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. Sign up for our newsletter.
Petty! Econ! Grievances!
We have some grievances. Economic ones. And we’re airing them out.
On today’s show: Redeeming fast food rewards points in airports, not knowing the full price of your meal upfront, and the pen-and-paper restaurant bill slowdown.
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
Your Next Listen
— Three beefs: U.S. and Brazil, Taco Bell and liability, Waymo and trial lawyers
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Three beefs: U.S. and Brazil, Taco Bell and liability, Waymo and trial lawyers
It’s Indicators of the Week!
Today on the show: Brazil’s fast payments system that’s got the Trump administration huffy, why Taco Bell might be liable for their role in cyclospora infections and why some lawyers are lobbying against driverless cars.
Fact checking by Emma Ferrara and Corey Bridges.
Your Next Listen
— Can I get my tariff money back now?
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Can Paramount "gift" its way past the FCC?
Paramount’s $111 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery has a few hurdles ahead of it. One of them is an FCC approval. But a recent investigation shows that Paramount and the FCC have a dubious relationship, one with potential conflicts of interest.
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
Your Next Listen
— Why Paramount went looney tunes for Warner Bros.
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Can Y’all Street outflank Wall Street?
Biz-friendly Texas is opening a stock exchange, built and based in the state. Can it become—or best—Wall Street? And how has politics influenced the birth of Y’all Street?
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
Your Next Listen
— ESG bans cost Texas
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Tale of Two Cities
The formerly sleepy economies of suburban Austin, Texas and Syracuse, NY are getting two new semiconductor chip plants. They’re bringing thousands of jobs and dollars to the area but while Austin’s housing market seems to be handling the change well, Syracuse is in the midst of an affordability crisis. On today’s show, why?
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
Your Next Listen
— A solution to the housing shortage?
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Why doesn't the US have better sunscreen?
Why has the Food and Drug Administration taken so long to approve new sunscreens? Unlike the rest of the world, the FDA only just approved its first new ingredient in nearly three decades. We learn about a proposal to speed up drug and sunscreen innovation, and a skincare influencer who lobbied for change.
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
Your Next Listen
— The sneaky way companies get new chemicals into our food
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New NPR Series: "We Keep Us Safe" from the Embedded podcast
In the summer of 2020, sixteen-year-old Antonio Mays Jr. traveled a thousand miles to join the racial justice movement of his generation in the wake of George Floyd's killing. Antonio arrived in Seattle during the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest, known as CHOP. Less than a week later, he was shot and killed there. The case remains unsolved.
In this eight-part series, hosts Sydney Brownstone of The Seattle Times and Will James of KUOW team up with NPR's Embedded to investigate Antonio's death. They track down key eyewitnesses and surface crucial evidence that's never been made public.
Find "...
The Strait of Hormuz no-fee, China cuts down on pollution and IMAX's economic Odyssey
It’s Indicators of the Week (now on YouTube!).
On today’s episode: What happened to Trump’s proposed Strait of Hormuz fee?; China’s pollution takes a dip … and maybe solves a mystery?; IMAX is expensive. But BIG. (For our eyes and theater owners.)
Fact checking by Julia Ritchey and Cooper Katz McKim.
Your Next Listen
—The curious rise of novelty popcorn buckets
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Why the Pope wants to disarm AI
Over 100 years ago, Pope Leo XIII wrote a seminal letter encouraging workers to unionize in the face of industrialization. The current Pope Leo XIV in his seminal letter warned of an economic disruption from today that threatens workers - Artificial Intelligence.
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
Your Next Listen
— Jobs numbers, immigrants in healthcare, and ... Jesus Christ?
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Why your neighbor might be paying less for their car
Many Gulf states like the United Arab Emirates are diversifying away from oil, but how do you actually measure that? After China resumed buying American soybeans, what are farmers doing now? And is your neighbor paying less for their car than you? Today on the show, we explore YOUR listener questions.
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez & Emma Ferrara.
Your Next Listen
— What do farmers do in a trade war?
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Can the internet survive AI summaries?
AI summaries are gaining traction and making the potential for a “zero click web” increasingly real. What does that mean for the internet as we know it today?
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
Your Next Listen
— AI is pumping out books. Are they any good?
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Young people aren’t paying their car loans. We can help.
About one in 20 car loans made to young people are in serious delinquency. That’s the highest rate since the global financial crisis. Today on the show, former FDIC chair Sheila Bair answers young listeners' car buying questions.
Sheila Bair’s book is How Not to Lose a Million Dollars: A Young Person's Guide to Avoiding the Tricks and Traps of Our Financial System
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
Your Next Listen
— Why this former banking regulator is writing kids books
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SK Hynix to the moon, Gen-Z to their rooms, and Connecticut tax reform looms
It’s Indicators of the Week (now on YouTube!).
On today’s episode: You could’ve septupled your money if you invested in this scalding-hot South Korean memory chip stock; nearly half of all adults under 30 are moving back in with the ‘rents; and a new democracy is born … in Connecticut.
Fact checking by Julia Ritchey and Corey Bridges.
Your Next Listen
— Why Americans don't want to move for jobs anymore (Encore)
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Why Google fell behind in the AI race
When it comes to AI, Google’s Gemini does not have the same household recognition that Claude and ChatGPT do. One big explanation: the innovator’s dilemma. We explain how Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis is trying to fight a lumbering company’s constraints to build AI superintelligence.
Sebastian Mallaby’s book is The Infinity Machine: Demis Hassabis, DeepMind, and the Quest for Superintelligence
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
Your Next Listen
— The inventor’s dilemma
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Cracking down on egg prices
Too much news, there’s just too much news. Today on the show, we tackle three big stories we’re following: Venezuela’s ever-increasing debt problem, the real story behind high egg prices, and how gaming companies are paying the pied piper.
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
Your Next Listen
— What the cluck is happening with egg prices?
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We're in a renter's market (believe it or not)
Depends on where you live, but renters have a lot of power right now in the United States. What’s behind this trend and how might you be able to take advantage of the renters’ market at your next lease renewal.
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
Your Next Listen
— Corporate landlords aren't the real villain
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Why the US is losing the drone war
The US defense industry is struggling to keep up with the revolution in cheap drones vs. expensive reusable military equipment.
Today on the show, we talk with Stacie Pettyjohn, the director of the Defense Program at the Center for a New American Security on the three big reasons the U.S. is falling behind.
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
Your Next Listen
— How Iran is wasting American resources
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Obama's new Presidential Center and his tricky relationship with the South Side
How do residents of the South Side of Chicago feel about their new neighbor: the Obama Presidential Center? A mixture of pride and excitement, tempered with some concerns about what it could do to housing affordability. On today’s show, we’re bringing you an episode from our friends at Code Switch on the new center and its relationship to the historically Black neighborhoods around it.
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Does the new Fed chair care about jobs?
Last month, new Fed Chair Kevin Warsh presided over his first interest rate decision and press conference … but he didn't talk much about maximum employment.
How much does Kevin Warsh care about the jobs side of the Fed’s dual mandate?
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
Your Next Listen
— Are we in a new era of permanently higher prices?
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<...
Why Trump wants to rip up his own trade deal
During President Donald Trump’s first term, he touted the USMCA as the largest and most fair trade deal ever achieved. So why is he now talking about ‘terminating’ it?
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
Your Next Listen
— Are Trump’s trade deals the real deal?
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What Iran teaches us about why wars start
If war is so costly, why do we keep fighting them? We dig into the wars in Iran, Ukraine and Gaza to understand the incentives that lead countries into violence. Today on the show, the five factors that lead to war.
Chris Blattman’s book is Why We Fight: The Roots of War and the Paths to Peace.
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
Your Next Listen
— The new economic arms race
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What you should know about your student loans
For many of the 43 million Americans with federal student loans, July 1 is a day to mark on the calendar. Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act is introducing stricter borrowing caps and new repayment plans. Today on the show, we talk with NPR’s Education Reporter Cory Turner about the impact.
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
Your Next Listen
— Will new loan limits lower the cost of grad school?
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GLP-1 and women, the AI office boom, and RTO: CEO ego?
It’s Indicators of the Week (now on YouTube!).
On today’s episode: The effect of GLP-1s on women and the workplace; NYC’s once flailing office space is BACK; your boss asking you to come back to the office miiiight be a narcissist.
Fact checking by Emma Ferrara and Corey Bridges.
Your Next Listen
—Why GLP-1s aren't lowering employers' costs
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AI is pumping out books. Are they any good?
Are all these AI books any good? And by good, we mean are people willing to buy them — not whether the prose is singing. We talk to two researchers who’ve got some answers and a travel guide expert on why AI can’t replace first-hand experience.
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
Your Next Listen
— Human certification in the age of AI slop
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How stock options made him an overnight millionaire
In 2019, Juan Hernandez was laid off from SpaceX. Luckily, he still had the opportunity to buy $50K - $60K of the company’s stock and, years later, it’s safe to say the risk was worth it. Today on the show, how stock options built California as a tech hub.
Fact-checking by Emma Ferrara.
Your Next Listen
— Do traders who make big bets make big money?
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Why the $250 bill would be good … For criminals!
A plan to create a new $250—with President Donald Trump’s face on it—has created a lot of pushback. Who probably won’t be pushing back, though? Criminals. On today’s show, we explain why.
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
Your Next Listen
— Trump crypto, Trump ballroom and Trump drones
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An urban planner, infinite scroll, and … what is a public good?
It’s time for The Indicator Quiz! We test you, dear listener, on your knowledge of topics that we’ve covered on The Indicator. For today's quiz show, we are putting an urban planner from Nevada to the test. Play along with us and see how you do!
Are you interested in being a contestant on our next Indicator Quiz? Email us your name and phone number at indicator@npr.org and put "Indicator Quiz" in the subject line.
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
Your Next Listen
— A trap-loving DJ takes on economics
...
How your phone keeps you scrolling ... even when you want to stop
You pick up your phone to do one quick task, and suddenly 20 minutes have flown by without you even noticing. How do apps do that to you? Today on the show, we bring you an episode of Short Wave that explains how your phone is designed specifically to hold your attention.
Fact checking by Tyler Jones.
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Are we in a new era of permanently higher prices?
Inflation is at a three-year high. That’s a problem for the Fed. Yet, under the leadership of new chair Kevin Warsh, it opted yesterday not to hike interest rates. So today on the show, who are the winners and who are the losers amidst higher inflation?
Mark Blyth’s book, co-authored with Nicolò Fraccaroli is Inflation: A Guide for Users and Losers.
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
Your Next Listen
— Why big banks aren’t interested in your savings account
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Is gambling the reason we have pro sports?
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 Betting. So what gave rise to this new wave of sports gambling? And what are we risking placing so many bets on games?
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
Your Next Listen
— Prediction markets are threatening national security. Who’s gonna fix it?
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Your American Dream is pending review
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 green card uncertainty.
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
Your Next Listen
— If economists controlled the borders
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Community colleges are kind of underrated
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 jobs are future-proofed?
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Inflation is bad, work from home sad, FIFA World Cup tix NOT deal to be had
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 Cup ticket sales are NOT hitting their goooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal!!
Fact checking by Emma Ferrara and Cooper Katz McKim.
Your Next Listen
—Who is the World Cup for anymore?
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The SpaceX IPO drama explained
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 Emma Ferrara.
Your Next Listen
— What a second Trump term could mean for SpaceX
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Should we tax AI?
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 candidate, Alex Bores, who wants to tax AI. Also, we talk to a tax expert who has her reservations.
Fact checking by Tyler Jones.
Your Next Listen
— It's come to this: Human certification in the age of AI slop
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U OK, UK?
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 Iran war. But is the UK the country we should be worrying about?
Fact checking by Leyla Doss.
Your Next Listen
— What broke Britain’s economy?
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The fired labor economist who couldn't get unemployment
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 system?
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.
Your Next Listen
— What you need to know about the job report revisions
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Who should new grads boo more? AI or remote work?
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 you should take away from the May jobs report.
Fact checking by Sierra Juarez and Vito Emanuel.
Your Next Listen
— Which jobs are future-proofed?
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Equinomics, bag fees, and leftover campaign dollars
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 checking by Sierra Juarez.
Your Next Listen
— Can the yield curve still predict recessions?
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Can the internet be reclaimed from Big Tech?
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 creation
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