Disney's live action remake of "The Little Mermaid" brought in $117.5 million domestically over the four-day weekend, representing the fifth-highest Memorial Day weekend opening all-time, according to Comscore.
Why it matters: While the film didn't have the same blockbuster opening that "Top Gun: Maverick" saw during the same time frame last year, it did signal healthy momentum at the box office ahead of a jam-packed summer.
With inflation still sizzling, most of the fixings for your Memorial Day weekend barbecue will cost more.
The big picture: While the latest Consumer Price Index found food prices were up 7.7% in the 12 months through April, prices for classic barbecue staples like ketchup and mustard have had much larger increases, research firm Datasembly told Axios.
Americans who've long wanted to put COVID in the rearview mirror are actively embracing the idea the pandemic is over. For the first time, the majority of the public agrees the crisis has passed, according to the Axios-Ipsos American Health Index.
Why it matters: Increasingly booked restaurants, packed bars and crowded fitness centers in some areas are a testament to how routines influenced by COVID are gradually returning to pre-pandemic norms.
State Farm says it's no longer accepting homeowner insurance applications in California due to "historic increases in construction costs outpacing inflation" and "rapidly growing catastrophe exposure" to extreme weather events like wildfires.
A national lifeguard shortage will keep thousands of pools across the country closed or operating with reduced hours for the third summer in a row.
Why it matters: Memorial Day weekend is considered the official start of swimming season. Experts tell Axios they worry the shortage will mean a higher chance of drownings and pool injuries.
