President Trump's approval rating on his longtime political calling card — the economy — has sunk to 31%, the lowest it has been across both of his terms as president, according to a new survey from The Associated Press-NORC.
Why it matters: The decline in the approval rating comes as the administration is working to take on an affordability crisis that has been weighing on consumers.
A federal bank regulator on Friday granted conditional approval for five crypto-related firms — including Circle and Ripple — to obtain national trust bank charters.
Why it matters: It's a significant regulatory step for U.S. stablecoin issuers in the wake of the Genius Act — and one traditional banking groups have fought hard to block.
Wall Street's AI hopium is turning to discernment, with investors punishing Oracle and Broadcom for less-than-stellar earnings this week, bringing Nvidia down alongside them.
Why it matters: It represents a shift in the AI investment thesis: Investors are set to reward efficiency, not spending, in 2026. That could be a big problem for Nvidia, which benefits from record spending from a handful of Big Tech customers.
Congress yesterday pushed forward a package of bills that could increase capital formation in the private markets.
The big picture: This could be the first part of a one-two punch for private markets, followed by more politically fraught efforts to allow 401(k) plans to invest in alternative assets.
Oil prices are generally sinking this weekdespite the U.S. seizure of a tanker off Venezuela's coast, saber rattling about doing it again, and Ukraine hitting a Russian tanker in the Black Sea.
Why it matters: Geopolitical strife historically shoves prices upward, especially when oil and oil producers are involved. So what's going on? A few overlapping things...
Oracle missed its quarterly revenue, pushing its bond yields to their highest levels of the year, a sign that investors are demanding greater compensation for the risk of holding its debt.
Why it matters: The spotlight is on Oracle, but the market move underscores a broader shift in how tech giants are perceived: from huge cash generators to companies making enormous AI bets using debt.
President Trump's "gold card" program could endanger applicants' money, lead to revoked citizenship, or inspire fraud, legal experts told Axios.
The big picture: Trump's hardline immigration crackdown has disproportionately impacted impoverished households, but the president's Gold Card program could flip the script, causing financial and logistical problems for wealthy applicants.
The House of Representatives voted Wednesday to overturn President Trump's executive order ending collective bargaining rights for two-thirds of the federal workforce.
The big picture: It's the first time during Trump's second term that the House has secured enough votes to repeal one of his executive orders, though the measure faces an uphill battle as it heads to the GOP-controlled Senate.
Costco started its 2026 fiscal year with solid sales and profit growth as shoppers kept spending and online sales surged double digits, the company said Thursday.
Disney has entered the AI age — but under a new agreement between Walt Disney Company and OpenAI, there are guardrails on how Sora users can get creative with the entertainment giant's classic characters.
Why it matters: Disney's move to solidify itself as thefirst major content licensing partner on Sora marks a stunning endorsement of AI-generated content — and signals Disney's openness to "responsible" use of the emerging tech.
Paramount had to make a key change during the process of bidding for Warner Bros Discovery — explicitly promising that its foreign partners and Jared Kushner's fund wouldn't have any voting or governance rights, according to sources familiar with the bidding process.
It ended up losing out to Netflix anyway, leading to this week's hostile bid.
Why it matters: It's one of a few changes Paramount made, ultimately unsuccessfully, to help address concerns from WBD's board, sources said.
The Walt Disney Co on Wednesday sent a cease-and-desist letter to Google, alleging the tech giant has been infringing on its works to train and develop generative AI models without compensation, according to a copy of the letter obtained by Axios.
Why it matters: The letter puts copyright pressure on Google, which to date has been less aggressive about striking partnerships with copyright owners than some peers like OpenAI.
OpenAI on Thursday announced GPT-5.2, just a month after its last ChatGPT update and amid intense competition from Google's Gemini 3.
Why it matters: The update follows reports of a "Code Red" scramble inside OpenAI and highlights the intensely competitive nature of the chatbot market.
The Trump administration began accepting applications for the Trump Gold Card on Wednesday, offering a pay-to-play option for foreign nationals wanting to speed up their path to American residency.
The big picture: The program fast tracks immigration protocols for the very wealthy at the same time the administration is narrowing other paths to residency for refugees, asylum seekers, and low-income people.
CEO sentiment increased for the third consecutive quarter, even as America's most prominent executives expect underlying job market conditions to remain weak.
Why it matters: The economic outlook among CEOs has steadily improved since plunging in the aftermath of President Trump's initiation of the global trade war.
Under the hood, however, there is evidence that structural economic changes — including the proliferation of AI — are weighing on hiring intentions, a warning sign for the labor market.
Bank of New York Mellon is joining the Trump administration's new investment initiative for babies — and doubling the federal contribution for its U.S. employees' children.
Why it matters: BNY is the first major financial institution to publicly get behind the "Trump accounts," the investment vehicle established by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Disney's landmark agreement with OpenAI comes as a slew of new lawsuits and cease and desist letters add pressure on AI firms to strike deals with content companies before they're forced to possibly pay out higher settlements in court.
Why it matters: Content companies have been racking up notable legal wins against AI firms as they present strong cases around fair use.
Walt Disney has reached an agreement with OpenAI that will make the company the first major content licensing partner on Sora, OpenAI's social video platform.
Why it matters: It's a huge endorsement of AI-created content from one of the biggest media companies in the world.
The estate of a woman killed by her own son after months of conversations with ChatGPT filed a wrongful death lawsuit against OpenAI, Microsoft and Sam Altman in San Francisco Superior Court Thursday.
Why it matters: This grisly case is the latest in a mounting pile of legal and accountability problems for the AI giant, as questions grow about the safety and efficacy of chatbots.
