Darian Woods
Darian Woods is a producer for Planet Money. He blends economics, journalism, and an ear for audio to tell stories that explain the global economy. He's reported on why Australia avoided a recession longer than any other country, how Jamaica used music to fight inflation, and where the United States' two percent inflation target came from.
Before NPR, Woods worked as an adviser to the Secretary of the New Zealand Treasury. He has an honors degree in economics from the University of Canterbury and a Master of Public Policy from UC Berkeley.
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Argentines are partying hard in Buenos Aires' bustling bars, despite inflation. Across the pond, German companies are switching gears in response to high gas prices, as Russia shuts off its supply.
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Here's an open secret: IPOs, Initial Public Offerings, aren't actually public. Insider investors buy all the shares the night before. Spotify tried to change that.
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Inflation has reached levels not seen since 1981. Could the Federal Reserve have acted sooner? One former Fed official points to some human errors he says led to the inflation mess we're in today.
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Ah, college — the classes, the parties, the debt. Is it still worth it? While most schools have seen enrollment declines during the pandemic, there's been a jump in applications at "elite" schools.
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20 million tons of grain are trapped in Ukraine because of a Russian blockade of its ports. Getting the grain out by rail or truck is proving to be a huge logistical challenge.
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With inflation over 8.5%, it's perhaps time for a long-ignored investment option to shine: the I-bond. It's a U.S. Treasury savings bond, and its interest payments are linked to inflation.
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China has enforced strict regulations on its tech platforms over the past year. But this crackdown has sparked such instability in financial markets that the government may be having second thoughts.
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Green energy, like wind or solar power, is one solution to fighting climate change. But sometimes it's environmental laws that get in the way of building the infrastructure to produce it.
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There's a crisis in elder care: not enough nurses and nurse aids to provide for the needs of older folks. Some economists believe immigration can help.
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As Russia places troops on the Ukrainian border, there's a financial nuclear weapon that Europe and the U.S. can use: ban Russia from the system most banks use to transfer money internationally.