The Indicator from Planet Money

by 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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Episodes

Why are McDonald's ice cream machines always broken?

9m · Published 12 Jan 00:00

McDonald's is notorious for frequent malfunctions of its ice cream machine. What's behind those malfunctions and why is the government getting involved?

Inland port priority

9m · Published 10 Jan 23:47

Disruptive backlogs at west coast ports in the U.S. have caused some shippers to get creative with their routes. Today, we tell you why one vessel took the long route from Shanghai to Cleveland, Ohio.

Why full employment doesn't mean everyone has a job

9m · Published 07 Jan 23:02

Unemployment is at 3.9%. Is this full employment? Some Americans aren't so sure. We look at this complex situation through the eyes of someone who has been job hunting for a long time.

Nurses and the never ending shifts

9m · Published 06 Jan 23:52

In hospitals, it's standard for nurses to work a 12-hour shift. But research shows that may not be such a good idea for patients — or nurses.

J&J tries the 'Texas Two-Step'

8m · Published 05 Jan 23:24

For years, Johnson & Johnson has been entangled in lawsuits regarding its talcum based products being linked to causing ovarian cancer. And to save itself from future lawsuits, the company is betting big on a tricky legal move named after a famous dance.

Full (ware)house

9m · Published 04 Jan 22:01

Although there are more warehouses in the U.S. than ever before, these warehouses are running out of space. Today on the show, we go behind the scenes into the warehousing world to understand why warehouses are running out of space.

How to keep your New Year's resolutions

9m · Published 03 Jan 22:00

2022 is finally here, and many people are excited for their fresh starts. But, it's no secret that following through with New Year's resolutions can be challenging. Today on the show, behavioral economist Katy Milkman shares her tips on how you can follow through.

How do you measure inflation? (Indicator favorite)

9m · Published 30 Dec 22:11

It's Encore Week at The Indicator! We're sharing some of our favorite episodes of 2021.

Today, we hear one of Stacey's favorite episodes from this year. It's a deep dive into how the Bureau of Labor Statistics calculates a key economic indicator, the Consumer Price Index (CPI), the most widely used measure of inflation.

This episode originally came out in July.

The COVID small business boom (Indicator favorite)

9m · Published 29 Dec 22:08

It's Encore Week at The Indicator! We're sharing some of our favorite episodes of 2021.

Today, we hear about people who became small business owners after losing their jobs due to the pandemic. AKA the hotdog guy episode!

This episode originally came out in July.

Saving birds with economics (Indicator favorite)

9m · Published 28 Dec 22:07

It's Encore Week at The Indicator! We're sharing some of our favorite episodes from 2021.

Today, we hear Darian's favorite episode to work on this year. It's a story about one economist's idea to conserve wetland habitats and save birds from losing their homes.

This episode originally came out in July.

The Indicator from Planet Money has 644 episodes in total of non- explicit content. Total playtime is 100:19:41. The language of the podcast is English. This podcast has been added on February 22nd 2023. It might contain more episodes than the ones shown here. It was last updated on May 20th, 2024 14:40.