For: June 26, 2026 

>>Trading Week Winding Down 

(New York, NY)  --  The opening bell rings this morning on Wall Street following a mixed day of trading.  Shares of Apple fell Thursday after the tech giant raised prices on several of its signature products, including the MacBook Neo, MacBook Air, iMac, and iPad product lines.  At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 71 points to 51-920.  The S&P 500 lost less than a point to 73-57.  The tech-heavy Nasdaq fell 118 points to 25-358.

>>Inflation Hits Highest Level In 3 Years 

(Washington, DC)  --  Annual inflation is at its highest level in three years. According to the personal consumption expenditures price index released by the Commerce Department Thursday, the Federal Reserve's primary inflation gauge showed an annual rate of four-point-one percent.  That's the highest since April 2023.  However, even with the elevated inflation levels, consumer spending for the month came in stronger than expected as personal consumption expenditures rose by zero-point-seven percent.  The report comes a little more than a week after the Fed and its new Chairman Kevin Warsh delivered what markets widely viewed as a tough talk on rates and inflation.

>>Meta And Qualcomm To Team Up

(San Diego, CA)  --  Meta is teaming up with Qualcomm on artificial intelligence. CEO Mark Zuckerberg says the goal is to build what he calls "personal superintelligence" for people around the world.  San Diego-based Qualcomm will supply chips for Meta data centers, starting with its new Dragonfly C1000 processor expected to ship in 2028. The deal makes Meta the company's first major data center customer as it moves beyond smartphones.  Qualcomm is pushing into AI and data centers as it prepares for its Apple contract to end in 2027. 

>>Zillow Study Says Homes Are Getting More Expensive 

(Undated)  --  A record number of cities across the U.S. now have starter homes valued at one-million dollars.  According to Zillow, 242 cities across 26 states have housing markets with that price tag as the entry point for homeownership.  California has the most cities on that list with 105, and the second on that list is New York, with 42 cities.  New Jersey, Florida, and Massachusetts round out the top five.  A million-dollar starter home, fortunately, is not the norm, with the average home price across the country just under 200-thousand dollars. 

For: June 25, 2026

>>Ahead Of The Bell 

(New York, NY)  --  The opening bell rings this morning on Wall Street after stocks closed mixed yesterday.  It came as oil prices have been on the decline, with West Texas Intermediate futures falling below 70 dollars for the first time since March 2nd.  International benchmark Brent crude futures has also fallen.  At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 182 points to 51-848.  The S&P 500 lost 7 points to 73-58.  The Nasdaq fell 110 points to 25-476.

>>Trump Requests DOJ Probe Into Gas Price 'Gouging'

(Washington, DC)  --  President Trump is instructing the Department of Justice to investigate oil companies for alleged price gouging.  The president targeted what he said was big oil companies in a post on Truth Social where he asserted that "customers are being 'gouged.'" Trump's post did not name specific companies, but he said the companies "are not dropping their price at the pump commensurate with the sharply lower prices they are paying for oil." Now the president is calling for a probe into the matter, while warning, "gasoline prices better start going down a lot faster than what I'm seeing!"

>>Monticello Event Celebrates Declaration Of Independence Quarter

(Charlottesville, VA)  --  The U.S. Mint is celebrating the release of new quarters featuring the Declaration of Independence.  Officials held an event at Monticello yesterday to help publicize the new quarters ahead of America's 250th anniversary.  The mint also announced that 250 thousand quarters bearing a special "July 4th" mark will be mixed in with the other Declaration of Independence quarters placed into circulation.  Mint Director Paul Hollis said he hoped the special coins would help Americans reflect on their history during this year's anniversary celebrations.

>>Rockstar Games Reveals "GTA VI" Pricing

(New York, NY)  --  The price for the long-anticipated "Grand Theft Auto VI" video game has been revealed.  Rockstar Games announced it will cost gamers 80-dollars to buy the basic single-player version of the game.  Meanwhile, "Grand Theft Auto VI: Ultimate Edition" will set fans back a hundred bucks.  Preorders for the game open today.  The game is set to drop on November 20th.

For: June 24, 2026

>>Ahead Of The Bell 

(New York, NY)  --  The opening bell rings this morning after stocks closed lower as a tech selloff picked up steam yesterday.  Shares of Micron Technology dropped more than ten percent with Marvell and Sandisk also falling sharply.  Alphabet added to the downward pressure although stocks trimmed some losses in late trading.  At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 45 points to 51-666.  The S&P 500 fell 107 points to 73-65.  The Nasdaq dropped 579 points to 25-587.

>>Google Invests $75 Million In A24 For AI-Powered Filmmaking Tools

(New York, NY)  --  Google is investing 75-million-dollars in film studio A24 to develop AI-powered filmmaking tools.  The two sides have agreed to a deal that will have the studio work with Google's DeepMind unit.  It will give A24 access to AI research and infrastructure, while DeepMind's researches will create new workflows with the studio.  The deal doesn't include access to A24's content library.   

>>Florida Attorney General Probes CVS Monopoly Allegations

(Miami, FL)  --  Florida's Attorney General is demanding the CVS pharmacy chain prove it is not monopolizing the market.  James Uthmeier [[ UHTH-my-yer ]] says the state has subpoenaed CVS documents and contracts after complaints from independent pharmacists that they are being forced out of business.  He says CVS has until July 26 to respond. Independent pharmacists claim CVS and its pharmacy benefit manager Caremark branch unfairly administers prescription drug plans for insurers, employers, and government programs, driving up costs, limiting access to medications, and funneling patients to CVS pharmacies. Congress has also been looking into the business practices of CVS.

>>Lucid Cutting 18 Percent of Workforce

(Newark, CA)  --  Lucid is set to cut around 18 percent of its workforce.  That's according to a filing with the SEC with the electric vehicle maker saying the move will save the company nearly 160-million dollars. It affects full-time employees, contractors and hourly production workers - including around 700 people employed at it's Arizona factory.  Lucid intends to complete the plan the by the end of this year's third quarter.

For: June 23, 2026

>>Ahead Of The Bell

(New York, NY) -- The opening bell rings this morning on Wall Street after stocks closed mostly lower as tech stocks slid to start the week. Shares of Alphabet, Amazon and Meta Platforms fell on concerns about artificial intelligence. Easing oil prices took some pressure off markets as investors weighed the latest developments in the Iran war negotiations. At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 148 points to 51-712. The S&P 500 lost 27 points to 74-72. The Nasdaq dropped 351 points to 26-166.

>>Amazon's Prime Day Event Arrives

(Undated) -- Amazon's big Prime Day event starts today. It's one of the biggest shopping events of the year and competition is fierce, especially for the Lightning Deals, or flash sales that are only available for a few hours. Prime Day runs through the 26th.

>>Senate Approves Housing Affordability Bill

(Washington, DC) -- The Senate is approving a massive housing affordability bill with the goal of lowering prices. The bill was approved 85-5 on Monday in a rare overwhelmingly bipartisan vote. The bill would cut away some of the red tape and make it easier to build homes, while also put limits on institutional investors buying up houses. It now goes to the House for a vote.

>>Report: Advanced AI Will Create New Cyber Threats

(Undated) -- Emerging advanced artificial intelligence has the ability to take hacking to the next level, and defending against it requires action now. That's according to a new assessment from the "Five Eyes," the collective intelligence agencies of the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The assessment, out Monday, warns that new AI models will exceed industry expectations, fundamentally transforming cyber security. Being prepared can't take years, the report said, but months at most.

>>Chevron To Power Data Center With Natural Gas

(Reeves County, TX) -- A giant Microsoft data center in West Texas will be powered with natural gas under a 20-year deal with Chevron. The data center is projected to use as much power as two-million homes, according to today's announcement. Chevron is working with GE and Caterpillar to provide the needed infrastructure by 2028. 

For: June 22, 2026

>>Watching Wall Street

(New York, NY)  --  The opening bell rings this morning after the holiday-shortened trading week wrapped up early on Thursday with stocks solidly in the green.  At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 72 points to 51-564.  The S&P 500 gained 80 points to 75-00.  The Nasdaq rose 496 points to 26-517.

