Podcast Summary: The Indicator from Planet Money

Episode Title: Why there are roving rotisserie chicken mobs
Date: February 23, 2026
Hosts: Darian Woods, Waylon Wong, Adrienne Ma
Episode Length: ~10 minutes

Overview

In this lively, rapid-fire episode, The Indicator team answers three diverse listener questions:

1. How AI chatbots might impact blind or low-vision job candidates.
2. What the M2 money supply is, and if listeners should worry about Fed policy’s impact on their retirement accounts.
3. What's behind the frenzy over rotisserie chickens at club stores and supermarkets.

The theme weaving these questions together: how big, abstract economic forces play out in the everyday experiences of real people (from job seekers to shoppers).

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. AI Chatbots in Hiring & the Impact on Blind Candidates

[01:46–03:47]

• Listener's Concern: Haya from Haifa, Israel asks if chatbot job interviews could reduce the high unemployment among blind people due to bias.

  • “I've heard repeatedly that 70% of blind people worldwide who are capable of working don't get hired because of the stigma. Would a chatbot help to eliminate this bias?” — Haya [01:50]

• Expert Perspective:

  • The team revisits workplace discrimination and AI interviews with Brian Jabarian, a UChicago researcher.
  • If interviews are voice-only and don’t use video, AI may remove visual cues, potentially reducing some forms of discrimination.
    • “They remove visual cues. So on that front, we could say that there is some potential for AI to reduce some form of like, visual discrimination.” — Brian Jabarian (paraphrased by hosts) [02:59]

• Caveats:

  • Potential bias may remain—if AI interprets accents, pitch, or non-standard English unfavorably.
  • Research is lacking on how AI evaluates these auditory cues, especially for blind and non-native candidates.
    • “There's a lack of research, so it's hard to predict how a job candidate's vocal characteristics might be judged by an AI interviewer.” — Adrienne Ma [03:16]

2. What Is M2 Money Supply & Should You Worry About Your Retirement?

[03:53–07:16]

• Listener’s Question: DJ Starfox (Mike) wonders about the implications for his retirement account as the Fed buys more Treasuries and M2 is mentioned in the news.

  • “Can you tell me what [M2] is and should I be concerned about my retirement account?” — Mike/DJ Starfox [04:03]

• Explaining ‘M2 Money Supply’:

  • Darian details three money supply definitions:
    • Monetary Base: Physical coins/bills + bank reserves.
    • M1: Base + checking/deposit accounts (highly liquid).
    • M2: M1 + less liquid forms like CDs, some money market funds.
      • “There are three often discussed ways of defining money supply... there's often a connection between the amount of money we have and inflation.” — Darian Woods [04:33]
      • “The M2 money supply definition expands on this even further... includes everything in M1, plus some certificates of deposit... also includes... money market funds.” — Darian Woods [05:28]

• Fed’s Treasury Buying & Its Impact:

  • Recent action: In December, the Federal Reserve resumed buying Treasuries to ensure “ample reserves” for smooth market operations.
  • This technically boosts the money supply, but Anna Kovner (Federal Reserve research director) explains it's mainly a measure to stabilize short-term funding markets, not to juice the whole economy.
    • “[It was] mostly a technical measure to make sure that we maintain ample reserves in the banking system so we can have smooth functioning in short term funding markets...” — Anna Kovner, paraphrased [06:19]

• Should Retirement Savers Worry?

  • “Not materially.” Main thing to watch is interest rates, which affect asset prices. Fed’s bond buying in itself shouldn’t change retirement account values day to day.
    • “Your retirement's going to move with depending on the nature of the assets that you hold in your retirement.” — Waylon Wong [06:49]
    • “If you're worried about your retirement account, watch the Fed's interest rate decisions.” — Darian Woods [07:05]

3. The Mystery of the Roving Rotisserie Chicken Mob

[07:16–10:06]

• Listener’s Story: Ann Crowley, 95, reports that for months, rotisserie chickens have been absent from her BJ’s. Shoppers now gather, waiting for the next batch—as she puts it:

  • “The hot plate is cold and there's an angry mob standing around waiting.” — Ann Crowley [07:48]
  • “I waited on the line, like on a bread line in Russia. And sure enough, out came the chickens and the mob pounced. And I of course, pounced with them since I was part of the mob and lucky to get one. But my thought is, what is going on with these chickens?” — Ann Crowley [08:03]

• Why Are Chickens Scarce?

  • Equity analyst Michael Baker (who covers Costco, Walmart, BJ's) explains:
    • Rotisserie chickens remain extremely popular because, even with food inflation, they’re a reliable, affordable meal.
      • “There's a lot of inflation in the economy. This is one area, one product that hasn't seen inflation.” — Michael Baker (paraphrased by hosts) [09:13]
    • Brief supply chain issues have compounded the problem due to bad weather and overall economic conditions.
      • “The weather ... has caused some disruption in terms of supply chains for a number of products, including potentially rotisserie chicken. But I think the bigger issue is demand has been really strong for that product.” — Michael Baker (paraphrased by hosts) [09:35]

• Host Observations:

  • Hosts personally relate, confirming “hungry mobs” descend upon rotisserie chickens at their local stores as well.
    • “So if it seems like rotisserie chickens are harder to get in the grocery store, there is some validity to that.” — Waylon Wong [09:22]
    • (Joking) “Just picturing Waylon at our local Costco, just throwing elbows.” — Adrienne Ma [09:56]
    • “Oh, yeah, they've got my picture up on the wall in front. They're like, do not admit.” — Waylon Wong [10:01]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On AI reducing discrimination:

  • “They remove visual cues... AI could reduce some form of like, visual discrimination.” — Brian Jabarian [02:59]

• On M2 and financial anxiety:

  • “So Mike, Mr. Starfox, if you're worried about your retirement account, watch the Fed's interest rate decisions.” — Darian Woods [07:05]

• On rotisserie chicken scarcity:

  • “I waited on the line, like on a bread line in Russia. And sure enough, out came the chickens and the mob pounced...” — Ann Crowley [08:03]
  • “There's a lot of inflation in the economy. This is one area, one product that hasn't seen inflation.” — Michael Baker (paraphrased) [09:13]

• On personal stakes:

  • “Yeah, demand is strong from Ann. It's strong from me and all the other angry mobs out there at their grocery store...” — Waylon Wong [09:51]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• AI Hiring & Blind Candidates: [01:46–03:47]
• M2 Money Supply & the Fed: [03:53–07:16]
• Rotisserie Chicken Frenzy: [07:16–10:06]

Tone & Style

Friendly, witty, and informative—the hosts balance listener curiosity with expert insight, adding humor and relatability throughout.

Summary Takeaway

This episode demystifies three everyday economic puzzles with empathy, humor, and clear explanations. Listeners walk away with a better sense of how economic trends and technical measures (from AI hiring to Fed policy, to chicken prices) concretely affect people's lives—proving, once again, that economics is everywhere, even in the hunt for a hot chicken.