Emily Siner

Recently, the state of Washington embarked on an ambitious new plan to combat climate change. Taking a page from economics textbooks, the state instituted a statewide "cap and trade" system for carbon emissions. The state establishes a cap on the total amount of carbon pollution it is willing to allow each year, and then gives away or auctions off carbon emission permits that add up to that total. Companies can then trade those permits on the open market.

Economists love cap and trade plans because they establish a limit on carbon emissions while letting the market find the most efficient way for decarbonization to occur. But cap and trade has had a hard time catching on, especially in the U.S.

The stakes are high for Washington's new plan. If it succeeds, it could convince other states to implement their own versions, but if it fails, it might serve as a cautionary tale. On today's show, we take a look at how Washington's grand experiment with cap and trade is faring.

This episode was hosted by Keith Romer and Kenny Malone. It was produced by Emma Peaslee and edited by Emily Siner. It was fact checked by Sierra Juarez and engineered by Valentina Rodriguez Sanchez. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money's executive producer.

Help support Planet Money and hear our bonus episodes by subscribing to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney.

Convenient as it may be, beware of getting your blood drawn at a hospital. As one Texas woman discovered, the cost could be higher than at an independent lab, and your insurance might not cover it.

More than a year before the explosion that rocked Nashville last week, the woman told police that he "was building bombs in the RV trailer at his residence."

People across the country are having a hard time getting through to unemployment offices. Some of them have turned to social media for advice and workarounds.

Hunting is on the decline in some parts of the country. At this week's National Wild Turkey Federation convention, advocates want to create future hunters, especially women.

Hunting is on the decline in some parts of the country. At this week's National Wild Turkey Federation convention, officials want to recruit new hunters, especially women.

The funeral industry was once dominated by family businesses passed down through generations. But that has changed: In 2018, 83% of mortuary college graduates were completely new to the business.

First-generation mortuary students represent a major change in an industry long dominated by local family businesses. Those students also face their own set of challenges.

Tennessee Reconnect has helped thousands of adults afford a college education, but for many older students, the financial support may not be enough to get them to the finish line.

For the past half-century an archive in Nashville has kept up and recorded almost every national news broadcast. Now, 50 years later, archivists are learning some interesting tidbits.

The four-year results are in on Tennessee's free college initiative. Is this new data significant enough to sway the future of these free college programs?

The "co-write" is a staple of music-making in Nashville that draws on personal experiences and intimate details. Several women, however, say that collaboration can be fraught.

Researchers in Nashville are tapping into a country music camp to learn more about Williams Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder. Many people who have it love music but don't know why.

Free college programs are popping up across the country, but Tennessee is the first state to offer free community college to almost every adult, regardless of when they finished high school.

Some people in Nashville's Kurdish community — the largest in the U.S. — are worried about Trump's executive order on immigration. Reports of green card holders being turned away overseas are causing panic among legal permanent residents.

The Fisk Jubilee Singers famously saved Fisk University from financial ruin 150 years ago. But even now, the Nashville school's financial problems remain.

Authorities in Chattanooga, Tenn., are trying to learn why a school bus crashed in a residential neighborhood. At least five elementary school students died in the accident.

Hardier than corn, this ancient grain has a subtle, nutty flavor and is full of nutrients. But for most Americans, amaranth is still obscure. Researchers in Tennessee hope to change that.

The growing veterans population in places like Clarksville, Tenn., is straining resources at VA clinics and making it difficult for vets to get nearby medical care.

While Washington D.C., and other cities on the East Coast deal with snow, folks in the Deep South got hit too. People in Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi and North Carolina all got slammed.