>>Amazon Prime Day June 23-26

(Seattle, WA)  --  Amazon's Prime Day sales event is almost here.  It runs this year from June 23rd through the 26th.  It's a little earlier than usual as the company usually holds Prime Day in July.  Amazon says groceries and household items will be a big focus for savings.

>>Ubisoft's Co-Founder Claude Guillemot Dies In Plane Crash 

(Paris)  --  The co-founder of the French video-game publisher Ubisoft has died.  The company said Saturday that Claude Guillemot [[ GIL-uh-mot ]] died Friday in a plane crash in La Baule, a resort town on France's Atlantic coast.  According to newspaper Ouest-France, the city was scheduled to host an air show this weekend,   The outlet said Guillemot was one of two people aboard the twin-engine Cessna 421 when it went down killing both of them.  He helped make Ubisoft into the world's largest video game companies and later serving as chair of the family's Guillemot  Corporation. 

>>TX Supreme Court Rejects Effort To Block Beach Closures For SpaceX Launches

(Austin, TX)  --  The Texas Supreme Court is rejecting an effort to block beach closures during SpaceX rocket launches.  The high court ruled unanimously on Friday that environmental groups don't have the right to sue to keep public access open to a beach that's been closed for a launch.  In 2021, an environmental group called Save RGV sued the General Land Office and Cameron County, Texas over the closure of Boca Chica Beach and its only access via State Highway 4 during SpaceX launches.  A trial judge had previously dismissed the lawsuit with prejudice, and the state Supreme Court upheld that decision.  

>>Fake FIFA Sites Stealing Private Information

(Undated)  --  The FBI is warning soccer fans of fraudulent websites impersonating FIFA as the World Cup continues.  In a PSA, the FBI says cybercriminals are using fake domains to sell counterfeit tickets and steal personal information.  Scammers often rely on a tactic known as "typosquatting," where they register website domains that closely resemble legitimate addresses, but it relies on internet users to make common typo mistakes.  Officials advised users to verify website URLs before entering sensitive information, and to navigate directly to FIFA's official website by typing it into their browser rather than relying on search engine results. 

>>McDonald's Brings Back Fried Apple Pie 

(Chicago, IL)  --  McDonald's is bringing back a nostalgic desert.  The fast-food chain announced that its fried apple pie will return to participating locations on June 23rd for a limited time.  The desert features apple pie filling made with American-grown apples wrapped inside a fried crust.  It first appeared on McDonald's menu in 1968.  

For Friday, June 19th, 2026

>>Wall Street Closes With Stocks Higher

(New York, NY)  --  Wall Street closed with stocks higher Thursday. Intel has been leading chip stocks after President Trump announced the company and Apple will be partnering to designing chips in the U.S. Markets will be closed on Friday to observe the Juneteenth holiday.  At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 72 points to 51-564.  The S&P 500 gained 80 points to 75-00.  The Nasdaq rose 496 points to 26-517.

>>First Time Since March Gas Falls Below $4

(Undated) --  Falling gas prices are bringing some relief to consumers after months of elevated prices due to the conflict with Iran. According to motor club AAA data, gas prices have fallen below four dollars per gallon for the first time since March. While prices have dropped sharply from this year's peak at four-dollars and 56-cents to three-dollars and 97-cents, the cost is still more than 34 percent higher than before the U.S. and Israel launched the war in February. The drop in retail gas prices is thanks to tumbling oil prices, but experts are cautious about how much further prices can fall.

>>California's Billionaires Tax Will be On November Ballot

(Sacramento, CA)  --  A highly debated proposal to tax California's billionaires will appear on the November ballot.  The proposal would charge a one-time five-percent tax on people with a net worth over one-billion-dollars. The tax would apply to anyone living in California as of January 1st of this year.  Billionaires would have to pay the tax in 2027, or they could choose to pay it over five years at a higher total amount.  Most of the money raised would go to health care programs run by the state.  With roughly 255 billionaires in the state, experts say the tax could raise tens of billions of dollars.  Critics argue that amount is uncertain and say the tax may drive wealthy residents out of California ultimately reducing state revenue.

>>Weekly Jobless Claims Down Slightly

(Washington, DC)  --  Over a quarter of a million Americans found themselves filing for first-time unemployment benefits last week.  The Labor Department says it received 226-thousand initial claims in the week ending June 13th.  That's about four-thousand less than the previous week's revised total and basically in line with what most analysts were expecting today.

>>Gemini AI Leader Leaves Google To Join OpenAI

(San Francisco, CA)  --  A top leader for Gemini AI is leaving the company and joining OpenAI.  Google's vice president of engineering, Noam Shazeer, made the announcement Wednesday on X.  Shazeer posted, "It was a difficult decision to move," and he was proud of the work he did at Google.  Shazeer had left Google back in 2021 to begin the startup CharacterAI, and returned to Google in 2024 to help lead its DeepMind AI unit.

>>Federal Court Gives Ohio Green Light To Restrict Social Media From Kids

(Cincinnati, OH)  --  A federal court is giving Ohio permission to restrict childrens' use of social media.  The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday overturned a ruling which put Ohio's parental-consent law on hold, and found the law did not violate free speech protections guaranteed by the First Amendment.  The law had been put on hold at the request of the tech industry trade group NetChoice, which said it "remains fully confident" that the law will ultimately be struck down. The ruling comes as countries around the world have started restricting children's access to ?social media over mental health concerns.

For: June 18, 2026

>>Ahead Of The Bell 

(New York, NY)  --  The opening bell rings this morning after stocks closed lower on Wall Street Wednesday.  It comes after the Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged for the fourth straight time. The decision marks the first with new Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh at the helm after he replaced Jerome Powell.  At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 507 points to 51-492.  The S&P 500 fell 91 points to 74-20.  The Nasdaq dropped 354 points to 26-021.

>>Warsh: Focused On Monetary Policy, Not Long-Term Projections

(Washington, DC)  --  New Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh says he's focused on getting monetary policy right.  Following the Fed's announcement that it's leaving interest rates unchanged, Warsh said the U.S. economy is expanding, despite the ongoing Iran war.  Warsh said unlike his predecessor Jerome Powell, he will not provide long-term rate and economic projections, but will give what he calls medium-projections, which he says point towards positive U.S. growth.  Investors took note that while Warsh wouldn't speculate on future rate hikes, nine out of 18 fed officials saw a hike coming  by the end of the year.

>>Homebuilding Construction Tumbles In May

(Washington, DC)  --  New-home construction slid sharply in May as buyers and renters remain squeezed.  Fresh census figures show builders broke ground on 15-and-a-half percent fewer U.S. homes than in April.  The steepest drop came from apartment-style buildings, where new starts sank 41-and-a-half percent.  Builders also filed fewer permits for future projects.  The slowdown comes as builders face high mortgage rates, pricier materials, and a tougher search for land and labor.

>>Apple Raising Prices

(Cupertino, CA)  --  Apple is raising prices on its products because of the increasing costs of memory and storage chips.  CEO Tim Cook told the Wall Street Journal that the company has been trying to shield customers from price increases but the situation has become unsustainable.  Demand for the chips has skyrocketed alongside the growth of AI data centers.

>>Higher Prices Hit Used-Car Shoppers

(Richmond, VA)  --  Numbers released this week show used-car prices and financing are squeezing buyers.  CarMax says its average retail used-vehicle price rose by four-and-a-half percent from a year ago.  Its finance arm's average loan rate was eleven-point-three-percent, adding another hurdle for people priced out of new cars.  CarMax is reporting higher first-quarter revenue this week, even as profit slips at the used-car giant.

>>Alaska Airlines Flight Attendants Authorize Possible Strike

(Seattle, WA)  --  Flight attendants at Alaska Air Group's Horizon Air have voted to authorize a potential strike amid ongoing contract negotiations.  Union officials say workers approved the measure after months of bargaining that they contend has produced inadequate wage and benefit proposals.  The union is seeking higher pay, improved benefits, and changes to workplace rules for flight attendants.  Leaders say the vote does not automatically trigger a walkout but gives the union authority to call a strike if talks fail to progress.  The labor dispute comes as airlines across the industry continue negotiating contracts with employee groups seeking better compensation and working conditions.

