Why are fewer Americans working the night shift?
March 6, 2026
There has been a significant 50-year shift in the U.S. workforce away from night work toward daytime work, according to research by Dan Hammermasch and Jeff Biddle.
Want a 2.5% mortgage? Buy it.
March 5, 2026
The primary method to secure historically low mortgage rates, like those from 2021, is through an "assumable mortgage," where a buyer takes over the seller's existing loan.
The anxiety rattling China’s youth
March 4, 2026
China's current economic mood among youth is described as reserved and deflated, contrasting sharply with the consumerism seen two decades ago, driven by high youth unemployment and stagnant wages.
Why Paramount went looney tunes for Warner Bros.
March 3, 2026
Paramount Skydance's proposed $110 billion takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, led by CEO David Ellison, is moving forward after Netflix dropped out, aiming to create a massive media conglomerate encompassing IP like Harry Potter and assets like HBO and CNN.
Should the families of organ donors be compensated?
March 2, 2026
Economists Kurt Sweat and Alex Chan propose that the government should financially compensate organ donors' families (up to \$6,000-\$8,000 for funeral and related expenses) to increase organ donation rates by an estimated 9% to 35%, potentially saving lives and reducing long-term healthcare costs.
ICE is bad for business, heat is bad for coffee, and sci-fi is bad for markets
February 27, 2026
Operation Metro Surge in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area resulted in an estimated $106 million in lost wages for workers, according to a Minnesota research institute.
How your favorite fish sticks might be funding Russia's war
February 26, 2026
Russia is circumventing U.S. import bans on its seafood by processing its catch in countries like China, where it is substantially transformed and relabeled as a product of that processing nation.
What an Epstein recording reveals about how elites get jobs
February 25, 2026
The analysis of the Epstein files and the recording with Ehud Barak reveals that for elites transitioning out of public office, personal networks and the ability to open doors are explicitly valued over technical expertise when securing lucrative private sector roles.
Do traders who place big bets make big money?
February 24, 2026
The volume of options contracts traded has significantly increased, particularly in the post-COVID era, partly due to the introduction of shorter-term options like weekly and daily contracts.
Why there are roving rotisserie chicken mobs
February 23, 2026
AI job interviews might reduce visual discrimination against candidates, such as those who are blind, but new biases related to vocal characteristics or accents could emerge, for which research is still lacking.
Can I get my tariff money back now?
February 21, 2026
The Supreme Court struck down a significant portion of President Trump's tariffs in a 6-3 decision, ruling that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEPA) did not grant the President the authority to impose tariffs, as that power is constitutionally vested in Congress.
Retirement luck, Hassett hassles the Fed, and boneless chicken in ... court?
February 20, 2026
Retirement wealth can vary by a factor of 2.9 times based purely on the luck of when one starts saving relative to stock market performance immediately preceding retirement, according to research analyzed on this episode of The Indicator from Planet Money.
Why this rural town wants an ICE facility
February 19, 2026
The Trump administration is aggressively expanding immigrant detention capacity, planning to spend over $38 billion on new and expanded facilities, often targeting small, economically depressed towns.
How well are ICE's 12,000 new officers being trained?
February 18, 2026
The rapid expansion of ICE, which more than doubled its ranks through aggressive recruitment tactics like large signing bonuses, has led to increased scrutiny regarding the agency's performance and tactics, including incidents involving U.S. citizens.
How Iran's flagging economy inflamed its protests
February 17, 2026
The massive countrywide protests that engulfed Iran were initially seeded by economic frustration, specifically shopkeepers angered by inflation and currency collapse.
Jobs numbers, immigrants in healthcare, and ... Jesus Christ?
February 13, 2026
The January jobs report showed a surprisingly strong 130,000 jobs added and a slight dip in the unemployment rate, potentially bucking a trend of lackluster hiring from the previous year.
What it costs to be an elite figure skater like the 'Quad God'
February 12, 2026
The estimated cost for an elite figure skater to reach the Olympics is approximately $1 million, primarily driven by the high expenses of ice time and coaching, as the U.S. does not provide federal funding for youth athletic development.
What is going on with gold and silver?
