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The Indicator from Planet Money

The Indicator from Planet Money

By: NPR
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 A bite-sized show about big ideas. From the people who make Planet Money, The Indicator 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.Copyright 2015-2021 NPR - For Personal Use Only Economics
Episodes
  • Catching up with a fired federal worker, a shrimper and a fraudster

    Catching up with a fired federal worker, a shrimper and a fraudster
    Dec 18 2025

    After a firehose of economic news in 2025, we wanted to check back on some of the people we’ve heard from on our show. Today, we check in with a former federal employee caught in the Trump administration's wood chipper, a Louisiana shrimper on Trump’s tariffs and an update on a financial aid scam.

    Related episodes:
    Why do shrimpers like tariffs?
    What’s the long-term cost of federal layoffs?
    A big bank’s mistake, explained

    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.

    Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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    10 mins
  • The ghosts of Obamacare past, present and future

    The ghosts of Obamacare past, present and future
    Dec 17 2025
    Absent a holiday miracle, premium subsidies for the Affordable Care Act are set to expire at the end of this year. This will greatly increase the cost of health insurance for many who rely on the marketplace for their coverage. Today on the show, we are visited by the ghosts of Obamacare past, present and future to learn what’s next for this landmark healthcare legislation.

    Related episodes:
    Is Obamacare doomed without extended subsidies?
    The hidden costs of healthcare churn
    How doctors helped tank universal healthcare

    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.

    Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    NPR Privacy Policy
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    9 mins
  • Will new loan limits lower the cost of grad school?

    Will new loan limits lower the cost of grad school?
    Dec 16 2025
    The One Big Beautiful Bill Act made a lot of changes to the federal student loan system. One of those changes put a new cap on the amount of loans students in graduate school can take on. Today on the show, we explain the theory behind this change and how it could impact the broader labor market going forward.

    Related episodes:
    The Market For Student Loans
    Here's why Black students are defaulting
    Student loans are back, U.S. travel is whack, and AI — please, step back

    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.

    Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    NPR Privacy Policy
    Show More Show Less
    10 mins
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