The Indicator from Planet Money

On Indicators of the week, we discuss the Suez Canal blockage hindering global trade and the stock market recovery since last year's low point. Plus, listeners chime in with their indicators!

Stimulus checks have started to hit many Americans' bank accounts. Will this give an extra boost, or maybe even a lifeline, to retailers?

Many media outlets think they need to be on Facebook to reach people. So why did New Zealand's biggest news publisher decide to go it alone?

Americans get billions of robocalls every month. They are almost universally despised, so how have they managed to stick around? The answer lies in the economics, of course.

Rural communities are sometimes perceived as farmland with a homogenous population, but economist Gbenga Ajilore helps us explain the demographic and economic diversity within Rural America.

On the show, we look back at the number of people globally who fell into poverty last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and look forward to where U.S. interest rates are projected to stay until 2023.

The music industry has boomed thanks to streaming, but with thousands of new songs being added to platforms everyday, sometimes royalties slip through the cracks unpaid. $424 million worth of royalties, to be exact.

What has trade with the EU been like for Britons post-Brexit? We answer that question by looking at some of the tastiest indicators around.

Is an economic reset on the way? Economist Constance Hunter explains how technology and businesses have changed during Covid, and how these trends offer some hope for long-term recovery.

The median price of a single family home in Bozeman, Mont., is now over half a million dollars — nearly a 20% increase from last year. Why has the housing market gotten so hot so fast?

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused demand shifts and supply chain snafus that have led to many shortages. For Indicators of the Week, we'll be looking at two more: cars and ... babies?

What's happened since the Covid-19 pandemic was declared a year ago? On the show, we discuss the differing effects on workers across the economy and the government's larger role in recession recovery.

Digital art has been largely neglected by the traditional art market, but one artist has made millions selling his work as non-fungible tokens (NFTs). And his work is now being auctioned at Christie's.

A non-fungible token (NFT) for a LeBron James dunk recently sold for over $200,000 on NBA Top Shot. Anyone can watch the clip online, so why is the NFT worth so much money?

In the modern U.S. people may avoid or begrudgingly pay taxes. But in ancient Athens, wealthy people considered it an honor.

It's Jobs Friday! The February jobs report shows signs of recovery, but there's still a long way to go. We talk to three experts about their indicators on how things will change and when.

The Covid-19 pandemic has been a tough time for everyone, so many people have turned to a familiar source of comfort: pets!

President Biden's Covid relief plan calls for about $1.9 trillion in government spending. Where is all that money going? We discuss a few of the biggest items in the bill.

The Simpsons were the quintessential American family when the show first aired back in 1989. But while the Simpsons have stayed largely the same, American middle class life has changed a lot.

Homes owned by California's department of transportation lay vacant. So people reclaimed them.

Two of the most important ways the government is supporting Americans right now is through distributing vaccines and providing unemployment insurance. But are there cracks in the system?

2020 was a horrific year for the economy. We're hoping 2021 will be better, but will it? We discuss 3 indicators that suggest this year is shaping up to be better than last year.

The recent winter storm caused thousands of Texans to see their power bill climb to hundreds, even thousands of dollars. Can economics explain what happened?

Living on the open road is more than just an Instagram photo opportunity; for many it's both an economic necessity and a countercultural movement. Just ask Bob Wells, the evangelist of nomad life.

Amazon workers in Alabama are voting on whether to form the company's FIRST U.S. union. We explain how the union has succeeded in getting this far, and the potential ramifications of the vote.

For our indicators of the week, we're talking about shortages of heating sources during the recent cold snap and trends amongst unemployed Americans.

As the value of a bitcoin recently passed $50,000, market watchers struggled to explain how a virtual currency could reach such dizzy heights. One possible answer? It's kind of like a religion.

We've heard about how hard it's been for restaurants to stay open during this pandemic. But what we often don't hear is that closing can be just as tough.

Arthur Lewis changed our understanding of how poor countries can improve their economies — and became the first Black economist to win the Economics Nobel

The Covid-19 lockdown sent the flower market into free fall, but recently, flower prices have been picking up again. Who are the culprits behind this? Our old friends supply and demand, of course!

The Hollywood Writers Guild just declared victory in their fight with talent agencies. Who do they have to thank for their historic win? Among other factors, possibly ... the pandemic?

Last year, China pledged to vastly increase its U.S. imports during 2020 and 2021. We ask economist Chad Bown if actual spending has been keeping pace with what was promised.

Dogecoin, a cryptocurrency created in 2013 as a joke, recently broke a $10 billion market cap. The coin's creator tells us how the joke became real and if he has regrets.

Everyone enjoys a good laugh, but could humor be the secret to success in the workplace?

The US economy created 49,000 jobs last month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's a lot less that people had hoped and shows that the recovery has slowed.

Over the past couple of weeks, the WallStreetBets Subreddit were responsible for the surge in GameStop stock, among others. Who are these people? And what do they want?

The price of silver shot up this week. Theories abound about what drove the trading.

What secretive forces were behind getting the pickup truck emoji onto phones and laptops around the world? And how much did it cost?

Irving Fisher and John Maynard Keynes suffered terrible losses in the Great Wall Street Crash of 1929. But they responded in different ways, leading to tragedy for Fisher and triumph for Keynes.

Biden is calling for a $15 federal minimum wage. Is that a good idea for workers and small businesses? Stacey and Cardiff duke it out.

The nation is reeling from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Lockdowns and layoffs have devastated the economy. But consumer confidence is higher than expected.

The price of GameStop shares have surged this week, in part because of something called a short squeeze.

Hispanics in the US have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19, in terms of job losses, household income and schooling. Their road to recovery could be long and hard as a result.

Small liberal arts colleges across the US have been struggling for years. COVID has made things worse. Now many are facing the prospect of closing down. Or being gobbled up in a merger.

Bucatini is a specialty pasta that looks a lot like spaghetti with a hole in it. For pasta lovers, it's a fan-favorite...but it has mysteriously gone missing from grocery stores across the U.S.

Economics is the earthiest of the social sciences. But its principles apply equally in space. The difference is how certain goods, services and even experiences gain currency in zero gravity.

President Biden recently announced his $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, targeting pandemic relief and economic recovery. We discuss 3 indicators to watch to measure the Biden economic agenda's success in the coming years.

Social media played a big part in the demonstration and riot at the U.S. Capitol last week. For many it was a surprise, but to social media watchers, it was simply the culmination of 10 years of influence.

The economy might be down, but Americans are buying a lot of stuff right now. Today on the show, we break it down and pick our favorite economic story from the Beige Book.

Statistics and the information we get from them have a massive influence on our worldviews and the decisions we make, but how can we ensure we're interpreting them properly? Today, we find out.

Politics used to be off limits for most American companies — at least publicly. Most would usually take a neutral position when a big political story hit the news. But that has changed.

Last year, more than half the firms that went public were special purpose acquisition companies, also known as SPACs. We explain what that means and how it impacts the world of finance.

The coronavirus has been responsible for massive business closures...but at the same time, Americans are starting businesses at the fastest rate in more than a decade.

For the first time since April, the American economy lost jobs. Today, we break down the December jobs report and the slowing economic recovery.

We're only seven days into the new year and we're off to a bumpy start. But as chaos rages through the capitol, the stock market and other signs of economic growth continue.

There's a fear radiating out from the commercial real estate market — a fear that some economists say could become a drag on any economic recovery. In fact, there's evidence it already has.

2020 was a tough year for the economy. How different will 2021 be? Today on the show, we take a look at three of our favorite indicators for the new year.

What will the global economy look like in a decade? Mauro Guillen joins the show to talk about 2030, his new book where he analyzes the economic trends of the future.

Globalization and urbanization historically have made the global economy more productive and efficient — and also more vulnerable to pandemics. But now they can be forces for good in the fight against pandemics.

The coronavirus pandemic has brought with it a massive economic downturn. Another thing it's brought: A booming housing market. We explain why. | Support The Indicator here.

We've had plenty of warnings over the years that we weren't ready for a pandemic. Today on the show: the psychology and economics of why.

Rare earths are essential to a wide variety of strategically important components, but the vast majority of rare earths are produced by mines in China. That's something that the U.S. is working to correct.

The coronavirus has strained healthcare systems — and not just in their ability to deal with surges. We talk to one hospital administrator about the financial strain of COVID-19. | Donate to your member station here.

Chris Montana is a Minneapolis distillery owner whose business was destroyed in rioting early this year. Since then, he's committed himself to supporting local businesses and raised more than $770,000. | Support The Indicator here.

Morgan Gould is a playwright who talked with us in April about the cancellation of her play. She describes what life has been like for people who work in the arts during the pandemic. | Support The Indicator here.

China effectively stopped the spread of the virus early in the global pandemic. Life there has subsequently been quite different this year. | Support public radio here.

When the pandemic hit, the government pumped large amounts of money into the economy. The support kept many families afloat, but for many small businesses, it wasn't enough. | Donate to your NPR member station here.

We venture into the dark web and take a look at the world of black market vaccine sales. | Support The Indicator here.

There's no denying that 2020 has been a rough year, but economist Tyler Cowen brings the show a source of hope: the possible return of productivity growth. And he plays overrated/underrated! | Support public radio here.

Right now, demand for a coronavirus vaccine far outweighs supply. Leaders are trying to figure out who should get the vaccine first. Dr. Alvin Roth, a Nobel Prize winning economist who specializes in game theory, has some ideas. | Support The Indicator here.

Early in the pandemic, things looked bleak for Source Booksellers, a bookstore in Detroit. But they survived. The secret? Adaptation and loyal customers. | Support public radio here.

