For: July 2, 2026

>>Ahead Of The Bell 

(New York, NY)  --  The opening bell rings this morning after a down day on Wall Street.  At the closing bell, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 13 points to end the day at 52-305.  The S&P 500 fell 16 points to 74-83.  The  tech-heavy Nasdaq dropped 173 points to 26-040.  Markets will be closed tomorrow in observance of Independence Day.  

>>Jobs Report Due 

(Undated)  --  The government's June jobs report will be released today - a day earlier than normal due to the upcoming July 4th holiday.  Most analysts expect to see that 115-thousand jobs were added last month.  In comparison, May's jobs report showed the economy added 172-thousand new jobs.  

>>Federal Chairman Says Inflation Risks Are Declining

(Sintra, Portugal)  --  Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh says inflation risks have declined over the last few weeks.  This is due to energy prices dropping following the U.S and Iran signing a memorandum of understanding to end the ongoing war last month.  During a gathering of central bankers in Sintra, Portugal Walsh said the central bank still has more work to do, but it will stay independent regardless of what President Trump wants.  The Fed Chairman also added the Reserve is monitoring the AI industry and predicts that it will create jobs due to a boom in capital expenditures.

>>Sony To Stop Making Physical PlayStation Discs

(Tokyo)  --  Sony will stop making physical game discs for PlayStation starting in January 2028.  After that, all new games will only be available in digital format.  The switch won't affect games already released on disc.  

>>Ford Recalling Over 741,000 Vehicles Due To Park System Issue

(Dearborn, MI)  --  Ford Motor Company is recalling over 741-thousand vehicles due to a park system issue that could cause the vehicle to roll away.  The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Agency says the recall is for certain Ford Expedition, Explorer, and F-150 trucks along with Lincoln Aviator and Navigator vehicles made between model years 2018 and 2021.  Owners will get a notice in the mail.  Ford is aware of 24 instances of property damage and nine injuries.  

For: July 1, 2026 

>>Watching Wall Street 

(New York, NY)  --  The opening bell rings this morning after the Dow Jones Industrial Average notched another record high yesterday and stocks closed solidly in the green.  At the closing bell, the Dow gained 136 points to close at 52-319.  The S&P 500 rose 58 points to 74-99.  The tech-heavy Nasdaq climbed 393 points to 26-213.

>>Consumer Confidence Edges Higher In June

(New York, NY)  --  Consumer confidence edged higher in June.  The Conference Board reported its headline confidence index rose six-tenths of a point from May's downwardly revised reading.  The board's chief economist said falling oil prices provided some relief to consumer inflation fears in June.  Looking ahead, buying plans for big ticket items improved slightly with expectations for homebuying and auto purchases both trending higher for the next six months.    

>>U.S. Lifts Anthropic Export Controls

(San Francisco, CA)  --  The public will have access to some of Anthropic's advanced AI models starting today.  The company said Tuesday the U.S. government is lifting export controls put in place over cyber security concerns.  The move by the Department of Commerce to end its block on Claude Fable 5 and Mythos 5 comes after the artificial intelligence company installed new safeguards to address vulnerabilities.  

>>Trump Made Millions From Crypto

(Washington, DC)  --  President Trump has made at least 635-million dollars from cryptocurrency deals in his second term.  In a nearly one-thousand page financial disclosure Tuesday, Trump revealed he made the money from a licensing deal that put his name on crypto coins, giving him more than a billion dollars in total crypto holdings.  The president has pushed for loosening regulations on cryptocurrency.  Trump also bought and sold stock in GEO Group, a private prison company and a huge contractor with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.  Trump differs from past presidents in that he didn't divest his assets or place them in a blind trust before serving.  

>>Blue Origin CEO Discusses Next Steps

(Cape Canaveral, FL)  --  Blue Origin still wants to return to flight this year.  That's what CEO Dave Limp said yesterday in an update he shared on the company's website.  One of the company's New Glenn rockets exploded on the launch pad last month, but Limp says the company has made a remarkable recovery since that "significant anomaly," as he calls it.  He says there's no word on what caused the explosion, but he's confident they'll find the root cause.  Looking ahead, Limp says the road to space doesn't pause here, and they're preparing to come back stronger than before.

>>Authentic Brands Group Acquires Care Bears IP

(Undated)  --  Authentic Brands Group has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the intellectual property of Care Bears.  The sale expands Authentic reach into family entertainment and marks its first character-based franchise, previously securing IP into their portfolio that includes Elvis Presley, Muhammad Ali and Marilyn Monroe.  They also launched Authentic Studios in 2023 to develop and produce films, television, commercials, live stage experiences and audio.  The companies will play a central role in extending the Care Bears universe through new stories, audiences and fan experiences.  The Care Bears has reached consumers in more than 190 countries, appearing in dozens of languages.