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The Economy Explained
Are Trump's trade deals the real deal?
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The Indicator

Are Trump's trade deals the real deal?

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Top Trump advisers have been boasting about 'awesome' trade deals the administration is negotiating with other countries. But are these deals real? Today on the show, we ask a former U.S. trade negotiator whether these agreements hold up.

Are Trump's trade deals the real deal?

Listen · 9:13
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Why does the government fund research at universities?

2024-10-03 — Aerial view of Brookings Hall, the East End, Forest Park, the Medical Campus and downtown St. Louis. Thomas Malkowicz/Thomas Malkowicz/WashU hide caption

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Planet Money

Why does the government fund research at universities?

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American universities are where people go to learn and teach. They're also where research and development happens. Over the past eight decades, universities have received billions in federal dollars to help that happen. Those dollars have contributed to innovations like: Drone technology. Inhalable Covid vaccines. Google search code.

Why does the government fund research at universities?

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Why are college coaches paid so much?

Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer makes nearly 11 million dollars per year over an eight year contract. Vasha Hunt/AP Newsroom hide caption

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Vasha Hunt/AP Newsroom

The Indicator

Why are college coaches paid so much?

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If you had to guess, would you say the president of a university usually makes more money than the football coach? Well, you may be wrong. A college's football coach is often their highest paid employee. The University of Alabama pays its football coach on average close to $11 million. Today on the show, why are college football coaches paid so much? Do their salaries really make economic sense?

Why are college coaches paid so much?

Listen · 9:26
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How to build abundantly
Volero Doval/Simon & Schuster

The Indicator

How to build abundantly

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Why is building affordable housing so hard these days? We talk to author Derek Thompson about his new book with Ezra Klein, Abundance, about what they believe is keeping affordable housing out of reach in high-income cities.

How to build abundantly

Listen · 9:02
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The secret world behind those scammy text messages

Messages a victim of an online scam known as "pig butchering," exchanged with a person who would later turn out to be a scammer. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on February 9, 2024. BASTIEN INZAURRALDE/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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BASTIEN INZAURRALDE/AFP via Getty Images

Planet Money

The secret world behind those scammy text messages

by  P.J. Vogt ,  Sruthi Pinnamaneni

You might have seen these texts before. The scam starts innocently enough. Maybe it's a "Long time no see" or "Hello" or "How are you." For investigative reporter Zeke Faux it was – "Hi David, I'm Vicky Ho. Don't you remember me?"

The secret world behind those scammy text messages

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Target, Klarna and Sesame Street's new addy
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The Indicator

Target, Klarna and Sesame Street's new addy

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Can you tell me how to get... how to get to Indicators of the Week? This week's econ roundup looks at Target's sagging sales, Klarna's pay-later problem, and Sesame Street's new streaming address.

Target, Klarna and Sesame Street's new addy

Listen · 9:26
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How Trump is making coin from $TRUMP coin
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The Indicator

How Trump is making coin from $TRUMP coin

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Just before Trump began his second administration in January, he and his business partners launched the $TRUMP coin. It's a meme coin that quickly raked in hundreds of millions of dollars. And there's a lot of earning potential still left on the table. Is any of this legal?

How Trump is making coin from $TRUMP coin

Listen · 9:23
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How economists (and TikTok) know if a recession is coming
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Planet Money

How economists (and TikTok) know if a recession is coming

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Lately we've noticed that something we think about all the time here at Planet Money is having a viral moment: recession indicators!

How economists (and TikTok) know if a recession is coming

Listen · 23:33
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The old trade war that brought foreign carmakers to the U.S.
AP Images

The Indicator

The old trade war that brought foreign carmakers to the U.S.

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President Donald Trump wants more products made in America, and he's not afraid of a few trade wars to make it happen. Back in the 80s, a different trade dispute brought new manufacturing to the U.S. Today on the show, how former President Ronald Reagan used the threat of trade protectionism to bring car-making stateside, and why the same strategy might not work today.

The old trade war that brought foreign carmakers to the U.S.

Listen · 8:58
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The rise of the credit card airport lounge

At least ten new airport lounges are set to open this year in the US, many backed by credit cards Getty Images hide caption

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The Indicator

The rise of the credit card airport lounge

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We are back to answer your questions, listeners. Today on the show, we tackle three big questions: Are airport lounges worth it for credit card companies? How effective have carbon taxes been for Canada? Why is gasoline getting more expensive over the last few months as the price of crude oil has sunk?

