The Indicator from Planet Money
Hosted by Adrian Ma, Darian Woods & Wailin Wong · 43 decoded episodes · newest Oct 7, 2026
A bite-sized show about big ideas. From the people who make <em>Planet Money</em>, <em>The Indicator</em> 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. <br>Sign up for our <a href="https://www.npr.org/newsletter/indicator"target="_blank" >newsletter</a>.<br><br><em> 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.</em>
Episodes 43
- Sep 21, 2026 · 9 minHemp-THC crackdown puts farmers and businesses on the brinkA looming federal ban could reshape a fast-growing market, eliminate jobs and tax revenue, and limit options for both recreational and medical users.
- Sep 18, 2026 · 9 minWar, sulfur and AI reshape the cost of livingThe episode connects geopolitical disruption to higher fuel and fertilizer costs while examining why OpenAI may hesitate before pursuing a public listing.
- Sep 17, 2026 · 9 minA fragile oil workaround meets a strategic chokepointThe episode shows how uncertainty around one narrow waterway can raise costs and disrupt energy, commodities, and geopolitical strategy worldwide.
- Sep 16, 2026 · 9 minBig Tech’s AI borrowing tests the bond marketThe debt financing the data-center boom could expose investors to risks that outlast today’s enthusiasm for artificial intelligence.
- Sep 15, 2026 · 10 minFlock cameras show gains—and serious surveillance risksThe episode weighs measurable reductions in vehicle theft against incomplete coverage, false matches, broad data sharing, and potential misuse.
- Sep 14, 2026 · 10 minA quiz tests the economics behind everyday headlinesThe episode turns policy, prices, trade, technology, and social media business models into a compact test of economic literacy.
- Sep 11, 2026 · 9 minThree economic headlines reveal their hidden costsThe episode connects currency policy, AI infrastructure, and movie economics to the risks and constraints beneath seemingly positive headlines.
- Sep 10, 2026 · 9 minSmall colleges face a widening economic squeezeThe episode shows how enrollment declines and rising costs can destabilize colleges and the communities that depend on them.
- Sep 9, 2026 · 9 minFintechs seek bank charters for control and credibilityBank status can unlock insured deposits and Federal Reserve access, but it also subjects fintech companies to demanding oversight and compliance.
- Sep 8, 2026 · 9 minCanada targets American goods as tariff fight widensThe dispute threatens an integrated auto industry while testing Canada’s ability to absorb economic pain without surrendering leverage in future USMCA negotiations.
- Sep 7, 2026 · 9 minBLS forecasts get the future mostly right—within limitsCareer decisions increasingly depend on long-range projections, but the data’s usefulness depends on how much it can see beyond current trends.
- Sep 4, 2026 · 9 minJob hopping can build adaptability—until expertise suffersThe episode examines when changing workplaces strengthens performance and resilience, and when it prevents workers from developing deeper expertise.