Aug 11

Why do We Still Need to Work?

A century ago, economist John Maynard Keynes confidently predicted that by 2030, we would only be working 15 hours a week. Yet, here we are—working harder than ever! While technology has dramatically boosted productivity, our work hours remain largely unchanged, and the prevalenc ... Show More

15m 56s

Aug 5

Do We Still Need Central Banks?

Almost every nation relies on a central bank, but the US is buzzing with talk of scrapping the Fed—the globe’s mightiest financial force! From its 1694 origins to battling today’s debt and inequality crises, we break down why central banks are crucial and what chaos could unfold ... Show More

18m 39s

Jul 21

Iran's Economic Dilemma

Iran boasts vast oil reserves, a strategic trading position, and a skilled workforce; however, sanctions and internal issues hinder its progress. From black-market oil to power outages, discover why this energy giant struggles to thrive. Can it break free from its economic troubl ... Show More

16 m

Mar 2022

The dollar at the center of the world (Classic)

After World War II devastated the global economy, there was a push for a new universal currency. This is the story of how the U.S. dollar won. | Subscribe to our weekly newsletter here. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy

21m 21s

May 2023

The dominance of the US dollar

For over 80 years the US dollar has been king when it comes to global trade, is that beginning to change?We look at how the US dollar came to dominate global trade, ask what happens when a country runs out of dollars and explore why countries like China, India and Russia are star ... Show More

18m 53s

May 2023

China Wants The Yuan To Rival The Almighty Dollar

The US dollar is the world’s most-used currency for global transactions. Now China aims to elevate its currency as an alternative. Over the past year, President Xi Jinping's government has struck deals linked to the yuan stretching from Russia and Saudi Arabia to Brazil and even ... Show More

27m 28s

Aug 2022

Money Talks: Top dollar

This year, the dollar is up by 15% against the yen, 10% against the pound and 5% against the yuan. In July, it briefly hit parity against the Euro, something that last happened two decades ago. What’s behind the greenback’s rise? In this week’s show, hosts Mike Bird, Alice Fulwoo ... Show More

39m 42s

Aug 2022

Money Talks: Top dollar

This year, the dollar is up by 15% against the yen, 10% against the pound and 5% against the yuan. In July, it briefly hit parity against the Euro, something that last happened two decades ago. What’s behind the greenback’s rise? In this week’s show, hosts Mike Bird, Alice Fulwoo ... Show More

39m 42s

Apr 2023

Why the Desire to Move Away From the Dollar Is Getting Real

There's been a lot of discussion about the possibility of "de-dollarization," or the idea that the world could move away from using the dollar as the de facto global reserve currency. Some of this desire makes sense. Not only has the Federal Reserve been hiking rates at the faste ... Show More

38m 12s

Mar 2024

How the US Dollar Became an International Weapon of War

After Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the US took a number of extraordinary steps to cut Moscow out of the international financial system. The country immediately was hit with a slew of sanctions. It was cut off from the SWIFT payment system and it even had its dollar reserves seiz ... Show More

46m 59s

Dec 2023

Dollarizing Argentina

Argentina has been on a decades-long search for economic stability, but it always seems to be out of reach. High inflation has been plaguing the country and just surpassed 160% a year. Over the past couple of years, the local currency has collapsed. One U.S. dollar used to be wor ... Show More

24m 12s

Aug 2023

Deflation in China

It's often said that if America sneezes, the world catches a cold. That now must be true of China - the worlds second largest economy. China's economy is struggling with falling prices - or deflation. The main inflation measure has turned negative for the first time since the pan ... Show More

27m 16s

Could China's Currency Be The New World ...