In early January, President Donald Trump signed an executive order threatening bans on defense contractors paying dividends or buying their stock back.
Today on the show, we learn about the Trump Administration’s frustrations with the weapons supply chain, find out what a defense industry investor makes of the move, and ask whether this reflects the state tightening its grip on the industry that arms the U.S. military.
Related episodes:
Are we overpaying for military equipment?
Can Just-In-Time handle a new era of war?
How to transform a war economy for peacetime
For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
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Engines of Our Ingenuity - The Engines of Our Ingenuity 2243: Organizing for Disaster
Episode: 2243 Organizing for disaster: One place where New Orleans did it right. Today, our guest, UH journalist Michael Berryhill, prepares for a rainy day.
Audio Mises Wire - The British North American Colonies Were Not Homogeneous Political Units
The original 13 British colonies that made up the early United States had very different populations with decidedly different political and social outlooks.
Original article: https://mises.org/mises-wire/british-north-american-colonies-were-not-homogeneous-political-units
Engines of Our Ingenuity - The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1511: Lotus and High-Tech
Episode: 1511 In which the lotus blossom gives a lesson in engineering design. Today, lotus petals and high-tech.
Engines of Our Ingenuity - The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1510: Thomas Sopwith
Episode: 1510 Thomas Sopwith's hundredth birthday. Today, we meet the oldest airplane designer.
Engines of Our Ingenuity - The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1509: Roads, Canals, and Railways
Episode: 1509 Late 18th century competition among roads, canals and railways. Today, we look at roads, canals, and railways.
More or Less - No, a study has not shown that the covid jab causes cancer
In Autumn 2025 a paper in South Korea was published that excited many a vaccine sceptic online. The paper claimed that receiving a vaccination against Covid19 was linked to a 27% increase in cancer risk.
However, when you dig into the data there is no evidence that the vaccine caused the cancer. We spoke to Professor Justin Fendos to explain why we cannot take this type of statistical analysis at face value.
Presenter: Tim Harford Producer: Lizzy McNeill Series Producer: Tom Colls Editor: Richard Vadon Production Coordinator: Brenda Brown Sound Mix: James Beard
The Indicator from Planet Money - ICE influencers, a world-record trade surplus, and the moon goes nuclear
Welcome back to Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news.
On today’s episode: Influencers for ICE, China’s tremendous trade surplus, and America heads back to the moon.
Related episodes:
We resolve to watch these 2026 indicators
China's trade war perspective
Who owns the moon?
For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Fact-checking by Vito Emanuel. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
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On today’s episode: Influencers for ICE, China’s tremendous trade surplus, and America heads back to the moon.
Related episodes:
We resolve to watch these 2026 indicators
China's trade war perspective
Who owns the moon?
For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Fact-checking by Vito Emanuel. Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.
Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices
NPR Privacy Policy
Articles of Interest - Made in USA
This is one of the best pieces of fashion reporting I have ever heard: it's a reworked version of a story that originally aired on the NPR podcast Planet Money.
And to get my recommendations of well made, relatively ethically produced t- shirts, head to articlesofinterest.substack.com
Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choicesEngines of Our Ingenuity - The Engines of Our Ingenuity 1508: Alchemy
Episode: 1508 The alchemists and chemistry before the middle 19th century. Today, we remember alchemy.