The U.S. and Israel war with Iran is causing a shock to the economic system. Gas prices are higher, diesel too, and even fertilizer is being affected. Today on the show, we speak to three people about the economic ripple effects of the conflict: a truck driver, an Iowa corn farmer, and a manufacturer of an alternative to plastics.

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Will Trump?s shipping insurance plan work? 
How Iran?s flagging economy inflamed its protests 

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If you were in the business of making a bunch of money in 2026, you probably wouldn?t pick journalism. From social media to AI, the attention economy has upended the economic calculus for delivering news. But some entrepreneurs are looking to buck the trend.

Today on the show, we examine what the success of two startups could mean for the future of journalism.

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It?s  Indicators of the Week (now on YouTube!), our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news. 

On today?s episode: How big is this gas crisis  and could releasing oil reserves help? Also, Live Nation gets a deal from the government.  

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At a dinner in 2010, physicist Sean Carroll is handed a phone. On the other end: A wealthy patron looking to potentially fund his research. Months later came an invite to a conference. It would take place on an island. The caller was Jeffrey Epstein. Sean declined. Many others didn?t.

On today?s show, why did so many academics say yes to Epstein?s invites and money? And what Epstein?s ability to ingratiate himself with them reveals about how science research is funded.  

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American science brain drain

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During the pandemic, mostly unregulated lenders went after struggling restaurants and music venues, charging at times sky high rates. Now, they?ve found a new market: small businesses that desperately need cash to pay tariffs.

Today on the show, the story of a financial lifeline that can turn into a financial choke hold.

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Three ways companies are getting around tariffs 

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More than a thousand ships are stranded outside the Strait of Hormuz, bobbing in the water. A big reason? Insurance. War insurance premiums have skyrocketed since the war with Iran began. It?s an add-on that covers things regular insurance doesn?t, like missile strikes. And shippers don?t want to foot the bill or put their crews at risk. Cue the traffic jam. 

On today?s show, how a critical trade chokepoint became the parking lot of the sea. And taking stock of President Trump?s plan to offer reinsurance to get these ships sailing again.

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It turns out healthcare in America CAN be cheaper. If your employer wants it to be. Today on the show, we speak with a Canadian-founded startup that has unusually generous benefits for their employees. 

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Health care costs are soaring. Blame insurers, drug companies ? and your employer
The hidden costs of healthcare churn

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The night shift isn?t for everyone, but it often means a boost in pay and a foot in the door. Yet a smaller share of Americans are working the graveyard shift than in decades past. Today on the show, where did all the third shift workers go? 

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Remember those juicy mortgage rates from back in 2021? You don?t actually need a time machine to get one today. You just need to find someone willing to sell their house AND their mortgage to you. Called ?assumable mortgages,? they take a long time to get,, and you?ll probably need a fat wad of cash.

On today?s show, how to buy your way into a cheap mortgage rate.

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How mortgage interest rates work (and why they're currently out of whack)

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China will soon unveil its economic blueprint for the next five years, including a target for economic growth. This comes as consumption is down, wages aren?t rising, and property prices continue to drop. So what?s the plan? Today, we hear from NPR?s China correspondent Jennifer Pak about the challenges facing China?s economic policymakers.

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China?s luxury liquor indicator

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Paramount Skydance is making a $110 billion play for Warner Bros. Discovery, and with it intellectual property like Harry Potter, Batman, and subsidiaries HBO and CNN. On today?s show, who is the man behind the deal? Does he really want to make movies? Will any regulators try to stop it? 

FYI, we are going on a book tour! Planet Money?s first ever book comes out in April. We?ll be celebrating in about a dozen cities. There?s a limited edition tote bag included with your ticket, while supplies last. Details, dates and how to get your ticket at planetmoneybook.com.

Related: 
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Coyote vs. Warner Bros. 

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Two economists get into the business?and stakes?of organ donation, and they argue why the government should financially compensate their families.

FYI, we are going on a book tour! Planet Money?s first ever book comes out in April. We?ll be celebrating in about a dozen cities. There?s a limited edition tote bag included with your ticket, while supplies last. Details, dates and how to get your ticket at planetmoneybook.com.

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Too many subscriptions, not enough organs 
Your Organs, Please 

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It?s ? Indicators of the Week (now on YouTube!), our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news. 

On today?s episode: How Minnesota workers were affected by Operation Metro Surge, why coffee?s getting more expensive, and what happens when a sci-fi AI scenario meets the stock market. 

Related episodes:

How ICE crackdowns are affecting the workforce

Why this rural town wants an ICE facility 

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Russia exports billions of dollars worth of fish a year across the world. But after the invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. banned imports of Russian fish. It turns out those bans are only so effective. Today on the show, how Russia has dodged import bans to keep selling billions of dollars worth of seafood every year, and how the U.S. has struggled to stop it.  

FYI, we are going on a book tour! Planet Money?s first ever book comes out in April. We?ll be celebrating in about a dozen cities. There?s a limited edition tote bag included with your ticket, while supplies last. Details, dates and how to get your ticket at planetmoneybook.com.

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What do the latest batch of documents tell us about convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and elite networking? Quite a bit. Today on the show, we analyze one exchange between Epstein and a former world leader to find out how the revolving door works for the rich and powerful.

FYI, we are going on a book tour! Planet Money?s first ever book comes out in April. We?ll be celebrating in about a dozen cities. There?s a limited-edition tote bag included with your ticket, while supplies last. Details, dates and how to get your ticket at planetmoneybook.com. 

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How close is the US to crony capitalism? 

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We?re going whale watching today. No, not orcas or great blues, but financial traders that place big bets on something called options. On today?s show, who are these option whales and do their bets always pay off? 

FYI, we are going on a book tour! Planet Money?s first ever book comes out in April. We?ll be celebrating in about a dozen cities. There?s a limited edition tote bag included with your ticket, while supplies last. Details, dates and how to get your ticket at planetmoneybook.com.  Related episodes: Invest like a Congress member  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.

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You asked, we answered. 

On today?s show, we tackle questions from our dear listeners on whether AI interviewers are biased, what the heck M2 money supply is, and what?s up with the frenzied mobs fighting for rotisserie chickens at the grocery store. 

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Retirement luck, Hassett hassles the Fed, and boneless chicken in ... court? 
Behind the Tiny Desk and other listener questions 

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The Supreme Court struck down a bunch of President Trump?s tariffs yesterday. The Trump administration originally used an emergency economic powers law to justify the tariffs. And the court said: No! You can?t do that! Bad Trump, bad! This is despite the U.S. having raked in over a hundred billion dollars in import taxes already.

On today?s show, unpacking the Supreme Court?s blockbuster tariffs decision. What?s next for tariffs? And ? are we getting tariff refunds? Asking for a friend.

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It?s ? Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news. 

On today?s episode: Why you better hope you retire at juuuust the right time, why the researchers at the Federal Reserve are being scolded by a White House economic advisor, and taking boneless chicken to court. 

Related episodes: 


Chicken meat, Gulf of Mexico lawsuit and Social Security beyond the grave 

Davos drama, credit card caps and tariff truths 

What would it take to fix retirement? 

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The Trump administration is planning to pour more than $38 billion into warehouses for mass immigrant detention. While some communities are starting to push back, one rural town has agreed to expand its detention facility. On today?s show, we visit a small town in Georgia to learn about the trade-offs of becoming a detention town. 

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The Department of Homeland Security says it has more than doubled the workforce of Immigration and Customs Enforcement under President Trump. Yet videos of immigration officers killing two U.S. citizens and using aggressive arrest tactics have left some politicians and community leaders rethinking the agency?s approach. On today?s show, law enforcement experts assess the training and culture at DHS.  

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Editor's note: The United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran early Saturday, Feb. 28. For current coverage click here. For background context, the story below was published on Feb. 17, 2026.

According to activists, Iran has killed over 7,000 people as part of a crackdown on protesters. Why did protests engulf Iran in the first place? A big contributor: Its flagging economy, which has been in a tailspin for years. It?s a tinderbox.

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The Lost Plane

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It?s time for ? Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news. 

On today?s episode: Analyzing the new jobs numbers, how letting in more immigrants could reduce elder mortality, and betting on the return of ? Jesus Christ. 

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Just how bad are these job numbers? 

A market to bet on the future 

Who's gonna take care of grandma?

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Behind every Ilia Malinin or Alysa Liu, there is an army of elite figure skating coaches and choreographers who have been with them from the beginning. On today?s show, how much does it cost to achieve Olympic glory and why is it so expensive? 

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The prices of gold and silver are on rollercoaster rides; Gold has been rising over the last few years, silver shot up like a skyrocket in January ? but then both plunged in price and sputtered around the end of the month. 

It raises the question: What is going on? 

Today on the show, we talk with some traders about what this volatility of gold and silver is saying about the state of the world. 

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Why is everyone buying gold? 

A new-ish gold rush and other indicators 

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Food keeps getting more expensive, so how do shoppers respond? They change what they buy, right? It?s not just that cheaper foods get more popular. Shoppers are more nuanced than that. So, today on the show, we choose one classic meal that is tailor-made for this anxious economic moment. Why Hamburger Helper is poised to win 2026.

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Trade wars. Financial panics. Inflation. How come it feels like it?s all bad news in the global economy these days? Economist Eswar Prasad?s answer: something he calls the ?doom loop.? That?s where massive geopolitical and economic forces feed off each other and send us careening into disorder. Sounds dire. But it?s not hopeless.

On today?s show, are we in a doom loop? And if we are ? how do we get out of one?

Eswar Prasad?s new book is called ?The Doom Loop: Why the World Economic Order Is Spiraling into Disorder?.

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It?s a weird time for jobs numbers. Another month, another jobs report pushed back by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Averaging two private sources, ADP and Revelio Labs: an estimated 4,500 jobs were added in January. Sounds like ? not many. 

And, yet, the unemployment rate hasn?t seemed to have risen. This might be, in part, due to the Trump administration?s immigration crackdown. We?ll explain through the story of one Angeleno.

On today?s show, how bad are these job numbers? Or are they not bad at all? And what does immigration have to do with it? 

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What you need to know about the jobs report revisions 
What really goes on at the Bureau of Labor Statistics (Update) 

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How did the U.S. become the Olympic powerhouse it is today? Cold War competition. The Soviet Union sponsored their athletes. But America wanted its athletes to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. It birthed an unexpected accelerator of Olympic development: College football. Stay with us now.

On today?s show, how college football became an Olympic development engine. And how that engine might not be running as smoothly as it once did.

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People wanting to purchase heat pumps might soon face sticker shock. Many consumers have sought out energy credits to find a greener and more affordable alternative to heating oil, but the tax credit to help make them cheaper has expired. Today on the show: how homeowners, the renewables industry, and its critics all feel about it.

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All these data centers are gonna fry my electric bill ? right?
Cold-o-nomics

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Data centers are getting a lot of heat right now. There?s neighborhood pushback against them for water usage and environmental concerns, and some politicians on both sides of the aisle aren?t fans for the same reasons. There?s also fear that they could drive up the cost of electricity bills. 

But that last bit isn?t set in stone. 

Data center electric bill upcharge is not a guarantee. In fact, it is even possible for data centers to cause power bills to go down. Today on the show: the future of your power bill.

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Kevin Warsh has been tapped as the next chair of the Federal Reserve. We?re sure that he?ll have a lot of questions about how to run the Fed if confirmed. So we put together this briefing.

On today?s show, three Fed watchers give their advice for the next chair. On politics, interest rate cuts and dealing with the Fed?s repeated trading scandals. Oh, and can someone please forward this episode to Kevin Warsh?

Related episodes: 
One Fed battle after another
Lisa Cook and the fight for the Fed
A primer on the Federal Reserve's independence
It's hard out there for a Fed chair

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.

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It?s ? Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news. 

On today?s episode: a HUGE trade deal between India and the European Union, all the hot hockey romance New Yorkers could ever want, and a heavy earnings purse for Olympic competitors, win or lose.  

Related episodes: 

Why the Olympics cost so much

The surprising economics of digital lending 

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 Julia Ritchey and Vito Emanuel. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.  

Preorder Planet Money's new book here!

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Macadamia nuts. Labor shortages. Volcanoes. All that might sound like econ Mad Libs, but they?re all connected to the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco?s entry into the Beige Book this month: labor shortages are hurting macadamia nut harvests in Hawaii. 

On today?s show, we take a vacation and talk to someone on the Big Island who runs a macadamia nut farm. He calls them ?mac nuts.? 

Related episodes: 
Why beef prices are so high 

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.  

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President Trump has been storming through corporate America ? taking a stake in Intel, demanding a cut of Nvidia?s sales, restricting skilled workers, among other big footed policies.

Meanwhile, corporate leaders have mostly just ? rolled over.

Today on the show: As Trump rewrites the rules of doing business, why aren?t business leaders doing more to speak up?

Related episodes: 

How close is the US to crony capitalism? 

Davos drama, credit card caps and tariff truths 

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.

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?Sell America.? There?s new talk of how Europe could turn the economic screws on the U.S. after President Trump?s play for Greenland. Selling U.S. Treasury bonds is one way. Another is a legal tool. It?s been called the EU?s bazooka.

On today?s show, taking stock of Europe?s financial arsenal. How could America?s largest foreign lender lighten Americans? wallets?

Planet Money wrote a book and is going on tour, come see us: tickets and tour dates here. 

Related episodes: 
Davos drama, credit card caps and tariff truths
Why Trump resurrected the Monroe Doctrine
Lunch with the man who coined TACO

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.

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Pakistan has had some major economic bumps as of late, including a near default in 2023. At the root: seriously low tax collection. Millions of Pakistan residents opt out of paying income taxes entirely. This is a problem a lot of lower- and middle-income countries face. On today's show, we talk about why there are so many tax dodgers in Pakistan and what the government is trying to do about it. 

Related episodes: 

Is the US pushing countries towards China?

A brief history of income taxes 


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.  

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It?s time for ? Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news. 

On today?s episode: Why does Davos feel interesting this year? What if we did cap credit card interest rates? And we?re paying most of those tariffs, aren?t we?  

Also, big news! Planet Money wrote a book and we?re going on tour this spring. Find tickets and info at planetmoneybook.com. 

Related episodes: 

Trump's backup options for tariffs 

Globalization At Davos: What Happened? 

The carbon coin: A novel idea


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.  

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Beef is back on top. Well, at least on top of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.?s new food pyramid, unveiled alongside updated national dietary guidelines. Red meat really never left the great American menu. But how?d it climb all the way up there?

On today?s show, America?s storied love affair with beef. And how big business and government have long influenced what winds up on our plates.

Related episodes: 
Why beef prices are so high
Who?s buying all the beef?

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.

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President Donald Trump is dead set on acquiring Greenland, and while national security is the stated reason, the country?s untapped mineral wealth could offer another explanation. 

Today on the show: is Greenland really an untapped land of riches? We talk to one Australian geologist who discovered the great costs and potential rewards of extracting these minerals himself. 

Related episodes: 
Add to cart: Greenland 
Why Trump resurrected the Monroe Doctrine 

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 and Julia Ritchey. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.  

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In early January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order threatening bans on defense contractors paying dividends or buying their stock back.

Today on the show, we learn about the Trump Administration?s frustrations with the weapons supply chain, find out what a defense industry investor makes of the move, and ask whether this reflects the state tightening its grip on the industry that arms the U.S. military.

Related episodes: 
Are we overpaying for military equipment?
Can Just-In-Time handle a new era of war?
How to transform a war economy for peacetime

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. 

