The Indicator from Planet Money

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' costs Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s brand new newsletter — Find our socials, YouTube and more ! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscri

8m 43s

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 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-fr

8m 46s

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 ! — F

9m 54s

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 drones 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 fo

8m 48s

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 indicator@npr.org and put "Indicator Quiz" in the subject line. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen — A trap-loving DJ takes on econ

9m 37s

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 p

9m 8s

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 fo

9m 26s

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 u

9m 4s

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 borders 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,

7m 51s

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 us

8m 8s

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 mo

9m 29s

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.adswi

8m 56s

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 newsl

9m 10s

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

9m 26s

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

8m 45s

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

9m 6s

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

8m 37s

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.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manag

9m 9s

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+

9m 23s

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 That Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s brand new newsletter — Buy the Planet M

9m 23s

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 workers Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for T

9m 10s

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

9m 25s

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 about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship pr

9m 1s

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 inf

9m 20s

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

9m 6s

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 newsletter — Find our socials, YouTube and more ! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+ See pcm

7m 19s

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 spon

9m 32s

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 Tradeoffs Connect with Th

10m 4s

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 information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast spons

9m 24s

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 Indicator’s brand new newsletter — Find our socials, YouTube and more ! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe

9m 4s