U.S. adults surveyed in 1999 correctly predicted major shifts for the half-century ahead: the election of a Black U.S. president, civilian travel to space and a warming planet.
The big picture: The turn of the millennium marked a cultural, technological and political inflection point, with Americans anticipating some of the changes that have come to define the 21st century so far.
The AI model maker race will continue in 2026, along with more agents and a growing pressure on companies to prove AI can pay off in the real world, experts tell Axios.
Why it matters: AI may be both the current and next big thing, but success increasingly hinges less on being the "best" model and more on timing.
The Supreme Court has many pivotal cases lined up for the coming year, many revolving around President Trump's policies.
The big picture: Trump has relied heavily on the court's emergency docket during his second term, using it to block lower court rulings while cases play out.
The big picture: The new gambling laws on the state and federal level for 2026 could directly impact betters nationwide and how much income they claim on their taxes in the years to come.
Many of the key changes of President Trump's flagship first-year legislation go into effect in 2026, along with state-level policy expanding tech and labor protections.
Why it matters: New and amended laws intended to advance or restrict this administration's policies and platforms will affect Americans' wallets, work and entertainment in 2026.
The stock market has achieved a third consecutive year of double-digit gains, with the benchmark S&P 500 index rising 16.4% for 2025. That has happened only five times since the 1940s.
Why it matters: You wouldn't know that based on the vibes on Wall Street, where the three-year-old bull market is being questioned constantly and on a day when stocks ended the final trading session of the year solidly in the red (down 0.74% on Wednesday).
Despite the downbeat mood, strategists see stocks continuing to gain in 2026 thanks to their biggest bet and fear: AI.
AI-driven scientific innovation accelerated in 2025 — fueling major progress in fields ranging from robotics to health care.
Why it matters: Powerful new models and computing tools are influencing everything from how experiments are designed to how results are analyzed — with much of that momentum coming from the private sector.
