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Planet Money

The Economy Explained
Episode 743: 50 Ways to Leave Your Union

British Prime Minister Theresa May, looks out from her car window as she arrives for an EU Summit in Brussels on Thursday, Dec. 15, 2016. Virginia Mayo/AP hide caption

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Virginia Mayo/AP

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Episode 743: 50 Ways to Leave Your Union

Today on the show, two unions separated by 200 years, an ocean and an exit clause. The United States has no exit clause. It led to civil war. Europe, on the other hand, has Article 50.

Episode 743: 50 Ways to Leave Your Union

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Episode 742: Making Bank

Temple Church in London, England Gary Ullah/Flickr hide caption

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Gary Ullah/Flickr

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Episode 742: Making Bank

On today's show, how a band of medieval warrior monks sworn to poverty got into the banking business and changed the way we think about money forever.

Episode 742: Making Bank

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Episode 592: Bell Wars

Malmark handbells on the left and Schulmerich bells on the right. malmark.com/schulmerichbells.com hide caption

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malmark.com/schulmerichbells.com

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Episode 592: Bell Wars

A special holiday episode about the epic, decades-long feud between the two companies that make just about every handbell in the world.

Episode 592: Bell Wars

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Episode 741: Amy and Steve vs. Facebook
Aarti Shahani/NPR

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Episode 741: Amy and Steve vs. Facebook

The story of a court case. On one side, the best lawyers money can buy. On the other, a night school lawyer who had never argued a case before. The outcome could affect everyone on the Internet.

Episode 741: Amy and Steve vs. Facebook

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Episode 740: Burnout

The company SpotHero built a Zen Den to help employees avoid burnout. Stacey Vanek Smith/NPR hide caption

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Stacey Vanek Smith/NPR

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Episode 740: Burnout

All types of companies are struggling with burnout. Many try to fix it. Most of them fail. One exception: A 26-year-old call center manager, with stress balls and costumes in her arsenal.

Episode 740: Burnout

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Episode 534: The History Of Light
Caitlin Kenney/NPR

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Episode 534: The History Of Light

In this show: How we got from candles made out of cow fat to as much light as we want. The history of light is the history of economic growth — of things getting faster, cheaper, and more efficient.

Episode 534: The History Of Light

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Episode 738: The Russian Rodeo

Shawn Weekes, an American cowboy from Texas, at the Russian rodeo. Irina Zhorov/WHYY hide caption

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Irina Zhorov/WHYY

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Episode 738: The Russian Rodeo

Russia's latest ambition: To build a steak empire. On today's show, a fourth-generation American cowboy teaches Russian ranchers how to make American-style steaks. Some things get lost in translation.

Episode 738: The Russian Rodeo

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Episode 737: 17 Deals In 17 Minutes

Deals, we got 'em. Richard Baker/Corbis via Getty Images hide caption

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Richard Baker/Corbis via Getty Images

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Episode 737: 17 Deals In 17 Minutes

We go on a madcap dash through discounts, bargains and tough tradeoffs. Like the headline says: We bring you stories of 17 deals in just 17 minutes (not counting the intro, the ad, or the credits).

Episode 737: 17 Deals In 17 Minutes

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Episode 736: Messy Nobel

Oliver Hart, winner, The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel. Michael Dwyer/AP hide caption

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Michael Dwyer/AP

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Episode 736: Messy Nobel

What happens when a creativity guru meets the winner of this year's Nobel Memorial Prize in economics? You get life lessons in making art, and negotiating contracts.

Episode 736: Messy Nobel

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Episode 574: The Buffalo Talk-Off
Donovan Graen/Flickr

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Episode 574: The Buffalo Talk-Off

The story of a guy who tried to make something of himself by getting into a rough business. And the story of a time when the world went wild for debt.

Episode 574: The Buffalo Talk-Off

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Episode 735: President Trump
Chip Somodevilla/AFP/Getty Images

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Episode 735: President Trump

Candidates promise all kinds of things. But once they get into office, it's not always possible to carry through on them. We ask, can Trump do the things he's pledged to do?

Episode 735: President Trump

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Episode 733: A Trunk Full of Truffles
Dan Pashman/WNYC

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Episode 733: A Trunk Full of Truffles

Truffles are a lumpy, smelly fungus. They're also one of the most coveted foods in the world. Why are they so expensive? And why are people willing to pay so much for them?

Episode 733: A Trunk Full of Truffles

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Episode 413: Our Fake Candidate Meets The People
Lam Thuy Vo/NPR

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Episode 413: Our Fake Candidate Meets The People

On today's show, Planet Money's economist-approved fake candidate makes his first ads. Then we nervously watch to see what a focus group thinks of them.

Episode 413: Our Fake Candidate Meets The People

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Episode 387: The No-Brainer Economic Platform
Drew Angerer/Getty Images

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Episode 387: The No-Brainer Economic Platform

Behold the Planet Money economic platform, crafted by brilliant economists of all stripes, and pure poison to any politician who embraces it.

Episode 387: The No-Brainer Economic Platform

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Episode 731: How Venezuela Imploded
Federico Parrra/AFP/Getty Images

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Episode 731: How Venezuela Imploded

Venezuela has just about every economic advantage a country could ask for: fertile land, good climate, educated population, and oil, lots and lots of oil. So how did it go so wrong?

Episode 731: How Venezuela Imploded

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Episode 730: Self Checkout
Indiana Stan/Flickr

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Episode 730: Self Checkout

A doctor treating psychiatric patients in an emergency room created the first self-checkout machine in his spare time. Now he can't stand self checkout. So we take him shopping.

Episode 730: Self Checkout

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Episode 729: When Subaru Came Out
Courtesy of John Nash

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Episode 729: When Subaru Came Out

Subaru's sales had been slumping for years. So the car company took a big risk and targeted a group of consumers that just about everyone else was ignoring.

Episode 729: When Subaru Came Out

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Episode 627: The Miracle Apple
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Episode 627: The Miracle Apple

How we got from mealy, nasty apples to apples that taste delicious. The story starts with a breeder who discovered a miracle apple. But discovering that apple wasn't enough.

Episode 627: The Miracle Apple

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