For: June 17, 2026

>>Watching Wall Street 

(New York, NY)  --  The opening bell rings this morning after a mixed day of trading that saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average notch another record high as oil prices fell.  Investors rotated out of chip stocks sending the tech-heavy Nasdaq lower.  Oil prices extended their decline with Brent Crude futures dipping below 80 dollars a barrel.  Meanwhile, SpaceX continued to soar with shares up another four percent.  At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 328 points to 51-999.  The S&P 500 lost 42 points to 75-11.  The Nasdaq fell 307 points to 26-376. 

>>Fed To Announce Interest Rate Decision 

(Undated)  --  The Federal Reserve's latest interest rate decision is due today.  The Federal Open Market Committee ends a two-day policy meeting today with the first announcement on rates with new Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh at the helm.  Warsh, who replaced Jerome Powell, is scheduled to hold a press conference following word on the decision.

>>Senate To Consider Housing Bill

(Washington, DC)  --  The U.S. Senate will consider a bipartisan bill that would limit institutional investors' ability to buy up single-family homes.  Lawmakers voted Tuesday to move ahead after months of back-and-forth between House and Senate Republicans.  The bill aims to help lower costs of housing while increasing the supply.  A full Senate vote will likely come later this week.  It would then need to be approved by the House before it could get to President Trump's desk.

>>Big City Renting Better Than Buying

(Austin, TX)  --  Renting costs less than buying in most big U.S. cities, but the savings depend on where you live.  Realtor-dot-com says rents fell for the 34th straight month in May, but they are still 17-percent higher than before the pandemic.  Data from the real estate platform puts Austin, Texas at the top for renters saving the most compared with buying a starter home, and San Jose, California tops the list where that renting edge is fading the fastest.  Nationwide, Realtor-dot-com says buying a starter home costs an average of 920-dollars more a month than renting.

>>App Fees Swallowing Fast-Food Savings

(Tampa, FL)  --  Ordering fast food on a delivery app can run almost as much as a casual restaurant meal.  New data from restaurant pricing firm Revenue Management Solutions says those apps can turn a 10-dollar fast-food combo into a 27-dollar order.  The firm says fast-food prices on apps often run 15 to 30-percent higher than they do at the counter, and that's before service fees, delivery charges, and tip get stacked on top.  The firm says the add-ons wipe out the savings that make fast food feel cheap in the first place.

>>NRF Projects Record Father's Day Spending 

(Undated)  --  Americans are expected to spend big this Father's Day.  The National Retail Federation predicts a record 27-point-nine-billion-dollars will be spent on dads this weekend.  The most popular gifts are greeting cards, followed by clothing, a special outing and gift cards.

For: June 16, 2026

>>Watching Wall Street

(New York, NY) -- The opening bell rings this morning after stocks closed sharply higher Monday on news of U.S-Iran peace deal. The Dow Jones Industrial Average hit a new record high as stocks surged and oil prices fell. SpaceX extended its rally with shares gaining nearly 20 percent to add further lift to the markets. At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 468 points to 51-671. The S&P 500 rose 122 points to 75-54. The Nasdaq climbed 795 points to 26-683.

>>Fox Agrees to Acquire Streamer Roku

(Undated) -- Fox is buying Roku for 22 billion dollars, or about 160 dollars per share. It's the latest chapter in the ongoing saga of media consolidation, as the industry deals with changes and challenges. The deal brings together Fox's news and sports channels, as well as streaming service Tubi, which it bought in 2020, with Roku. It's been about seven years since Fox made its last major move of this kind, when it sold its entertainment assets in a 71 billion dollar deal with Disney.

>>Fed To Announce Decision On Interest Rates Tomorrow

(Undated) -- The Federal Reserve's next interest rate decision looms. The Federal Open Market Committee opens a two-day policy meeting today with the announcement on rates coming Wednesday. It will be the first meeting with new Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh at the helm after he replaced Jerome Powell. While he has promised to bring "regime change" to the nation's central bank, it's expected that the key interest rate will remain unchanged for now.

>>California Has Some Of The Most Powerful Teachers Unions

(Sacramento, CA) -- California has some of the most powerful teachers unions in the country, ranking second after Vermont. According to a new study by the Thomas Fordham Institute, the strongest unions are in wealthier, Democratic-led states. The California Teachers Association and California Federation of Teachers represent over four hundred thousand members combined. California's teachers unions are considered the most powerful in politics and have a lot of influence. They spent the most on political ads and gave the second most to state political parties in recent years. California teachers earn the highest average salary and are among the most likely to strike. Those strikes and their outcomes are also often closely watched nationwide. 

For: June 15, 2026

>>Ahead Of The Bell  

(New York, NY)  --  The opening bell rings this morning after stocks finished higher to end the week on Friday.  SpaceX's record IPO launch helped boost investor confidence.  Shares in the re-usable rocket company jumped 19-percent on Friday, closing at around 161-dollars as SpaceX made its big Nasdaq debut.  SpaceX's total valuation is now above two-trillion-dollars and CEO Elon Musk can say he's the world's first trillionaire.  At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 353 points to 51-202.  The S&P 500 added 37 points to 74-31.  The Nasdaq rose 79 points to 25-888. 

>>Fed To Announce Decision On Interest Rates This Coming Wednesday   

(Undated)  --  Coming up in the business week ahead, the focus will be on the Federal Reserve's looming interest rate decision.  The Federal Open Market Committee opens a two-day policy meeting on Tuesday with the announcement on rates coming Wednesday.  It will be the first meeting with new Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh at the helm after he replaced Jerome Powell.  Warsh has promised to bring "regime change" to the nation's central bank, although it's expected that the key interest rate will remain unchanged for now. 

>>Anthropic Suspends All Access To Mythos

(San Francisco, CA)  --  AI company Anthropic has disabled customer access to its AI model Mythos after the government ordered it to suspend all use by foreign nationals.  That's according to a statement from Anthropic Friday evening.  The move is the latest in a series of Trump administration actions targeting the company.  The broad order regarding Anthropic's Mythos 5 and Fable 5 models is one of the furthest-reaching actions the government has taken in response to the capabilities of an AI model.  Anthropic says the government cited "national security issues" in the directive.

>>UAW Members Ratify Contract With American Axle, Ending Three Rivers Strike

(Three Rivers, MI)  --  United Auto Workers employees at American Axle in Three Rivers, Michigan have ratified a new contract after a strike that lasted two weeks.  The new deal raises pay for employees hired before May 31st, 2012 by eight-dollars an hour immediately and that restores the pay cut they agreed to in 2008 during the Great Recession.  It also raises pay to 30-dollars an hour by 2030 and has no health care concessions for the next four years.  The UAW also says they gained more paid days off with the new contract.

>>Porsche Turns 'Toys Story 5' Characters Into Cars 

(Los Angeles, CA)  --  Porsche has reimagined Disney and Pixar's "toy Story" characters into luxury vehicles.  The automaker unveiled three one-of-one Porsche 911 models inspired by Woody, Buzz Lightyear and Jessie at the Los Angeles world premiere of Disney and Pixar's "Toy Story 5."  The custom cars were created by Porsche's Sonderwunsch department, German for "special wishes," which serves as the company's personalization program.  They will be sold as part of a charitable program benefiting Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, the American Red Cross and Starlight Children's Foundation. Porsche also partnered with Goodyear on custom "Lightyear" tires. 

For: June 12, 2026

>>Trading Week Winding Down 

(New York, NY)  --  The opening bell rings this morning after stocks closed sharply higher yesterday.  That came after President Trump announced he was canceling planned U.S. strikes against Iran and said a peace deal may be agreed to soon.  At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 929 points to 50-848.  The S&P 500 climbed 127 points to 73-94.  The Nasdaq rose 640 points to 25-809.   

