Small town economics clash with Big Tech agendas
· 25 min
Episode Small town economics clash with Big Tech agendas
In Crook County, Oregon, just east of the Cascade mountains, data centers sprawl across the high desert landscape. The area fell into economic decline during the Great Recession and some residents welcomed investment by Meta and Apple in the form of massive data center complexes. But 15 years on, was it worth it? In this episode, what happens when data centers come to town. Plus, mergers and spinoffs: Abbott plans to turn its baby formula operation into a standalone company, and Elon Musk explores a plan to combine Tesla and SpaceX.
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Read the stories in today’s episode:
• Data centers boosted one Oregon town's economy, but some residents have had enough • Abbott Laboratories announces a baby formula spinoff company • Elon Musk wants to merge SpaceX and Tesla • If “demographics are destiny,” what’s in store for the U.S. economy?
Links in the notes 7
- https://www.marketplace.org/newsletters
- https://www.marketplace.org/
- https://www.marketplace.org/make-a-smart-investment
- https://www.marketplace.org/story/2026/10/21/apple-and-meta-data-centers-divide-oregon-towns-residents
- https://www.marketplace.org/story/2026/10/21/abbott-laboratories-announces-a-baby-formula-spinoff-company
- https://www.marketplace.org/story/2026/10/21/elon-musk-wants-to-merge-spacex-and-tesla
- https://www.marketplace.org/story/2026/10/21/as-the-us-population-reaches-retirement-age-whats-next
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