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Welcome back to Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news. 

On today?s episode: Influencers for ICE, China?s tremendous trade surplus, and America heads back to the moon. 

Related episodes: 

We resolve to watch these 2026 indicators 

China's trade war perspective 

Who owns the moon?


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 Vito Emanuel. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.  

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203 years ago, President James Monroe declared the Western Hemisphere off limits to powerful countries in Europe. Fast forward, and President Trump is reviving the Monroe Doctrine to justify intervening in places like Venezuela, and threatening further action in other parts of Latin America and Greenland. On today?s show, how is Trump redefining the Monroe Doctrine and what does it mean for the world?


Related episodes:
Add to cart: Greenland
Is the Panama Canal a rip-off?
Venezuela didn?t steal U.S. oil. Here?s what happened  
Can Europe stand without the U.S. 

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 Vito Emanuel. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.  

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Economic decisions aren?t only driven by hard data. A compelling story can change economic behavior and outcomes. In today?s episode, we explore real-world examples of ?narrative economics? like how the Suez Canal ended up getting built. And we ask: why do narratives sometimes matter more than truth or data? 

Related episodes: 
This indicator hasn?t flashed this red since the dot-com bubble 
Tariffs. Consumer sentiment. Cape Ratio. Pick The Indicator of The Year! 
The Beigie Awards: Manufacturing takes center stage 

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.  


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Over the weekend, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the Department of Justice served the Fed with grand jury subpoenas. Powell says it?s all a sham. But the stakes are unprecedented: A potential criminal indictment. Central bank independence. Today on the show, the administration?s case against the Fed. How did we get here? And what comes next?

Related episodes: 
Lisa Cook and the fight for the Fed
Trump's unprecedented attack on the Fed  
A primer on the Federal Reserve's independence
Why Is The Fed So Boring?

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.

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While Americans are known for their generosity, the U.S. government, increasingly, is not. The Trump administration?s cuts to SNAP benefits among other aid programs have forced states, foundations and donors to fill the gaps. But can they? On today?s show, the limits of philanthropic efforts to supplant federal aid. 

Related episodes: 
Why tech bros are trying to give away all their money (kind of) 

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.  


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Karissa Tang is a 17-year-old in California who got curious about the impact of AI on typical teen jobs like cashiers and fast food counter workers. She embarked on an ambitious economic research project and shares her findings with us.

Related episodes: 
How much is AI actually affecting the workforce?
AI creates, transforms and destroys... jobs
When does youth employment become child labor?

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.

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President Trump claims Venezuela stole American oil. Is that true? We trace Venezuela's oil industry from its 1920s birth through nationalization and then collapse. Today on the show, how did the Venezuelan oil industry get to a point where it?s barely pulling from its reserves? And will anything change now? 

Related episodes: 
Venezuela?s economic descent (Update) 
Venezuela?s recent economic history (Update) 
Why oil in Guyana could be a curse 

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 Julia Ritchey. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.  

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When you're in a grocery store nowadays, chances are your data is being collected. From a swipe of the loyalty card to the purchase of an ice cream pint, your data tells stores what you like, how much they should stock, and more. 

But what if that data meant a grocer could charge you a different price than another shopper?

On today's show, the evolving price tag.  

Related episodes:


Should 'surveillance pricing' be banned? 

How Grocery Shelves Get Stacked 


How niche brands got into your local supermarket

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.

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Former Venezuelan leader, Nicolás Maduro, appeared in a New York court yesterday. He?s facing drug-trafficking and weapons charges after the U.S. abducted him and his wife in an explosive operation over the weekend. But is there any credibility to the drug-trafficking accusations? And what does the cocaine supply chain look like in 2026?

Today on the show, tracing cocaine?s journey from the Andes to the streets of U.S. cities.

Further reading: 
Ioan Grillo ? El Narco

Related episodes: 
Venezuela?s economic descent (Updated)
Why Are Venezuelans Starving?
Lessons from a former drug dealer

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 Cooper Katz McKim and Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

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