The Indicator from Planet Money

A bite-sized show about big ideas. From the people who make Planet Money, The Indicator helps you make sense of what's happening in today's economy. It's a quick hit of insight into money, work, and business. Monday through Friday, in 10 minutes or less. Sign up for our newsletter. Support public media by joining NPR+ at plus.npr.org. You’ll get perks for over 25 NPR podcasts, including bonus episodes for Planet Money and sponsor-free listening for The Indicator.

Episodes

What Mark Cuban REALLY thinks of Medicare for All

August 26, 2026 • 9 mins

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 Vito Emanuel.

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Medicare for All is not Medicare for All

August 25, 2026 • 9 mins

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.

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Could politics put your city's funding at risk?

August 24, 2026 • 8 mins

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?

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EV sales slow, US Treasury yields grow, 'Niu Lai' has impressive box office mojo

August 21, 2026 • 9 mins

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

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Is bankruptcy really all that bad?

August 20, 2026 • 9 mins

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)

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Have a bad manager? Science explains why.

August 19, 2026 • 9 mins

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

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Trump versus Capital One

August 18, 2026 • 8 mins

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 ...

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Did you know companies can vote in Delaware?

August 17, 2026 • 9 mins

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?

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Retiree benefits bump, credit repayment slump, and a dating app in the dumps

August 14, 2026 • 9 mins

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

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C is for C-shaped economy

August 13, 2026 • 8 mins

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

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Consumers are mad as hell and aren't gonna take it anymore

August 12, 2026 • 9 mins

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&r...

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Borrowing money to invest! What could go wrong?

August 11, 2026 • 9 mins

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 fina...

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Why is Trump paying to stop wind farms?

August 10, 2026 • 9 mins

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)

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I'm just here for the health benefits

August 7, 2026 • 8 mins

Dependable health insurance is keeping more people in their jobs. Rising health costs don't help. Today we look at the repercussions this kind of job lock has on the wider economy.

Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.

Your Next Listen
— The ghosts of Obamacare past, present and future

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Following the Chipotle playbook for the cyclospora crisis

August 6, 2026 • 9 mins

Taco Bell and Taylor Farms are taking hits to their reputation due to the cyclosporiasis outbreak across the country. They could learn a thing or two from Chipotle, which went through its own public relations battle during a similar outbreak about a decade ago.

Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.

Your Next Listen
— Big Lettuce meets Small Intestine

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How ending TPS is squeezing workers, businesses and (soon) consumers

August 5, 2026 • 9 mins

What happens when roughly a million people working legally in the U.S. suddenly lose that right to stay here? We’re starting to find out in places like Miami, Florida, home to one of the largest Haitian communities in the country. There, we talk to people on what the end of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) means for their businesses and the wider economy.

Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.

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Why we're short on blood, water and helium

August 4, 2026 • 9 mins

Shortages are in the news again! Here’s why the supply of blood, water and helium are at concerningly low levels.

Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.

Your Next Listen
— How Colorado towns are trying to get some water certainty

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Who is a music industry plant? And does it matter?

August 3, 2026 • 9 mins

Musicians from the Rolling Stones to up-and-coming pop star Bella Kay have one thing in common: Influencers are being paid to promote their songs.

On today's show: Who is an industry plant and why does it matter?

Fact checking by Tyler Jones.

Your Next Listen
— Two Indicators: the influencer industry

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Mamdani markets, America bets, Gen Z drinks

July 31, 2026 • 8 mins

It’s Indicators of the Week!

On today’s episode: The inner workings of Mamdani’s marts; how much Americans gamble; and Gen-Z aren’t the sober generation we’ve been led to believe!

Fact checking by Corey Bridges.

Your Next Listen
— Is gambling the reason we have pro sports?

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Trump’s new Truth Social plan: pay $100K

July 30, 2026 • 8 mins

President Trump’s social media company, Truth Social, wants to sell investors early access to its posts. When Trump announces tariffs or new strikes on Iran, those milliseconds matter in the market. Is this corruption? Is this legal? And what does corruption mean for the U.S. economy?

Ray Fisman’s book with Miriam A. Golden is Corruption: What Everyone Needs to Know.

Fact checking by Tyler Jones.

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The Indicator from Planet Money

Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}What Mark Cuban REALLY thinks of Medicare for All

.css-r6mb8g{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:1;overflow:hidden;}Medicare for All is not Medicare for All

Could politics put your city's funding at risk?

EV sales slow, US Treasury yields grow, 'Niu Lai' has impressive box office mojo

Is bankruptcy really all that bad?

Have a bad manager? Science explains why.

Trump versus Capital One

Did you know companies can vote in Delaware?

Retiree benefits bump, credit repayment slump, and a dating app in the dumps

C is for C-shaped economy

Consumers are mad as hell and aren't gonna take it anymore

Borrowing money to invest! What could go wrong?

Why is Trump paying to stop wind farms?

I'm just here for the health benefits

Following the Chipotle playbook for the cyclospora crisis

How ending TPS is squeezing workers, businesses and (soon) consumers

Why we're short on blood, water and helium

Who is a music industry plant? And does it matter?

Mamdani markets, America bets, Gen Z drinks

Trump’s new Truth Social plan: pay $100K

Popular Podcasts

What Mark Cuban REALLY thinks of Medicare for All

Medicare for All is not Medicare for All