For Wednesday, October 7th, 2026
>>Wall Street Closes Higher, S&P 500 And Nasdaq Hit Fresh Records
(New York, NY) -- Wall Street closed higher Tuesday with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq both posting new all-time records. A rally in tech shares boosted markets with Marvell Technology up six percent after the company provided long term guidance at its Investor Day. Traders are now awaiting Wednesday's release of the Federal Reserve's minutes from its September meeting for insights on the decision to raise rates. At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 253 points to 51-521. The S&P 500 rose 44 points to 78-18. The Nasdaq climbed 122 points to 27-599.
>>U.S. Trade Deficit Widens To The Steepest Since Before Trump Tariffs Enacted Last Year
(Washington, DC) -- The Commerce Department says the U.S. trade deficit widened sharply in August. This amid an uptick in goods related to the building of artificial intelligence build-out and the unpredictability of import tariffs. Imports rose over four-percent for the month, pushing the total imbalance to over 105-billion dollars. That was a nearly 14-percent jump from July, over of the Dow Jones consensus estimate for 102-billion dollars. It was also the biggest deficit since the all-time gap in March 2025 just before President Trump's announcement of "reciprocal" tariffs against U.S. trading partners.
>>DC Federal Judge Considers FCC's Attempted Review Of ABC Stations
(Washington, DC) -- A federal judge in DC is skeptical of whether the FCC should be allowed to conduct an early review of broadcast licenses that belong to a handful of local ABC stations across the nation. Judge Loren Alikhan declined to immediately rule on the case, attempting to get to the heart of the Trump administration's efforts to look into the broadcaster. The White House argues that the FCC's early renewal process was necessary as part of its probe into Disney's diversity, equity and inclusion hiring practices. But the move is unprecedented for a media regulator taking on one of the nation's largest broadcast networks.
>>Paramount Warner Bros. Discovery Deal Closes
(Hollywood, CA) -- The merger between Paramount and Warner Brother Discovery has been finalized. The new company is adopting the name Skydance. The 110-billion-dollar transaction is expected to result in thousands of job cuts because there will be so many overlapping roles. The transaction cleared a major legal hurdle last week. That's when a federal judge approved a settlement resolving an antitrust challenge brought by California and eleven other states.
>>Starbucks Sued Over 'Sugar-Free' Protein Drinks
(Seattle, WA) -- Seattle-based Starbucks is facing a lawsuit accusing it of mislabeling eight of its protein drinks as "sugar-free." The lawsuit was filed by a group of three customers Friday in federal court. The suit says the eight protein drinks labeled as sugar-free actually have 13 to 21 grams of sugar in a venti serving. The drinks include hot and iced vanilla and caramel protein lattes and matcha drinks.
>>Uber Spends Billions To Get Into Catering
(San Francisco, CA) -- Uber is spending over two billion dollars to get into the catering business. It's buying ezCater in an all-cash deal. That will allow Uber Eats to serve more catering and large-scale workplace meals.
>>Prime Big Deal Days Are Here
(Undated) -- Amazon's fall Prime Big Deal Days are officially live today through midnight tomorrow. The 48-hour event features steep discounts exclusively for Prime members across electronics, home goods, and holiday apparel. Retailers like Walmart and Target are also launching competing sales events this week.
>>Student Loans Interest Rate Reductions Continue
(Washington, DC) -- The Education Department is extending a one-percent interest rate reduction for certain federal student loan borrowers who sign up for automatic payments. Borrowers have through the end of the year to enroll, and those who qualify will keep the lower rate through June 2028. Borrowers already using autopay will automatically qualify as long as they remain in good standing. But the discount ends if autopay is canceled or the loan enters forbearance. The break comes as student loan payments and overall consumer borrowing continue to rise.
