Marketplace Morning Report Marketplace

As cities look to grow and innovate in the recovery from the pandemic, some are pushing for new sports stadiums. The idea is that fresh ballparks attract visitors and create jobs, but these projects are almost always funded by public dollars. We’ll do the numbers on the investment and payoff. Also on the show: A ransomware attack could put a sizable dent in auto sales this month, and marketing around Pride is down this year.

In a 6-3 ruling, Supreme Court justices have narrowed the scope of federal corruption law, as it pertains to state and local officials. Justices ruled that a former mayor in Indiana did not commit a crime when he took $13,000 as a purported consulting fee after — not before — awarding city contracts to a trucking company. We’ll also have an honest conversation about Social Security funding. Plus, is Nike a dinosaur brand?

From the BBC World Service: The Japanese Yen has fallen to its weakest level against the U.S. dollar for nearly 40 years. It’s causing jitters in the markets, and analysts warn about potential government intervention. Then, protests are continuing in Kenya over the unpopular new finance bill. And as Barcelona becomes the latest city to crack down on short-term rentals, we hear from an unhappy property owner.

A federal judge has rejected an antitrust settlement that would have lowered the fees Visa and Mastercard charge every time you use your credit card to pay for a purchase. The judge ruled the settlement did not go far enough, agreeing with retailers who want to chip away at the power held by credit card companies. We’ll hear more. Then, hundreds of thousands of home sitting empty in Japanese cities. Expatriates are noticing.

Volkswagen says it’s putting $5 billion into U.S. electric truck company Rivian. The cash infusion comes at a crucial time for Rivian, as it watches other EV startups go under. But VW also needs something out of this. We unpack. Plus, why it’s so difficult to maintain America’s aging bridge infrastructure and how the market for online comics is doing as Webtoon Entertainment looks to go public.

From the BBC World Service: At least 13 people have been killed and many more injured after police fired into crowds protesting Kenya’s controversial finance bill in Nairobi. An angry crowd stormed the parliament before setting parts of it on fire. Protests have taken place for several days. How did Kenya get here? Also: a look at the expats buying and renovating some of the 9 million empty homes in Japan.