The Indicator from Planet Money 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.

Try Planet Money+! a new way to support the show you love, get a sponsor-free feed of the podcast, *and* get access to bonus content. You'll also get access to The Indicator and Planet Money Summer School, both without interruptions. sign up at plus.npr.org/planetmoney

The Indicator from Planet Money

From 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.

Try Planet Money+! a new way to support the show you love, get a sponsor-free feed of the podcast, *and* get access to bonus content. You'll also get access to The Indicator and Planet Money Summer School, both without interruptions. sign up at plus.npr.org/planetmoney

Most Recent Episodes

Sarah Stier/Getty Images

Ticketmaster's dominance, Caitlin Clark's paycheck, and other indicators

It's highs and lows in this edition of Indicators of the Week! The surprisingly high amount of electricity needed for artificial intelligence, basketball star Caitlin Clark's surprisingly low base salary, plus a potential crackdown on the ticketing company everyone loves to hate (possibly because of those high fees).

Ticketmaster's dominance, Caitlin Clark's paycheck, and other indicators

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FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP via Getty Images

Inside the epic fight over new banking regulations

After the financial crisis of 2008, regulators around the world agreed banks should have more of a cushion to weather hard times. Now, U.S. regulators are once again looking to update minimum capital requirements through a set of proposals called Basel III Endgame. Today, on the show, a blow-by-blow account of this battle between bankers and regulators.

Inside the epic fight over new banking regulations

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Insurers say they need higher premiums from FL homeowners to offset mounting losses from hurricane claims, severe weather events and resulting increases in the cost of reinsurance. South Florida Sun-Sentinel hide caption

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South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Profiting off greater risk: the reinsurance game

When an insurance company can't cover all of its claims, it actually has its own insurance. This is called "reinsurance." How does that work and why do reinsurers look at their risk pool differently than say home or auto insurers?

Profiting off greater risk: the reinsurance game

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Attendees visit booths at the RePlatform conference in Las Vegas in March. The conference crowd was a hybrid of anti-vaccine activists, supporters of former President Donald Trump and Christian conservatives. Krystal Ramirez for NPR hide caption

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Krystal Ramirez for NPR

What is a 'freedom economy'?

Anti-vaccine activists, far-right groups and some religious conservatives convened in Las Vegas this spring to discuss the creation of a parallel economy. These are groups who believe their speech is threatened by big banks and big tech. On today's show, what is a "freedom economy," and how would it work?

What is a 'freedom economy?'

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AFP Contributor/AFP via Getty Images

Why is insurance so expensive right now? And more listener questions

We are back to answer your listener questions. On today's show, we explain reverse mortgages and their risks, why insurance has gotten so expensive, and whether there's a catch to charitable donations at the store.

Why is insurance so expensive right now? And more listener questions

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Gerardo Mora/Getty Images for Subway

What Subway's foot-long cookie says about inflation

In this edition of Indicators of the Week: the new incentive for speed in cash prizes for Olympic track and field, growing iPhone assembly in India and the curious inflation puzzle of the foot-long cookies at Subway.

What Subway's foot-long cookie says about inflation

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Scott Olson/Getty Images

The IRS wants to do your taxes for free. Will it last?

With tax season upon us, many people are paying someone or a software to get their tax returns done. A small group of people, however, are filing online directly with ... the IRS. For free. Today on the show: how the IRS's tax filing experiment came to be, how it's been working so far, and who doesn't like it.

The IRS wants to do your taxes for free. Will it last?

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EU Commission's Margrethe Vestager speaking to the media in Brussels in March 2024. On Tuesday April 9th she announced an investigation into Chinese wind turbine subsidies. Thierry Monasse/Getty Images Europe hide caption

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Thierry Monasse/Getty Images Europe

Why the EU is investigating China's wind turbines

Europe wants clean energy, but it's struggling to compete with the low cost of China's green technology. The E.U. just announced it's investigating the subsidies received by Chinese wind turbine suppliers, which play a part in those low costs.

Why the EU is investigating China's wind turbines

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Photo by Jacob King - WPA Pool/Getty Images WPA Pool/Getty Images hide caption

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WPA Pool/Getty Images

What do the royals do all day, anyway?

You've heard of the British royal family, but what about the "working royals?" Today on the show, an expert on the royals explains what the job is like — how they measure productivity, how they get paid, and how this tiny, specialized workforce of 11 people might cope with the health crises of King Charles III and Kate Middleton.

What do the royal do all day, anyway?

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A drone show in advance of General Electric splitting into three companies: GE Aerospace, GE Vernova, and GE Healthcare Gary Hershorn/Corbis News/Getty Images hide caption

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Gary Hershorn/Corbis News/Getty Images

Why companies spin off

General Electric has been staggering along for years as a conglomerate. But recently, it's turned to a popular strategy to unlock new value: spinning off. Just last week, GE spun off its clean energy business into a new company: GE Vernova. On today's show, we explore what a spin off is and why companies do them.

Why companies spin off

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