As rising prices and the lingering fallout from the nation's longest-ever government shutdown squeeze Americans' budgets, many are unable to give back this holiday season — and charities are feeling the strain.
Why it matters: Some of the largest charitable organizations in the U.S. are trying to stay hopeful despite rising demand and declining generosity.
The holiday shopping wars have sparked an AI arms race — the retail industry's biggest technology experiment since the dawn of e-commerce.
Why it matters: Retailers and tech giants — from Target and Walmart to Amazon, Google and Meta — are rushing to deploy smart shopping assistants that promise to help consumers find gifts faster, spend smarter and even complete purchases.
Thanksgiving Day shopping and dining options will be limited again this year — whether you're hunting for groceries, last-minute essentials or a place to grab a meal.
Here are the titles headlining Netflix, Peacock, Disney+ and HBO Max for Thanksgiving week.
What we're watching: The final seasons of "Stranger Things" and "Bel-Air," a remastered docuseries about The Beatles, and a short film about "The Super Bowl Shuffle."
Black Friday sales have been rolling out for days — but millions of shoppers will still head to stores early Friday for doorbusters, giveaways and one-day-only deals.
Why it matters: Nov. 28 is expected to be the busiest shopping day of the entire year, in stores and online, according to early holiday forecasts from the National Retail Federation and Sensormatic Solutions.
Senate Democrats and Republicans are squaring off about vehicle safety requirements that are intended to save lives, but which also push up the price of new cars.
The big picture: It's an awkward debate for lawmakers to confront when 40,000 people die each year in motor vehicle crashes — and yet the country faces an affordability crisis with broad economic consequences.
The list of failed electric vehicle startups is lengthy, and the founders of Harbinger Motors have the scars to prove it, which helps explain the company's laser focus on one particular slice of the commercial truck market.
Why it matters: Business fleet owners are getting crushed by higher costs on everything from tariffs to fuel and labor. Reducing operating costs is essential in order to protect margins.
There have been plenty of ominous warnings this year about the job market, trade war-fueled inflation, asset bubbles, and more. The mighty U.S. economy has chugged ahead in 2025 despite them all.
The big picture: There may be cracks in the expansion that is now five years old, and we spend plenty of digital ink in this newsletter chronicling just that.
But the biggest-picture indicators point to this being one of the better economies of modern times.
The majority of the nation's largest retailers will keep their doors closed this Thanksgiving.
Why it matters: Last-minute turkey shopping will be tough. Walmart, Target, Aldi, Trader Joe's and many regional grocers will be closed on Thursday, limiting options for holiday fixings.
Expect more gift cards and personalized crafts under the tree this year.
Why it matters: Gift-givers are looking to stretch their dollars without skimping on holiday joy, says Claire Tassin, a retail and e-commerce analyst at Morning Consult.
Companies, lawyers and policy types are starting to call "Trump accounts" a new name: 530A accounts.
Why it matters: It's a way to avoid politicizing the accounts — investment vehicles for kids that proponents hope will be widely used by families, companies and philanthropies on both sides of the aisle.
To understand whether AI is in a bubble, and what could happen next, you have to think of it like railroads. Or maybe fiber-optic cable. Or perhaps oil drilling?
Why it matters: Everyone in the business world is anxiously trying to figure out which historical boom-and-bust comparison is the right one so they can be ready for what they fear comes next.
You probably won't ponder your carbon footprint when you sit down to devour that Thanksgiving turkey — but some food and climate activists say you should.
Why it matters: With climate change fading in importance on some U.S. lawmakers' priority lists, activists say even small steps from the public are needed.
The Trump administration is increasing its icebreaking fleet in the Arctic, per a new report that warns other nations are expanding their "capabilities" in the resource-rich region — singling out China as a particular threat.
Why it matters: As the Arctic climate rapidly warms, China and Russia have been moving into the region — seeing the northern reaches as a resource-rich crossroads, and melting ice grants new travel and trade routes as well as opportunities for military basing, per Axios' Colin Demarest.
The Trump administration is raising national parks' prices and adding fees for international tourists from next year in an "America-first" initiative that'll see U.S. residents "continue to enjoy affordable pricing," the Interior Department announced Tuesday.
The big picture: The new fees that take effect from Jan. 1 follow a tumultuous year for the National Park Service after hundreds of workers were fired in the Trump administration's purge of federal employees, and Axios' Emily Peck reports international air travel has declined amid travelers saying they're put off by tariffs.
