The Indicator from Planet Money

Dependable health insurance is keeping more people in their jobs. Rising health costs don't help. Today we look at the repercussions this kind of job lock has on the wider economy. 

Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.

Your Next Listen 
— The ghosts of Obamacare past, present and future 

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Taco Bell and Taylor Farms are taking hits to their reputation due to the cyclosporiasis outbreak across the country. They could learn a thing or two from Chipotle, which went through its own public relations battle during a similar outbreak about a decade ago.

Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.

Your Next Listen 
— Big Lettuce meets Small Intestine

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What happens when roughly a million people working legally in the U.S. suddenly lose that right to stay here? We’re starting to find out in places like Miami, Florida, home to one of the largest Haitian communities in the country. There, we talk to people on what the end of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) means for their businesses and the wider economy.

Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.

Your Next Listen 
— Your American Dream is pending review

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Shortages are in the news again! Here’s why the supply of blood, water and helium are at concerningly low levels.

Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.

Your Next Listen 
— How Colorado towns are trying to get some water certainty

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Musicians from the Rolling Stones to up-and-coming pop star Bella Kay have one thing in common: Influencers are being paid to promote their songs. 

On today's show: Who is an industry plant and why does it matter?

Fact checking by Tyler Jones. 

Your Next Listen 
— Two Indicators: the influencer industry

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It’s Indicators of the Week! 

On today’s episode: The inner workings of Mamdani’s marts; how much Americans gamble; and Gen-Z aren’t the sober generation we’ve been led to believe! 

Fact checking by Corey Bridges. 

Your Next Listen 
— Is gambling the reason we have pro sports?

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Fact checking by Corey Bridges

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President Trump’s social media company, Truth Social, wants to sell investors early access to its posts. When Trump announces tariffs or new strikes on Iran, those milliseconds matter in the market. Is this corruption? Is this legal? And what does corruption mean for the U.S. economy? 

Ray Fisman’s book with Miriam A. Golden is Corruption: What Everyone Needs to Know.

Fact checking by Tyler Jones.

Your Next Listen 
— Did Trump enable insider trading?
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For decades, consumer tech like laptops and gaming systems got better AND cheaper. Memory shortages caused by the AI boom are making those lower prices a thing of the past.

Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.

Your Next Listen 
— SK Hynix to the moon, Gen-Z to their rooms, and Connecticut tax reform looms

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The U.S. housing market is pretty weird right now. Whether you’re a buyer, seller or a renter, it leads to all kinds of questions, like: How did we end up with a housing shortage? Is housing still a good investment? What policies might unlock the housing inventory held by baby boomers? So we called up someone with answers: Redfin’s chief economist, Daryl Fairweather. 

On today’s show, your housing questions, answered. This is an excerpt of a live virtual event we held last week for our NPR+ and other qualifying supporters.

To hear the entire event, make sure you’re signed up for NPR+. We’ll be publishing it as a bonus episode in the Planet Money feed next week!    

Fact checking by Vito Emanuel.

Your Next Listen 
— Two Cities. Two chip plants. One affordability crisis.

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We have some grievances. Economic ones. And we’re airing them out. 

On today’s show: Redeeming fast food rewards points in airports, not knowing the full price of your meal upfront, and the pen-and-paper restaurant bill slowdown. 

Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.  

Your Next Listen 

— Three beefs: U.S. and Brazil, Taco Bell and liability, Waymo and trial lawyers

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