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Business News

Thursday, July 24, 2025

• Trump administration approves sale of CBS parent company Paramount
  The Federal Communications Commission approved the sale of Paramount Global after the buyer made pledges to showcase a diversity of viewpoints and root out alleged bias in CBS' news coverage.
  
• Trump visits Federal Reserve and tussles with Jerome Powell in extraordinary moment
  President Trump visited the Federal Reserve to inspect an ongoing renovation and disagreed with the Fed chair about the project's final cost in an extraordinary moment.
  
• Artificial Intelligence Setting All Airfares? That future might not be far off
  Delta airlines says it wants to use AI to price 20 percent of all domestic fares. Lawmakers and consumers alike have concerns about the implications of the company's policy when it comes to privacy and consumer protection.
  
• Trump says cutting interest rate will make homebuying cheaper. It's not that simple
  President Trump argues the Federal Reserve should cut interest rates to make buying a house cheaper. Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich warns that could backfire.
  
• How to beach on a budget
  It's the Beigie Awards, our eight times a year salute to the art and science of telling stories about the economy. The most recent Beige Book shows that Americans are finding ways to spend less money ... including on their vacations. On today's show, we find out what Benjamin Franklin and Jersey Beach goers have in common.
  
  Related episodes:
  How many times can you say uncertainty in one economic report?
  Trump's cuts come for food banks
  The secret tariff-free zone
  
  For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
  
  Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
  

Wednesday, July 23, 2025

• Trump's new AI policies keep culture war focus on tech companies
  A new executive order instructs tech companies to address what the White House sees as "woke AI." Receiving future federal contracts could hinge on whether AI firms respond.
  
• Tesla profits slide 16%, despite Elon Musk's pivot back to his companies
  The earnings report follows a 13.5% drop in sales this quarter, compared to the same period a year ago.
  
• When Uncle Sam owned banks and factories
  The quintessential American economic myth is that the free market picks winners and losers. But the federal government has long had a role in this equation, from the current administration all the way back to the Great Depression. Today on the show, we uncover the history of the country's national investment bank, which shaped the relationship between the government and the market in ways that are still felt today.
  
  Check out Chris Hughes Substack
  
  Related episodes:
  The day Russia adopted the free market (Apple / Spotify)
  Giant vacuums and other government climate bets (Apple / Spotify)
  
  For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.
  
  Fact-checking by Julia Ritchey. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
  
• How China came to rule the world of rare earth elements
  The U.S. once controlled the market on rare earth elements, sought after for a range of technologies. But in the last few decades, China has cornered that market and surpassed the U.S.
  
• Summer School 3: How government decides what to spend our money on
  Although it seems like the government can spend an endless amount of money, it cannot actually do all the things it wants to do. So the big question in this week's lesson is: How do we decide? Why does the government spend so much money on some things and not on others? And honestly, is there any limit?Get tickets to our August 18th live show and graduation ceremony at The Bell House, in Brooklyn. (Planet Money+ supporters get a 10 percent discount off their tickets. Listen to the July 8th bonus episode to get the discount code!)The series is hosted by Robert Smith and produced by Eric Mennel. Our project manager is Devin Mellor. This episode was edited by Planet Money Executive Producer Alex Goldmark and fact-checked by Emily Crawford.Help support Planet Money and hear our bonus episodes by subscribing to Planet Money+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney.Always free at these links: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, the NPR app or anywhere you get podcasts.Find more Planet Money: Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / Our weekly Newsletter.