The Indicator from Planet Money

A huge EU-India deal, Heated Rivalry, and a hefty $200k to Olympians

It’s … Indicators of the Week! Our weekly look at some of the most fascinating economic numbers from the news.  On today’s episode: a HUGE trade deal between India and the European Union, all the hot hockey romance New Yorkers could ever want, and a heavy earnings purse for Olympic competitors, win or lose.   Related episodes:  Why the Olympics cost so much [https://www.npr.org/2024/08/01/1197967951/paris-2024-olympics-hosting-costs] The surprising economics of digital lending [https://www.npr.org/2022/08/18/1118289764/the-surprising-economics-of-digital-lending]  For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org [http://plus.npr.org/]. Fact-checking by Julia Ritchey and Vito Emanuel. Music by Drop Electric [https://dropelectric.bandcamp.com/]. Find us: TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@planetmoney], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/planetmoney/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/planetmoney], Newsletter [https://www.npr.org/newsletter/money].   Preorder Planet Money's new book here [https://www.planetmoneybook.com/]! Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices] NPR Privacy Policy [https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy]

Hawaii’s worker shortage goes NUTS

Macadamia nuts. Labor shortages. Volcanoes. All that might sound like econ Mad Libs, but they’re all connected to the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco’s entry into the Beige Book this month: labor shortages are hurting macadamia nut harvests in Hawaii.  On today’s show, we take a vacation and talk to someone on the Big Island who runs a macadamia nut farm. He calls them “mac nuts.”  Related episodes:  Why beef prices are so high [https://www.npr.org/2025/09/15/nx-s1-5539846/why-beef-prices-are-so-high]  For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org [http://plus.npr.org/]. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez [https://www.npr.org/people/1268825622/sierra-juarez]. Music by Drop Electric [https://dropelectric.bandcamp.com/]. Find us: TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@planetmoney], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/planetmoney/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/planetmoney], Newsletter [https://www.npr.org/newsletter/money].   Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices] NPR Privacy Policy [https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy]

Why isn’t corporate America standing up to Trump?

President Trump has been storming through corporate America — taking a stake in Intel, demanding a cut of Nvidia’s sales, restricting skilled workers, among other big footed policies. Meanwhile, corporate leaders have mostly just … rolled over. Today on the show: As Trump rewrites the rules of doing business, why aren’t business leaders doing more to speak up? Related episodes:  How close is the US to crony capitalism? [https://www.npr.org/2025/10/02/nx-s1-5559759/how-close-is-the-us-to-crony-capitalism]  Davos drama, credit card caps and tariff truths [https://www.npr.org/2026/01/23/nx-s1-5685413/davos-drama-credit-card-caps-and-tariff-truths]  For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org [http://plus.npr.org/]. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez [https://www.npr.org/people/1268825622/sierra-juarez]. Music by Drop Electric [https://dropelectric.bandcamp.com/]. Find us: TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@planetmoney], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/planetmoney/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/planetmoney], Newsletter [https://www.npr.org/newsletter/money]. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices] NPR Privacy Policy [https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy]

Can Europe sell America?

“Sell America.” There’s new talk of how Europe could turn the economic screws [https://www.ft.com/content/beeaf869-ca12-4178-95a1-bfb69ee27ae4] on the U.S. after President Trump’s play for Greenland. Selling U.S. Treasury bonds is one way. Another is a legal tool. It’s been called the EU’s bazooka. On today’s show, taking stock of Europe’s financial arsenal. How could America’s largest foreign lender lighten Americans’ wallets? Planet Money wrote a book and is going on tour, come see us: tickets and tour dates here [https://www.planetmoneybook.com/].  Related episodes:  Davos drama, credit card caps and tariff truths [https://www.npr.org/2026/01/23/nx-s1-5685413/davos-drama-credit-card-caps-and-tariff-truths] Why Trump resurrected the Monroe Doctrine [https://www.npr.org/2026/01/15/nx-s1-5677625/why-trump-resurrected-the-monroe-doctrine] Lunch with the man who coined TACO [https://www.npr.org/2025/07/22/1256040785/trump-taco-wall-street-stock-market-tariffs] For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org [http://plus.npr.org/]. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez [https://www.npr.org/people/1268825622/sierra-juarez]. Music by Drop Electric [https://dropelectric.bandcamp.com/]. Find us: TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@planetmoney], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/planetmoney/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/planetmoney], Newsletter [https://www.npr.org/newsletter/money]. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices] NPR Privacy Policy [https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy]

How Pakistan is revving up a fight against tax dodgers

Pakistan has had some major economic bumps as of late, including a near default in 2023. At the root: seriously low tax collection. Millions of Pakistan residents opt out of paying income taxes entirely. This is a problem a lot of lower- and middle-income countries face. On today's show, we talk about why there are so many tax dodgers in Pakistan and what the government is trying to do about it.  Related episodes:  Is the US pushing countries towards China? [https://www.npr.org/2025/04/29/1247777247/pakistan-us-china-trade-tariffs-aid] A brief history of income taxes [https://www.npr.org/2019/04/18/714788538/a-brief-history-of-income-taxes]  For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org [http://plus.npr.org/]. Fact-checking by Sierra Juarez [https://www.npr.org/people/1268825622/sierra-juarez]. Music by Drop Electric [https://dropelectric.bandcamp.com/]. Find us: TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@planetmoney], Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/planetmoney/], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/planetmoney], Newsletter [https://www.npr.org/newsletter/money].   Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices] NPR Privacy Policy [https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy]