Japan is still recovering from a brutal recession that lasted ten years. The country has tried a variety of fiscal and monetary measures to bring its economy back.

Japan's Inflation Gamble

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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. 

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Forever games: the economics of the live service model

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).

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Ticketmaster's dominance, Caitlin Clark's paycheck, and other indicators

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) 
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Inside the epic fight over new banking regulations

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? 

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Profiting off greater risk: the reinsurance game

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? 

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A Supreme Court case that could reshape social media (Apple / Spotify) 

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Japan's Inflation Gamble

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