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Viet Le Viet Le is a senior producer at The Indicator from Planet Money, NPR's daily economics podcast.
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Viet Le

Viet Le

Senior Producer, The Indicator from Planet Money

Viet Le (he/him) is a senior producer at The Indicator from Planet Money, NPR's daily economics podcast. Before that, he edited and helped launch NPR's daily science podcast, Short Wave. His career at NPR started at All Things Considered in 2008, first as a booker and then producer. He also spent a couple of years helping to get NPR One off the ground, and worked as an editor on Weekend Edition. But no matter what his professional accomplishments at the network, he will perhaps be most remembered in the newsroom for convincing a Virginia farmer to put lipstick on one of his pigs for an ATC segment.

Story Archive

Wednesday

The two companies driving the modern economy

A closeup of a silicon wafer on display at Taiwan Semiconductor Research Institution on September 16, 2022 in Hsinchu, Taiwan. Annabelle Chih/Getty Images hide caption

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Annabelle Chih/Getty Images

Planet Money

The two companies driving the modern economy

At the core of most of the electronics we use today are some very tiny, very powerful chips. Semiconductor chips. And they are mighty: they help power our phones, laptops, and cars. They enable advances in healthcare, military systems, transportation, and clean energy. And they're also critical for artificial intelligence, providing the hardware needed to train complex machine learning.

The two companies driving the modern economy

Listen · 20:15
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Wednesday

A look at the sea slug utility belt, from solar power to stealing stings
A. Martin UW Photography/Getty Images

Short Wave

A look at the sea slug utility belt, from solar power to stealing stings

Emily gets super nerdy with former host Maddie Sofia get as they dive into the incredible world of nudibranchs in this encore episode. Not only are these sea slugs eye-catching for their colors, some of them have evolved to "steal" abilities from other organisms — from the power of photosynthesis to the stinging cells of their venomous predators. These sea slugs are going to blow your mind!

A look at the sea slug utility belt, from solar power to stealing stings

Listen · 12:10
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Friday

An 11-year-old unearthed fossils of the largest known marine reptile

An artistic rendering of a washed-up Ichthyotitan severnensis carcass on the beach. Sergey Krasovskiy hide caption

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Sergey Krasovskiy

Short Wave

An 11-year-old unearthed fossils of the largest known marine reptile

When the dinosaurs walked the Earth, massive marine reptiles swam. Among them, a species of Ichthyosaur that measured over 80 feet long. Today, we look into how a chance discovery by a father-daughter duo of fossil hunters furthered paleontologist's understanding of the "giant fish lizard of the Severn." Currently, it is the largest marine reptile known to scientists.

An 11-year-old unearthed fossils of the largest known marine reptile

Listen · 8:57
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Friday

Most animals don't go through menopause. So why do these whales?

A post-reproductive toothed whale mother and her son. David Ellifrit/Center for Whale Research hide caption

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David Ellifrit/Center for Whale Research

Short Wave

Most animals don't go through menopause. So why do these whales?

Across the animal kingdom, menopause is something of an evolutionary blip. We humans are one of the few animals to experience it. But Sam Ellis, a researcher in animal behavior, argues that this isn't so surprising. "The best way to propagate your genes is to get as many offspring as possible into the next generation," says Ellis. "The best way to do that is almost always to reproduce your whole life."

Most animals don't go through menopause. So why do these whales?

Listen · 9:42
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Friday

Clownfish might be counting their potential enemies' stripes
Gabriel Bouys/AFP via Getty Images

Short Wave

Clownfish might be counting their potential enemies' stripes

At least, that's what a group of researchers at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University thinks. The team recently published a study in the journal Experimental Biology suggesting that Amphiphrion ocellaris, or clown anemonefish, may be counting. Specifically, the authors think the fish may be looking at the number of vertical white stripes on each other as well as other anemonefish as a way to identify their own species. Not only that — the researchers think that the fish are noticing the minutiae of other anemonefish's looks because of some fishy marine geopolitics.

Clownfish might be counting their potential enemies' stripes

Listen · 9:15
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Friday

More nature emojis could be better for biodiversity

A recent study published in the journal iScience found that the diversity of animals emojis more than doubled from 2015 to 2022, but notes that there is still unequal representation of organisms among emojis. Stefano Mammola, Mattia Falaschi, Gentile Francesco Ficetola hide caption

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Stefano Mammola, Mattia Falaschi, Gentile Francesco Ficetola

Short Wave

More nature emojis could be better for biodiversity

A team of conservation biologists from Italy recently found that current emoji options are sorely lacking when it comes to life outside of vertebrates in the animal kingdom. Sure, there are multiple dog and cat options to choose from. But when it comes to fungi, for example, the choices are limited ... to one. The study was published this week in the journal iScience argues that our emoji lexicon is in dire need of some biodiversity – which could have a real impact on the way people communicate about conservation.

