The ascendance of Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz has made the topic of free school lunch a political flashpoint. Over the past several years, several states—including Walz's home state of Minnesota—have created free school lunch programs, to the dismay of some House Republicans who believe government subsidies should go only to needy students.Today on the show, we break down the economics of school lunch and explore whether universal programs are more effective than targeted programs.*For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org).Music by Drop Electric). Find us: TikTok), Instagram), Facebook), Newsletter). *Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices)NPR Privacy Policy)
