Today, we power up our CB radios to find out what's roiling the transportation services sector, and talk to a trucking company operator who's feeling what one regional bank called a freight recession. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
Jun 06, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast India's recent announcement that it'll get rid of its highest denomination bill brings back memories of a disastrous experiment to invalidate most of its currency in 2016. Today, a critical look at the challenges of going cashless around the world. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Jun 05, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast The job market continues to surge despite fears of an economic slowdown. In recent months, Black Americans benefited from strong labor market conditions. But May's unemployment numbers hint that could change. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Jun 02, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Decades before the current debate about ESG and "woke capitalism," there was a guy on Wall Street investing money on behalf of nuns and labor unions. He's known today as one of the pioneers of socially responsible investing. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Jun 01, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast New economic research suggests that large companies can hold back inventors, and the overall economy. Today we talk to an inventor who left a big pharmaceutical company to start afresh, leading to some incredible treatments for serious diseases. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 31, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Is this Mars thing really happening? SpaceX did its first test launch of Starship this spring, the rocket that it's developing to send to Mars. But getting to Mars is still a long way off. So does SpaceX have the funding and business plan to pull it off? For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 30, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Indicators all about kicking the can down the road but never far enough. A deal on water in the west, the US's tippy top credit rating gets put on notice, and tech companies want us to have less fun and fewer shared passwords. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 26, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Money market funds are a key aspect of the financial system and hold about $5.75 trillion of assets. Today, we explain what makes up a money market fund, why they've been looking shaky lately, and why a potential debt default is making things worse. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 25, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast A corporate titan and a cautious professor face off before Congress and ... agree with each other? From the ivory tower to inside the boardroom, the pressure campaign to regulate AI. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 24, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast For all the talk about AI, one of the burning questions is how the technology will affect the workforce. Today, we talk to the authors of one of the first empirical studies that looks at AI in the workplace. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 23, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast It's another Indicator Quiz episode! We bring a listener onto the show and test their econ knowledge. This time around, the quiz is all about the banking system and its recent troubles. Are you interested in being a contestant on our next Indicator Quiz? Just email us your name and phone number at indicator@npr.org and put "Indicator Quiz" in the subject line. You have until the end of the day, Monday (05/29), to enter. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR P...
May 22, 2023•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast It's Indicators of the Week! We round up the economic indicators that caught our attention. On today's episode, we look at growing U.S. household debt, the shrinking sales of Home Depot and Montana's new TikTok ban. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 19, 2023•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast In the background of the debt ceiling fight between Congress and the Biden administration, we peek inside a little-known program created for citizens who want to help pay off the national debt. This special fund has been collecting donations from civic-minded Americans since the 1960s. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Po...
May 18, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Nobel-winning economist Robert Lucas Jr. died on Monday. His revolutionary theories transformed the field of macroeconomics. His influential "Lucas critique" argued economic policy must take into account people's decisions in reaction to the policy itself, and just as importantly, their expectations. Not only is he remembered as a brilliant mind, but a supportive colleague as well. On today's episode, we remember Robert Lucas and his legacy. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet...
May 18, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast The United States is unusual in that it has thousands of relatively small and specialized banks. Even after adjusting for population size, countries like Canada, the U.K., India and Brazil have far fewer banks. Today, we examine America's love affair with small banks and why having so many could be a double-edged sword. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastc...
May 16, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast In recent years, we've seen dozens of cities ban new dollar stores from opening up. The thinking goes, by keeping dollar stores out, it'll be easier to get much-needed grocery stores to come in. On today's show, we visit two cities that have passed dollar store bans, New Orleans and Birmingham, to see if they've worked. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastc...
May 15, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast It's Indicators of the Week! We round up the economic indicators that caught our attention ... Germany's economic resilience comes in the form of a heat pump. As debt-ceiling negotiations continue, the debt default date continues to move around. And a new survey on job satisfaction that kind of surprised us. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/a...
May 12, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Twitter's false labeling of the NPR Twitter account as "state-affiliated" put a spotlight on the website's handling of government-controlled accounts. Today, we talk to NPR tech reporter, Dara Kerr, about the recent surge in activity for state-controlled Twitter accounts. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 11, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast The rate of inflation is slowing, but still uncomfortably high, according to today's consumer price index report. The Federal Reserve has been front and center in fighting inflation, cranking up interest rates for more than a year. But how about Congress? It has fiscal tools to help bring down prices, but they've largely gone unused. On today's show, we look at why. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Lea...
May 10, 2023•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast Hot, fresh and kinda salty, the Beige Book is back! This time we're headed to the beach as businesses get ready for summer. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
May 09, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast The coronation of King Charles III is putting the United Kingdom and its relationship with Commonwealth countries back in the spotlight. Today, we explore the economic links between the UK and Caribbean Commonwealth countries to see what the future might hold for them. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 08, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast It's one thing to quit your job and a completely other thing to get laid off or fired. A new indicator compares quits with firings and layoffs to measure who has more power in today's labor market, workers or employers. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 05, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast As a presidential candidate, Joe Biden promised to make climate change a major priority, But since taking office, President Joe Biden seems pretty friendly to the fossil fuel industry. What gives? For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 04, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast How much power does the Fed have? According to Fed Chair Jerome Powell, the limit basically does not exist! New York Times reporter Jeanna Smialek joins the show to talk about her new book Limitless: The Federal Reserve Takes on a New Age of Crisis . For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 03, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Unsung hero of the financial system or enabler of failing banks? Today on the show, how the Federal Home Loan Bank system, originally designed to support homeownership and affordable housing, ended up loaning billions to failing banks like First Republic. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 02, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast The turmoil in the banking industry isn't over yet. Today, First Republic Bank was seized, following the failures of Signature Bank and Silicon Valley Bank back in March. How did we get here? And how do we prevent banks from failing in the future? A show-stopping mea culpa from the Federal Reserve provides some answers. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastc...
May 02, 2023•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast As we wrap our series exploring the influencer marketing industry, we go to the cutting room floor for some extra insight into topics that we didn't have time for. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Apr 28, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast When your lifestyle is your brand, the line between work and life can start to get blurred. From hate comments and sneaky contracts to prejudice and discrimination, it's not all sunshine and brand deals in the influencer industry. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Apr 27, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast 'Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life,' they said. How Gen Z is trying to do just that through ~influencing~ For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Apr 26, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast We wanted to know how many influencers are making a living from their content creation. Turns out, not many are. On today's episode of our series on the influencer industry, we meet a fashion influencer trying to piece together sponsorship deals ... and hit the shops for styling advice. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy P...
Apr 25, 2023•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast