For: February 17, 2026
>>Holiday-Shortened Trading Week Begins (New York, NY) -- Trading resumes on Wall Street today following the Presidents Day holiday. Stocks struggled for direction in the last trading session and closed mixed Friday to cap a losing week. AI concerns rattled the market last week with all three major averages down about one percent. At Friday's closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 48 points to 49-500. The S&P 500 added three points to 68-36. The Nasdaq lost 50 points to 22-546.
>>Partial Government Shutdown To Stretch Out To Next Week
(Washington, DC) -- The partial government shutdown impacting the Department of Homeland Security will stretch on into next week. Congress failed to reach a deal over the weekend and are now on a weeklong recess. That leaves the question of when the shutdown will end up in the air. Democrats and Republicans remain far apart on key issues, including immigration enforcement reform demands from Democrats. The shutdown could soon start impacting DHS agencies like the TSA and FEMA.
>>Apple Product Launch Set For March 4
(Cupertino, CA) -- Apple is hosting a product launch event next month in New York, London, and Shanghai. That marks a shift from previous launch events that have been held at the Apple campus in Cupertino, California. The iPhone-maker calls the event an "in-person experience." The launch invite sets the date as March 4th at 9am Eastern time.
>>CA Gas Prices Up 40 Cents In Two Weeks
(Sacramento, CA) -- California gas prices are up 40 cents in two weeks as refineries close, supplies drop and the state relies more and more on imported fuel. The average price is about four-58 per gallon, a dollar-50 more than the national average, according to GasBuddy. Valero's Benicia refinery, a major play in California's fuel supply, is in the process of closing. This follows the closure of Phillips 66's Los Angeles refinery. A recent UC Davis study suggests gas could go up another dollar and 21 cents per gallon by August.
>>Apple Podcasts To Integrate Video Podcasts Into Service
(Cupertino, CA) -- Apple Podcasts is expanding their services. The tech giant said Monday that it's bringing "advanced video capabilities" to their podcast services this spring. This comes after video podcast viewing has been available on competitor services like Spotify and YouTube. Users will be able to switch between watching and listening to shows from within the app, as well as being able to download videos to watch offline. This will be available on the iPhone, iPad and Apple Vision Pro, as well as via Apple Podcasts online.
