The Indicator from Planet Money
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The Indicator from Planet Money
A bite-sized show about big ideas. From the people who make Planet Money, The Indicator helps you make sense of what's happening in today's economy. It's a quick hit of insight into money, work, and business. Monday through Friday, in 10 minutes or less.
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Nvidia chips for China, frozen Russian funds, and a lot of self-checkout stealing
It’s … Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news.
On today’s episode: Nvidi...
How to make $35 trillion ... disappear
You may be familiar with the AI-fueled stock market boom. Well, former International Monetary Fund Chief Economist Gita Gopinath warns it could mirror...
Bitcoin miners are betting on AI over crypto
If you want to make Bitcoin, you need powerful computers and a lot of energy. Well, it turns out the same infrastructure needed for Bitcoin mining is...
How a former Fed vice chair would approach rate cuts
Federal Reserve is meeting to make its interest rate decision after the government shutdown delayed key economic data. Today on the show, we talk to t...
Take a penny, leave a penny, get rid of the penny
In November, the U.S. stopped production of the humble penny after 232 years in circulation. On today’s show, a former U.S. Mint director shares the f...
Chips up, rent down, and are people really skimping on holiday gifts?
It’s … Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news.
On today’s episode: A big goshDR...
A little doomsday feeling is weighing on the economy
It is a special edition of the Beigies Awards where one regional Federal Reserve Bank will receive lifetime achievement recognition. Today on the show...
How Japan’s new prime minister is jolting markets
Sanae Takaichi was sworn in as Japan’s first female prime minister a little over a month ago, and she’s already making waves in the East and West. The...
What would it mean to actually refund the tariffs?
Tariffs are bringing in some serious cash into the US Treasury’s pocket. The problem with that money is that it may need to be refunded. A case in fro...
Why the US chose not to have a passenger train system like Europe
Why can't the US be like Europe, Japan or India—countries that all have extensive passenger train systems? On today's show, why the US chose not to. W...
Moochers, monopolists and market-based poverty help
Public sector economics is a fundamental piece of the discipline. So we wanted to give our hosts an opportunity to put their knowledge to the test in...
Who's financing Meta's massive AI data center?
In a rural pocket of northeastern Louisiana, Meta is building a $30 billion data center called Hyperion. But it’s not being completely financed with M...
Who’s buying all the beef?
President Trump has said he’d try to get more Argentine beef into the U.S. So who would actually do the buying? That’s a general theme with a lot of t...
Pay transparency. The WhatsApp and Instagram decision. Our beef with screwworms.
It’s … Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news.
On today’s episode: the e...
How to avoid scammers after a natural disaster
When people lose their homes to wildfire, hurricanes or flooding, they're eager to rebuild. But scammers are also ready to take advantage. On today’s...
Looking for love in the auto supply chain
Foreign automakers already have huge assembly plants in the U.S., but lots of parts and materials come from overseas.
To avoid costly ta...
How to make switching jobs not terrifying
The U.S. labor market is stagnant right now, with little hiring and lots of people holding onto their jobs for dear life. In Denmark, there’s a differ...
The winner's curse
Ever put in the winning bid for something on an auction site only to realize you significantly overpaid? Yeah, there’s a phrase for that. On today’s s...
50-year mortgages, falling real wages, and doing your rideshare due diligence
It’s … Indicators of the Week! We look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news and bring them to you.
On today’s e...
Where the US got $20B to bail out Argentina
The U.S. is committed to bailing out Argentina to the tune of $20 billion using a little known mechanism called the Exchange Stabilization Fund. On to...
Trump's backup options for tariffs
The U.S. Supreme Court may soon rule on President Trump’s favorite tariff law. It could render them moot, but that doesn’t mean the end of tariffs. O...
Who is the World Cup for anymore?
The World Cup is coming up, and it’s going to cost a pretty penny if you are hoping to attend. Today on the show, we talk to NPR Senior Business edito...
How the French pensions débâcle is a warning to us all
France has one of the most generous pension systems in the world. But several governments there have collapsed over questions about how the government...
Can air traffic controllers keep calm and carry on — without pay?
There’s one job that gets all the attention during a government shutdown: air traffic controllers. Today on the show, we spotlight why this job has ta...
This indicator hasn’t flashed this red since the dot-com bubble
The “Shiller PE Ratio” is at its highest level since November of 1999. That was at the peak of the online gold rush right before the dot com bubble bu...
Who's propping up Russian oil?
Russia’s been subject to more than 5,000 sanctions since its invasion of Ukraine. Yet many purported allies of Ukraine are still getting Russian oil —...
How Apple's market power blocked ICEBlock
Last month, the Trump administration asked Apple to remove an app from its App Store that crowdsourced sightings of Immigration and Customs Enforcemen...
When AI is your job interviewer
Companies are starting to use AI to interview potential employees. Sound creepy? Well, a new study suggests it might not be all bad.. Today on the sho...
A school cellphone ban study, white collar jobs wither, and spooky candy prices
It’s … Indicators of the…Eek! (Indicators of the Week.) Our regular look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news.
...
Are China and India BFFs now?
China and India have a long, complicated history. Just a few years ago, there was a spate of armed skirmishes between the two nations. And yet, there...
Is Obamacare doomed without extended subsidies?
Health insurance subsidies are at the center of the current government shutdown. Democrats want to extend some expiring Affordable Care Act/Obamacare...
How Marxism went from philosophy to cudgel
Republican politicians like to use the term ‘Marxist’ to criticize Democrats. Lately, they’ve dubbed New York City mayoral candidate a ‘Marxist’ despi...
The new language of AI tech workers
It’s hard for young tech workers to find a job, even with the AI buildout bonanza. This has spawned a curious worldview that fears AI is coming for ou...
Amazon's outage, anxious retirees, and LA brings the Heat, too
It’s … Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news.
On today’s episode: the A...
Are concert tickets UNDER priced?
Ticketmaster's CEO says that concert tickets are underpriced. But from inflation to bots to unscrupulous resellers, the market for tickets feels out o...
No AI data centers in my backyard!
In the rush to power AI, data centers are popping up in small communities across the U.S. But a growing backlash against this build-out is pitting com...
Should we ditch quarterly earnings reports?
Quarterly earnings reports are a long-standing requirement for public companies in the U.S. But the Trump administration wants to axe quarterly releas...
Why are veterinarian bills getting so ruff on the wallet?
Since 2020, the cost of veterinary care has increased about 40%—almost twice the rate of inflation. As a result, many pet owners say they've skipped n...
Government shutdown fallout, price floors, and AI slop against the machine
It’s … Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news.
On today’s episode: Frozen and c...
OpenAI's deals are looking a little frothy
There have been many headline-grabbing AI deals recently: Nvidia investing up to $100 billion in OpenAI. OpenAI promising to buy $300 billion worth of...