Accessibility links
Corey Bridges Corey Bridges is an assistant producer at NPR's daily economics podcast, The Indicator.
Headshot of Corey Bridges.
Stories By

Corey Bridges

Wednesday

Young, "spoiled and miserable" in China
Feng Li/Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

Young, "spoiled and miserable" in China

Every day, A Ze, a young woman in Beijing, would wake up early, do her makeup, and walk to her old work bus stop... and keep going. She'd left her job but couldn't let her parents know.

Young, "spoiled and miserable" in China

Listen · 9:31
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1196890793/1198988729" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Thursday

Why a weak ruble is good for Russia's budget but not Putin's image
ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP via Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

Why a weak ruble is good for Russia's budget but not Putin's image

Russia's Ruble is hovering around its lowest value against the dollar since June 2022. A weak currency is already a big deal for ordinary people affected by inflation, but in Russia, the concern is only amplified because of the Ruble's unique history in Russia. Today, we dive deep into Russia's historical connection to the Ruble and why a weak Ruble puts Russia in a difficult position today.

Why a weak ruble is good for Russia's budget but not Putin's image

Listen · 9:26
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1195733556/1198988745" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Wednesday

How fed up farmers started the only government-run bank in the US
J. R. Hamlin

The Indicator from Planet Money

How fed up farmers started the only government-run bank in the US

The idea of a state-run bank in the United States feels like a foreign concept. While public banks are fixtures of the financial system in countries like Canada and Chile, only one state in the U.S. can say they have a public bank. Today, we explore the promises and challenges of public banking in the U.S. and what advocates can learn from 20th-century farmers in North Dakota.

How fed up farmers started the only government-run bank in the US

Listen · 9:27
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1195518059/1198988749" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Friday

Metals, government debt, and a climate lawsuit
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

Metals, government debt, and a climate lawsuit

Last year, the Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law as the Biden Administration's signature attempt to combat climate change. Today, we present three climate-related indicators with guest Nate Hegyi of the public radio podcast, Outside/In.

Metals, government debt, and a climate lawsuit

Listen · 9:06
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1194742750/1198987142" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Wednesday

How Yellow wound up in the red
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

How Yellow wound up in the red

Yellow stunned the trucking industry when it filed for bankruptcy this month. The nearly hundred-year old company said it will lay off 30,000 employees and liquidate all of its assets. On today's show, a glimpse into Yellow's bankruptcy process: who's blaming who for what, and an explainer on a specific type of loan - the debtor in possession financing - which promises some rich returns to the lender in this case.

How Yellow wound up in the red

Listen · 9:26
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1194301913/1198987150" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Friday

Tale as old as time: Indicators of the Week
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

Tale as old as time: Indicators of the Week

In a week jam-packed with major economic news, we've selected a few of our favorite stories for Indicators of the Week. Today we cover an Italian bank story, the drop in Chinese imports and the $1.6 billion acquisition of Simon & Schuster.

Tale as old as time: Indicators of the Week

Listen · 9:30
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1193560942/1198987162" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Tuesday

Return of the crab twins
JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

Return of the crab twins

RaeShawn and LaShone Middleton are twin sisters and business owners based in Columbia, Maryland. We last talked to them in the midst of the pandemic when they were just getting started with their steamed crab delivery service called R&L Crab. Today, we check back with the sisters and see how their business is fairing two years later.

Return of the crab twins

Listen · 9:13
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1192729444/1198987174" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Thursday

The life and death spirals of social networks
STEFANI REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

The life and death spirals of social networks

Meta's new social media platform, Threads, had a rocket-like start when it launched a month ago as a challenger to X (formerly known as Twitter). But it's far from clear which platform will prove dominant. Today, an expert in online networks walks us through the economics of this social media battle.

The life and death spirals of social networks

Listen · 9:15
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1192001759/1198987186" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Wednesday

Fitch, please! Why Fitch lowered the US credit rating
MIGUEL MEDINA/AFP via Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

Fitch, please! Why Fitch lowered the US credit rating

The credit rating agency, Fitch, caused a stir yesterday when it downgraded the United States' credit rating from AAA to AA plus. This came less than a week since Federal Reserve staff stopped forecasting a recession on the horizon.

Fitch, please! Why Fitch lowered the US credit rating

Listen · 9:12
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1191724823/1198987190" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Friday

IRS, Ivies and GDP
Scott Olson/Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

IRS, Ivies and GDP

In this edition of Indicators of the Week, we talk about the end of surprise IRS visits, new research on elite college admissions, and why a soft landing is in sight.

IRS, Ivies and GDP

Listen · 9:18
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1190815610/1198987202" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Wednesday

Hiking the last mile on inflation
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

Hiking the last mile on inflation

The Federal Reserve finds itself in a tricky spot with inflation just a notch above its target of 2%. This poses a challenge for the central bank as they enter what's known as the "last mile" of monetary policy. Today, we explain why the final stretch of the Fed's race to 2% inflation is considered the hardest.

Hiking the last mile on inflation

Listen · 9:18
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1190267812/1198987210" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Wednesday

A former teen idol takes on crypto
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

A former teen idol takes on crypto

Cryptocurrency's rise attracted the endorsements of several high-profile celebrities during the pandemic. Actor Ben McKenzie, however, wasn't really convinced by the promise of crypto and has emerged as a surprising skeptic of the industry. Today, we talk to him about his journey from former teen idol to outspoken crypto critic.

A former teen idol takes on crypto

Listen · 9:34
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1188792754/1198987230" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Wednesday

What's behind the China deflation scare
STR/AFP via Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

What's behind the China deflation scare

Earlier this week, China reported a headline CPI of zero. Observers are concerned about the potential for a deflationary environment in China that could have ripple effects for the rest of the world. Today, we find out why prices are falling in China and what the CCP could do to reverse that trend.

What's behind the China deflation scare

Listen · 9:17
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1187372320/1198987250" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Friday

Good jobs Friday
Tim Boyle/Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

Good jobs Friday

The US economy added more than 200,000 jobs in June. But are these good jobs? Today, we look at some ways to answer this question, and what it takes to transform a job from bad to good.

Good jobs Friday

Listen · 9:16
Transcript
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1186563967/1198987262" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript

Wednesday