February 11, 2026
Gold's historical value stems from its durability, divisibility, relative scarcity, and low industrial use, while silver is less ideal for wealth storage due to higher reactivity and greater abundance.
The boxed meal helping Americans stay on budget
February 10, 2026
Hamburger Helper sales are spiking because it functions as an "inferior good," meaning consumers increase purchases of this budget-friendly meal during times of economic anxiety and rising food costs.
Are we in an economic 'doom loop'?
February 9, 2026
Economist Eswar Prasad argues that the global economy is caught in a "doom loop" where geopolitical and economic forces negatively reinforce each other, leading to disorder.
Just how bad are these job numbers?
February 6, 2026
The unemployment rate remaining steady despite low job creation numbers (e.g., estimated 4,500 added jobs, or private estimates of -13,000 to +22,000) is partly explained by a shrinking or slow-growing U.S. labor force, which lowers the 'break-even jobs number' needed to keep unemployment steady.
How college sports juiced Olympic development
February 5, 2026
The U.S. Olympic development model, driven by a Cold War desire to avoid Soviet-style government sponsorship, unexpectedly became heavily reliant on the massive revenue generated by college football to subsidize non-revenue Olympic sports.
Warming your house the green way just got more expensive
February 4, 2026
The expiration of federal clean energy tax credits, which previously offered significant savings (up to $2,000 or 30% of the cost for items like heat pumps), is making green home upgrades more expensive for consumers, as highlighted in "Warming your house the green way just got more expensive."
All these data centers are gonna fry my electric bill … right?
February 3, 2026
The impact of data centers on electricity bills is not guaranteed to be an increase; it is possible for them to cause bills to go down through economies of scale if demand is perfectly matched.
America's next top Fed Chair
February 2, 2026
The briefing for the incoming Fed Chair, Kevin Warsh, focuses on three critical areas: preserving the Fed's independence from political pressure, determining the correct path for interest rates given current economic strength, and addressing repeated trading scandals among Fed officials.
A huge EU-India deal, Heated Rivalry, and a hefty $200k to Olympians
January 30, 2026
The European Union and India signed a major trade deal covering 25% of global GDP, which, despite taking 20 years to develop, was reportedly accelerated by the "useful tailwind" of U.S. tariffs, suggesting slower, consensus-driven deals may be more durable than quickly struck ones.
Hawaii’s worker shortage goes NUTS
January 29, 2026
The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco's Beige Book entry highlighted a labor shortage in Hawaii impacting the harvest of macadamia nuts and coffee, despite the state's low unemployment rate.
Why isn’t corporate America standing up to Trump?
January 28, 2026
Despite President Trump's disruptive policies, including demands for government stakes in companies and lawsuits against critics like Jamie Dimon, corporate leaders are largely silent or actively courting favor due to fear of repercussions.
Can Europe sell America?
January 27, 2026
Europe possesses potential economic weaponry against the U.S., including a legal "anti-coercion mechanism" (the EU's bazooka) and the ability to divest from U.S. Treasury bonds, though the willingness and practicality of using these tools are questioned.
How Pakistan is revving up a fight against tax dodgers
January 26, 2026
Pakistan faces a severe economic structural issue due to extremely low tax collection, with only 2-3% of residents filing income taxes compared to 47% in the US, necessitating drastic measures like social media-based lifestyle monitoring to combat evasion.
Davos drama, credit card caps and tariff truths
January 23, 2026
This year's Davos meeting was unusually interesting due to high-stakes geopolitical discussions and the personal efforts of BlackRock CEO Larry Fink to ensure attendance amid previous scandals.
How beef climbed to the top of the food pyramid
January 22, 2026
The recent inversion of the U.S. food pyramid, championed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., elevates beef, protein, and healthy fats, signaling a shift away from previous dietary guidance that discouraged saturated fats.
Is Greenland really an untapped land of riches?
January 21, 2026
Greenland possesses significant, high-quality deposits of rare earth minerals, such as those found in eudiolite, which are critical for modern technology but currently scarce outside of China.
Are U.S. defense contractors lavishing their investors too much?
