The Indicator from Planet Money

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 Indic...

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...

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 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.a...

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 bra...

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...

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...

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...

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 Jersey 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 ab...

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...

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 episod...

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 here Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s brand new ne...

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, s...

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 pre...

Unpacking Donald Trump’s trip to China: arms sales to Taiwan, the Board of Trade proposal and China’s growing soft power. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez .  Your Next Listen  — What might save China's economy 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 in...

On today’s Indicators of the Week: the Gamestop and eBay romance that never was, more and more people are taking out loans for everyday things, and no, everyday people can’t invest in OpenAI and Anthropic before they’ve gone public. Fact checking by Julia Ritchey and Corey Bridges.  Your Next Listen  — OpenAI's deals are looking a little frothy   Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indica...

A new documentary from Frontline PBS, called “The President vs. the Fed”, helps us make sense of the unprecedented power struggle between the world’s most powerful politician and the world’s most powerful bank. You can watch the film, directed by Frontline Correspondent James Jacoby, on Frontline’s website , YouTube channel , or the PBS app.  Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen  — Tr...

NATO was formed after World War 2 as a collective security alliance that would prevent future world wars. But President Trump sees NATO more like a transaction between countries where allies have to pay up or be left undefended. On today’s episode: How NATO is actually funded, why this longstanding alliance is under strain, and how the U.S. could pay the cost for these frayed relationships. Fact c...

It’s the Wild West of online betting. Prediction markets have been plagued by insider trading allegations, ethical questions and even national security concerns. Today on the show, what are sites like Polymarket doing to self-police, and what other regulations might be necessary? We talk to one U.S. senator with some ideas. The Indicator has a weekly newsletter! Sign up now: npr.org/indicatornewsl...

Anthropic’s AI model, Claude Mythos, is very powerful. SO powerful it can find software vulnerabilities that might let it, I don’t know, steal your bank login information. Anthropic is holding back the model from a wider release for now. Today on the show, how worried should we really be about Mythos? And are its capabilities actually unique? The Indicator has a weekly newsletter! Sign up now: npr...

With AI disrupting the workplace, is your job even going to be around in ten years? The Bureau of Labor Statistics has just the handbook for that.  Today on the show, we flip through the Occupational Outlook Handbook and answer your questions about the future of work . The Indicator has a weekly newsletter! Sign up now: npr.org/indicatornewsletter   Related episodes:   How AI is shrinking the job...

What do a Florida-based drone company, a crypto billionaire, and a European steelmaker have in common? Ties to President Trump. Since returning to office, the president, as well as his family and friends, have inked a number of business deals that raise questions about conflicts of interest. On today’s show, we scrutinize three of these deals. The Indicator has a weekly newsletter! Sign up now: np...

The US-Israel war in Iran is already being felt by American consumers at the gas pump, but when — and how badly — could it be felt at the supermarket?  Today on the show, a food economist takes a crack at forecasting just how much our grocery bills could increase in the coming months, and which items will take the biggest hit. The Indicator has a weekly newsletter! Be among the first to sign up no...

Some of the earliest signs of dementia can show up in your financial portfolio. Missed bill payments and erratic investments could be indicators, and they can happen years before an official diagnosis. Today on the show, we dig into the connection between finances and dementia, and why the financial health of seniors is falling through the cracks. The Indicator has a weekly newsletter! Be among th...

Tax cuts for the middle and working classes, and tax hikes for the rich. What's behind this trend? We ask Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen to explain his bill that eliminates federal income tax for many workers while hiking taxes for high earners. We also hear from a tax policy expert who has some reservations.  The Indicator has a weekly newsletter! Be among the first to sign up now: npr.org/i...

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: who wins and loses their Polymarket bets , an American lithium motherlode, and the economics of lightweight running shoes.  Related episodes:  The race to produce lithium   Advanced Fairness At The Marathon   For sponsor-free episodes of The Indi...