MELBOURNE, FL — Northrop Grumman and Embraer are exploring the development of an autonomous refueling device for the KC-390 Millennium that executives say could be demonstrated in a few years.
Why it matters: It's a play that returns Northrop to the tanker game while also potentially securing Embraer, a Brazilian company, the stronger stateside foothold it's been seeking. Air-to-air refueling is critical to military operations around the world.
Researchers hailed Kalshi's prediction market data in a new Federal Reserve paper, delivering a significant vote of confidence in the emerging platform as it weaves its way into the economic mainstream.
Why it matters: It's a credibility win for Kalshi and the broader prediction market industry — and a setback for state regulators, gambling groups and critics who argue these platforms are little more than speculative betting.
Walmart's growth streak continued in John Furner's first earnings report as CEO, with investors Thursday weighing strong results against a cautious outlook for the year.
Why it matters: As the nation's largest retailer, Walmart is widely viewed as a real-time gauge of U.S. consumer health — and its results suggest shoppers are still prioritizing price and convenience amid economic uncertainty.
The pricingand affordability debate is heating up, and it's likely to get even more politicized ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Why it matters: Rising costs remain a vulnerability for the Trump administration and the Republican Party, and the president can blame the "Biden economy" for only so long.
The job market looks to have firmed up. Inflation hasn't been fully vanquished. And the AI boom could have large, but highly uncertain effects on both.
The big picture: For those reasons, it's best not to take further interest rate cuts in the coming months as a given, based on the minutes of the latest Federal Reserve policy meeting released Wednesday as well as other recent remarks from top officials.
The Supreme Court could rule on the legality of President Trump's tariffs as soon as Friday, and a raft of analysis will surely follow as economists and Wall Street researchers parse the fallout.
Why it matters: Yet figuring out what to make of that research may prove complicated, as Trump has Wall Street analysts already on edge with his often fiery condemnations of their work.
AI's rise could soon make new TVs harder to find — or more expensive.
Why it matters: The AI boom is making RAM and memory chips pricier and less available. While often tied to PCs and gaming consoles, the squeeze could also delay or raise the cost of many consumer products like televisions.
A Coca-Cola distributor and bottler is being sued for alleged sexual discrimination over a corporate networking event that excluded men, announced the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which filed the lawsuit, Wednesday.
Why it matters: This is the first lawsuit related to workplace diversity that the federal agency in charge of enforcing anti-discrimination laws at work has filed during President Trump's second term.
