Major League Baseball is tossing its support behind a new professional women's softball league.
State of play: MLB today announced an investment in the soon-to-launch Athletes Unlimited Softball League.
It's "an undisclosed amount for operational costs and a commitment to help it gain visibility. MLB will assist with content, marketing and sales, events, distribution, editorial, and digital and social platforms," AP reported.
Zoom in: Former Miami Marlins GM Kim Ng is the league's commissioner.
"MLB said it will also air select AUSL games on MLB Network and MLB.TV," CNBC reported.
Inside the room: "Athletes Unlimited is a women's sports organization that owns and operates a collection of professional sports under one brand, with basketball, volleyball and softball," Bloomberg reported.
The U.S. Court of International Trade on Wednesday ruled President Trump does not have the authority under economic emergency legislation to impose his global tariffs.
Why it matters: The court's decision could potentially derail Trump's trade war, but the Supreme Court could also still overturn the ruling. A federal appellate court already stayed it temporarily.
A House Republican introduced legislation to block federal funding for the Washington, D.C., Metrorail system unless it is renamed the "Trump Train."
Why it matters: The bill is likely a long shot, but it is the latest in a series of GOP measures geared primarily toward displaying fealty to President Trump.
The big picture: DOGE-driven cuts wreaked havoc on federal workers, prompting a litany of lawsuits seeking to rein in Musk's chainsaw. As the billionaire departs, judges across the country could still unravel key parts of the effort for which he became the face.
The Department of Labor has rescinded guidance that discouraged retirement plans from offering cryptocurrencies in member portfolios.
Why it matters: It rolls back another guidance from the Biden era, following, for example, banking regulators walking back guidances that discouraged banks from engaging in digital-asset business.
What they're saying: "Today's release restores the Department's historical approach by neither endorsing, nor disapproving of, plan fiduciaries who conclude that the inclusion of cryptocurrency in a plan's investment menu is appropriate," the update explains.
Catch up fast: The department issued guidance back in 2022 saying fiduciaries must exercise "extreme care" when offering such assets.
Notably, Fidelity announced shortly after that it would offer bitcoin in 401(k) plans anyway. Fidelity then offered a critique of the guidance.
Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell met with President Trump Thursday, a statement from the central bank said, amid the president's calls for lower interest rates.
Why it matters: Trump has attacked Powell for not moving faster to lower interest rates, and at times suggested he may attempt to fire the Fed chief.
After firing more than 100,000 people, the White House is sending out new "merit-based" guidelines for hiring federal workers, implementing a law passed with bipartisan support last year.
Why it matters: The Merit Hiring Plan released to agencies Thursday afternoon by the Office of Personnel Management — the administration's HR department, basically — is a major overhaul to how the federal government hires employees.
Companies that maintained their commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion saw reputation scores rise in this year's Axios Harris Poll 100 reputation rankings.
Why it matters: Unclear corporate values or a lack of conviction — most recently seen through mass DEI walk-backs — can hinder reputation.
Steve Madden has gone viral for his recent, no-holds-barred interview on "The Cutting Room Floor" podcast — and in the days following, the footwear company's stock price has also gotten a bump.
Why it matters: Long-form interviews can be a risky public relations move, but when done right, they can attract new customers and generate business.
U.S. CEO confidence recorded the largest quarterly decline in nearly 50 years of data, per a Conference Board report out Thursday.
Why it matters: CEOs seem to be losing their nerve just as consumers are starting to get more optimistic, amid the constant uncertainty of President Trump's trade war.
Businesses closed, canceled or downsized over $14 billion worth of U.S. low-carbon manufacturing and energy generation projects so far this year, per a new summary of tracking data from the nonprofit group E2.
Why it matters: The pullback comes amid "rising fears over the future of federal clean energy tax credits and policy," as budget legislation advances, the group said.
The Trump 2.0 trade war has created two distinct economic risks: One from the cost of tariffs for businesses and consumers, the other from the pall of uncertainty hanging over companies that rely on imports.
The big picture: The first of those has been diminished and the latter worsened, after the Court of International Trade's ruling late Wednesday that Trump overstepped his emergency authority with a sweeping new tariff regime.
College graduates are having a tough time landing jobs this year, and AI may be playing a role, finds a new report that parses federal unemployment data.
Why it matters: The analysis from Oxford Economics adds hard evidence to anecdotal reports — and scary warnings — that AI is displacing white-collar workers.
Here's what's new on HBO Max, Hulu, Prime Video, Netflix and Apple TV+.
What we're watching: A new season of "And Just Like That...," a new series about a group of New York City 20-somethings and a new film from the creator of "Succession."
More than 60% of U.S. corporate executives have been cutting costs, renegotiating with suppliers and making plans to pass tariff impacts onto customers, per a new PwC survey out Thursday.
Why it matters: They're all difficult signs for the economy, though they also pre-date a court blocking most of President Trump's tariffs Wednesday night.
An obscure federal court blew up the cornerstone of President Trump's economic agenda last night, unleashing more chaos on the global economy and all but wiping out his negotiating leverage with trading partners.
Why it matters: At least for now, it turns out the legal system — not the bond market, nor weak economic indicators — is the biggest restraint on Trump's trade agenda.
At a press conference Wednesday, President Trump had a very unhappy reaction to being asked about the "TACO trade" — a shorthand for Trump Always Chickens Out.
Why it matters: Traders have been using TACO to describe the belief that the president will back off on a big tariff threat if the markets sink in response.
