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 4 of 6

  1. Why infinite scroll's inventor wants to kill his creation

    · 9:28

    We practically live on our phones these days. Scrolling and scrolling, endlessly. Entrepreneur Aza Raskin is responsible for creating this infinite scroll. He also testified against Meta, who have been under fire — and…

  2. Is the economy red, orange, yellow or green?

    · 9:23

    Come see Planet Money live on stage! 12 cities. Details and tix here: planetmoneybook.com It’s not often you get to talk to a regional Fed president, let alone two at the same time! Today on the show, we take the…

  3. Jobs that new college grads are and are not landing

    · 8:40

    Come see Planet Money live on stage! 12 cities. Details and tix here: planetmoneybook.com Economists have described the state of the jobs market as “low hire, low fire.” That means employers are not cutting many jobs,…

  4. Greetings from: Our favorite public goods

    · 6:52

    Freedom of the Seas. GPS. The Large Hadron Collider. These are all public goods that make our world more prosperous, accurate, and knowledgeable. But we don’t always give them the attention they deserve. Today on the…

  5. Why Pokémon cards are growing faster than your retirement account

    · 9:12

    Pokémon cards are scorching hot right now. An index tracking the thousands of rare cards shows that valuations have increased 170% in the last year alone. Growth like that really makes you wish you hadn’t given away…

  6. Who's afraid of private credit?

    · 9:28

    There is a $3 trillion dollar black box at the center of the economy. It’s called private credit. These are direct loans from private investors to private companies. They’re often riskier, less regulated than…

  7. Do school lunches really need an overhaul?

    · 9:04

    School lunch has been revamped a ton over the last two decades. Now, the Trump administration wants to rejigger the menu once more to align with its Make America Healthy Again agenda. That means more meat. More dairy.…

  8. The US loses tech hires, sayonora to Sora, and Afroman's win

    · 9:22

    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: The US ain’t doing too hot in attracting European tech workers;…

  9. Tracing the tax that's supposed to fund TSA

    · 8:08

    Every time you buy a ticket that leaves a U.S. airport, you pay a fee that’s supposed to help fund the TSA. So why have TSA workers been working without pay? Today on the show, we explore the history behind an…

  10. Your next flight doesn't have to be so expensive. Here's why

    · 9:25

    Why are flight tickets so expensive right now? Increased oil prices seems like it’d be the obvious answer. That’s mostly right. Airlines used to do some financial magic to help keep airfare down as oil prices…

  11. Why hasn't the Russian economy collapsed?

    · 9:31

    How has Russia’s economy not completely collapsed after four years of war, sanctions and billions in debt? One economist says it is the war that has been propping up Russia's economy, not the other way around. He calls…

  12. The multimillion dollar Saturday Night Live UK gamble

    · 9:30

    Live from London, it’s Saturday Night? Saturday Night Live made its UK debut over the weekend after a well-hyped promotional campaign. Will this all-American sketch show translate to British audiences? We examine SNL’s…

  13. Trump and truckers, Poland prospers, and a booming ant biz

    · 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: The Trump administration cracks down on immigrant truck drivers,…

  14. How Iran is wasting American resources

    · 8:53

    Iran is using an affordable strategy to even the playing field in the war with the U.S. It’s using drones that cost in the thousands of dollars to combat American missiles that cost several million. Military analysts…

  15. How much is the Iran war costing us?

    · 8:27

    It’s really hard to estimate the total cost of war in the middle of one. Over the first six days of the Iran war, an estimated $11.3 billion was charged to the public purse. But long-term costs take years to manifest.…

  16. A trucker, a farmer, and an entrepreneur walk into a global supply shock

    · 8:54

    The U.S. and Israel war with Iran is causing a shock to the economic system. Gas prices are higher, diesel too, and even fertilizer is being affected. Today on the show, we speak to three people about the economic…

  17. Can anything save the news biz?

    · 9:10

    If you were in the business of making a bunch of money in 2026, you probably wouldn’t pick journalism. From social media to AI, the attention economy has upended the economic calculus for delivering news. But some…

