Business

'The Indicator from Planet Money': The curious rise of novelty popcorn buckets

6:00am July 26, 2024

Movie theaters are turning to collectible merchandise, like novelty popcorn buckets, to get audiences in the door during a time of declining moviegoing and box office returns.

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Travelers will no longer be able to choose open seats on Southwest Airlines flights

10:25pm July 25, 2024

by Joel Rose

Southwest Airlines announced that it will drop the open seating model it's used since its founding more than 50 years ago. The airline is under pressure to boost profits.

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Economy

U.S. gets its first big economic report card after Biden drops his campaign

10:25pm July 25, 2024

by Maria Aspan

The health of the economy always looms large for voters. So the report should be great news for President Biden and Vice President Harris. But the reality is, a lot of Americans aren’t feeling it.

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SAG-AFTRA Members Continue Strike As They Wait On Studio Responses To Latest Negations

Video game performers call strike against gaming companies

9:00pm July 25, 2024

by Clare Lombardo

Members of the union SAG-AFTRA are pushing for additional A.I. protections for their members.

(Photo by LIONEL BONAVENTURE/AFP via Getty Images)

Economy

Is AI overrated?

5:58pm July 25, 2024

Are the promises made by AI boosters mostly hype, or are we actually underappreciating the transformative potential of AI?

This week, The Indicator hosts a two-part debate on the hype around generative AI. Today, the second episode: Despite the tech world's love affair with the technology, is AI overrated?

Related episodes:
Is AI underrated? (Apple / Spotify)

For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

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Does Pantone have a monopoly on colors? Is that bad?

5:39pm July 25, 2024

by Sam Y Kesler

The Pantone company built a business by standardizing the way designers and companies communicate about color. But one artist is challenging their color monopoly.

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How the high cost of groceries is changing what American shoppers put in their carts

2:06pm July 25, 2024

by Alina Selyukh

Market researchers find that shoppers are buying more generic food brands to counter inflation, while selectively purchasing high-end food items instead of spending money eating out.

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Arts

The streaming wars bring a new discounted bundle: Disney+, Hulu and Max

2:03pm July 25, 2024

by Lola Murti

The bundle allows new and existing subscribers to save up to 38% compared to the cost of subscribing to each service individually. It's the latest in a flurry of video streaming deals.

Southwest Airlines Temporarily Halts Flights In U.S. Due To Computer Glitch

National

Southwest Airlines says ‘assigned and premium seating’ will replace open seating plan

11:29am July 25, 2024

by Bill Chappell

Southwest President and CEO Bob Jordan says research shows passengers “overwhelmingly prefer” an assigned-seat system. He also pledged to improve the airline's financial performance.

Sticker shock: How the supermarket has become a potent symbol of inflation in America

6:00am July 25, 2024

by Scott Horsley

Grocery prices are stabilizing, but many Americans still feel a financial sting at the grocery checkout aisle.

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