Episodes

  • Southwest surprises, tariff guac shock, and fraud flourishes

    Southwest surprises, tariff guac shock, and fraud flourishes
    Mar 14 2025
    It's Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at interesting numbers from the news.

    On today's show, we have Southwest Airlines changing course on their free checked bag policy, skyrocketing fraud, and Americans' insatiable appetite for avocados.

    Related episodes:
    More fraud, higher bond yields, and faster airline boarding

    For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

    Fact-checking by     Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

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    9 mins
  • How many times can you say uncertainty in one economic report?

    How many times can you say uncertainty in one economic report?
    Mar 13 2025
    Uncertainty. That's the word-of-the-moment with tariffs, market swings and lots of economic volatility. It's also showing up in the Federal Reserve's latest Beige Book, featuring anecdotes across the U.S. economy. On our latest edition of the Beigies, what can a farmer from the Mississippi Delta tell us about uncertainty?

    Related episodes:
    How USAID cuts hurt farmers (Apple / Spotify)
    Why Trump's potential tariffs are making business owners anxious (Apple / Spotify)

    For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

    Fact-checking by Tyler Jones. Music by     Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

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    9 mins
  • The stock market is down, but you don't need to be

    The stock market is down, but you don't need to be
    Mar 12 2025
    Government cuts. Tariff uncertainty. Sticky interest rates. These are not helping the tumbling stock market. There's a sinking feeling among some Americans that a crash is imminent.

    But ... should we all be so worried? Today, we brush away the cobwebs of stock market fear and confusion, and bring some long-held facts to the surface.

    Related episodes:
    Why to look twice when your portfolio is doing well (Apple / Spotify)
    The cautionary tale of a recovering day trading addict (Apple / Spotify)

    For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

    Fact-checking by Tyler Jones. Music by     Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

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    8 mins
  • Can you take government spending out of GDP?

    Can you take government spending out of GDP?
    Mar 11 2025
    The Trump administration has some nits to pick with government spending: They don't think it should be counted as part of the country's GDP, that it should be counted separately.

    In today's episode, we look at why government spending is part of the U.S.'s GDP and we speculate why Trump's administration might want to take it out ... and what that could mean.

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    8 mins
  • What Bad Bunny teaches us about Puerto Rican tax law

    What Bad Bunny teaches us about Puerto Rican tax law
    Mar 10 2025
    Bad Bunny's new album DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS laments how Puerto Rico is changing. We look at whether tax breaks to newcomers contributed.

    Related episodes:
    The battle for Puerto Rico's beaches
    We Set Up An Offshore Company In A Tax Haven

    For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

    Fact-checking by     Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

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    9 mins
  • Can ... we still trust the monthly jobs report?

    Can ... we still trust the monthly jobs report?
    Mar 7 2025
    Between the Trump administration wanting to change how GDP is calculated and DOGE accessing sensitive government information, statistical agencies are under the microscope. Can we still trust official numbers like the monthly jobs report? A former Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner shares her worries about the future integrity of government data.

    Related episodes:
    Behind the scenes of Jobs Friday

    For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

    Fact-checking by Tyler Jones. Music by     Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

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    9 mins
  • What to make of the Ukraine minerals deal

    What to make of the Ukraine minerals deal
    Mar 6 2025
    Even after Monday's pause on military aid to Ukraine following the Oval Office blow-up, it looks like a minerals deal between the U.S. and Ukraine is back on the table. We dive into what this potential deal would actually look like and whether Ukraine's minerals really live up to the hype.

    Related episodes:
    An end to China's rare earth monopoly? (Apple / Spotify)
    The cost of a dollar in Ukraine (Apple / Spotify)

    For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

    Fact-checking by Tyler Jones. Music by     Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

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    9 mins
  • Is the Panama Canal a rip-off?

    Is the Panama Canal a rip-off?
    Mar 5 2025
    Who pays to use the Panama Canal and how much? These questions are part of the tensions between the U.S. and Panama after President Trump threatened to take over the canal. We look at the global shipping lane's fee structure in light of the president's claim that the U.S. is getting ripped off.

    Related episodes:
    A drought, a jam, a canal — Panama!
    Add to cart: Greenland (Apple / Spotify)

    For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

    Fact-checking by Lilly Quiroz. Music by     Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

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    9 mins