NPR: Planet Money

The Venezuelan economy has collapsed. Years of economic mismanagement and a deepening political crisis have led to a recession. Yet there's one indicator that can capture this economic catastrophe.

When food makes people sick all around the country, an army of germ detectives jumps into action.

"The Art of War" by Chinese philosopher Sun Tzu, is one of corporate America's favorite books. But John McWhorter, a linguistics professor at Columbia, isn't convinced about its utility.

GDP has been a great indicator, but it may no longer be enough.

Today on the show: Could New Jersey become the next Napa?

Today's summer economics read is "What Would the Great Economists Do?" by Linda Yueh, who is a great economist herself.

Today's summer book recommendation offers a different approach to the modern workplace.

In honor of the last stretch of summer, The Indicator has selected some economic beach reads! Books that will teach you something about economics and also pair well with a pina colada.

Six states. Three days. One ugly cookie jar. Today on the show: Yard sale!

Wall Street Journal Chief Economics Commentator Greg Ip explains President Donald Trump's emerging economic strategy.

Today on The Indicator: Cardiff and Stacey go deep into the world of the blockchain... to buy a cartoon cat.

How a single cartoon cat can cost $140K.

The line between trash and recycling is moving a lot these days. It's a tough time to be a recycler.

People who've been to prison find it hard to get work once they're free. One solution to the problem may be a simple certificate.

We play overrated/underrated with Tim Harford, author of 'Fifty Inventions that Shaped the Modern Economy.' We talk messy desks, light bulbs and Dune, the board game.

Today on the Indicator: why companies decide to be publicly-traded or privately-owned. It's all about control. And money.

You have a lot of questions... about tariffs, unemployment rates, and RV dealerships, to name a few. We have answers.

A conversation with Campbell Harvey, whose 1986 thesis first explained how the yield curve could predict the direction of the economy.

What's the best way to price water in a drought, to ensure people get what they need without breaking the bank?

This episode is for everyone who ever had to ask their coworkers to quiet down. Today on the show: We meet the man who stole your office door.

Today on the Indicator: How a small Belgian company wields enormous influence in global finance and diplomacy.

The U.S. has been renegotiating trade deals and putting tariffs on different goods. Meanwhile, other countries are re-negotiating their trade agreements and some deals are leaving U.S. producers out.

The Venezuelan government doesn't want you to know the real value of its currency. But Ruben and Mila figured it out. Now they're on the lam.

Five indicators in five minutes — Let's gooooooooo!

Income inequality in the U.S. has been climbing for a while. Has it also been accompanied by a widening cultural gap between rich and poor?

What happens when a new tariff gets put in place? To really see the action, you have to go to Newark, New Jersey.

Is there a secretive postal organization fixing international shipping rates, and giving American businesses a bad deal?

The pace of wage growth is one of the best indicators of economic health. But it can be measured with different methods. Each method tells a slightly different story about how the economy is doing.

Russia has had a huge presence in the news lately. But its economy... not so huge. It's smaller than the economy of Texas. Today on the show, we look at what's been holding it back.

The GDP got all sorts of attention today. The U.S. economy grew at a stellar rate of 4.1% in the second quarter. But what does that mean? And will it continue?

There's a simple way to solve the housing crisis in U.S. cities. Only problem is, almost everybody hates it.

Three legends in their respective fields, three disastrous investment mistakes.

The Diamond-Water Paradox poses the question: If we need water to survive and we don't need diamonds, why are diamonds expensive and water cheap?

What happens when a group of economists applies the number one rule of economics... to number two?

President Trump broke with tradition by lamenting that rising rates are keeping the dollar strong and the trade deficit wide. But rising rates and a stronger dollar are the results of his own agenda.

The European Commission just slapped Google with a $5 billion fine for abusing its Android monopoly. How did it create the alleged monopoly? By making Android free.

Socialism was political poison in the U.S. for decades. Now it's gaining ground. Who are these new socialists? And what do they want?

How something that's all around us came to be worth millions of dollars.

Three worrying indicators to keep an eye on — less complicated than the yield curve, but something you can talk about at the water cooler.

Tax carbon emissions. That's basically the whole plan. What's the hold up?

It may be too late to avoid a trade war between the U.S. and China, but there might be a simple way to stop the trade wars of the future.

Women invest far less of their paychecks than men do. Sallie Krawcheck spent her career on Wall Street and she says this is a problem we need to solve.

Japan's population is shrinking. It's harder and harder to find qualified people to fill a lot of jobs. Including ninjas.

Sand. It's in buildings, windows, your cell phone. But there isn't enough in the world for everyone. And that's created a dangerous black market.

We respond to your letters, tweets and messages: We talk Iran, yield curve and how to pronounce Hyundai.

Starbucks, Ikea, Vancouver, Scotland: They've all banned plastic straws. The movement is meant to help reduce plastic waste in the ocean. But will it work, or will it backfire?

LeBron James is getting hosed. The NBA team owners, the players, the fans and even LeBron James himself want to keep it that way.

Banks and other financial institutions have their own banking accounts at the Federal Reserve. Morgan Ricks argues that regular folks should have access to Fed accounts, too.

President Trump recently announced strict economic sanctions in Iran. Today on the show, we talked to a young Iranian man about what it's like to live in the Iranian economy right now.

Every time the yield curve has inverted since 1970, the economy has fallen into recession. It's getting close to inverting now, but it may no longer be the recession predictor it once was.