The Indicator from Planet Money

Since 2020, grocery prices have shot up. If you're looking to save a buck, it's often more affordable to shop for groceries at a big retailer like Walmart. But some smaller grocers say those low prices are the result of an unfair playing field—and they're looking to a little-used antitrust law from the 1930s as a solution. Today, we consider the Robinson-Patman Act and whether reviving it could bring consumers some relief.

Related episodes:
Grocery delivery wars (Apple / Spotify)
Feeling inflation in the grocery store (Apple / Spotify)

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The sun is shining, birds are singing, and...our allergies are going NUTS. That can only mean one thing: It's time for The Indicator Quiz! The show where we bring a lucky listener on to test their econ knowledge. Today's quiz focuses on questions related to labor. Play along with us and see how you do! Are you interested in being a contestant on our next Indicator Quiz? Email us your name and phone number at indicator@npr.org and put "Indicator Quiz" in the subject line.

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Does breaking the law ... make financial sense? Paying future fines and settlements at the risk of harm to people and the environment? Some legal scholars argue that's just the cost of doing business.Today, we ask whether a company's duty is to the law ... or to its shareholders.

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Many broad economic indicators are positive, but consumer sentiment is negative. Even with cooling inflation and low unemployment, consumers are still feeling the economic strain. In today's episode, we look at three ways the US consumer is feeling the pinch.

Related episodes:
Dollar stores vs. lettuce
Factory boom, credit card debt defaults and housing (Apple / Spotify)
Are we counting jobs right? We answer your listener questions (Apple Podcasts / Spotify)

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March Madness is in full swing as Men's and Women's college basketball teams across the country compete for the NCAA championship. However, the Dartmouth Men's Basketball team made headlines just before the tournament for its successful unionization vote.

Today, we break down why the Dartmouth men are pushing to unionize and what a college athletics union could mean for the future of college sports.

Related episodes:
The monetization of college sports (Apple / Spotify)

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Boeing's CEO Dave Calhoun has resigned and will step down at the end of the year. It comes after a series of mishaps with the aviation company including a door plug blowing off a 737 MAX 9 mid-flight. In today's episode, we turn to a head-hunter to explore what Boeing might look for in a new CEO.

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You might notice we're looking a little refreshed thanks to our new podcast logo. Today on the show, we ask some marketing experts what goes into building a strong brand, and whether our own makeover hits the mark.

Listeners, help us name our new Indi-Gator mascot! Email your suggestion to indicator@npr.org with "Indi-gator" in the subject line.

Related episodes:
How to make an ad memorable (Apple / Spotify)
BRAND new friends

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Countries all over the world are making big moves in monetary policies. From unexpected cuts to long-awaited hikes to a cautious cling to the status quo, this edition of Indicators of the Week has it all. Today, we explain the motivations for these drastically different approaches.

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Snowmaking has helped cover up the effects of climate change for a long time. But by the turn of the century, that started to change. A recent report shows US resorts are opening later, closing earlier, and taking a financial hit. For an industry that relies on snow, the threat is existential. Can ski resorts survive?

Related Episodes:
Ski resorts are welcoming winter storms
The Backcountry Boom

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The number of teenagers in the workforce today is at its highest level in about 20 years. At the same time, child labor violations are up and states are relaxing some protections for their youngest workers. On today's show, we examine the state of the Gen Z labor force, and the distinction between youth employment and child labor.

Related episodes:
Young, 'spoiled and miserable' in China (Apple / Spotify)
Teenage (Employment) Wasteland

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The political pressure on TikTok continues to ratchet up. This week Biden administration officials are throwing their support behind legislation that would essentially give an ultimatum to TikTok's Chinese parent company ByteDance. Sell TikTok to another owner not controlled by a "foreign adversary" or be banned from US app stores.

It's a big step towards an outcome that some high-ranking U.S. officials have desired for years. But why is there so much concern about TikTok, and just how likely is a ban?