>>SpaceX IPO Today

(Starbase, TX)  --  SpaceX is about to launch the largest IPO ever.  The deal that could make Elon Musk a trillionaire happens today.  The re-usable rocket company is planning to sell more than 555-million shares of the company for 135-dollars a piece.  It values the company at more than one-point-seven trillion dollars.  As CEO, Musk will still retain more than 80 percent of voting power, however.  The shares will be listed on Nasdaq under the ticker SPCX.

>>Visa To Let AI Make Your Purchases

(San Francisco, CA)  --  Visa is working with OpenAI to let AI agents shop and purchase things on behalf of users.  The company announced its new partnership with OpenAI Wednesday.  It allows users to connect a Visa card to ChatGPT and get to work.  Limits can be set on how much the AI spends and where it can buy from.  Jack Forestell, chief product and strategy officer at Visa, gave the example of telling ChatGPT to find wireless headphones costing less than 150-dollars.  The AI would then find the item and buy it for you.  No word on the fees for this service.

>>Waymo Launches Premier Subscription Tier In Select Cities

(Undated) -- Waymo is launching a new subscription tier called Waymo Premier as it pursues an aggressive expansion plan. The service will cost 30-dollars a month, and it targets avid users in some of the most popular markets. According to a blog post from the Alphabet-owned company, the new subscription tier is invite only to start for select riders in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Phoenix. Subscribers can expect prioritized matching, up to five free cancellations per month and they'll earn ten percent back in loyalty credits or Waymo Cash for each trip.  

>>Choking Reports Prompt Baby Toy Recall

(Washington, DC)  --  A baby teething toy sold on Amazon is under recall after reports of children choking on them.  The Consumer Product Safety Commission said Thursday that LiKee [[ LEE - kee ]] Pull String Teething Toys violate federal toy rules.  The agency warns the silicone strings can reach the back of a child's throat and get stuck.  China-based ChilanTech has received several reports of breathing distress and choking.  CPSC says parents should take the toy away and ask the company for a free replacement.

>>Americans Are Avoiding Their Bank Balances

(Minneapolis, MN)  --  Almost one in three Americans are not checking their bank balances because of anxiety.  That's according to a U.S. Bank survey of over three-thousand adults.  Younger adults reported the sharpest money stress, with nearly half of Gen Z saying they avoid checking their accounts entirely.  Nearly three quarters of millennials reported high or moderate anxiety over checking and savings balances, while one in four adults said they would need ten-thousand dollars saved to avoid financial stress.
 

For: June 11, 2026

>>Ahead Of The Bell 

(New York, NY)  --  The opening bell rings this morning after stocks finished lower on Wall Street Wednesday.  At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 953 points to 49-918.  The S&P 500 fell 119 points to 72-66.  The Nasdaq dropped 509 points to 25-169.

>>Second Report On Inflation Due Today

(Undated)  --  The Producer Price Index, or PPI, comes out this morning.  The PPI measures prices on the wholesale level, before they reach consumers. This month's report will be closely watched, especially by the Federal Reserve, after the Consumer Price Index showed inflation hit a three year high in May, up four-point-two percent year over year.  The reports usually move in tandem, or, if one rises, the other tends to, as well.  But that's not always the case. 

>>EPA Extends Cheaper Gas Waiver

(Washington, DC)  --  Access to a cheaper gas option is being extended for millions of Americans. The EPA is stretching a summer waiver for Unleaded 88, which is sold at thousands of stations in 33 states.  It's a blend of 15-percent ethanol and 85-percent gasoline.  Summer air pollution rules would otherwise limit its sale.  Another extension is possible, but not guaranteed.  The EPA has been renewing the waivers in 20-day blocks because federal law caps each emergency fuel waiver at 20 days.

>>Kalshi To Require Some Employer Verification

(New York, NY)  --  Kalshi is planning to require users in certain markets to share information about their employers.  The prediction market announced that it has created a system to score markets based on the risk of insider trading and those with certain scores will require employment verification.  Kalshi's head of enforcement said in a statement, "by implementing these new integrity measures, we continue to lead the industry on the issue of market integrity amongst federally regulated prediction markets."  The update comes as prediction markets, like Kalshi and Polymarket, are seeking to crack down on insider trading due to lawmakers' concerns over suspicious activity on the platforms.

>>American Axle, UAW Reach Tentative Contract Deal

(Three Rivers, MI)  --  American Axle and the United Auto Workers have reached a tentative deal on a new contract after a ten-day strike in Three Rivers, Michigan.  UAW president Shawn Fain says they have won "back nearly 20 years of struggle."  Employees will have their pay increased to 30-dollars an hour by 2030 if the contract is ratified.  Local 2093 bargaining chairman Josh Jager says the raise is over 36-percent to their top rate in four years and "will change the lives in Three Rivers and across southwest Michigan."  The contract does not raise healthcare premiums for four years and has Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Veterans Day added as paid holidays.
 

For: June 2, 2026  

>>Ahead Of The Bell 

(New York, NY)  --  The opening bell rings this morning on Wall Street after stocks closed out the first trading day of June in positive territory despite a surge in oil prices.  All three major averages hit record highs Monday as President Trump said talks with Iran are ongoing.  Nvidia led the technology sector with the launch of a new chip for personal computers.  At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 46 points to 51-078.  The S&P 500 added 19 points to 75-99.  The Nasdaq gained 114 points to 27-086. 

>>Anthropic Moves To Go Public With Blockbuster IPO  

(San Francisco, CA)  --  Artificial intelligence company Anthropic has filed for a proposed initial public offering.  The San Francisco-based startup announced that it had "confidentially submitted" paperwork with the SEC on Monday after a recent round of private funding pushed its overall valuation to roughly 965-billion dollars.  Anthropic says the exact timing of the coming IPO will depend on "market conditions and other factors."  

>>Focus On Employment Reports This Week 

(Undated)  --  Several key reads on hiring are coming this week, all leading up to Friday's employment numbers for last month.  They start with the Labor Department's Jobs Openings and Labor Turnover Survey, or JOLTS report, due out today.  Next is ADP's monthly hiring survey on Wednesday.  The payroll processor only measures it at private employers, but economists consider it a good indication of what to expect from the monthly numbers.  And on Thursday, we get the weekly jobless claims report.  They're considered a proxy for layoffs. 

>>Short Seller Andrew Left Convicted For Stock Manipulation

(Los Angeles, CA)  --  Noted short seller Andrew Left has been found guilty of using dishonest social media posts to manipulate stocks.  He was found guilty Monday after a three-week trial in Los Angeles and could face decades in prison.  Left would bet that a company's stock price would fall, then make posts either criticizing or boosting companies before quickly closing out his trading positions.  Prosecutors say he made at least 20-million-dollars using this tactic between 2018 and 2023.  

>>Carnival Data Breach Leaves Millions Exposed

(Augusta, ME)  --  Carnival is providing limited information on a data breach it experienced in April.  According to an announcement from the cruise line, an "unauthorized actor" managed to gain access to a limited portion of the company's IT system by deceiving an employee with "social engineering."  Carnival did not specify the extent of the breach, but a company filing with the Office of the Maine Attorney General shows over five-point-nine million people were affected. N ow the company is offering its U.S. customers two years of complimentary credit monitoring through TransUnion and recommended that potentially affected travelers "remain vigilant against threats of identity theft."

>>People Inc. Examining Possible Purchase of MGM Resorts 

(Las Vegas, NV)  --  People Inc. says it has submitted an offer to buy out MGM Resorts for 18-billion-dollars.  The media conglomerate already owns 26-percent of MGM, and now is proposing to buy the rest of the company at over 48-dollars a share.  The deal hasn't been finalized, but company chairman and senior executive Barry Diller says MGM has real world assets that AI can't easily replicate, and that the market undervalues the casino operator.  This comes just days after Fertitta Entertainment agreed to buy Caesar's entertainment for five-point-seven billion dollars in cash. 

