The U.S. trade deal with China isn't finalized yet, but America has to trust that Chinese leaders will keep their word, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday.
Why it matters: It was only a month ago that Bessent said China couldn't be trusted. His shift in tone captures the uneasy stakes of a pact central to global trade in rare earths and American soybeans.
Grocery prices will come down, and consumers should feel a real rebound in purchasing power in the first half of 2026, the Trump administration's top economic officials said Sunday.
Why it matters: The government's own inflation data keeps ticking up, as most shoppers say they're paying more for groceries now than a year ago.
On Wall Street, in Washington, in the halls of corporate America, they don't need last names. Everyone just knows: Apple CEO Tim Cook, Disney CEO Bob Iger, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon — all stars of the business set, and all preparing to leave the stage.
Why it matters: Some of the world's best-known leaders are leaving the next generation to sort out historic technological, political and economic changes.
And at a fraught moment for the American economy, an unusual number of globally iconic brands are getting new leadership — complicating what was already certain to be an uncertain 2026.
Welcome to the world of the "forever layoff." Companies are increasingly making cuts year-round in small batches rather than big sweeping firings.
Why it matters: The smaller batches of layoffs let businesses make changes and shift strategies without attracting scrutiny — and they normalize layoffs as a typical part of work. But they still put people out of jobs and make workers super anxious.
Billy Bob Thornton's oilman in "Landman" mirrors a real-world confidence returning to the U.S. oil and gas industry.
Why it matters: The hit drama's second season — premiering Sunday night on Paramount+ — coincides with a supportive White House and rising public support for drilling after years of environmental backlash.
Congress rallied to pass a spending bill that ended the record-long government shutdown, but it came with a price: much of the legal cannabis industry.
The big picture: A last-minute provision in the spending bill criminalized many hemp-derived products, despite the objection of businesses, lobbying groups, and lawmakers with stakes in the $28 billion industry.
Retailers are locked in a Thanksgiving turkey price war, cutting into margins to hold onto cost-conscious consumers.
Why it matters: Americans are feeling squeezed, with grocery prices about 30% higher than before the pandemic — and millions facing new food insecurity after the government's SNAP benefits freeze.
ESPN, ABC, National Geographic and more than a dozen other Disney-owned channels have been reinstated on YouTube TV after the two companies finally struck a distribution agreement.
Why it matters: The blackout, which started October 30, cut off major sports and news programming — including NFL games, college football, and 2025 election night coverage — for more than 8 million subscribers of YouTube TV.