Some friends of The Indicator join the show and share some economic indicators that give them hope for the future. | Donate to your NPR member station here.

Team Indicator follows up with ice cream shop owner Molly Moon to look at the road to recovery for small businesses. | Show your love for The Indicator here.

As the holiday season approaches, people are beginning to notice an online shopping trend: shipping delays. Today, we explain why packages are taking longer to ship than usual this year. | Donate to your member station here.

Average real disposable income this year is on pace to rise at the fastest rate in more than 35 years. How could that be? We break down the strangest economic indicator of 2020. | Support public radio here.

Like all industries that revolve around large gatherings, weddings have been hit hard...but some wedding planners have found a way to adapt. Hint: It involves eloping. | Support The Indicator here.

For the final jobs report of the year, we break down how different sectors of the economy have handled the pandemic. | Support your NPR member station here.

The Federal Reserve's Beige Book focuses on stories from the economy. The latest edition shows some hopeful points of light in an otherwise gloomy economic landscape. | Support The Indicator here.

Early in the pandemic, there were national shortages of protective equipment and hospital supplies. Now, there's a shortage of nurses.

As President-elect Biden prepares to take office, there's a lot of speculation about how his administration might change the federal approach to immigration.

People are hesitant to buy electric cars because fast chargers still aren't widely available. The irony? Most people charge at home, not with fast chargers. NPR's Camila Domonoske explains.

The great toilet paper shortage of 2020 wasn't caused by the virus or by a disruption to manufacturing. It was caused by a story: one that we told ourselves. On the Indicator: how stories can affect the economy.

Each year, the American Farm Bureau estimates the cost of Thanksgiving dinner. The main finding this year? Thanksgiving dinner is the cheapest it's been since the survey started 35 years ago.

The CDC recommends we all stay home for Thanksgiving to minimize the risk of spreading COVID-19. But tens of millions of Americans are expected to travel anyway. If you're one of them, here's how you can think about the risk you're taking.

The U.S. is down around 3.5 million hospitality jobs since the pandemic took hold. But in spite of setbacks, hotels continue to open.

Over the past few decades, the UFC has become the biggest name in mixed martial arts. But a lawsuit argues it has held down fighter wages by restricting competition.

President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration will have massive implications for trade policy. Soumaya Keynes explains how Biden's approach to trade might differ from Trump's.

Idaho is the leading nation in restaurant revenue growth. But that doesn't mean its restaurants are having an easy time. There are mask mandates and robust restrictions on gathering in many cities in the state, and with winter coming, restaurateurs are working hard to innovate, compensate and stay in business.

In 1985, then Treasury Secretary James Baker gave a speech in South Korea laying out a series of economic proposals that would transform economics around the world.

Financial advisors counsel people on what stocks and bonds and other investments to buy, and how to balance portfolios. But where do they put their own money?

COVID-19-related travel and get-together restrictions are impacting small businesses across the U.S. this holiday season. The Indicator talks to a turkey farmer about how the pandemic has affected business this year.

Ant Group is a fintech firm that was set to launch with the world's largest ever IPO. But just before its shares started trading, Chinese regulators pulled the plug. NPR's Emily Feng explains why.

The tech bubble of the 90s was a time when companies with weak business models and flashy advertising secured massive investments. This is the story of perhaps the most infamous case study: Pets.com.

Since April, the price of used cars has surged. Some cars have even gained in value, which is highly unusual for an asset that usually depreciates. Turns out the usual suspects are behind this mystery: supply and demand.

In the 1980s, a massive hole was discovered in the ozone layer. Since then, economic incentives, innovation, and a historic United Nations conference in Montreal set it on a path to close completely.

The US economy added more than 600,000 jobs in October. Team Indicator assembles the Jobs Friday Ninja squad to get their take.

The essential ingredient in the birth of the mafia as we know it wasn't the threats or the murders or the other stuff that's great for Hollywood. It was...lemons.

Development of a coronavirus continues apace. But as many as two-thirds of Americans say they likely won't take it. Which means a successful vaccine will need an effective marketing campaign.

Author and economics commentator Matt Klein joins the show to discuss the ways each presidential candidate plans to bring manufacturing jobs to the United States.

The concept of probability may feel intuitive today, but for much of human history, that wasn't the case. Jacob Goldstein tells the origin story of probability.

Danielle Kurtzleben from NPR's Washington Desk breaks down Donald Trump's economic policies and plans for a second term.

Danielle Kurtzleben from NPR's Washington Desk breaks down Joe Biden's economic policies.

Podcast host and co-author of The 99% Invisible City Roman Mars joins the show to talk about his new book, the ways people shape their cities, and how to combine beauty & function in design.

Stacey and Cardiff answer questions from kids...also, a few animal facts.

As arts workers continue to struggle, they're trying their hand at something new. Not a new performance or show, but a piece of legislation which would keep their industry alive through the pandemic.

In 2019, migrants sent a record $500 billion back to their countries of origin. Then COVID hit, and the World Bank predicted a 20 percent drop in that flow of cash. But now the data is in, and it turns out remittances have held steady.

A few days ago, The Department of Justice filed a massive antitrust lawsuit against Google. The case focuses on the company's dominance in search, but what about the rest of Google's empire?

Should we feel hope or despair about the future of the American economy? Cardiff and Stacey debate.

Of the 1.1 million people who left the job market in September, over 860,000 were women. Today we look at why women are dropping out of the workforce and what it will mean for the economy.

The coronavirus pandemic, distrust of the government, and a surprising political battle have the 2020 Census count.

Just before Broadway shut down, team Indicator saw The Lehman Trilogy, about the origin of Lehman Brothers. We talk with playwright Ben Power about the firm, the family and the consolation of history.

The coronavirus has devastated the U.S. economy, but it hasn't affected everyone equally. Today on the show, four ways the pandemic has deepened inequality.

Daymond John and what he thinks is overrated and what's underrated

How the Vikings trading with a North American Indigenous group shortly after the year 1000 connected global trading networks and kicked off the first version of globalization.

There's a long history of bars playing a vital role in innovation and economic growth. What happens when they all close down?

The Barbados economy depends on tourism, so travel restrictions have been devastating. But the island nation has come up with an innovative stopgap: A visa that lets visitors work remotely from Barbados for a year.

Remember all the predictions about the pandemic pushing people to quit big, expensive cities? Six months in, the data is providing some clues about which cities Americans are leaving, and where they're moving to. An update on the "urban exodus."

For months now, there's been a shortage of refrigerators and freezers across the U.S. Shoppers can't find appliances to buy and stores can't find enough appliances to sell. Alina Selyukh joins The Indicator to explain why.

As the trade war continues, China hasn't purchased nearly as many exports from the United States as it previously agreed to. There was one bright spot though: semiconductors — but that may soon change.

The coronavirus has caused a massive downturn in commercial real estate. As the pandemic continues and companies back out of leases, the future of commercial real estate is brought into question.

The U.S. is experiencing the worst unemployment crisis since the Great Depression. Meanwhile, some employers claim that they can't find the workers they need. What's going on?

Shinzo Abe served as Japan's Prime Minister for nearly eight years before suddenly announcing his retirement in August. Today on the show, the lessons of Abenomics for the US and other countries.

The Center for Public Integrity joins The Indicator with an excerpt from The Heist, a new podcast exploring money and politics in the Trump Administration.

The Indicator brings listeners economic indicators from the other six continents.

Stacey talks to Tony Schwartz, co-author of Trump: The Art Of The Deal, about the book and the recent New York Times report exploring President Trump's tax records.

Cardiff and Stacey answer some listener questions about the rebounding demand for gas, the rise of contactless payments, and how wages have changed for low-income workers over the past few years.

For 400 years, the business suit has been a staple in men's fashion...then the pandemic struck. Today on the show, the end of the business suit?

Paper currency has become standard around the world, but that wasn't always the case. Planet Money host Jacob Goldstein tells the story of how paper money came to be — and why it temporarily went away.

Stacey and Cardiff discuss some of the non-obvious ways the coronavirus pandemic — and the policy response to it — has reshaped the U.S. economy.

Jamaica's Central Bank has a unique way of explaining its policies: Reggae music videos. The Indicator talks with the Central Bank about why they've taken this unique approach.

Since the pandemic started, nearly 100,000 businesses have closed permanently. Opening a business now might seem crazy. But downturn start-ups have some advantages.

Emergency services are spread so thin in the West that some property owners are taking a D-I-Y approach to firefighting.

Nearly 17 percent of the U.S. labor force is made up of immigrants. That's up from 12.4 percent in 2000, and 6.7 percent in 1980. What that means for the economy.

The coronavirus has put millions of people out of work. Greg Ip talks about his recent article in the Wall Street Journal and argues that lockdowns are "an overly blunt and economically costly tool."

In the mid-1800s, the US had 8,370 kinds of money. How that happened, and what it meant for the US economy.

The three-point shot has revolutionized basketball, but its unintended consequences could mean trouble for the sport's future.

Lockdowns, working from home, and remote learning have all made personal domestic space more scarce. Emily Anthes has some solutions.

COVID, lockdowns and working from home made life complicated for parents. Trying to educate kids from home has made things even tougher, so tough many women are dropping out of the workforce.

Counterfeit Lego kits, made illegally in China, are giving collectors a headache.

The August unemployment numbers were better than expected. But doesn't mean the labor market is the picture of health.

Nobel economics prize winners Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee on whether foreign aid, french bread and dating an economist are overrated or underrated.

The question of whether to reopen schools or educate children at home is medically sensitive, logistically complicated and politically fraught. How one superintendent is handling it.

Stock-picking retail traders have been jumping into the market this year. They may not understand the risks.

Women and non-white men are gaining ground when it comes to science and engineering degrees, but not when it comes to patents.

Taxes get a bad reputation, but they were central to the formation of representative government and even the written word.

The rather Shakespearean situation of the U.S. Postal Service

From smoking more cigarettes to stocking up on meatless meats, the pandemic has changed consumer behavior in some unexpected ways.

Former Fed Chair Janet Yellen talks about her New York Times op-ed with Jared Bernstein, proposing a two-punch solution for boosting the economy.

The price of eggs skyrocketed at the start of the pandemic. That has some people crying foul ... and filing suit.

The Diamond-Water Paradox: If we need water to survive and we don't need diamonds, why are diamonds expensive and water cheap?

Millions of renters in the US are facing the prospect of eviction from their homes.

We bought a junk bond back in December. Then COVID-19 sent the economy into a tailspin, and the company that issued the junk bond declared bankruptcy. But that wasn't the end of the story.

The argument that the key factor that boosted the middle class post WW2 — and could help the middle class again — is access.

Everyone wants to develop a coronavirus vaccine. But vaccine development usually takes years. The White House is betting money can speed things up.

The first milestone in the history of economics was an 8th century B.C. poem — a lecture by an ancient Greek poet to his deadbeat brother.

Millions of jobless Americans are desperate to know whether their unemployment benefits will be extended, and by how much. But Congress just went on vacation.

Limiting high-skilled immigration to the U.S. may not save jobs for Americans; it might even cost jobs.

Venezuela's economy was already struggling, for a variety of reasons. The coronavirus pandemic couldn't have struck at a worse time. Now the country's economy is on life support.

As Democrats, Republicans and the President fight about how much support to give laid-off workers during the pandemic, we take the temperature of this up-and-down economy.

The brutal unemployment situation in the US today is making a lot of people think again about labor unions. Which had their first major victory after a 1936 strike.

Faced with the prospect of paying for an expensive drug to treat his daughter, this dad found a nearly identical product for thousands of dollars less. But the insurance company wouldn't let him.

We answer two questions today: Why is American internet so bad? And why was the unemployment benefit extension set at $600?

How a theater company in Philadelphia is reacting to the existential threat posed by the coronavirus.

The Black Lives Matter demonstrations brought people together to protest injustice. But alongside the protests came riots, at a great cost to some Black-owned businesses.

The biggest, wealthiest nations in the world are in a race to produce a coronavirus vaccine. It's obviously in a country's interest to win that race and protect its citizens. It's also in its interest to share.

This quarter's Gross Domestic Product numbers could be the worst on record. But what do they mean, exactly?

Most of the U.S. economy is in crisis: Unemployment and bankruptcies are skyrocketing, and millions aren't paying rent. But home sales are skyrocketing, too. In fact, they're rising at a record pace.

The use of technologies that help office workers do their work remotely could have unanticipated, long-lasting effects for low-skilled workers too.

Nearly one in five U.S. workers is on unemployment benefits. And most of them are about to see their checks cut in half, as Congress' expanded benefits expire this month.

The three main drivers behind the decline in worker power.

Restaurants are going out of business in droves. But some are battling hard to keep their doors open.

What's the garbage situation? How can we invest in Black-owned businesses? And what's the state of the gig economy? Your questions, answered.

The city of Camden, New Jersey is cited as an example of how cities can change their approach to policing. But the story of Camden and its cops isn't a simple one.

Unless Congress acts, unemployment benefit enhancements will expire. And that could have big effects on the economy.

Gary Cohn was President Trump's economic advisor, and a prime mover behind the $2 trillion tax cut of 2017. We talk to him about the state of the economy.

The economics profession has a serious inclusion problem, and that matters for how all of us understand the economy.

One in five American households doesn't have enough food to eat. And the program that's supposed to help is about to shrink.

Because of the global economic slowdown, there's a glut of oil on the market right now. And companies are coming up with creative ways to store it.

Reentering the world and the workforce after you've been in prison is hard enough at the best of times. The coronavirus pandemic has made it a whole lot harder.

Molly Moon's Homemade Ice Cream in Seattle has been on the same economic and political roller coaster ride many small businesses have. Now they're trying to open back up, survive and grow.

Rural hospitals in Texas are scrambling for equipment and staff to combat the surge in coronavirus cases.

Black-owned financial institutions are a shrinking part of the U.S. financial system. We look at what that means for America's entrenched racial disparities.

Live music events are like micro-economies that support hundreds of small businesses. Coronavirus is hammering them.

The way organizations and governments respond to disasters often have hidden consequences; sometimes those consequences can be fatal.

The BLS jobs report for June was better than expected, but showed the U.S. economy is still suffering badly from coronavirus.

Americans owe about $1.5 trillion in student debt. But who actually owns those loans? One borrower goes looking for an answer—and uncovers a multi-billion dollar shadow market.

On the Spanish Flu, housing prices, and the resilience of Australia's economy. Indicator listener questions, answered.

Incarcerated Americans make goods for American companies, and get paid next to nothing for their labor.

Sadie Alexander was the first African-American to earn a PhD in economics. We think her contributions deserve another look.

Many businesses have been negatively affected by the pandemic. But some companies that have borrowed a lot of money are manipulating their numbers, to avoid breaking their debt agreements.

How the Federal Reserve manages the economy can have an outsize effect on Black workers. Here's how to make sure it doesn't leave them behind again.

Governments and drug companies agree: We need to develop a vaccine for COVID-19. But their motives for developing a vaccine are different. And that will have a big effect on the vaccine's price.

How a psychologist who learned how to play high stakes poker as a way to study human behavior learned a lot about risk management, mendacity and the markets.

Daymond John, founder of the iconic brand FUBU and investor on the reality show Shark Tank, talked to us about how he got his start and maintained his lead in the cutthroat world of fashion apparel.

Williston, North Dakota doubled in size during the shale oil boom a decade ago. Now oil prices have fallen and the town's facing hard times.

Not all countries approached the COVID-19 economic crisis the way the U.S. did. How different strategies on unemployment had radically different outcomes.

Police fines and fees have helped to fill city coffers, but they've done serious damage to community relations.

Five "high-frequency" indicators help us track the health of the U.S. economy

The companies that lead the field in surveillance technology are turning against it.

Why a groundbreaking paper by Lisa Cook on the effects of racist violence took ten years to get published.

Contact tracing is one of the most effective ways to contain a pandemic and dates back to the 1300s. But the modern versions are coming at a real cost.

Big American cities might never look the same again, post coronavirus. And that could be the making of them.

Minnesota is often touted as one of the best places to live in the U.S. — it has the numbers to prove it. And yet, the state has some of the worst racial disparities of any state in the country.

How well a family can endure a spell of unemployment depends on how much of a buffer it has to fall back on. And there are big racial and ethnic disparities in how big those buffers are.

Companies all over the world are jockeying for position in the lucrative COVID-19 antibody testing market, but are quality standards getting lost in the shuffle?

There appears to be a relationship between police unionization and the number of people killed by officers.

When the coronavirus hit, economists predicted a tsunami of bankruptcies. But that hasn't happened.

The coronavirus pandemic has been called "the great equalizer." But in fact, COVID-19 has disproportionately affected African Americans in all kinds of ways.

The Federal Reserve's Beige Book provides anecdotes from various parts of the economy. This month's edition illustrates the pain being suffered by pig farmers.

Mellisa Dell, this year's John Bates Clark Medal winner, explains the relationship between security, prosperity and the rule of law.

Many of us are working from home for now. Some could be destined to do it forever.

The landlord-tenant relationship is often a tense one and it's becoming a national problem.

The stock market has recovered more than half the ground lost when it crashed nearly 34 percent starting in late February. But the economy hasn't recovered. Why is there such a stark disconnect?

Hospitals lost millions of dollars preparing for a surge of COVID-19 patients. Some were swamped, but others only saw a handful of coronavirus cases. Now many are struggling to survive.

Melissa Dell, winner of the John Bates Clark Medal for economics, on why poverty and insecurity are so persistent in certain parts of the world.

Public transit systems are vital to cities. Many have been shut down or slowed during the pandemic. Now city administrators have to figure out how to reopen them.

Many banks have changed the way they work, as they hurry to get billions in CARES Act cash to small businesses.

State unemployment offices have been slammed, as 36 million Americans have lost their jobs. And now individuals and the U.S. economy are depending on these often underfunded operations to step up.

Mixed martial arts is the first major spectator sport in the U.S. to host live events since the coronavirus lockdown. Other sports are watching to see whether MMA could point the way.

The working conditions on many farms mean that agricultural laborers are at high risk of getting COVID-19. That poses a real threat to those workers and to the country's food supply.

Companies hammered by the economic collapse due to the coronavirus pandemic are being forced to make a hard choice: lay staff off or cut their pay.

The U.S. economy depends on consumer demand. And demand is way down because of the coronavirus pandemic. What happens if it doesn't come back?

The jobs report for this month was nightmarish. But as bad as it was, it hid some even worse news about the employment situation.

California Governor Gavin Newsom talks with Stacey Vanek Smith about his plans to reopen the fifth largest economy in the world.

If the pandemic goes on much longer, or its aftereffects linger, face masks will inevitably become a fashion accessory.

Italy was one of the countries hardest hit by coronavirus, and was one of the first to shut down its economy. Now it's reopening. But not everyone's happy about it.

As businesses make plans to reopen their workplaces, we're probably going to find that these spaces will look very different than before.

We're all thinking about what the world might look like after this pandemic. Several years ago, Justin Marks had a vision of how things might be, in his TV show, Counterpart.

