Jacob Goldstein
Jacob Goldstein is an NPR correspondent and co-host of the Planet Money podcast. He is the author of the book Money: The True Story of a Made-Up Thing.
Goldstein's interest in technology and the changing nature of work has led him to stories on UPS, the Luddites and the history of light. His aversion to paying retail has led him to stories on Costco, Spirit Airlines and index funds.
He also contributed to the Planet Money T-shirt and oil projects, and to an episode of This American Life that asked: What is money? Ira Glass called it "the most stoner question" ever posed on the show.
Before coming to NPR, Goldstein was a staff writer at the Wall Street Journal, the Miami Herald, and the Bozeman Daily Chronicle. He has also written for the New York Times Magazine. He has a bachelor's degree in English from Stanford and a master's in journalism from Columbia.
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Atlanta company SoftWear is trying to create a robot that can sew. If the project succeeds, it could have a huge effect on the global economy, and clothing manufacturing could return to the U.S.
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Many developed countries are issuing bonds at negative interest rates. That means people are buying them expecting to get paid back less than they invested. Why then are people buying them?
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In the campaign leading up to the Brexit vote, economist Tim Harford played the role of independent fact checker. Now that it has passed, he's letting out some strong feelings.
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The MacArthur Foundation wants to give away $100 million to a single project. This is part of a growing belief in the philanthropy world that piecemeal solutions aren't as effective as huge bets might be. But bigger bets can be risky.
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Many of the lines on tax forms like the 1040 seem oddly specific. Some are for farmers, some for divorcees, some for servicemen and women. Behind each of those we can see the process that shapes our tax code. NPR looks at one line — for performing artists — and how it came to be.
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Eight years ago, Warren Buffett made a $1 million bet with some hedge fund managers. We learn what the bet tells us about one of the most important questions in investing.
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If Greece isn't a good place to do business anymore, then businesses will leave. When solid businesses close up or leave, then Greece becomes even worse for the remaining firms.
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Not all Santa costumes are equal under the eyes of the law. U.S. trade regulations draw a line between costumes and clothing. But it's a fuzzy line with real business consequences. Jacob Goldstein of the Planet Money podcast dons the red suit and black boots for this story.
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On any day, a food bank could end up with heaps of pasta sauce, but no pasta. To solve the problem, a network of food banks created a currency of fake money and embraced trade.
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United Auto Workers has ratified a new contract with Fiat-Chrysler. It was settled across a conference table, in a time-frame agreeable to both parties. But, it hasn't always been that way.