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May 13, 2024
"Bleisure" is a new term in hospitality, a combination of business and leisure travel. It's part of a post-pandemic reset of our travel habits.
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May 13, 2024
Advancements in cryptocurrency networks are sparking conversations about the potential for Central Bank Digital Currencies, or CBDCs for short. Advocates for CBDCs think they would provide security and unlock more efficient fiscal policy actions. However, opponents believe they would provide a shortcut for government interference and the erosion of privacy.
Today on the show, we'll dive deep into the world of CBDCs and pose the question if countries actually need them at all.
For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
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May 13, 2024
French Gates says she is "immensely proud" of the work of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the decision to step down as co-chair was not easy. Her last day is June 7.
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May 13, 2024
Shares in the video game retailer more than doubled at one point after a prominent meme stock investor made his first online posting in about three years.
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May 13, 2024
A new type of traveler is part of the post-pandemic reset at U.S. hotels, along with fewer daily cleanings and pancake-slinging machines.
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May 13, 2024
Workers at Mercedes-Benz in Alabama start voting this week on whether to join the United Auto Workers union. Last month, Volkswagen workers in Tennessee voted overwhelmingly to unionize.
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May 13, 2024
Workers at Mercedes-Benz in Alabama start voting this week on whether to join the United Auto Workers union. Last month, Volkswagen workers in Tennessee voted overwhelmingly to unionize.
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May 13, 2024
Workers at Mercedes-Benz in Alabama start voting this week on whether to join the United Auto Workers union. Last month, Volkswagen workers in Tennessee voted overwhelmingly to unionize.
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May 12, 2024
NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks with Joe Weisenthal co-host of Bloomberg's "Odd Lots" podcast about how the Strategic Petroleum Reserves can be utilized in 2024.
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May 11, 2024
We look at the latest season of the Pause/Play podcast, from KUT and KUTX Studios, which explores how global and local changes are impacting Austin's music ecosystem.
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May 11, 2024
NPR's Scott Detrow talks to Erich Schwartzel, who covers the film industry for The Wall Street Journal, about the 25th anniversary of Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace.
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May 11, 2024
The temporary injunction imposed by Judge Mark Pittman in the Northern District of Texas is a win for the big banks and major credit card companies. The plan was set to go into effect next week.
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May 10, 2024
The Biden administration is finally wrapping up its review of President Donald Trump's tariffs on Chinese imports. It will keep those tariffs, and add more on things like electric vehicles.
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May 10, 2024
Karen MacDonough of Quincy, Mass., was enjoying her tea one morning in the dining room when she sees something odd outside of her window: A group of people gathering on her lawn. A man with a clipboard tells her that her home no longer belongs to her. It didn't matter that she'd been paying her mortgage for 17 years, and was current on it. She was a nurse with a good job and had raised her kids here. But this was a foreclosure sale, and she was going to lose her house.
Karen had fallen victim to what's called a zombie second mortgage. Homeowners think these loans are long dead. But then the loans come back to life because they get bought up, sometimes for pennies on the dollar, by debt collectors who then move to collect and foreclose on people's homes.
On today's episode: An NPR investigation reveals the practice to be widespread. Also, what are zombie mortgages? Is all this legal? And is there any way for homeowners to fight the zombies?
This episode was hosted by Chris Arnold and Robert Smith. It was produced by Sam Yellowhorse Kesler. It was edited by Jess Jiang with help from Bob Little. And it was fact-checked by Sierra Juarez. Engineering by Robert Rodriguez with an assist from Patrick Murray. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money's executive producer.
Help support Planet Money and get bonus episodes by subscribing to Planet Money in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney.
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May 10, 2024
There's a growing trend of tenants unable to identify their landlords as corporations buy up properties. When a Connecticut woman's apartment started falling apart, she didn't know where to turn.
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May 10, 2024
The streamer has tried to create an avalanche of appointment television this week. We analyze whether it succeeded.
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May 10, 2024
The U.S. Treasury ran a surplus last month, thanks in part to the April 15th tax deadline. But the federal government is still expected to end the year more than $1.5 trillion in the red.
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May 10, 2024
Olivia and Liam are the most popular baby names in the U.S. for the fifth consecutive year, according to an annual tally by the Social Security Administration.
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May 10, 2024
Olivia and Liam are the most popular baby names in the U.S. for the fifth consecutive year, according to an annual tally by the Social Security Administration.
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May 10, 2024
The newest iPad ad depicts instruments, books and art supplies flattened into Apple's thinnest product ever. But anyone who owns and loves art in any form knows: The practicality isn't the point.
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May 10, 2024
Panera Bread is getting rid of Charged Lemonade from its menu. The highly caffeinated beverage is at the center of at least two wrongful death lawsuits.
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May 10, 2024
Service charges; resort fees; "surcharge" add-ons: A new state law requiring price transparency is set to take effect in July. Until now, no one knew how it would apply to restaurants.
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May 09, 2024
According to a government report released this week, Congress has until 2033 to fix Social Security before retirees receive an automatic benefit cut of about 21%. This is a more optimistic estimate from a previous report that stated the Social Security Trust Fund would run dry sooner, but it still paints a grim picture for a program that millions of retirees rely on.
Today, NPR's Chief Economics Correspondent joins the show to explain what exactly lawmakers can do to fix Social Security and why proposed solutions might be easier said than done.
Related episodes:
What would it take to fix retirement? (Apple / Spotify)
For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
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May 09, 2024
There's this fund that all commercial airlines pay into for things like safety inspections. But there's a growing user of FAA resources that doesn't pay into that fund: Commercial space companies.
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May 09, 2024
Victorinox, the company behind the Swiss army knife, is making a multi-tool without a blade. The CEO said increased regulation of knives in certain countries was behind the decision.
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May 09, 2024
NPR listeners wrote to ask whether the environmental harm from building EVs "cancels out" the cars' climate benefits. Experts say the answer is clear.
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May 09, 2024
NPR listeners wrote to ask whether the environmental harm from building EVs "cancels out" the cars' climate benefits. Experts say the answer is clear.
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May 09, 2024
Millions of new parents in the U.S. are swamped by medical debt during and after pregnancy, forcing many to cut back on food, clothing, and other essentials.
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May 09, 2024
FTX says that nearly all of its customers will receive the money back that they are owed, two years after the cryptocurrency exchange imploded, and some will get more than that.
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May 08, 2024
The San Francisco-based AI juggernaut says it is re-evaluating its policies around "NSFW" content.
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May 08, 2024
Back in 2019, The Indicator started checking in on with a Venezuelan economist Gabriela Saade. The economy was in freefall. The country was suffering from hyperinflation and a huge jump in poverty. Today, the U.S. faces a spike in migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border, many from Venezuela. So we check back in with Gabriela. Venezuela is due to go to the polls in July. We ask Gabriela and two other Venezuelans: what are economic conditions like at the moment? How has life changed since the pandemic? Some of the answers surprised us.
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May 08, 2024
A month after fast food workers in California started earning at least $20 an hour, how is the financial picture for them and franchise owners shaping up?
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May 08, 2024
A drug company will voluntarily stop selling a medicine that was bringing in hundreds of millions of dollars, keeping a promise the business made years earlier to people with the fatal condition ALS.
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May 08, 2024
Why do video game workers offer labor at a discount? How can you design a video game for blind and sighted players? Does that design have lessons for other industries?
These and other questions about the business of video games answered in todays episode. The Indicator just wrapped a weeklong series decoding the economics of the video game industry, we're excerpting some highlights.
First, we meet some of the workers who are struggling with the heavy demands placed on them in their booming industry, and how they are fighting back.
Then, we check in on how game developers are pulling in new audiences by creatively designing for people who couldn't always play. How has accessibility become an increasingly important priority for game developers? And, how can more players join in the fun?
You can hear the rest of our weeklong series on the gaming industry at this link, or wherever you get your podcasts.
This episode was hosted by Wailin Wong and Darian Woods. Corey Bridges produced this episode with help from James Sneed. It was edited by Kate Concannon, fact-checked by Sierra Juarez, and engineered by Robert Rodriguez with help from Valentina Rodríguez Sánchez. Alex Goldmark is Planet Money's executive producer.
Help support Planet Money and hear our bonus episodes by subscribing to Planet Money in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney.
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May 08, 2024
With the federal ban on noncompetes set to take effect in 120 days, workers bound by such agreements are starting to wonder whether they are free to pursue work that they otherwise couldn't do.
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May 08, 2024
The White House wants a twenty-fold increase in geothermal energy production to fight climate change and it's counting on the oil and gas industry for help.
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May 08, 2024
Some governments have been cracking down on the knives people can carry in public as crime has increased. Victorinox said any bladeless offerings wouldn't replace its selection of Swiss Army Knives.
