Episodes

  • How far can philanthropy go to fill government gaps?

    How far can philanthropy go to fill government gaps?
    Jan 12 2026
    While Americans are known for their generosity, the U.S. government, increasingly, is not. The Trump administration’s cuts to SNAP benefits among other aid programs have forced states, foundations and donors to fill the gaps. But can they? On today’s show, the limits of philanthropic efforts to supplant federal aid.

    Related episodes:
    Why tech bros are trying to give away all their money (kind of)

    For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.


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    8 mins
  • How AI is shrinking the job market for teens

    How AI is shrinking the job market for teens
    Jan 9 2026
    Karissa Tang is a 17-year-old in California who got curious about the impact of AI on typical teen jobs like cashiers and fast food counter workers. She embarked on an ambitious economic research project and shares her findings with us.

    Related episodes:
    How much is AI actually affecting the workforce?
    AI creates, transforms and destroys... jobs
    When does youth employment become child labor?

    For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

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    9 mins
  • Venezuela didn't steal U.S. oil. Here's what happened

    Venezuela didn't steal U.S. oil. Here's what happened
    Jan 8 2026

    President Trump claims Venezuela stole American oil. Is that true? We trace Venezuela's oil industry from its 1920s birth through nationalization and then collapse. Today on the show, how did the Venezuelan oil industry get to a point where it’s barely pulling from its reserves? And will anything change now?

    Related episodes:
    Venezuela’s economic descent (Updated)
    Venezuela’s recent economic history (Update)
    Why oil in Guyana could be a curse For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Fact-checking by Julia Ritchey. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

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    9 mins
  • Can you trust you're getting the same grocery prices as someone else?

    Can you trust you're getting the same grocery prices as someone else?
    Jan 7 2026
    When you're in a grocery store nowadays, chances are your data is being collected. From a swipe of the loyalty card to the purchase of an ice cream pint, your data tells stores what you like, how much they should stock, and more.

    But what if that data meant a grocer could charge you a different price than another shopper?

    On today's show, the evolving price tag.

    Related episodes:


    Should 'surveillance pricing' be banned?

    How Grocery Shelves Get Stacked


    How niche brands got into your local supermarket

    For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

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    9 mins
  • How cocaine smuggling through Latin America really works

    How cocaine smuggling through Latin America really works
    Jan 6 2026
    Former Venezuelan leader, Nicolás Maduro, appeared in a New York court yesterday. He’s facing drug-trafficking and weapons charges after the U.S. abducted him and his wife in an explosive operation over the weekend. But is there any credibility to the drug-trafficking accusations? And what does the cocaine supply chain look like in 2026?

    Today on the show, tracing cocaine’s journey from the Andes to the streets of U.S. cities.

    Further reading:
    Ioan Grillo – El Narco

    Related episodes:
    Venezuela’s economic descent (Updated)
    Why Are Venezuelans Starving?
    Lessons from a former drug dealer

    For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Fact-checking by Cooper Katz McKim and Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

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    9 mins
  • Why China pulled the plug on Japan

    Why China pulled the plug on Japan
    Jan 5 2026

    Japan’s new prime minister Sanae Takaichi made waves last fall after saying her country might intervene if China invaded Taiwan. In response, China launched state-organized boycotts against Japan — canceling concerts, restricting seafood imports, and even recalling pandas. Today on the show, what does it look like for a state to organize a boycott, and does it work?

    Related episodes:
    How Japan’s new prime minister is jolting markets
    When do boycotts work?
    Forging Taiwan's Silicon Shield

    For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

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    9 mins
  • Venezuela’s economic descent (Updated)

    Venezuela’s economic descent (Updated)
    Jan 3 2026
    At The Indicator, we’ve been following the conditions in Venezuela over the years. In 2024 we covered how Venezuela’s economy went into freefall, and have been checking in with an economist there frequently — including after the U.S. attacked over the weekend, deposing its leader Nicolás Maduro.

    On today’s show, we’re revisiting our episode about Venezuela’s economy, and hear from our contact in Caracas.

    Send us questions you’d like The Indicator to answer on future episodes about Venezuela: indicator@npr.org.

    Related episodes: The Measure of a Tragedy Why are Venezuelans starving? An Economist in Caracas: Day In The Life

    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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    10 mins
  • We resolve to watch these 2026 indicators

    We resolve to watch these 2026 indicators
    Jan 2 2026
    2025 is finally over.

    We had bad consumer sentiment vibes, tariffs, and a seemingly ascendant stock market. And those are just a few indicators from last year!

    As we enter 2026, what indicators should we keep an eye on … in the future? On today’s episode, our top indicator predictions for the new year.

    Related:

    What AI data centers are doing to your electric bill

    Tariffs. Consumer sentiment. Cape ratio. Pick the Indicator of the Year!

    What indicators will 2025 bring?

    For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

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    9 mins