Tesla is hiking lease prices as automakers adjust to the new normal with no federal tax credits to drive sales of electric vehicles.
Why it matters: The $7,500 tax credit was a significant incentive for qualifying buyers, but President Trump and congressional Republicans recently killed it.
President Trump announced "TrumpRx" Tuesday, a government-run website with Pfizer as its first partner, offering select drugs at discounts.
Why it matters: TrumpRx is the administration's latest move to bring down U.S. drug prices, but it's unlikely to save much for the 92% of Americans with health insurance.
Neptune Insurance didn't just price its IPO last night ahead of the government shutdown, it thinks the shutdown could help its business.
What they're saying: "We compete with the federal government, which provides flood insurance through FEMA" explains Neptune CEO Trevor Burgess, who adds that he received lots of shutdown questions from prospective investors. "They'll be closed, but we'll be open and able to serve thousands of homeowners."
Unemployment is low, the stock market booming, GDP growth surging, and inflation reasonably well-behaved. It seems like a recipe for a morning-in-America surge of economic optimism.
The big picture: Nope.
A range of measures show Americans to be exceptionally gloomy about the economic picture.
My overnight stay in the sleeper cab of Volvo's new long-haul truck had all the trappings of a 5-star experience, right down to the monogrammed robe and the mints on the pillow.
Why it matters: Driving a truck for a living is grueling, both mentally and physically, and turnover rates are high.
People Inc. on Wednesday said it has acquired Feedfeed, a 12-year-old food publisher and creator network with more than 7 million followers on social media and roughly 1,000 influencer partners.
Why it matters: It marks the company's first acquisition since it was created through Dotdash's parent, IAC, acquiring Meredith's National Media Group in 2021.
AudioShake has raised $14 million in Series A funding to grow its platform that splits audio into components, CEO Jessica Powell exclusively tells Axios.
Why it matters: The tech has supported major film studios, music labels, sports leagues and other content owners in improving their own audio usage such as through dubbing and remastering.
Aventra exited stealth Wednesdaywith $3 million in hand and plans to make dumb munitions smarter and longer-reaching. In other words: deadlier.
Why it matters: There's an international competition afoot. Not a day goes by where the military stockpiles, industrial heft and battlefield ingenuity of the U.S., Ukraine, Russia and China aren't compared.
Investors are betting billions of dollars that the world of defense tech is a gold mine, despite the Pentagon's reputation for sluggish purchases and arcane regulations.
Why it matters: That conviction is fostering fresh ideas and market competition, forcing longtime kingpins to adapt.
Without bullish investors, there'd be no neo-primes. And every time those new players win a big contract, the excitement grows.
Pfizer's decision to announce a deal with the Trump administration on drug prices Tuesday caused an uproar within much of the pharmaceutical industry, most of which was caught off guard by the announcement.
Why it matters: Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla's acquiescence to President Trump's demands — broadcast live from the Oval Office as the two men stood side by side — puts much more pressure on other drug companies to fall in line after months of unified resistance to Trump's "most favored nation" pricing plan.
One in six aspiring buyers has abandoned their dreams of homeownership in the past six years because they couldn't afford a house that they liked, according to a new Bankrate survey.
Why it matters: Homeownership is typically seen as a pillar of the American Dream, but the punishing combination of rising home prices, high mortgage rates and a looming housing shortage has kept purchasing out of reach for many.
Stocks keep grinding higher and Wall Street remains sanguine about policy risks, yet the grounds-eye view of the economy from a big regional lender is more cautious. Tariffs, the CEO of Citizen Financial tells Axios, still have the potential to trigger an economic slowdown.
Why it matters: While ignoring tariffs has been a critical part of the bull market formula, the bank's CEO, Bruce Van Saun, warns investors to check their "unbridled enthusiasm."
The federal government will shut down for the first time since 2019 after the Senate on Tuesday failed to pass a government funding measure ahead of a midnight deadline.
Why it matters: Party leaders don't appear anywhere close to a compromise, and a path to reopening the government is unclear.
The White House withdrew the controversial nomination of economist E.J. Antoni to head the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Tuesday.
Why it matters: Antoni was a favorite of MAGA stalwarts like Steve Bannon, but even conservative economists viewed him as unqualified and too partisan.
