Adrian Ma
Adrian Ma covers work, money and other "business-ish" for NPR's daily economics podcast The Indicator from Planet Money.
His reporting has garnered national honors including a National Edward R. Murrow Award, a Gracie Award and a Public Media Journalists Association Award. Before joining NPR in 2021, he covered the business beat for member stations WBUR in Boston and WCPN in Cleveland.
He's reported on what it's like to deliver groceries during an outbreak, captured the final hours of a tiny cafe, and traveled to China to unpack how the trade war crushed a growing market for U.S. cranberries. He's also covered protests for racial justice, explored what it's like to drive for Amazon, and documented the curious ritual that is 'speed dating for economists.'
His interest in journalism began while studying media law at the University of Maryland School of Law. Later, while working for a judge in Baltimore, he decided to "roll the dice" and change careers. After obtaining a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University, his first news job was as an assistant producer at WNYC in New York.
Some years ago, he worked as a prep cook in a ramen shop.
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For all the pain it causes, inflation makes old debts easier to pay off. A silver-lining for countries burdened by pandemic debt? Maybe. But if history is any guide, that shine may be short-lived.
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Sri Lanka is in a deep economic and humanitarian crisis. A big contributing factor? Its central bank is running dangerously low on foreign currency reserves.
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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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Earlier in the pandemic, a Massachusetts manufacturer rebuilt its supply chain to meet the demand for medical gowns. But with the market rush over, the head of the company is having second thoughts.
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Sanctions imposed on Russia have targeted some of its wealthiest individuals, its oligarchs, for their ties to President Vladimir Putin. In reality, this group has varying degrees of influence.
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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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Uber's CEO Travis Kalanick grew the company fast, but a venture capitalist wanted him out due to scandals. What ensued was a story about the tug-of-war between venture capital and founders in tech.
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In hospitals, it's standard for nurses to work a 12-hour shift. But research shows that may not be such a good idea for patients — or nurses.
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iBuyers buy homes online and turn around and sell them. But they concentrate in certain places, where houses can be priced pretty well using a computer algorithm.