Planet Money Shorts: Danger, Death and Crime

July 21, 2013 / Matthew Clemente / Leave a comment

Several months ago, NPR’s Planet Money ran an episode with four five minute stories about danger, death, and crime.

Here is a description of the podcast:

1. Why Is The Government In The Flood Insurance Business? The quick answer to why the government sells flood insurance: a hugely damaging hurricane named Betsy.

2. Should Gun Owners Have To Buy Liability Insurance? Most states require car owners to have liability insurance to cover damages their vehicles cause to others; some economists think we should require the same for gun owners.

3. Lance Armstrong’s Confession Could Cost Him Millions How one interview could mean he’ll have to pay back all the money the U.S. Postal Service and others paid to sponsor his cycling career.

4. How Happy Is America? The government is considering adopting a national happiness index. But how do you measure happiness?

“If A Driverless Car Crashes, Who’s Liable?”

March 15, 2013 / Matthew Clemente / Leave a comment

“If A Driverless Car Crashes, Who’s Liable?”

That is the question explored by NPR’s Planet Money team on a recent episode of Morning Edition (5 minutes). Increasingly automobile manufacturers are developing cars that drive themselves. As a result, there is an interesting legal question about whether “drivers” or auto manufactures should be held liable when such cars crash. The worry is that if car companies are held liable, they will stop developing this technology.