There's been a lot of disagreement in Congress and in the country about whether the U.S. should continue to financially support the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
Some taxpayers don't think the U.S. should give Ukraine any money to fight off Russia's invasion. And some taxpayers have concerns about how they might be funding weapons that have been used to kill civilians in Gaza. And there are questions about how much individual taxpayers contribute to war efforts, generally.
So in this episode, we attempt to do the math: The average taxpayers' contribution to Israel and Ukraine. It's not so simple. But in attempting to do this math, we get this window into the role of our tax dollars on foreign assistance, and how the U.S. sells weapons to other countries.
For links to some of the reports we looked at to report this episode, check out the episode page on NPR.org.
This episode was hosted by Sarah Gonzalez and Alexi Horowitz-Ghazi. It was produced by Sam Yellowhorse Kesler and edited by Jess Jiang. It was fact-checked by Sierra Juarez and engineered by Robert Rodriguez. Alex Goldmark is our executive producer.
Many broad economic indicators are positive, but consumer sentiment is negative. Even with cooling inflation and low unemployment, consumers are still feeling the economic strain. In today's episode, we look at three ways the US consumer is feeling the pinch.
The Key Bridge collapse is upending life for countless people in the Chesapeake region. Residents say it's not just infrastructure — it's their identity as people who live close to the water.
One of the founders of behavioral economics, who incorporated human quirks into the study of how people make economic decisions, has died. Daniel Kahneman was 90.
March Madness is in full swing as Men's and Women's college basketball teams across the country compete for the NCAA championship. However, the Dartmouth Men's Basketball team made headlines just before the tournament for its successful unionization vote.
Today, we break down why the Dartmouth men are pushing to unionize and what a college athletics union could mean for the future of college sports.
Related episodes: The monetization of college sports (Apple / Spotify)
For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
In the restaurant game, you need to make the most of every table every minute you are open. And you need to make sure your guests are happy, comfortable, and want to come back.
If you're a restaurateur, your gut tells you "more seats, more money," but, in this episode, restaurant design expert Stephani Robson upends all that and more. She helps Roni Mazumdar, owner of the casual Indian spot Adda in New York's Long Island City, rethink how a customer behaves at a table, and how small changes can lead to a lot more money.
It's a data-driven restaurant makeover.
This episode was originally produced by Darian Woods and Alexi Horowitz-Ghazi. James Sneed and Sam Yellowhorse Kesler produced this update. Engineering by Isaac Rodrigues and Maggie Luthar. Alex Goldmark originally edited the show and is now Planet Money's executive producer.
Visa and Mastercard announced a major settlement with U.S. merchants, potentially ending years of litigation over the fees charged every time a credit or debit card is used in a store or restaurant.
Boeing's CEO Dave Calhoun has resigned and will step down at the end of the year. It comes after a series of mishaps with the aviation company including a door plug blowing off a 737 MAX 9 mid-flight. In today's episode, we turn to a head-hunter to explore what Boeing might look for in a new CEO.
For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
On the Tuesday, March 26 edition of Georgia Today: Opioid settlement dollars are headed to Georgia; some lawmakers are calling for an expansion of the Port of Savannah; more professional soccer could be coming to metro Atlanta.
Tipping requests are on the rise. Businesses that never seemed to ask for a tip, like fast food joints, are now asking for one. Here's how to deal with unexpected requests and more.
You might notice we're looking a little refreshed thanks to our new podcast logo. Today on the show, we ask some marketing experts what goes into building a strong brand, and whether our own makeover hits the mark.
Listeners, help us name our new Indi-Gator mascot! Email your suggestion to indicator@npr.org with "Indi-gator" in the subject line.
On the Monday, March 25 edition of Georgia Today: Atlanta plans to build new MARTA stations; Sen. Jon Ossoff wants answers to the USPS delays; Emory and Georgia Tech are teaming up to help prevent heat-related injuries
With less than a month before the tax filing deadline, the IRS says tax season is going smoothly. The agency is investing billions of dollars to improve service and beef up tax enforcement.
Countries all over the world are making big moves in monetary policies. From unexpected cuts to long-awaited hikes to a cautious cling to the status quo, this edition of Indicators of the Week has it all. Today, we explain the motivations for these drastically different approaches.
For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.