Axios

Foreign automakers are stumbling as the Trump administration's trade war delivers a bruising blow and Chinese automakers bear down.

Why it matters: Much of the U.S. conversation over the impact of auto tariffs has centered on Detroit's Big Three — but the blast zone extends far beyond General Motors, Ford and Stellantis.

The Trump administration is harnessing military purchase power in some of its most aggressive attempts to stem or even reverse coal-fired electricity's decline.

Why it matters: Surging electricity demand and fresh White House support could provide a lifeline to the most CO2-heavy power source.

The counter-drone weapon that caused a shutdown of El Paso's airspace on Wednesday was AeroVironment's LOCUST, a 20-kilowatt laser system, Axios has confirmed.

Why it matters: The Army sees the cutting-edge weapon as a way to combat drones without firing expensive interceptors. But the Federal Aviation Administration was so concerned about its use that it shut down the airspace around a major city for nearly eight hours.

Gail Slater on Thursday said she is leaving the Justice Department, where she led the antitrust division.

Why it matters: This is being viewed as a victory for big business, including tech giants, over some of MAGA's more populist voices.

Usually, when the economy grows, so does employment in the kinds of office jobs that form the backbone of modern corporate life. It hasn't been true lately, and that may solve a key mystery of the 2020s' economy.

The big picture: While overall employment trends have been steady, companies have successfully squeezed more out of a falling number of workers in the sectors that are the major sources of white-collar office jobs.

Filippa Bolz serves as global head of communications and public policy for the newly public buy-now-pay-later company Klarna.

Why it matters: Millennials and Gen Z are looking for flexible ways to spend, with many turning to platforms like Klarna.

Existing home sales posted their largest monthly sales decline in four years despite increasing affordability.

Why it matters: The slump in sales underscores a disconnect in the housing market: Buying conditions are improving on paper, but constrained supply and broader economic uncertainty may be weighing on demand.

Forget K-shaped, try gray-shaped: Older Americans are powering the economy.

Why it matters: The changing demographics in the U.S. — more old people, fewer young ones — are reshaping jobs and spending in all kinds of ways.

The latest: Nearly all of the job growth in January came from the health care and social assistance sectors, per the BLS data out Wednesday. Health care employment also drove much of the labor market growth last year.

How it works: "As the population ages, you need more doctors and nurses, but you also need more health aides. You need more nursing home staff," says Daniel Zhao, chief economist at Glassdoor.

• As people have fewer children, there are also fewer younger Americans available to do free care work for their elders.

The intrigue: Health-care hiring appeared to be slowing last year, says Neale Mahoney, an economist at Stanford. The rapid growth in January calls that assumption into question — though it's just one data point.

The big picture: The senior population is getting bigger as a share of the overall population. They're also getting richer.

• "From higher home prices and, more recently, surging stock prices [older Americans] are driving the train, there's no doubt about it," says Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Analytics.

By the numbers: About 30% of Americans were age 55 and older in 2024 — two decades ago, they made up less than one-quarter of the population.

• More than 70% of all the wealth in the country is held by those over 55, per Federal Reserve data.
• They're spending a lot of money. More than 45% of consumer spending now comes from those age 55 and older — up from less than 40% in 2020, per federal data crunched by Moody's Analytics.

Between the lines: The changing demographics help explain all kinds of new businesses and marketing trends: longevity startups, the boom in menopause companies, among them.

• You can see this not only in health-care employment, but also in travel and the financial services sectors, Zandi says.

💬 Emily's thought bubble: It's why you saw 53-year-old actress Sofia Vergara advertise Skechers Hands Free Slip-ins during the Super Bowl.

• (You can put them on without bending down — a feature coveted by those with aching backs.)

Yes, but: An aging population also creates all kinds of economic headaches: labor shortages, housing and small-business woes.

• In Japan, it has meant a surge in abandoned homes and a succession crisis for small businesses.

The bottom line: Perhaps an AARP card is the hot new ticket to economic prosperity.

Here's what's new on Netflix, Hulu, Tubi, Prime Video, Peacock, Paramount+ and HBO Max.

What we're watching: A new season of "Love Is Blind," a series about the romance between the late John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette and a new YA rom-com.