logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2022
39m 19s

492. How Did a Hayfield Become One of Am...

Freakonomics Radio + Stitcher
About this episode

Frisco used to be just another sleepy bedroom community outside of Dallas. Now it’s got corporate headquarters, billions of investment dollars, and a bunch of Democrats in a place that used to be deep red. Is Frisco nothing more than a suburb on steroids — or is it the future of the American city?

Up next
Today
Extra: A Modern Whaler Speaks Up (Update)
Bjørn Andersen has killed hundreds of minke whales. He tells us how he does it, why he does it, and what he thinks would happen if whale-hunting ever stopped. (This bonus episode is a follow-up to our series “Everything You Never Knew About Whaling.”) SOURCES:Bjørn Andersen, Norw ... Show More
26m 47s
Aug 22
What Can Whales Teach Us About Clean Energy, Workplace Harmony, and Living the Good Life? (Update)
In the final episode of our whale series, we learn about fecal plumes, shipping noise, and why Moby-Dick is still worth reading. (Part 3 of "Everything You Never Knew About Whaling.") SOURCES:Michele Baggio, professor of economics at the University of Connecticut.Mary K. Bercaw-E ... Show More
48m 8s
Aug 15
Why Do People Still Hunt Whales? (Update)
For years, whale oil was used as lighting fuel, industrial lubricant, and the main ingredient in (yum!) margarine. Whale meat was also on a few menus. But today, demand for whale products is at a historic low. And yet some countries still have a whaling industry. We find out why. ... Show More
37m 32s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2022
111. Would You Be Happier if You Lived Someplace Else?
Will Angela finally break up with Philadelphia? Is New York really the unhappiest city in the U.S.? And are there trash tornadoes in the metaverse? 
33m 31s
Dec 2022
London Breed: What does San Francisco reveal about the US?
Stephen Sackur is in the US to speak to San Francisco’s mayor London Breed, a rising star of the Democratic Party. Her city is one of contrasts - vast tech wealth alongside rampant crime, drug use and homelessness. It symbolises America’s urban dysfunction. Can the mayor fix it? 
23m 43s
Jan 2021
Donald Trump and me
In one of America’s reddest states, Idaho, local Republicans reflect on Donald Trump’s rise to the White House. What were their hopes for the most unconventional president in living history, what was gained over the past four years – and what has now been lost? Presenter Heath Dr ... Show More
27m 19s
Jan 2022
Florida
To the outsider, 'Florida' evokes a certain kind of hot, swampy and technicolour Americana — a particular kind of heat-warped American eccentricity with added canasta. But what is the place really like? 
25m 14s
Mar 2024
Will All Cities End Up Like Detroit?
What caused Detroit to lose 60% of it's population since 1950 and is there a way to help residents and industries in shrinking cities to have a better quality of life and work? 
14m 57s
Dec 2018
What the F*ck is up with Florida?
Out of all the states in the Union, it seems like Florida is home to the craziest shenanigans. Every few days another story about a weird, madcap crime in the Sunshine state makes the circuit in mass media, and it’s created a nationwide stereotype about the state and its resident ... Show More
36m 33s
Nov 2021
Ritchie Torres: Is America ready to embrace progressive politics?
Stephen Sackur is in the south Bronx, New York, to speak to Ritchie Torres, a rising star of the Democratic Party. He is the first gay black man elected to Congress, and a vocal champion for the poorest district in the country. Is America as a whole ready to embrace progressive p ... Show More
22m 58s
Feb 2024
Cities
The village is aglow! In episode 97 of Overthink, Ellie and David guide you through the ideas that make a metropolis tick. From Plato’s spotless Republic to Saudi Arabia’s futuristic The Line, they talk the foul and the vibrant of what it means to live in a city. Why are there so ... Show More
1h 2m