The Indicator from Planet Money

This year's Nobel Prize for Economics went to American economists Robert E. Hall and Michael Woodford! Their research focused on macroeconomic models and economic shocks.

But … How did we get a Nobel Prize in economics, or as it’s actually called, the more long-winded “Swedish Central Bank Prize in Economic Sciences in memory of Alfred Nobel”? And why did nearly 70 years pass between the first Nobel Prizes and a Nobel recognition for economics? 

Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.

Your Next Listen 
–Why do we live in unusually innovative times?
–Over 2,000 episodes in our archive on the NPR App

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Nearly 30 million bison once roamed North America, from modern Canada to Mexico. In the late 1800s, white settlers and the U.S. military annihilated the population of bison, bringing these creatures to the brink of extinction. The consequences for the people who relied on the bison were dire — and still being felt today. In an episode that first aired in August 2023, we spoke to one economist who reveals the shocking numbers about the destruction of the bison, and one member of the Blackfeet Nation who is trying to bring them back.

Fact checking by Sierra Juarez. This episode originally aired Aug. 21, 2023.

Your Next Listen –Blood, oil, and the Osage Nation: The battle over headrights
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This week our top indicators include changes to the funding model for SNAP, private equity’s influence on youth baseball and Meta’s attempt to find flaws in its brand new AI assistant. 

Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.

Your Next Listen 
–Why Trump's spending bill could close your grocery store
–Over 2,000 episodes in our archive on the NPR App

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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'


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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

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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? 

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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?

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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

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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 

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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

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