Why there are roving rotisserie chicken mobs

Summary

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.

Transcript

[A]

Npr.

[B]

This is the indicator from Planet Money. I'm Darian Woods.

[C]

I'm Waylon Wong.

[D]

And I'm Adrienne Ma.

[B]

And we're here today to discuss rotisserie chickens.

[C]

Ah, finally.

[D]

I love a rotisserie chicken. But we're actually here to tackle the your listener questions.

[C]

So today we're looking at what the heck the M2 money supply is, how AI chatbots affect blind or low vision people, and whether rotisserie chickens are actually more difficult to buy.

[D]

Oh, so. So we are talking about rotisserie chickens.

[E]

This message comes from Apple Card. You could be earning 2% daily cash back on that purchase. That's because Apple card users earn 2% daily cash back on every purchase, including everyday items you buy online or in store when using their Apple Card. With Apple Pay, not an Apple Card customer, you can apply in the Wallet app on iPhone subject to credit approval. Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs bank usa Salt Lake City Branch Terms and more at Apple Co Benefits this Message comes from LinkedIn ads One of the hardest parts about B2B marketing is reaching the right audience. That's why you need LinkedIn ads. You can target your buyers by job title, company role, seniority and skills. The professionals you need to reach in one place. Get a $250 credit on your next campaign. So you can try it yourself. Just go to LinkedIn.com nprpod that's LinkedIn.com nprpod Terms and conditions apply only on LinkedIn ads.

[D]

Our first listener question comes from Haya

[C]

Simkin, and I am from Haifa, Israel. I just listened to your episode on getting interviewed with a chatbot. 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? Okay, when we did our episode on these chatbot interviews, I remember the takeaway being surprisingly positive that AI job interviews led to better hiring outcomes and people felt less discriminated against. Although we did not talk explicitly about blind candidates.

[D]

That's right. So we took this question to our original source for that episode, Brian Jabarian. As a reminder, Brian is a fellow at the University of Chicago School of Business, and he says he hasn't specifically researched how blind candidates do in AI interviews. But it is possible that a blind candidate might face less discrimination if the AI interview is voice only.

[B]

They remove visual cues. So on that front, we could say

[A]

that there is some potential for AI to reduce some form of like, visual discrimination.

[C]

Now that's if the interview is audio only. But then what about if the candidate has a certain accent or a really high voice or something that the AI might be trained to dislike Here again,

[D]

he says 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. Though interestingly, there is some research suggesting AI has a harder time understanding certain kinds of accents and non native English speakers. So Haya, I hope that partially answers your question. I wish we could give you a more definite answer, but thank you for raising this because I definitely think it points to an issue that's worth paying attention to as more companies use AI in their hiring processes.

[C]

For sure. Okay, thank you for that, Adrian and Haya. Now on to Darian. It's time for your question.

[B]

Okay, my question is from DJ Starfox. This is an alias, like an Internet kind of thing from Mike. And here's Mike's question.

[E]

Hey guys at the Indicator, I heard the Fed is buying Treasuries again. And I heard in an article it mentioned something about the M2 money supply. Can you tell me what that is and should I be concerned about my retirement account? Thanks a lot, guys.

[C]

Ah, yes, good old M2 money supply. Dare I say my favorite money supply is it. Actually, it's either that or it's Scrooge McDuck's giant vault of gold. Two million, three million four.

[B]

That gold is appreciating rapidly. Scrooge McDuck was onto something. Leaving aside the McDuck vault, there are three often discussed ways of defining money supply. These are ways of measuring how much money we have in the economy, which is an important question because there's often a connection between the amount of money we have and inflation.

[D]

Macroeconomics 101. Lay it out, Darian.

[B]

So the smallest definition of the money supply is what's known as the monetary base. And that includes all the coins and bills in circulation, plus the balances within Federal Reserve banks. Next up is the M1 money supply. That also includes all the coins and bills. Plus it includes money in your checking account or other very accessible accounts.

[C]

All right, so you've got two slightly different ways of counting up coins and bills. And then M1 also includes the money we see in a lot of our bank accounts.

[B]

Exactly. And the M2 money supply definition expands on this even further. It holds everything in M1, plus some CDs or certificates of deposit. You know, when you lock up your money for a set period until it matures. It also includes the money in these special accounts that everyday investors might have with investment brokers, money market funds.