Essential workers put themselves at risk of infection every day to keep the economy running. But many aren't well protected or compensated for the dangerous work they do.

Small and medium size enterprises tend not to have much of a cash cushion, so most are desperate to get back to work. But many are finding that reopening after a pandemic is a messy business.

Globalization and urbanization historically have made the global economy more productive and efficient — and also more vulnerable to pandemics. But now they can be forces for good in the fight against disease.

The COVID-19 pandemic is driving thousands of people and businesses into bankruptcy.

Much has been made of the unprecedented legislation passed by Congress in its attempt to curtail the economic damage of COVID-19. But what about the Federal Reserve?

Supermarket shelves are empty, and food banks around the country are besieged. So why are farmers dumping, destroying and giving away food?

We've had plenty of warnings over the years that we weren't ready for a pandemic. Today on the show: the psychology and economics of why.

The price of a barrel of West Texas Intermediate crude oil fell below zero. In other words, suppliers were paying people to take it off their hands. How did that happen? And what does it mean?

We're spending more time at home, and more time with technology — highlighting a deep digital divide in the United States and introducing thorny ethical dilemmas.

Sending $1,200 checks to millions of Americans was a big part of the aid bill Congress passed last month. Around 80 million Americans got that money this week. But 60 million are still waiting.

Congress' recent aid package directed $370 billion to help small businesses. The fund is out of money, and it seems very few who applied got help.

Live performance has always been a risky business, run on thin margins. The COVID-19 pandemic has ratcheted up that risk and sharpened those margins to a razor's edge.

Rural hospitals already walk a scalpel's edge between solvency and collapse. Coronavirus threatens to push many of them over the brink.

Five indicators provide a gauge of how daily economic life in America has changed.

Hospitals are ramping up and gathering supplies to deal with a deluge of coronavirus patients. At the same time, revenues are down. All of this means hospitals across the U.S. are laying off workers.

Most of the world's developed economies have gone on total economic lockdown to combat coronavirus. Sweden has kept its economy open. Sweden says this is better for the economy and for public health.

The coronavirus pandemic may have pushed trade wars off the front page, but such wars are still with us — and they're complicating the world's ability to fight the virus.

Many gig workers have suddenly found themselves providing essential services during the COVID-19 pandemic. But many also feel like they have to work in an unsafe situation.

Different cities responded in different ways to the Spanish Flu outbreak of 1918. And their economies fared differently as a result.

We had almost a decade of growth in the jobs market. But in the last two weeks, nearly 10 million people lost their jobs. Today, we look at the labor market — what's happening and where it's headed.

Faced with the prospect of shutting up shop because of coronavirus, some companies are retooling and pivoting to keep their doors open and their workers employed.

Policymakers can still do more to fight the coronavirus recession. Here are three ideas that we haven't yet tried.

Emergency rooms all over the country are struggling with limited resources: masks, ventilators, hospital beds, doctors. We talk to one ER doctor in New York about how she is managing those resources right now.

Coronavirus questions on the yield curve and refinancing. And some of the ways individuals can help.

President Trump got major backlash this week when he suggested businesses should reopen by Easter. Critics said that was way too early. How do we know when it's safe for businesses to reopen?

Layoffs and furloughs due to the coronavirus clampdown have pushed 3.3 million Americans to apply for unemployment benefits, the largest weekly increase in U.S. history.

The Senate has managed to negotiate a $2 trillion relief package to help keep the U.S. economy afloat as we deal with the coronavirus pandemic. What's in it and will it be enough?

A few years ago, the World Bank issued bonds designed to get cash to needy countries in the event of a pandemic. Sounds like a great idea! But the bonds haven't paid out yet and they may never.

Because of social distancing, the U.S. restaurant industry has entirely disintegrated with unimaginable speed, leaving its workers to face an uncertain future.

Zero and 27 are our indicators of the week. Zero (or nearly zero) is the Fed's new benchmark interest rate. 27 is the number of days that around half of small businesses in the U.S. can go without making money.

A short supply of test kits, staff and equipment have put the U.S. behind in terms of coronavirus testing. We talk to one healthcare worker about what's been limiting their coronavirus testing ability.

China appears to have stopped the spread of coronavirus within its borders. People there are now beginning to adjust to a new normal.

Millions of people all across the world are now having to work from home. Including team Indicator. Today, a look at how this might change the way we work... and what it's like to skip the office.

As social distancing kicks in and cities begin moving aggressively to contain the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the U.S. economy is hitting the brakes. Hard.

The global economy is being hammered this week - markets have tanked, businesses are closing down. The spreading virus is part of it, but most of the effect is coming from fear.

The U.S. spends more on healthcare as a share of its economy than any other wealthy country. In addition to making care less affordable, that also causes indirect damage to the rest of the economy.

As the outbreak of COVID-19 becomes officially classified as a pandemic by the World Health Organization, we look at the role of the Epidemic Intelligence Service the CDCs "disease detectives".