  18. A lot of gas trapped, oil reserves tapped, and Live Nation gets a (tiny) cap

    · 8:32

    It’s Indicators of the Week (now on YouTube!), our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news. On today’s episode: How big is this gas crisis and could releasing oil reserves help? Also,…

  19. Should colleges accept money from bad people?

    · 8:27

    At a dinner in 2010, physicist Sean Carroll is handed a phone. On the other end: A wealthy patron looking to potentially fund his research. Months later came an invite to a conference. It would take place on an island.…

  20. The shadowy world of merchant cash advances

    · 9:21

    During the pandemic, mostly unregulated lenders went after struggling restaurants and music venues, charging at times sky high rates. Now, they’ve found a new market: small businesses that desperately need cash to pay…

  21. Will Trump’s shipping insurance plan work?

    · 8:57

    More than a thousand ships are stranded outside the Strait of Hormuz, bobbing in the water. A big reason? Insurance. War insurance premiums have skyrocketed since the war with Iran began. It’s an add-on that covers…

  22. No healthcare premiums? In this economy?! Here's how.

    · 9:06

    It turns out healthcare in America CAN be cheaper. If your employer wants it to be. Today on the show, we speak with a Canadian-founded startup that has unusually generous benefits for their employees. Come see Planet…

  23. Why are fewer Americans working the night shift?

    · 9:05

    The night shift isn’t for everyone, but it often means a boost in pay and a foot in the door. Yet a smaller share of Americans are working the graveyard shift than in decades past. Today on the show, where did all the…

  24. Want a 2.5% mortgage? Buy it.

    · 9:26

    Remember those juicy mortgage rates from back in 2021? You don’t actually need a time machine to get one today. You just need to find someone willing to sell their house AND their mortgage to you. Called ‘assumable…

  25. The anxiety rattling China’s youth

    · 9:29

    China will soon unveil its economic blueprint for the next five years, including a target for economic growth. This comes as consumption is down, wages aren’t rising, and property prices continue to drop. So what’s the…

  26. Why Paramount went looney tunes for Warner Bros.

    · 8:48

    Paramount Skydance is making a $110 billion play for Warner Bros. Discovery, and with it intellectual property like Harry Potter, Batman, and subsidiaries HBO and CNN. On today’s show, who is the man behind the deal?…

  27. Should the families of organ donors be compensated?

    · 9:29

    Two economists get into the business—and stakes—of organ donation, and they argue why the government should financially compensate their families. FYI, we are going on a book tour! Planet Money’s first ever book comes…

  28. ICE is bad for business, heat is bad for coffee, and sci-fi is bad for markets

    · 9:25

    It’s … Indicators of the Week (now on YouTube!), our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news. On today’s episode: How Minnesota workers were affected by Operation Metro Surge, why…

  29. How your favorite fish sticks might be funding Russia's war

    · 8:48

    Russia exports billions of dollars worth of fish a year across the world. But after the invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. banned imports of Russian fish. It turns out those bans are only so effective. Today on the show,…

  30. What an Epstein recording reveals about how elites get jobs

    · 9:05

    What do the latest batch of documents tell us about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and elite networking? Quite a bit. Today on the show, we analyze one exchange between Epstein and a former world leader to find…

  31. Do traders who place big bets make big money?

    · 9:30

    We’re going whale watching today. No, not orcas or great blues, but financial traders that place big bets on something called options. On today’s show, who are these option whales and do their bets always pay off? FYI,…

  32. Why there are roving rotisserie chicken mobs

    · 9:29

    You asked, we answered. On today’s show, we tackle questions from our dear listeners on whether AI interviewers are biased, what the heck M2 money supply is, and what’s up with the frenzied mobs fighting for rotisserie…

  33. Can I get my tariff money back now?

    · 8:41

    The Supreme Court struck down a bunch of President Trump’s tariffs yesterday. The Trump administration originally used an emergency economic powers law to justify the tariffs. And the court said: No! You can’t do that!…

  34. Retirement luck, Hassett hassles the Fed, and boneless chicken in ... court?

    · 9:27

    It’s … Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news. On today’s episode: Why you better hope you retire at juuuust the right time, why the researchers at the…

  35. Why this rural town wants an ICE facility

    · 9:11

    The Trump administration is planning to pour more than $38 billion into warehouses for mass immigrant detention. While some communities are starting to push back, one rural town has agreed to expand its detention…

  36. How well are ICE's 12,000 new officers being trained?

    · 8:28

    The Department of Homeland Security says it has more than doubled the workforce of Immigration and Customs Enforcement under President Trump. Yet videos of immigration officers killing two U.S. citizens and using…

  37. How Iran's flagging economy inflamed its protests

    · 8:36

    Editor's note: The United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran early Saturday, Feb. 28. For current coverage click here. For background context, the story below was published on Feb. 17, 2026. According to…

  38. Jobs numbers, immigrants in healthcare, and ... Jesus Christ?

    · 9:30

    It’s time for … Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news. On today’s episode: Analyzing the new jobs numbers, how letting in more immigrants could reduce…

  39. What it costs to be an elite figure skater like the 'Quad God'

    · 9:45

    Behind every Ilia Malinin or Alysa Liu, there is an army of elite figure skating coaches and choreographers who have been with them from the beginning. On today’s show, how much does it cost to achieve Olympic glory…

  40. What is going on with gold and silver?

    · 8:47

    The prices of gold and silver are on rollercoaster rides; Gold has been rising over the last few years, silver shot up like a skyrocket in January … but then both plunged in price and sputtered around the end of the…

  41. The boxed meal helping Americans stay on budget

    · 9:26

    Food keeps getting more expensive, so how do shoppers respond? They change what they buy, right? It’s not just that cheaper foods get more popular. Shoppers are more nuanced than that. So, today on the show, we choose…

  42. Are we in an economic 'doom loop'?

    · 9:21

    Trade wars. Financial panics. Inflation. How come it feels like it’s all bad news in the global economy these days? Economist Eswar Prasad’s answer: something he calls the ‘doom loop.’ That’s where massive geopolitical…

  43. Just how bad are these job numbers?

    · 9:25

    It’s a weird time for jobs numbers. Another month, another jobs report pushed back by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Averaging two private sources, ADP and Revelio Labs: an estimated 4,500 jobs were added in January.…

  44. How college sports juiced Olympic development

    · 8:41

    How did the U.S. become the Olympic powerhouse it is today? Cold War competition. The Soviet Union sponsored their athletes. But America wanted its athletes to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. It birthed an…

  45. Warming your house the green way just got more expensive

    · 8:26

    People wanting to purchase heat pumps might soon face sticker shock. Many consumers have sought out energy credits to find a greener and more affordable alternative to heating oil, but the tax credit to help make them…

  46. All these data centers are gonna fry my electric bill … right?

    · 9:03

    Data centers are getting a lot of heat right now. There’s neighborhood pushback against them for water usage and environmental concerns, and some politicians on both sides of the aisle aren’t fans for the same reasons.…

  47. America's next top Fed Chair

    · 9:12

    Kevin Warsh has been tapped as the next chair of the Federal Reserve. We’re sure that he’ll have a lot of questions about how to run the Fed if confirmed. So we put together this briefing. On today’s show, three Fed…

  48. A huge EU-India deal, Heated Rivalry, and a hefty $200k to Olympians

    · 9:57

    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 HUGE trade deal between India and the European Union, all the hot hockey romance New…

  49. Hawaii’s worker shortage goes NUTS

    · 8:44

    Macadamia nuts. Labor shortages. Volcanoes. All that might sound like econ Mad Libs, but they’re all connected to the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco’s entry into the Beige Book this month: labor shortages are…

  50. Why isn’t corporate America standing up to Trump?

    · 8:28

    President Trump has been storming through corporate America — taking a stake in Intel, demanding a cut of Nvidia’s sales, restricting skilled workers, among other big footed policies. Meanwhile, corporate leaders have…

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