Marketplace All-in-One Marketplace

A small neighborhood in the Phoenix area, full of farm animals and dirt roads, is in turmoil: A huge TSMC semiconductor plant, now under construction, is bringing with it a wave of commercial development and new residents. Champions of the project say the jobs and housing are sorely needed, but locals feel the transformation threatens their way of life. In this episode, we’ll visit the so-called Golden Triangle and meet stakeholders who include longtime residents, small-business owners, a city councilwoman and a real estate developer.

Oil merger mania continues; American Airlines sees a dismal summer; Pee-Wee’s house is for sale.

After years of having a frosty relationship, Elon Musk and Donald Trump are warming up to each other. We’ll discuss what a potential political marriage might mean for a second Trump administration. Plus, who actually donates to political campaigns? Later, we’ll smile about two giant pandas returning to D.C.’s National Zoo!



Here’s everything we talked about today:


“Fewer Americans to Make Political Donations in 2024” from LendingTree 
“Fewer Americans plan to donate to political campaigns: Survey” from The Hill
“Inside Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s Growing Alliance” from The Wall Street Journal
“Two New Giant Pandas Coming to Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute From China by End of the Year” from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute
“The Pandas Are Coming!” from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute
“Latest North Korean Offensive: Dumping Trash on South Korea From the Sky” from The New York Times

We love to hear from you. Send your questions and comments to makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

American Airlines has revised lower its summer forecast; ConocoPhillips to purchase Marathon Oil; China’s economic forecast gets a boost; another former FTX executive is headed to prison.

When you buy a stock, your brokerage has to go out and buy it for you. It sometimes doesn’t happen immediately and can take up to two days. As part of a push to reduce risk in the stock market, a new Securities and Exchange Commission rule says it needs to happen faster. Plus, why consumers are feeling better than expected and how pricey child care is holding back women in the workforce.

Despite cooling inflation, many Americans still say higher prices make it difficult to make ends meet. That’s especially the case for parents. The cost of child care has far outpaced overall inflation for the past few decades, to the point that it’s affecting the labor force. We discuss. But first: Tensions between Exxon-Mobil and some of its shareholders may well boil over this morning when the company holds its annual shareholder meeting.