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What military brats tell us about social mobility
NPR

The Indicator from Planet Money

What military brats tell us about social mobility

Children of U.S. military families, a.k.a. brats, are known for their adaptability when relocating to new neighborhoods and schools every few years. This migratory population became the basis for brand new research on how the neighborhood you grew up in affects your economic success later in life. Today on the show, how a place influences your financial destiny.

What military brats tell us about social mobility

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Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun testified before a Senate subcommittee last week, while family members of those killed in crashes of two Boeing 737 Max 8 jets in 2018 and 2019 held of photographs of their loved ones.

Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun testified before a Senate subcommittee last month, while family members of those killed in crashes of two Boeing 737 Max 8 jets in 2018 and 2019 held photographs of their loved ones.
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Families of 737 Max crash victims urge a judge to reject Boeing’s plea deal

Boeing has agreed to plead guilty to misleading regulators in connection with the deadly crashes of two 737 Max jets. But that deal with the DOJ has not quieted the anger of crash victims’ families.

The Wall Street Journal is being sued by former reporter Stephanie Armour, who covered health policy and COVID-19. She alleges she was targeted because of a disability.

The Wall Street Journal is being sued by former reporter Stephanie Armour, who covered health policy and COVID-19. She alleges she was targeted because of a disability. Chris Hondros/Getty Images hide caption

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Chris Hondros/Getty Images

Media

‘Wall Street Journal’ sued by star reporter for discrimination

The Wall Street Journal has conducted multiple rounds of layoffs this year. In a lawsuit, former reporter Stephanie Armour says the paper tried to shed employees with significant health-care costs by citing “trumped up performance issues.”

Boxes of cereal are displayed on a shelf at a Target store in July 2022 in San Rafael, Calif. Manufacturers are using

Boxes of cereal are displayed on a shelf at a Target store in July 2022 in San Rafael, Calif. Manufacturers are using "shrinkflation" techniques as costs to produce goods increase. Some are making the packaging smaller but charging the same prices as they were prior to the reduction in size. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption

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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Planet Money

How to fight shrinkflation? Pay attention to unit prices at grocery stores

Companies have waged a quiet revolution in package sizing that they use to squeeze more money out of us. But there’s a weapon to help consumers level the playing field: unit prices.

The young trolls of Wall Street are growing up

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The Indicator from Planet Money

The young trolls of Wall Street are growing up

Back in 2021, the meme stock frenzy was at its peak: Roaring Kitty AKA Keith Gill, and young day traders gleefully upended financial markets. Roaring Kitty disappeared for a bit before returning just a couple months ago.

The young trolls of Wall Street are growing up

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Andrea Lawful-Sanders, wearing a white dress, smiles as she speaks into a microphone.

Andrea Lawful-Sanders, pictured in August 2021, resigned from her hosting position at WURD Radio after interviewing Biden with questions provided by his campaign. Arturo Holmes/Getty Images hide caption

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Media

A radio host resigned after interviewing Biden with questions provided by his campaign

Two radio hosts in the swing states of Pennsylvania and Wisconsin admitted to interviewing Biden with questions provided by his team, which violates many newsroom policies. One of them has resigned.

Elvia Elena Nunez and her grandson Esteban sit in a classroom in Phoenix.

Elvia Elena Nunez and her grandson Esteban spent several months this spring in the Kith and Kin program. Andrea Hsu/NPR hide caption

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Andrea Hsu/NPR

Paid or unpaid, child care is vital to the economy. This program recognizes that

In Arizona, a program called Kith and Kin teaches mothers, grandmothers, aunts, friends and neighbors who watch other people's children the skills they need to provide high quality care.

FAMILY, FRIEND & NEIGHBOR CHILD CARE

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Bonnie Boop is now a people lead at Walmart in Huntsville, Ala. She received college credit for a company training program, graduating with a bachelor's degree last year.

Bonnie Boop is now a people lead at Walmart in Huntsville, Ala. She received college credit for a company training program, graduating with a bachelor's degree last year. Andi Rice for NPR/Andi Rice for NPR hide caption

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Andi Rice for NPR/Andi Rice for NPR

College credit for working your job? Walmart and McDonald’s are trying it

Imagine a world in which your resume relies less on titles or diplomas and acts more like a passport of skills you’ve proven you have.

