What was it like to work inside Elon Musk’s DOGE? The cost-cutting initiative promised transparency, but most of its actions have been shrouded in secrecy.For months, there were reports of software engineers and Trump loyalists entering agencies and accessing sensitive data. DOGE also helped the Trump administration lay off thousands of government workers. NPR reporters have been trying for months to get anyone from DOGE to talk on the record. Now, Sahil Lavingia, a former DOGE staffer assigned to the Department of Veteran Affairs, is speaking. Today, what drew Sahil to DOGE and what he learned about the inner workings, in a way we’ve never heard before.For more on DOGE and the federal workforce: – The last time we shrank the federal workforce – Can… we still trust the monthly jobs report? – Can the Federal Reserve stay independent?This episode was hosted by Kenny Malone and Bobby Allyn. It was produced by Sam Yellowhorse Kesler and Emma Peaslee. It was edited by Jess Jiang and fact-checked by Sierra Juarez. It was engineered by Neal Rauch. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money‘s executive producer.Find more Planet Money: Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / Our weekly Newsletter.Listen free at these links: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the NPR app or anywhere you get podcasts.Help support Planet Money and hear our bonus episodes by subscribing to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney.
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A NASA aircraft operations expert discusses the aviation history and work being done at Ellington Field in Houston as a training ground for astronauts. HWHAP 389.
How do you find the courage to leave the world you know and make your way to a completely different reality? This episode, TED speakers share ideas about escape and renewal.
Guests include author Pico Iyer, NXIVM whistleblower Sarah Edmondson, captain and navigator Lehua Kamalu and TV producer and screenwriter Shonda Rhimes.
TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at plus.npr.org/ted.
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When President Trump announced his sweeping new tariffs this year, many trade law experts were startled. Typically, presidents don’t have the authority to impose broad tariffs with a snap of their fingers.
But Trump’s advisors have an unusual new legal theory. They say that as long as there’s a national emergency of some kind, Trump may be able to create whatever tariffs he wants. This is a creative interpretation of a 1977 law called the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA. To justify his latest tariffs, the president declared national emergencies involving illegal immigration, the fentanyl crisis, and the trade deficit.
But no president has ever tried to use the law in this way.
Now, the fate of Trump’s tariffs — and the creative legal theory behind them — lies with the courts. About a dozen lawsuits have challenged his tariffs, claiming that they are unlawful and possibly even unconstitutional. And some judges have started to agree.
On today’s show: What are the President’s powers when it comes to tariffs? Where do they come from? What are their limits? And, what will be the fate of Trump’s tariffs?
For more on Trump’s tariffs:
– The 145% tariff already did its damage
– Do trade deficits matter?
– What “Made in China” actually means
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Over the past decade, politicians from both parties have courted American voters with an enticing economic prospect – the dream of bringing manufacturing and manufacturing jobs back to America. They’ve pushed for that dream with tariffs and tax breaks and subsidies. But what happens when one multinational company actually responds to those incentives, and tries to set up shop in Small Town, USA?
Today on the show – how a battery factory ignited a political firestorm over what kind of factories we actually want in our backyard. And what happens when the global economy meets town hall democracy.
This episode of Planet Money was produced by Emma Peaslee and Sylvie Douglis. It was edited by Marianne McCune and fact checked by Sierra Juarez. It was engineered by Robert Rodriguez. Alex Goldmark is our executive producer.
Read Viola Zhou’s reporting on the Gotion battery factory.
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Listen free at these links: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the NPR app or anywhere you get podcasts.
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Music: NPR Source Audio – “Collectible Kicks,” “Arturo’s Revenge,” and “Liquid Courage”
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NASA and Axiom Space mission managers discuss how they work together to enable private astronaut missions ahead of Axiom Mission 4’s launch. HWHAP 388.
The thrill of victory; the agony of defeat. Sports clichés are everywhere. But what does it actually take to think like a winner? This hour, TED speakers explore the psychology of winning and losing.
Guests include former professional soccer player Abby Wambach, cognitive scientist Sian Leah Beilock, journalist Kate Fagan and art historian Sarah Lewis.
Original broadcast date: July 19, 2024.
TED Radio Hour+ subscribers now get access to bonus episodes, with more ideas from TED speakers and a behind the scenes look with our producers. A Plus subscription also lets you listen to regular episodes (like this one!) without sponsors. Sign-up at plus.npr.org/ted.
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Today on the show – our crypto president. Just before President Donald Trump began his second administration in January, he and his business partners launched the $TRUMP coin. It’s a memecoin that quickly raked in hundreds of millions of dollars. And there’s a lot of earning potential still left on the table. Is that even legal?
We bring you two stories from our daily show, The Indicator about President Trump and his ties to crypto. First, the Trump coin. We explain what it is, how the real Donald Trump profits from it, and yes, whether this whole crypto scheme is within the law. Then we take a look at Stablecoins: how they work, how they make money, and for whom.
The original episodes from The Indicator were produced by Cooper Katz McKim and Corey Bridges. They were engineered by Harry Paul and Robert Rodriguez. They were fact-checked by Sierra Juarez. Kate Concannon edits the show. This episode of Planet Money was produced by James Sneed and edited by Emma Peaslee. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money‘s executive producer.
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Listen free at these links: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the NPR app or anywhere you get podcasts.
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We sit down with Steve Ballmer, the legendary former Microsoft CEO and owner of the LA Clippers, for an epic conversation covering his 34 years at Microsoft. Steve listened to our Microsoft episodes and had some thoughts to share — and boy, did he deliver. Steve takes us point-by-point through the original IBM DOS deal that started everything, how he built Microsoft’s enterprise business from scratch, and offers his candid reflections on missing mobile and search. We also cover the story behind “developers, developers, developers”, the complexities of his relationship with Bill Gates (including a year where they didn’t speak), and why he ultimately decided to step down as CEO. Plus, we learn why Steve has held onto his Microsoft stock through it all — giving him arguably the best investment track record in the world over the last 10 years with his net worth growing from $20B to $130B since leaving. And of course, we couldn’t resist also talking about his other passion: the Clippers and Intuit Dome. Hit play and get ready to experience the patented Steve Ballmer energy and fun on full display!
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Note: Acquired hosts and guests may hold assets discussed in this episode. This podcast is not investment advice, and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. You should do your own research and make your own independent decisions when considering any financial transactions.
Over the last few months U.S.-China trade relations have been pretty hard to make sense of – unless you look at what’s happening through the lens of game theory. Game theory is all about how decisions are made, based not just on one side’s options and payoffs, but on the choices and incentives of others.
So, are Donald Trump and Xi Jinping competing in a simple game of chicken? Or is the game more like the prisoner’s dilemma? On today’s show, we try to decide which of four possibilities might be the best model for this incredibly high-stakes game. And we take a look at who is playing well and who might need to adjust their strategy.
For more on the U.S.-China trade war:
– The 145% tariff already did its damage
– What happened to U.S. farmers during the last trade war
– What “Made in China” actually means
This show was hosted by Keith Romer and Amanda Aronczyk. It was produced by Sam Yellowhorse Kesler. It was edited by Jess Jiang, fact-checked by Sierra Juarez and engineered by Kwesi Lee with help from Robert Rodriguez and Cena Lofreddo. Additional production help from Sylvie Douglis. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money‘s executive producer.
Find more Planet Money: Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / Our weekly Newsletter.
Listen free at these links: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the NPR app or anywhere you get podcasts.
Help support Planet Money and hear our bonus episodes by subscribing to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney.
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