Podcasts · Business

The Indicator from Planet Money

NPR

300 episodes

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. Sign up for our newsletter. Support public media by joining NPR+ at plus.npr.org. You’ll get perks for over 25 NPR podcasts, including bonus episodes for Planet Money and sponsor-free listening for The Indicator.

Episodes page 3 of 6

  1. Is gambling the reason we have pro sports?

    · 9:04

    To hear author David Bockino tell it, gambling has always been a key ingredient of pro sports in the U.S.—it’s as American as apple pie. Bockino is the author of the new book Over/Under: An Unexpected History of Sports…

  2. Your American Dream is pending review

    · 7:51

    The Trump Administration recently announced changes to how would-be immigrants get green cards. And it’s causing a lot of confusion, fear and even panic. Today on the show, we hear firsthand from people navigating…

  3. Community colleges are kind of underrated

    · 8:08

    Community college is an increasingly popular hack for those who want to change their career. Here’s what you should know about this gateway to economic mobility. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez. Your Next Listen — Which…

  4. Inflation is bad, work from home sad, FIFA World Cup tix NOT deal to be had

    · 9:29

    It’s Indicators of the Week (now on YouTube!). It’s our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news. On today’s episode: Inflation is back, working from home is making us sad, and World…

  5. The SpaceX IPO drama explained

    · 8:56

    What the SpaceX IPO, the largest ever, reveals about big tech, the NASDAQ and more big IPOs to come. Sure it will make Elon Musk a trillionaire, but what does this mean for your retirement account? Fact checking by…

  6. Should we tax AI?

    · 9:10

    Should we tax AI? The AI race has made a lot of people richer … but most of those gains seem to have gone to the wealthy while everyday workers aren't seeing their incomes go up. We speak with Democratic congressional…

  7. U OK, UK?

    · 9:26

    In the United Kingdom, young people are out of work, government borrowing costs are high, and the nation is burning through PM’s like yesterday’s leftovers. A lot of countries are feeling the economic strain of the…

  8. The fired labor economist who couldn't get unemployment

    · 8:45

    A top labor economist encounters the endlessly frustrating labyrinth of filing for unemployment after getting fired by President Trump. Why are unemployment benefits so hard to get, and can we do anything to fix the…

  9. Who should new grads boo more? AI or remote work?

    · 9:06

    Is AI really to blame for young people finding it hard to land first jobs? Is Black unemployment a leading indicator for the rest of the economy? Here’s what the hosts of our Ambies award-winning business podcast think…

  10. Equinomics, bag fees, and leftover campaign dollars

    · 8:37

    Our listeners have QUESTIONS about the economy. And we have answers. Today on the show, we look at why horse breeding might be slowing down, why airlines charge baggage fees, and where campaign cash actually goes. Fact…

  11. Can the internet be reclaimed from Big Tech?

    · 9:09

    Why one former senior advisor of the FTC thinks a libertarian myth of the internet has given Big Tech too much power. Fact checking by Vito Emanuel. Your Next Listen — Why infinite scroll's inventor wants to kill his…

  12. Why boardinghouses could make a comeback

    · 9:23

    There is a burgeoning effort across the U.S. to revive boardinghouses, aka single room occupancy units or SROs, as a solution to the housing crisis. But what happened to them in the first place? We track the…

  13. How AI is clogging the courtroom

    · 9:23

    AI has made it infinitely easier for anyone who can’t afford a lawyer, can’t get one, or doesn't want one to file a lawsuit and pro se cases are skyrocketing. But the wins haven’t followed and courts are starting to…

  14. Obsession, the most fun job in China, and a new green card policy

    · 9:10

    It’s Indicators of the Week (now on YouTube!). It’s our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news. On today’s episode: China’s baaaaad job market has led to an interest in becoming a…

  15. Saudi’s LIV golf exit is just the start

    · 9:25

    Is Saudi Arabia no longer a golf state? The Saudi sovereign wealth fund poured billions into culture and sports in the last decade, none more high profile than LIV Golf, a rival to the PGA. So why is it reversing…

  16. What the movies teach us about recessions, memestocks and gold

    · 9:01

    The Indicator hosts Adrian Ma and Wailin Wong discuss their favorite econ and business movies. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez. Your Next Listen —Before La La Land, there was Fort Lee, New Jersey Connect with The…