College credit for job experience

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The U.S. Justice Department says Boeing has agreed to plead guilty to a criminal fraud charge stemming from the crashes of two 737 Max jets in 2018 and 2019. Boeing assembles its 737s at its factory in Renton, Wash.

The U.S. Justice Department says Boeing has agreed to plead guilty to a criminal fraud charge stemming from the crashes of two 737 Max jets in 2018 and 2019. Boeing assembles its 737s at its factory in Renton, Wash. Jennifer Buchanan/Pool photo by Seattle Times via Getty Images hide caption

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Jennifer Buchanan/Pool photo by Seattle Times via Getty Images

Boeing agrees to plead guilty and pay a nearly quarter-billion dollar fine

The U.S. Justice Department says Boeing has accepted a deal to plead guilty to a criminal fraud charge stemming from the crashes of two 737 Max jets in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people.

BOEING TO PLEAD GUILTY

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Firefighters gather at the site of a fire at a lithium battery factory owned by South Korean battery maker Aricell in Hwaseong, South Korea, on June 24.

Firefighters gather at the site of a fire at a lithium battery factory owned by South Korean battery maker Aricell in Hwaseong, South Korea, on June 24. Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images

Asia

A deadly fire exposes the lack of protection for migrant workers in South Korea

As South Korea's population shrinks, foreign migrant workers are joining the country's workforce. But a recent deadly fire exposed the risks some of them are facing.

One of the hottest jobs in AI right now: 'types-question guy'

Prompt engineers ask AI questions like the rest of us. But they make the answers more useful. CFOTO hide caption

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CFOTO

The Indicator from Planet Money

One of the hottest jobs in AI right now: 'types-question guy'

U.S. job growth cooled this month. But one job is hot to the touch: AI prompt engineer. The role can command a six figure salary, but ... what is it? Today, we speak to an AI prompt engineer to figure out what they actually do and how long the job could remain hot.

One of the hottest jobs in AI right now: 'types-question guy'

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How flying got so bad (or did it?)
Fox Photos/Getty Images

Planet Money

How flying got so bad (or did it?)

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 flying got so bad (or did it?)

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Randee Noggle stands in front of her home in Taylor, Mich. on June 30, 2024. She bought the house in 2018 using money she inherited from her grandmother.

Randee Noggle stands in front of her home in Taylor, Mich. on June 30, 2024. She bought the house in 2018 using money she inherited from her grandmother. Sylvia Jarrus for NPR hide caption

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Sylvia Jarrus for NPR

Investigations

Courts, regulators tackle whether 'sale-leaseback' deals are actually loans

Courts are tackling the question of whether sale-leaseback deals function more like a mortgage than an outright sale — and therefore should be regulated like a loan.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos speaks at an event unveiling the Kindle 2.0 in 2009. Bezos founded the company in his Bellevue, Wash. garage 30 years ago on July 5, 1995.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos speaks at an event unveiling the Kindle 2.0 in 2009. Bezos founded the company in his Bellevue, Wash. garage 30 years ago on July 5, 1995. Mario Tama/Getty Images/Getty Images North America hide caption

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Mario Tama/Getty Images/Getty Images North America

Amazon is 30. Here's how a book store gobbled up all of e-commerce

Jeff Bezos founded the e-commerce giant in his garage 30 years ago. NPR's Andrew Mambo talks with business reporter Alina Selyukh about how Bezos built an empire and what's next for the company.

Amazon is 30. Here's how a book store gobbled up all of e-commerce

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Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis arrives to take part in a Ukraine peace summit near Lucerne, Switzerland, on June 15.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis arrives to take part in a Ukraine peace summit near Lucerne, Switzerland, on June 15. Mitsotakis' administration says making six days of work mandatory is necessary due to a shrinking population and a shortage of skilled workers. Denis Balibouse/POOL/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Denis Balibouse/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Greece's new 6-day workweek law takes effect, bucking a trend

An employee who must work on a sixth day would be paid 40% overtime, according to the new law.

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
Unknown/Wikimedia

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.

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