A steel plant manager and an economist walk into a factory. They leave with a story about the U.S. economy.

There’s an air of optimism at the Irvin Plant southeast of Pittsburgh. The $14 billion investment from Nippon Steel, with a promise to “protect and create more than 100,000 jobs,” could bring the turnaround they’ve been waiting for. “The people part of it is really exciting,” said Robert Kopf, the vice president of sales at … Read more