Axios

This year, white men made up a majority of new directors at S&P 500 companies for the first time since 2017, according to data from research firm ISS-Corporate.

Why it matters: It's the latest stat illustrating how quickly and substantially the Trump administration has set back diversity gains over the last few years at corporations, schools and the federal government.

Elon Musk, Peter Thiel and Steve Bannon are all named in copies of Jeffrey Epstein's daily schedules released Friday by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee.

Why it matters: The schedules make reference to Musk possibly flying to an "island" in 2014, and Thiel and Bannon apparently dining with Epstein as recently as 2017 and 2019, respectively.

Early warnings suggest next week's possible government shutdown could be especially disruptive.

Why it matters: President Trump and budget director Russ Vought have framed the shutdown as a chance to more permanently reshape the federal workforce, not just pause government services.

For all the sense of angst about the U.S. economy of late, the American consumer continues powering growth forward.

• New data out this morning confirms that trajectory continued through late summer.

Why it matters: All those recession warnings from earlier in the year are looking flat wrong. When consumers keep spending (which they are) and businesses keep investing (which they also are), the economy can't — almost as a matter of arithmetic — fall into a contraction.

BMW is urging owners of nearly 200,000 vehicles to park them outside until their engines can be fixed.

Why it matters: A defect in the engine starter relay can trigger corrosion in the vehicles, causing them to "overheat and short circuit, which may cause a fire," according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Deal dollars are up through the first three quarters of 2025, compared to the same period in 2024. The number of deals is down.

The big picture: This isn't a barbell deals market. It's a lopsided one.

The Federal Reserve's go-to inflation gauge remained stubbornly high in August, according to data from the Commerce Department released on Friday.

Why it matters: While inflation is well below the peak seen in recent years, trade policies will make it more difficult for the central bank to get back to normal levels.

Wall Street analysts are pointing to the many metrics that signal stock valuations are a concern, yet this data leads them to a counterintuitive conclusion: This rally still has legs.

Why it matters: The message for investors? Ride the wave while it's here, regardless of how expensive the market is getting.

The global bank HSBC has successfully deployed quantum computing technology to optimize bond trading — a first.

Why it matters: It's a sign that Wall Street could be more about technology and financial models than about people in the not-so-distant future.

President Trump made historic gains for the GOP among Latino voters last year, but polls and other indicators suggest their support for him is falling amid growing anger over his handling of the economy and immigration.

Why it matters: Latinos' rising discontent could mean trouble for the GOP heading into the 2026 midterms, and undermine Republican redistricting efforts — namely in Texas — partly aimed at exploiting the party's recent gains among such voters.

President Trump signed a presidential memorandum on countering "domestic terrorism and organized political violence" on Thursday.

Why it matters: Trump sought to tie the action to the "radical left," singling out Democratic Party donors George Soros and Reid Hoffman when asked by a reporter what names came to mind that may need investigating.

James Comey, whom President Trump fired as FBI director during his first term, was indicted on two counts in Virginia federal court on Thursday evening.

The big picture: Comey faces one count of making a false statement to Congress and one count of obstruction of justice in relation to testimony he gave during a 2020 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, per the indictment.

Read the indictment, via DocumentCloud:

Go deeper: Comey v. Trump: What to know about their years-long feud