The Indicator from Planet Money - Using anecdotes to predict recessions

Eight times a year, we award regional Federal Reserve Banks with our coveted Beigie Award. While the anecdotes within the Beige Book offer us fascinating looks into the economy, to others, it can be difficult to make anything of the stories they tell. That's why we're giving out a special Beigie award today to some economists who found a way to use anecdotes to peer into our economic future.

Regional Economic Sentiment: Constructing Quantitative Estimates from the Beige Book and Testing Their Ability to Forecast Recessions

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More or Less: Behind the Stats - UK growth, prisons and Swiftonomics

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said that the UK economy is growing faster than Germany, France and the US, while Labour says the typical household in the UK is worse off by ?5,883 since 2019. Are these claims fair? We give some needed context.

Net migration has fallen - we talk to someone who predicted it would - Dr Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford.

Is Taylor Swift about to add ?1 bn to the British economy as some media outlets have claimed? The answer is ?No?.

Why are our prisons full? We ask Cassia Rowland from the Institute for Government.

Presenter: Tim Harford Producers: Charlotte McDonald, Nathan Gower, Bethan Ashmead Latham and Ellie House Series producer: Tom Colls Sound mix: Neil Churchill Production coordinator: Brenda Brown Editor: Richard Vadon

The Indicator from Planet Money - Can dental therapists fill the gap in oral care?

Dental therapists have been practicing in other parts of the world for decades, but in the U.S. they are relatively few and far between. Like a hygienist, dental therapists can do cleanings as well as some procedures usually reserved for dentists, like simple extractions. They could also be the solution to getting underserved, rural communities better oral care. Today on the show, new momentum for dental therapy and why the American Dental Association is pushing back.

Related episodes:
The value of good teeth

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Cato Daily Podcast - Trump, RFK Jr., and the Libertarian Party

Two notably illiberal politicians headlined at the Libertarian Party's convention over the weekend. What does it reveal about the brand of libertarianism advanced by the LP? Aaron Steelman and Andy Craig comment.

Related:Trump is hardly libertarian. But neither is today’s Libertarian Party.” By Peter Goettler, The Washington Post, May 23, 2024


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More or Less: Behind the Stats - Is intermittent fasting going to kill you?

News stories earlier in the year appeared to suggest that time restricted eating ? where you consume all your meals in an 8 hour time window ? was associated with a 91% increase in the risk of death from cardiovascular disease.

But is this true? Tim Harford looks into the claim with the help of Cardiologist Dr Donald Lloyd-Jones, chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Northwestern University in the US.

Presenter: Tim Harford Producer: Debbie Richford Series producer: Tom Colls Production coordinator: Brenda Brown Sound mix: Nigel Appleton Editor: Richard Vadon

The Indicator from Planet Money - How Red Lobster got cooked and other indicators

Indicators of the Week is back! On today's episode, we discuss Red Lobster's bankruptcy, the rancid vibes of the U.S. economy, and a surprising shift in vices among Americans.

Related episodes:
Endless shrimp and other indicators (Apple / Spotify)
Is the financial media making us miserable about the economy? (Apple / Spotify)

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