PODCAST

The Indicator from Planet Money

NPR

A little show about big ideas. From the people who make Planet Money, The Indicator helps you make sense of what's happening today. It's a quick hit of insight into work, business, the economy, and everything else. Listen weekday afternoons.

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Tracking 1 million COVID deaths

Yesterday

9 mins

Tracking 1 million COVID deaths

The United States has hit a million recorded deaths from COVID-19, a likely undercount. Today, how John Burn-Murdoch from the Financial Times tracks COVID-19, and what the true death toll really is.

Yesterday

9 mins

Lessons from a former drug dealer

Are the skills from dealing drugs transferable to the world of legal entrepreneurship? We review the evidence and meet Coss Marte, a former drug dealer who built a successful fitness routine business after a long time in prison.

2d ago

9 mins

Crypto crashed, stocks dropped, and Apple surpassed

On today's edition of Indicators of the Week, we bring you the top numbers to know in the stock market, cryptocurrency, and the world's second most valuable company.

5d ago

9 mins

Beating the bond market: Luck or skill?

Bill Gross is a retired investor known for creating and dominating the bond market. But what exactly made him so successful? Today, we talk to Aaron Brown, who created a mock portfolio to unpack the success of the Bond King.

6d ago

9 mins

Can inflation ... inflate away debt?

We often talk about inflation as a bad thing. But for countries in a lot of debt, inflation has an upside. But can a country try to inflate its way out of debt?

1w ago

9 mins

The graying of America

America is getting older which is bad news for the state of the labor market. Today, we learn how lower fertility rates and retiring seniors are contributing to shortages in the labor force.

10-05-2022

10 mins

EU leads the way on controlling big tech

The European Union is poised to pass its latest big tech legislation package. The Digital Services Act could reshape how we interact with big online platforms. Today, we go through some of the highlights of the regulation.

09-05-2022

9 mins

What the Beveridge curve tells us about jobs

Unemployment is low and job listings are at a record high: This shows up in a chart called the Beveridge curve. What's driving this? We talk to a former brewery manager to find out.

07-05-2022

9 mins

The palm oil price mystery

Prices for cooking oil have spiked around the world. You can point to drought and, more recently, the war in Ukraine for reasons why. But palm oil prices were on the rise before those production shocks. Today, we look into the palm oil price mystery.

05-05-2022

8 mins

Quantitative easing, meet quantitative tightening

To try and slow inflation, the Federal Reserve is going beyond its typical tool of raising interest rates, and adopting a policy of "quantitative tightening." So ... what is that, exactly?

04-05-2022

9 mins

A secret weapon to fight inflation

Savings bonds are known for their low yields and relative safety. However, the recent inflation spike is creating a heightened demand for the Series I Bond. Today, we learn the mechanics of the I Bond and why it might be the hottest investment of 2022.

03-05-2022

9 mins

The market for on demand trucking

The trucking industry saw a boom in the early months of the pandemic as consumer demand for goods surged. This caused a key trucking indicator known as the spot market rate to hit historic highs. Today, we learn what the recent decline in the spot rate could mean for the economy.

02-05-2022

9 mins

Econ Exploder: GDP

The Bureau of Economic Analysis released their quarterly gross domestic product report this week. It showed GDP shrank at an annualized rate of 1.4%. Not good. But there's a mix of stories in the details. We explain with the help of a bit of music.

30-04-2022

9 mins

The rising tides of global food prices

Global food prices were rising even before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but the war in Eastern Europe is putting more pressure on supply. Today, the global impact of rising food prices and how countries are attempting to make up for missing supply.

29-04-2022

9 mins

Shanghai's lockdown economy

Shanghai is enduring a strict COVID lockdown that has left many without many basic necessities, including food. So ordinary people have banded together to build their own group-buying and barter economy.

28-04-2022

9 mins

Sri Lanka's foreign exchange problem

A series of policy missteps combined with a global pandemic is putting heavy economic pressure on Sri Lanka. Today, the events that led to surging prices, power outages and violent protests in the island nation.

26-04-2022

9 mins

You should probably get your plane tickets soon

The pandemic crushed the airline industry, causing a wave of layoffs. While increased consumer demand in 2022 has analysts forecasting a profitable year for the major airlines, lingering issues are likely to make summertime travel more expensive.

25-04-2022

9 mins

Poison pill, Netflix, and Disney's kingdom explained

Media and entertainment companies had a turbulent week, which made us want to cover a few of them for Indicators of the Week! Today, indicators for Netflix, Twitter, and Disney we think should be on your radar. Come see Planet Money Live in NYC on May 10th! One night only. Tickets on sale here.

22-04-2022

9 mins

China's tech crackdown backdown

Over the past year China has enforced strict regulations on its tech platforms. But this crackdown has sparked such instability in financial markets that the Chinese government appears to be having second thoughts. | Come see Planet Money Live in NYC on May 10th! One night only. Tickets on sale here.

21-04-2022

9 mins

Russia tips into default... or does it?

Russia is on the verge of doing something it hasn't done since 1918: Default on its foreign debt. Today, we explore what's happening, and why Russia and its creditors may be headed for a long, messy legal battle.

20-04-2022

9 mins