In August 2020, Epic Games launched a legal assault against both Google and Apple, alleging that their mobile app stores are illegal monopolies. Almost four years later, Epic could be close to forcing Google to make major changes to its Play Store. Today, we explain the legal battle behind Epic v. Google and why the outcome could have major implications for where consumers get their apps and how they pay for them. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet ...
May 22, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast With a few clicks of AI software, anyone can conjure the voice or visual likeness of a dead celebrity — or really anyone. This new world has opened up a bunch of new legal questions about the rights of people and their heirs to control digital replicas of themselves. Today on the show, how a Drake diss track featuring the voice of Tupac made it into the Congressional record, and how it may lead to more regulation of AI. To read more of Greg Rosalsky's reporting, subscribe to Planet Money's newsl...
May 21, 2024•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast Homes are not just where we eat and sleep, but one of the primary ways people build generational wealth in the U.S. But with home shortages and harsh climates, rural America's path to building that wealth looks a little different than other parts of the country. Today on the show, we focus in on housing challenges in Alabama's Black Belt and one innovative solution to preserving generational wealth. Related: There is growing segregation in millennial wealth For sponsor-free episodes of The Indic...
May 20, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Indicators of the Week is back. This time, an in-depth look at what Biden's massive tariffs on Chinese imports might mean for inflation and jobs. After that, why it may soon become easier to become a certified public accountant, addressing that nagging CPA shortage. Related Episodes: If the world had no accountants ( Apple / Spotify ) The surprising leader in EVs ( Apple / Spotify ) How electric vehicles got their juice ( Apple / Spotify ) For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet M...
May 17, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast For decades, the Dominican Republic's economy has been growing at a remarkably steady pace. The Caribbean nation of 11 million people is today considered a middle-income nation, but the International Monetary Fund projects it could become an advanced economy within the next 40 years. Today on the show, we uncover the reasons behind the Dominican Republic's economic success and whether or not these benefits are being felt widely in the country. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Plan...
May 16, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast The latest inflation numbers are in. This month's Consumer Price Index, or the CPI, is ... well, good and bad news for renters. Shelter prices went up over the last year, but at a slower pace. Shelter makes up nearly a third of the CPI. Today's episode: Rent. Where is it high? Where is it low? What exactly is "coffee milk"? The Indicator tours the U.S. to bring you the answers. Related Episodes: When mortgage rates are too low to give up How do you measure inflation? The lawsuit that could shake...
May 15, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast When June Carbone, Naomi Cahn and Nancy Levit set out to write a book about women in the workforce, they initially thought it would be a story all about women's march towards workplace equality. But when they looked at the data, they found something more disturbing: of the ways in which women's push toward workplace equality has actually been stalled for years. In today's episode, law professor June Carbone argues that the root of the problem lies in something they call the "winner take all" app...
May 14, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Advancements in cryptocurrency networks are sparking conversations about the potential for Central Bank Digital Currencies, or CBDCs for short. Advocates for CBDCs think they would provide security and unlock more efficient fiscal policy actions. However, opponents believe they would provide a shortcut for government interference and the erosion of privacy. Today on the show, we'll dive deep into the world of CBDCs and pose the question if countries actually need them at all. For sponsor-free ep...
May 13, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Indicators of the Week is back! This time, we dig into why gold prices are spiking, why the Biden administration has only spent a small portion of money pledged to infrastructure projects, and what the spurt of streaming consolidations means for you. Related episodes: Gold Rush 2.0 The semiconductor shortage (still) ( Apple Podcasts / Spotify ) The secret entrance that sidesteps Hollywood picket lines ( Apple Podcasts / Spotify ) For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subs...
May 10, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast According to a government report released this week, Congress has until 2033 to fix Social Security before retirees receive an automatic benefit cut of about 21%. This is a more optimistic estimate from a previous report that stated the Social Security Trust Fund would run dry sooner, but it still paints a grim picture for a program that millions of retirees rely on. Today, NPR's Chief Economics Correspondent joins the show to explain what exactly lawmakers can do to fix Social Security and why ...
May 09, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Back in 2019, The Indicator started checking in on with a Venezuelan economist Gabriela Saade. The economy was in freefall. The country was suffering from hyperinflation and a huge jump in poverty. Today, the U.S. faces a spike in migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border, many from Venezuela. So we check back in with Gabriela. Venezuela is due to go to the polls in July. We ask Gabriela and two other Venezuelans: what are economic conditions like at the moment? How has life changed since the pandemic?...
May 09, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast What happens when small town politics collide with the climate crisis? And how do hazard maps—maps that show which homes in your neighborhood are at risk of getting destroyed or damaged by a natural disaster—come into play? On today's episode, how some people—from Indiana to Oregon to Alaska—are facing some very real concerns about insurance and the ability to sell their houses. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 07, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast In Western Colorado, towns and farms are banding together to pay a hundred million dollars for water they don't intend to use. Today on the show, how scarcity, climate change and a first-dibs system of water management is forcing towns, farms and rural residents to get spendy. Related episodes: A watershed moment in the West? ( Apple / Spotify ) The Amazon, the Colorado River and a price on nature Water in the West: Bankrupt? For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscrib...
May 06, 2024•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast It's Jobs Friday and the jobs report is in! There's more jobs! ... but not as many as expected. And there's a teensy bit more unemployment and slower wage growth. But there's an upside ... Plus, healthcare is growing like gangbusters and how immigrants affect American-born workers. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 03, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast College campuses nationwide are erupting with protests against Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza. A consistent theme among these actions: a call for university endowment "divestment." Today, we unpack what that means and how divestment would work. Plus, we hear from an expert who explains why divestment might not have the effect that many believe. Related episodes: Why Israel uses diaspora bonds ( Apple / Spotify ) How much of your tax dollars are going to Israel and Ukraine ( Apple / Spotify ) For ...
