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Commercial Construction Soars in September

William Attardi on November 1, 2025

Total construction starts were up +3.1% in September to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $1.26 trillion, according to Dodge Construction Network. Nonresidential building starts rose by +11.9%, residential starts improved +3.6%, and nonbuilding starts fell -6.2% over the month. On a year-to-date basis through September, total construction starts were up +3.5% from last year. Nonresidential starts were up +5%, residential starts were down -4.2% and nonbuilding starts were +10.8% higher over the same period. For the 12 months ending Sept. 2025, total construction starts were up +6.7% from the 12 months ending Sept. 2024. Residential starts were down -1.4%, nonresidential starts increased 6.8%, and nonbuilding starts were up +16.7% over the same period.  Commercial Construction Soars in September | Electrical Wholesaling

Stellantis Says It will Invest $13B to Expand Its US Operations, Adding More Than 5,000 Jobs by Alex Veiga

William Attardi on October 15, 2025

Stellantis says it will invest $13 billion over the next four years to expand its manufacturing capacity in the United States, a move that the automaker says will increase its domestic vehicle production by 50% and add more than 5,000 jobs. The world’s fourth-largest carmaker said Tuesday the investment will support the introduction of five new vehicles, including a Dodge Durango to be built in Detroit and a midsize truck to be assembled in Toledo, Ohio. The new jobs will be spread across plants in Illinois, Ohio, Michigan and Indiana.  Stellantis says it will invest $13B to expand its US operations, adding more than 5,000 jobs | AP News

The Statue of Liberty was made with copper but due to oxidation, it turned green.

When the “Lady in the Harbor” first arrived in New York in 1886, she didn’t look like the mint-green icon we know today. In fact, for the first twenty years of her life, she stood as a towering, metallic beacon of reddish-gold. Designed by French sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and engineered by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, the statue was a gift from France to America. To build her, Bartholdi chose copper for three practical reasons:

  • Malleability:It could be hammered into elaborate, thin sheets.
  • Weight:Copper is lighter than stone or bronze, making it easier to ship 350 individual pieces across the Atlantic.
  • Durability:It was strong enough to survive a 27-day ocean voyage and the harsh winds of the harbor.

When she was unveiled on October 28, 1886, her skin—made of 300 copper sheets roughly the thickness of two pennies—shone with a bright, metallic brown luster. The transformation from “penny-colored” to “patina-green” wasn’t planned. Bartholdi actually expected the statue to age into a deeper, darker red. However, the unique environment of New York Harbor—a mix of salt air, moisture, and industrial pollution—triggered a process called oxidation.

The Timeline of Change:

  1. 1886–1900:The bright copper dulled into a dark, muddy brown.
  2. 1903:The first hints of a light green crust, or “patina,” began to appear.
  3. 1906:The color change was so controversial that Congress nearly stepped in. They appropriated $62,000 to paint the statue back to its original color, but the public protested, calling the idea “sacrilege.”
  4. 1910–1920:The statue was a patchy mix of brown and green until 1920, when the oxidation was complete, leaving her entirely teal.

While we now view the green color as iconic, it actually serves a vital structural purpose. The layer of verdigris (the green patina) acts as a protective shield. It seals the copper underneath, preventing the metal from further corrosion and weathering.  By the time the color fully changed, a new generation of immigrants had arrived in America seeing a green statue.