Category: News

The Federal Reserve has once again opted to leave interest rates unchanged. That appears to be creating a big challenge to one part of the economy: housing prices. Today, we look at how elevated interest rates may actually be keeping home prices and rent high. Plus, we see how one community is taking the issue of housing affordability into its own hands.

Read the research paper co-authored by Julia Fonseca, Lu Liu, and Pierre Mabille.

Related episodes:
When mortgage rates are too low to give up (Apple / Spotify)
The housing shakeup (Apple / Spotify)
The highs and lows of US rent (Apple / Spotify)

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It's time for The Indicator Quiz!

We test you, dear listener, on your knowledge of topics that we've covered on The Indicator!

Today's quiz focuses on our June episodes, in which we covered a lot of... well, a little bit of everything! NVIDIA, ChatGPT, and...Peppa Pig?

Play along with us and see how you do!

Are you interested in being a contestant on our next Indicator Quiz? Email us your name and phone number at indicator@npr.org and put "Indicator Quiz" in the subject line.

Related Episodes:
Spud Spat
The tower of NVIDIA
Indicators of the Week: Debate Edition

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The childcare industry has been having a tough go of it. It's already expensive; pandemic-era programs have ended; plus there are too few providers. Enter a new challenge: increasing liability insurance premiums. Today, we look at why these premiums are rising for childcare providers, and how they're impacting both businesses and consumers.

Related episodes:
Baby's first market failure (Apple / Spotify)
When Uncle Sam stops paying the childcare bill (Apple / Spotify)

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Indicators of the Week is BACK, and this time, we're going for the gold! (...In educating our listeners on the economics and business stories behind the Olympics.)

In this Olympics-themed episode, we'll learn what economic factors help countries win more medals, how NBCUniversal is betting on these games to support its streaming service, and what it takes to feed 15,000 hungry athletes. (Hint: A LOT of potassium. And pain au chocolat. And baguettes.)

Related Episode:
Why Host The Olympics?

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Are the promises made by AI boosters mostly hype, or are we actually underappreciating the transformative potential of AI?

This week, The Indicator hosts a two-part debate on the hype around generative AI. Today, the second episode: Despite the tech world's love affair with the technology, is AI overrated?

Related episodes:
Is AI underrated? (Apple / Spotify)

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Are the promises made by AI boosters all hype, or are we actually underappreciating the transformative potential of AI?

This week, The Indicator hosts a two-part debate on the hype around generative AI. Today, the first episode: Despite all the news coverage and money, is AI underrated?

Guest Tyler Cowen's book that he published as an AI chatbot is GOAT: Who is the Greatest Economist of all Time and Why Does it Matter? and his interview with an AI Jonathan Swift is on his podcast, Conversations With Tyler.

Related episodes:
Is AI overrated? (Apple / Spotify)

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Even before the Dune: Part 2 popcorn bucket went viral this year, movie theaters have been trying all types of ways to lure customers back. There's reclining seats, expanded menu options and even more merchandise. Today on the show, we track the rise of the popcorn bucket and its afterlife on eBay.

Related episodes:
Coyote vs. Warner Brothers Discovery (Apple / Spotify)
​​Why platforms like HBO Max are removing streaming TV shows (Apple / Spotify)

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You may have heard some big news this past weekend: Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential election. This leaves Kamala Harris as the favorite to be the Democratic nominee.

On today's show, We imagine what can be, and we're unburdened by what has been: Kamala Harris' economics, delegate math in deciding the nominee and ... can Kamala Harris use Joe Biden's campaign money?

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It's Indicators of the Week! We cover the numbers in the news that you should know about. This week, we cover climbing corporate bankruptcies, J.D. Vance's potential to bring the dollar down, and the NBA's new super serious salary cap.

Related episodes:
The Science of Hoops
Why Ecuador Uses The Dollar?

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The Supreme Court's decision to quash Chevron deference means countless agency regulations are now more vulnerable to being challenged and struck down. Think the Environmental Protection Agency's plan to boost electric vehicle sales, discrimination protections against transgender people, and rules that expand eligibility for overtime.

Yesterday, we explained the history that led to this moment. Today, we look at the how the decision will play into a wave of regulatory lawsuits.

Related episodes:
The conservative roots behind the Chevron doctrine (Apple / Spotify)
Could SCOTUS outlaw wealth taxes (Apple / Spotify)

For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

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