The Indicator from Planet Money
About
Available on
Community
1432 episodes
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 … decline?! Related episodes: The highs and lows of US rents https://www.npr.org/2024/05/15/1197964634/cpi-inflation-rental-market-matthew-mcconaughey Taking the temperature of the US consumer https://www.npr.org/2023/10/12/1197955810/the-indicator-from-planet-money-consumer-sentiment-survey We Buy A Lot Of Christmas Trees https://www.npr.org/2020/12/11/945606413/we-buy-a-lot-of-christmas-trees Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy
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.Related episodes: What keeps a Fed president up at night https://www.npr.org/2025/04/10/1243870154/what-keeps-a-fed-president-up-at-night Using anecdotes to predict recessions https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/using-anecdotes-to-predict-recessions/id1320118593?i=1000657214485For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org http://plus.npr.org/. Fact-checking by Tyler Jones. Music by Drop Electric https://dropelectric.bandcamp.com/. Find us: TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@planetmoney, Instagram https://www.instagram.com/planetmoney/, Facebook https://www.facebook.com/planetmoney, Newsletter https://www.npr.org/newsletter/money. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy
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 the country’s cost-of-living problem. Today on the show, we break down what Sanaeonomics could mean for the Land of the Rising Sun. RELATED EPISODES How Japan is trying to solve the problem of shrinking villages https://www.npr.org/2024/09/04/1197972437/population-shrinking-japan-oldest-village Japan had a vibrant economy. Then it fell into a slump for 30 years https://www.npr.org/2024/04/03/1197958583/japan-lost-decade The Indicator from Planet Money http://plus.npr.org/ https://www.npr.org/people/1268825622/sierra-juarez https://dropelectric.bandcamp.com/ https://www.tiktok.com/@planetmoney, https://www.instagram.com/planetmoney/, https://www.facebook.com/planetmoney, https://www.npr.org/newsletter/money Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy
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 illegal, which would prompt a return of billions of dollars. Today on the show, we look at how that would work and why the process will likely not be easy. Related episodes: Three ways companies are getting around tariffs https://www.npr.org/2025/08/26/nx-s1-5515756/three-ways-companies-are-getting-around-tariffs Days of our tariffs https://www.npr.org/2025/11/19/nx-s1-5608384/tariffs-consumers-shipping-shopping-pricesFor sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org http://plus.npr.org/. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez https://www.npr.org/people/1268825622/sierra-juarez. Music by Drop Electric https://dropelectric.bandcamp.com/. Find us: TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@planetmoney, Instagram https://www.instagram.com/planetmoney/, Facebook https://www.facebook.com/planetmoney, Newsletter https://www.npr.org/newsletter/money. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy
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 bragging about.Related episodes: What happens when railroads get hitched https://www.npr.org/2025/08/21/nx-s1-5508248/what-happens-when-railroads-get-hitched How three letters reinvented the railroad business https://www.npr.org/2023/03/09/1162333378/how-three-letters-reinvented-the-railroad-business Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy
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 and Darian go head to head to see who the bigger public policy nerd is.Related episodes: Could cash payments ease recessions? https://www.npr.org/2024/02/05/1197961671/could-cash-payments-ease-recessions A trap-loving DJ takes on economics https://www.npr.org/2025/04/21/1246202698/bad-bunny-wto-vat-trump For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org http://plus.npr.org/. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez https://www.npr.org/people/1268825622/sierra-juarez. Music by Drop Electric https://dropelectric.bandcamp.com/. Find us: TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@planetmoney, Instagram https://www.instagram.com/planetmoney/, Facebook https://www.facebook.com/planetmoney, Newsletter https://www.npr.org/newsletter/money. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy
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 center financing and why it’s fueling fears of a bubble. Related episodes: OpenAI’s deals are looking a little frothy https://www.npr.org/2025/10/16/nx-s1-5575729/openais-deals-are-looking-a-little-frothy No AI data centers in my backyard! https://www.npr.org/2025/10/22/nx-s1-5581445/no-ai-data-centers-in-my-backyard What $10B in data centers actually gets you https://www.npr.org/2025/04/02/1242229718/ai-mississippi-jobs-data-centers-virginia Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy
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 it’ll buy more soybeans, is it the government or companies that does the buying? When South Korea promises to invest in American shipyards, who’s actually doing that? Today on the show, we dig into two questions from listeners and hear directly from an Argentine butcher. Related episodes: Why beef prices are so high https://www.npr.org/2025/09/15/nx-s1-5539846/why-beef-prices-are-so-high How the South is trying to win the EV race https://www.npr.org/2023/11/02/1197956548/evs-automakers-incentives-southeast For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org http://plus.npr.org/. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez https://www.npr.org/people/1268825622/sierra-juarez. Music by Drop Electric https://dropelectric.bandcamp.com/. Find us: TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@planetmoney, Instagram https://www.instagram.com/planetmoney/, Facebook https://www.facebook.com/planetmoney, Newsletter https://www.npr.org/newsletter/money. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy
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 https://www.nber.org/papers/w34480, Meta’s big win, and freaky flies and beef. RELATED EPISODES: Are we entering a new dawn for antitrust enforcement? https://www.npr.org/2022/06/08/1103836051/are-we-entering-a-new-dawn-for-antitrust-enforcement Why beef prices are so high https://www.npr.org/2025/09/18/nx-s1-5534424/beef-prices-record-high-cost http://plus.npr.org/ https://www.npr.org/people/1268825622/sierra-juarez https://dropelectric.bandcamp.com/ https://www.tiktok.com/@planetmoney https://www.instagram.com/planetmoney/ https://www.facebook.com/planetmoney https://www.npr.org/newsletter/money Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy
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 to avoid them. Related episodes: An indicator lost: Big disaster costs https://www.npr.org/2025/06/04/1253616079/an-indicator-lost-big-disaster-costs When insurers can’t get insurance https://www.npr.org/2023/06/22/1183854206/when-insurers-cant-get-insurance Selling safety in the fight against wildfires https://www.npr.org/2023/09/21/1197954265/selling-safety-in-the-fight-against-wildfires Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy
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 you build a new relationship with them? The answer: Speed dating. RELATED EPISODES: The old trade war that brought foreign carmakers to the U.S. https://www.npr.org/2025/05/21/1252663606/the-old-trade-war-that-brought-foreign-carmakers-to-the-us Tariffs: What are they good for? https://www.npr.org/2025/04/02/1242229719/planet-money-the-case-for-tariffs http://plus.npr.org/ https://dropelectric.bandcamp.com/ https://www.tiktok.com/@planetmoney https://www.instagram.com/planetmoney/ https://www.facebook.com/planetmoney https://www.npr.org/newsletter/money Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy
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 fire, but at the same time people have a strong safety net in-between jobs. Today on the show, we learn how “flexicurity” works through the story of a Danish woman who left her job, and we ask how the model could work in the U.S. Related episodes: Why do we live in unusually innovative times? How Marxism went from philosophy to cudgel Ozempic's biggest side effect: Turning Denmark into a 'pharmastate'? https://www.npr.org/sections/planet-money/2024/07/26/g-s1-13534/ozempic-biggest-side-effect-denmark-pharmastate For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org http://plus.npr.org/. Fact-checking by Tyler Jones. Translation from Jasmine Lolila. Music by Drop Electric https://dropelectric.bandcamp.com/. Find us: TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@planetmoney, Instagram https://www.instagram.com/planetmoney/, Facebook https://www.facebook.com/planetmoney, Newsletter https://www.npr.org/newsletter/money. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy
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 is The Winner’s Curse: Behavioral Economics Anomalies, Then and Now https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Winners-Curse/Richard-H-Thaler/9781982165116.Read Planet Money’s newsletter on the winner’s curse https://www.npr.org/sections/planet-money/2025/11/11/g-s1-96954/how-to-avoid-the-winners-curse. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy
It’s … Indicators of the Week! We look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news and bring them to you. On today’s episode: The cost of living is outstripping wage growth https://institute.bankofamerica.com/content/dam/economic-insights/paycheck-to-paycheck.pdf for most of us, the math https://apnews.com/article/home-prices-50-year-mortgage-trump-56a931881ca6f6efeccf2de0333a83bd behind the Trump administration’s proposed 50-year mortgages, and how we’re just giving Uber and Lyft free money https://www.nber.org/papers/w34441. RELATED EPISODES: Trump's plans for the housing market https://www.npr.org/2024/11/26/1215240061/indicator-trump-plan-housing-market The Money Illusion: Have Americans really gotten a raise? https://www.npr.org/2021/11/10/1054451446/the-money-illusion-have-americans-really-gotten-a-raise http://plus.npr.org/ https://www.npr.org/people/1268825622/sierra-juarez https://dropelectric.bandcamp.com/ https://www.tiktok.com/@planetmoney https://www.instagram.com/planetmoney/ https://www.facebook.com/planetmoney https://www.npr.org/newsletter/money Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy
The U.S. is committed to bailing out Argentina to the tune of $20 billion using a little known mechanism called the Exchange Stabilization Fund. On today’s show, what is this fund, why was it created and does Argentina have any hope of paying it back? Related episodes: Dollarizing Argentina https://www.npr.org/2023/12/20/1197956140/javier-milei-argentina-dollarize-economy-inflation Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy
The U.S. Supreme Court may soon rule on President Trump’s favorite tariff law. It could render them moot, but that doesn’t mean the end of tariffs. On today’s show, we explain the president’s back-up options for imposing tariffs. Related episodes: Are Trump’s tariffs legal? https://www.npr.org/2025/06/11/1253992700/tariffs-ieepa-trump-legal-emergencies-law Worst. Tariffs. Ever. https://www.npr.org/2024/12/11/1218506684/worst-tariffs-ever-update Three ways companies are getting around tariffs https://www.npr.org/2025/08/26/nx-s1-5515756/three-ways-companies-are-getting-around-tariffs Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy
The World Cup is coming up, and it’s going to cost a pretty penny if you are hoping to attend. Today on the show, we talk to NPR Senior Business editor and World Cup superfan about why the 2026 World Cup will likely be the most expensive in history and why even finding a ticket is more difficult. RELATED EPISODES: Peacock, potassium and other Paris Olympics Indicators https://www.npr.org/2024/07/26/1197967896/peacock-olympics-paris-2024-bananas Why the Olympics cost so much https://www.npr.org/2024/08/01/1197967951/paris-2024-olympics-hosting-costs You can't spell Olympics without IP https://www.npr.org/2024/08/08/1197968045/paris-olympics-trademarks-enforcement-intellectual-property For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org http://plus.npr.org/. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez https://www.npr.org/people/1268825622/sierra-juarez. Music by Drop Electric https://dropelectric.bandcamp.com/. Find us: TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@planetmoney, Instagram https://www.instagram.com/planetmoney/, Facebook https://www.facebook.com/planetmoney, Newsletter https://www.npr.org/newsletter/money. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy
France has one of the most generous pension systems in the world. But several governments there have collapsed over questions about how the government will fund it. All over the world, aging populations are forcing governments to rethink their assumptions. Today on the show, what France’s political fiascos teach all of us about the economics of an aging population, and what a retirement expert’s ideal retirement system might look like. Mercer CFA Institute Global Pension Index 2025 https://www.mercer.com/insights/investments/market-outlook-and-trends/mercer-cfa-global-pension-index/ Related episodes: What would it take to fix retirement? https://www.npr.org/2024/03/06/1197962836/the-indicator-from-planet-money-retirement-social-security-pension-03-06-2024 What does the next era of Social Security look like? https://www.npr.org/2024/09/26/1201730554/what-does-the-next-era-of-social-security-look-like When Retirement Advice Goes Viral https://www.npr.org/2018/06/07/618025975/when-retirement-advice-goes-viral For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org http://plus.npr.org/. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez https://www.npr.org/people/1268825622/sierra-juarez. Music by Drop Electric https://dropelectric.bandcamp.com/. Find us: TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@planetmoney, Instagram https://www.instagram.com/planetmoney/, Facebook https://www.facebook.com/planetmoney, Newsletter https://www.npr.org/newsletter/money. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy
There’s one job that gets all the attention during a government shutdown: air traffic controllers. Today on the show, we spotlight why this job has taken on outsize political influence and one controller’s experience during the longest shutdown on record. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy
The “Shiller PE Ratio” is at its highest level since November of 1999. That was at the peak of the online gold rush right before the dot com bubble burst in 2000. Today on the show, we learn what the Shiller PE Ratio is, how it works and whether we should be worried that it’s relatively high right now.Related episodes: What’s a Bubble? https://www.npr.org/2021/06/30/1011906325/whats-a-bubble-classic Zombie 2nd mortgages are coming to life, threatening thousands of Americans' homes https://www.npr.org/2024/05/10/1197959049/zombie-second-mortgages-homeowners-foreclosureFor sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org http://plus.npr.org/. Fact-checking by Tyler Jones. Music by Drop Electric https://dropelectric.bandcamp.com/. Find us: TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@planetmoney, Instagram https://www.instagram.com/planetmoney/, Facebook https://www.facebook.com/planetmoney, Newsletter https://www.npr.org/newsletter/money. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy
Russia’s been subject to more than 5,000 sanctions since its invasion of Ukraine. Yet many purported allies of Ukraine are still getting Russian oil — directly or indirectly. On today’s show, how governments are straddling the fence and skirting their own sanctions. RELATED EPISODES: How the ‘shadow fleet’ helps Russia skirt sanctions https://www.npr.org/2024/04/04/1197963562/the-indicator-from-planet-money-russia-shadow-fleet-sanctions-04-04-2024 http://plus.npr.org/ https://www.npr.org/people/1268825622/sierra-juarez https://dropelectric.bandcamp.com/ https://www.tiktok.com/@planetmoney https://www.instagram.com/planetmoney/ https://www.facebook.com/planetmoney https://www.npr.org/newsletter/money Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy
Last month, the Trump administration asked Apple to remove an app from its App Store that crowdsourced sightings of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Today on the show, we explain what an ongoing legal battle involving the developer of the video game Fortnite has to do with Apple’s latest move to comply with the Trump administration. RELATED EPISODES: How Fortnite brought Google to its knees http://npr.org/2024/05/22/1197964842/the-indicator-from-planet-money-epic-games-google-antitrust-fortnite-05-22-2024 The DOJ's case against Apple https://www.npr.org/2024/09/12/1198907946/the-dojs-case-against-apple Apple v Everybody http://npr.org/2020/09/18/914563075/apple-v-everybody http://plus.npr.org/ https://www.npr.org/people/1268825622/sierra-juarez https://dropelectric.bandcamp.com/ https://www.tiktok.com/@planetmoney, https://www.instagram.com/planetmoney/, https://www.facebook.com/planetmoney, https://www.npr.org/newsletter/money Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy
Companies are starting to use AI to interview potential employees. Sound creepy? Well, a new study suggests it might not be all bad.. Today on the show, we look at why a job interview with AI might be preferable to one with a human. ? And Adrian gets grilled by an AI job recruiter named “Anna.” Related episodes: AI creates, transforms and destroys … jobs https://www.npr.org/2023/12/08/1197958787/ai-jobs-friday Fighting AI with AI https://www.npr.org/2025/10/06/nx-s1-5561881/fighting-ai-with-ai For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org http://plus.npr.org/. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez https://www.npr.org/people/1268825622/sierra-juarez. Music by Drop Electric https://dropelectric.bandcamp.com/. Find us: TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@planetmoney, Instagram https://www.instagram.com/planetmoney/, Facebook https://www.facebook.com/planetmoney, Newsletter https://www.npr.org/newsletter/money. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy
It’s … Indicators of the…Eek! (Indicators of the Week.) Our regular look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news. On today’s episode: How cell phone bans in schools affect grades https://www.nber.org/papers/w34388, white collar workers get the axe https://www.stlouisfed.org/on-the-economy/2025/aug/is-ai-contributing-unemployment-evidence-occupational-variation, and AHHH! Halloween candy inflation https://tcf.org/content/commentary/tricks-treats-and-tariffs-how-trump-is-making-halloween-more-expensive/! RELATED EPISODES: Are you afraid of inflation? https://www.npr.org/2021/10/29/1050569215/are-you-afraid-of-inflation A finance fright fest https://www.npr.org/2023/10/30/1197956399/scary-economics-dark-pools-zombie-companies http://plus.npr.org/ https://dropelectric.bandcamp.com/ https://www.tiktok.com/@planetmoney https://www.instagram.com/planetmoney/ https://www.facebook.com/planetmoney https://www.npr.org/newsletter/money Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy
* * * * * * China and India have a long, complicated history. Just a few years ago, there was a spate of armed skirmishes between the two nations. And yet, there are signs of warming relations amidst President Trump’s ongoing trade war. Today on the show, is that trade war pushing India toward China? And what could happen if two of the world’s largest economies come together? Related episodes: China’s trade war perspective https://www.npr.org/2025/04/22/1246322286/chinas-trade-war-perspective What might save China's economy https://www.npr.org/2025/03/18/1239156785/what-might-save-chinas-economy Is the US pushing countries towards China? https://www.npr.org/2025/04/29/1247777247/pakistan-us-china-trade-tariffs-aid For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org http://plus.npr.org/. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez https://www.npr.org/people/1268825622/sierra-juarez. Music by Drop Electric https://dropelectric.bandcamp.com/. Find us: TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@planetmoney, Instagram https://www.instagram.com/planetmoney/, Facebook https://www.facebook.com/planetmoney, Newsletter https://www.npr.org/newsletter/money. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy
Health insurance subsidies are at the center of the current government shutdown. Democrats want to extend some expiring Affordable Care Act/Obamacare subsidies. Obamacare has weathered several political storms since its inception, but how will it fair without those subsidies? Today on the show, death spirals and the future of Obamacare. RELATED EPISODES: The hidden costs of healthcare churn https://www.npr.org/2025/06/12/1254056490/healthcare-churn-insurance-medicaid-america How doctors helped tank universal healthcare https://www.npr.org/2025/06/09/1253891564/how-doctors-helped-tank-universal-health-care http://plus.npr.org/ https://www.npr.org/people/1268825622/sierra-juarez https://dropelectric.bandcamp.com/ https://www.tiktok.com/@planetmoney https://www.instagram.com/planetmoney/ https://www.facebook.com/planetmoney https://www.npr.org/newsletter/money Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy
Republican politicians like to use the term ‘Marxist’ to criticize Democrats. Lately, they’ve dubbed New York City mayoral candidate a ‘Marxist’ despite him identifying himself as a democratic socialist. Today on the show, we dig into what ‘Marxism, as an economic term,’ actually means.Related episodes: Socialism 101 https://www.npr.org/2021/03/26/981686254/socialism-101 Even the facts are polarized https://www.npr.org/2020/02/03/802417653/even-the-facts-are-polarizedFor sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org http://plus.npr.org/. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez https://www.npr.org/people/1268825622/sierra-juarez. Music by Drop Electric https://dropelectric.bandcamp.com/. Find us: TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@planetmoney, Instagram https://www.instagram.com/planetmoney/, Facebook https://www.facebook.com/planetmoney, Newsletter https://www.npr.org/newsletter/money. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy
It’s hard for young tech workers to find a job, even with the AI buildout bonanza. This has spawned a curious worldview that fears AI is coming for our jobs and a drive to be at the top of the AI food chain. This, tech writer Jasmine Sun believes https://jasmi.news/p/dictionary, is revealed in the emerging dialect of Silicon Valley tech workers. Today on the show, San Francisco slang. Jasmine Sun takes us on a tour of high-agency 996ers and NPCs to see what it could mean for our present and our future. RELATED EPISODES: No AI data centers in my backyard! https://www.npr.org/2025/10/22/nx-s1-5581445/no-ai-data-centers-in-my-backyard How much is AI actually affecting the workforce? https://www.npr.org/2025/09/04/nx-s1-5527315/how-much-is-ai-actually-affecting-the-workforce http://plus.npr.org/ https://www.npr.org/people/1268825622/sierra-juarez https://dropelectric.bandcamp.com/ https://www.tiktok.com/@planetmoney https://www.instagram.com/planetmoney/ https://www.facebook.com/planetmoney https://www.npr.org/newsletter/money Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy
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 Amazon global internet outage, Americans plan to siphon their Social Security checks early, and Mann, we love some Heat 2. RELATED EPISODES: What does the next era of Social Security look like? https://www.npr.org/2024/09/26/1201730554/what-does-the-next-era-of-social-security-look-like Why aren't filmmakers shooting in LA? https://www.npr.org/2025/07/15/1255699454/los-angeles-tax-credits-film-newsom-hollywood http://plus.npr.org/ https://dropelectric.bandcamp.com/ https://www.tiktok.com/@planetmoney https://www.instagram.com/planetmoney/ https://www.facebook.com/planetmoney https://www.npr.org/newsletter/money Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy
Ticketmaster's CEO says that concert tickets are underpriced. But from inflation to bots to unscrupulous resellers, the market for tickets feels out of control to many fans. Can anything be done? Today on the show: Ticket resellers, a new law in Maine, and a T-shirt cannon. RELATED EPISODES: Ticket scalpers: The real ticket masters https://www.npr.org/2021/11/23/1058704237/ticket-scalpers-the-real-ticket-masters Ticketmaster's dominance, Caitlin Clark's paycheck, and other indicators https://www.npr.org/2024/04/19/1197963913/cailtin-clark-ticketmaster-artificial-intelligence http://plus.npr.org/ https://www.npr.org/people/1268825622/sierra-juarez https://dropelectric.bandcamp.com/ https://www.tiktok.com/@planetmoney https://www.instagram.com/planetmoney/ https://www.facebook.com/planetmoney https://www.npr.org/newsletter/money Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy
