It's come to this: Human certification in the age of AI slop

Why boardinghouses could make a comeback

There is a burgeoning effort across the U.S. to revive boardinghouses, aka single room occupancy units or SROs, as a solution to the housing crisis. But what happened to them in the first place? We track the disappearance of the first rung of the housing ladder. Fact-checking by Vito Emanuel.  Your Next Listen  — How to build abundantly [http://lnk.to/HevSSF] Connect with The Indicator  — Sign up for The Indicator’s brand new newsletter [https://npr.org/indicatornewsletter]  — Find our socials, YouTube and more [https://linktr.ee/indicator_npr]! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+ [https://plus.npr.org/] See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy [https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy]

How AI is clogging the courtroom

AI has made it infinitely easier for anyone who can’t afford a lawyer, can’t get one, or doesn't want one to file a lawsuit and pro se cases are skyrocketing. But the wins haven’t followed and courts are starting to get overwhelmed with new AI filings. Today on the show, what happens when AI gets its day in court. Your Next Listen   — Most People Can’t Afford Legal Help. 1 Reformer Wants To Change That [https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2020/09/29/917824026/most-people-cant-afford-legal-help-1-reformer-wants-to-change-that?amp=&=&=&=&=&=&orgid=] Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s brand new newsletter [https://npr.org/indicatornewsletter] — Buy the Planet Money book [https://lnk.to/i3AukBdDWE] — Find our socials, YouTube and more [https://linktr.ee/indicator_npr]! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+ [https://plus.npr.org/]  Fact checking by Sierra Juarez [https://www.npr.org/people/1268825622/sierra-juarez]. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy [https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy]

Obsession, the most fun job in China, and a new green card policy

It’s Indicators of the Week (now on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@planetmoney]!). It’s our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news.  On today’s episode: China’s baaaaad job market has led to an interest in becoming a shepherd [https://www.reuters.com/business/world-at-work/job-ad-shepherds-goes-viral-china-exposing-labour-market-strains-2026-05-27/], a young YouTuber strikes Hollywood gold, and the Trump administration's new green card policy is telling immigrants to 'go home.' Fact checking by Vito Emanuel.  Your Next Listen  — We're about to lose a lot of foreign STEM workers [https://lnk.to/e6JDrOWE] Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s brand new newsletter [https://npr.org/indicatornewsletter]  — Find our socials, YouTube and more [https://linktr.ee/indicator_npr]! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+ [https://plus.npr.org/]  See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy [https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy]

Saudi’s LIV golf exit is just the start

Is Saudi Arabia no longer a golf state? The Saudi sovereign wealth fund poured billions into culture and sports in the last decade, none more high profile than LIV Golf, a rival to the PGA. So why is it reversing course now? Fact checking by Vito Emanuel.  Your Next Listen  — Why Saudi Arabia is building a new city in the desert [http://lnk.to/IRHXVU]  Connect with The Indicator  — Sign up for The Indicator’s brand new newsletter [https://npr.org/indicatornewsletter]  — Find our socials, YouTube and more [https://linktr.ee/indicator_npr]!  — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+ [https://plus.npr.org/]  See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy [https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy]

What the movies teach us about recessions, memestocks and gold

The Indicator hosts Adrian Ma and Wailin Wong discuss their favorite econ and business movies. Fact checking by Sierra Juarez [https://www.npr.org/people/1268825622/sierra-juarez]. Your Next Listen  —Before La La Land, there was Fort Lee, New Jersey [https://lnk.to/jwrwWkWE] Connect with The Indicator — Sign up for The Indicator’s brand new newsletter [https://npr.org/indicatornewsletter] — Find our socials, YouTube and more [https://linktr.ee/indicator_npr]! — For sponsor-free episodes, subscribe to NPR+ [https://plus.npr.org/] See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy [https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy]