For decades, U.S. homeowners have counted on property insurance to protect them from catastrophic loss if their homes are destroyed—and the U.S. economy has rested on the functionality of that model. But as this summer’s extreme weather broke records, private companies reduced their coverage. As climate disasters become more frequent, can home insurance hold ... Show More
Yesterday
Cabin Crew, Prepare for Surgery
On this episode of Why It Matters, we sit down with experts to discuss medical tourism, examining the forces that push patients to go abroad for care, the countries that have capitalized on demand, and the question of who bears the cost. Host: Gabrielle Sierra, Director of Podcas ... Show More
34m 26s
Oct 1
How Demand for GLP-1s Overwhelmed the Global Drug System
GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic have become some of the world's most-wanted medicines, but soaring demand has also turned them into a stress test for the global drug system. On this episode of Why It Matters, we trace how the GLP-1 trend led to shortages, a booming gray market, and s ... Show More
26m 4s
May 2024
The Possible Collapse of the U.S. Home Insurance System
<p>Across the United States, more frequent extreme weather is starting to cause the home insurance market to buckle, even for those who have paid their premiums dutifully year after year.</p><p>Christopher Flavelle, a climate reporter, discusses a Times investigation into one of ... Show More
24m 19s
Dec 2022
What Extreme Weather Events Are Doing to Global Insurance Markets
Heatwaves, droughts, hurricanes, floods... in a year of commodity shortages and supply chain disruptions, a host of extreme weather events have added stress to the system. So how do companies address the financial risks associated with these events? Catastrophe bonds and reinsura ... Show More
46m 52s
Sep 2025
Will climate change make your home uninsurable? | Amy Barnes
Insurance is the hidden engine that keeps the economy churning, but climate change is making home insurance unaffordable for many people, says climate risk advisor Amy Barnes. She reveals why soaring premiums aren't just bad news for homeowners, but also a flashing red signal for ... Show More
10m 19s
Apr 2025
How climate disasters are shaping insurance markets
Premiums are rising. Insurers are leaving markets. But people keep building in risk-prone areas, and the climate disasters just keep coming. Can insurance markets adapt? In this episode, Shayle talks to Dr. Judd Boomhower, an assistant professor of economics at the University of ... Show More
33m 1s