Carmakers are keeping a close eye on the steel industry. A bidding war over U.S. Steel, an iconic American manufacturer, is brewing, and car companies are concerned about antitrust issues and what that could mean for the auto business. We’ll get into it and explain our new theory about why the economy feels so precarious at the moment. Plus, we’ll weigh in on side hustles, raising the retirement age and Beyonce’s rendition of Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” in a round of Half Full/Half Empty!

Here’s everything we talked about today:

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  • “Automakers urge White House to oppose US Steel sale to Cleveland-Cliffs” from Reuters
  
  
  
  

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  • “Powell says Fed wants to see ‘more good inflation readings’ before it can cut rates” from AP News
  
  
  
  

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  • “Fed chair: Focusing solely on inflation is “no longer appropriate'” from Marketplace
  
  
  
  

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  • “Biology is not as hierarchical as most textbooks paint it” from Aeon
  
  
  
  

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  • “Dolly Loves Beyoncé: The Country Legend Is Wowed By The Fiercely Revised ‘Jolene'” from Deadline
  
  
  
  

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  • “LinkedIn moves in on TikTok’s turf with video option” from Axios
  
  
  
  

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  • “Owning a vending machine is an emerging side hustle” from Marketplace
  
  
  
  

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  • “Krispy Kreme doughnuts are coming to McDonald’s” from The Washington Post
  
  
  
  

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  • “Should the U.S. raise the retirement age?” from Marketplace
  
  
  
  

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.