The Indicator from Planet Money

Episodes page 5 of 6

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

   28 Jan 2026 · 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…

2. Can Europe sell America?

   27 Jan 2026 · 9:31

   “Sell America.” There’s new talk of how Europe could turn the economic screws on the U.S. after President Trump’s play for Greenland. Selling U.S. Treasury bonds is one way. Another is a legal tool. It’s been called…

3. How Pakistan is revving up a fight against tax dodgers

   26 Jan 2026 · 9:25

   Pakistan has had some major economic bumps as of late, including a near default in 2023. At the root: seriously low tax collection. Millions of Pakistan residents opt out of paying income taxes entirely. This is a…

4. Davos drama, credit card caps and tariff truths

   23 Jan 2026 · 9:59

   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: Why does Davos feel interesting this year? What if we did cap credit card…

5. How beef climbed to the top of the food pyramid

   22 Jan 2026 · 8:53

   Beef is back on top. Well, at least on top of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s new food pyramid, unveiled alongside updated national dietary guidelines. Red meat really never left the great American menu. But…

6. Is Greenland really an untapped land of riches?

   21 Jan 2026 · 9:05

   President Donald Trump is dead set on acquiring Greenland, and while national security is the stated reason, the country’s untapped mineral wealth could offer another explanation. Today on the show: is Greenland…

7. Are U.S. defense contractors lavishing their investors too much?

   20 Jan 2026 · 9:26

   In early January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order threatening bans on defense contractors paying dividends or buying their stock back. Today on the show, we learn about the Trump Administration’s…

8. ICE influencers, a world-record trade surplus, and the moon goes nuclear

   16 Jan 2026 · 9:26

   Welcome back to Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news. On today’s episode: Influencers for ICE, China’s tremendous trade surplus, and America heads back…

9. Why Trump resurrected the Monroe Doctrine

   15 Jan 2026 · 9:12

   203 years ago, President James Monroe declared the Western Hemisphere off limits to powerful countries in Europe. Fast forward, and President Trump is reviving the Monroe Doctrine to justify intervening in places like…

10. Can a good story change economic reality?

    14 Jan 2026 · 8:27

    Economic decisions aren’t only driven by hard data. A compelling story can change economic behavior and outcomes. In today’s episode, we explore real-world examples of “narrative economics” like how the Suez Canal…

11. One Fed battle after another

    13 Jan 2026 · 8:43

    Over the weekend, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the Department of Justice served the Fed with grand jury subpoenas. Powell says it’s all a sham. But the stakes are unprecedented: A potential criminal…

12. How far can philanthropy go to fill government gaps?

    12 Jan 2026 · 8:11

    While Americans are known for their generosity, the U.S. government, increasingly, is not. The Trump administration’s cuts to SNAP benefits among other aid programs have forced states, foundations and donors to fill…

13. How AI is shrinking the job market for teens

    9 Jan 2026 · 9:29

    Karissa Tang is a 17-year-old in California who got curious about the impact of AI on typical teen jobs like cashiers and fast food counter workers. She embarked on an ambitious economic research project and shares her…

14. Venezuela didn't steal U.S. oil. Here's what happened

    8 Jan 2026 · 9:27

    President Trump claims Venezuela stole American oil. Is that true? We trace Venezuela's oil industry from its 1920s birth through nationalization and then collapse. Today on the show, how did the Venezuelan oil…

15. Can you trust you're getting the same grocery prices as someone else?

    7 Jan 2026 · 9:06

    When you're in a grocery store nowadays, chances are your data is being collected. From a swipe of the loyalty card to the purchase of an ice cream pint, your data tells stores what you like, how much they should…

16. How cocaine smuggling through Latin America really works

    6 Jan 2026 · 9:15

    Former Venezuelan leader, Nicolás Maduro, appeared in a New York court yesterday. He’s facing drug-trafficking and weapons charges after the U.S. abducted him and his wife in an explosive operation over the weekend.…

