The Indicator from Planet Money

The best manager isn’t necessarily the best employee. Turns out it isn't so easy to predict what DOES make a good manager. Today on the show, we turn to science to help answer that very question.

Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.

Your Next Listen 
— Productivity and workforce whiplash

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The Trump Organization has sued Capital One for closing its bank accounts. The organization says it did so out of political reasons. But banks can close accounts for a zillion reasons. They don’t have to say why. Capital One cited money laundering as a concern. 

On today’s show, how banks decide to close accounts, how much politics plays a role and what the bank might have seen in its crime-stopping crystal ball.

Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.

Your Next Listen 
— What is a 'freedom economy'?

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— Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter!
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Fenwick Island, Del. has only around 900 people on its voting rolls, but some of those registered voters are not human. Many are family trusts and a few are companies. The town says its system works for its tiny beach community. So why are some lawmakers trying to stop it?

Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.

Your Next Listen 
— Who’s behind that shell company? 

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It’s Indicators of the Week!

On today’s episode: Retirees get a bump in benefits; credit card debt delinquency at a historically high level; and the dating app Bumble on a serious decline — Men first! IRL events! What will work! 

Fact checking by Cooper Katz McKim and Vito Emanuel.

Your Next Listen 
— Trying to fix the dating app backlash

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Which letter best describes how the U.S. economy is shaped: C or K? We examine the arguments for both and why there’s so much disagreement over who’s faring best in today’s economy. 

Fact checking by Sierra Juarez.

Your Next Listen 
— We resolve to watch these 2026 indicators  

Connect with The Indicator
— Sign up for The Indicator’s weekly newsletter!
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