Hot labor summer is here

Hollywood’s double strike of writers and actors might just be the start of a hot labor summer. We’ll talk about the next group of workers who may soon join the picket lines and what’s at stake (inflation, anyone?). Plus, what the Federal Trade Commission has to do with Trump’s plans to expand presidential power. And, concrete, yes, concrete is making us smile as newly discovered secrets from ancient Roman times could help us build more environmentally friendly cities.

Here’s everything we talked about:

• • “Annual Cost of SAG-AFTRA, DGA, WGA Contracts Estimated by Moody’s“ from The Hollywood Reporter

• • “Teamsters president says he’s asked the White House not to intervene if UPS workers go on strike” from The Associated Press

• • “Trump Plans to Expand Presidential Power Over Agencies in 2025” from The New York Times

• • “From Jack the Ripper to ‘Gilgo Beach’ cold case, violence against sex workers is common” from USA Today

• • “We Finally Know Why Ancient Roman Concrete Stood The Test of Time” from Science Alert

• • “A Positive Covid Milestone” from The New York Times

We want to hear what you’re reading this summer. If you’ve got a reading recommendation you’d like to share with fellow Smarties, email us at makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.