It’s … Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news.
On today’s episode: Job retraining boosts mental health (with more mixed results for romance); the complex picture behind why dinner reservations are down in DC; and the trading platform Robinhood gets into the sports definitely-not-betting game.
Related episodes:
The cautionary tale of a recovering day trading addict
The nepo baby premium, frothing markets, and Apple vs. Apples
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 Cooper Katz McKim and Corey Bridges. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
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Engines of Our Ingenuity - The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1424: La Sylphide
Episode: 1424 La Sylphide: an elemental in the Industrial Revolution. Today, a ballet gives us an odd window into history.
Cato Podcast - Capital Punishments
As President Trump’s “crime emergency” puts troops on D.C.’s streets, socialist Zohran Mamdani surges ahead in the New York mayoral race. On the panel, Cato scholars debate whether America’s capitals of politics and finance are becoming laboratories for failed ideas.
Featuring Ryan Bourne, Gene Healy, Clark Neily, and Marian Tupy
Ryan Bourne, “Zohran Mamdani’s ‘War on Prices’,” Commentary (June 13, 2025) cato.org
Scott Lincicome, “State-Run Supermarkets: A (Bad) Statist Solution in Search of a Problem,” Commentary (July 10, 2025) cato.org
Marian L. Tupy, “Marian L. Tupy Discusses His Experiences Living Under Communism on Prager U’s Stories of Us Podcast,” Media Highlights TV (November 14, 2023)
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The Indicator from Planet Money - What happens when railroads get hitched
Two freight-rail giants could make history if their $85 billion merger gets approved. Union Pacific’s proposed marriage with Norfolk Southern would create the first coast-to-coast rail network. So why hasn’t it happened before now? Today on the show, the business of train mergers.
Related episodes:
How Yellow wound up in the red
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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Engines of Our Ingenuity - The Engines of Our Ingenuity 3327: Pasteurization
Episode: 3327 Different Methods of Pasteurization in Different Countries. Today, an experiment.
60 Songs That Explain the '90s - “A-Punk” — Vampire Weekend
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Curious City - What’s the oldest book in circulation at the Chicago Public Library?
Curious City went out to find the oldest book in circulation at the Chicago Public Library. Turns out, the title is over 200 years old, and you can still check it out.
The City - Coming Sept. 3: Binge Untested for free!
On Sept. 3, you’ll be able to binge the entire season of USA TODAY's new show "Untested" – for free. As the story unfolds, you’ll get an insider’s view of how Marshawn Curtis sweet-talks cops in multiple states, avoiding arrest and terrorizing more women.
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The Indicator from Planet Money - Cobalt-free batteries reign in Chinese EVs. Why not the US?
There’s been an era-defining race underway between two types of batteries used in electric vehicles: lithium batteries that use cobalt, and ones that use iron phosphate. Cobalt, a metal with a checkered human rights record, has been in the lead. Until recently.
Henry Sanderson’s book on the elements that build electric vehicles is Volt Rush: The Winners and Losers in the Race to Go Green.
Related episodes:
The race to produce lithium
How batteries are already changing the grid
How batteries are riding the free market rodeo in Texas
How EV batteries tore apart Michigan (Update)
Batteries are catching fire at sea
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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Engines of Our Ingenuity - The Engines of Our Ingenuity 2658: Massively Multiplayer Mathematics
Episode: 2658 Massively Multiplayer Mathematics. Today, let's talk massively multiplayer mathematics.