Podcast · Business

The Indicator from Planet Money

New episodes: Daily
Typical length: 9 min
Latest: 8 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

8 Oct 2026 · 9 minNew

The chilling effect of ICE in hospitals

Federal immigration enforcement arrests reached record highs this past summer, and under the second Trump administration, immigration agents can now more easily access so-called sensitive areas, including hospitals. Today on the show: how both patients and healthcare workers are bearing the physical and economic costs of these deportation campaigns. Featuring Dr. William D. Lopez, author of Raiding the Heartland: an American Story of Deportation and Resistance. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen How ICE arrests are creating 'economies of fear' Connect with The Indicator from…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

7 Oct 2026 · 9 minNew

One economist's answer to data center anxiety

Rising electricity prices are one of the primary reasons why data centers are a public enemy this election cycle. But is it realistic to expect energy prices to stay high forever? Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen No AI data centers in my backyard! Over 2,000 episodes in our archive on the NPR App Connect with The Indicator from Planet Money The Indicator newsletter — a weekly roundup of news, ideas and staff picks. Instagram , TikTok and YouTube Find the Planet Money book Find the Planet Money game, Sell Me A Sasquatch , and other merch at the NPR Shop ! Support public media…
6 Oct 2026 · 8 minNew

Inside Norway's sovereign wealth fund dilemma to divest from Israel

Norway has the world’s largest sovereign wealth fund, but it’s facing a self-imposed dilemma. Should the fund's investments include companies that directly or indirectly contribute to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war? On today’s show, the ethical tightrope Norway is walking to invest its oil riches responsibly. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen — How would a US sovereign wealth fund even work? Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter ! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and more ! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to…
5 Oct 2026 · 9 min

The proper etiquette of the Venmo nudge

How do you ask your friends to pay you back in a timely way? We’ve got an etiquette coach to help with that. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen — Is this a bank? Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter ! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and more ! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+ Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org . See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of…
2 Oct 2026 · 9 min

Can we make Social Security better for blue-collar workers?

Most workers can’t start collecting full Social Security benefits until age 67. But a new proposal from Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens would allow workers in “physically demanding jobs” to receive full retirement benefits at 60. Today, two social security experts tell us the pros and cons. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen — Iceberg ahead for Social Security Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter ! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and more ! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+ See pcm.adswizz.com for…
1 Oct 2026 · 8 min

New college degrees designed to job-proof graduates

What do influencing, AI and health sciences have in common? They’re all degree programs colleges have launched in the last few years to attract students looking for a new career path. On today's show, how colleges are rethinking degrees for a changing job market. Fact checking by Leyla Doss. Your Next Listen — Community colleges are kind of underrated Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter ! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and more ! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+ Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for…
30 Sep 2026 · 9 min

Is investing in sports worth it for universities?

Universities spend millions of dollars every year on their athletics programs. But does that investment pay off? Today, we interrogate the “Doug Flutie Effect.” Fact checking by Cooper Katz McKim. Your Next Listen — How college sports juiced Olympic development Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter ! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and more ! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+ See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship…
29 Sep 2026 · 9 min

What does every business need but not every industry has?

What rhymes with "snakes" and helps the government classify economic activity? NAICS — or the North American Industry Classification System. These codes categorize every industry from artificial turf installation to zucchini farming. But they’re not exactly easy to get. Today we look at one business’ quest for a NAICS code and what makes them so valuable. Fact checking by Leyla Doss. Your Next Listen — How to take the temperature of the US consumer Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter ! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and more ! —…
28 Sep 2026 · 9 min

How the rich make money by losing money

Decades ago, rich Americans used to pay taxes as high as 40% on their investments. Nowadays, an obscure investment strategy is helping them slash that figure toward … 0%. Today on the show, Bloomberg reporter Loukia Gyftopoulou, tells us about this generation’s “great American tax dodge,” and the “mad genius” behind it. A Tax Strategy for the Rich Built the World’s Largest Hedge Fund - Bloomberg Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen — What’s a revenge tax? Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter ! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials,…
25 Sep 2026 · 9 min

Unaffordability index: Rent, GLP-1s, Obamacare

This week’s indicators: Rent is squeezing middle-income earners, the Trump admin is squeezing ACA enrollees, and GLP-1s are squeezing employers. Fact checking by Julia Ritchey. Your Next Listen — Why GLP-1s aren't lowering employers' costs Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter ! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube ad more ! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+ Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org . See…
24 Sep 2026 · 8 min

What Doordash, Dell and Palantir all have in common

President Trump and his money managers made more stock trades since his second term started than all members of Congress combined . The White House says there is no conflict of interest. Today on the show, we look at three companies he’s traded in that raise ethical flags because of their relationship with the federal government. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen — Did Trump enable insider trading? Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter ! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and more ! — For sponsor-free episodes,…
23 Sep 2026 · 9 min

Why are used cars priced like new cars?

The used car market is out of control and there doesn’t seem to be an easy fix for high prices. Today, three reasons why finding an affordable car is so difficult. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen — Prepping for a rainy day and higher used car prices Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter ! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and more ! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+ Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn…
22 Sep 2026 · 9 min

How will the US refill its dwindling oil reserves?

Whether it’s oil from Venezuela or somewhere else, the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve needs to be refilled. The SPR is widely considered critical for energy security. On today’s show, the challenges to refilling the reserves at a time of high federal debt and climbing gas prices. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen — So… how long before these oil prices get REALLY bad? Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter ! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and more ! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+ Support public…
21 Sep 2026 · 9 min

How Hemp-THC businesses are bracing for a near total ban

Follow us to Tennessee where hemp farmers are already pivoting in the face of a state ban and soon, a looming federal ban on basically all THC-derived hemp products. Will Congress step in to save this $28 billion industry? Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen — How would-be weed merchants hit a ‘grass ceiling’ Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter ! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and more ! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+ Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one.…
18 Sep 2026 · 9 min

OpenAI's waiting game, gas pump pain, and severe sulfur strain!

This week’s indicators: Tracking your pain at the gas pump in real-time; OpenAI’s IPO hard-launch tug-of-war; one unexpected ingredient is making fertilizer—and potentially your groceries—a whole lot more expensive. Fact checking by Schuyler Swenson. Your Next Listen — What Iran teaches us about why wars start Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter ! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and more ! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+ Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s…
17 Sep 2026 · 9 min

Strait talk: Why the oil crisis is getting worse

A vital artery for Saudi oil exports is under siege and it’s not the Strait of Hormuz. Today on the show, we explain what’s going on in the Bab el-Mandeb shipping lane connected to the Red Sea, why it’s important, and why the global oil crisis is poised to get even worse. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen — Fixing the oil crisis might not fix the Persian Gulf Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter ! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and more ! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+ Support public media with…
16 Sep 2026 · 9 min

How the bond market is handling AI risks

Big tech companies are borrowing billions of dollars to finance the build-out of AI data centers, and your 401(k) might be helping to fuel that. Today on the show, what AI hyperscalers are doing to the bond market. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen — Who's financing Meta's massive AI data center? Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter ! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and more ! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+ Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This…
15 Sep 2026 · 10 min

How much safer do Flock cameras make us?

Flock cameras promise to reduce crimes like car theft. But these automated license plate readers come with a trade-off: a wide-reaching surveillance network. Today on the show, does Flock actually make communities safer? Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen — Stuck In China’s Panopticon Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter ! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and more ! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+ See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to…
14 Sep 2026 · 9 min

A beautiful bill, Mamdani's market, and stock subscriptions

It’s time for another Indicator Quiz! For today’s quiz, we’re testing the Indicator knowledge of a brilliant mathematician. Will we stump his theoretician brain? Tune in and find out! Interested in being a contestant on our next Indicator Quiz? Email us your name and phone number to indicator@npr.org and put "Indicator Quiz" in the subject. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen — An urban planner, infinite scroll, and … what is a public good? Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter ! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and…
11 Sep 2026 · 9 min

Bessent's yen bet, cold Argentine data centers set, and the summer box office net

This week’s indicators: Is The U.S. Treasury Department futzing with financial markets?; Is Patagonia’s pretty picturesque setting … for data centers?; Was the summer box office actually swell? Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen — A Treasury showdown with the bond market Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter ! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and more ! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+ Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include…
10 Sep 2026 · 9 min

Are small town colleges going extinct?

Our favorite entry on the regional economy from the latest Beige Book reveals a troubling development in higher education. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen — Community colleges are kind of underrated Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter ! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and more ! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+ Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org . See pcm.adswizz.com for…
9 Sep 2026 · 9 min

Let's play ... Who Wants To Be a Bank!

Why do so many fintech companies — like Square and Mercury — want to be banks? And what does it take to get there? Find out today when we play our fake game show … Who Wants To Be A Bank! Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen — Is this a bank? Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter ! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and more ! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+ Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts like this one. This show’s perks include sponsor-free listening. Learn more at…
8 Sep 2026 · 9 min

Canada fights tariffs with tariffs

The era of friendly diplomacy has fallen to the wayside once again as the U.S. - Canada trade war enters a new phase. This time, Canada is countering the latest round of tariffs with their own, targeting American dairy, steel and electronics. Today on the show, we hear from the host of CBC’s Cost of Living podcast Paul Haavardsrud on Canada’s trade war strategy. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen — Why there's no referee for the trade war — Why a trade war makes wigs (and bones) cost more + LeBond James Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter…
7 Sep 2026 · 9 min

Which jobs are future-proofed?

With AI disrupting the workplace, is your job going to exist in ten years? The Bureau of Labor Statistics has just the handbook for that. Today on the show, we flip through the Occupational Outlook Handbook and answer your questions about the future of work . This episode originally aired on May 8th, 2026 Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen — How AI is shrinking the job market for teens Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter ! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and more ! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+…
4 Sep 2026 · 9 min

Are job hoppers better at their jobs?

People with jobs are not always eager to leave them … but there are exceptions. Call them job hoppers. While many employers look down on this sort of professional promiscuity, new research suggests there are benefits to switching jobs frequently. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen — I'm just here for the health benefits Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter ! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and more ! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+ Support public media with NPR+ and enjoy perks for over 25 podcasts…
3 Sep 2026 · 10 min

Does Planet Money’s game pass the shelf test? We go undercover to find out

We go undercover at a big box store for an inside look at the secret shelf test the makers of Exploding Kittens use for their hit games. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen — Who decides what big box sells? Our GAME got us answers Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter ! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and more ! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+ See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy…
2 Sep 2026 · 9 min

For a lot of Gen Z, gambling is investing

Why are more than half of Gen Zers using investment dollars for sports gambling? It’s been eight years since sports betting became widely legal. Today we look at its impact on a new generation of sports bettors and efforts to curb gambling’s more harmful effects. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen — Prediction markets are threatening national security. Who's gonna fix it? Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter ! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and more ! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+ Support public…
1 Sep 2026 · 9 min

A Treasury showdown with the bond market

Why is the U.S. Treasury planning to buyback at least double the number of long-dated government bonds it usually does? And will Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s buyback plan pit him against both the bond markets and the Federal Reserve? Today we explain what the Treasury’s up to and what it means for you. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen — Bond vigilantes. Who they are, what they want, and how you'll know they're coming Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter ! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and more ! — For…
31 Aug 2026 · 8 min

How ICE arrests are creating 'economies of fear'

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested nearly 50,000 people in July , marking the biggest month for ICE arrests of President Trump’s second term. We talk to a researcher who thinks this increased ICE activity is creating an “economy of fear” in cities around the country — and has the data to prove it. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Your Next Listen — How ending TPS is squeezing workers, businesses and (soon) consumers Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter ! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and more ! — For sponsor-free…
28 Aug 2026 · 9 min

The teacher pay penalty, Meta's major settlement, and a footwear flop

This week’s indicators: The teacher pay penalty; Meta’s massive settlement; Nike and Dick’s Sporting Goods are struggling. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez . Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly said that comparable college graduates in other professions make around 25% more than teachers. Those workers make about 33% more. Your Next Listen — Why infinite scroll's inventor wants to kill his creation Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter ! — Buy the Planet Money book — Find our socials, YouTube and more ! — For sponsor-free episodes,…

About 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.

The Indicator from Planet Money is a English business podcast from NPR. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: NPR
Language: English
Category: Business
New episodes: Daily
Typical length: 9 min
Latest episode: 8 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1320118593
Website: npr.org/podcasts/510325/the-indicator-from-planet-money

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