The Indicator from Planet Money

By NPR

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 ... more

· Business

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FAQs about The Indicator from Planet Money:

How many episodes does The Indicator from Planet Money have?

The podcast currently has 1,945 episodes available.

The Indicator from Planet Money episodes:

August 13, 2025 Why Trump's spending bill could close your grocery store
Trump’s tax and spending law makes the largest cut in history to one of the nation’s biggest safety net programs. Today on the show, we explore how cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as SNAP, impacts families and grocery stores alike.

Based on the digital story: Independent grocery stores have had a tough five years. SNAP cuts will make it harder

Related episodes:
Do work requirements help SNAP people out of government aid?
When SNAP Gets Squeezed
The trouble with water discounts

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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10min
August 12, 2025 The arduous system for getting aid into Gaza
Insulin needles. Sleeping bags. Nutella. These are items Arwa Damon’s charity — International Network for Aid, Relief and Assistance — has tried to send to Gaza and Israel has rejected. It’s a glimpse into the harsh reality of a humanitarian crisis with no end in sight. Today on the show, we talk to Damon about the economics of running a humanitarian nonprofit and what’s stopping more aid from reaching Gaza.
Related episodes:
Why Israel uses diaspora bonds
Why the U.S. helps pay for Israel’s military
What could convince Egypt to take Gaza’s refugees?
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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10min
August 11, 2025 What we're reading on the beach this summer
It's time for our annual beach reading recs. Today we bring you three books, with a little economic learning to boot. Our recs:

Who is Government? The Untold Story of Public Service edited by Michael Lewis
El Dorado Drive by Megan Abbott
Algospeak: How Social Media is Transforming the Future of Language by Adam Aleksic

Related episodes:
Beach reading with a side of economics
How to beach on a budget

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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10min
August 08, 2025 More for Palantir, less for mRNA, and a disaster database redemption arc
It's ... Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news.

On today's episode: Palantir crosses a billion dollars in quarterly revenue (what do they actually do again?); mRNA vaccine research gets a big cut in RFK Jr's health department; and a climate disaster database gets a new lease on life.

Related episodes:
How Palantir, the secretive tech company, is rising in the Trump era
An indicator lost: big disaster costs
Moonshot in the arm

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

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10min
August 07, 2025 The legal case for — and against — Trump's tariffs
President Trump's new round of tariffs took effect today. It will bring in billions of dollars to the government, in part paid for by U.S. importers who can decide whether to pass that cost onto American families. But are these tariffs legal?

Today on the show, the arguments for and against the president's tariffs and what happens to that tariff revenue if Trump loses.

Related episodes:
Trump's tariff role model
Dealmaker Don v. Tariff Man Trump
Are Trump's tariffs legal?

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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10min
August 06, 2025 What you need to know about the jobs report revisions
Why do revisions to the jobs report happen? Today on the show, we speak with a former Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics about why revisions occur and how we should interpret the monthly report's actual message.

Related episodes:
Can we still trust the monthly jobs report? (Update)
What really goes on at the Bureau of Labor Statistics (Update)
How you're using AI at work

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.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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10min
August 05, 2025 Can we still trust the monthly jobs report? (Update)
Since his return to office, President Trump has waged something of a pressure campaign on economic data and the people in charge of delivering it. His firing of the Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner following a weak jobs report now has some wondering: can we still trust the official numbers? Today on the show, we're resharing our conversation with former BLS commissioner, Erica Groshen on her current fears for the integrity of government data. The original version of this story aired March 7, 2025.

Related:
What really goes on at the Bureau of Labor Statistics? (Update) (Apple / Spotify)
Would you trust an economist with your economy? (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 Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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8min
August 04, 2025 What really goes on at the Bureau of Labor Statistics (Update)
On Friday, we reported on the latest jobs numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which showed weaker than expected growth. On Friday afternoon, President Trump fired the person in charge of those numbers.

The monthly jobs report is a critical tool for the economy, used by businesses to make decisions and the Federal Reserve to set rates. So how exactly are those figures collected? Today, we're re-airing our behind-the-scenes look at how the BLS puts together the jobs report ... one call at a time.

This show originally aired June 6, 2022.

Related:
Can we trust the monthly jobs report?
Would you trust an economist with your economy?

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.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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10min
August 01, 2025 How you're using AI at work
AI is a hot topic for both employers and employees in the workforce. That's why we wanted to hear from our listeners about how they are using AI at work. Today on the show, we explore the good, the bad and the ugly of AI in the workplace.

Related episodes:
Is AI overrated?
Is AI underrated?

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.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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...more
10min
July 31, 2025 Why the Fed could lose $1.5 trillion
The Fed is on the hook for an estimated one-and-a-half trillion dollars. Despite the recent headlines, that's not because of building renovations. It's a much larger cost blowout caused by big actions taken during the pandemic to help the economy: quantitative easing.

Today on the show, we talk to both a critic of these actions and someone who helped put those those actions in play.

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10min

FAQs about The Indicator from Planet Money:

How many episodes does The Indicator from Planet Money have?

The podcast currently has 1,945 episodes available.

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