May 02, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast The Beigie Awards are back to recognize the regional Federal Reserve Bank with the best Beige Book entry. This time, we shine a spotlight on one entry that explains how some businesses are feeling the impacts of higher for longer interest rates. Related episodes: The interest-ing world of interest rates ( Apple / Spotify ) The Beigie Awards: Why banks are going on a "loan diet" ( Apple / Spotify ) Where are interest rates going? For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subsc...
May 01, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Sandwiched between a burger joint and an oyster bar in New York City hangs a daunting image: The National Debt Clock. And that debt number? It just keeps ticking up. How deep in the hole are we? Nearly a hundred percent of gross domestic product. And counting. Today on the show, the federal debt. Is it time to freak out? Or is there nothing to see here? Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
May 01, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Launches by commercial space companies are becoming more frequent. Last year, the Federal Aviation Administration licensed 117, an all-time high. But these spaceflight companies aren't paying for all of the FAA's services that they use. Today, we explore why the government is looking to change that and dig into the larger debate over whether human activity in space is a public or private project. Related episodes: Economics in space Planet Money goes to space Space economics For sponsor-free epi...
Apr 29, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast We wrap up our series on the economics of the video game industry with a triple roundup. Today, how the new ban on noncompete contracts could affect the gaming industry, whether young men are slacking off work to play games and the ever-controversial world of loot boxes. Related episodes: Forever games: the economics of the live service model ( Apple / Spotify ) Designing for disability: how video games become more accessible ( Apple / Spotify ) The boom and bust of esports ( Apple / Spotify ) W...
Apr 26, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Employees at video game companies are known for working long hours to meet product launch deadlines. This pressure, known in the industry as crunch, has only gotten more intense as games have grown more complex. Mounting layoffs in the growing industry have only made things worse on the labor front, inspiring some workers to take matters into their own hands. Today, in the next installment of our series on the business of video games, we speak to several workers in the industry about their exper...
Apr 25, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast The origins of competitive gaming are rooted in college campuses going back to the early 1970s. Now a globally popular industry, esports is at the center of many questions about long-term financial viability. Today, we dive deep into the hype surrounding esports and why the luster seems to be rubbing off the industry that was once seen by some as the next NBA. Related episodes: Forever games: the economics of the live service model ( Apple / Spotify ) Designing for disability: how video games be...
Apr 24, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Gaming provides entertainment and community for billions of people worldwide. However, video games haven't always been accessible to those with disabilities. But this is changing. Today, in the next installment of our series on the business of video games, we explain how accessibility has become an increasingly important priority for game developers and how advocates pushed them to this point. Related episodes: Forever games: the economics of the live service model ( Apple / Spotify ) For sponso...
Apr 23, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast People used to pay one standard price for their favorite games in a one-off transaction. But now, many game companies are offering their games for free, supported by in-game purchases. This is called the live service model. Today, the first episode of a week-long series about the video game industry. We investigate the promise and pains of the live service model and explain how it turned the industry upside down. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet M...
Apr 22, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast It's highs and lows in this edition of Indicators of the Week! The surprisingly high amount of electricity needed for artificial intelligence, basketball star Caitlin Clark's surprisingly low base salary, plus a potential crackdown on the ticketing company everyone loves to hate (possibly because of those high fees). Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Apr 19, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast After the financial crisis of 2008, regulators around the world agreed banks should have more of a cushion to weather hard times. Now, U.S. regulators are once again looking to update minimum capital requirements through a set of proposals called Basel III Endgame. Today, on the show, a blow-by-blow account of this battle between bankers and regulators. Related episodes: Time to make banks more stressed? ( Apple / Spotify ) SVB, now First Republic: How it all started ( Apple / Spotify ) For spon...
Apr 18, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast When an insurance company can't cover all of its claims, it actually has its own insurance. This is called "reinsurance." How does that work and why do reinsurers look at their risk pool differently than say home or auto insurers? Related episodes: Why is insurance so expensive right now? And more listener questions ( Apple / Spotify ) When insurers can't get insurance ( Apple / Spotify ) For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts ...
Apr 17, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast Anti-vaccine activists, far-right groups and some religious conservatives convened in Las Vegas this spring to discuss the creation of a parallel economy. These are groups who believe their speech is threatened by big banks and big tech. On today's show, what is a "freedom economy," and how would it work? Related episodes: A Supreme Court case that could reshape social media ( Apple / Spotify ) For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Pod...
Apr 16, 2024•10 min•Transcript available on Metacast We are back to answer your listener questions. On today's show, we explain reverse mortgages and their risks, why insurance has gotten so expensive, and whether there's a catch to charitable donations at the store. If you have a question you'd like us to answer, email us at indicator@npr.org. Related episodes: When insurers can't get insurance ( Apple / Spotify ) Are we counting jobs right? We answer your listener questions ( Apple / Spotify ) When mortgage rates are too low to give up ( Apple /...
Apr 15, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this edition of Indicators of the Week: the new incentive for speed in cash prizes for Olympic track and field, growing iPhone assembly in India and the curious inflation puzzle of the foot-long cookies at Subway. Related episodes: Can India become the next high-tech hub? ( Apple / Spotify ) For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org . Music by Drop Electric . Find us: TikTok , Instagram , Facebook , Newslette...
Apr 12, 2024•8 min•Transcript available on Metacast With tax season upon us, many people are paying someone or a software to get their tax returns done. A small group of people, however, are filing online directly with ... the IRS. For free. Today on the show: how the IRS's tax filing experiment came to be, how it's been working so far, and who doesn't like it. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy...
Apr 11, 2024•9 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
