The Indicator from Planet Money - Why the Federal Reserve wants to avoid an aggressive rate cut

The Federal Reserve is expected to make a modest cut to interest rates this week of about a quarter or half a percentage point. President Trump, however, believes they should take a far more aggressive approach: a 3-percentage point cut. 

Today on the show, we examine what a 3-percentage point cut would actually look like, and why that outcome would likely backfire on the president. Related episodes: 

It's hard out there for a Fed chair 

Should presidents have more of a say in interest rates? 

Can the Federal Reserve stay independent? 

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 - Who’s Winning the War on Higher Education?

Conservatives have decried higher education as a center of liberal indoctrination for decades, and under the second Trump administration, colleges and universities are watching their federal funding be withheld or frozen, their presidents step down, and professors lose their jobs.

What can be done to wrest back academic freedom and independence from a vindictive administration?

Guest:  Sarah Brown, senior editor of the Chronicle of Higher Education.

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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 - Shutdown Showdown, Part [We’ve Lost Count]

The clock is ticking until the federal government runs out of money and potentially shuts down—again. Now you might be thinking, "Didn't we do this? Like, a few months ago?" And yeah, we did. In March, the Senate approved a short-term spending bill with the support of 10 Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. And if Republicans want to keep the government open, they'll need a lifeline from Democrats. But Democrats want something in return: an extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits that are due to expire at the end of the year. Will the two sides reach a deal? We asked Daniella Diaz, who covers Capitol Hill for NOTUS, a nonprofit D.C. journalism organization.

And in headlines, Utah's governor reveals new details about the man suspected of killing Charlie Kirk, Trump eyes Memphis for his crime crackdown, and a federal judge says it appears the Trump administration is trying to pull a fast one on the courts with its latest deportations.

Show Notes:

The Indicator from Planet Money - Why beef prices are so high

Beef is getting more expensive, and it doesn’t look as though that’s going to change any time soon. That’s the view of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, which wrote in its Beige Book entry this month that the trend of rising beef prices continues. There’s solid demand for beef, but falling supply, as production decreases. Ranchers are making more per cow, but their costs are rising. We speak with a rancher in Wyoming to learn what high beef prices mean for him and other ranchers. 

Related episodes: 
What happened to US farmers during the last trade war 
How USAID cuts hurt American farmers 

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 - Hasan Piker Knew Charlie Kirk

Hasan Piker was scheduled to debate Charlie Kirk at Dartmouth University later this month, a left-vs-right, Vidal-vs-Buckley for the streaming age. In the wake of Kirk’s shocking death, Piker wants to continue to be clear about who Kirk was, what he stood for, and the reactionary political project he was working to advance.

Guest: Hasan Piker, Twitch streamer and left-wing political commentator. 

Want more What Next? Subscribe to Slate Plus to access ad-free listening to the whole What Next family and across all your favorite Slate podcasts. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts by clicking “Try Free” at the top of our show page. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.

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


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What Next | Daily News and Analysis - TBD | Her Daughter Killed Herself. Then She Saw the ChatGPT logs.

After their daughter committed suicide, they found her ChatGPT log—and where artificial intelligence helped her write her suicide note.


Guest:  Laura Reiley, writer for the Cornell Chronicle. 


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More or Less: Behind the Stats - Will the world really be 50 million workers short by 2030?

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says the world faces a severe labour shortage – 50 million workers by the end of the decade. The boss of the world’s most valuable company thinks humanoid robots will be needed to fill the gap.

But is this prediction based on solid evidence?

Tim Harford looks at the calculations behind the claim with Rajiv Gupta, a technology expert at Boston Consulting Group, who is the likely source of the 50 million figure.

If you’ve seen a number in the news you think we should look at, email the team: moreorless@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Tim Harford Producer: Nicholas Barrett Series producer: Tom Colls Sound mix: Hal Haines Editor: Richard Vadon

What Next | Daily News and Analysis - Bonus: “We Got Him”

On Friday, authorities announced they had a suspect – and they sure seemed confident they “got him” (to quote Utah Governor Spencer Cox). Mary and Slatester Luke Winkie discuss the press conference – and what happens now.

Guest: Luke Winkie, Slate staff writer.

This episode is member-exclusive. Listen to it now by subscribing to Slate Plus. By joining, not only will you unlock exclusive episodes of What Next —you’ll also access ad-free listening across all your favorite Slate podcasts. You can subscribe directly from the What Next show page on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Or, visit slate.com/whatnextplus to get access wherever you listen.

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


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What A Day - Political Violence In America

The search for a suspect in Charlie Kirk's death continues. The FBI released some grainy photos of a person of interest wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap — all in black — in the hope it might trigger tips or other information from the public. The FBI also said it recovered a bolt-action rifle that may have been used in the shooting. With no suspect in custody, no motive has been established either. And let's be incredibly clear: as of this moment, we still do not know why someone shot and killed Charlie Kirk. We spoke with Graeme Wood, Atlantic staff writer, about the growing trend of political violence in America.

And in headlines, Senate Republicans go nuclear to push through Trump's nominees, the U.K. fires its ambassador to the U.S. over his links to Jeffrey Epstein, and the Department of Education ends grant funding for minority-serving colleges.

Show Notes: