The Indicator from Planet Money

Jobs that new college grads are and are not landing

<strong>Come see Planet Money live on stage! 12 cities. Details and tix here: </strong><a href="http://planetmoneybook.com/"target="_blank" ><strong>planetmoneybook.com</strong></a><br/><br/>Economists have described the state of the jobs market as “low hire, low fire.” That …

Apr 03, 2026 · 8m

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Greetings from: Our favorite public goods

Freedom of the Seas. GPS. The Large Hadron Collider. These are all public goods that make our world more prosperous, accurate, and knowledgeable. But we don’t always give them the …

Apr 02, 2026 · 6m

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Why Pokémon cards are growing faster than your retirement account

Pokémon cards are scorching hot right now. An index tracking the thousands of rare cards shows that valuations have increased 170% in the last year alone. Growth like that really …

Apr 01, 2026 · 9m

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Who's afraid of private credit?

There is a $3 trillion dollar black box at the center of the economy. It’s called private credit. These are direct loans from private investors to private companies. They’re often …

Mar 31, 2026 · 9m

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Do school lunches really need an overhaul?

School lunch has been revamped a ton over the last two decades. Now, the Trump administration wants to rejigger the menu once more to align with its Make America Healthy …

Mar 30, 2026 · 9m

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The US loses tech hires, sayonora to Sora, and Afroman's win

It’s Indicators of the Week (now on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@planetmoney"target="_blank" >YouTube</a>!). It’s our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news. <br/><br/>On today’s episode: The US …

Mar 27, 2026 · 9m

Afrita

Tracing the tax that's supposed to fund TSA

Every time you buy a ticket that leaves a U.S. airport, you pay a fee that’s supposed to help fund the TSA. So why have TSA workers been working without …

Mar 26, 2026 · 8m

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Your next flight doesn't have to be so expensive. Here's why

Why are flight tickets so expensive right now? Increased oil prices seems like it’d be the obvious answer. That’s mostly right. Airlines used to do some financial magic to help …

Mar 25, 2026 · 9m

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Why hasn't the Russian economy collapsed?

How has Russia’s economy not completely collapsed after four years of war, sanctions and billions in debt? One economist says it is the war that has been propping up Russia's …

Mar 24, 2026 · 9m

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The multimillion dollar Saturday Night Live UK gamble

Live from London, it’s Saturday Night? Saturday Night Live made its UK debut over the weekend after a well-hyped promotional campaign. Will this all-American sketch show translate to British audiences? …

Mar 23, 2026 · 9m

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Trump and truckers, Poland prospers, and a booming ant biz

It’s Indicators of the Week (now on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@planetmoney"target="_blank" >YouTube</a>!). It’s our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news. <br/><br/>On today’s episode: The Trump …

Mar 20, 2026 · 9m

Afrita

How Iran is wasting American resources

Iran is using an affordable strategy to even the playing field in the war with the U.S. It’s using drones that cost in the thousands of dollars to combat American …

Mar 19, 2026 · 8m

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How much is the Iran war costing us?

It’s really hard to estimate the total cost of war in the middle of one. Over the first six days of the Iran war, an estimated $11.3 billion was charged …

Mar 18, 2026 · 8m

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A trucker, a farmer, and an entrepreneur walk into a global supply shock

The U.S. and Israel war with Iran is causing a shock to the economic system. Gas prices are higher, diesel too, and even fertilizer is being affected. Today on the …

Mar 17, 2026 · 8m

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Can anything save the news biz?

If you were in the business of making a bunch of money in 2026, you probably wouldn’t pick journalism. From social media to AI, the attention economy has upended the …

Mar 16, 2026 · 9m

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A lot of gas trapped, oil reserves tapped, and Live Nation gets a (tiny) cap

It’s Indicators of the Week (now on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@planetmoney"target="_blank" >YouTube</a>!), our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news. <br/><br/>On today’s episode: How big is …

Mar 13, 2026 · 8m

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Should colleges accept money from bad people?

At a dinner in 2010, physicist Sean Carroll is handed a phone. On the other end: A wealthy patron looking to potentially fund his research. Months later came an invite …

Mar 12, 2026 · 8m

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The shadowy world of merchant cash advances

During the pandemic, mostly unregulated lenders went after struggling restaurants and music venues, charging at times sky high rates. Now, they’ve found a new market: small businesses that desperately need …

Mar 11, 2026 · 9m

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Will Trump’s shipping insurance plan work?

More than a thousand ships are stranded outside the Strait of Hormuz, bobbing in the water. A big reason? Insurance. War insurance premiums have skyrocketed since the war with Iran …

Mar 10, 2026 · 8m

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No healthcare premiums? In this economy?! Here's how.

It turns out healthcare in America CAN be cheaper. If your employer wants it to be. Today on the show, we speak with a Canadian-founded startup that has unusually generous …

Mar 09, 2026 · 9m

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Why are fewer Americans working the night shift?

The night shift isn’t for everyone, but it often means a boost in pay and a foot in the door. Yet a smaller share of Americans are working the graveyard …

Mar 06, 2026 · 9m

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Want a 2.5% mortgage? Buy it.

Remember those juicy mortgage rates from back in 2021? You don’t actually need a time machine to get one today. You just need to find someone willing to sell their …

Mar 05, 2026 · 9m

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The anxiety rattling China’s youth

<p dir="ltr">China will soon unveil its economic blueprint for the next five years, including a target for economic growth. This comes as consumption is down, wages aren’t rising, and property …

Mar 04, 2026 · 9m

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Why Paramount went looney tunes for Warner Bros.

<p dir="ltr">Paramount Skydance is making a $110 billion play for Warner Bros. Discovery, and with it intellectual property like Harry Potter, Batman, and subsidiaries HBO and CNN. On today’s show, …

Mar 03, 2026 · 8m

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Should the families of organ donors be compensated?

<p dir="ltr">Two economists get into the business—and stakes—of organ donation, and they argue why the government should financially compensate their families.<p dir="ltr">FYI, we are going on a book tour! Planet …

Mar 02, 2026 · 9m

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ICE is bad for business, heat is bad for coffee, and sci-fi is bad for markets

It’s … Indicators of the Week (now on YouTube!), our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news. <br/><br/>On today’s episode: How Minnesota workers were …

Feb 27, 2026 · 9m

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