For: June 1, 2026

>>Watching Wall Street 

(New York, NY)  --  The opening bell rings this morning as Wall Street ushers in a new trading month.  The final trading session in May ended with all thee major averages closing at record highs on Friday.  Stocks extended gains as technology shares surged while oil prices declined.  Hopes for a Middle East deal also gave markets a boost.  At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 363 points to 51-032.  The S&P 500 added 16 points to 75-80.  The Nasdaq rose 55 points to 26-972. 

>>The Rise of The Side Hustle 

(Undated)  --  New research shows as prices climb Americans are taking on a side hustle.  Research from Omnisend found that 28-percent of Americans have taken on extra work with most citing the need to cover bills and essentials.  A separate ZipRecruiter survey estimates the share of Americans with a side hustle to be higher, finding that 35-percent have an alternate source of income.  A Bankrate survey last year found that 34-percent of Gen Z, 31-percent of millenials, 23-percent of Gen X and 22-percent of baby boomers have looked for other ways to make cash. The ZipRecruiter survey found that about 45-percent of those earning over 150-thousand dollars do supplemental work, compared to 31-percent of workers earning less than 25-thousand dollars.

>>Southwest Reverses Plus-Size Passenger Policy

(Dallas, TX)  --  Southwest Airlines is reversing course on its plus-size passenger policy.  The discount carrier will no longer require plus-size customers to book an extra seat in advance.  Gate agents will now assign an extra seat for free if available or work to get the customer on a later flight.  Southwest said the change aims to create "a more consistent and seamless experience."  Passengers needing an extra seat are still encouraged to book one in advance and will be able to request a refund within 90 days of travel.

>>Mercedez-Benz May Be Banned Under Bill Aimed At Chinese Automaker Ownership

(Washington, DC)  --  Mercedez-Benz could be banned from the U.S. auto market under legislation working its way through Congress.  New bipartisan legislation aimed at limiting Chinese involvement in the U.S. auto market may affect Mercedez-Benz unless the bill is changed or the automaker's largest shareholder sells its stake.  The bill, the Motor Vehicle Modernization Act of 2026, would prohibit automakers that have "direct or indirect equity interest by a foreign-adversary government" from selling, importing or manufacturing vehicles in the U.S.  Mercedez-Benz's largest individual shareholder is the state-owned Chinese automaker BAIC, formerly the Beijing Automotive Industrial Corp., with a nine-point-98-percent share.  A spokesperson for the Energy and Commerce Committee, confirmed the details of the legislation to CNBC.

>>UAW Employees At American Axle In Three Rivers, Michigan On Strike

(Three Rivers, MI)  --  United Auto Workers union members at American Axle in Three Rivers, Michigan are now on strike.  UAW president Shawn Fain announced last night that time was up for the manufacturer of drive axles for General Motors, Stellantis, and Nissan.  American Axle and the employees agreed to a 50-percent pay cut during the Great Recession in 2008 to keep the facility open, but the union says the cut has not been fully restored and they also want better healthcare, stronger retirement benefits, and profit sharing.  

>>Nearly 100-Thousand Vehicles Recalled By Honda

(Undated)  --  Nearly 100-thousand vehicles are being recalled by Honda due to an issue with airbags.  That's according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.  The issue involves a defect that could lead to the unintentional deployment of airbags.  Most of the models affected are the Accord Hybrid, ?the Honda Acura TLX and other Accord vehicles.  Honda says there are no reports of injuries or deaths because of the issue. 

>>Lounge Chair Sold On Amazon Recalled After Finger Amputation 

(Washington, DC)  --  Federal safety officials say a lounge chair sold on Amazon is being recalled after a customer lost a finger while adjusting it.  The Consumer Product Safety Commission said the chair made by the company Giantex, poses an "amputation risk" when consumers place their fingers in a pinch point when adjusting the chair.  Over one-thousand units are subject to the recall.  The recalled lounge chairs are blue and measure 76 inches long, 23 inches wide and 13 inches tall.  They have a five-position adjustable locking system and the backrest height can be adjusted from 13 and a half inches to 26 and a half inches. 
 

For: May 29, 2026

>>Ahead Of The Bell 

(New York, NY)  --  The opening bell rings this morning after a strong trading day on Wall Street that saw all three major averages notch record highs.  At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 24 points to 50-668.  The S&P 500 gained 43 points to 75-63.  The Nasdaq rose 242 points to 26-917. 

>>PCE Shows Prices at a Nearly 3-Year High 

(Undated)  --  A new inflation report says consumer prices were at their highest level in nearly three years in April.  The latest personal consumption expenditures price index, which is the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge, rose last month by an annual rate of three-point-eight-percent.   That's up from three-and-a-half-percent in March and from two-point-eight-percent in February.  The report marks the first since Kevin Warsh was sworn as Fed chairman.  

>>Anthropic Valued At Nearly $1T

(San Francisco, CA)  --  Anthropic is currently the world's most valuable artificial intelligence startup.  The company reached a 965-billion-dollar valuation after announcing Thursday that it raised 65-billion-dollars from private investors.  The announcement put Anthropic ahead of OpenAI, which reached an 852-billion-dollar valuation in March.

>>Waymo Rolls Out Ojai Fleet

(Undated)  --  Waymo is rolling out a new ride to its fleet. The autonomous vehicle company announced that its Ojai [[ Oh - hi ]] vehicles are on the road and will be available to select passengers in Phoenix, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The robo-taxis are produced by Chinese-based carmaker Geely [[ jee-lee ]] and are larger than the current Jaguar models Waymo currently uses. They also feature automatic doors and a removable steering wheel. Waymo says Ojai rides will be offered to riders in Las Vegas, San Diego and Denver later this summer.

>>Groupon Slashing Workforce In AI Shift

(Chicago, IL) -- Groupon is slashing up to 400 positions in an attempt to rebuild as an AI-native company. According to a SEC filing, the move is set to slash nearly a fourth of the Chicago-based online marketplace's worldwide workforce and the company projected annualized savings of about 25 million dollars. Groupon plans to invest up to half of this year's projected savings into AI infrastructure. A spokesperson for Groupon explained that the layoffs are "operational" as the company looks to get ahead of the technology and it is intended to show merchants how to use AI as an actual partner. 

>>Americans Savings Rate Lowest Since 2022

(Undated)  --  Americans are setting aside far less of their income, with the savings rate hitting the lowest total since 2022.  The Commerce Department reports that the personal saving rate dropped to under three percent in April, down from five and a half percent a year earlier.    The decline comes with higher spending on gasoline and other energy goods, with average pump prices rising above four-20 per gallon amid the ongoing war in Iran.  Those elevated energy costs have pushed inflation up to just under four percent.  Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook said in a speech Wednesday that inflation is clearly moving in the wrong direction.

For: May 28, 2026

>>Ahead Of The Bell 

(New York, NY)  --  The opening bell rings this morning after stocks closed solidly in the green yesterday with all three major indexes hitting record highs.  At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 182 points to 50-644.  The S&P 500 gained 1 point to 75-20.  The Nasdaq rose 18 points to 26-674.

>>Robinhood Opening To AI Agents

(Menlo Park, CA)  --  Stock trading app Robinhood is allowing AI agents on its platform, letting customers use AI to trade and spend for them.  The company said Wednesday it's introducing Agentic Trading and the Agentic Credit Card.  This lets customers connect their AI agents directly to Robinhood rather than using unofficial workarounds.  

>>Tech Titan Has New Thoughts on AI and Job Losses 

(Undated)  --  Sam Altman had said not too long ago that Artificial Intelligence would replace up to 40 percent of all work tasks in the not too distant future.  Now the CEO of Open A-I says he spoke too soon.  Altman told Reuters that his fears were overblown.  He says, while some jobs will be eliminated, many of them ultimately require a human component that cannot be replaced. In fact, he's gone back to writing e-mails himself, rather than outsourcing them to A-I.

>>Vermont Passes Ticket Resale Cap Bill 

(Undated)  --  Vermont has passed a ticket bill that places a cap on the price a ticket can be resold for.  Now, in the state of Vermont, a ticket can't be resold on the secondary market for more than 110-percent of its original price.  This makes Vermont the only state to put a limit on secondary market ticket sales.  

>>Pilot Program To Turn DC Lightposts Into EV Chargers

(Washington, DC)  --  A new type of electric vehicle charger could soon make its debut in Washington, DC.  A company called Voltpost has devised a way to turn lightposts into EV chargers using each pole's existing electric infrastructure.  The city has awarded a grant to the company to help refit up to 16 lightposts.  Voltpost is currently working with the DC Department of Energy and the Environment and Pepco to determine where the chargers will be located.

For: May 27, 2026

>>Ahead Of The Bell (New York, NY) -- The opening bell rings this morning after stocks closed mixed yesterday as investors weighed prospects for a potential U.S.-Iran peace deal. A rally in technology stocks boosted the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq to new all-time highs. Shares of Micron jumped 21 percent lifting the company's market capitalization to one-trillion dollars. At the closing bell, the Dow lost 118 points to 50-461. The S&P 500 rose 45 points to 75-19. The Nasdaq climbed 312 points to 26-656.

>>American Airlines To Use Starlink For In-Flight Wi-Fi

(Fort Worth, TX) -- American Airlines will now be using Starlink for its in-flight wi-fi. The carrier announced on Tuesday that it plans to install the SpaceX internet provider on over 500 of its Airbus planes starting early next year. American began offering complimentary wi-fi for its frequent flyers back in January. The announcement comes as SpaceX is preparing to go public next month in what could be the biggest IPO ever.

>>Vermont Suit Against Meta Moving Forward

(Montpelier, VT) -- Add Vermont to the list of states getting the green light to sue Meta over its platforms allegedly addicting kids. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court refused to hear Meta's appeal of a lower courts ruling that allows the suit to move forward. Meta had been arguing Vermont doesn't have the jurisdiction. It's the latest in a series of legal battles Meta is fighting over whether its knowingly harming children with the design of its social media platforms. Meta just settled a similar suit brought by a school district in Kentucky.

>>Courts Halting Construction On MN Data Center

(Pine Island, MN) -- A judge is halting construction on a Minnesota data center. A temporary restraining order has halted work on a data center for Google in Pine Island, about 18 miles north of Rochester. The order comes as environmental advocates argue the project did not receive a thorough enough environmental review. A judge says the pause is needed to maintain current conditions while the lawsuit moves forward. Google hopes to build an 88-acre site with a 250-thousand-square-foot data center in Pine Island.

>>Nvidia To Invest $150 Billion In Taiwan

(Taipei) -- Nvidia sees Taiwan as the "epicenter" of the AI revolution. Speaking at an event today in Taipei, CEO Jensen Huang cheered the chipmaker's planned Taiwan headquarters and announced plans to invest around 150 billion dollars a year in Taiwan. 

For: May 26, 2026

>>Holiday-Shortened Trading Week Kicks Off 

(New York, NY)  --  The opening bell rings this morning, ushering in what will be a holiday-shortened trading week.  Wall Street was closed Monday in observance of Memorial Day.  The last time the markets were open, stocks rallied on Friday to close out the week in positive territory.  At the closing bell, after notching an all-time high, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 294 points to end at 50-579.  The S&P 500 added 27 points to 74-73.  The Nasdaq gained rose 50 points to 26-343.

>>Report: Americans Shelled Out 45-Billion In Extra Fuel Costs Since Iran War

(Providence, RI)  --  Americans have paid nearly 45-billion-dollars in extra fuel costs since the start of the Iran war.  That's according to researchers at Brown University who say the soaring gas and diesel prices were triggered by the disruption of global oil supplies and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.  The national average for a gallon of gas has climbed more than 50-percent since the war began on February 28th.  Triple-A puts today's national average at four-dollars and 49-cents a gallon.  

>>Ferrari Out With All Electric Car

(Maranello, Italy)  --  Ferrari is out with its first fully electric car.  The Luce [[ Loo-CHAY ]] was created with a new look in a collaboration with the LoveFrom agency, founded by former Apple design head Jony Ive [[ Johnny I've ]].  It can hit 60 miles-per-hour in two-point-five seconds and costs 640-thousand dollars.  

>>Whole Foods Recall

(Undated)  --  Whole Foods is announcing the recall of a product that's sold at its stores.  The supermarket chain says the recall impacts 24-ounce cups of Whole Foods Market Kitchen Minestrone Soup which might contain undeclared shrimp.  That could be harmful to people who are allergic to crustacean shellfish and trigger a serious or life-threatening reaction.  No illnesses have been reported, but anyone who bought the soup can return it for a refund.

>>Workers Sue Guzman y Gomez

(Chicago, IL)  --  American employees of an Australian fast food chain are suing, arguing they were fired without proper pay or notice.  Guzman y Gomez last week announced that it was pulling out of the U.S. market, shuttering their Mexican-themed restaurants immediately.  Workers, who were all based in Chicago, have filed a class-action suit arguing the chain was required to give 60 days notice under federal and state law.  

For: May 21, 2026

>>Watching Wall Street

(New York, NY) -- The opening bell rings this morning after stocks finished firmly in the green yesterday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closing above 50-thousand to end the day. At the closing bell, the Dow climbed 645 points to 50-009. The S&P 500 gained 79 points to 74-32. The Nasdaq rose 399 points to 26-270.

>>Musk Could Be 1st Trillionaire With SpaceX IPO

(New York, NY) -- Elon Musk could soon be the world's first trillionaire. This after his SpaceX company confirmed plans to sell shares of its stock to the public for the first time. In a securities filing on Wednesday, SpaceX announced what's expected to be a record IPO next month. The company made over 18-billion-dollars in revenue in 2025 -- a 33-percent increase from a year earlier. Bloomberg reports Musk, who is also the CEO of Tesla, is already the wealthiest person on the planet, with a net worth of 667-billion-dollars.

>>Bezos: Bottom Half Earners Should Pay Zero Income Taxes

(Undated) -- Jeff Bezos [[ BAY-zos ]] says the bottom half of U.S. earners should pay zero income tax. In an interview with CNBC, the Amazon founder said the income tax paid by lower earners is "a small amount of money for the government." Bezos argues the top one-percent of taxpayers pay about 40-percent of all the tax revenue, and the bottom half pay three-percent. He believes that "We shouldn't be asking this nurse in Queens to send money to Washington." According to IRS statistics, the bottom half of taxpayers had an adjusted gross income of about 54-thousand bucks in 2023.

>>Nvidia Exceeds Q1 Estimates

(Santa Clara, CA) -- Nvidia exceeded earning estimates in the first quarter. Revenue came it a 81-point-six billion, thanks largely to the demand from artificial intelligence. The company increased its dividend and authorized 80-billion-dollars in buybacks.

>>Wages For Trade Workers Outpace College Grad Salaries

(Undated) -- A college degree is no longer the only path to a lucrative career. Challenger, Gray, and Christmas, one of the world's largest recruiting firms says skilled trade workers have seen a 30 percent wage bump in the lats few years. Electricians, plumbers and others who become masters in their skill areas can earn more than a hundred thousand dollars a year, and many work while they are learning their trade. That means they enter the work force, with much less debt than many college graduates do.

>>GasBuddy Predicts Most Expensive Summer Gas In Years

(Dallas, TX) -- Gas experts are predicting the most expensive summer at the pump in years. GasBuddy has released its Summer Travel Survey for 2026, and it forecasts an average price of four-dollars-and-80-cents per gallon from Memorial Day through Labor Day. The fuel savings platform says the price of gas could reach all-time highs if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed for much of the summer. Despite the costs, the survey results show 56 percent of Americans still plan to drive more than two hours this summer to reach their preferred destinations. That's down from 69 percent last summer.

>>Samsung Suspends Workers' Strike

(Suwon, South Korea) -- Samsung's labor union is calling off a planned general strike on a word of a tentative agreement. Nearly 50-thousand Samsung employees had been set to go on strike today as part of an 18-day protest. The workers' union called the protest over the South Korean tech giant's bonus payments. The reported agreement must now be voted on by union members.

For: May 20, 2026   

>>Watching Wall Street  

(New York, NY)  --  The opening bell rings this morning after a down day on Wall Street.  Stocks fell in a broad decline as growing inflation fears sent the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield to its highest level in over a year.  A slide in tech stocks added to the downward pressure.  At yesterday's closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 322 points to 49-363.  The S&P 500 fell 49 points to 73-53.  The Nasdaq dropped 220 points to 25-870.  Investors today will get a look at the minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee's last minute and they'll be paying close attention to Nvidia earnings when they come out after the bell.  

>>Meta Tells Employees To Work From Home On Layoff Day

(Menlo Park, CA)  --  Meta's North American employees have been told to work from home today, the day the company plans to lay off an estimated ten percent of its workforce.  The job cuts come as the social media and tech giant incorporates more artificial intelligence into its operations.

>>Alphabet And Blackstone Form AI Cloud Venture

(Undated)  --  A new partnership between Alphabet and Blackstone will form an AI cloud business venture.  Google's Benjamin Sloss has been appointed as the CEO.  Blackstone is investing five-billion dollars in equity to bring a 500-megawatt data center online in 2027.  Projections see the venture expanding over time with a possible total investment that could reach 25-billion.  The venture is also providing custom Google AI chips, known as Tensor Processing Units, or TPUs, which have seen growing demand by organizations that want to increase computing capacity.

>>Disney Sued Over Theme Park Facial Recognition Technology

(Anaheim, CA)  --  Disney is being hit with a class action lawsuit over facial recognition technology at its California theme parks.  Facial recognition was put in place at Disneyland or Disney California Adventure entrances in April.  The lawsuit argues Disney "does not adequately disclose the use of their biometric collection."  It adds that a sign at select entrances with a slash through a silhouette that allows guests to avoid the facial recognition isn't enough notice.  The lawsuit is seeking at least five-million dollars.

>>Minnesota Becomes First State To Ban Prediction Markets

(St. Paul, MN)  --  Minnesota has become the first state to outlaw prediction markets.  Governor Tim Walz signed a public safety bill this week prohibiting online platforms where people can bet money on the outcomes of events.  Prediction markets get around local sports betting restrictions by selling bets as financial contracts, like commodity markets.  Federal authorities filed a lawsuit Tuesday to block the prohibition, arguing prediction markets should be exclusively regulated by federal officials.  The Minnesota law takes effect in August.

>>Pending Home Sales Increase 1.4% In April

(Washington, DC)  --  Pending home sales rose more than expected in April.  The National Association of Realtors says the number of homes under contract increased one-point-four percent last month and rose three-point-two percent on an annual basis.  The group's chief economist noted buyers are cautiously optimistic despite growing economic uncertainty and a slight rise in mortgage rates.  Pending home sales rose in the Northeast, Midwest and West in April and declined in the Northeast. 

For: May 19, 2026

>>Watching Wall Street 

(New York, NY)  --  The opening bell rings this morning after stocks closed mixed on Monday to begin the trading week.  Stocks trimmed losses after President Trump said he canceled an attack on Iran at the request of Middle Eastern leaders.  A pullback in chip stocks including Seagate, Micron and Nvidia sent the technology sector lower.  At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 159 points to 49-686.  The S&P 500 lost 5 points to 74-03.  The Nasdaq fell 134 points to 26-090.

>>LIRR Strike Ends

(New York, NY)  --  The Long Island Rail Road strike is over, after trains stopped Saturday for the system's 300-thousand daily riders.  Operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the LIRR is the nation's largest commuter rail system.   A deal was reached on Monday night with New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who was reportedly involved in the talks, calling it a fair agreement for both sides.  

>>Meta Tells Employees To Work From Home On Layoff Day

(Menlo Park, CA)  --  Meta is telling its North American employees to work from home Wednesday, the day it plans to lay off ten percent of its workforce.  Affected employees will be notified that morning.  Some seven-thousand employees will be shifted into new roles at the company.  The job cuts come as the social media and tech giant incorporates more artificial intelligence into its operations.

>>Jury Dismisses Musk's Lawsuit Against OpenAI

(Oakland, CA)  --  Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI and Sam Altman is being tossed.  A California jury found that Musk waited too long to file the lawsuit.  Musk had accused Altman of reneging on a promise to keep OpenAI a non-profit and that 38-million dollars he donated was misused for commercial purposes. Altman claims he made no such promise.  The jury reached the verdict less than two hours after starting deliberations.

>>Warsh To Be Sworn In As Fed Chair On Friday

(Washington, DC)  --  President Trump will swear in Kevin Warsh as Federal Reserve Chairman on Friday.  The White House ceremony follows last week's Senate confirmation vote along mostly party lines.  The 56-year-old Warsh will succeed Jerome Powell whose term expired Friday.  Trump hand-picked Warsh to lead the central bank with expectations that the Fed will resume lowering interest rates in the post-Powell era.

For: May 18. 2026

>>Ahead Of The Bell 

(New York, NY)  --  The opening bell rings this morning after stocks fell on Friday to end the week in the red.  At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 537 points to 49-526.  The S&P 500 fell by 92 points to 74-08.  The Nasdaq dropped by 410 points to 26-225.

>>Housing Data Due 

(Undated)  --  Coming up in the business week ahead, housing data will be in focus.  Pending home sales figures are due Tuesday, with the latest numbers on housing starts and building permits due Thursday.  Home improvement giants Home Depot and Lowe's will both report earnings this week.   

>>Musk v. Altman Deliberations Begin Today

(Oakland, CA)  --  The jury in the Elon Musk versus Sam Altman trial is expected to begin deliberating today.  Musk is suing OpenAI, a company he co-founded, along with its CEO Sam Altman and company president Greg Brockman.  He's arguing that Altman reneged on a promise to keep OpenAI a non-profit and that 38-million dollars he donated was misused for commercial purposes.  Altman claims he made no such promise.  The jury's verdict will only be advisory, meaning the judge has final say on any liability.  

>>Americans Are 'Frustrated' With Economy In New Poll 

(Undated)  --  A new poll finds Americans unhappy with the state of the economy.  The CBS News and YouGov poll out Sunday shows that Americans find financial conditions uncertain and the economy to be struggling.  The survey also found that Americans' approval of President Trump's handling of inflation has hit its lowest point. Respondents noted their income is not keeping up with inflation - which has reached its highest level since April 2023. 

>>Amazon Accused Of Keeping Tariff Costs 

(Seattle, WA)  --  Amazon is facing a new class action lawsuit accusing the company of failing to refund tariff-related costs.  Consumers allege in a proposed lawsuit filed in Seattle that the tech company collected hundreds of millions of dollars in unlawful tariff costs by raising prices on imported goods.  Amazon did so before the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in February that President Trump lacked authority under the International Emergency Economics Powers Act to impose certain tariffs.  The complaint states Amazon has failed to seek billions of dollars in refunds from the government following the ruling in order to seek favor with Trump by allowing the federal government to retain the funds.  The lawsuit alleges Amazon's decision serves its own political and commercial interests at the expense of consumers who paid the costs of tariffs. 

>>BoA Agrees To Millions In ATM Fee Lawsuit 

(Undated)  --  Bank of America has agreed to a settlement of over two-million dollars for bank fees charged at ATMs.  A class action lawsuit claimed that Bank of America had breached its contract with customers by assessing excessive fees.  The suit claims customers were charged two out-of-network fees for balance inquiry requests when only a single balance inquiry was taken at ATMs owned by FCTI, located inside 7-Eleven stores.  The settlement says customers who may be eligible for a payout used an FCTI-owned ATM within a 7-Eleven store from May 1st, 2018 to November 16th, 2021.  Bank of America denied any wrongdoing in the settlement. 

>>Gen Z Shoppers Helping Revive America's Malls 

(Undated)  --  Gen Z shoppers are energizing a mall revival.  Younger consumers prefer in-person shopping experiences over online carts.  Data from NielsenIQ shows Gen Z retail spending is expected to pass 12-trillion dollars globally by 2030, with growth outpacing every other generation.  Data from Circana also found shoppers between 18 and 24 years old made 62-percent of their general merchandise purchases in physical stores last year. 

