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NPR · Business

The Indicator from Planet Money

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 money, work, and business. Monday through Friday, in 10 minutes or less. Sign up for our newsletter . Support public media by joining NPR+ at plus.npr.org. You’ll get perks for over 25 NPR podcasts, including bonus episodes for Planet Money and sponsor-free listening for The Indicator.

Episodes

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Why is the federal government still killing coyotes?

17 Mar 2025
8m
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This NPR Indicator podcast episode interviews Kate Dario about the controversial US Department of Agriculture's wildlife damage management program, which spends millions annually killing coyotes. The interview reveals that this lethal method may be counterproductive, increasing coyote populations due to compensatory r...

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Southwest surprises, tariff guac shock, and fraud flourishes

14 Mar 2025
9m
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This Planet Money podcast episode, "Indicators of the Week," discusses three key economic indicators. First, it highlights a 25% increase in fraud losses in 2024, reaching $12.5 billion, largely due to imposter scams involving phone calls. Second, it covers Southwest Airlines ending its "bags fly free" policy, marking...

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How many times can you say uncertainty in one economic report?

13 Mar 2025
8m
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This podcast episode of "The Beige Awards" focuses on economic uncertainty as highlighted in the Federal Reserve's Beige Book. The hosts discuss the record number of times "uncertainty" appeared (45 times) and the impact of tariffs (mentioned 49 times) on businesses, particularly in construction and agriculture. The ...

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The stock market is down, but you don't need to be

12 Mar 2025
8m
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This podcast episode from NPR's The Indicator discusses how to approach a stock market slump. The hosts interview an investment advisor who presents three key arguments against panicking: market corrections are common, the timing of entry into the market has less impact on long-term returns than expected, and short-te...

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Can you take government spending out of GDP?

11 Mar 2025
8m
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This NPR Planet Money Indicator podcast episode discusses the ongoing debate surrounding the inclusion of government spending in the calculation of US Gross Domestic Product (GDP). The episode features interviews with economists who hold differing views on whether government spending should be included, separated, or ...

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What Bad Bunny teaches us about Puerto Rican tax law

10 Mar 2025
9m
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This NPR Indicator episode examines Puerto Rico's attempts to revitalize its economy through tax incentives for wealthy individuals, specifically Act 22. The podcast explores the history of such policies in Puerto Rico, highlighting a previous failed attempt in the 1970s and the mixed results of Act 22, which attracte...

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Can ... we still trust the monthly jobs report?

07 Mar 2025
8m
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This NPR Indicator podcast episode examines the trustworthiness of official US economic statistics, particularly the monthly jobs report, amid concerns about data access, manipulation, and resource constraints. The hosts discuss recent events like the disbanding of expert advisory committees and instances of early dat...

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What to make of the Ukraine minerals deal

06 Mar 2025
9m
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This NPR Indicator podcast discusses the proposed US-Ukraine minerals deal, focusing on the strategic importance of rare earth elements and Ukraine's potential role as a supplier. The discussion explores the deal's complexities, including the challenges of mining and processing in a war-torn country, the uncertainty o...

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Is the Panama Canal a rip-off?

05 Mar 2025
9m
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This NPR Indicator podcast episode examines the geopolitical complexities surrounding the Panama Canal, focusing on President Trump's grievances and the canal's toll structure. The episode details the recent BlackRock investment in Panamanian ports, discusses the canal authority's pricing strategy (based on ship type ...

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Can the Federal Reserve stay independent?

04 Mar 2025
9m
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This NPR Indicator podcast episode analyzes two of President Trump's executive orders impacting the US economy. The first concerns the Federal Reserve's independence, specifically focusing on the potential for White House influence over bank regulation while leaving monetary policy ostensibly untouched; however, exper...

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How tourist destinations recover after terrorism

03 Mar 2025
8m
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This NPR podcast discusses the impact of terrorism on tourism in New Orleans following a New Year's Day attack. The episode features interviews with business owners and a tourism professor who analyzes the effects of such events on various destinations, comparing New Orleans' recovery to cities like Las Vegas and Tuni...

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Slender Starbucks, Medicaid at risk, and the gold card visa

28 Feb 2025
9m
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This episode of "The Indicator" focuses on three key indicators: proposed $880 billion in cuts to US government spending that may impact Medicaid, a new $5 million "gold card" program for US citizenship, and the removal of 13 drinks from the Starbucks menu. The hosts discuss the potential consequences of each, includi...

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Europe's NATO members take an economic hit

27 Feb 2025
9m
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This NPR Indicator podcast discusses the increased pressure on European NATO members to significantly raise their defense spending from 2% to 5% of GDP, as demanded by the Trump administration. The podcast explores the economic challenges this poses for various European nations, considering their current debt levels a...

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A polite message from Canada to the U.S.

26 Feb 2025
9m
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This NPR Indicator podcast interviews a Canadian economist about the economic relationship between the US and Canada, particularly in light of Donald Trump's past rhetoric about Canada becoming the 51st state. The discussion explores the deep economic integration between the two countries, arguing that a merger wouldn...

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What's the long-term cost of federal layoffs?

25 Feb 2025
9m
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This NPR Indicator podcast episode focuses on Elizabeth Aniskevich, a lawyer who was unexpectedly fired from her job at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) along with other probationary employees. The interview details her career path, highlighting her passion for consumer protection and her experience at ...

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What if our income was taxed ... totally differently?

24 Feb 2025
9m
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This Planet Money Indicator episode answers three listener questions: Why are bananas so cheap? What would a 20% flat federal income tax rate mean? And why does after-hours stock trading exist? The episode uses expert opinions to explain the factors contributing to banana price stability (high yield, low perishabilit...

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

21 Feb 2025
9m
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This episode of "Indicators of the Week" discusses three key economic indicators: the surprisingly stable price of chicken despite bird flu impacting egg prices, the renaming of a portion of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, and the claim of tens of millions of deceased individuals receiving Social Security be...

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What happens when billions of dollars in research funding goes away

20 Feb 2025
9m
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This NPR podcast discusses the Trump administration's proposed cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) indirect cost funding, impacting universities' research budgets. The podcast explores the structure of NIH grants (direct vs. indirect costs), the universities' concerns about the abrupt nature of the cuts an...

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How USAID cuts hurt American farmers

19 Feb 2025
8m
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This NPR Indicator podcast discusses the impact of the Trump administration's halting of foreign aid on American agriculture. The episode explores how USAID funding supports American farmers through food aid programs like Food for Peace, highlighting the purchase of crops for international distribution and the develop...

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What the cluck is happening with egg prices?

18 Feb 2025
9m
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This NPR Planet Money Indicator podcast episode investigates the recent surge in egg prices. The co-hosts discuss the impact of a widespread bird flu outbreak, which has decimated the US egg-laying hen population, leading to significant supply shortages and price increases. An economist explains that while other fact...

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