What once was a quirky giveaway has exploded into one of the hottest trends in sports memorabilia: bobbleheads that are more coveted than the games themselves.
Some people are lining up hours early — not to cheer on the home team, but to snag a collectible they can flip for hundreds on the resale market.
Why it matters: In a marketplace that's seen everything from stocks to cryptocurrencies to hideous dolls surge in price, a simple kids' collectible has emerged as a surprisingly valuable asset.
Left-wing challengers to sitting Democratic mayors are shaking up at least four major races this year, tapping into exploding anger at the party's establishment leaders.
Why it matters: The races will offer early clues into the mood of progressive voters and the direction of the Democratic Party ahead of the midterms and the 2028 election.
Rupert Murdoch's media empire is playing both sides of the Trump-Epstein scandal, breaking bombshell news with one hand and largely ignoring it with the other.
Why it matters: The Wall Street Journal's scoop about Trump's alleged letter to Jeffrey Epstein drew national headlines — just not on Fox News. The divergence underscores how Murdoch's dual media arms serve different audiences, but the same bottom line.
And in July 2025, the "recession pop" Party in the U.S.A. lives on.
The big picture: Recession pop bangers — those upbeat, liberating jams that blasted on the radio against a bleak national backdrop — are making their comeback, according to social mediausers and music industry data alike.
CHICAGO—IBM CEO Arvind Krishna said dire AI job warnings stem from a "reality distortion field" among industry leaders, arguing in an Axios interview that the employment picture is much more promising.
Why it matters: Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei sounded the alarm in May when he told Axios' Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen that AI could wipe out half of all entry-level white-collar jobs.
The Trump administration is pushing back on more media reports on his inclusion in a leather-bound album celebrating disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein's 50th birthday.
The big picture: President Trump is suing the Wall Street Journal and owner Rupert Murdoch, challenging a report about a "bawdy" birthday letter bearing Trump's name in the book that Ghislaine Maxwell allegedly collated in 2003. Now, the WSJ has published a report naming other public figures it says were in the book.
Lyft plans to add U.S.-made Holon autonomous shuttles to its ride-hailing network as early as next year.
Why it matters: It's the latest development in Lyft's autonomous vehicle strategy, as it tries to keep pace with rival Uber's robotaxi rollout in places like Austin and Atlanta.
The trade deals keep coming, yet the dollar continues to weaken, down over 10% this year after the biggest first-half loss since 1973.
Why it matters: The greenback slump could be a sign that countries are now embracing de-dollarization: moving away from dollar-denominated assets as uncertainty about fiscal policy in the U.S. remains a headwind.
Investors are flocking to Europe, not for vacation, but for returns.
But without the market power of artificial intelligence companies, they may have to quickly come back to America.
Why it matters: Much of Europe's outperformance this year stems from a weakening dollar, not stronger fundamentals. Without the AI boom that is fueling the resurgence in U.S. stocks, the old world may struggle to keep up.
Meta on Friday said starting in October it will no longer accept political, election or social issue ads in the European Union, in response to new regulation that it says will cause "significant operational challenges and legal uncertainties."
Why it matters: Google already said it would pull ads in the EU for the same reason. Campaigns and cause and appeal organizations will have a significantly harder time placing ads online without the ability to run them on the EU's two biggest digital platforms.
A majority of Nevada swing voters in our latest Engagious/Sago focus groups who backed President Trump in November said they now disapprove of his administration's actions.
Why it matters: These swing voters' assessment of the administration were the most negative of any of our monthly panels this year besides March, when Michigan voters recoiled against Trump's tariff threats and antagonism toward neighbor Canada.
Ted Lasso, stealing a line he (and many others) wrongly attributed to Walt Whitman, nailed an antidote to the things driving us crazy: "Be curious, not judgmental."
Why it matters: Those four words can radically shift how you think and feel about politics, social media posts, your employer, and even friends and family, Axios CEO Jim VandeHei writes.