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May 08, 2024
What do you do if a loved one asks to borrow a big sum of money from you? Experts weigh in on when it's OK to fork over the cash — and when you should probably say no.
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May 08, 2024
What do you do if a loved one asks to borrow a big sum of money from you? Experts weigh in on when it's OK to fork over the cash — and when you should probably say no.
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May 08, 2024
Apple unveils new versions of its iPad at a time when revenue from its devices are falling and it faces growing competition from places like China. Will this refresh help the company?
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May 08, 2024
TikTok is taking the Biden administration to court over the new law that would force a sale of the social media giant.
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May 08, 2024
It is unclear why the suggested rule was not released by its intended deadline. But a spokesperson for the federal agency told NPR that its implementation "continues to be a high priority."
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May 08, 2024
Panera Bread said it's discontinuing its Charged Sips drinks that were tied to at least two wrongful death lawsuits due to their high caffeine content.
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May 07, 2024
A law firm investigation of the FDIC documents a toxic workplace culture where hundreds of employees complained of sexual harassment, discrimination and other misconduct.
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May 07, 2024
What happens when small town politics collide with the climate crisis? And how do hazard maps—maps that show which homes in your neighborhood are at risk of getting destroyed or damaged by a natural disaster—come into play? On today's episode, how some people—from Indiana to Oregon to Alaska—are facing some very real concerns about insurance and the ability to sell their houses.
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May 07, 2024
The high-stakes legal battle could determine the future of the popular app in the U.S. TikTok's legal filing calls the ban law an unprecedented violation of First Amendment rights.
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May 07, 2024
Social Security benefits are facing an automatic cut in less than 10 years unless changes are adopted. The report from Social Security trustees predicts the fund will be exhausted in November of 2033.
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May 07, 2024
Nobel-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz's new book argues the road to tyranny is paved not by too much, but by too little government.
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May 06, 2024
Social Security's finances have improved slightly in the last year. But the popular retirement program still faces big challenges including the threat of automatic benefit cuts in less than a decade.
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May 06, 2024
In Western Colorado, towns and farms are banding together to pay a hundred million dollars for water they don't intend to use. Today on the show, how scarcity, climate change and a first-dibs system of water management is forcing towns, farms and rural residents to get spendy.
Related episodes:
A watershed moment in the West? (Apple / Spotify)
The Amazon, the Colorado River and a price on nature
Water in the West: Bankrupt?
For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
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May 06, 2024
TikTok could be effectively banned in the U.S. in as soon as nine months. One TikTok creator says a ban would cost her her livelihood. Creators are now looking for new homes for their content.
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May 06, 2024
The FAA says Boeing informed the agency in April that required inspections to confirm that the wings were properly bonded to the carbon fiber fuselage on certain 787 jets were not completed.
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May 06, 2024
Three high-profile labor disputes have unfolded in central Alabama over the past several years, with Amazon warehouse workers, coal miners and autoworkers all speaking out for change.
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May 06, 2024
Three high-profile labor disputes have unfolded in central Alabama over the past several years, with Amazon warehouse workers, coal miners and autoworkers all speaking out for change.
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May 06, 2024
Three high-profile labor disputes have unfolded in central Alabama over the past several years, with Amazon warehouse workers, coal miners and autoworkers all speaking out for change.
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May 06, 2024
Bumble, known for allowing women to message men first, unveiled new features that allow men to make the first move. Will the change breathe new life into online dating, and the company's stock?
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May 06, 2024
Bumble, known for allowing women to message men first, has unveiled new features that allow men to make the first move. Will the change breathe new life into online dating, and the company's stock?
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May 06, 2024
American drivers want cheap EVs. Chinese automakers are building them. But you can't buy them in the U.S., thanks to tariffs in the name of U.S. jobs and national security. Two car shoppers weigh in.
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May 06, 2024
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson told NPR he sees the U.S. in an urgent race with China to find water on the moon, and that he trusts SpaceX, despite Elon Musk's increasingly controversial profile.
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May 06, 2024
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson told NPR he sees the U.S. in an urgent race with China to find water on the moon, and that he trusts SpaceX, despite Elon Musk's increasingly controversial profile.
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May 06, 2024
Tens of thousands of people earn a living on TikTok. But as creators face down the real possibility of TikTok going away, many are trying to switch to new platforms to save their livlihoods.
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May 05, 2024
Restaurant earnings and pricing tell us the economy is still troubled by inflation but not badly enough for consumers to give up eating out.
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May 04, 2024
Zillow Gone Wild started in 2020 as an Instagram account devoted to eccentric property listings. The show focuses on homes that defy everyday expectations in some way.
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May 04, 2024
Cargill says that, out "of an abundance of caution," it is recalling several of its ground beef products produced in late April and sold at Walmart locations across the eastern U.S.
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May 03, 2024
After cryptocurrency exchange FTX filed for bankruptcy in 2022, specialized distressed asset investors started buying up the company's debt. They stand to make big profits off the remains of FTX.
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May 03, 2024
It's Jobs Friday and the jobs report is in! There's more jobs! ... but not as many as expected. And there's a teensy bit more unemployment and slower wage growth. But there's an upside ... Plus, healthcare is growing like gangbusters and how immigrants affect American-born workers.
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May 03, 2024
U.S. employers added 175,000 jobs in April. That's the smallest number in six months. A gradual cooling of the job market may help to ease concerns about inflation.
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May 03, 2024
Today on the show, the story of the modern consumer movement in the U.S. and the person who inspired it: Ralph Nader. How Ralph Nader's battle in the 1960s set the stage for decades of regulation and sparked a debate in the U.S. about how much regulation is the right amount and how much is too much.
This episode was made in collaboration with NPR's Throughline. For more about Ralph Nader and safety regulations, listen to their original episode, "Ralph Nader, Consumer Crusader."
This Planet Money episode was produced by Emma Peaslee and edited by Jess Jiang.
The Throughline episode was produced by Rund Abdelfatah, Ramtin Arablouei, Lawrence Wu, Julie Caine, Anya Steinberg, Casey Miner, Cristina Kim, Devin Katayama, Peter Balonon-Rosen, Irene Noguchi, and fact-checking by Kevin Volkl. The episode was mixed by Josh Newell.
Help support Planet Money and get bonus episodes by subscribing to Planet Money in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney.
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May 03, 2024
The 10% drop in year-over-year iPhone sales for the January-March period is latest sign of weakness in a product that generates most of Apple's revenue.
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May 03, 2024
Closing arguments have begun in the Justice Department's antitrust case against Google. At issue is whether Google has illegally monopolized the search engine market.
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May 03, 2024
President Biden addresses pro-Palestinian protests. Monopoly trial between DOJ and Google is wrapping up. Protesters in the Caucasus nation of Georgia say Russia-style draft law will hurt free speech.
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May 03, 2024
The pressure on video game workers has intensified. They work long hours, face mounting layoffs and the games they make are more complex. Some employees call it a "passion tax" that must be addressed.
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May 03, 2024
The Labor Department reports Friday morning on April job gains and the monthly unemployment report. Job growth accelerated in the first three months of the year.
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May 03, 2024
The Labor Department reports Friday on April job gains and the monthly unemployment report. Job growth accelerated in the first three months of the year.
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May 03, 2024
April's job growth was down from the previous month, according to a new Labor Department report. The unemployment rate rose slightly, from 3.8% to 3.9%, but remains low by historical standards.
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May 03, 2024
A major antitrust trial over Google's search engine is coming to a close. It boils down to this point: Is Google an illegal monopoly that's pushed out rivals — or is it simply the best search engine?
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May 02, 2024
College campuses nationwide are erupting with protests against Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza. A consistent theme among these actions: a call for university endowment "divestment."
Today, we unpack what that means and how divestment would work. Plus, we hear from an expert who explains why divestment might not have the effect that many believe.
Related episodes:
Why Israel uses diaspora bonds (Apple / Spotify)
How much of your tax dollars are going to Israel and Ukraine (Apple / Spotify)
For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
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May 02, 2024
Tesla laid off hundreds of people. The company's supercharger network has been a striking success. So why did Elon Musk hit that team with devastating layoffs?
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May 02, 2024
If you go by headlines, the last 12 months have delivered major wins to organized labor.
But despite well publicized victories the rate of U.S. union membership fell to a record low in 2023. Just 10%.
And in southern states, the push to unionize can still be a grinding, uphill battle.
For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
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May 02, 2024
Exxon Mobil's $60 billion deal to buy Pioneer Natural Resources received federal clearance, but former Pioneer CEO Scott Sheffield was barred from joining the new company's board of directors.
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May 02, 2024
Dean's family says he quickly fell into critical condition after being diagnosed with a MRSA bacterial infection. He is the second aviation whistleblower to die in the past three months.
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May 02, 2024
It's déjà vu for the luxury fitness company: Peloton is cutting about 400 more jobs, and its CEO is stepping down just two years after a major shakeup.
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May 02, 2024
A new category of listings is called "Icons." Homes include the house from the Pixar movie Up — complete with 8,000 balloons attached to the top. It's held up by a crane over the N.M. desert.
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May 02, 2024
Federal regulators, medical experts and safe-sleep advocates have warned of the potential danger of weighted infant sleepwear, but manufacturers say their products have helped millions of families.
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May 02, 2024
U.S. policymakers from both parties have proposed higher trade barriers, or even bans, to keep the vehicles out more permanently.
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May 02, 2024
Voters in Northampton County, Pa., say they remember having more money when Donald Trump was in office. But when it comes time to cast their ballots this year, other issues are at play too.
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May 02, 2024
Is Google an illegal monopoly that's thwarted rivals to remain on top or is it simply a beloved search engine? Now it's up to the judge to decide.
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May 01, 2024
(Note: This episode originally ran in 2021.)
Millions of American workers in all sorts of industries have signed some form of noncompete agreement. Their pervasiveness has led to situations where workers looking to change jobs can be locked out of their fields.
On today's episode: how one man tried to end noncompete contracts in his home state of Hawaii. And we update that story with news of a recent ruling from the Federal Trade Commission that could ban most noncompete agreements nationwide.
This episode was hosted by Erika Beras and Amanda Aronczyk. The original piece was produced by Dave Blanchard, edited by Ebony Reed, and engineered by Isaac Rodrigues. The update was reported and produced by Willa Rubin. It was edited by Keith Romer, fact-checked by Sierra Juarez, and engineered by Josephine Nyounai.
Help support Planet Money and get bonus episodes by subscribing to Planet Money in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney.
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May 01, 2024
The Beigie Awards are back to recognize the regional Federal Reserve Bank with the best Beige Book entry. This time, we shine a spotlight on one entry that explains how some businesses are feeling the impacts of higher for longer interest rates.
Related episodes:
The interest-ing world of interest rates (Apple / Spotify)
The Beigie Awards: Why banks are going on a "loan diet" (Apple / Spotify)
Where are interest rates going?
For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
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May 01, 2024
New measures to stop avian flu among dairy cows are taking effect, such as testing dairy herds before they cross state lines. But farmers who voluntarily report infections stand to lose money.
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May 01, 2024
The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady Wednesday, as inflation remained stubbornly above the Fed's 2% target. Investors now think it could be September or later before rates start to fall.
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May 01, 2024
Ford is recalling nearly 243,000 Maverick small pickup trucks in the U.S. because the tail lights may not illuminate. The recall covers certain pickups from the 2022 through 2024 model years.
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May 01, 2024
The U.S. economy has been sending some mixed signals lately. Consumers say they're less confident, but they keep spending more money. It's a lot for the Federal Reserve to puzzle over.
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May 01, 2024
After the airline offered the couple flying from India to Singapore 10,000 flyer miles, they sued. A court in India ordered Singapore Airlines to pay them around $2,500 for "mental agony."
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May 01, 2024
The Arkansas-based company said that after managing the clinics it launched in 2019 and expanding its telehealth program, it concluded "there is not a sustainable business model for us to continue."
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Apr 30, 2024
Sandwiched between a burger joint and an oyster bar in New York City hangs a daunting image: The National Debt Clock. And that debt number? It just keeps ticking up. How deep in the hole are we? Nearly a hundred percent of gross domestic product. And counting. Today on the show, the federal debt. Is it time to freak out? Or is there nothing to see here?
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Apr 30, 2024
Fox News has taken down a six-part series in which it staged a mock trial of hypothetical criminal charges against Hunter Biden after the president's son threatened to sue the network.
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Apr 30, 2024
A United Nations official said negotiators have a "clear path to landing an ambitious deal" on plastic pollution. But environmentalists say the plastic industry is undermining an effective agreement.
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Apr 30, 2024
Campus protesters want administrators to sell off investments in companies with ties to Israel. Here's a look at what divestment means — and why universities are saying no.
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Apr 30, 2024
The New York Daily News, the Chicago Tribune and others contend that the tech companies illegally copied their work without seeking permission or ever paying the publishers.
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