January 20, 2026
President Trump signed an executive order threatening to ban dividends and stock buybacks for defense contractors, stemming from frustration that they prioritize shareholder returns over investing in production capacity needed by the U.S. military.
ICE influencers, a world-record trade surplus, and the moon goes nuclear
January 16, 2026
The Trump administration allocated $100 million for a one-year recruitment strategy for ICE, which includes paying social media influencers to normalize and humanize careers at the agency.
Why Trump resurrected the Monroe Doctrine
January 15, 2026
President Trump is reviving the Monroe Doctrine, dubbed the "Donroe Doctrine," to justify asserting U.S. influence and control over resources, particularly oil, in the Western Hemisphere, shifting focus from European rivals to concerns over Chinese economic power.
Can a good story change economic reality?
January 14, 2026
Economic decisions are influenced not only by hard data but also by contagious economic narratives, which can be singular or form constellations, as seen with AI discussions.
One Fed battle after another
January 13, 2026
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell publicly revealed that the Fed received grand jury subpoenas, which he believes are a politically motivated attack stemming from the Fed's independent interest rate decisions rather than following presidential preferences.
How far can philanthropy go to fill government gaps?
January 12, 2026
Philanthropy, despite American generosity, cannot mathematically sustain the scale of social safety net programs traditionally funded by the federal government, as demonstrated by the Michigan SNAP funding shortfall attempt.
How AI is shrinking the job market for teens
January 9, 2026
Seventeen-year-old Karissa Tang conducted an economic research project predicting a 27% decline in teen jobs by 2030 due to AI displacement, with cashier roles facing the steepest 54% drop.
Venezuela didn't steal U.S. oil. Here's what happened
January 8, 2026
President Trump's claim that Venezuela stole American oil is inaccurate; the oil in the ground was always owned by Venezuela, though U.S. companies were expropriated without full compensation after refusing contract changes under Hugo Chavez.
Can you trust you're getting the same grocery prices as someone else?
January 7, 2026
Research involving over 400 shoppers on Instacart found that 75% of items were offered at different prices to different people ordering from the same physical store, leading to a potential annual cost increase of up to $1,200 for some households.
How cocaine smuggling through Latin America really works
January 6, 2026
The cocaine supply chain begins with coca leaf farmers in the Andes (Colombia, Bolivia, Peru), progresses through paste creation, refinement into standardized kilo bricks, and utilizes Mexico as a major transit hub before reaching the U.S. border.
Why China pulled the plug on Japan
January 5, 2026
China organizes state-directed boycotts, which blur the line between official sanctions and grassroots public anger, to exert political pressure on other nations like Japan without resorting to military escalation.
Venezuela’s economic descent (Updated)
January 3, 2026
Venezuela's economy, which experienced a decade-long freefall marked by hyperinflation (65,000% in 2018) stemming from policies under Hugo Chavez and exacerbated under Nicolas Maduro, has recently shown signs of stabilization and slight growth (4% average annual growth from 2021-2023) due to loosened import restrictions and de facto dollarization.
We resolve to watch these 2026 indicators
January 2, 2026
Tariffs were voted by listeners as the Indicator of the Year for 2025, narrowly beating consumer sentiment and the CAPE ratio.
Why Americans don't want to move for jobs anymore (Encore)
December 31, 2025
Americans are moving for jobs at about half the rate they were 30 years ago, signaling an era of 'home bodies.'
Gilded Age 2.0? (Encore)
December 30, 2025
The episode explores the comparison between the current era and the late 1800s Gilded Age, driven by figures like President Trump referencing that period of wealth and inequality.
The cautionary tale of a recovering day trading addict (Encore)
December 29, 2025
Day trading, especially when involving volatile stocks or leveraged contracts, can easily transition from an intellectual hobby into a severe, secretive gambling addiction, as exemplified by Chris's story.
The economic challenges facing men without college degrees
December 27, 2025
Real wage growth for men in the U.S. over the past few decades is highly dependent on education level, with men holding a four-year college degree seeing a 38% increase while those with only a high school degree saw a 7% drop.
