The Trump administration will investigate whether to slap tariffs on lumber imports on the grounds of national security, raising the risk of higher costs for the construction industry and homebuyers.
Why it matters: It is the latest economically critical input — including steel, aluminum and copper — to get swept up into President Trump's trade war in an effort to boost domestic industry.
New York City; Washington, D.C., and Dallas are the hottest destinations for college-educated Americans leaving their home county, per the latest census data.
Why it matters: White-collar workers tend to go where they think the jobs are, and cities are constantly competing with one another to attract well-paid professionals — and the tax revenue they often bring.
Federal workers reportedly got another email Friday night asking them to document their weekly activities — though so far this time, there's been no explicit threat from Elon Musk they'll lose their jobs if they don't reply.
Why it matters: The Musk-led campaign to slash the federal workforce is accelerating, and the emails may end up being another way to justify cutting thousands of jobs.
So ends a wild week that no doubt had many scrambling to their brokerage accounts and 401(k)s at some point, squinting to assess the damage.
By the numbers: The S&P 500 was down nearly 3% for the week at one point today, before rallying in the final hour to end down 1%.
The tech-heavy Nasdaq had fared even worse, approaching a 5% drop before catching Friday's eleventh-hour rally. Magnificent Seven stocks, led by Nvidia, had a bruising week. And small caps weren't spared either, with the Russell 2000 finishing the week down 1.2%.
Crypto's losses were even steeper. Bitcoin shed 12% over the past seven days, while roughly $445 billion of value was wiped out of the digital assets market overall.
What is ... a pair of game shows that you can't currently watch on a streaming service?
State of play: "Wheel of Fortune" and "Jeopardy!" may finally hit streaming services after their owner, Sony Pictures Entertainment, said it's soliciting bids for the rights to new episodes.
"The initial streaming rights to 'Jeopardy!' and 'Wheel of Fortune' would begin in September and could be for three years," with new episodes airing the day after they air on syndicated TV, NYT reported.
"Exclusive same-day rights to new episodes are available starting in September 2028, when all pre-existing syndication deals expire."
💭 Nathan's thought bubble: I hope the cost of buying a vowel doesn't increase every time streaming service prices rise.
Elon Musk's Tesla has become a rallying point for protestors outraged with how the world's richest man has insinuated himself into President Trump's administration and led efforts to slash government agencies.
Why it matters: The #TeslaTakedown protests at Tesla locations nationwide are one of the first signs of grassroots backlash to Musk's role in the Trump administration, targeting his flagship company.
The U.S. trade deficit for goods widened sharply in January, a result of a record surge of products imported into the country, the Commerce Department said on Friday.
Why it matters: For yet another month, manufacturers and businesses raced to bring goods into the country to get ahead of potential tariffs implemented by President Trump.
The good news about the U.S. economy in January is that inflation was subdued and Americans were making more money. The bad news is that people weren't interested in spending it.
Why it matters: The latest data on the state of the economy as President Trump took office is further evidence that there was something of an air pocket in spending and confidence to start the year.
General Catalyst is in the very early stages of considering an IPO, Axios has learned from multiple sources.
Why it matters: GC would be the first U.S. venture capital firm to take the public plunge, nearly two decades after Blackstone broke the barrier for U.S. private equity.
Inflation pulled back in January amid robust growth in Americans' incomes, the Commerce Department said on Friday.
Why it matters: The deceleration in price pressures offers some comfort that inflation is not reigniting and that Americans' purchasing power is increasing.
President Trump has proposed abolishing the EB-5 visa for immigrants willing to invest in the U.S., and replacing it with a "gold card" that, he said, could see enough demand to eliminate the national debt.
Why it matters: For all of Trump's debt-busting dreams, realistic demand for any such program is likely to be in the thousands of people, not the millions.
A grassroots movement's "economic blackout" calls on consumers nationwide to avoid shopping at major retailers Friday in protest of corporate greed.
Why it matters: The 24-hour boycott, organized by The People's Union USA, asks consumers to not spend in stores or shop online to "disrupt the economy for one day."
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said in claiming a third straight victory for his Progressive Conservatives in the province's election Thursday he'd been given a "mandate" to "stand up" to President Trump's threats to hit Canada with tariffs.
What he's saying: "Donald Trump thinks he can break us," said Ford, who called a snap election this month in response to Trump's threat to impose 25% tariffs on all Canadian and Mexican imports unless they tighten border security.
