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Business News

Friday, April 4, 2025

• How the War on Drugs got us... blueberries
  Ever wondered why you can buy fresh Peruvian blueberries in the dead of winter? The answer, surprisingly, is tied to cocaine. Today on the show, we look at how the war on drugs led to an American trade policy and a foreign aid initiative that won us blueberries all year round.
  
  And for more on trade and tariffs check out Planet Money's homepage. We've got articles looking at how much the new tariffs will raise prices and shows on everything from diamonds to potatoes to why you bought your couch.
  
  This episode was produced by Sylvie Douglis with help from Willa Rubin. It was edited by Marianne McCune and engineered by Jimmy Keeley. It was fact-checked by Sierra Juarez. Alex Goldmark is our executive producer.
  
  Find more Planet Money: Facebook / Instagram / TikTok / Our weekly newsletter.
  
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  Music: Source Audio: "Martini Shaker," "You the Man," and "Leisure Girls."
  
• How tariffs on imports will affect logistics companies on the U.S.-Mexico border
  President Trump's recently announced reciprocal tariffs on imports will affect trade with business partners. Nobody knows this better than the logistics companies on the U.S.-Mexico border area.
  
• The newest developments in movie theater concessions
  Leaders from the movie theater industry gathered at CinemaCon in Las Vegas this week, where vendors showed off the latest concessions and gadgets for movie-goers.
  
• What the sell-by deadline extension means for TikTok
  The sale of video app TikTok to a U.S. owner has been delayed again after President Trump announced a deal had not yet been reached ahead of an April 5 deadline.
  
• Why stores send so many emails
  Ever get frustrated by how many emails you get from stores and brands? Of all the forms of marketing, email has one of the highest returns on investment.
  
• Between a dream deal and tariffs, one U.S. business owner is at a crossroads
  Number crunching is what small business owners around the U.S. are doing now, assessing the costs of President Trump's tariffs on imports. For one business owner, a dream deal is at stake.
  
• Trump extends TikTok's sell-by deadline again
  On his first day in office, President Trump used an executive order to hit pause on the TikTok ban for 75 days. Now he's pushing back that deadline.
  
• How states are scooping up federal workers
  It's Jobs Friday and all eyes are on government workers. Will the Trump administration's layoffs finally show up in the latest jobs report? Today on the show, we look at the numbers for federal workers and who's trying to hire them.
  
  Related listening:
  Can ... we still trust the monthly jobs report (Apple / Spotify)
  The last time we shrank the federal workforce (Apple / Spotify)
  A 'Fork in the Road' for federal employees (Apple / Spotify)
  How local government is propping up the U.S. labor market
  
  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.
  
• Popular brands of liquid eggs are recalled over bleach contamination concerns
  Over 200,000 pounds of Egg Beaters and Bob Evans products were recalled over potential cleaning solution contamination. The USDA says that health risks are low, but consumers should still steer clear.
  
• Higher prices are likely for these 10 grocery items when tariffs hit
  A trip to the grocery or liquor store is about to become even more expensive, economists say. From seafood to olive oil, these items will likely cost more under President Trump's tariffs.