>>Schlitz Being Retired By Pabst

(Milwaukee, WI)  --  The so-called "beer that made Milwaukee famous" is being retired.  Pabst Brewing is ending production of Schlitz after 177 years of existence.  Schlitz was once America's largest brewer after being founded in 1849, and was bought by Pabst in 1999.  The company gave permission to Wisconsin Brewing Company to brew an 80-barrel batch of Schlitz next Saturday, using specifications from a 1948 recipe.  Pre-orders for the final batch can be made that day and will be available next month.  

For: May 15, 2026

>>Ahead Of The Bell 

(New York, NY)  --  The opening bell rings this morning on Wall Street after the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 50-thousand to end the day on Wall Street.  The S&P 500 and Nasdaq also closed at record highs Thursday.  At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 370 points to 50-063.  The S&P 500 gained 56 points to 75-01.  The Nasdaq rose 232 points to 26-635.

>>Trump Says China To Buy 200 Jets From Boeing 

(Beijing)  --  President Trump says Chinese President Xi Jinping [[ she jeen-peeng ]] told him China is ready to buy 200 passenger jets from Boeing.  Trump summarized their high-stakes meeting in Beijing this week as very good.  Boeing shares dropped more than four-percent after Trump made the announcement Thursday in an interview with Fox News.  

>>Retail Sales Up A Half-Percent

(Washington, DC)  --  The new retail sales report out this week from the Commerce Department shows overall sales up a half-percent in April.  Sales are down at furniture stores, car dealerships, department stores, and clothing stores.  Sales are up at gas stations, sporting goods and hobby stores, and electronics and appliance Stores.  

>>Musk v. Altman Deliberations Begin Monday

(Oakland, CA)  --  The jury in the Elon Musk versus Sam Altman trial heard closing arguments in an Oakland, California courtroom Thursday.  Musk is suing OpenAI, a company he co-founded, along with its CEO Sam Altman and company president Greg Brockman.  He's arguing that Altman reneged on a promise to keep OpenAI an non-profit and that 38-million dollars he donated was misused for commercial purposes.  Altman claims he made no such promise.  The jury begins deliberations Monday but their verdict is only advisory, meaning the judge has final say on liability.  

>>Honda Posts First Annual Loss In Nearly 70 Years

(Tokyo)  --  Honda lost money for the first time in almost 70 years, posting an annual operating loss of more than two-point-six billion dollars.  Money spent on its electric vehicle business, Chinese competition and U.S. tariffs all contributed.  Investors didn't seem to mind, however, as shares jumped seven percent following Thursday's earnings announcement.  

For Thursday, May 14th, 2026

>>Wall Street Closes With Stocks Mixed

(New York, NY)  --  Wall Street closed Wednesday with stocks mixed.  The S&P 500 and Nasdaq both finished at record highs.  It comes as traders are still digesting the producer price index released today by the Labor Department, which showed wholesale prices surged one-point-four percent in April.  Elsewhere, shares of Nvidia and Micron Technology both rose.  At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 67 points to 49-693.  The S&P 500 gained 43 points to 74-44.  The Nasdaq rose 314 points to 26-402.

>>Wholesale Prices Up

(Washington, DC)  --  Wholesale prices surged one-point-four percent in April, the biggest monthly increase since March 2022.  The producer price index released yesterday by the Labor Department showed the cost of making goods went up well beyond the half-a-percent analysts were expecting.  Year-over-year, the index is up six percent, the biggest annual jump since December 2022.

>>China Renews U.S. Beef Export Licenses

(Beijing)  --  Major U.S. beef producers can start exporting beef to China again.  On Thursday, China renewed export licenses for hundreds of U.S. beef processing plants.  Reuters says over 400 U.S. beef plants lost export eligibility after Chinese permissions expired last March.  The news comes as President Trump and a U.S. delegation is in China to discuss trade and other issues.  

>>Senate Confirms Warsh As Next Fed Chair

(Washington, DC)  --  The Senate is confirming Kevin Warsh as the next chair of the Federal Reserve.  Wednesday's vote was 54-45, with every Republican voting in favor.  Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was the only Democrat to vote for Warsh.  In terms of Senate history, it was the most partisan vote for a Fed chair nominee.  Current Fed Chair Jerome Powell's term expires Friday.  Powell's term was marked with constant battles with President Trump over cutting interest rates, and included a DOJ criminal investigation into Powell's renovations at the Reserve building that was later dropped.  Warsh has expressed caution about cutting interest rates this year despite pressure from Trump to lower borrowing costs. 

>>Americans Oppose Local AI Data Centers

(Undated)  --  A majority of Americans say they oppose the construction of data centers in their local area.  New polling from Gallup shows seven in ten Americans oppose the projects, and 48 percent of respondents said they are strongly opposed.  These data centers house computing equipment that helps power AI technology used by businesses, universities and other institutions, but they have met fierce opposition from residents in many parts of the country.  The centers require extensive amounts of electricity to operate and need substantial water to cool the equipment, which has raised concerns about the environmental impact and local electric bills.  

>>Cisco To Cut 4K Jobs

(San Jose, CA)  --  Cisco is cutting about four-thousand jobs.  The software giant said Wednesday the cuts are part of a restructuring as the company shifts its focus toward artificial intelligence.  Shares in Cisco rose more than 16-percent after the news.  CEO Chuck Robbins said on the Cisco website that companies who "win in the AI era" will be those who "continuously shift ?investment toward the areas where demand and long-term value creation are strongest." 

For: May 13, 2026

>>Ahead Of The Bell

(New York, NY) -- The opening bell rings this morning after stocks closed mixed on a day that saw inflation numbers come in at a three-year high. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq pulled back from record levels as the rally in tech stocks cooled. Investors reacted to a hotter-than-expected consumer price index reading that put the annual inflation rate at three-point-eight percent in April. At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 56 points to 49-760. The S&P 500 lost 11 points to 74-00. The Nasdaq fell 185 points to 26-088. Investors today will be keep an eye out for the producer price index, which is also used as a gauge of inflation.

>>Nvidia CEO Joins Trump China Trip

(Anchorage, AK) -- Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is joining President Trump on his trade trip to China. The head of the chip company reportedly jumped on Air Force One Tuesday night during a refueling stop in Alaska. Other executives invited to the summit include Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon. CNBC says Huang joined Trump's delegation after the President saw media reports claiming the CEO had been excluded. Trump responded on Truth Social, and called it "fake news."

>>eBay Rejects GameStop Proposal

(San Jose, CA) -- EBay is rejecting GameStop's takeover bid. The auction site called GameStop CEO Ryan Cohen's unsolicited 56-billion dollar proposal "neither credible nor attractive." Among the concerns eBay cited included the uncertainty regarding the video game retailer's financing proposal. GameStop had said it had a 20-billion-dollar financing commitment along with nine-billion dollars in cash, leaving a big funding gap. Cohen previously told CNBC he was ready to take his offer directly to shareholders if eBay rejected the proposal.

>>Altman Says He Never Promised To Keep OpenAI Non-Profit

(Oakland, CA) -- OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says he never promised co-founder Elon Musk that he would keep the artificial intelligence company a non-profit. A federal trial has been ongoing in Oakland, California after Musk sued Altman, arguing that the company was supposed to remain a non-profit. Musk said earlier in the trial that changing the company's structure was tantamount to stealing a charity and that 38-million dollars he donated to OpenAI was misused for commercial purposes. Altman was on the stand Tuesday and testified he made no commitments to Musk, who left the company's board in 2018.

>>Halo Top To Offer Spoon That Puts Phone On Silent

(Manhattan Beach, CA) -- An ice cream company is offering a new product aimed to help consumers put their phones down. Halo Top is set to release a "Silent Mode Spoon." It's designed to put your mobile device on the "do not disturb" setting by using an NFC connection. That's used for things like contactness payment or sharing data. The company's website says the spoons will be available on Friday for limited time and will go for around five bucks.