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The Indicator from Planet Money 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.
The Indicator from Planet Money

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The Indicator from Planet Money

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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.

Most Recent Episodes

Tech leaders, including Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, and Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, attend a dinner hosted by US President Trump with tech leaders in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 4.

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, attends a dinner hosted by US President Donald Trump. SAUL LOEB / AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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SAUL LOEB / AFP/Getty Images

OpenAI's deals are looking a little frothy

There have been many headline-grabbing AI deals recently: Nvidia investing up to $100 billion in OpenAI. OpenAI promising to buy $300 billion worth of computing power from Oracle. Oracle buying tons of chips from Nvidia. 

OpenAI's deals are looking a little frothy

Listen · 9:30
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Justin Marston, CEO of Campus Guardian Angel, displays one of the company's drones for deterring mass shooters at the National Association of School Resource Officers in Grapevine, Texas.

Justin Marston, CEO of Campus Guardian Angel, displays one of the company's drones that could be used to deter mass shooters at the National Association of School Resource Officers in Grapevine, Texas, in July 2025. Meg Anderson / NPR Meg Anderson/NPR hide caption

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Meg Anderson/NPR

Inside the growing industry to defend schools from mass shootings

From drones to body armor to bulletproof whiteboards, companies are offering schools a multitude of products to try to deter or protect against the next school shooting. But does any of this stuff work? On today’s show, a look inside the school shooting industry. What's for sale and the psychology behind the growing industry.Related episodes:  

Inside the growing industry to defend schools from mass shootings

Listen · 9:17
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An illustration demonstrating concepts of economic historian Joel Mokyr's work
Johan Jarnestad/The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences

Why do we live in unusually innovative times?

For most of human history, economic growth was, well, pretty bleak. But around the Enlightenment, things started clicking. This year's Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences went to a trio of researchers whose work focuses on how technological progress led to this sustained economic growth. Today we hear from one of them, Joel Mokyr, about his work on European economic history. Related episodes: 

Why do we live in unusually innovative times?

Listen · 9:32
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Scam compounds, sewing patterns and stolen dimes

Our hosts talk about their favorite true crime content. Jackie Lay/NPR hide caption

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Jackie Lay/NPR

Scam compounds, sewing patterns and stolen dimes

As Vice Week wraps up here at The Indicator, we wanted to take a slightly different perspective on the evolving business of crime and take a look at TRUE crime. As in the genre. Because look, people are obsessed with it! Today on the show, our hosts favorite pieces of true crime content. Darian Woods: The Economist’s Scam Inc.

Scam compounds, sewing patterns and stolen dimes

Listen · 10:37
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How AI might mess with financial markets

AI is making markets smarter … and scarier. What happens when trading bots start to collude? Jackie Lay/NPR hide caption

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Jackie Lay/NPR

How AI might mess with financial markets

Market manipulation is an age-old issue. People trying to make money off unsuspecting investors by artificially influencing the price of a stock, say. But what happens when the one manipulating markets isn't human? This week on The Indicator from Planet Money, we bring you five episodes digging into the evolving business of crime. Today on the show, we hear how AI could spell mischief for the markets, and why the law is already behind in preventing it.Related episodes:

How AI might mess with financial markets

Listen · 10:13
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When cartels start to diversify

Wildlife trafficking is increasingly intersecting with the illicit drug trade. Jackie Lay/NPR hide caption

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When cartels start to diversify

The Sinaloa Cartel made the bulk of its money on cocaine. But cartels are diversifying into new operations including things like wildlife trafficking. Think sharks, jaguars, capybaras. The result is something called “narco-degradation.” On today’s show, we look at what’s driving cartels beyond drugs and how this is wreaking havoc on ecosystems in Central America.Related episodes: 

When cartels start to diversify

Listen · 9:00
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Data breaches are getting easier. What’s going on?

Data breaches are getting easier. What's going on? Jackie Lay/NPR hide caption

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Jackie Lay/NPR

What’s supercharging data breaches?

It may seem like data breaches have gotten a heck of a lot more common. Well, there’s something to that. The bad guys are getting badder faster than the good guys are getting better. 

What’s supercharging data breaches?

Listen · 9:05
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Fighting AI with AI

AI is now being used to fight AI when it comes to deepfakes Jackie Lay/NPR hide caption

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Jackie Lay/NPR

Fighting AI with AI

With only several seconds of audio, someone can clone a victim’s voice, call their bank, and potentially get access to … everything. Vocal deepfakes have gotten very good, but so has the technology to fight back. This week on The Indicator we're gonna bring you a special series on the evolving business of crime. In this episode, we hear from the company helping banks beat deepfakes, and we learn about the efforts to protect us all from AI voice fraud. Related episodes:

Fighting AI with AI

Listen · 9:19
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Vice Series: The evolving business of crime

Vice Series: The evolving business of crime

Crime doesn’t resemble the old days. A deepfake of your voice can be used to convince a relative you need money. AI bots are capable of colluding in financial markets. There are seemingly countless new strategies of making data breaches more common. This week on The Indicator from Planet Money, we bring you five episodes digging into the evolving business of crime.

Vice Series: The evolving business of crime

Listen · 1:22
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U-haul trailers
Scott Olson/Getty Images

Why Americans don't want to move for jobs anymore

Americans are moving at record lows for work. What’s driving people to, well, not drive cross-country for jobs? On today’s Jobs Friday, we explore the rising homebody economy. 

Why Americans don't want to move for jobs in anymore

Listen · 9:29
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