[D]

So Mike, DJ Starfox asked if he should be worried about his retirement accounts because of how M2 might be affected by the Fed buying Treasury bonds.

[B]

Right. So for some background to this question, in December of last year the Fed went from letting its Treasuries leave the balance sheet to buying Treasuries again. When the Fed purchases Treasuries, it increases the money supply. Anna Kovner is the director of research at the Federal Reserve bank of Richmond. And she says that was mostly a

[C]

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 and to avoid

[B]

market stress as the economy grows. After all, the reserves in the system needs to grow naturally too.

[C]

So the Fed buying Treasury bonds wouldn't necessarily affect DJ Star Fox's retirement account. Like they wouldn't make his investments worth less or something?

[B]

Not materially. Anna says we can leave that to

[C]

interest rates because that's the main mechanism through which we are trying to stimulate or restrict demand in the US economy. So your retirement's going to move with depending on the nature of the assets that you hold in your retirement.

[B]

So Mike, Mr. Starfox, if you're worried about your retirement account, watch the Fed's interest rate decisions. And thank you for your question onto yours. Weyla Wong.

[C]

My question comes from Anne Crowley. She's a 95 year old listener in Rotterdam, New York and her story was so good we had to interview her because her question is about rotisserie chicken.

[F]

Well, as a professional dancer, we are always very, very into nutritious food. But now since I'm on a fixed income, it's even more important than before.

[C]

Every week her son takes her to the local BJ's to go grocery shopping and she always picks up a rotisserie chicken. No problem.

[F]

Now, the last few months there have been no chickens. The hot plate is cold and there's an angry mob standing around waiting.

[D]

That sounds a little scary.

[F]

I noticed the crowd, the angry crowd standing there again by the table. So I asked one of the women, I said, what's going on? She said, rotisserie chickens are coming out in 15 minutes. So 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? The mystery of the rotisserie chicken has been haunting me.

[B]

This reminds me of like, a Soviet aphorism, which is, if you see a line, just get in line. Don't wait to ask what it's for. Just get in that line.

[C]

I love this. And also I have noticed long lines at my Costco for rotisserie chickens, like people waiting for the chickens to come out. And then it's also like this hungry mob descending on the employee. So, of course, we had to answer Ann's question. So we went to Michael Baker. He's an equity research analyst covering retail stocks like Costco, Walmart and BJ's. He says there is something going on with rotisserie chicken. There is more demand than usual.

[D]

It's a great bargain. People really like it. There's a lot of inflation in the economy. This is one area, one product that hasn't seen inflation.

[C]

Now, to be clear, chicken has seen some inflation, but not so much that, you know, it's put it out of reach for a lot of people. So if it seems like rotisserie chickens are harder to get in the grocery store, there is some validity to that.

[D]

The weather in the country right now, the storms that we've seen, 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.

[C]

Yeah, demand is strong from Ann. It's strong from me and all the other angry mobs out there at their

[D]

grocery store just picturing Waylon at our local Costco, just throwing elbows.

[C]

Oh, yeah, they've got my picture up on the wall in front. They're like, do not admit.

[B]

So those are our listener questions. And if you have a question for us, you can always email us@indicatorpr. Or. Or if it's more just compliments that you want to share with the world, well, leave us a review on your podcast app. Thanks so much.

[D]

This episode was produced by Cooper Katz McKim and engineered by Sina Lofredo. It was fact checked by Sierra Juarez. Cait Concannon is our editor, and the Indicator is a production of npr.

[A]

This message comes from Charles Schwab. When it comes to managing your wealth, Schwab gives you more choices like full service, wealth management and advice when you need it. You can also invest on your own and trade on thinkorswim. Visit schwab.com to learn more. This message comes from Capella University. That spark you feel, that's your drive. For more, Capella University's Flexpath Learning format lets you earn your degree at your pace without putting life on pause. Learn [e-mail]. this message comes from BetterHelp. During February, it can feel like everyone has it all together in their love lives, but the truth is, most people are still figuring it out. Take the pressure off and feel lighter in therapy. Visit betterhelp.com NPR for 10% off.