People arrested while protesting ICE say federal agents took samples of their DNA. It’s legal, but experts say the practice raises questions about what the government is doing with that genetic data.
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Israel and Iran attack gas facilities, in a major escalation that rattles markets
President Trump said that Israel acted alone when it struck the South Pars gas field in Iran. Trump threatened Iran to halt its attacks on Qatar’s facilities, or face a “blow up” of their South Pars field.
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How Iran is wasting American resources
Iran is using an affordable strategy to even the playing field in the war with the U.S. It’s using drones that cost in the thousands of dollars to combat American missiles that cost several million. Military analysts have already signaled concern about the U.S. producing enough munitions, and this isn’t helping. Today on the show, why the U.S. spends so much on munitions and what it’s learning from Iran.
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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.
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Don’t get taken for a ride by your car insurer
Between the start of 2022 and the start of 2025, car insurance rates jumped by more than 50%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Luckily, there are tried-and-true tactics for finding the cheapest deal you can — from comparing rates from multiple insurance companies to not letting your teen get their license just yet. NPR’s cars and energy correspondent, Camila Domonoske, breaks down the surprising factors that contribute to high rates and how to make sure you don’t get taken for a ride by your car insurer.
Find comparisons in your ZIP code: https://www.npr.org/2025/11/05/nx-s1-5397184/auto-insurance-credit-history-cost
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Daisy Hernández argues ‘Citizenship’ has never been a fixed legal status
Author Daisy Hernández grew up in New Jersey in a community she describes as “the United Nations of Latinos,” with parents from Cuba and Colombia and relatives from Puerto Rico and Peru. Her new book Citizenship uses her family story to trace the history of citizenship in the United States. In today’s episode, she speaks with NPR’s Emily Kwong about the concept of “social citizenship” and why American citizenship fails to fit into a fixed legal definition.
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Gas price spike spurs a political blame game in California
California’s gas prices have long been high, and spikes due to the war with Iran have sparked debate over who’s to blame. Some Democrats say Gov. Gavin Newsom could do more to ease prices.
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Cesar Chavez abused and raped women and girls, NYT investigation says
A New York Times investigation has revealed allegations that the late renowned labor leader abused girls and raped Dolores Huerta, his longtime organizing partner.
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A mom wrote a kids’ book on grief. She was just convicted of her husband’s murder
A Utah jury convicted Kouri Richins of fatally spiking her husband’s drink with fentanyl in 2022. Prosecutors said she was hoping to collect millions of dollars from multiple life insurance policies.
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Mamdani put Ramadan at the center of NYC’s cultural life, bringing joy — and a backlash
NYC Mayor Mamdani observed Ramadan publicly at a time when many politicians and activists on the right are voicing hostility and in some cases open bigotry toward American Muslims.
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FAA tightens safety rules for helicopters and planes around major airports
Regulators at the Federal Aviation Administration are tightening safety rules in congested airspace around major airports, suspending the use of visual separation between planes and helicopters.
