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What's missing in the immigration debate

Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Immigration is a top concern among U.S. voters this election cycle. But Zeke Hernandez, a professor at the University of Pennsylvania who studies immigration,thinks politicians and the media aren't giving the public the full story. Too often, he argues, they paint immigrants as objects of pity or fear, when the reality is much more complex — and positive. Today on the show, we look beyond the binary and explore the less talked about ways documented and undocumented immigrants shape the U.S. economy.

Zeke's book is called The Truth About Immigration: Why Successful Societies Welcome Newcomers.

Related listening:
Is the border crisis really a labor market crisis? (Apple / Spotify)
Do immigrants really take jobs and lower wages? (Apple / Spotify)
Welcome to the USA! Now get to work (Apple / Spotify)

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Mail bag! Grad jobs, simplified branding and central bank independence

Monday, September 30, 2024

Penny for your thoughts? Today we open our mail bag to hear from Indicator listeners. A college graduate tells us about their job search, a researcher discusses why products advertised as 'simple' may not be so straightforward, and another listener thinks the debate over Fed independence is a little more nuanced than we let on.

Heard something on the show you liked (or didn't)? Have an insight to share about the economy? Send us an email: indicator@npr.org!

Related episodes:
Should presidents have more say in interest rates? (Apple / Spotify)
We grade Fed Chair Jerome Powell (Apple / Spotify)
Trade wars and talent shortages (Apple / Spotify)
If the world had no accountants (Apple / Spotify)
The case for inflation

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What does the next era of Social Security look like?

Thursday, September 26, 2024

Peak 65 is here. More than 4 million Americans will turn 65 between 2024 and 2027, representing the largest retirement surge in history. Years ago, older Americans could count on Social Security. But today there is some uncertainty on the program's solvency in the next decade plus. Now, many are entering their golden years with financial insecurity. Today on the show, how did Social Security become a thing? And what could the safety net for the Peak 65 generation and beyond look like?

Related episodes:
Iceberg ahead for Social Security (Apple / Spotify)
What would it take to fix retirement? (Apple / Spotify)
Social Insecurity

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How to pass on a global media empire

Tuesday, September 24, 2024

Rupert Murdoch took an Australia paper in Adelaide and turned it into one of the most influential media empires in the world. The question of who will run it after he's gone though is the subject of speculation both in reality and on the HBO fictional series "Succession." Now, a small probate court in Nevada will weigh in on that very question.

Today, how did the drama come to be? And what will the decision mean for the future of Fox, one of the most influential networks, on the planet and our political discourse?

Related episodes:
Dollar v. world / Taylor Swift v. FTX / Fox v. Dominion (Apple / Spotify)

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Behind the Tiny Desk and other listener questions

Tuesday, September 17, 2024

The co-hosts return with answers to YOUR questions. In this episode of listener questions, we dive into why storefronts don't just fill up, how Tiny Desk found its secret sauce, and whether there's an ideal level of staff turnover.

Tiny Desk Donation Page

Related episodes:
Anatomy of a Layoff (Apple / Spotify)
Pay Cuts Vs. Layoffs

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Why aren't more people taking on the trades?

Friday, September 06, 2024

There is expected to be a lot of demand for manufacturing jobs in the coming decade, but many of those positions will be left unfilled. So Darnell Epps set out to close that gap by connecting employers with workers and showing potential workers what's appealing about these jobs. Today, we dig into Darnell Epps journey through both law school and trade school.

Related episodes:
One of the hottest jobs in AI right now: 'types-question guy' (Apple / Spotify)
Why it's so hard to mass produce houses in factories (Apple / Spotify)

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Is endless vacation a scam?

Monday, August 19, 2024

Unlimited paid time off may sound like a nice perk, but it's not always what it appears. Employers aren't typically obligated to pay out unused vacation balances when a worker leaves, and it can be hard for workers to understand just how much time they can actually take off.

And yet ... endless leave?? It doesn't sound so bad.

Today on the show, is unlimited paid time off really a benefit? We try to figure out whether it works.

Related episodes:
Vacation, and why the U.S. takes so little of it (Apple / Spotify)
The 28-Hour Work Week

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Why big banks aren't interested in your savings account

Thursday, August 15, 2024

Some bank customers are jumping to high-yield savings accounts to escape the shockingly low interest rates of personal savings accounts at big banks. So why aren't these banks raising their rates to attract more customers? Today on the show, we explore why big banks may not care about your savings account anymore.

