Why the US is losing the drone war
The US defense industry is struggling to keep up with the revolution in cheap drones vs. expensive reusable military equipment.
Archive
Every episode
300 episodes Aug 14, 2025 – Oct 13, 2026
Every indicator we’ve published, newest first. Search by topic, filter by year, or scroll until something makes you say huh.
Find one
Page 4 of 13 Jul 6, 2026 – Jun 3, 2026
-
-
Obama's new Presidential Center and his tricky relationship with the South Side
How do residents of the South Side of Chicago feel about their new neighbor: the Obama Presidential Center?
-
Does the new Fed chair care about jobs?
Last month, new Fed Chair Kevin Warsh presided over his first interest rate decision and press conference … but he didn't talk much about maximum employment.
-
Why Trump wants to rip up his own trade deal
During President Donald Trump’s first term, he touted the USMCA as the largest and most fair trade deal ever achieved. So why is he now talking about ‘terminating’ it?
-
What Iran teaches us about why wars start
If war is so costly, why do we keep fighting them? We dig into the wars in Iran, Ukraine and Gaza to understand the incentives that lead countries into violence.
-
What you should know about your student loans
For many of the 43 million Americans with federal student loans, July 1 is a day to mark on the calendar.
-
GLP-1 and women, the AI office boom, and RTO: CEO ego?
It’s Indicators of the Week (now on YouTube!). On today’s episode: The effect of GLP-1s on women and the workplace; NYC’s once flailing office space is BACK; your boss asking you…
-
AI is pumping out books. Are they any good?
Are all these AI books any good? And by good, we mean are people willing to buy them — not whether the prose is singing.
-
How stock options made him an overnight millionaire
In 2019, Juan Hernandez was laid off from SpaceX. Luckily, he still had the opportunity to buy $50K - $60K of the company’s stock and, years later, it’s safe to say the risk was…
-
Why the $250 bill would be good … For criminals!
A plan to create a new $250—with President Donald Trump’s face on it—has created a lot of pushback. Who probably won’t be pushing back, though? Criminals.
-
An urban planner, infinite scroll, and … what is a public good?
It’s time for The Indicator Quiz! We test you, dear listener, on your knowledge of topics that we’ve covered on The Indicator.
-
How your phone keeps you scrolling ... even when you want to stop
You pick up your phone to do one quick task, and suddenly 20 minutes have flown by without you even noticing. How do apps do that to you?
-
Are we in a new era of permanently higher prices?
Inflation is at a three-year high. That’s a problem for the Fed. Yet, under the leadership of new chair Kevin Warsh, it opted yesterday not to hike interest rates.
-
Is gambling the reason we have pro sports?
To hear author David Bockino tell it, gambling has always been a key ingredient of pro sports in the U.S.—it’s as American as apple pie.
-
Your American Dream is pending review
The Trump Administration recently announced changes to how would-be immigrants get green cards. And it’s causing a lot of confusion, fear and even panic.
-
Community colleges are kind of underrated
Community college is an increasingly popular hack for those who want to change their career. Here’s what you should know about this gateway to economic mobility.
-
Inflation is bad, work from home sad, FIFA World Cup tix NOT deal to be had
It’s Indicators of the Week (now on YouTube!). It’s our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news.
-
The SpaceX IPO drama explained
What the SpaceX IPO, the largest ever, reveals about big tech, the NASDAQ and more big IPOs to come.
-
Should we tax AI?
Should we tax AI? The AI race has made a lot of people richer … but most of those gains seem to have gone to the wealthy while everyday workers aren't seeing their incomes go up.
-
U OK, UK?
In the United Kingdom, young people are out of work, government borrowing costs are high, and the nation is burning through PM’s like yesterday’s leftovers.
-
The fired labor economist who couldn't get unemployment
A top labor economist encounters the endlessly frustrating labyrinth of filing for unemployment after getting fired by President Trump.
-
Who should new grads boo more? AI or remote work?
Is AI really to blame for young people finding it hard to land first jobs? Is Black unemployment a leading indicator for the rest of the economy?
-
Equinomics, bag fees, and leftover campaign dollars
Our listeners have QUESTIONS about the economy. And we have answers. Today on the show, we look at why horse breeding might be slowing down, why airlines charge baggage fees, and…
-
Can the internet be reclaimed from Big Tech?
Why one former senior advisor of the FTC thinks a libertarian myth of the internet has given Big Tech too much power.
