Many nonprofits accept your used cars as a way to donate. This happens from Make-A-Wish America to Habitat for Humanity to ... public radio stations! So, how does the process actually work? And who takes a cut along the way? Today, we follow the car money. Related episodes: Show your love for The Indicator from Planet Money by making a donation For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Fact-checking by Sierra ...
Mar 27, 2025•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast As relations between the US and Europe continue to sour, European countries are working to lower their reliance on the U.S. for weapons and security. Today on the show, we ask what Europe needs to do to become independent militarily and what potential barriers could stand in the way. Related episodes: Europe's NATO members take an economic hit ( Apple / Spotify ) Two Indicators: Economics of the defense industry ( Apple / Spotify ) For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, su...
Mar 26, 2025•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast What's one word you'd use to describe the 2025 economy? That's the question we fanned out across the U.S. with microphones and open ears. From street parties in the South to an L.A. bookstore to a boardroom in Denver, we listen for financial signals in today's economy. Related episodes: How many times can you say uncertainty in one economic report? ( Apple / Spotify ) The stock market is down, but you don't need to be ( Apple / Spotify ) The highs and lows of US rent ( Apple / Spotify ) For spon...
Mar 25, 2025•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast Half of all workers are showing signs of burnout according to a survey of international workers. Burnout can come from feeling detached from your work's purpose, having too much work, or ... from specialization. Today on the show, we speak with Shigehiro Oishi, author of Life in Three Dimensions: How Curiosity, Exploration, and Experience Make a Fuller, Better Life . Related episodes: Is endless vacation a scam? ( Apple / Spotify ) Why we work so much For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator f...
Mar 24, 2025•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast It's Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at interesting numbers from the news. On today's show, we welcome back co-host Adrian Ma. We also have the price of gold going up, German defense stocking up, and U.S. mergers and acquisitions slowing down. Related episodes: NPR's Adrian Ma remembers girlfriend, Kiah Duggins, who died in D.C. plane crash Europe's NATO members take an economic hit ( Apple / Spotify ) For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Mone...
Mar 21, 2025•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast In 2009, Bitcoin launched as the first cryptocurrency. Just under two decades, President Trump has signed an executive order to create the "Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and United States Digital Asset Stockpile." On today's show, we look at what the U.S. government plans for this new strategy, plus who benefits from a crypto reserve. Related episodes: Is an American sovereign wealth fund such a bad idea? ( Apple / Spotify ) Is 'government crypto' a good idea? ( Apple / Spotify ) For sponsor-free ep...
Mar 20, 2025•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Thirty years ago, the U.S. helped create the World Trade Organization, a group of countries linked by a common set of free trade agreements. But then the U.S., starting with the Obama administration, turned against the WTO. This leaves a void where there should be a referee to settle trade disputes between countries. On today's show, how American grievances paralyzed the WTO's dispute settlement system and what happens when the U.S. no longer wants to play by the rules it once agreed to. Related...
Mar 19, 2025•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast China has set out its target for economic growth this year: around 5 percent. That's a hefty goal for a nation coming off a painful real estate slump. But leaders have their eyes set on other industries to help its economy grow. Today, we dig into the headwinds and tailwinds facing China's economy. Related episodes: The mess at the heart of China's economy ( Apple / Spotify ) The race to produce lithium ( Apple / Spotify ) What's really happening with the Evergrande liquidation ( Apple / Spotify...
Mar 18, 2025•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast The federal government spends millions of dollars each year on wildlife damage management, a program that includes killing thousands of coyotes. Yet this program may actually have the opposite effect on the coyote's population. Today on the show, why the government keeps spending money on a problem it can't fix. Related episodes: Shooting Bambi to save Mother Nature For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Fa...
Mar 17, 2025•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast It's Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at interesting numbers from the news. On today's show, we have Southwest Airlines changing course on their free checked bag policy, skyrocketing fraud, and Americans' insatiable appetite for avocados. Related episodes: More fraud, higher bond yields, and faster airline boarding For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez . Music by Drop ...
