Why there are roving rotisserie chicken mobs

What It Covers

The Indicator answers three listener questions covering AI hiring bias for blind job candidates, how the Federal Reserve's M2 money supply works and its effect on retirement accounts, and why rotisserie chickens are increasingly scarce at warehouse stores.

Key Questions Answered

• •AI Hiring & Disability: Audio-only AI job interviews may reduce visual discrimination for blind candidates, who face a 70% unemployment rate globally due to hiring bias. However, AI systems show documented difficulty processing certain accents, creating potential new disadvantages for non-native English speakers.
• •M2 Money Supply Defined: M2 measures total money in circulation across three tiers: physical currency, checking accounts (M1), plus certificates of deposit and money market funds. Understanding which tier your assets fall into helps contextualize Federal Reserve policy announcements affecting broader economic conditions.
• •Fed Purchases vs. Retirement Risk: When the Fed buys Treasury bonds, it expands M2 but does not directly reduce retirement account values. The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond confirms interest rate decisions, not bond purchases, are the primary mechanism affecting retirement portfolio performance across asset classes.
• •Rotisserie Chicken Shortage: Demand for warehouse-store rotisserie chickens has surged because the product remains one of few grocery items that has not experienced significant inflation. Supply chain disruptions from severe weather compound the problem, but sustained consumer demand driven by cost-consciousness is the dominant factor.