The Indicator from Planet Money Trump and truckers, Poland prospers, and a booming ant biz
31 snips
Mar 20, 2026 
Mary Childs, journalist and Planet Money contributor, joins to unpack this week’s indicators. They cover a new rule reshaping the truck driver workforce. They explain Poland’s rise into the world’s top 20 economies. They also tell the strange story of a booming illicit pet-ant trade and its ecological risks.
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200000 Truckers At Risk From New CDL Rule
- New federal rules could remove about 200,000 foreign-born commercial drivers from the US workforce over five years.
- The policy affects refugees, asylum applicants, and DACA recipients and equals roughly 5% of active CDL holders as of 2024.
Safety Claim Lacks Publicly Shown Evidence
- The administration frames the change as a safety measure citing 17 fatal crashes involving the affected group last year.
- Lawsuits say the government has not shown evidence these drivers have higher accident rates than others.
Poland Climbs To 20th Largest Economy
- Poland is now the 20th largest economy and has largely avoided year-on-year shrinking since 1992 except during the pandemic.
- Growth followed post-Soviet reforms and sustained expansion into EU markets after 2004.