Mar 14, 2025•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Uncertainty. That's the word-of-the-moment with tariffs, market swings and lots of economic volatility. It's also showing up in the Federal Reserve's latest Beige Book , featuring anecdotes across the U.S. economy. On our latest edition of the Beigies, what can a farmer from the Mississippi Delta tell us about uncertainty? Related episodes: How USAID cuts hurt farmers ( Apple / Spotify ) Why Trump's potential tariffs are making business owners anxious ( Apple / Spotify ) For sponsor-free episode...
Mar 13, 2025•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Government cuts. Tariff uncertainty. Sticky interest rates. These are not helping the tumbling stock market. There's a sinking feeling among some Americans that a crash is imminent. But ... should we all be so worried? Today, we brush away the cobwebs of stock market fear and confusion, and bring some long-held facts to the surface. Related episodes: Why to look twice when your portfolio is doing well ( Apple / Spotify ) The cautionary tale of a recovering day trading addict ( Apple / Spotify ) ...
Mar 12, 2025•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Trump administration has some nits to pick with government spending: They don't think it should be counted as part of the country's GDP, that it should be counted separately. In today's episode, we look at why government spending is part of the U.S.'s GDP and we speculate why Trump's administration might want to take it out ... and what that could mean. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Mar 11, 2025•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast Bad Bunny's new album DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS laments how Puerto Rico is changing. We look at whether tax breaks to newcomers contributed. Related episodes: The battle for Puerto Rico's beaches We Set Up An Offshore Company In A Tax Haven For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez . Music by Drop Electric . Find us: TikTok , Instagram , Facebook , Newsletter . Learn more about sponso...
Mar 10, 2025•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Between the Trump administration wanting to change how GDP is calculated and DOGE accessing sensitive government information, statistical agencies are under the microscope. Can we still trust official numbers like the monthly jobs report? A former Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner shares her worries about the future integrity of government data. Related episodes: Behind the scenes of Jobs Friday For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Ap...
Mar 07, 2025•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Even after Monday's pause on military aid to Ukraine following the Oval Office blow-up, it looks like a minerals deal between the U.S. and Ukraine is back on the table. We dive into what this potential deal would actually look like and whether Ukraine's minerals really live up to the hype. Related episodes: An end to China's rare earth monopoly? ( Apple / Spotify ) The cost of a dollar in Ukraine ( Apple / Spotify ) For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Plane...
Mar 06, 2025•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Who pays to use the Panama Canal and how much? These questions are part of the tensions between the U.S. and Panama after President Trump threatened to take over the canal. We look at the global shipping lane's fee structure in light of the president's claim that the U.S. is getting ripped off. Related episodes: A drought, a jam, a canal — Panama! Add to cart: Greenland ( Apple / Spotify ) For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts...
Mar 05, 2025•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast President Trump has been on an executive order-signing spree since returning to office, with 76 so far. Today we look at two of them. Can the Fed really split up independent and non-independent roles? And what does DOGE's cost-cutting streak add up to? Related episodes: Slender Starbucks, Medicaid at risk, and the gold card visa ( Apple / Spotify ) What happens with billions in research funding goes away ( Apple / Spotify ) Should presidents have more say over interest rates? ( Apple / Spotify )...
Mar 04, 2025•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast Mardi Gras is in full swing. It's a crucial time for the New Orleans' economy, but the celebrations are cast behind the shadow of the recent terrorist attack. Today on the show, we talk about how terrorism impacts tourism and why some places recover faster than others. Related episodes: Do dollar store bans work ( Apple / Spotify ) For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez . Musi...
Mar 03, 2025•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast It's Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at interesting numbers from the news. On today's show, we have potential cuts ahead for Medicaid, Starbucks goes back to basics and gold card immigration. Related episodes: How Magic Johnson's Starbucks created new neighborhood businesses ( Apple / Spotify ) What's missing in the immigration debate ( Apple / Spotify ) For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Fact-c...
Feb 28, 2025•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast When it comes to defense, one thing looks certain: European members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) are going to have to pay more. Countries that are struggling economically will soon need to spend hundreds of billions of dollars. Can they do it? Related episodes: Can Europe fund its defense ambitions? ( Apple / Spotify ) The weapons supply chain For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Fact-...
Feb 27, 2025•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast President Donald Trump has said that Canada should be the 51st state... and Canadians? Well, they're furious about it. The nation's former finance minister is calling Trump the biggest threat Canada has faced since World War 2. So today on the show, we dig into what lessons Canada can teach the US, and how the two North American nations are already deeply intertwined. Related episodes: Add to cart: Greenland ( Apple / Spotify ) Canada's key resource against Trump's potential trade war ( Apple / ...
Feb 26, 2025•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast The personal story of how an energetic lawyer got knocked off from her dream career and what she thinks that might mean for whether the government can attract talented people in the future. Related Episodes: A 'Fork in the Road' for federal employees ( Apple / Spotify ) Bailing out the FAIR plan, broligarchs beef, and CFPB RIP? ( Apple / Spotify ) For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Fact-checking by Sier...
Feb 25, 2025•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast We are back to answer YOUR listener questions. This time, we answer why bananas can be considered the 'unbothered fruit', what a flat income tax would actually look like, and how extended-hours stock trading works. If you have your own question about the economy, please email us at indicator@npr.org . Related episodes: My Favorite Tax Loophole ( Apple / Spotify ) The cautionary tale of a recovering day trading addict ( Apple / Spotify ) So imPORTant: Bananas, frogs, and... Bob's?? ( Apple / Spot...
Feb 24, 2025•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Surprisingly stable chicken meat prices, a lawsuit threat against the Gulf of Mexico's name change, and the Trump administration's false claims about Social Security beyond the grave are all under the microscope on this edition of Indicators of the Week. Related episodes: What the cluck is happening with egg prices? What does the next era of Social Security look like? The fight for a legendary shipwreck's treasure For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet ...
Feb 21, 2025•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Federal funding from the National Institutes of Health has driven the biomedical research industry in cities across America including Birmingham, Alabama. It's helped support research into life-saving treatments for cancers, strokes and Parkinson's. But, the Trump Administration says the NIH is getting ripped off in how those grants are calculated. We take a look. Related episodes: The gutting of USAID ( Apple / Spotify ) A 'Fork in the Road' for federal employees ( Apple / Spotify ) For sponsor...
Feb 20, 2025•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast The ties between U.S. foreign aid and American agriculture run deep — or at least used to. The U.S. International Agency for Development, or USAID, is the largest provider of humanitarian food aid in the world. Much of that aid comes from U.S. farmers, whose corn, wheat and rice is sold in bulk to the government for USAID's programs. What happens now if those programs end? Link to Jordan Schermerhorn's research of USAID ties by state . Related episodes: The gutting of USAID ( Apple / Spotify ) A...
Feb 19, 2025•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast We visit a local egg farm and talk to an industry analyst to get to the bottom of why the prices of eggs are soaring so quickly and when they might come back to earth. Related episodes: Egg Prices: States Cry Foul Indicators of the Week: tips, eggs and whisky Go ask ALICE about grocery prices For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez . Music by Drop Electric . Find us: TikTok , I...
Feb 18, 2025•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast It's time for The Indicator Quiz! We test you, dear listener, on your knowledge of topics that we've covered on The Indicator. Today's quiz is an economic smorgasbord, ranging from the WWE to the silver tsunami. 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. Related episodes: AI Tupac, sin taxes, and a soon-to-be college sophomore ( A...
Feb 17, 2025•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast What's going on with the FAIR plan in a post-Eaton and Palisades fires California? What's the backstory to the frozen Consumer Financial Protection Bureau? And why are the two tech bros very publicly going at it? Indicators of the Week explains! Related episodes: How a consumer watchdog's power became a liability For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez . Music by Drop Electric ...
Feb 14, 2025•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
