Stacey Vanek Smith
Stacey Vanek Smith is the co-host of NPR's The Indicator from Planet Money. She's also a correspondent for Planet Money, where she covers business and economics. In this role, Smith has followed economic stories down the muddy back roads of Oklahoma to buy 100 barrels of oil; she's traveled to Pune, India, to track down the man who pitched the country's dramatic currency devaluation to the prime minister; and she's spoken with a North Korean woman who made a small fortune smuggling artificial sweetener in from China.
Prior to coming to NPR, Smith worked for Marketplace, where she was a correspondent and fill-in host. While there, Smith was part of a collaboration with The New York Times, where she explored the relationship between money and marriage. She was also part of Marketplace's live shows, where she produced a series of pieces on getting her data mined.
Smith is a native of Idaho and grew up working on her parents' cattle ranch. She is a graduate of Princeton University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in comparative literature and creative writing. She also holds a master's in broadcast journalism from Columbia University.
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Getting interrupted at work and having ideas stolen happens a lot to women, people of color and marginalized workers. Here are four ways to stop it from happening and make sure you're being heard.
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Who owns the moon? Space travel is getting easier and cheaper and now companies and NASA are trying to establish a market for things from outer space.
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The Senate is set to go on break without raising the debt ceiling, prompting grievances among Washington lawmakers. But the only time in history the debt was paid down, it didn't go quite as planned.
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During the COVID-19 crisis, almost 7 million Americans have started new businesses. Though an all time record, it's not unusual for such conditions to make people hungry to start their own thing.
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Demand for homes has increased dramatically this year amidst a labor shortage in the construction industry. So employers are increasing wages and getting creative to entice people into the trades.
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Several schools have cut women's sports teams during the pandemic, and some of the teams have lawyered up in response. Ultimately, these lawsuits ask the question: how do we measure equality?
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Skinny jeans dominated the jeans market for nearly two decades. Now they make up about 33% of jeans sales. The Indicator from Planet Money investigates the possible demise of the skinny jean.
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Matel has given Barbie a total makeover, and it's led to skyrocketing sales. The Indicator from Planet Money explores how having a more inclusive lineup of dolls was key to the company's success.
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For some people, giving up their house or apartment and living on the road is a choice. But for many Americans priced out of the housing and rental markets, living in a vehicle is a necessity.
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Of the 1.1 million people who left the job market in September, more than 860,000 were women. We examine why women are dropping out of the workforce, and what it will mean for the economy.