Leave it to economists to spin a story about the strong dollar as a troubling sign.

The dollar is strengthening faster than it has in nearly forty years: the euro-to-dollar exchange rate is almost back to 1:1. American tourists have more buying power overseas, imports are inexpensive, and acquisitions of foreign companies come at a cheap price. Just this week, Fedex bought Dutch package delivery company TNT.

But a soaring dollar bill also means buyers abroad are less interested in expensive American goods. If history's any indication, a strong dollar can be an omen of economic downturns ahead.

On this week's Money Talking, Rana Foroohar of Time magazine and Josh Barro of The New York Times explore the roots and risks of our strong American currency. And then a look at the future of TV as HBO's hit show Game of Thrones becomes available to viewers without cable. HBO's new stand-alone app, HBO Now, launched this week, is just one in a series of new platforms that's freeing content from cable providers and lets viewers watch traditional TV on a desktop in real time.