Sarah Aida Gonzalez was the youth and families reporter at WNYC. She dug deep into data and documents to reveal systemic inequalities in New Jersey’s foster care system, and into how the state prosecutes minors and disciplines federal immigration detainees.
Sarah received the 2017 Daniel Schorr Prize, awarded to a public radio reporter under age 35, and was named a finalist for the 2017 Livingston Awards for young journalists. Her investigative and feature reporting has received a national Edward R. Murrow award, and national awards from PRNDI, The Society of Professional Journalists and the Education Writer’s Association. Her investigation into Florida charter schools turning away students with severe disabilities received an Online News Association award for Innovative Investigative Journalism.
Sarah graduated from Mills College in Oakland, CA in 2009. She grew up on the San Diego/Tijuana, Mexico border.
Shows:
Sarah Gonzalez appears in the following:
The last time we shrank the federal workforce
Wednesday, March 12, 2025
If you cut every single federal job President Donald Trump wants to cut, how much money would that save?
A president has tried to massively shrink the size of the federal government before. It was in the 90s, under a Democrat.
Today on the show: Where they found waste the last time we really looked. (Hint: it wasn't jobs.) And why the pace of firings under Trump might start to slow down.
For more:
- Lessons for the Future of Government Reform
- Is government too big? Reflections on the size and composition of today's federal government
- Creating a Government That Works Better and Costs Less
This episode of Planet Money was produced by Willa Rubin. It was edited by Jess Jiang and engineered by Jimmy Keeley. We had fact-checking help from Sierra Juarez. Alex Goldmark is our executive producer. Special thanks to Ben Zipperer.
Find more Planet Money: Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / Our weekly Newsletter.
Listen free at these links: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the NPR app or anywhere you get podcasts.
Help support Planet Money and hear our bonus episodes by subscribing to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney.
Music: Audio Network - "West Green Road," "Raise Up," and "Blue and Green."
A president has tried to massively shrink the size of the federal government before. It was in the 90s, under a Democrat.
Today on the show: Where they found waste the last time we really looked. (Hint: it wasn't jobs.) And why the pace of firings under Trump might start to slow down.
For more:
- Lessons for the Future of Government Reform
- Is government too big? Reflections on the size and composition of today's federal government
- Creating a Government That Works Better and Costs Less
This episode of Planet Money was produced by Willa Rubin. It was edited by Jess Jiang and engineered by Jimmy Keeley. We had fact-checking help from Sierra Juarez. Alex Goldmark is our executive producer. Special thanks to Ben Zipperer.
Find more Planet Money: Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / Our weekly Newsletter.
Listen free at these links: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the NPR app or anywhere you get podcasts.
Help support Planet Money and hear our bonus episodes by subscribing to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney.
Music: Audio Network - "West Green Road," "Raise Up," and "Blue and Green."
'Planet Money' examines the secret world behind school fundraisers
Thursday, March 07, 2024
Schools and PTAs raise money by turning kids into little salespeople. Why do schools pay for field trips and other education expenses this way?
Remembering Earnest Jackson, the only artist signed to Planet Money's record label
Friday, January 19, 2024
Earnest Jackson, the sole star of Planet Money's record label, died recently at 75. We look back at his life and the long lost song he recorded in the 1970s about inflation.
Schools across the U.S. are trying a 4-day week. Why? To retain teachers
Wednesday, November 08, 2023
Many school districts around the U.S. are moving to a four-day school week to retain teachers. Districts that don't want to raise taxes to pay teachers more are using the long weekend as an incentive.
The richest countries in the world guarantee paid vacation — except the U.S.
Thursday, August 24, 2023
All but one of the 21 richest countries in the world require paid vacation for every worker. The exception is the United States. Why is the U.S. the outlier?
Why parents, day care owners and day care workers are trapped in a broken market
Thursday, July 06, 2023
Parents are struggling to find day care for their children — yet, day care centers are having a hard time staying open. Our Planet Money team looks at America's broken day care system.
Economists are reconsidering how much corporate profits drive inflation
Friday, May 19, 2023
In the past, corporate profit growth accounted for maybe a third of inflation. But a report from the Kansas City Fed found that nearly 60% of inflation in 2021 was because of corporate profits.
Our Planet Money team creates a record label to follow the money to music creators
Thursday, March 30, 2023
How do artists get paid for a song in the age of streaming? Our Planet Money podcast team decided to become a record label and release a song to find out.
How the Congressional Budget Office works
Friday, March 03, 2023
When a member of Congress proposes a bill, there's a nonpartisan agency that tells lawmakers how much their bill would cost: The Congressional Budget Office. But estimating these costs can get messy.
Planet Money started a record label to release a 47-year-old song about inflation
Wednesday, November 02, 2022
NPR's Planet Money recently got ahold of a 47-year-old song about inflation that has never been released. They decided to start a record label to try to get the song out into the world.
This song is nearly 5 decades long but its subject still hits home
Wednesday, November 02, 2022
The Planet Money team got a cassette tape in the mail with a 47-year-old song about a timely topic: inflation.
How does the music industry work? Planet Money started a record label to find out
Saturday, October 29, 2022
Almost 50 years ago, a band made an incredible song about Inflation. Then the song was lost to the dustbin of history. Now, Planet Money is on a mission to make this record a hit.
Young voters in Milwaukee share the biggest issues motivating them to vote
Monday, October 24, 2022
Young voter turnout increased in the last two elections, but a new NPR/Marist poll found that young voters were the least likely to vote in 2022. Young voters living in Milwaukee shared their views.
'Planet Money' breaks down the price of a gallon of gasoline
Thursday, September 15, 2022
Planet Money investigates how exactly gas stations determine how much a gallon is going to cost us, and why those numbers are so volatile.
Expiration dates lead to lots of food waste, though these dates vary widely by state
Thursday, July 28, 2022
In Idaho, milk can be sold for 21 days after it's pasteurized. In Montana, it's just 12 days. The science is the same. But food dates are all over the place, and it leads to a lot of food waste.
The team at Planet Money dives into the milk industry of Montana
Thursday, July 28, 2022
There are some pretty weird state laws concerning food dates. A Montana law ensures Montanans have the freshest milk in the country. But that leads to good milk going down the drain everyday.
Russia lowers its oil prices after buyers self-sanction
Friday, March 04, 2022
Sanctions against Russia have so far steered clear of Russian oil. But some companies are self imposing sanctions anyway.
A Lot Of People Blame Baby Boomers For The Housing Shortage, But It's Not So Simple
Friday, July 30, 2021
Baby boomers have the biggest share of real estate wealth in the U.S. and aren't selling their homes as they grow old. So some people blame boomers for the housing shortage. But is that really fair?
Planet Money: Why Aren't There Enough Skilled People To Build Houses?
Friday, July 30, 2021
There is a housing supply shortage in the U.S. The solution should be to build more houses. The problem? There aren't enough people who know how to build them.
Stanford's 'Marriage Pact' Is Actually A Great Way To Understand Economic Markets
Friday, April 09, 2021
At Stanford University, an assignment for a class on markets led to an experiment using economic thinking to match undergrads together romantically. It's a great way to understand many other markets.