More nature emojis could be better for biodiversity

Listen · 8:37
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Thursday

Science

This week in science: dunking birds, a hole in the sun and lack of emoji biodiversity

NPR's Juana Summers talks with Regina Barber and Viet Le of Short Wave about parrots dunking food in water, a giant hole in the sun and the lifeforms neglected by emoji makers.

This week in science: dunking birds, a hole in the sun and lack of emoji biodiversity

Listen · 7:04
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Friday

Wednesday

Indicator exploder: jobs and inflation
Alex Edelman/AFP via Getty Images

Planet Money

Indicator exploder: jobs and inflation

When someone says "the economy is doing well"—what does that even mean? Like, for workers, for employers, for the country as a whole? According to what calculation? How do you put a number on it?

Indicator exploder: jobs and inflation

Listen · 18:29
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Friday

What to know about the link between air pollution and superbugs
Kateryna Kon/Science Photo Library/Getty Images

Short Wave

What to know about the link between air pollution and superbugs

Today on the show, All Things Considered co-host Ari Shapiro joins Aaron Scott and Regina G. Barber for our science roundup. They talk about how antibiotic resistance may spread through particulate air pollution, magnetically halted black holes and how diversified farms are boosting biodiversity in Costa Rica.

What to know about the link between air pollution and superbugs

Listen · 9:31
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Monday

The Indicator Quiz: The Internet
Scott Barbour/Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

The Indicator Quiz: The Internet

What's hotter than a leather car seat in the late summer? The Indicator Quiz! We bring a listener onto the show and test their econ knowledge. Today's quiz is all about the Internet and artificial intelligence. Play along with us and see how you do!

The Indicator Quiz: The Internet

Listen · 9:24
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Friday

India and Russia: A tale of two lunar landing attempts

Journalists film the live telecast of spacecraft Chandrayaan-3 landing on the moon at ISRO's Telemetry, Tracking and Command Network facility in Bengaluru, India, Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2023. Aijaz Rahi/AP hide caption

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Aijaz Rahi/AP

Short Wave

India and Russia: A tale of two lunar landing attempts

A journey through some of the latest science stories catching our eyes. This time, we consider the Russian and Indian lunar landing attempts, how scientists are reconstructing music from people's brains and lessons from wildfires that contributed to a mass extinction of North American land mammals 13,000 years ago.

India and Russia: A tale of two lunar landing attempts

Listen · 9:42
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Friday

Trumpetfish: The fish that conceal themselves to hunt

Damselfish didn't detect a threat when the two models of a trumpetfish and a parrotfish passed by together. Sam Matchette hide caption

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Sam Matchette

Short Wave

Trumpetfish: The fish that conceal themselves to hunt

All Things Considered host Juana Summers joins Regina G. Barber and Berly McCoy to nerd-out on some of the latest science news buzzing around in our brains. They talk NASA shouting across billions of miles of space to reconnect with Voyager 2, the sneaky tactics trumpetfish use to catch their prey and how climate change is fueling big waves along California's coast.

Trumpetfish: The fish that conceal themselves to hunt

Listen · 8:44
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Monday

How Asimov's 'Foundation' has inspired economists
Mario Suriani/Associated Press

The Indicator from Planet Money

How Asimov's 'Foundation' has inspired economists

When we talk about classic economic texts, you might think of something like Adam Smith's "The Wealth of Nations." But how about the Foundation series by Isaac Asimov? One of the big ideas at the heart of this science fiction saga is that math can predict and shape the future. We hear from two economists who tell us how the ideas in Foundation helped set them on their career path.

How Asimov's 'Foundation' has inspired economists

Listen · 9:17
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Tuesday

The Indicator Quiz: Jobs and Employment
Ryan J. Lane/Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

The Indicator Quiz: Jobs and Employment

It's another Indicator Quiz episode! We bring a listener onto the show and test their econ knowledge. Today's quiz is all about jobs and employment. Play along with us and see how you do!