Today, a couple of TikTok creators talk about what a ban would mean for them, and NPR tech correspondent Bobby Allyn explains how we got where we are and what could be coming next.

Related episodes:
Is Project Texas enough to save TikTok? (Apple / Spotify)

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The majority of European members of NATO are not spending as much on defense as they agreed to. But that may change as the European Union considers a move to a "war economy." Today, we examine what that means and what barriers to a "war economy" look like.

Related episodes:
The Military Industry ... It's Complex
Are we overpaying for military equipment? (Apple Podcasts / Spotify)
Can Just-In-Time handle a new era of war? (Apple Podcasts / Spotify)
How to transform a war economy for peacetime (Apple Podcasts / Spotify)

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It's Indicators of the Week, our up close and personal examination of economic headlines. Today we have three indicators from President Joe Biden's economic agenda. His budget proposals include fixes for childcare, home buying and hiking corporate taxes.

Related episodes:
Shopping for parental benefits around the world (Apple / Spotify)
When mortgages are too low to give up (Apple / Spotify)
Paying for the Inflation Reduction Act
'Dune: Part Two' is a grand spice opera

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HOOAH! It's our first Beigie Award for 2024! The Beigie Award is back to recognize the regional Federal Reserve Bank with the best Beige Book entry. This edition's winner took us to the City of Brotherly Love, detailing how high home interest rates and low existing home sales in the area are financially affecting our buff brethren in arms: movers.

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Cyberattacks are plaguing the healthcare industry. It's an expensive and dangerous trend that's on the rise. Today, we consider why hacking is surging right now, why healthcare companies are being targeted and what hackers want from them.

Related episodes:
Cracking the code on cyber insurance
One hack to fool them all (Apple Podcasts / Spotify)
How to launder $600 million on the internet (Apple Podcasts / Spotify)

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The introduction of brand new spot bitcoin ETFs has put bitcoin on a bit of a hot streak. Just this week, the price of bitcoin reached a record high of about $72,000 which is about 70% higher than it was a couple of months ago. So why exactly have these ETFs changed the perception around bitcoin so quickly?

Today on the show, we talk with a Bitcoin believer and a skeptic to understand what exactly all the fuss is about for these bitcoin ETFs.

Related episodes:
WTF is a bitcoin ETF? (Apple / Spotify)

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There's been a disconnect between how the US economy is doing and how people actually feel about it. Maybe people are still burnt from when inflation was high, maybe it's the expensive cost of borrowing for a car or a mortgage, or maybe it's ... wait, are WE the problem?! Today we look in the mirror and find out if financial media contributes to negative economic sentiment.

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The job that's projected to be the fastest-growing in the U.S. is wind turbine service technician. So we wanted to learn what they actually do. Today on the show, reporter Darian Woods travels to a windy corner of Maine for a day in the life of one of these green-collar jobs.

Related episodes:
Why offshore wind is facing headwinds (Apple / Spotify)
A Man, a plan, wind power, Uruguay (Apple / Spotify)

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Ukraine desperately needs money. And there's a tempting solution sitting in a Belgian financial institution: nearly $200 billion in frozen Russian assets. In today's episode, we learn about this unique depository where most of the Russian assets are stored and two proposals to get some of this money to Ukraine.

Related episodes:
The cost of a dollar in Ukraine (Apple / Spotify)
Russia's sanctions, graded (Apple)
Why Israel uses diaspora bonds (Apple / Spotify)
Economic warfare vs. Fortress Russia

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The rising cost of living and longer life expectancy is making it harder for Americans to retire comfortably. Millions of Americans are behind on saving for retirement and face the possibility of working in their old age.

Economist Teresa Ghilarducci says she has a plan that could fix retirement in America. In her book, "Work, Retire, Repeat: The Uncertainty of Retirement in the New Economy," she proposes a few policies that she believes can help Americans currently struggling to retire. Today on the show, we talk to her about her ideas and why the current status quo is more serious than we think.

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