The Indicator from Planet Money

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 lawyersConnect 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+ See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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, subscribe to NPR+ See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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!— For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+ See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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 TexasConnect 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 personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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 our socials, YouTube and more! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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 foodConnect 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 personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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 "We Keep Us Safe" in the Embedded podcast feed.Listen to Embedded wherever you get your podcasts, including the NPR App, Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, Spotify, and via RSS.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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 bucketsConnect 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+ See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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, YouTube and more!— For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+ See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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 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 personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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 collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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 — Sign up for The Indicator’s brand new newsletter — 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 personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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 our socials, YouTube and more! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+ See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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 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 collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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 episodes, subscribe to NPR+ See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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 villainConnect 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 collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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 resourcesConnect 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 collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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. 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 collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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?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 collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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?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 collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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 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 collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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?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 collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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' costsConnect 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+ See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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 slopConnect 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 collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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? 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 collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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 dronesConnect 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 collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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 [email protected] and put "Indicator Quiz" in the subject line.Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.Your Next Listen — A trap-loving DJ takes on economics 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 collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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.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 collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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 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 collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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? 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 collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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 bordersConnect 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 collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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? 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 collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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?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+ See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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 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 collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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 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 collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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?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 collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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  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+See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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? 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 collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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? 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+ See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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 creationConnect 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+ See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

There is a burgeoning effort across the U.S. to revive boardinghouses, aka single room occupancy units or SROs, as a solution to the housing crisis. But what happened to them in the first place? We track the disappearance of the first rung of the housing ladder.Fact-checking by Vito Emanuel. Your Next Listen — How to build abundantly 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+ See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

AI has made it infinitely easier for anyone who can’t afford a lawyer, can’t get one, or doesn't want one to file a lawsuit and pro se cases are skyrocketing. But the wins haven’t followed and courts are starting to get overwhelmed with new AI filings. Today on the show, what happens when AI gets its day in court.Your Next Listen  — Most People Can’t Afford Legal Help. 1 Reformer Wants To Change ThatConnect 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+ Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

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: China’s baaaaad job market has led to an interest in becoming a shepherd, a young YouTuber strikes Hollywood gold, and the Trump administration's new green card policy is telling immigrants to 'go home.'Fact checking by Vito Emanuel. Your Next Listen — We're about to lose a lot of foreign STEM workersConnect 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+ See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Is Saudi Arabia no longer a golf state? The Saudi sovereign wealth fund poured billions into culture and sports in the last decade, none more high profile than LIV Golf, a rival to the PGA. So why is it reversing course now?Fact checking by Vito Emanuel. Your Next Listen — Why Saudi Arabia is building a new city in the desert 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+ See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

The Indicator hosts Adrian Ma and Wailin Wong discuss their favorite econ and business movies.Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.Your Next Listen —Before La La Land, there was Fort Lee, New JerseyConnect 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+ See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Why is a law to reign in shell companies getting shelved by the Trump administration? The Corporate Transparency Act had bipartisan support, until it didn’t. We explain what the law was designed to do and why it’s on life support. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez. Your Next Listen — We set up a shell company 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+See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Diving deep into President Trump’s many stock trades, a peptide business posing as a sporting event and a new breakthrough in Shakira’s ongoing tax drama. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez. Your Next Listen — Trump crypto, Trump ballroom and Trump drones 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+ See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

The US-Israel War in Iran is almost three months in and oil prices have risen, but they’re not catastrophic … yet. Why isn't the price of oil even higher? We learn about how the world is adapting to the blocked Strait of Hormuz. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez. Your Next Listen — Think the oil shock is bad in the US? Look hereConnect 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+ See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

In an era of AI slop, we find out how some artists are seeking out human verification for their work. Plus, we prove our own episode is 100% human-made. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez. Your Next Listen — Can you copyright artwork made using AI? 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+ See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

The vast majority of employer health plans do not cover GLP-1s for weight loss. But roughly 20% do, many believing it will help their bottom line. Perhaps when employees take Wegovy or Zepbound, they’ll need less medical care tied to health issues from obesity. Today on the show, can GLP-1s save employers money in the long run?Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.Your Next Listen — No healthcare premiums? In this economy?! Here's how.— Julie Wernau's original episode with TradeoffsConnect 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+ See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy