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Darian Woods

Darian Woods is a reporter and producer for The Indicator from Planet Money. He blends economics, journalism, and an ear for audio to tell stories that explain the global economy. He's reported on the time the world got together and solved a climate crisis, vaccine intellectual property explained through cake baking, and how Kit Kat bars reveal hidden economic forces.

Before NPR, Woods worked as an adviser to the Secretary of the New Zealand Treasury. He has an honors degree in economics from the University of Canterbury and a Master of Public Policy from UC Berkeley.

  • 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. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
  • Are the promises made by AI boosters all 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 first episode: Despite all the news coverage and money, is AI underrated? Guest Tyler Cowen's book that he published as an AI chatbot is GOAT: Who is the Greatest Economist of all Time and Why Does it Matter? and his interview with an AI Jonathan Swift is on his podcast, Conversations With Tyler. For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
  • You may have heard some big news this past weekend: Joe Biden dropped out of the presidential election. This leaves Kamala Harris as the favorite to be the Democratic nominee. On today's show, We imagine what can be, and we're unburdened by what has been: Kamala Harris' economics, delegate math in deciding the nominee and ... can Kamala Harris use Joe Biden's campaign money? For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
  • The Supreme Court's decision to quash Chevron deference means countless agency regulations are now more vulnerable to being challenged and struck down. Think the Environmental Protection Agency's plan to boost electric vehicle sales, discrimination protections against transgender people, and rules that expand eligibility for overtime. Yesterday, we explained the history that led to this moment. Today, we look at the how the decision will play into a wave of regulatory lawsuits. Related episodes:The conservative roots behind the Chevron doctrine (Apple / Spotify) Could SCOTUS outlaw wealth taxes (Apple / Spotify) For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
  • When the Supreme Court decided Chevron U.S.A., Inc v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. 40 years ago, it didn't turn many heads. But eventually, it became the most widely cited case in all of administrative law. It set a legal precedent to give federal agencies the benefit of the doubt when the law is ambiguous, known as Chevron deference. Now, a recent Supreme Court decision has set in motion another tectonic shift, effectively ending that precedent. Today, we dig into what Chevron deference is and how it actually came about. Then tomorrow we'll continue our focus on this significant change by looking at the potential fallout. Related episodes: A Supreme Court case that could reshape social media (Apple / Spotify) Could SCOTUS outlaw wealth taxes (Apple / Spotify) For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
  • The Digital Markets Act is a new piece of European legislation aimed at making markets in the digital sector "fairer and more contestable." It's essentially antitrust regulation—rules to ensure that no one company or group of companies makes an area of business uncompetitive. And these rules are making some big companies sweat, not because they're afraid of monetary penalties, but because they could have an effect on antitrust regulations around the world. Today on the show, we examine the differences between how the EU and the United States handle antitrust and what the Digital Markets Act could mean for big tech's regulatory future. Related episodes:EU leads the way on controlling big tech For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
  • If you regularly listen to The Indicator, you know China's economy is not doing great. Over the last few years, indicators like unemployment and local debt are up, and consumption and property sales are down. There is one big indicator that's been a bellwether for China's economy ... booze. One specific kind: Baijiu. In today's episode, a quick history on baijiu and how the liquor is a potent symbol for consumer confidence in China. Related Episodes: China's weakening economy in two Indicators The Beigie Awards: China Edition For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
  • Traders are using publicly available data to track which lawmakers are reporting big stock market gains. We try to copy them.
  • There are currently just under 65,000 migrants in New York City's shelter system, stretching the city's outworn social service systems. Today on the show, we follow one asylum seeker's journey from Venezuela to New York and explore why the process is lengthy and complicated. Related episodes: Is the 'border crisis' actually a labor market crisis? (Apple / Spotify) 'Welcome to the USA! Now get to work.' (Apple / Spotify) The migrant match game (Apple / Spotify) For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
  • Voters have a bleak outlook on the economy right now, and many are pointing the finger at President Biden. At the same time, many voters have a rosy view of the economy when Donald Trump was president. But how much credit or blame should a president get for the economy? And how do partisan politics play into our perception of the economy's performance? Related episodes:Common economic myths, debunked (Apple / Spotify) Not too hot, not too cold: A 'Goldilocks' jobs report (Apple / Spotify) For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.