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The US-Israel war in Iran is already being felt by American consumers at the gas pump, but when — and how badly — could it be felt at the supermarket?
Today on the show, a food economist takes a crack at forecasting just how much our grocery bills could increase in the coming months, and which items will take the biggest hit.
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Related episodes:
How are drivers riding out the gas crisis?
Think the oil shock is bad in the US? Look here
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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Some of the earliest signs of dementia can show up in your financial portfolio. Missed bill payments and erratic investments could be indicators, and they can happen years before an official diagnosis. Today on the show, we dig into the connection between finances and dementia, and why the financial health of seniors is falling through the cracks.
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Related episodes:
The dementia tax
What does the next era of Social Security look like?
Saving, borrowing, spending: an economist's take on popular advice (Planet Money+)
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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Tax cuts for the middle and working classes, and tax hikes for the rich. What's behind this trend? We ask Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen to explain his bill that eliminates federal income tax for many workers while hiking taxes for high earners. We also hear from a tax policy expert who has some reservations.
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Related episodes:
What if our income was taxed ... totally differently?
Will the tax cuts pay for themselves?
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 (now on YouTube!). It’s our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news.
On today’s episode: who wins and loses their Polymarket bets, an American lithium motherlode, and the economics of lightweight running shoes.
Related episodes:
The race to produce lithium
Advanced Fairness At The Marathon
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 Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
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With the Iran War underway, the United Arab Emirates is looking for some economic certainty. The rich Arab nation is home to a lot of foreign-held deposits, and they’re worried investors will pull those funds. So, they’re looking for an economic backstop. Enter: currency swap lines. Today, we explain why the UAE is looking to its close ally, the U.S., for a currency swap line and how it would work.
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Related episodes:
Where the US got $20B to bail out Argentina
Scott Bessent’s $20 billion dollar gamble on Argentina
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.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
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Iran’s weaponization of the Strait of Hormuz is the perfect example of how modern warfare is increasingly waged, not only with drones and bombs, but also through the weaponization of economic choke points.
Today on the show, we talk to author Edward Fishman, who says the U.S. innovated a new kind of economic warfare a couple of decades ago, and that has sparked a new economic arms race.
Edward Fishman’s book is “Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare”.
The Indicator has a weekly newsletter! Be among the first to sign up now: npr.org/indicatornewsletter
Related episodes:
Think the oil shock is bad in the US? Look here
Fixing the oil crisis might not fix the Persian Gulf
How are drivers riding out the gas crisis?
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.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
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In 2025, President Trump pardoned more than 1,500 of the Jan.6 rioters who ransacked the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election. In addition to being convicted of crimes, many of the Jan. 6ers paid fines, the bulk of which went toward repairing the damage to the Capitol. After being pardoned, some of them want their money back. Today on the show, are they entitled to get those fines refunded?
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Related episodes:
Chaos At The Capitol
The Supreme Court struck down a bunch of Trump’s tariffs. Now what?
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.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
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It’s the Beigie awards! Our less than ten times a year salute to the art and science of telling stories about the economy.
Today on the show, Kevin Dancy, vice president and regional executive at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, lays out a worrying consumer trend that’s affecting how retailers do business.
Come see Planet Money live on stage! 12 cities. Details and tix here: planetmoneybook.com/#tour
The Indicator has a weekly newsletter! Be among the first and sign-up now: npr.org/indicatornewsletter
Related episodes:
A little doomsday feeling is weighing on the economy
How to beach on a budget
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.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
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It’s Indicators of the Week, our weekly look at some of the most fascinating numbers from the news! And unlike florals for spring, these numbers ARE groundbreaking.
On today’s episode: A dramatic SNAP decrease, fuel costs ground flights, and the Devil Wears Wages Increasing Slightly Faster Than A Small Sample Of Luxury Items!
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Related episodes:
After the shutdown, SNAP will still be in trouble
How far can philanthropy go to fill government gaps?
Your next flight doesn't have to be so expensive. Here's why
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.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
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Businesses might finally see some tariff money refunded to them. That’s because this week, the federal government officially rolled out a process that allows businesses to apply for a refund.
Today on the show, we speak with three business owners about the unexpected simplicity and frustration of the Trump tariff refund process.
Come see Planet Money live on stage! 12 cities. Details and tix here: planetmoneybook.com/#tour
The Indicator has a weekly newsletter! Be among the first and sign-up now: npr.org/indicatornewsletter
Related episodes:
Can I get my tariff money back now?
Trump's backup options for tariffs
Three ways companies are getting around tariffs
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.
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
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