  17. Who’s behind that shell company? We may never know

    · 9:20

    Why is a law to reign in shell companies getting shelved by the Trump administration? The Corporate Transparency Act had bipartisan support, until it didn’t. We explain what the law was designed to do and why it’s on…

  18. Game of 'roids, trader Trump, and searching for Shakira's tax residence

    · 9:06

    Diving deep into President Trump’s many stock trades, a peptide business posing as a sporting event and a new breakthrough in Shakira’s ongoing tax drama. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez. Your Next Listen — Trump…

  19. So ... how long until these oil prices get REALLY bad

    · 7:19

    The US-Israel War in Iran is almost three months in and oil prices have risen, but they’re not catastrophic … yet. Why isn't the price of oil even higher? We learn about how the world is adapting to the blocked Strait…

  20. It's come to this: Human certification in the age of AI slop

    · 9:32

    In an era of AI slop, we find out how some artists are seeking out human verification for their work. Plus, we prove our own episode is 100% human-made. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez. Your Next Listen — Can you…

  21. Why GLP-1s aren't lowering employers' costs

    · 10 min

    The vast majority of employer health plans do not cover GLP-1s for weight loss. But roughly 20% do, many believing it will help their bottom line. Perhaps when employees take Wegovy or Zepbound, they’ll need less…

  22. Taiwan arms sales, Board of Trade, and Chinamaxxing

    · 9:24

    Unpacking Donald Trump’s trip to China: arms sales to Taiwan, the Board of Trade proposal and China’s growing soft power. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez. Your Next Listen — What might save China's economy Connect with…

  23. GameStop rejected, a troubling loan trend, and no to pre-IPO AI shares

    · 9:04

    On today’s Indicators of the Week: the Gamestop and eBay romance that never was, more and more people are taking out loans for everyday things, and no, everyday people can’t invest in OpenAI and Anthropic before…

  24. How Trump's central bank beef could hurt the economy

    · 9:29

    A new documentary from Frontline PBS, called “The President vs. the Fed”, helps us make sense of the unprecedented power struggle between the world’s most powerful politician and the world’s most powerful bank. You can…

  25. Should NATO be pay-to-protect?

    · 9:15

    NATO was formed after World War 2 as a collective security alliance that would prevent future world wars. But President Trump sees NATO more like a transaction between countries where allies have to pay up or be left…

  26. Prediction markets are threatening national security. Who's gonna fix it?

    · 8:54

    It’s the Wild West of online betting. Prediction markets have been plagued by insider trading allegations, ethical questions and even national security concerns. Today on the show, what are sites like Polymarket doing…

  27. The new AI model that could steal your life savings

    · 9:19

    Anthropic’s AI model, Claude Mythos, is very powerful. SO powerful it can find software vulnerabilities that might let it, I don’t know, steal your bank login information. Anthropic is holding back the model from a…

  28. Which jobs are future-proofed?

    · 9:59

    With AI disrupting the workplace, is your job even going to be around in ten years? The Bureau of Labor Statistics has just the handbook for that. Today on the show, we flip through the Occupational Outlook Handbook…

  29. Trump crypto, Trump ballroom and Trump drones

    · 9:26

    What do a Florida-based drone company, a crypto billionaire, and a European steelmaker have in common? Ties to President Trump. Since returning to office, the president, as well as his family and friends, have inked a…

  30. When will the Iran war hit food prices?

    · 7:49

    The US-Israel war in Iran is already being felt by American consumers at the gas pump, but when — and how badly — could it be felt at the supermarket? Today on the show, a food economist takes a crack at forecasting…

  31. How your bank account might predict dementia

    · 9:52

    Some of the earliest signs of dementia can show up in your financial portfolio. Missed bill payments and erratic investments could be indicators, and they can happen years before an official diagnosis. Today on the…

  32. How taxing the wealthy could work

    · 8:26

    Tax cuts for the middle and working classes, and tax hikes for the rich. What's behind this trend? We ask Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen to explain his bill that eliminates federal income tax for many workers…

