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A bite-sized show about big ideas. From the people who make Planet Money, The Indicator helps you make sense of what's happening in today's economy. It's a quick hit of insight into money, work, and business. Monday through Friday, in 10 minutes or less.

The Indicator from Planet Money

Republican politicians like to use the term ‘Marxist’ to criticize Democrats. Lately, they’ve dubbed New York City mayoral candidate a ‘Marxist’ despite him identifying himself as a democratic socialist. Today on the show, we dig into what ‘Marxism, as an economic term,’ actually means.

Related episodes: 
Socialism 101
Even the facts are polarized

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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How Marxism went from philosophy to cudgel

It’s hard for young tech workers to find a job, even with the AI buildout bonanza. This has spawned a curious worldview that fears AI is coming for our jobs and a drive to be at the top of the AI food chain. This, tech writer Jasmine Sun believes, is revealed in the emerging dialect of Silicon Valley tech workers. 

Today on the show, San Francisco slang. Jasmine Sun takes us on a tour of high-agency 996ers and NPCs to see what it could mean for our present and our future.

Related episodes: 

No AI data centers in my backyard!

How much is AI actually affecting the workforce?

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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The new language of AI tech workers

It’s … Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news. 

On today’s episode: the Amazon global internet outage, Americans plan to siphon their Social Security checks early, and Mann, we love some Heat 2. 

Related episodes:

 What does the next era of Social Security look like?

 Why aren't filmmakers shooting in LA? 

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 Julia Ritchey Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter. 

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Amazon's outage, anxious retirees, and LA brings the Heat, too

Ticketmaster's CEO says that concert tickets are underpriced. But from inflation to bots to unscrupulous resellers, the market for tickets feels out of control to many fans. Can anything be done?

Today on the show: Ticket resellers, a new law in Maine, and a T-shirt cannon. 

Related episodes:
Ticket scalpers: The real ticket masters 
Ticketmaster's dominance, Caitlin Clark's paycheck, and other indicators

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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Are concert tickets UNDER priced?

In the rush to power AI, data centers are popping up in small communities across the U.S. But a growing backlash against this build-out is pitting communities against developers over energy prices and water use. Today on the show, one Michigan community’s fight to stop a data center and what it means for Big Tech. 

Related episodes: 
What $10B in data centers actually gets you 
Is AI overrated or underrated? 

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. 

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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No AI data centers in my backyard!

Quarterly earnings reports are a long-standing requirement for public companies in the U.S. But the Trump administration wants to axe quarterly releases and just release them twice a year. And there is evidence to suggest this could be better in the long run for companies and investors. On today’s show, we look at the potential benefits and trade-offs of changing how often companies report their financial results. 

Related episodes: 
Can shareholders influence Elon Musk’s trillion dollar pay package? 

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. 

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Should we ditch quarterly earnings reports?

Since 2020, the cost of veterinary care has increased about 40%—almost twice the rate of inflation. As a result, many pet owners say they've skipped necessary vet care. So, what's going on here? A veterinarian, and a lesser-known economic theory, have some answers. 

Related episodes: 
The Vet Clinic Chow Down 
What Do Private Equity Firms Actually Do? 

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. 

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Why are veterinarian bills getting so ruff on the wallet?

It’s … Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news. 

On today’s episode: Frozen and canceled federal dollars, America’s intensifying tit-for-tat with China, and a sloppy trend infiltrating the music business. (With a pocket full of shells.)

Related episodes: 
China's trade war perspective 
Fighting AI with AI 

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 Corey Bridges. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

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Government shutdown fallout, price floors, and AI slop against the machine

There have been many headline-grabbing AI deals recently: Nvidia investing up to $100 billion in OpenAI. OpenAI promising to buy $300 billion worth of computing power from Oracle. Oracle buying tons of chips from Nvidia. 

But … where’s the money coming from? Is all this AI overhype … a bubble? 

On today's show, how money flows in the AI hyperscaling flood. 

Related episodes: 

Is AI overrated? 

Is AI underrated? 

The messy human drama behind OpenAI 

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. 

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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OpenAI's deals are looking a little frothy

From drones to body armor to bulletproof whiteboards, companies are offering schools a multitude of products to try to deter or protect against the next school shooting. But does any of this stuff work? On today’s show, a look inside the school shooting industry. What's for sale and the psychology behind the growing industry.

Related episodes: 
Why are so many public schools closing? 

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. 

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Inside the growing industry to defend schools from mass shootings

If you need some reading glasses in the United States, you don't have to break the bank to pick some up. That's important for older folks who need a little extra magnification. But in some parts of the world, people who need readers don't have that privilege. Today on the show, we'll find out why that is and learn the economic solution to the reading glasses shortage.

This piece originally aired October 9, 2024. 

Related episodes:
Two indicators: supply chain solutions (Apple / Spotify) 

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

Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter. 

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Half a billion people need reading glasses. Why can't they get them? (Encore)

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