17. Why China pulled the plug on Japan

    5 Jan 2026 · 9:01

    Japan’s new prime minister Sanae Takaichi made waves last fall after saying her country might intervene if China invaded Taiwan. In response, China launched state-organized boycotts against Japan — canceling concerts,…

18. Venezuela’s economic descent (Updated)

    3 Jan 2026 · 10 min

    At The Indicator, we’ve been following the conditions in Venezuela over the years. In 2024 we covered how Venezuela’s economy went into freefall, and have been checking in with an economist there frequently — including…

19. We resolve to watch these 2026 indicators

    2 Jan 2026 · 8:41

    2025 is finally over. We had bad consumer sentiment vibes, tariffs, and a seemingly ascendant stock market. And those are just a few indicators from last year! As we enter 2026, what indicators should we keep an eye on…

20. Why Americans don't want to move for jobs anymore (Encore)

    31 Dec 2025 · 10 min

    Americans are moving at record lows for work. What’s driving people to, well, not drive cross-country for jobs? On today’s episode, we explore the rising homebody economy. This episode originally aired Oct. 3, 2025.…

21. Gilded Age 2.0? (Encore)

    30 Dec 2025 · 9:43

    To hear President Trump tell it, the late 1800s, i.e. the Gilded Age, were a period of unparalleled wealth and prosperity in the U.S. But this era was also marked by corruption and wealth inequality. Sound familiar? On…

22. The cautionary tale of a recovering day trading addict (Encore)

    29 Dec 2025 · 9:24

    Seasons greetings from the The Indicator! On today's show, the story of a man who started buying and selling stocks as a hobby — and got seriously addicted. We also speak with a neuroeconomist about the human brain on…

23. The economic challenges facing men without college degrees

    27 Dec 2025 · 24 min

    Many men in the U.S. feel like they're not doing as well as their fathers. But what does the data say? This episode, we're sharing an extended conversation between Darian Woods and Richard Reeves, the president of the…

24. The secret to Nintendo's success (Encore)

    26 Dec 2025 · 11 min

    For the next week, we're running some of our favorite shows from this year. On today's show, a brief history of Nintendo and how a small playing card company in Japan became a gaming juggernaut. This piece originally…

25. Why every A-lister also has a side hustle (Encore)

    24 Dec 2025 · 9:23

    Happy Holidays from The Indicator! For the next week, we're running some of our favorite shows from this year. On today's show, why celebrities are increasingly investing in their own brands. This piece originally…

26. The worst year of Warren Buffett’s career

    23 Dec 2025 · 10 min

    As Warren Buffett aged, he became a different sort of figure. He transformed from short-term investor into long-term builder. He used Berkshire Hathaway to start buying companies and build an empire. Today on the show,…

27. The spite acquisition that launched Warren Buffett

    22 Dec 2025 · 9:03

    With an unprecedented decades-long run of success, Warren Buffett is retiring on December 31, 2025. Buffett’s turning point began with the acquisition of a failing textile mill called Berkshire Hathaway. What began as…

28. Tariffs. Consumer sentiment. Cape Ratio. Pick The Indicator of The Year!

    19 Dec 2025 · 9:03

    2025 was a wild year for the U.S. economy. Tariffs transformed the global economy, consumer sentiment hit near-historic lows, and the stock market hit scary, spooky, blood-curdling new heights! So … which of these…

29. Catching up with a fired federal worker, a shrimper and a fraudster

    18 Dec 2025 · 10 min

    After a firehose of economic news in 2025, we wanted to check back on some of the people we’ve heard from on our show. Today, we check in with a former federal employee caught in the Trump administration's wood…

30. The ghosts of Obamacare past, present and future

    17 Dec 2025 · 8:40

    Absent a holiday miracle, premium subsidies for the Affordable Care Act are set to expire at the end of this year. This will greatly increase the cost of health insurance for many who rely on the marketplace for their…

