The Indicator from Planet Money

For decades, consumer tech like laptops and gaming systems got better AND cheaper. Memory shortages caused by the AI boom are making those lower prices a thing of the past.

Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.

Your Next Listen 
— SK Hynix to the moon, Gen-Z to their rooms, and Connecticut tax reform looms

Connect with The Indicator
— Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter!
— Buy the Planet Money book
— Find our socials, YouTube and more!
— For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy

The U.S. housing market is pretty weird right now. Whether you’re a buyer, seller or a renter, it leads to all kinds of questions, like: How did we end up with a housing shortage? Is housing still a good investment? What policies might unlock the housing inventory held by baby boomers? So we called up someone with answers: Redfin’s chief economist, Daryl Fairweather. 

On today’s show, your housing questions, answered. This is an excerpt of a live virtual event we held last week for our NPR+ and other qualifying supporters.

To hear the entire event, make sure you’re signed up for NPR+. We’ll be publishing it as a bonus episode in the Planet Money feed next week!    

Fact checking by Vito Emanuel.

Your Next Listen 
— Two Cities. Two chip plants. One affordability crisis.

Connect with The Indicator
— Sign up for The Indicator’s brand new newsletter 
— Find our socials, YouTube and more!
— For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy

We have some grievances. Economic ones. And we’re airing them out. 

On today’s show: Redeeming fast food rewards points in airports, not knowing the full price of your meal upfront, and the pen-and-paper restaurant bill slowdown. 

Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.  

Your Next Listen 

— Three beefs: U.S. and Brazil, Taco Bell and liability, Waymo and trial lawyers

Connect with The Indicator
— Sign up for The Indicator’s brand new newsletter 
— Find our socials, YouTube and more!
— For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+ 

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy

It’s Indicators of the Week! 

Today on the show: Brazil’s fast payments system that’s got the Trump administration huffy, why Taco Bell might be liable for their role in cyclospora infections and why some lawyers are lobbying against driverless cars. 

Fact checking by Emma Ferrara and Corey Bridges. 

Your Next Listen 
— Can I get my tariff money back now?

Connect with The Indicator
— Sign up for The Indicator’s brand new newsletter 
— Find our socials, YouTube and more!
— For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy

Paramount’s $111 billion merger with Warner Bros. Discovery has a few hurdles ahead of it. One of them is an FCC approval. But a recent investigation shows that Paramount and the FCC have a dubious relationship, one with potential conflicts of interest.

Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.

Your Next Listen 
— Why Paramount went looney tunes for Warner Bros.

Connect with The Indicator
— Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter!
— Buy the Planet Money book
— Find our socials, YouTube and more!
— For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

NPR Privacy Policy