The Indicator from Planet Money - Who’s afraid of private credit?

There is a $3 trillion dollar black box at the center of the economy. It’s called private credit. These are direct loans from private investors to private companies. They’re often riskier, less regulated than traditional bank loans – and far less transparent. Spooked investors are scrambling to cash out, and some funds aren’t letting them. It’s all fueling fears of another financial crisis.

On today’s show, the private credit exodus. 

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Related episodes: 
What could break next? 
Who’s financing Meta’s massive AI data center?

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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What Next | Daily News and Analysis - Hollywood vs. A.I. Slop

OpenAI is shutting down its video generator Sora less than six months after it launched, and just three months since it signed a deal with Disney. Is this an A.I. company fine tuning its offerings, or the long-awaited popping of the A.I. bubble?


Guest: Jason Koebler, cofounder of 404 Media.


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Podcast production by Elena Schwartz, Paige Osburn, Anna Phillips, Madeline Ducharme, and Rob Gunther.


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What A Day - The Next Abortion Battle

It’s been nearly four years since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and sent the issue back to the states. Since then, more than a dozen states have essentially banned abortion, while others have severely limited access. Back in February, two Tennessee Republican legislators tried passing a law making it so that women who had abortions could be charged with homicide, which would make them eligible for the death penalty under the state’s criminal law statutes. The bill failed in a House committee – but lawmakers in several other states have tried putting forth similar bills over the last two years. Shefali Luthra, reproductive health reporter at The 19th, joins the show to talk about the state of abortion in America right now.

And in headlines, Transportation Security Administration agents are finally set to be paid, but federal immigration officers are staying in airports for the time being, the Trump administration is reportedly planning a ground invasion of Iran, and millions turned out over the weekend for the latest No Kings protests.

Show Notes:

The Indicator from Planet Money - Do school lunches really need an overhaul?

School lunch has been revamped a ton over the last two decades. Now, the Trump administration wants to rejigger the menu once more to align with its Make America Healthy Again agenda. That means more meat. More dairy. But do schools really need another menu overhaul? And could they even afford it?

On today’s show, we join a school lunch line in South Carolina to find out what kids are actually eating.

Come see Planet Money live on stage in April! Twelve cities. Details and tix here: https://tix.to/pm-book-tour

Related episodes: 
A food fight over free school lunch
How beef climbed to the top of the food pyramid

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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What Next | Daily News and Analysis - How to Rein in ICE and A.I.

Artificial intelligence is working its way into every aspect of our lives, including law and immigration enforcement, and the industry is spending millions of dollars to ensure it can continue to do so unregulated. But as evidence of bias appears in this nascent tech, this congresswoman wants to ensure we’re not just recreating our historical biases and problems all over again—which is to say, she wants guardrails. 


Guest: Summer Lee, U.S. representative for Pennsylvania’s 12th district.


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Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.


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More or Less - How much water does AI consume?

As Artificial Intelligence continues to expand rapidly, some people have raised concerns about its potential environmental impact - in particular its use of water, which is used to cool both data centres and the power generators that supply them with electricity.

One recent book on AI contained the alarming prediction that AI could consume between 4 and 6 trillion litres a year by 2027. Could this eye-popping figure be right? If not, what is the correct figure, and is it a big number?

The devil, as ever, is in the detail, and with the help of expert Alex de Vries-Gao, the More or Loss team has taken a deep dive to get to the truth about AI and water consumption.

If you’ve seen a number in the news and you think More or Less should take a look, email the team on moreorless@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Charlotte McDonald Producer / Reporter: Nathan Gower Series Producer: Tom Colls Programme Coordinator: Brenda Brown Sound Mix: Dave O’Neil Editor: Richard Vadon

What A Day - Gen Z Is Angsty: Here’s Why

Young voters are one of many groups that pushed Trump back into the White House in 2024. Some researchers saw this as a potentially massive realignment with game-changing implications for our politics — but one year into Trump's second term, it doesn't seem like it. Trump is 34 points underwater according to the Cook Political Report's poll aggregator. And those polls were taken before Trump launched a war with Iran, a decision most young people oppose. So what should Democrats do to reach young voters where they're at? To find out, we spoke to Florida Democratic Rep. Maxwell Frost. He's the first Gen Z member elected to Congress.

And in headlines, Trump reveals Iran's so-called gift to the U.S, Cuba is struggling amidst the U.S. oil blockade, and you can make your voice heard at a No Kings event this weekend.

Show Notes:

What Next | Daily News and Analysis - Social Media’s Big Tobacco Moment

What YouTube and Meta’s loss in the “social media addiction trial” could mean for your feed.


Guest: Ryan Mac, business and technology reporter for the New York Times.


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Podcast production by Evan Campbell, and Patrick Fort.


Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.