 2023.

The game theory that led to nuclear standoffs

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The Starliner spacecraft docked with the International Space Station and orbiting 262 miles above Egypt's Mediterranean coast on June 13, 2024. NASA says additional testing is needed before Starliner can return to Earth.

The Starliner spacecraft docked with the International Space Station and orbiting 262 miles above Egypt's Mediterranean coast on June 13. NASA says additional testing is needed before Starliner can return to Earth. NASA/AP hide caption

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NASA/AP

Space

'We’re not stuck.' Why Boeing’s Starliner isn’t returning to Earth (yet)

The return of Starliner has been indefinitely delayed, but NASA and Boeing say the astronauts will use the spaceship to get home — eventually.

The economic implications of Europe's jolt right

Italian Prime Minister, from the right-wing populist party Fratelli d'Italia (Brothers of Italy) Giorgia Meloni standing with other European leaders Thierry Monasse/Getty News Images hide caption

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Thierry Monasse/Getty News Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

The economic implications of Europe's jolt right

Europe is expecting a wave of victories from far-right candidates in upcoming national elections. Voters are showing they're worried about income inequality, immigration and the effects of participating in a global economy. Today, we take a look at what the swing to the right means for Europe's economy and the European stance on globalization.

The economic implications of Europe's jolt right

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A man orders surf and turf while everyone gets a salad and hopes that his party will split the check with him.
Malaka Gharib/NPR

Life Kit

Dining out with a big group? Learn the social etiquette of splitting the check

Five common scenarios you may encounter while dining out with a large party — and how to handle the bill fairly while being considerate of your server.

Check, please! How to fairly split the tab

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A rental DVD is dispensed from a Redbox at a 7-Eleven in Los Angeles in 2009. Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, the owner of Redbox, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Friday.

A rental DVD is dispensed from a Redbox at a 7-Eleven in Los Angeles in 2009. Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, the owner of Redbox, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Friday. Damian Dovarganes/AP hide caption

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Damian Dovarganes/AP

Redbox owner Chicken Soup for the Soul files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection

As of March of this year, Chicken Soup for the Soul had about $414 million in assets and $970 million in debts. Shares for the public company have fallen more than 90% over the last year.

How the end of Roe is reshaping the medical workforce
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The Indicator from Planet Money

How the end of Roe is reshaping the medical workforce

It's been two years since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the right to an abortion, triggering a parade of restrictions and bans in conservative-led states. Today on the show, how the medical labor force is changing post-Roe and why graduating medical students, from OB-GYNs to pediatricians, are avoiding training in states with abortion bans.

How the end of Roe is reshaping the medical workforce

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The Supreme Court on Monday put a pair of social media laws on hold and sent the cases back to lower courts. The justices unanimously agreed to send that cases back for more analysis, but did so in five separate opinions.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday put two social media laws on hold, sending the Texas and Florida cases back to lower courts for more review. Both laws sought to regulate social media platforms. Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images hide caption

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Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images

Law

Supreme Court puts Florida and Texas social media laws on hold

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday has put Florida and Texas social media laws on hold, sending both cases back to lower courts for more review.

Two red felt hearts balance atop two separate stacks of gold coins against a light blue backdrop, representing people in a romantic relationship merging finances.

Joint bank account or separate? The approach you choose depends on you and your partner's financial history and goals, says financial therapist Lindsay Bryan-Podvin. Pixelimage/Getty Images/iStockphoto/Pixelimage/Getty Images hide caption

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Pixelimage/Getty Images/iStockphoto/Pixelimage/Getty Images

Life Kit

Ready to combine finances with your partner? You have options

First comes love ... then comes money management discussions? Financial therapist Lindsay Bryan-Podvin discusses three common approaches that couples use to merge their money.

Do immigrants really take jobs and lower wages?

Friends and relatives of Cuban refugees line the dock in Key West, Fla., in this April 30, 1980, file photo, as another boat heads into the U.S. Customs docking area at the Truman Annex. Associated Press hide caption

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Associated Press

Planet Money

Do immigrants really take jobs and lower wages?

We wade into the heated debate over immigrants' impact on the labor market. When the number of workers in a city increases, does that take away jobs from the people who already live and work there? Does a surge of immigration hurt their wages?

Do immigrants really take jobs and lower wages?

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Indicators of the Week: Debate Edition

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Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

Indicators of the Week: Debate Edition

Indicators of the Week is BACK! This week we're doing something just a little bit different. You see, it's the same 'ol Indicators of the Week you're used to, but as a nod to last night's presidential debate, this time, it's debate style.

Indicators of the Week: Debate Edition

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A Tractor Supply Company store pictured in Pittsburgh in 2023.

A Tractor Supply Company store pictured in Pittsburgh in 2023. The chain announced a series of changes, including eliminating its DEI roles, in response to conservative backlash. Gene J. Puskar/AP hide caption

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Gene J. Puskar/AP

Tractor Supply slashes its DEI and climate goals after a right-wing pressure campaign

The rural lifestyle retailer, with stores in 49 states, says it will withdraw its carbon emissions goals, cut its DEI roles and stop sponsoring Pride events after an online outcry from conservatives.

The U.S. Supreme Court made it far more difficult for federal agencies to issue rules and regulations that carry out broad mandates enacted by Congress.

The U.S. Supreme Court made it far more difficult for federal agencies to issue rules and regulations that carry out broad mandates enacted by Congress. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images hide caption

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Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Law

Supreme Court just made it harder for federal agencies to regulate in sweeping ruling

The decision overturned Chevron v. The Natural Resources Defense Council, a 1984 decision that was not particularly controversial when it was announced 40 years ago.

Supreme Court just made it harder for federal agencies to regulate in sweeping ruling

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Do polluters pay, or do they get paid?

Activists demonstrate for the Loss and Damage Fund, which provides a flow of money from rich to less rich nations to address the impacts of climate change. Peter Dejong/AP hide caption

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Peter Dejong/AP

The Indicator from Planet Money

Do polluters pay, or do they get paid?

For years, rich nations have sent money to lower-income countries to help deal with the impacts of climate change. But it turns out, these wealthy nations are finding creative ways to funnel some of that financing back into their own economies. Today, we look at how the climate crisis is reviving a debate over how money should flow from rich to less-rich nations.

Do polluters pay, or do they get paid?

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