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Planet Money

The Rest of the Story, 2025

Planet Money

NPR

News, Business

4.630.5K Ratings

🗓️ 26 December 2025

⏱️ 28 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Most stories keep going even after we set down our microphones and the music fades up. That's why, at the end of each year, we look back and we take stock. 

We call this tradition "The Rest of the Story." And we bring you updates on the stories we've reported, and from the people we've met along the way.

Today, we check in on an engineer and patent attorney who made a safer saw; we get an update on the Planet Money game; an update on money in Gaza; and we have updates on a diamond that may or may not have had a second life. 

Listen to the original stories:

The Subscription Trap 

Planet Money buys a mystery diamond 

In Gaza, money is falling apart 

BOARD GAMES 1: We're making a game  

How to save 10,000 fingers 


This episode of Planet Money was produced by Luis Gallo, edited by Alex Goldmark, fact-checked by Vito Emanuel, and engineered by Debbie Daughtry.

Pre-order the Planet Money book and get a free gift. / Subscribe to Planet Money+

Play the new version of our game here. Version 4.

Listen free: Apple PodcastsSpotifythe NPR app or anywhere you get podcasts.

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See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

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Transcript

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0:00.0

Hey, Erica Barris here. We are almost at the end of 2025. And there is no way to sugarcoat it. It has been a tough year for NPR and for local stations. But with your support, NPR will keep reporting the news. And here at Planet Money, we'll keep doing what we do best, explaining the economy in the most entertaining and

0:21.9

accessible ways we possibly can. If you're already an NPR Plus supporter, thank you so much.

0:29.4

If not, please join the community of public radio supporters right now at plus.npr.org.

0:37.1

Signing up unlocks a bunch of perks like bonus episodes and more from

0:41.4

across NPR's podcasts. Visit plus.mpr.org today. Thanks.

0:51.9

This is Planet Money from NPR.

0:57.5

We have so many ways to communicate these days.

1:01.6

Email, text, WhatsApp, Snap.

1:05.1

Recently, some people have been communicating in the Spotify comments of our podcast episodes,

1:09.9

our working theories that it's teens

1:11.5

trying to get around their phone's parental controls.

1:14.5

Thanks for juicing the algorithm kids, I guess.

1:17.1

But lately, and I know this makes me sound like a grandpa,

1:20.8

I have just been picking up the phone and calling people.

1:25.0

On the phone, there's no subtext.

1:27.4

There's no being left on red.

1:28.6

There's no little ellipsis while you wait for someone to respond.

1:31.8

I'm not saying it's perfect, but it's instantaneous.

1:35.7

Unlike voice memos, which are an assault on human dignity,

1:39.2

you want to tell me something but don't want to talk to me about it?

1:42.3

Type it out, bro.

1:44.1

Anyways, the phone.

...

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