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.
Episodes
People wanting to purchase heat pumps might soon face sticker shock. Many consumers have sought out energy credits to find a greener and more affordable alternative to heating oil, but the tax credit to help make them cheaper has expired. Today on the show: how homeowners, the renewables industry, and its critics all feel about it.
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Metals, government debt, and a climate lawsuit
All ...
Data centers are getting a lot of heat right now. There’s neighborhood pushback against them for water usage and environmental concerns, and some politicians on both sides of the aisle aren’t fans for the same reasons. There’s also fear that they could drive up the cost of electricity bills.
But that last bit isn’t set in stone.
Data center electric bill upcharge is not a guarantee. In fact, i...
On today’s show, three Fed watchers give their advice for the next chair. On politics, interest rate cuts and dealing with the Fed’s repeated trading scandals. Oh, and can someone please forward this episode to Kevin Warsh?
Rela...
On today’s episode: a HUGE trade deal between India and the European Union, all the hot hockey romance New Yorkers could ever want, and a heavy earnings purse for Olympic competitors, win or lose.
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Why the Olympics cost so much
The surprising economics of digital len...
Macadamia nuts. Labor shortages. Volcanoes. All that might sound like econ Mad Libs, but they’re all connected to the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco’s entry into the Beige Book this month: labor shortages are hurting macadamia nut harvests in Hawaii.
On today’s show, we take a vacation and talk to someone on the Big Island who runs a macadamia nut farm. He calls them “mac nuts.”
Related...
Meanwhile, corporate leaders have mostly just … rolled over.
Today on the show: As Trump rewrites the rules of doing business, why aren’t business leaders doing more to speak up?
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How close is the ...
On today’s show, taking stock of Europe’s financial arsenal. How could America’s largest foreign lender lighten Americans’ wallets?
Planet Money wrote a book and is going on tour, com...
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On today’s episode: Why does Davos feel interesting this year? What if we did cap credit card interest rates? And we’re paying most of those tariffs, aren’t we?
Also, big news! Planet Money wrote a book and we’re going on tour this spring. Find tickets and info at planetmoneybook.com.
On today’s show, America’s storied love affair with beef. And how big business and government have long influenced what winds up on our plates.
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President Donald Trump is dead set on acquiring Greenland, and while national security is the stated reason, the country’s untapped mineral wealth could offer another explanation.
Today on the show: is Greenland really an untapped land of riches? We talk to one Australian geologist who discovered the great costs and potential rewards of extracting these minerals himself.
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...
Today on the show, we learn about the Trump Administration’s frustrations with the weapons supply chain, find out what a defense industry investor makes of the move, and ask whether this reflects the state tightening its grip on the industry that arms the U.S. military.
On today’s episode: Influencers for ICE, China’s tremendous trade surplus, and America heads back to the moon.
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China's trade war perspective
Who owns the moon?
For sponsor-free episodes of The...
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Economic decisions aren’t only driven by hard data. A compelling story can change economic behavior and outcomes. In today’s episode, we explore real-world examples of “narrative economics” like how the Suez Canal ended up getting built. And we ask: why do narratives sometimes matter more than truth or data?
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This indicator hasn’t flashed this red since the dot-com bubble
Tariffs. ...
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Lisa Cook and the fight for the Fed
Trump's unp...
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Why tech bros are trying to give away all their money (kind of)
For sponsor...
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How much is AI actually affecting the workforce?
AI creates, transforms and destroys... jobs
When does youth employment become child labor?
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Venezuela’s economic descent (Update)
Venezuela’s recent economic history (Update)
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But what if that data meant a grocer could charge you a different price than another shopper?
On today's show, the evolving price tag.
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Should 's...
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