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Planet Money
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- 1ICE enforcement creating a chilling effect in hospitals▼The chilling effect of ICE in hospitals : The Indicator from Planet Money
NPR's Indicator from Planet Money examines how US Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity is having a chilling effect in hospitals, with fears of immigration enforcement reportedly discouraging people from seeking medical care. The episode looks at what this means for public health, hospital operations and immigrant communities across the United States.
- 2NPR revisits Charles Ponzi's famous scheme alongside a new scam●Charles Ponzi's scheme (plus a new scam) https://www.npr.org/2026/10/07/nx-s1-5992800/charles-ponzis-scheme-plus-a-new-s
NPR's Planet Money has published a piece looking back at Charles Ponzi's fraudulent investment scheme and pairing it with a new scam, examining how old financial cons resurface in modern forms. Listeners are sharing the item in finance and economics circles, using it to discuss how Ponzi-style schemes continue to catch out investors despite the century-old warning from history.
- 3Economist offers answer to data center worries●One economist's answer to data center anxiety : The Indicator from Planet Money
NPR's The Indicator from Planet Money features an economist addressing growing public anxiety over the rapid spread of data centers. As AI demand drives massive data center construction, communities worry about energy use, water consumption and local impacts. The segment presents an economist's perspective on whether those fears are justified, and what the building boom really means for the economy.
- 4Speculation builds over the 2026 Nobel economics prize▼Who will win the 2026 Nobel Prize in economics? : Planet Money
NPR's Planet Money is asking who will win the 2026 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, opening the annual round of speculation over likely candidates and fields. Ahead of the announcement, observers typically weigh recent research trends, past snubs and frontrunners in areas such as macroeconomics, development and game theory. The Sveriges Riksbank prize remains one of the most watched awards in economics, with the winner revealed in Stockholm in October.
- 5Why diesel costs more than regular gasoline●Why is diesel more expensive than regular gas? https://www.npr.org/sections/planet-money/2026/10/02/nx-s1-5988075/why-is
NPR's Planet Money examines why diesel is priced higher than regular gasoline in the United States, despite diesel being cheaper to refine from crude oil. The piece walks through the factors behind the price gap, including taxes, demand and supply dynamics, and what it means for drivers, truckers and shipping costs.
- 6Fundraiser combines gaming and climate action●Time for some # entertainment while supporting an awesome cause, we're saving the # planet through # games and we're cha
A fundraiser called "The Stellar: Origins" is raising money by offering entertainment through games while supporting environmental and mental health causes. Organisers describe the project as an effort to save the planet through games and to change how money works, with proceeds going toward an institution focused on mental health and climate action. Early reactions online are small but supportive.
- 7San Francisco car crime falls; Flock's role questioned●San Francisco's car crime has plunged. How much credit does Flock deserve? https://www.npr.org/sections/planet-money/202
San Francisco has seen a sharp drop in car crime, and NPR's Planet Money is examining how much of the improvement can be credited to Flock, the automatic license plate reader company whose surveillance cameras are widely deployed by local law enforcement. The debate centres on whether the technology actually deters theft or whether other policing and policy changes deserve the credit.