The popular NPR podcast “Summer School 2025” wrapped up its educational series today with a final episode designed to test listeners’ knowledge and recognize outstanding participants. The conclusion features a knowledge assessment, recognition of government service workers, and the selection of a class valedictorian.
The podcast series, hosted by Robert Smith and produced by Eric Mennel, has been offering educational content throughout its run, culminating in this graduation-style finale. Devin Mellor served as project manager for the series, with Alex Goldmark handling executive production duties and Emily Crawford conducting fact-checking.
Federal Reserve Coverage Takes Center Stage
Alongside the Summer School conclusion, NPR has been focusing significant attention on recent developments at the Federal Reserve. The network’s daily podcast “The Indicator” recently covered President Trump’s attempt to remove Lisa Cook, who was appointed to the Federal Reserve Board during the Biden administration.
NPR noted that a full episode examining this situation will be available in the Planet Money feed soon. In the meantime, listeners interested in understanding the significance of this development can access several background episodes on Federal Reserve independence and related monetary policy topics.
These background episodes include:
- “Happy Fed Independence Day”
- “A primer on the Federal Reserve’s independence”
- “The case for Fed independence in the Nixon tapes”
- “Turkey’s runaway inflation problem”
Lisa Cook’s Economic Contributions
The network highlighted that before Cook joined the Federal Reserve Board, Planet Money had profiled her economic work. This earlier coverage provides context for understanding her role and the significance of attempts to remove her from the position.
Additional episodes examining Federal Reserve leadership challenges include “Arthur Burns: shorthand for Fed failure?” and “It’s hard out there for a Fed chair,” which offer historical perspective on the pressures facing monetary policy leaders.
Central Bank Independence Under Scrutiny
The attempted removal of a Federal Reserve Board member raises questions about central bank independence, a topic Planet Money has explored extensively. Episodes such as “Should presidents have more of a say in interest rates?” and “Can the Federal Reserve stay independent?” examine the tension between political influence and monetary policy autonomy.
These episodes provide listeners with context for understanding why the attempted removal of a Federal Reserve Board member represents a significant development in U.S. economic governance.
The controversy highlights ongoing debates about the proper relationship between elected officials and the Federal Reserve, an institution designed to operate with significant independence from political pressure to ensure economic stability.
NPR continues to make all episodes available free of charge through Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the NPR app, and other podcast platforms. Listeners seeking additional content can subscribe to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or through the NPR website for bonus episodes.
The network maintains an active social media presence for the show on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, and offers a weekly newsletter for those who want to stay informed about upcoming episodes and related economic news.
