Axios

The UAW's campaign to organize non-unionized automakers in the U.S. is taking the union deeper into the South, Nathan writes.

Why it matters: The union is aiming to continue its momentum after winning record contracts from GM, Ford and Stellantis — but the South has historically been less receptive to its ambitions.

Driving the news: More than 30% of the workers at Hyundai's plant in Montgomery, Alabama, have signed union authorization cards, the UAW announced today.

Amazon is adding a new AI-powered shopping assistant named Rufus to its mobile app, the company announced Thursday.

The big picture: Rufus launched in beta to a small subset of customers and will continue to roll out to the rest of Amazon's U.S. customers in the coming weeks, the company said.

Chinese automaker Geely is poised to rescue struggling Swedish auto brand Polestar in a move illustrating the Chinese automotive industry's growing power in the global EV landscape.

Why it matters: Polestar has won critical acclaim for its vehicles, but the Volvo spinoff has stumbled financially since it went public in a SPAC merger less than two years ago.

Here's what's new on Netflix, Tubi, Paramount+, Peacock, Hulu, Prime Video and Max.

What we're watching: A behind-the-scenes doc with WNBA stars, a fresh take on a 2000s action movie and the swan song of Larry David's Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning comedy series.

Productivity growth was a key factor in why inflation has receded so dramatically with very little economic pain — a combination few envisioned.

Why it matters: The problem is that the productivity bump might be fleeting. That explains, at least in part, why Fed chair Jerome Powell shot down the possibility of an interest rate cut in March.

That sound you hear is the whimper of lowered expectations among dealmakers.

Driving the news: The Federal Reserve yesterday poured cold water on the prospect of March rate cuts, saying it needs "greater confidence" in inflation declines.

Americans feel slightly better about the state of the economy, but that sentiment hasn't translated into an uptick in President Biden's approval rating, according to an AP-NORC poll out Thursday.

Why it matters: Despite an increase in confident, aggressive messaging from the White House about positive economic indicators, such as rebounding consumer sentiment and a slowdown in inflation, Biden's approval rating has remained stagnant.

It was the S&P 500's worst day of January — and the year.

What happened: Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell doused market hopes that the Fed could cut rates in a couple of months.

Elon Musk almost certainly makes too much money as Tesla's CEO, but that's not the main reason a Delaware judge voided his pay package this week.

Why it matters: CEOs can breathe easy — their oft-criticized outsized pay packages are likely safe.