The Indicator from Planet Money

This week’s indicators: Tracking your pain at the gas pump in real-time; OpenAI’s IPO hard-launch tug-of-war; one unexpected ingredient is making fertilizer—and potentially your groceries—a whole lot more expensive. Fact checking by Schuyler Swenson. Your Next Listen — What Iran teaches us about why wars start 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 NP

9m 9s

A vital artery for Saudi oil exports is under siege and it’s not the Strait of Hormuz. Today on the show, we explain what’s going on in the Bab el-Mandeb shipping lane connected to the Red Sea, why it’s important, and why the global oil crisis is poised to get even worse. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen — Fixing the oil crisis might not fix the Persian Gulf Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter ! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our social

8m 34s

Big tech companies are borrowing billions of dollars to finance the build-out of AI data centers, and your 401(k) might be helping to fuel that. Today on the show, what AI hyperscalers are doing to the bond market. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen — Who's financing Meta's massive AI data center? 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

9m 17s

Flock cameras promise to reduce crimes like car theft. But these automated license plate readers come with a trade-off: a wide-reaching surveillance network. Today on the show, does Flock actually make communities safer? Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen — Stuck In China’s Panopticon 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.

9m 34s

It’s time for another Indicator Quiz! For today’s quiz, we’re testing the Indicator knowledge of a brilliant mathematician. Will we stump his theoretician brain? Tune in and find out! Interested in being a contestant on our next Indicator Quiz? Email us your name and phone number to indicator@npr.org and put "Indicator Quiz" in the subject. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen — An urban planner, infinite scroll, and … what is a public good? Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for

9m 29s

This week’s indicators: Is The U.S. Treasury Department futzing with financial markets?; Is Patagonia’s pretty picturesque setting … for data centers?; Was the summer box office actually swell? Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen — A Treasury showdown with the bond market 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 w

9m 22s

Our favorite entry on the regional economy from the latest Beige Book reveals a troubling development in higher education. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen — Community colleges are kind of underrated 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 enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show

8m 37s

Why do so many fintech companies — like Square and Mercury — want to be banks? And what does it take to get there? Find out today when we play our fake game show … Who Wants To Be A Bank! Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen — Is this a bank? 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 enjoy perks for ov

8m 33s

The era of friendly diplomacy has fallen to the wayside once again as the U.S. - Canada trade war enters a new phase. This time, Canada is countering the latest round of tariffs with their own, targeting American dairy, steel and electronics. Today on the show, we hear from the host of CBC’s Cost of Living podcast Paul Haavardsrud on Canada’s trade war strategy. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen — Why there's no referee for the trade war — Why a trade war makes wigs (and bones) c

9m 16s

With AI disrupting the workplace, is your job going to exist 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 . This episode originally aired on May 8th, 2026 Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen — How AI is shrinking the job market for teens Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter ! — Buy the Planet Mo

8m 42s

People with jobs are not always eager to leave them … but there are exceptions. Call them job hoppers. While many employers look down on this sort of professional promiscuity, new research suggests there are benefits to switching jobs frequently. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen — I'm just here for the health benefits 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

9m 28s

We go undercover at a big box store for an inside look at the secret shelf test the makers of Exploding Kittens use for their hit games. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen — Who decides what big box sells? Our GAME got us answers 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

9m 52s

Why are more than half of Gen Zers using investment dollars for sports gambling? It’s been eight years since sports betting became widely legal. Today we look at its impact on a new generation of sports bettors and efforts to curb gambling’s more harmful effects. 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 weekly newsletter ! — Buy the Planet Money book — Fin

8m 35s

Why is the U.S. Treasury planning to buyback at least double the number of long-dated government bonds it usually does? And will Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s buyback plan pit him against both the bond markets and the Federal Reserve? Today we explain what the Treasury’s up to and what it means for you. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen — Bond vigilantes. Who they are, what they want, and how you'll know they're coming Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s

9m 29s

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested nearly 50,000 people in July , marking the biggest month for ICE arrests of President Trump’s second term. We talk to a researcher who thinks this increased ICE activity is creating an “economy of fear” in cities around the country — and has the data to prove it. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen — How ending TPS is squeezing workers, businesses and (soon) consumers Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly

7m 43s

This week’s indicators: The teacher pay penalty; Meta’s massive settlement; Nike and Dick’s Sporting Goods are struggling. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly said that comparable college graduates in other professions make around 25% more than teachers. Those workers make about 33% more. Your Next Listen — Why infinite scroll's inventor wants to kill his creation Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter ! —

9m 19s

Coyote vs. Acme will finally get its theatrical release on Friday after a years-long saga involving supposed tax write-downs, negotiations and multibillion-dollar studio deals. It's a drama almost straight out of a Hollywood screenplay. Today we have the story from the inside. This episode is an update of an episode from December 2023. 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 week

9m 29s

Medicare for All could save the U.S. trillions… or maybe way less than that? In our second episode on Medicare for All, we look at the convoluted figures behind the hot political topic. We hear directly from billionaire and healthcare voice Mark Cuban on what works about Medicare for All, and why its actual cost is so complicated. Fact checking by V ito Emanuel. Your Next Listen — Why do hospitals keep running out of generic drugs? Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly

9m 16s

As midterms near, Medicare for All is back in the spotlight and Michigan U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed has become the newest face for it. Today, we dig into what Medicare for All would actually do and hear directly from El-Sayed on why he thinks it’s critical to figure out. Tomorrow, billionaire Mark Cuban joins the show as we continue our discussion on Medicare for All. Fact checking by Vito Emanuel . Your Next Listen — I’m just here for the health benefits Connect with The Indicator — S

9m 10s

The Trump administration recently admitted to pulling grants over politics. This practice could become more common. How do cities use grant money, and how will they adapt? Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen — How far can philanthropy go to fill government gaps? 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+ a

8m 30s

This week’s indicators: EV sales sputter in North America but flutter internationally; U.S. Treasury Yields … RISE!; a low-budget movie so terrible, it became a box office hit in China. Fact checking by Julia Ritchey Your Next Listen — The story of China and Hollywood's big-screen romance 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 medi

9m 24s

Bankruptcy has a negative stigma surrounding it. But what if we told you it’s not as bad as you may think? In fact, economists think we should actually see more of it! Based on the radio story: More Americans are going bankrupt. What does that mean? Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen — We're in a renter's market (believe it or not) Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter ! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and more ! — For s

9m 0s

The best manager isn’t necessarily the best employee. Turns out it isn't so easy to predict what DOES make a good manager. Today on the show, we turn to science to help answer that very question. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen — Productivity and workforce whiplash 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

9m 29s

The Trump Organization has sued Capital One for closing its bank accounts. The organization says it did so out of political reasons. But banks can close accounts for a zillion reasons. They don’t have to say why. Capital One cited money laundering as a concern. On today’s show, how banks decide to close accounts, how much politics plays a role and what the bank might have seen in its crime-stopping crystal ball. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen — What is a 'freedom economy'? Con

8m 48s

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

9m 17s

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-fre

9m 13s

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+ an

8m 35s

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

9m 29s

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

9m 3s

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

9m 19s