Planet Money

Raisin Outlaw Takes on Raisin Monopoly?

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Raisin Outlaw Takes on Raisin Monopoly?

NPR’s Planet Money recently ran an interesting story about Marvin Horne, a raisin producer who is taking on the Raisin Administrative Committee, a government agency that controls the production of raisins. The dispute gave rise to the recent Supreme Court case of Marvin D. Horne, et al., Petitioners v. Department of Agriculture.

Here is an introduction to the story: 

In most industries, competitors getting together to restrict the supply of a good would be illegal. But in the raisin world, it’s the opposite. Competitors have to work together. They all decide as a group how many raisins to release to the public. What can get you in trouble in raisins, is going against that group.

Raisin farmer, Marvin Horne, is a raisin rebel, a raisin outlaw. He refused to follow the rules of the Raisin Administrative Committee and found himself under surveillance by Rocky Pipkin’s detective agency. Now he’s being sued by the federal government for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

On today’s show, the upside-down world of raisins.

“What Happened To Detroit’s Big Plans?”

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“What Happened To Detroit’s Big Plans?”

That was the title of the most recent episode of the Planet Money podcast.  In the wake of Detroit’s bankruptcy, the Planet Money team explores why no “silver bullet” has been able to solve MoTown’s woes.  

Here is a description of the show: 

In the last 50 years, there have been many plans to save Detroit. People use words like “renaissance,” “revival,” and “catalyst” to describe them.

On today’s show, we visit the places these plans were meant to change, and we talk to an urban planner about why these grand dreams didn’t turn out the way the city hoped.

Planet Money: “Schoolhouse Rock Is A Lie”

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Planet Money: “Schoolhouse Rock Is A Lie”

NPR’s Planet Money podcast recently reran an episode titled: “School House Rock Is A Lie (Or, How The Filibuster Ate Washington.)” As the Senate debates filabuster reform, this entertaining story is worth a listen.

Here is a description of the podcast:

On our show today, we tell you everything you need to know about the filibuster, including:

  • What Schoolhouse Rock didn’t tell us
  • Why Aaron Burr and Jimmy Stewart are the two great villains in filibuster history
  • How Senators can now filibuster bills without having to talk for hours on end

 

Planet Money Shorts: Danger, Death and Crime

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Planet Money Shorts: Danger, Death and Crime

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?

Economist Approach to Climate Change

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Economist Approach to Climate Change

Recently, NPR’s Planet Money team discussed the economics of climate change legislation.  

Here is a description of the story: 

 

Climate change seems like this complicated, intractable problem. But maybe it doesn’t have to be.

 

On today’s show, we talk to a couple economists about a very simple idea that could solve the climate-change problem: Tax carbon emissions.

 

A carbon tax could be paired with cuts in the income tax. And it would drive down emissions without picking winners or losers, and without creating complicated regulations.