A handful of retailers — from a struggling department store chain to sellers of consumer electronics, apparel and sporting goods — raised their sales forecasts for the year on Tuesday, saying they're well-positioned heading into the holiday season.
Why it matters: Declining consumer sentiment and new data showing a slowdown in U.S. retail sales growth in September paint a picture of an increasingly shaky consumer — but investors are still managing to enjoy some holiday cheer.
Student loan borrowers with higher earnings could qualify for the income-based repayment plan (IBR) before the end of the year, the Department of Education confirmed to Axios.
The big picture: President Trump's "One Big, Beautiful Bill" substantially reduced the number of repayment plans available to student loan borrowers, but one provision broadens the eligible income ranges that set borrowers up for forgiveness within 20 or 25 years.
President Trump's turkey pardon ceremony on Tuesday was derailed by attacks on former President Biden's alleged use of an autopen and crime rates in Chicago amid praise for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Why it matters: The president's speeches frequently span a wide range of topics, and the turkey pardon gave Trump an opportunity to hit many of his frequent criticisms.
Three in 10 fraud attempts targeting major retailers are now AI generated, according to estimates from deepfake detection firm Pindrop.
Why it matters: Heading into the holiday shopping season, scammers and hackers are using deepfakes to trick employees of corporate retailers and steal thousands of dollars per attack, on average.
For an economy that's rapidly expanding, the usual drivers of job creation sure aren't carrying their weight.
Why it matters: Anemic job growth in key sectors is a sign that there is more underlying weakness in worker demand than the low unemployment rate might suggest.
Lukoil is Russia's second largest oil company, with global operations stretching from extraction fields in Iraq to gas stations in Pennsylvania.
It's also got a financial gun to its head, due to U.S. sanctions that are set to take effect in less than two weeks, prompting it to put its international operations up for sale.
American consumers eased spending in September: Retail sales rose 0.2% that month, the Commerce Department said on Tuesdayin a data report delayed by the government shutdown.
Why it matters: The first snapshot of consumer spending since the government reopened suggests the consumer engine of the economy is on rocky footing.
It's a hard time to be a young adult. Unemployment for the group is spiking, homeownership is increasingly out of reach, and return on investment in a college education is unclear.
Why it matters: The American Dream sold to Gen Z feels further from reality than ever, according to a new study from Oxford Economics. The scars of that could last their lifetimes.
Americans haven't got much of a pay raise this year — income growth overall has been "tepid," new data from the JPMorgan Chase Institute shows.
Why it matters: Weak pay growth hits harder with inflation running hot— and helps explains why so many Americans feel pessimistic about the economy.
It's a headwind both for consumer spending, which powers the U.S. economy — and for President Trump, who is facing higher disapproval ratings over Americans' affordability woes.
President Trump signed an executive order Monday aimed at boosting AI research and development, with an eye toward reducing Americans' spiraling energy costs.
Why it matters: The Trump administration seeks to ensure that government stays out of the way on AI regulation while actively supporting private-sector innovation.
Latinos feel historic levels of pessimism about their place in the U.S., their economic stability and the impact of President Trump's second-term policies, a new Pew Research Center survey found.
Why it matters: The findings mark some of the bleakest assessments by Latinos in nearly two decades of Pew surveys and confirm similar findings in an Axios-Ipsos poll released this month.
OpenAI is giving ChatGPT a holiday upgrade with a new shopping research feature that scours product pages, reviews and prices ahead of Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the year-end buying blitz.
Why it matters: Shoppers already turn to ChatGPT to find and compare products, but OpenAI says the new tool delivers deeper, more personalized buying advice than quick specs or price checks.
From Ukraine to Gaza, MAGA has made it clear: clinching a deal to end foreign fighting matters far more than the fine print.
Why it matters: This non-ideological approach to foreign policy explains why President Trump has faced little political pressure from his base as he's sought to broker an end to the world's most intractable conflicts.
President Trump said Monday that he'd accepted an invitation from President Xi Jinping to visit Beijing in April. He added that he'd invited the Chinese leader for a state visit later in 2026.
Why it matters: Both leaders have an interest in maintaining an equilibrium in the relationship after last month's trade truce. But with Xi ramping up his rhetoric on taking Taiwan — and with trade disputes in areas like mineral and chip exports still not fully resolved — there's always a lot at stake when the world's two most powerful leaders meet.
President Trump said Sunday he "would not be happy" if the Federal Communications Commission lifted the national ownership cap that bars any station owner from collectively reaching more than 39% of U.S. households.
Why it matters: Trump's position stands in direct contrast with his ally FCC chair Brendan Carr's long-held belief that outdated regulations inhibit local broadcasters from merging and competing with Big Tech.
Thanksgiving is set to shatter multiple travel records this year just weeks after a prolonged government shutdown significantly strained air travel.
The big picture: From frostier-than-normal weather affecting the roads to predictions of one of the busiest days in TSA history, travelers should prepare to be patient before they can devour turkey and fixings.
The word of the yearfor political pollsters and analysts is "affordability." It's also on the minds of senior Federal Reserve officials as they think about the next rate cut.
Why it matters: The large split among Fed officials comes down to those who continue to see inflation as a more pressing risk — an issue vexing consumers — versus those who want to take another step to shield the weakening labor market.
U.S. consumers plan to spend 5% less this holiday season compared to 2024, according to PwC research.
The big picture: Shoppers in the Northeast and West are projected to outspend the national average of $1,552 per person — which includes gifts, travel and entertainment.
As tech stocks struggle, retail investors are not rushing to buy the dip in part because their portfolios are being pressured by crypto, with bitcoin nearing its worst monthly performance since 2022.
Why it matters: If these investors are holding out for a crypto recovery to buy the tech dip, that could be a longer wait than they think.
Voters increasingly disapprove of the way President Trump is handling the economy and believe his policies are raising prices, according to a new poll from CBS News/YouGov.
Why it matters: The discontent is also showing up in significant numbers among Republican voters, as the affordability crisis is affecting sentiment within Trump's own base.
Pies and cooking ingredients are some of the most popular last-minute orders on the day before Thanksgiving, per new Instacart data shared with Axios, while cookware is hot on Thanksgiving itself.
What they found: Pumpkin pie, pecan pie and dried sage are the top last-minute orders just before Thanksgiving, per Instacart.
Multiple international airlines canceled flights to Venezuela over the weekend after the Federal Aviation Administration warned of a "worsening security situation" in the South American country amid a U.S. military buildup in the region.
The big picture: The FAA, in a Friday NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) warning of "heightened military activity" in the region, has seen at least six airlines cancel flights, Marisela de Loaiza, president of the Airlines Association in Venezuela (ALAV), told media Sunday.
