President Trump is hosting a White House dinner with the CEOs of financial giants like JPMorgan Chase and BlackRock on Wednesday night, per news reports.
Why it matters:Trump administration policies have so far been a boon for Wall Street, not so much for Main Street, as concerns mount over affordability, housing and jobs.
Catch up quick: Co-founders Guinevere de la Mare and Laura Gluhanich launched the Silent Book Club in San Francisco more than a decade ago.
What began as two friends reading at a bar has grown into more than 2,000 chapters in 62 countries. (Find your local chapter here.)
By the numbers: Eventbrite says silent book club events in the U.S. are up 44% from last year.
What they're saying: "It became this really lovely little escape pod where you could put down your devices, and you could focus on books and human interaction," de la Mare tells Axios.
The White House is reportedly eyeing new limits on shareholder advisory services — and investors have recently tuned the services out on major votes.
Why it matters: Pressure is mounting on firms like Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Glass Lewis, which have long played influential roles in stockholder votes on issues like executive pay, board seats and corporate resolutions.
Apple's new passport-based Digital ID is rolling out on iPhone and Apple Watch — giving travelers a new way to clear TSA security lines with just their device.
Why it matters: It's the biggest step yet in the tech giant's push to make the Apple Wallet app a digital replacement for everything in your pocket — from credit cards to car keys to IDs.
A bipartisan group says the government will need to establish a larger footprint in the private sector to shore up America's AI and other technology sectors — or put national security at risk.
Why it matters: It is the new consensus among some business leaders and former Trump and Biden-era economic officials.
Without government intervention, the group says the nation risks potential exploitation by China and other adversaries.
Congress is poised to pass a spending bill that will end the record-long government shutdown, but there's a catch: it includes a ban on many THC-infused products.
The big picture: A last-minute provision in the bill would re-criminalize many hemp-derived products, reversing their legalization in the 2018 Farm Bill.
OpenAI is updating ChatGPT to have a more conversational tone, while also making it work faster for simple tasks and harder and longer for complex ones.
Why it matters: Users have formed strong attachments to ChatGPT's personality and have openly rebelled when it changes.
House Democrats have landed on their plan of attack to try to salvage what they see as an inadequate deal to end the government shutdown: A discharge petition on extending their coveted Affordable Care Act tax credits.
Why it matters: The tactic is a long-shot — it will require Republican support that may not materialize — but Democrats see it as their last hope to force a House vote on the issue.
Even after the record-long federal government shutdown ends, flight delays will persist for at least a few days, if not longer.
The big picture: The Federal Aviation Administration started cutting 4% of air traffic at 40 "high-traffic" U.S. airports last week, with the number increasing to 6% on Tuesday and set to reach 10% on Friday.
Treasury Secretary Bessent slammed the "Sell America" trade in a speech Wednesday morning that pitched the market for U.S. Treasury bonds as stronger than ever.
Why it matters: The Trump administration has put the bond market at the center of an affordability agenda in ways not seen under recent predecessors, using unconventional means to try to encourage demand for U.S. debt.
House Democrats on Wednesday released emails from convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein discussing his relationship with President Trump, something the president has downplayed.
Why it matters: Trump's relationship with Epstein caused a rare break with some in his MAGA base over the summer, though the outrage tapered following the release of Epstein's birthday book.
The U.S. Mint is set to strike the last circulating penny Wednesday afternoon in Philadelphia, officially closing the book on the one-cent coin.
Why it matters: The fallout over the phasing out of penny production is already hitting cash registers across the country, as stores and restaurants run short on change.
Private equity once again has prevailed over U.S. antitrust regulators, as a federal judge ruled that GTCR can proceed with its $627 million takeover of medical coatings company Surmodics.
Carbon, a Redwood City, Calif.-based 3D printing company whose tech is used to make NFL helmets, tells Axios that it's raised $60 million led by existing investors Sequoia Capital and Silver Lake.
Why it matters: This is one of the largest additive manufacturing deals in years, as the once-hot sector was cooled by Desktop Metal's bankruptcy and Markforged's fire sale.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday touted "substantial" actions in the coming days that he said wouldlower the prices of coffee and some fruits, among other grocery items.
Why it matters: The Trump administration is fighting a growing affordability crisis, insisting prices will come down even as most consumers have seen their grocery bills rise.
Eighty percent of Americans say they make better financial decisions when they're actively investing in their health and wellness, according to new data from MassMutual's 2025 Health & Wealth Habits Report.
Kevin Reilly, the longtime Hollywood executive who helped launch hits like "The Sopranos," "The Office" and "Glee," has joined Beverly Hills-based AI creative consultancy Kartel as CEO, he exclusively tells Axios.
Why it matters: The hiring underscores the maturing of generative AI as more companies, including the creative community, seek to reap the benefits.
Too Good To Go is expanding its partnership with Whole Foods Market, offering a wider variety of discounted food bags at all of the chain's stores, the company exclusively told Axios.
President Trump said in a Fox News interview that aired Tuesday evening H-1B skilled worker visas are necessary because "you don't have certain talents" in the U.S.
Why it matters: H-1B visas have divided MAGA world, with business leaders like Elon Musk saying they're vital to U.S. tech dominance, but Fox News' Laura Ingraham raised with Trump the concern that the scheme risks displacing American employees with foreign workers.
Global oil and gas demand is projected to keep rising through 2050 under nations' current policies despite growth in renewables and electric cars, the International Energy Agency said.
Why it matters:IEA's latest World Energy Outlook — released early Wednesday — could influence policymakers, C-suites, investors, academics and anyone else trying to understand where the energy mix might head.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) criticized President Trump at COP30 on Tuesday for being absent from the UN summit in Belém, Brazil, and called his rejection of climate policy an "abomination."
The big picture: Newsom, who's expected to run for president in 2028, said during a ministerial meeting that he's "very mindful that the Trump administration has abandoned any sense of duty, responsibility or leadership as it relates to the issues that bring us all here together" at COP30.
The Supreme Court on Tuesday extended an order allowing the Trump administration to temporarily block full payments of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program known as SNAP during the record shutdown.
Why it matters: The decision that continues the freeze of a lower court order for the administration to pay some 42 million Americans who rely on the program until 11:59p.m. Thursday comes as House members prepare to vote as early as Wednesday on a Senate-passed bill to reopen the government.
