Tens of thousands of U.S. workers have already requested time off for the Monday after the Super Bowl — and history suggests many more will call out same day.
Why it matters: Even in a tight job market, this predictable spike in absences known as "Super Bowl Flu" isn't going anywhere.
Construction on the largest infrastructure project in the country, a rail tunnel connecting New York and New Jersey, is set to stop at 5 pm Friday because the Trump administration cut off funding.
Why it matters: Thousands of jobs are on the line, as is the long-term economic health of the New York metro area and the Northeast Corridor — critically important to the nation's overall economic growth.
The news from mega-tech companies this week — specifically their ambitious capital spending plans for 2026 — amounts to a macroeconomic story.
The big picture: The AI investment surge that powered economic growth in 2025 looks likely to do even more so in 2026, based on guidance from four companies.
The price of misjudging the switch to electric vehicles swelled again Friday as Jeep-maker Stellantis announced 22.2 billion euros ($26.2 billion) in charges, the largest yet by any global automaker.
Why it matters: The auto industry is saddled with billions of dollars in stranded investments inspired by clean vehicle policies that got ahead of consumer demand.
Data centers are slated to account for a whopping 50%-ish of U.S. power demand growth the remainder of this decade, a new International Energy Agency analysis shows.
Why it matters: The AI-driven rise of huge data centers is a big reason IEA sees overall U.S. demand rising an average of 2% annually from 2026-2030 — twice the pace of the 2016-2025 stretch.
Investors are bored with an AI narrative that has helped them get three years of back-to-back, double-digit market gains.
Why it matters: This bull market has been primarily driven by a deep belief in the AI narrative. It's unclear what will drive stocks without that faith.
The big picture: Watching the big game is on the rise, with 69% of U.S. consumers planning to watch, up from 65% last year, according to a Numerator survey of 6,971 people.
House Democrats reacted with swift fury Thursday evening over reports that President Trump floated renaming Dulles Airport and Penn Station after himself in exchange for unfreezing $16 billion in funds for the Gateway Development Project.
Why it matters: Trump administration officials proposed the deal to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Axios has confirmed. Schumer's fellow Democrats have angrily echoed the Senate leader's refusal.
President Trump last month offered to drop his hold on billions of dollars for a major infrastructure project in New York, but only if Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer agreed to rename New York's Penn Station and Washington's Dulles International Airport after Trump.
Schumer (D-N.Y.) rejected the offer, a source familiar with the talks told Axios, prolonging the standoff over funding for the Gateway Tunnel Project connecting New York to New Jersey.
Why it matters: Trump, whose allies renamed the Kennedy Center and the U.S. Institute of Peace after him, is continuing his efforts to reshape American institutions in his image.
