President Trump hailed the start of demolition work at the White House East Wing on Monday ahead of construction beginning on his planned, privately funded $200 million-plus ballroom.
The big picture: Critics say the project's funding underscores how corporate America has curried favor for access to the Trump administration. But Trump said on Truth Social Monday that he's "honored to be the first President to finally get this much-needed project underway — with zero cost to the American Taxpayer!"
Base Power, the home battery startup founded in 2023 by Zach Dell and Justin Lopas, made a noticeable splash with its latest fundraising announcement.
Why it matters: The team at Base Power executed the modern fundraising playbook by tying a strong narrative to the numbers and going beyond traditional media to share the news.
Argentinian central bank officials on Monday confirmed they signed a $20 billion currency deal with the U.S. Treasury, one designed to stabilize the country's faltering economy.
Why it matters: The U.S. government is increasingly adopting a "whatever it takes" mantra when it comes to rescuing Argentina, despite questions about why and whether the aid comes at the expense of American farmers.
The blowups of First Brands and Tricolor — while unusual given the allegations of financial irregularities against them — have still rattled investors already jittery over an uncertain economy.
Why it matters: If bad loans like those at the two collapsed companies emerge elsewhere, investors are likely to accelerate a move away from risk.
And that could be the straw that breaks this bull market's back.
Small-business owners want the government back to work, according to a survey of nearly 1,500 of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses participants, shared exclusively with Axios.
Why it matters: Survey respondents are sounding the alarm to Washington, and perhaps to Wall Street, that the economic impact of the government shutdown is bigger than what lawmakers may currently be calculating.
How do you like them apples? If the answer is "local," then you're probably munching on these.
Why it matters: Tomorrow is National Apple Day — and we're giving a sweet salute to a delicious fruit core to Pennsylvania, as the country's fourth-largest apple producer.
For innovation companies looking to redefine possibilities and grow rapidly, it's crucial to have a banking partner that tailors lending solutions* to their growth stage and future trajectory.
More U.S. homebuyers are chasing fixer-uppers than four years ago, when mortgage rates were lower and houses were more affordable, Realtor.com reports.
The big picture: Keywordsearches for "fixer-upper" have more than tripled since 2021, even as those listings become a bit harder to find, according to the real estate site's analysis.
Call it the war on poker — professional players and amateurs alike are coming under siege from Uncle Sam, YouTube and state regulators.
Why it matters: Poker players say policies and crackdowns aimed at gambling are threatening livelihoods, driving fans offline, and reshaping how millions of people watch and play.
Royal Caribbean Group's record-breaking ships are driving a cruising comeback — its stock has jumped 400% in five years and it's now worth more than Carnival and Norwegian cruise lines combined.
The big picture: Longtime leader Richard Fain, who served as CEO for 33 years and is the current board chairman, says the company's secret isn't size, ships, or marketing — it's insatiability, a built-in drive to never be satisfied.
Uber's new "digital tasks" program lets drivers get paid for small jobs that help train AI models when they're not driving.
Why it matters: As driverless robotaxis begin to fill streets in scattered cities across the U.S., Uber is enlisting its gig workforce to help train the technology that could replace them.
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner discussed brokering a fragile deal between Israel and Hamas and rejected allegations that Israeli forces had committed genocide in Gaza during an interview with CBS' "60 Minutes" that aired Sunday.
The big picture: The wide-ranging interview with President Trump's envoys that comes amid fresh clashes between Israeli forces and Hamas militants also addressed potential conflicts of interest of Kushner and Witkoff amid concerns about their business dealings with Gulf states and Qatar's central role in the Gaza ceasefire deal.
