Electricity bills are on track to rise an average of 8 percent nationwide by 2030 according to a June analysis from Carnegie Mellon University and North Carolina State University. The culprits? Data centers and cryptocurrency mining. Bills could rise as much as 25 percent in places like Virginia. Science writer Dan Charles explains why electric utilities are adding the cost of data center buildings to their customers’ bills while the data companies pay nothing upfront.
Read the full June analysis here.
To listen to more on the environmental impact of data centers, check out our two-part reported series:
- Why the true water footprint of AI is so elusive
- How tech companies could shrink AI's climate footprint
Interested in how technology affects everyday life? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.
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Planet Money - Is AI slopifying the job market? (Two Indicators)
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AI is already reshaping how people find work. Fewer entry-level jobs, robot recruiters, and ever-changing new skill requirements all add up to a new, daunting landscape for humans trying to find dignified work.
Today on the show: two stories from the edges of a changing labor market. First we’ll assess claims that AI is causing a white collar job apocalypse. What does the data actually say? We meet an economist who has found one small but fascinating way to measure the impact of AI on workers.
Then, we go face-to-face, or at least voice-to-voice, with AI. We meet a robot recruiter for a job interview and find cause to ask, ‘When might that actually be preferable to a human recruiter?’
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The original Indicator episodes were hosted by Wailin Wong, Darian Woods, and Adrian Ma. They were produced by Cooper Katz McKim and engineered by Robert Rodriguez and Debbie Daughtry. They were fact checked by Sierra Juarez. They were edited by Paddy Hirsch and Kate Concannon.
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AI is already reshaping how people find work. Fewer entry-level jobs, robot recruiters, and ever-changing new skill requirements all add up to a new, daunting landscape for humans trying to find dignified work.
Today on the show: two stories from the edges of a changing labor market. First we’ll assess claims that AI is causing a white collar job apocalypse. What does the data actually say? We meet an economist who has found one small but fascinating way to measure the impact of AI on workers.
Then, we go face-to-face, or at least voice-to-voice, with AI. We meet a robot recruiter for a job interview and find cause to ask, ‘When might that actually be preferable to a human recruiter?’
Pre-order the Planet Money book and get a free gift. / Subscribe to Planet Money+
Listen free: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the NPR app or anywhere you get podcasts.
Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / Our weekly Newsletter.
The original Indicator episodes were hosted by Wailin Wong, Darian Woods, and Adrian Ma. They were produced by Cooper Katz McKim and engineered by Robert Rodriguez and Debbie Daughtry. They were fact checked by Sierra Juarez. They were edited by Paddy Hirsch and Kate Concannon.
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NPR's Book of the Day - ‘The Devil Is a Southpaw’ is a story within a story — or so its narrator says
Are all unreliable narrators self-aware? The answer might depend on the novel, but in Brandon Hobson’s The Devil Is a Southpaw, our primary narrator, Milton (a writer and artist) uses his prose to sew complexity and confusion into the narrative itself. In today’s episode, Hobson speaks with NPR’s Scott Simon about his newest novel, and the journey of crafting a story about two ex-convicts bound together through jealousy and the mutual dream of artistic success.
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To listen to Book of the Day sponsor-free and support NPR's book coverage, sign up for Book of the Day+ at plus.npr.org/bookoftheday
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The Indicator from Planet Money - How Japan’s new prime minister is jolting markets
Sanae Takaichi was sworn in as Japan’s first female prime minister a little over a month ago, and she’s already making waves in the East and West. The first priority for the people of Japan is if her government can fix the country’s cost-of-living problem. Today on the show, we break down what Sanaeonomics could mean for the Land of the Rising Sun.
Related episodes
How Japan is trying to solve the problem of shrinking villages
Japan had a vibrant economy. Then it fell into a slump for 30 years
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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Related episodes
How Japan is trying to solve the problem of shrinking villages
Japan had a vibrant economy. Then it fell into a slump for 30 years
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.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Consider This from NPR - The White House keeps firing immigration judges. He is one of them
President Trump is purging the immigration court system. About 140 immigration judges have been fired by the administration or resigned. Meanwhile, the case backlog is growing.
What does it mean for immigrants caught in the middle? We speak with one of the judges recently let go.
The firings are part of an ongoing effort by the White House to overhaul the U.S. immigration system. Now, those judges are being replaced by “deportation judges.”
For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
This episode was produced by Daniel Ofman and Karen Zamora, with additional reporting by Ximena Bustillo and Anusha Mathur. It was edited by Christopher Intagliata and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
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What does it mean for immigrants caught in the middle? We speak with one of the judges recently let go.
The firings are part of an ongoing effort by the White House to overhaul the U.S. immigration system. Now, those judges are being replaced by “deportation judges.”
For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
This episode was produced by Daniel Ofman and Karen Zamora, with additional reporting by Ximena Bustillo and Anusha Mathur. It was edited by Christopher Intagliata and Courtney Dorning. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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State of the World from NPR - Is Israel Redrawing the Map of the West Bank?
During the over two years of war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, there has also been violence in the other Palestinian Territory— the West Bank, which has been under Israeli occupation for decades. There have been waves of attacks by Israeli settlers, some of which have been deadly. And arrests of residents, which Israel says is for its own security. Israel has also been quietly redistricting the land. It’s the same land Palestinians want for a future state and they fear it is being annexed by Israel. We go there to see what it means on the ground.
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1A - The Outlook For Affordable Care Act Subsidies
The longest government shutdown in U.S. history ended a little over two weeks ago. Federal workers are back on the job. But one of the biggest fights that helped fuel that shutdown remains unresolved.
The enhanced subsidies that help millions of people afford health plans on the Affordable Care Act marketplaces are set to expire at the end of this year. Meanwhile, open enrollment for 2026 coverage is underway.
As part of the shutdown deal, Republican Senate leaders promised Democrats a vote on extending health care tax credits by mid-December. But the politics haven’t changed. It remains unlikely that the extension will get through the Senate, clear the House, or get to President Donald Trump’s desk.
What's in store for the future of the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance marketplaces? What kind of policy discussions are currently taking place?
Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.
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The enhanced subsidies that help millions of people afford health plans on the Affordable Care Act marketplaces are set to expire at the end of this year. Meanwhile, open enrollment for 2026 coverage is underway.
As part of the shutdown deal, Republican Senate leaders promised Democrats a vote on extending health care tax credits by mid-December. But the politics haven’t changed. It remains unlikely that the extension will get through the Senate, clear the House, or get to President Donald Trump’s desk.
What's in store for the future of the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance marketplaces? What kind of policy discussions are currently taking place?
Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Up First from NPR - Hegseth Boat Strikes, Witkoff To Moscow, National Guard Shooting Suspect
A U.S. official contradicts the White House account of who ordered the deadly boat strike in the Caribbean, while President Trump considers his next moves with Venezuela.
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff heads to Moscow for high-stakes talks after revising the peace agreement with Ukrainian negotiators.
And new details about the Afghan man accused of shooting two National Guard soldiers point to a long-running mental health crisis rather than radicalization.
Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff heads to Moscow for high-stakes talks after revising the peace agreement with Ukrainian negotiators.
And new details about the Afghan man accused of shooting two National Guard soldiers point to a long-running mental health crisis rather than radicalization.
Want more comprehensive analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.
Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Rebecca Metzler, Miguel Macias, Alina Hartounian, Mohamad ElBardicy and Alice Woelfle.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas.
We get engineering support from Damian Herring. And our technical director is Carleigh Strange.
Our Senior Supervising Producer is Vince Pearson.
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The Indicator from Planet Money - What would it mean to actually refund the tariffs?
Tariffs are bringing in some serious cash into the US Treasury’s pocket. The problem with that money is that it may need to be refunded. A case in front of the Supreme Court could declare several of Trump’s tariffs illegal, which would prompt a return of billions of dollars. Today on the show, we look at how that would work and why the process will likely not be easy.
Related episodes:
Three ways companies are getting around tariffs
Days of our 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.
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Short Wave - Why Experts Are Racing To Learn About This Interstellar Comet
The comet 3I/ATLAS is taking a long holiday journey this year. It’s visiting from another solar system altogether. Those interstellar origins have the Internet rumor mill questioning whether 3I/ATLAS came from aliens. Co-hosts Emily Kwong and Regina G. Barber dive into that, plus what it and other interstellar comets can tell us about planets beyond our solar system.
Read more of NPR’s coverage of 3I/ATLAS. Also, if you liked this episode, check out our episodes on:
- the physics in the film Interstellar
- why Pluto is still helpful for learning how our solar system formed
Interested in more space science? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.
Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.
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Read more of NPR’s coverage of 3I/ATLAS. Also, if you liked this episode, check out our episodes on:
- the physics in the film Interstellar
- why Pluto is still helpful for learning how our solar system formed
Interested in more space science? Email us your question at shortwave@npr.org.
Listen to every episode of Short Wave sponsor-free and support our work at NPR by signing up for Short Wave+ at plus.npr.org/shortwave.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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