The economic effects of the coronavirus outbreak will take some time to show up in the most important economic indicators. We offer three high-frequency indicators to track its effects in real time.

A spat between Russia and Saudi Arabia led to a collapse in oil prices over the weekend. Stock prices followed. What happened and what it means.

Today's healthy jobs report was uncontaminated by the coronavirus outbreak, but some parts of the labor market may be especially vulnerable in the months ahead.

U.S. policymakers are taking steps to limit the spread and impact of coronavirus. But they're not helped by American health policy, which could use an overhaul if it's to limit the spread of viral outbreaks.

As coronavirus wreaks havoc on the global economy, some businesses are actually experiencing a boom in demand. Today on the show, what happens when everyone suddenly wants to panic-buy your product.

The coronavirus continues to roil global markets and economies - including here at home, where the markets took yet another dive. Today, we look at an epicenter of the virus outbreak: northern Italy.

In 2017, rock climber Alex Honnold ascended Yosemite's rock formation El Capitan free solo, meaning without ropes or equipment. On today's show, we look at the economic lessons revealed by Honnold's extraordinary feat.

As coronavirus fears roiled markets this week, we hear from Bloomberg's Tracy Alloway, who's based in Hong Kong, about what it's like to live in a city in the throes of an outbreak

The world has changed, and nearly two thirds of global wealth is human capital. Policymakers and politicians may not understand just what that means for global politics.

Last week's Daytona 500 came at a precarious time for NASCAR. Once a behemoth in the world of professional sports, the company is now trying to entice a new generation of race fans.

Netflix had to become a content producer to compete with other streaming services. To raise the money to pay for all that content, the company turned to junk bonds.

The effects of assortative mating, or, what happens when people increasingly marry only other people with similar incomes and education.

Political Economist Jared Bernstein watched this week's Democratic debate. Many economic issues came up, but he thinks the candidates need to start talking about how much U.S. households are saving.

People who make the highest salaries are increasingly the same people who draw the highest incomes from their capital.

Last year, Team Indicator bought a junk bond! The bond was from a company called Hornbeck Offshore Services. On today's show, we learn more about the company and we check in on our investment.

Cardiff takes on the national debt, minimum wage, and gender-fluid tadpoles to get answers to your burning questions.

It's an Economic Valentine! Economics isn't known as a language of love. But economists Betsey Stevenson and Justin Wolfers say it's central to their relationship and to their decisions as a couple.

Buy or rent? That's becoming a question for manufacturers of more and more types of products. Now fast fashion brands are trying to get in on the movement, too.

The first milestone in the history of economics was an 8th century B.C. poem — a lecture by an ancient Greek poet to his deadbeat brother.

In the last fifteen years, the cost of solar energy has declined so sharply that it has recently become the cheapest form of energy in the world. Now, major companies are jumping in to invest, but will the markets follow?

The coronavirus has sickened more than 40,000 people and killed more than 900. In addition to that devastating human toll, the outbreak is likely to have economically destructive effects as well.

The unemployment rate for black workers is roughly twice that of white workers - and has been for half a century. Today we discuss the reasons for the gap, and how to shrink it.

Betting on the Oscars is now legal in New Jersey and Indiana, so we went down to Atlantic City to place a bet on Best Picture. And we spoke to a few experts beforehand to understand how to make a better bet.

It used to be that companies strove for the best credit rating possible. Today, however, almost everyone's happy to slide by with a barely passing grade.

How do you measure happiness? Economist David Blanchflower says age has a lot to do with it.

As Iowans prepare to make their selection for the Democratic presidential nominee, a new study sheds light on just how polarized Americans are, even when it comes to reality itself.

Today is Brexit Day. As of 11:00pm tonight (GMT), the UK will no longer be part of the European Union. We spoke to a small business owner about what that might mean.

America has a hard-earned reputation for being the most dynamic economy on the globe. But that dynamism could be waning.

As the coronavirus spreads internationally, we wanted to know what it looks like when an infectious disease shuts down one of the world's largest economies. We speak with NPR Beijing correspondent, Emily Feng.

Nearly half of Amazon's packages are delivered not by UPS or USPS, but by the company itself. Amazon employs thousands of gig workers to make its deliveries, administering them through an app called Amazon Flex.

Monopoly recently rolled out a version of its classic board game, meant to highlight female contributions to the economy as well as women's economic issues. Today on the show, we play Ms. Monopoly.

Cardiff is back to present three economic facts for Stacey to deem fun, not fun, or just plain fascinating.

There's been a lot of troubling economic and political news over the last few years. In spite of that, the stock market has just kept on climbing.

Stacey and Cardiff face off on the question of whether the stock market is overvalued or undervalued.

On average, work by women artists sells for 40% less than work by male artists. Their work also represents just a small sliver of what's displayed in museums. So, how did women get shut out of the art world?