The Indicator Quiz: Jobs and Employment

Listen · 9:29
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Friday

Legacy admissions, the Russian Ruble and Final Fantasy XVI
ANTHONY WALLACE/AFP via Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

Legacy admissions, the Russian Ruble and Final Fantasy XVI

On today's edition of Indicators of the Week, we cover the numbers behind stories relating to the Supreme Court's decision on affirmative action, the Wagner rebellion's effect on the Russian currency, and some huge 2023 sales numbers for the video game industry.

Legacy admissions, the Russian Ruble and Final Fantasy XVI

Listen · 9:26
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Wednesday

Not your typical army: how the Wagner Group operates
ROMAN ROMOKHOV/AFP via Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

Not your typical army: how the Wagner Group operates

The recent mutiny in Russia has put a spotlight on the quasi-military organization responsible: the Wagner Group. Today, we talk to an expert on the Wagner Group to get a sense of how it operates and what its failed rebellion against the Russian government means for the group's future.

Not your typical army: how the Wagner Group operates

Listen · 8:39
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Monday

Why building public transit in the US costs so much
Drew Angerer/Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

Why building public transit in the US costs so much

American public transit is notoriously expensive to build compared to countries in Europe and Asia. Today, we visit a $837 million subway station in New York to learn why these projects come with such a high price tag all across the country.

Why building public transit in the US costs so much

Listen · 9:22
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Monday

Listener Questions: the 30-year fixed mortgage, upgrade auctions, PCE inflation
Joe Raedle/Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

Listener Questions: the 30-year fixed mortgage, upgrade auctions, PCE inflation

It's another listener questions episode where we take on what you want to know! On today's show... The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage. It's a cornerstone of the U.S. housing market, but not so much in the rest of the world. Why? We also look at upgrade auctions in the economy and a measure of inflation often overshadowed by the CPI ... PCE.

Listener Questions: the 30-year fixed mortgage, upgrade auctions, PCE inflation

Listen · 9:29
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Monday

The Indicator Quiz: Banking Troubles

No, it's not The Price is Right, but The Indicator Quiz! Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Vulture hide caption

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Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Vulture

The Indicator from Planet Money

The Indicator Quiz: Banking Troubles

It's another Indicator Quiz episode! We bring a listener onto the show and test their econ knowledge. This time around, the quiz is all about the banking system and its recent troubles.

The Indicator Quiz: Banking Troubles

Listen · 9:30
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Friday

Household debt, Home Depot sales and Montana's TikTok ban
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

Household debt, Home Depot sales and Montana's TikTok ban

It's Indicators of the Week! We round up the economic indicators that caught our attention. On today's episode, we look at growing U.S. household debt, the shrinking sales of Home Depot and Montana's new TikTok ban.

Household debt, Home Depot sales and Montana's TikTok ban

Listen · 9:30
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Wednesday

The man who busted the inflation-employment myth

Professor Robert Lucas (left) receiving the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1995. Lucas died earlier this week at age 85. Jack Mikrut/Scanpix Sweden / AFP via Getty Ima hide caption

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Jack Mikrut/Scanpix Sweden / AFP via Getty Ima

The Indicator from Planet Money

The man who busted the inflation-employment myth

Nobel-winning economist Robert Lucas Jr. died on Monday. His revolutionary theories transformed the field of macroeconomics. His influential "Lucas critique" argued economic policy must take into account people's decisions in reaction to the policy itself, and just as importantly, their expectations. Not only is he remembered as a brilliant mind, but a supportive colleague as well. On today's episode, we remember Robert Lucas and his legacy.

The man who busted the inflation-employment myth

Listen · 9:14
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Monday

Do dollar store bans work?
Frederic Brown/AFP via Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

Do dollar store bans work?

In recent years, we've seen dozens of cities ban new dollar stores from opening up. The thinking goes, by keeping dollar stores out, it'll be easier to get much-needed grocery stores to come in. On today's show, we visit two cities that have passed dollar store bans, New Orleans and Birmingham, to see if they've worked.

Do dollar store bans work?

Listen · 8:43
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Wednesday

Congress could do more to fight inflation
Anna Rose Layden/Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

Congress could do more to fight inflation

The rate of inflation is slowing, but still uncomfortably high, according to today's consumer price index report. The Federal Reserve has been front and center in fighting inflation, cranking up interest rates for more than a year. But how about Congress? It has fiscal tools to help bring down prices, but they've largely gone unused. On today's show, we look at why.

Congress could do more to fight inflation

Listen · 9:30
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