~ cueing up the show ~
~ pulling every episode ~
The Indicator from Planet Money — Every episode — OmList
om
list
Swipe
Tournament
Lists
Friends
All
Movies
TV
Books
Games
Music
Podcasts
People
▾
Sign in
Every episode
The Indicator from Planet Money
30 episodes
Did you know companies can vote in Delaware?
Aug 17, 2026 · 9 min
Fenwick Island, Del. has only around 900 people on its voting rolls, but some of those registered voters are not human. Many are family trusts and a few are companies. The town says its system works for its tiny beach community. So why are some lawmakers trying to stop it? Fact checking by Sierra Juarez. Your Next Listen — Who’s behind that shell company? Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and more!…
Retiree benefits bump, credit repayment slump, and a dating app in the dumps
Aug 14, 2026 · 9 min
It’s Indicators of the Week! On today’s episode: Retirees get a bump in benefits; credit card debt delinquency at a historically high level; and the dating app Bumble on a serious decline — Men first! IRL events! What will work! Fact checking by Cooper Katz McKim and Vito Emanuel. Your Next Listen — Trying to fix the dating app backlash Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and more! — For sponsor-free…
C is for C-shaped economy
Aug 13, 2026 · 9 min
Which letter best describes how the U.S. economy is shaped: C or K? We examine the arguments for both and why there’s so much disagreement over who’s faring best in today’s economy. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez. Your Next Listen — We resolve to watch these 2026 indicators Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and more! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+ Support public media with NPR+ and e…
Consumers are mad as hell and aren't gonna take it anymore
Aug 12, 2026 · 9 min
Rage. That’s what consumers are feeling right now. A new survey found consumer complaints hit a record high this year. Another from last year found a huge share of consumers felt ‘rage’ with a product or service problem. Just think about the modern consumer experience: hidden fees, ballooning customer support wait times (perpetually experiencing higher call volumes than usual) … shrinkflation! Argh!! What’s going on? On today’s show, unpacking consumer rage. And Heather Timmons, who covers consu…
Borrowing money to invest! What could go wrong?
Aug 11, 2026 · 9 min
The total amount of investors using margin aka borrowing money to help pay for a trade is at an all time high of over $1.5 trillion. Is this something we should worry about? We spoke to Jurrien Tinner at Fidelity Investments. Note: Jurrien Timmer's views are his own and not representative of Fidelity. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez. Your Next Listen — How AI might mess with financial markets Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter! — Buy the Planet Money book —…
Why is Trump paying to stop wind farms?
Aug 10, 2026 · 9 min
President Trump is no fan of wind farms. And his administration is putting taxpayer money where his mouth is, paying companies billions of dollars to NOT build them. On today’s show, Trump’s plan to squelch wind farms with the public purse. Fact checking by Tyler Jones. Your Next Listen — Wind boom, wind bust (Two Windicators) Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s brand new newsletter — Find our socials, YouTube and more! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+ Support…
I'm just here for the health benefits
Aug 7, 2026 · 8 min
Dependable health insurance is keeping more people in their jobs. Rising health costs don't help. Today we look at the repercussions this kind of job lock has on the wider economy. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez. Your Next Listen — The ghosts of Obamacare past, present and future Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and more! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+ Support public media with NPR+…
Following the Chipotle playbook for the cyclospora crisis
Aug 6, 2026 · 9 min
Taco Bell and Taylor Farms are taking hits to their reputation due to the cyclosporiasis outbreak across the country. They could learn a thing or two from Chipotle, which went through its own public relations battle during a similar outbreak about a decade ago. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez. Your Next Listen — Big Lettuce meets Small Intestine Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and more! Support pub…
How ending TPS is squeezing workers, businesses and (soon) consumers
Aug 5, 2026 · 9 min
What happens when roughly a million people working legally in the U.S. suddenly lose that right to stay here? We’re starting to find out in places like Miami, Florida, home to one of the largest Haitian communities in the country. There, we talk to people on what the end of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) means for their businesses and the wider economy. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez. Your Next Listen — Your American Dream is pending review Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicato…
Why we're short on blood, water and helium
Aug 4, 2026 · 9 min
Shortages are in the news again! Here’s why the supply of blood, water and helium are at concerningly low levels. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez. Your Next Listen — How Colorado towns are trying to get some water certainty Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and more! Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Le…
Who is a music industry plant? And does it matter?
Aug 3, 2026 · 9 min
Musicians from the Rolling Stones to up-and-coming pop star Bella Kay have one thing in common: Influencers are being paid to promote their songs. On today's show: Who is an industry plant and why does it matter? Fact checking by Tyler Jones. Your Next Listen — Two Indicators: the influencer industry Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and more! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+ Support p…
Mamdani markets, America bets, Gen Z drinks
Jul 31, 2026 · 9 min
It’s Indicators of the Week! On today’s episode: The inner workings of Mamdani’s marts; how much Americans gamble; and Gen-Z aren’t the sober generation we’ve been led to believe! Fact checking by Corey Bridges. Your Next Listen — Is gambling the reason we have pro sports? Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s brand new newsletter — Find our socials, YouTube and more! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+ Fact checking by Corey Bridges Support public media with NPR+ a…
Trump’s new Truth Social plan: pay $100K
Jul 30, 2026 · 9 min
President Trump’s social media company, Truth Social, wants to sell investors early access to its posts. When Trump announces tariffs or new strikes on Iran, those milliseconds matter in the market. Is this corruption? Is this legal? And what does corruption mean for the U.S. economy? Ray Fisman’s book with Miriam A. Golden is Corruption: What Everyone Needs to Know. Fact checking by Tyler Jones. Your Next Listen — Did Trump enable insider trading? Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The In…
Even Moore’s law can't save affordable tech
Jul 29, 2026 · 9 min
For decades, consumer tech like laptops and gaming systems got better AND cheaper. Memory shortages caused by the AI boom are making those lower prices a thing of the past. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez. Your Next Listen — SK Hynix to the moon, Gen-Z to their rooms, and Connecticut tax reform looms Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and more! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+ See pcm.ad…
You had housing questions. An economist answered them.
Jul 28, 2026 · 10 min
The U.S. housing market is pretty weird right now. Whether you’re a buyer, seller or a renter, it leads to all kinds of questions, like: How did we end up with a housing shortage? Is housing still a good investment? What policies might unlock the housing inventory held by baby boomers? So we called up someone with answers: Redfin’s chief economist, Daryl Fairweather. On today’s show, your housing questions, answered. This is an excerpt of a live virtual event we held last week for our NPR+ and o…
Petty! Econ! Grievances!
Jul 27, 2026 · 8 min
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 Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s brand new newsletter — Find our socials, YouTube and more! — For sponsor-free episod…
Three beefs: U.S. and Brazil, Taco Bell and liability, Waymo and trial lawyers
Jul 24, 2026 · 9 min
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? Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s brand new newsletter — Find our socials, YouTube and more! — For sponsor-free episodes, s…
Can Paramount "gift" its way past the FCC?
Jul 23, 2026 · 10 min
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. Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and more! — Fo…
Can Y’all Street outflank Wall Street?
Jul 22, 2026 · 8 min
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 Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and more! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+ See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of…
Tale of Two Cities
Jul 21, 2026 · 9 min
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? Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s brand new newsletter — Find ou…
Why doesn't the US have better sunscreen?
Jul 20, 2026 · 10 min
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 Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter! — Buy th…
New NPR Series: "We Keep Us Safe" from the Embedded podcast
Jul 19, 2026 · 3 min
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…
The Strait of Hormuz no-fee, China cuts down on pollution and IMAX's economic Odyssey
Jul 17, 2026 · 10 min
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 Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s brand new newsletter — Find our socials, YouTube and more! — For sponsor-free e…
Why the Pope wants to disarm AI
Jul 16, 2026 · 8 min
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? Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials,…
Why your neighbor might be paying less for their car
Jul 15, 2026 · 9 min
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? Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s brand new newsletter — Buy the Planet M…
Can the internet survive AI summaries?
Jul 14, 2026 · 10 min
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? Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s brand new newsletter — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and more! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+ See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collectio…
Young people aren’t paying their car loans. We can help.
Jul 13, 2026 · 9 min
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 Connect with The Indicator…
SK Hynix to the moon, Gen-Z to their rooms, and Connecticut tax reform looms
Jul 10, 2026 · 9 min
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) Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s brand new newsletter — Find…
Why Google fell behind in the AI race
Jul 9, 2026 · 9 min
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 Connect with The Indicat…
Cracking down on egg prices
Jul 8, 2026 · 10 min
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? Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s brand new newsletter — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and more! — For sponsor-free e…
← Back to the show