The secret to Nintendo's success (Encore)
December 26, 2025
Nintendo's success stems from a strategy of deliberately *
Why every A-lister also has a side hustle (Encore)
December 24, 2025
Celebrities are increasingly launching and investing in their own brands, moving beyond traditional endorsements, because the economics of being a traditional movie star have shifted, with intellectual property (IP) often being the bigger draw than the actor.
The worst year of Warren Buffett’s career
December 23, 2025
Warren Buffett transitioned from a short-term value investor to a long-term builder, using his growing fame and reputation as a powerful tool to secure advantageous deals, such as the investment in Solomon Brothers.
The spite acquisition that launched Warren Buffett
December 22, 2025
Warren Buffett's career turning point began not with a calculated move, but with the spiteful acquisition of the failing textile mill, Berkshire Hathaway, which he initially considered a "terrible mistake."
Tariffs. Consumer sentiment. Cape Ratio. Pick The Indicator of The Year!
December 19, 2025
The episode of "The Indicator from Planet Money" features a "Family Feud" style debate where hosts Darien Woods, Kenny Malone, and Greg Rosowski argue for their respective economic indicators of 2025: the CAPE ratio, consumer sentiment, and tariffs.
Catching up with a fired federal worker, a shrimper and a fraudster
December 18, 2025
Elizabeth Aniskevich, a former CFPB employee fired during the Trump administration, successfully transitioned to a higher-paying role at a private firm specializing in consumer class action lawsuits, partly due to her media interviews.
The ghosts of Obamacare past, present and future
December 17, 2025
The expanded premium subsidies for the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), which doubled enrollment and stabilized the marketplace, are set to expire at the end of the year, threatening significant cost increases for many enrollees.
Will new loan limits lower the cost of grad school?
December 16, 2025
The elimination of the Grad Plus federal loan program, enacted under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, was based on the theory that its unlimited borrowing led to tuition increases, a concept known as the Bennett hypothesis, which research suggests is supported by a dollar-for-dollar correlation between increased borrowing and sticker price hikes.
Can American cities grow AND stay affordable?
December 15, 2025
The core economic paradox discussed in "Can American cities grow AND stay affordable?" is that growth, often driven by initial low costs, inevitably threatens that very affordability.
Nvidia chips for China, frozen Russian funds, and a lot of self-checkout stealing
December 12, 2025
The U.S. government will receive a 25% cut from NVIDIA's sales of its H200 AI chips to China, despite concerns from China hawks about providing advanced technology.
How to make $35 trillion ... disappear
December 11, 2025
A dot-com style crash in the current AI-fueled stock market could erase an estimated $35 trillion in global wealth, with US households losing $20 trillion and the rest of the world losing $15 trillion.
Bitcoin miners are betting on AI over crypto
December 10, 2025
The infrastructure required for Bitcoin mining—powerful computers and significant energy access—is highly valuable for supporting the burgeoning Artificial Intelligence (AI) infrastructure, leading some miners to pivot their focus.
How a former Fed vice chair would approach rate cuts
December 9, 2025
Former Fed Vice Chair Lael Brainard suggests favoring one more interest rate cut followed by a holding period, provided there is a firm commitment to achieving the 2% inflation target over the next two years, despite missing official economic data.
Take a penny, leave a penny, get rid of the penny
December 8, 2025
The U.S. government minted the final penny in November after 232 years in circulation, despite approximately 300 billion pennies remaining in use.
Chips up, rent down, and are people really skimping on holiday gifts?
December 5, 2025
The price of DRAM memory chips has quadrupled in recent months due to high demand from AI data centers, leading some computer stores to stop listing prices publicly.
A little doomsday feeling is weighing on the economy
December 4, 2025
The episode celebrates the value of economic anecdotes through the special 'Beigies Awards,' recognizing the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond for embodying the spirit of the Beige Book by actively gathering local economic stories.
How Japan’s new prime minister is jolting markets
December 3, 2025
Japan's new Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, is pursuing an unconventional economic approach ("Sanaeonomics") characterized by a desire for lower interest rates, increased fiscal spending (like a large stimulus package), and restricted immigration, which contrasts with standard anti-inflationary policy.
What would it mean to actually refund the tariffs?
December 2, 2025
Tariffs collected nearly $200 billion in the last fiscal year, but a Supreme Court case challenging the legality of several Trump tariffs could force the U.S. government to refund billions to importers.
Why the US chose not to have a passenger train system like Europe
December 1, 2025
The US has prioritized and developed the world's best freight railroad system, a choice driven by the country's vast geography and lower population density compared to Europe, which prioritized passenger transport.
Moochers, monopolists and market-based poverty help
November 26, 2025
The episode features a competitive trivia game called the Indicator Quiz Bowl, focusing specifically on the economics of the public sector, pitting hosts Darian Woods against Wailin Wong.
Who's financing Meta's massive AI data center?
November 25, 2025
Meta is financing its $30 billion Hyperion AI data center through an unusual partnership with private credit firm Blue Owl Capital, where Blue Owl owns 80% and secures the debt via bonds, keeping the liability off Meta's books.
Who’s buying all the beef?
November 24, 2025
Government trade announcements about purchasing goods, like Argentine beef, often translate into policy changes, such as lifting import quotas, which then incentivize private companies to increase buying due to lower costs.
Pay transparency. The WhatsApp and Instagram decision. Our beef with screwworms.
November 21, 2025
New working paper research suggests that pay transparency laws, such as those in Colorado, increase average wages by 2.5%, countering some economists' concerns that such laws might enable employer collusion.
How to avoid scammers after a natural disaster
November 19, 2025
Contractor fraud becomes a lucrative business after natural disasters, with estimates suggesting roughly 10% of post-disaster spending is lost to scams annually.
Looking for love in the auto supply chain
November 19, 2025
Tariffs intended to promote buying American are forcing foreign automakers with U.S. assembly plants to rapidly seek domestic suppliers for parts and materials, despite the complexity of switching.
How to make switching jobs not terrifying
November 18, 2025
The Danish "flexicurity" model balances employers' ease of hiring and firing with a strong worker safety net including generous unemployment benefits, training, and job search assistance.
The winner's curse
November 17, 2025
The provided transcript segment consists entirely of advertisements and sponsor messages, offering no direct content related to the episode topic, "The winner's curse," from "The Indicator from Planet Money."
50-year mortgages, falling real wages, and doing your rideshare due diligence
November 14, 2025
Real wages for low-income households have fallen by 2% over the last year after accounting for inflation, illustrating a K-shaped economy where high-income earners' gains mask struggles for the majority.
Where the US got $20B to bail out Argentina
November 13, 2025
The U.S. government extended a $20 billion loan, or swap line, to Argentina to stabilize its volatile peso, sourcing the funds from the 90-year-old Exchange Stabilization Fund (ESF).
Trump's backup options for tariffs
November 12, 2025
Even if the Supreme Court rules against President Trump's preferred tariff law, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEPA), he has several alternative legal authorities, such as Section 338 (Smoot-Hawley) and Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, to impose tariffs.
Who is the World Cup for anymore?
November 11, 2025
The 2026 Men's FIFA World Cup, hosted across the US, Canada, and Mexico, is poised to be the most expensive and elusive for average fans due to FIFA implementing dynamic pricing and a lottery-based sales system.
How the French pensions débâcle is a warning to us all
November 10, 2025
The political instability in France, characterized by multiple prime ministerial changes, stems from the government's inability to secure agreement on funding its generous, yet fiscally unsustainable, public pension system.
Can air traffic controllers keep calm and carry on — without pay?
November 7, 2025
Air traffic controllers become a significant political pressure point during government shutdowns because delays caused by their absence immediately impact the public, leading to pressure on lawmakers to resolve the impasse.
This indicator hasn’t flashed this red since the dot-com bubble
November 6, 2025
The Shiller PE Ratio (or CAPE ratio), currently at its highest level since the peak of the dot-com bubble in November 1999, is a long-term predictor that associates high values with lower subsequent 10-year returns.
Who's propping up Russian oil?
November 5, 2025
Despite over 5,000 sanctions imposed by the U.S. and allies since the invasion of Ukraine, Russia's economy has not collapsed, largely due to continued international purchases of its oil and gas.
How Apple's market power blocked ICEBlock
November 4, 2025
Apple removed the ICE-spotting app IceBlock from its App Store following pressure from the Trump administration, citing guideline 1.1.1 against targeting groups, despite initial approval.
When AI is your job interviewer
November 3, 2025
A study involving 70,000 interviewees revealed that 78% of job candidates, when given a choice, preferred being interviewed by the AI recruiter named Anna over a human, suggesting a desire for less judgmental interactions.
A school cellphone ban study, white collar jobs wither, and spooky candy prices
October 31, 2025
Amazon is cutting 14,000 corporate jobs, explicitly citing AI as a reason, reflecting a broader trend of white-collar layoffs amid optimism about AI's transformative potential.
Are China and India BFFs now?
October 30, 2025
The recent warming of relations between China and India, evidenced by resumed flights and high-level meetings, is largely a temporary marriage of convenience driven by external pressures like U.S. trade tariffs and internal economic needs, rather than a fundamental shift toward friendship.
Is Obamacare doomed without extended subsidies?
October 29, 2025
The expiration of enhanced Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) subsidies, currently central to a government shutdown dispute, could cause premium costs to double for millions, but experts believe the original subsidies will prevent a full 'adverse selection death spiral.'
How Marxism went from philosophy to cudgel
October 28, 2025
Marxism, as an economic term, is the political and economic theory of Karl Marx, centered on the critique of capitalism where workers should own the means of production to avoid exploitation, theorizing a future classless state.
The new language of AI tech workers
October 27, 2025
The emerging dialect among Silicon Valley tech workers, observed by writer Jasmine Sun, reflects a dog-eat-dog worldview driven by the fear that AI will create a divide between 'techno-kings' and a 'permanent underclass.'
Amazon's outage, anxious retirees, and LA brings the Heat, too
October 24, 2025
The recent Amazon Web Services (AWS) global outage, which affected about 30% of the internet hosted on its platform, is unlikely to result in significant financial consequences for Amazon due to existing service agreements and high switching costs for clients.
Are concert tickets UNDER priced?
October 23, 2025
Ticketmaster's CEO, Michael Rapino, claims concert tickets are underpriced, contrasting sharply with artist Molly Obamsuin's belief in keeping prices accessible to avoid curating an audience based solely on income bracket.
No AI data centers in my backyard!
October 22, 2025
Local community opposition, driven by concerns over energy prices and water usage, is significantly delaying or blocking billions of dollars in planned AI data center investments nationwide.
Should we ditch quarterly earnings reports?
October 21, 2025
The debate over quarterly earnings reports centers on a proposal, supported by the Trump administration, to switch to semi-annual reporting, which some evidence suggests could benefit long-term company planning by reducing managerial myopia.
Why are veterinarian bills getting so ruff on the wallet?
October 20, 2025
Veterinary care costs have increased by about 41% since 2020, significantly outpacing general inflation, leading many pet owners to skip necessary care.
Government shutdown fallout, price floors, and AI slop against the machine
October 17, 2025
Federal infrastructure funding cuts during the government shutdown disproportionately affect Democratic districts, with $37 frozen or canceled for every $1 affected in Republican districts, impacting major projects in transportation and energy.
OpenAI's deals are looking a little frothy
October 16, 2025
The massive AI deals involving OpenAI, such as the $300 billion commitment to Oracle and the $100 billion investment from Nvidia, appear to be creating an artificially inflated demand environment because OpenAI currently lacks the capital to cover these commitments.
Inside the growing industry to defend schools from mass shootings
October 15, 2025
A multi-billion dollar industry has emerged to sell schools various products, from bulletproof whiteboards to drone defense systems, in response to the recurring tragedy of school shootings.
Why do we live in unusually innovative times?
October 14, 2025
Sustained economic growth and innovation stem from the historical merging of prescriptive knowledge (practical skills) and propositional knowledge (scientific theory), a feedback loop encouraged by figures like Francis Bacon during the Enlightenment.
Scam compounds, sewing patterns and stolen dimes
October 10, 2025
The hosts of "The Indicator from Planet Money" dedicated this episode, "Scam compounds, sewing patterns and stolen dimes," to discussing their favorite true crime content with an economic lens.
How AI might mess with financial markets
October 9, 2025
AI-enabled market manipulation poses a significant threat because it can be executed through human-led misinformation campaigns (like deep fakes) or autonomously by advanced trading bots powered by reinforcement learning.
When cartels start to diversify
October 8, 2025
Cartels, exemplified by the Sinaloa and Jalisco groups, are diversifying beyond traditional drug trafficking into illicit activities like wildlife trafficking (e.g., capybaras) and exploiting local economic fragility to expand territorial control.
What’s supercharging data breaches?
October 7, 2025
The business of cybercrime, particularly data breaches, is flourishing because bad actors are evolving faster than security measures, with AI significantly accelerating attacks and lowering the barrier to entry for non-technical criminals.
Fighting AI with AI
October 6, 2025
Vocal deepfakes are highly effective scams, with millions of Americans having already lost money to AI voice fraud, often involving requests for gift cards or urgent money transfers.
Vice Series: The evolving business of crime
October 5, 2025
The opening scene contrasts traditional crime tropes (crooked cops, mob numbers racket) with the modern reality of criminal activity.
Why Americans don't want to move for jobs anymore
October 3, 2025
Americans are moving for jobs at about half the rate they were 30 years ago, leading to what the episode calls the 'homebody economy.'
How close is the US to crony capitalism?
October 2, 2025
Crony capitalism is defined as a system where business success depends on proximity to politicians, contrasting with the US ideal where success is based on entrepreneurial talent and risk-taking.
Why is everyone buying gold?
October 1, 2025
The current gold rush is driven by a fundamental shift away from the U.S. dollar, evidenced by central bank purchases from nations like Russia and China seeking assets outside U.S. control.
We're about to lose a lot of foreign STEM workers
September 30, 2025
The Trump administration's proposed $100,000 fee on new H-1B visa petitioners caused immediate personal panic for the co-host's wife, though it was later clarified not to apply to existing visa holders.
What media consolidation means for free speech
September 29, 2025
The suspension and return of Jimmy Kimmel highlighted a secondary free speech debate rooted in media consolidation and the government's leverage over pending media deals.
Argentina's bailout, a new way to cool data centers, and a cold holiday hiring season
September 26, 2025
The U.S. is negotiating a $20 billion currency swap line to potentially aid Argentina's economy, driven by President Trump's personal relationship with Argentine President Javier Milei, despite general U.S. hostility toward foreign aid.
No, your doctor isn't getting rich off of vaccines
September 25, 2025
Doctors do not profit from administering vaccines; in fact, the costs associated with purchasing, storing, and administering vaccines often result in practices breaking even or incurring a financial loss.
Why are so many public schools closing?
September 24, 2025
Declining enrollment in public schools, driven by falling birth rates and a challenging housing market, is forcing districts to consider closures, impacting community resources and student learning.
Should Surveillance Pricing Be Banned
September 23, 2025
Surveillance pricing, also known as personalized pricing, involves companies using consumer data like location and browsing history to set individualized prices, aiming to charge each person the maximum they are willing to pay.
Can LA host a 'car-free' Olympics?
September 22, 2025
Los Angeles is undergoing a significant public transit expansion, investing $120 billion over 40 years with a goal of a "no-car Olympics" for the 2028 games, aiming to transform its car-centric culture.
The Fed cuts rates, America's FICO dips, and forever ends for sweepstakes winners
September 19, 2025
The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by a quarter percentage point, with one dissenter advocating for a larger half-point cut, highlighting internal tensions and potential political influence.
Why Free Public Education Doesn T Always Include School Supplies
September 18, 2025
Public schools often rely on parents and teachers to fund essential classroom supplies due to chronic underfunding, a situation exacerbated by economic downturns and shifting government priorities.
The crypto market is hot. But is it an illusion?
September 17, 2025
Wash trading, the practice of buying and selling the same asset to create misleading market activity, is a significant issue in the largely unregulated crypto market, with an estimated 70% of trading on these platforms being wash trading.
Why an aggressive rate cut could backfire on Trump
September 16, 2025
President Trump's call for a 3% interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve is seen by economists as a "rhino" move that could lead to higher inflation and increased borrowing costs for consumers, businesses, and the government, contrary to his claims of saving money.