The Indicator from Planet Money

Daniel Harberger, founder of Woof and pet products entrepreneur, shares his company’s experience paying tariffs and waiting on possible refunds. He talks about the Supreme Court ruling that struck down certain tariff authority. He discusses uncertainty over refund processes, how refunded tariffs might affect hiring and pricing, and what alternatives could keep tariffs in place.

A look at how tiny differences in retirement timing can reshape lifetime wealth. A debate over a Fed research paper and who really bears the cost of tariffs. A quirky legal fight over whether boneless chicken should be labeled as such.

Sergio Martinez Beltran, an NPR immigration reporter who covers detention and policy, visits a small Georgia town weighing economic gain against moral cost. He outlines federal plans to expand detention capacity. He describes how rural areas are courted, the local facility’s history, residents’ mixed feelings about jobs, and the uncertain future of detention-based economies.

They dig into ICE's rapid hiring surge and how recruitment shortcuts changed who gets hired. Training practices are examined, including a mock “simulation city” and shorter classroom time. The conversation highlights lost Spanish instruction and how on-the-job mentoring and agency culture shape conduct. Officials' responses and accountability gaps are also discussed.

The story traces how shop closures and a plunging currency ignited nationwide unrest. Bazaar networks and lending linked local strikes to mass protests. Inflation, sanctions, corruption and drought are shown as forces squeezing daily life. The narrative follows a bazari family's struggles and how essential goods became the last steady market.

A quick tour of the latest jobs report and surprising sector shifts. A deep look at how immigrant caregivers might cut elderly mortality. A quirky dive into prediction markets placing odds on the return of Jesus Christ.

Lillian Carebake, an economics reporter with firsthand reporting and athlete anecdotes, breaks down why elite figure skating soaks up money. She walks through the $1 million estimate, how private coaching and ice time balloon costs, who ends up paying, and surprising line items like choreography and costumes. Short stories reveal the pressures and tradeoffs behind Olympic-level training.

The episode digs into wild price swings in gold and silver and what that volatility signals about global uncertainty. It traces gold’s long monetary role and why central banks are buying more. It contrasts silver’s industrial uses and January’s speculative spike. It also links recent metal moves to monetary policy and geopolitical shocks.

Tala Visram, a British business journalist who reports on everyday economics, traces why boxed meals like Hamburger Helper are surging. She explores price-per-serving math, recession-era origins, shifting shopper behavior, protein and cultural trends, and how brands are rebranding and launching flavors to win budget-conscious shoppers.

Eswar Prasad, economist and Cornell trade policy professor who wrote The Doom Loop, outlines how interacting economic, political, and geopolitical forces create negative feedback cycles. He talks about globalization’s unequal gains, the rise of resentful politics and populists, fracturing international institutions, technology’s risks, and possible paths to break the cycle.