The Indicator from Planet Money

The Indicator from Planet Money

By NPRBusiness
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  • Ranking

    19th

    on Business

  • Favorites

    5,857

    Followers

  • Typical duration

    9 min

    per episode

  • If it hooks

    73%

    finish an episode

Based on Podcast App listening data

The Indicator from Planet Money episodes

  • Why there are roving rotisserie chicken mobs
    You asked, we answered. 

    On today’s show, we tackle questions from our dear listeners on whether AI interviewers are biased, what the heck M2 money supply is, and what’s up with the frenzied mobs fighting for rotisserie chickens at the grocery store. 

    Related episodes:
    When AI is your job interviewer
    How beef climbed to the top of the food pyramid
    Retirement luck, Hassett hassles the Fed, and boneless chicken in ... court? 
    Behind the Tiny Desk and other listener questions 

    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.  

    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 Policy
    10 min
  • Can I get my tariff money back now?
    The Supreme Court struck down a bunch of President Trump’s tariffs yesterday. The Trump administration originally used an emergency economic powers law to justify the tariffs. And the court said: No! You can’t do that! Bad Trump, bad! This is despite the U.S. having raked in over a hundred billion dollars in import taxes already.

    On today’s show, unpacking the Supreme Court’s blockbuster tariffs decision. What’s next for tariffs? And … are we getting tariff refunds? Asking for a friend.

    Related episodes: 
    Trump's backup options for tariffs
    Tariffied! We check in on businesses
    Are Trump's tariffs legal?
    Worst. Tariffs. Ever. 

    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 and Vito Emanuel. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

    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 Policy
    9 min
  • Retirement luck, Hassett hassles the Fed, and boneless chicken in ... court?
    It’s … Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news. 

    On today’s episode: Why you better hope you retire at juuuust the right time, why the researchers at the Federal Reserve are being scolded by a White House economic advisor, and taking boneless chicken to court. 

    Related episodes: 


    Chicken meat, Gulf of Mexico lawsuit and Social Security beyond the grave 

    Davos drama, credit card caps and tariff truths 

    What would it take to fix retirement? 

    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 and Corey Bridges. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.  

    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 Policy
    10 min
  • Why this rural town wants an ICE facility
    The Trump administration is planning to pour more than $38 billion into warehouses for mass immigrant detention. While some communities are starting to push back, one rural town has agreed to expand its detention facility. On today’s show, we visit a small town in Georgia to learn about the trade-offs of becoming a detention town. 

    Related episodes: 
    How well are ICE’s 12,000 new officers being trained?
    How ICE crackdowns are affecting the workforce 

    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.  

    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 Policy

    10 min
  • How well are ICE's 12,000 new officers being trained?
    The Department of Homeland Security says it has more than doubled the workforce of Immigration and Customs Enforcement under President Trump. Yet videos of immigration officers killing two U.S. citizens and using aggressive arrest tactics have left some politicians and community leaders rethinking the agency’s approach. On today’s show, law enforcement experts assess the training and culture at DHS.  

    Related episodes:
    How ICE crackdowns are affecting the workforce  

    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.  

    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 Policy

    9 min
  • How Iran's flagging economy inflamed its protests
    Editor's note: The United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran early Saturday, Feb. 28. For current coverage click here. For background context, the story below was published on Feb. 17, 2026.

    According to activists, Iran has killed over 7,000 people as part of a crackdown on protesters. Why did protests engulf Iran in the first place? A big contributor: Its flagging economy, which has been in a tailspin for years. It’s a tinderbox.

    Related episodes: 
    Iran, protests, and sanctions
    The Lost Plane

    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.

    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 Policy
    9 min
  • Jobs numbers, immigrants in healthcare, and ... Jesus Christ?
    It’s time for … Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news. 

    On today’s episode: Analyzing the new jobs numbers, how letting in more immigrants could reduce elder mortality, and betting on the return of … Jesus Christ. 

    Related episodes: 

    Just how bad are these job numbers? 

    A market to bet on the future 

    Who's gonna take care of grandma?

    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, Cooper Katz McKim and Vito Emanuel. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.  

    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 Policy
    10 min
  • What it costs to be an elite figure skater like the 'Quad God'

    Behind every Ilia Malinin or Alysa Liu, there is an army of elite figure skating coaches and choreographers who have been with them from the beginning. On today’s show, how much does it cost to achieve Olympic glory and why is it so expensive? 

    Related episodes: 
    How college sports juiced Olympic development 
    Why the Olympics cost so much 

    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.  

    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 Policy

    10 min
  • What is going on with gold and silver?
    The prices of gold and silver are on rollercoaster rides; Gold has been rising over the last few years, silver shot up like a skyrocket in January … but then both plunged in price and sputtered around the end of the month. 

    It raises the question: What is going on? 

    Today on the show, we talk with some traders about what this volatility of gold and silver is saying about the state of the world. 

    Related episodes: 

    Why is everyone buying gold? 

    A new-ish gold rush and other indicators 

    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.  

    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 Policy
    9 min
  • The boxed meal helping Americans stay on budget
    Food keeps getting more expensive, so how do shoppers respond? They change what they buy, right? It’s not just that cheaper foods get more popular. Shoppers are more nuanced than that. So, today on the show, we choose one classic meal that is tailor-made for this anxious economic moment. Why Hamburger Helper is poised to win 2026.

    Related episodes: 
    How niche brands got into your local supermarket
    Can you trust you're getting the same grocery prices as someone else?
    Hits of the Dips: Songs of recessions past

    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.

    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 Policy
    10 min

About The Indicator from Planet Money

From the publisher's feed

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…

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