Can a Green-Economy Boom Town Be Built to Last?
The New York Times
The race to make electric vehicles is turning some places into winners. Normal, Ill., is one of them. But it has seen good times go sour in the past.
NORMAL, Ill. — When he bought a construction contractor called Weber Electric in 2018, Josh Mosier inherited about 20 employees. By the end of the next year, he was up to about 100 employees. By the spring of 2021, the number was over 225. “Because of this boom,” said Mr. Mosier, whose company often works on large building projects, “we’ve grown exponentially.” The epicenter of that boom is an electric-vehicle maker named Rivian, which brought in Mr. Mosier’s company and others in the Normal, Ill., area to work on the city’s costliest construction project in decades: a massive auto plant.
The employment data is forecast to show a strong labor market on the eve of the transition to the administration of President Trump.
The canal’s two biggest ports are operated by a Hong Kong company with global reach. The Trump administration sees a Chinese threat to U.S. security.
The distinctive domed building, turning 50 this year, is known for hosting the Super Bowl, but to locals, it’s also “the city’s living room.”
Black-owned brands got a foot in the door through accelerator programs at big retailers like Target and Amazon. Now they worry the door might be closing.
The trade deficit has long drawn the president’s ire. Now, he’s preparing to take it on again.
American companies intent on making goods in the United States are fretting over the impact of tariffs on their access to parts and raw materials.
A growing number of countries, including American allies, are striking trade deals as the Trump administration erects a higher fence around its global commerce.
The invoking of national security to unravel trade agreements could scramble the international trading system in China’s favor.
Canada, Mexico and China account for more than a third of the products brought into the United States. Tariffs could lead to higher prices for consumers.