The rise of the credit card airport lounge

Listen · 9:28
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The Art of the Deal ft. Beyoncé
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The Indicator

The Art of the Deal ft. Beyoncé

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All of us negotiate — whether it's accepting a job offer, buying a house or working out who does the dishes. Economist Daryl Fairweather has a new book out: Hate the Game: Economic Cheat Codes for Life, Love, and Work. It's all about the negotiation lessons she's learned through the research, her own career and Destiny's Child.

The Art of the Deal ft. Beyonce

Listen · 8:22
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The 145% tariff already did its damage

There is normally a cargo ship, parked, getting unloaded under the cranes. But the 145% tariff on imports from China brought shipping way down. And it'll take a while for the shipping volumes to return at the Port of Los Angeles. Sarah Gonzalez/NPR hide caption

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Sarah Gonzalez/NPR

Planet Money

The 145% tariff already did its damage

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Even though the 145% tariff on Chinese imports only lasted a month, it already inflicted its scars on the economy. Global trade is just not something you can turn off and on like that.

The 145% tariff already did its damage

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Brain-controlled iPhones, a Japanese asset buy-a-thon, and Trump tax cut debt
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The Indicator

Brain-controlled iPhones, a Japanese asset buy-a-thon, and Trump tax cut debt

by  ,  ,  ,  , 

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

Brain-controlled iPhones, a Japanese asset buy-a-thon, and Trump tax cut debt

Listen · 8:59
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Bond market nightmares
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The Indicator

Bond market nightmares

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In early April, the bond market gave people a scare. Investors began selling off their historically secure U.S. Treasuries in large quantities. It reportedly encouraged President Trump to pause his flurry of liberation day tariffs. These jitters offered a glimpse into what could go wrong for U.S. Treasuries if economic uncertainty gets worse. On today's show, we take a peek at some nightmare scenarios for the bond market.

Bond market nightmares

Listen · 9:29
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What happened to U.S. farmers during the last trade war

LaVon and Craig Griffieon on their farm near Ankeny, Iowa. Grant Gerlock/for NPR hide caption

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Grant Gerlock/for NPR

Planet Money

What happened to U.S. farmers during the last trade war

by  ,  ,  , 

The U.S. exports billions of dollars worth of agricultural products each year — things like soybeans, corn and pork. And over the last month, these exports have been caught up in a trade war.

What happened to U.S. farmers during the last trade war

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What we misunderstand about gun violence
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The Indicator

What we misunderstand about gun violence

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The U.S. is known around the world for its problem with gun violence. The vast majority of murders in the U.S. are committed using guns. But what leads one person to shoot another? The "conventional wisdom" says gun violence is usually the act of calculated criminals or people acting out of desperate economic circumstances. But economist Jens Ludwig believes the conventional wisdom is wrong. Today on the show, he explains why he believes many of us fundamentally misunderstand the problem of gun violence and how behavioral economics reveals some potential solutions.

What we misunderstand about gun violence

Listen · 9:29
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A brief history of NPR funding

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Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

The Indicator

A brief history of NPR funding

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Where does NPR get its funding? Today on the show, we open our books and share a brief history of public radio. And we learn what's at stake with President Trump's executive order to cut off federal funding to NPR.

A brief history of NPR funding

Listen · 9:32
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It's actually really hard to make a robot, guys

The Tesla robot is one of the many iterations looking to make headway as AI accelerates robotic development. AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite hide caption

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AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

The Indicator

It's actually really hard to make a robot, guys

by  ,  ,  ,  , 

Robots have been a thing for a long time, but they've never quite met expectations. While AI has changed the game for chatbots, it's not quite so clear for robots. NPR science desk correspondent Geoff Brumfiel spoke to our colleagues over on our science podcast Short Wave on how humanoid robots are actually developing with the help of artificial intelligence. It was a fascinating discussion and so we are sharing that conversation with you today on the Indicator.

It's actually really hard to make a robot, guys

Listen · 9:26
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Is the reign of the dollar over?

A clerk poses with US dollar banknotes at a money changer in Jakarta on May 2, 2024. (Photo by ADEK BERRY / AFP) (Photo by ADEK BERRY/AFP via Getty Images) ADEK BERRY/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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ADEK BERRY/AFP via Getty Images

Planet Money

Is the reign of the dollar over?

by  ,  ,  , 

For decades, dollars have been the world's common financial language. Central banks everywhere hold dollars as a way to safely store their wealth. Countries, businesses, and people use it to trade; around 90% of all foreign exchange transactions involve dollars. It's the world's money, the world's "reserve currency."

Is the reign of the dollar over?

Listen · 26:14
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What's in YOUR wallet?
Anastasiia Yanishevska/Getty Images

The Indicator

What's in YOUR wallet?

by  ,  ,  ,  , 

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

Prepping for a rainy day and higher used car prices

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