  33. Polymarket bots, lithium found: lots!, marathon shoe thoughts

    · 8:55

    It’s Indicators of the Week (now on YouTube!). It’s our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news. On today’s episode: who wins and loses their Polymarket bets, an American lithium…

  34. The UAE wants a dollar lifeline

    · 8:34

    With the Iran War underway, the United Arab Emirates is looking for some economic certainty. The rich Arab nation is home to a lot of foreign-held deposits, and they’re worried investors will pull those funds. So,…

  35. The new economic arms race

    · 9:20

    Iran’s weaponization of the Strait of Hormuz is the perfect example of how modern warfare is increasingly waged, not only with drones and bombs, but also through the weaponization of economic choke points. Today on the…

  36. Jan. 6ers already got pardoned. Will they get their money back too?

    · 8:39

    In 2025, President Trump pardoned more than 1,500 of the Jan.6 rioters who ransacked the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election. In addition to being convicted of crimes, many of the…

  37. Premium and affordable products are having a moment

    · 8:21

    It’s the Beigie awards! Our less than ten times a year salute to the art and science of telling stories about the economy. Today on the show, Kevin Dancy, vice president and regional executive at the Federal Reserve…

  38. The Devil Wears Prada Index, SNAP, and flight cancellations

    · 9:22

    It’s Indicators of the Week, our weekly look at some of the most fascinating numbers from the news! And unlike florals for spring, these numbers ARE groundbreaking. On today’s episode: A dramatic SNAP decrease, fuel…

  39. How to get your tariff cash back

    · 9:26

    Businesses might finally see some tariff money refunded to them. That’s because this week, the federal government officially rolled out a process that allows businesses to apply for a refund. Today on the show, we…

  40. The Iran war puts the petrodollar regime to the test

    · 9:11

    The global oil market has supported the U.S. dollar for more than 50 years. But the system has shown signs of cracking. Amidst the Iran war, Iran has reportedly been collecting some tolls in yuan. Today on the show,…

  41. Corporate landlords aren't the real villain

    · 8:39

    So you want to buy a house. You MIGHT notice that the owner isn’t a neighbor in your town, but a large corporation. A recent housing bill that passed the Senate wants to change that. This bill would restrict large…

  42. Is anyone gonna do anything about these Iran War trades?

    · 9:11

    Traders have made millions betting on the Iran War. They are also suspiciously timed. No public information, then boom: a Truth Social post from President Trump. Cue fat windfalls for the traders. It’s starting to look…

  43. Fed chair, health care, and AI shoe repair

    · 9:25

    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 drama behind the Fed Chair nominee’s wealth; the shoe company Allbirds is becoming an…

  44. Fixing the oil crisis might not fix the Persian Gulf

    · 8:58

    If the Strait of Hormuz completely reopens, it still might not be enough to restart the economies in the Persian Gulf. Many countries there have been hammered by the oil crisis. And although allowing ships through…

  45. Think the oil shock is bad in the US? Look here

    · 10 min

    Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is pretty slow right now. A once steady stream of global oil has been severed, and oil prices have shot into the stratosphere. Countries across the world are trying to stop the…

  46. How the workplace helps you win Survivor

    · 8:24

    With the 50th season of Survivor underway, three former Survivor winners tell us how some of the skills they learned in their careers helped them win the show. There’s game theory, social engineering, and learning how…

  47. Can you really do what you love?

    · 9:50

    They say do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life. But c’mon. Is that possible in this day and age? On today’s show, we speak to a tech investor who tells us the ingredients he believes are needed to…

  48. Class myths, an influx of e-ships, and pricey Olympics tix!

    · 9:29

    It’s Indicators of the Week, our weekly look at some of the most fascinating numbers from the news. (Now on YouTube!) On today’s episode: Is the middle class actually hollowing out? Are more e-ships powered by…

  49. Where AI data centers are reducing power bills

    · 8:03

    Over the last half decade, wholesale electricity prices have increased 267% in places close to data centers. That’s contributed to a backlash against new ones. But some experts believe data centers are a scapegoat for…

  50. How are drivers riding out the gas crisis?

    · 9:09

    Come see Planet Money live on stage! 12 cities. Details and tix here: planetmoneybook.com If you’re a commuter, gas prices may not be your friend right now. The average cost of a gallon is more than $4 across the…

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