31. Will new loan limits lower the cost of grad school?

    16 Dec 2025 · 9:38

    The One Big Beautiful Bill Act made a lot of changes to the federal student loan system. One of those changes put a new cap on the amount of loans students in graduate school can take on. Today on the show, we explain…

32. Can American cities grow AND stay affordable?

    15 Dec 2025 · 9:09

    Cities like Austin and Atlanta used to top lists of places people moved to looking for relatively affordable places to live. Until, one day, they weren’t that affordable. On today’s show, how a low cost of living is…

33. Nvidia chips for China, frozen Russian funds, and a lot of self-checkout stealing

    12 Dec 2025 · 9:06

    It’s … Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news. On today’s episode: Nvidia chips OK’d for China, a sticky frozen Russian asset situation, and a lot of you…

34. How to make $35 trillion ... disappear

    11 Dec 2025 · 11 min

    You may be familiar with the AI-fueled stock market boom. Well, former International Monetary Fund Chief Economist Gita Gopinath warns it could mirror the dot-com boom of the late 1990s. But worse. She calculates a…

35. Bitcoin miners are betting on AI over crypto

    10 Dec 2025 · 9:08

    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 pretty valuable in the era of AI. Today on the show, why some miners…

36. How a former Fed vice chair would approach rate cuts

    9 Dec 2025 · 9:15

    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 the former Vice Chair of the Fed, Lael Brainard, about what she would…

37. Take a penny, leave a penny, get rid of the penny

    8 Dec 2025 · 9:11

    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 fiscal math that doomed the penny, and an artist pay tribute to this…

38. Chips up, rent down, and are people really skimping on holiday gifts?

    5 Dec 2025 · 9:24

    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 goshDRAM memory problem, a holiday spending mystery, and apartment rental prices…

39. A little doomsday feeling is weighing on the economy

    4 Dec 2025 · 9:03

    It is a special edition of the Beigies Awards where one regional Federal Reserve Bank will receive lifetime achievement recognition. Today on the show, we speak to its President about the value of economic anecdotes.…

40. How Japan’s new prime minister is jolting markets

    3 Dec 2025 · 9:28

    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 first priority for the people of Japan is if her government can fix…

41. What would it mean to actually refund the tariffs?

    2 Dec 2025 · 9:05

    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 front of the Supreme Court could declare several of Trump’s tariffs…

42. Why the US chose not to have a passenger train system like Europe

    1 Dec 2025 · 9:02

    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. We learn why, despite this, US railroads could still be worth…

43. Moochers, monopolists and market-based poverty help

    26 Nov 2025 · 9:07

    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 a game we’re calling Indicator Quizbowl. Today on the show, Wailin…

44. Who's financing Meta's massive AI data center?

    25 Nov 2025 · 9:12

    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 Meta’s own money. Today on the show, the opaque system of AI data…

45. Who’s buying all the beef?

    24 Nov 2025 · 9:05

    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 these trade deals — big numbers but vague details. When China says…

46. Pay transparency. The WhatsApp and Instagram decision. Our beef with screwworms.

    21 Nov 2025 · 9:13

    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 effects of pay transparency, Meta’s big win, and freaky flies and beef. Related…

47. How to avoid scammers after a natural disaster

    19 Nov 2025 · 9:24

    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 show, the lucrative business of contractor fraud and advice on how…

48. Looking for love in the auto supply chain

    19 Nov 2025 · 8:59

    Foreign automakers already have huge assembly plants in the U.S., but lots of parts and materials come from overseas. To avoid costly tariffs, they gotta buy American. But … How does one meet those suppliers? How do…

49. How to make switching jobs not terrifying

    18 Nov 2025 · 9:25

    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 different kind of labor system where it’s easy for employers to hire and…

50. Why you overpaid at that online auction

    17 Nov 2025 · 8:59

    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 show: the winner’s curse. Richard Thaler’s new book with Alex O. Imas…