The Indicator from Planet Money - Mail bag! Grad jobs, simplified branding and central bank independence

Penny for your thoughts? Today we open our mail bag to hear from Indicator listeners. A college graduate tells us about their job search, a researcher discusses why products advertised as 'simple' may not be so straightforward, and another listener thinks the debate over Fed independence is a little more nuanced than we let on.

Heard something on the show you liked (or didn't)? Have an insight to share about the economy? Send us an email: indicator@npr.org!

Related episodes:
Should presidents have more say in interest rates? (Apple / Spotify)
We grade Fed Chair Jerome Powell (Apple / Spotify)
Trade wars and talent shortages (Apple / Spotify)
If the world had no accountants (Apple / Spotify)
The case for inflation

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More or Less: Behind the Stats - The puzzles you?re meant to get wrong

Why do some puzzles make us immediately leap to the wrong conclusion?

That?s the subject of Alex Bellos? new book Think Twice, which has page after page of questions designed to deceive.

Alex sets Tim Harford some of his favourite puzzles.

Presenter: Tim Harford Series producer: Tom Colls Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison and Janet Staples Sound mix: Donald MacDonald Editor: Richard Vadon

The Indicator from Planet Money - America’s small GDP bump, China’s big stimulus dispersal, and a Monkey King

It's time for ... Indicators of the Week! It is our show where we talk about fascinating numbers from the news. On today's episode, America's small GDP increase, a big assist from China's government to its lower income residents, and a high-grossing, centuries-old Monkey King.

Related Episodes:
How Red Lobster got cooked and other indicators
China's luxury liquor indicator

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The Indicator from Planet Money - What does the next era of Social Security look like?

Peak 65 is here. More than 4 million Americans will turn 65 each year between 2024 and 2027, representing the largest retirement surge in history. Years ago, older Americans could count on Social Security. But today there is some uncertainty on the program's solvency in the next decade plus. Now, many are entering their golden years with financial insecurity. Today on the show, how did Social Security become a thing? And what could the safety net for the Peak 65 generation and beyond look like?

James Chappel's book: Golden Years: How Americans Invented and Reinvented Old AgeGolden Years: How Americans Invented and Reinvented Old Age

Related episodes:
Iceberg ahead for Social Security (Apple / Spotify)
What would it take to fix retirement? (Apple / Spotify)
Social Insecurity

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The Indicator from Planet Money - Are pharmacy benefit managers driving up drug prices? (Update)

A group of obscure yet powerful players in the prescription drug industry are under the microscope. On Tuesday, at a Senate hearing in D.C., the head of pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk blamed the health insurance industry and pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, for allegedly making products like the weight loss drug Ozempic way more expensive in the U.S. than it is in other countries. A few days before that, the Federal Trade Commission sued three of the country's largest PBMs for allegedly using unfair tactics to artificially inflate the price of insulin.

So what exactly are PBMs and how do they work? In an episode that aired two years ago, we explain how the answer involves secret deals and double agents.

Related episodes:
Who can and cannot get weight loss drugs (Apple / Spotify)
New drugs. Cheaper drugs. Why not both? (Apple / Spotify)

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