Related episodes:
The dangers of money market funds (Apple / Spotify)
Interest rates up, but not on your savings account (Apple / Spotify)
Bad Form, Wells Fargo

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Do polluters pay, or do they get paid?

Thursday, June 27, 2024

For years, rich nations have sent money to lower-income countries to help deal with the impacts of climate change. But it turns out, these wealthy nations are finding creative ways to funnel some of that financing back into their own economies. Today, we look at how the climate crisis is reviving a debate over how money should flow from rich to less-rich nations.

Related episodes:
A countdown to climate action (Apple / Spotify)
Gambling, literally, on climate change (Apple / Spotify)
Blue bonds: A market solution to the climate crisis? (Apple / Spotify)
Why a debt tsunami is coming for the global economy (Apple / Spotify)

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Is Google search getting worse?

Thursday, June 13, 2024

There are many anecdotal complaints about Google search not being what it used to be. A German computer scientist and his colleagues put this theory to the test recently focusing on product reviews. Today on the show, we bring their findings to Google's chief search scientist.

Related episodes:
How Fortnite brought Google to its knees (Apple / Spotify)
Microsoft vs. Google: Whose AI Is better? (Apple / Spotify)

For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

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Is chicken getting cheap? And other questions

Monday, June 10, 2024

We are back to answer your questions that you, our listener's, have been sending. On today's show, is chicken actually getting cheaper? Why doesn't the Federal Reserve use different interest rates around the country? And: is election spending an indicator of economic health?

If you have a question you'd like us to answer, email us at indicator@npr.org.

Related episodes:
Can an old law bring down grocery prices? (Apple / Spotify)
How political campaigns raise millions through unwitting donors
How mortgage rates get made
The rat under the Feds hat (Apple / Spotify)
The interest-ing world of interest rates (Apple / Spotify)

ICYMI, preorder our new Indicator t-shirt at the NPR shop. For more ways to support our show, sign up for Planet Money+ where you'll get sponsor-free listening, bonus episodes, and access to even more Indicator merch!

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How tariffs — like those on Chinese goods — might impact inflation and jobs

Friday, May 17, 2024

When the U.S. imposes tariffs on specific foreign-made goods, what is the effect on American consumers and on the regions and industries the tariffs were supposed to protect? It's complicated.

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A debt hawk and a debt dove on what the future could hold for federal debt

Wednesday, May 15, 2024

The U.S. debt is close to the highest it's ever been as a share of the Gross Domestic Product. Should we be concerned? The Indicator spoke to a debt dove and a debt hawk for their thoughts.

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Should commercial space companies contribute to the FAA the way airlines do?

Friday, May 10, 2024

There's a fund that commercial airlines pay into for things such as safety inspections, but commercial space companies don't pay into that fund. (Story aired on All Things Considered on May 9, 2024.)

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Some video game workers aim to unionize to push for better working conditions

Friday, May 03, 2024

The pressure on video game workers has intensified. They work long hours, face mounting layoffs and the games they make are more complex. Some employees call it a "passion tax" that must be addressed.

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'Planet Money' explores the specialized workforce in Britain known as working royals

Friday, April 19, 2024

The British royal workforce, like that of the global economy, is aging rapidly. But what do these working royals do all day, anyway?

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Diving into diaspora bonds, and how they keep Israel afloat

Thursday, February 29, 2024

Israel's war with Hamas is squeezing the country's finances. That's where diaspora bonds come in.

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How one tech startup aims to disrupt the market for illegal rhino horns

Thursday, February 22, 2024

Could the same economic forces that helped propel lab-grown diamonds and lab-grown meat forward help a startup end illegal rhino poaching? The answer is elusive.

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How Saudi Arabia is using its oil influence to fund fantastical plans for the future

Thursday, February 15, 2024

For decades, Saudi Arabia's economy has been defined by its abundant oil reserves. But with a plan known as Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia is trying to pivot away from that economic base.

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FTC cracks down on companies that glean location data without users' consent

Friday, February 09, 2024

The Federal Trade Commission is cracking down on companies that handle sensitive location data, gleaned from data via mobile apps often without a user's knowledge or direct consent.

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