Pinterest has agreed to acquire tvScientific, a connected television (CTV) advertising platform that automates and optimizes ad buying for marketers, executives told Axios.
Why it matters: The deal will help expand Pinterest's advertising business by bringing its user base of high-intent shoppers to tvScientific's CTV clients.
The second Trump era's first offshore oil and gas lease sale showed real but hardly gangbusters interest from the industry — and there's no simple explanation why.
Why it matters: The White House wants to juice domestic output, and the sale offered tracts at lower royalty rates enabled by the GOP budget law.
Commonwealth Fusion CEO Bob Mumgaard often discusses the technical complexities of fusion — but increasingly he's talking about building the sites to make it happen.
Why it matters: Commonwealth is one of the preeminent companies in the decades-long effort to harness the energy that powers the sun.
JPMorganChase is launching a new $1.5 trillion, 10-year plan to strengthen industries vital to America's national security and economic resilience — from critical minerals to semiconductors and strategic technologies like cybersecurity and AI.
Why it's important: The Security and Resiliency Initiative comes at a time when the U.S. is looking to modernize infrastructure, shore up supply chains and implement policies that promote growth.
The initiative will help create economic development, innovation and jobs in America.
Three out of four U.S. companies in AI, cybersecurity and advanced manufacturing report that they struggle to find qualified talent.
Why it's important: There's an urgent need to strengthen the talent pipeline for these industries as labor shortages grow. Without a strong talent pipeline, the country risks falling behind on AI innovation, energy independence and more.
Why it matters: Prediction markets are rapidly expanding their presence throughout the U.S., offering "event contracts" on sports, elections, news, entertainment and other topics.
Driving the news: Kalshi and Crypto.com will announce Thursday that they have convened an alliance to create the Washington, D.C.-based Coalition for Prediction Markets.
Initial members include Kalshi, Crypto.com, Robinhood, Coinbase and Underdog.
The coalition's focus will include promoting federal regulation — via the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) — and warding off legal attempts by state gaming regulators to block their services.
State of play: 39 states have legalized sportsbooks, but prediction markets are live in states that haven't done so — and in some states that have — under the premise that they are regulated by the CFTC, a federal agency.
What they're saying: "Americans deserve clarity, not 50 conflicting interpretations,"Sara Slane, executive board member of the new coalition and head of corporate development at Kalshi, said in a statement
Slane added that "a unified industry voice was needed to advocate for access and consistency nationwide."
Friction point: The coalition's formation comes amid a growing fissure in the gambling industry over prediction markets.
The American Gaming Association — whose members include land-based casino chains like MGM and Caesars — has launched a campaign blasting prediction markets as unlawful.
The AGA has placed ads on YouTube and on social media ripping prediction markets, saying "it's still sports betting" — hitting at the core of the legal dispute.
DraftKings, FanDuel and Fanatics recently left the AGA in a dispute over the issue. Fanatics has already launched its own prediction market, Fanatics Markets, while DraftKings and FanDuel are expected to introduce similar services in the coming weeks.
How it works: Businesses that compete with each other but share similar political interests often combine their voices in Washington via interest groups that lobby policymakers.
In the auto industry, for example, numerous auto companies are members of the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, including rivals such as GM and Ford.
What to watch for: Whether Polymarket joins.
Polymarket has a fierce business rivalry with Kalshi, but their political interests are largely aligned.
U.S. travel destinations and businesses are facing another potential setback after the Trump administration proposed requiring international travelers make their social media accounts available for inspection before gaining entry to this country.
Why it matters: The American hospitality industry is already feeling the effects of declining international travel, thanks to economic uncertainty, political blowback and tighter immigration restrictions.
MAGA's media machine is ripping itself to shreds, locked in a web of interpersonal feuds that have derailed its once-relentless focus on advancing President Trump's agenda.
Why it matters: The MAGA movement spent years perfecting the art of attacking outsiders. Now, less than a year into Trump's second term, its most prominent voices are attacking each other with a fury normally reserved for the left.
America has a talent shortage, with 40% of adults lacking basic digital skills, says a new report from JPMorganChase that bolsters the bank's recently announced $1.5 trillion U.S. investment initiative.
Why it matters: The report frames the workforce shortage as a national security threat, not just an economic issue, arguing that funding for vital industries like AI and energy won't move the needle without a talent pipeline.
Some of the world's biggest startups — including two AI darlings — have signaled possible IPOs next year, blockbuster offerings that would mint some $3 trillion worth of new public companies.
Why it matters: These companies generate little or no profit yet carry towering valuations. An AI-obsessed market that's happy to overlook all that risks repeating the mistakes of the dot-com era.
Iceland is refusing to take part in the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest — joining Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain in protesting Israel's participation in the European singing competition by boycotting the event.
Why it matters: Eurovision is beloved by many for celebrating cultures with kitsch acts and upbeat songs. Its official slogan is "United By Music," but the Icelandic National Broadcasting Corporation (RÚV) said in a statement that Israel's participation in the contest had "created disunity" among European Broadcasting Union members and the general public.
Elon Musk on Wednesday evening suggested that SpaceX will go public in 2026.
Why it matters: Axios' Dan Primack reported earlier that SpaceX had told investors about the planned initial public offering and that it could be the largest IPO ever, topping Saudi Aramco's $25.6 billion raise in 2019.
President Trump on Wednesday further inserted himself into the drama around the sale of Warner Bros. Discovery, saying he believes CNN — one of several cable networks owned by WBD — should be sold as part of any deal.
Why it matters: While the president doesn't have the power to unilaterally block a merger he doesn't like — unless there are serious national security concerns pertaining to foreign investments — his comments do have the ability to sway the decisions of WBD shareholders and its board.
