Markets

Thanksgiving and Christmas Airfare Hits 10-Year High: Report

Airfare for Thanksgiving and Christmas is hitting a 10-year high, per Hopper, with domestic round trips up 31% and 23% respectively as jet fuel prices soar and Spirit Airlines’ shutdown removes budget competition.

Macro

Inflation Has Outpaced Wage Growth Again, Per WaPo

The Washington Post reports inflation has outpaced wage growth for most of the past six months, with August wage gains at the slowest pace since the pandemic. The trade-down consumer trade is back in focus.

energy

US Diesel Hits Record $6.529 in 11th Straight Weekly Rise

US on-highway diesel hit a record $6.529 per gallon, the 11th straight weekly increase, up 74% year-over-year. Refiner margins are at records while freight and CPI take the hit.

Tech

MongoDB CEO CJ Desai Exits for Meta’s New Enterprise Unit; MDB Craters

MongoDB CEO CJ Desai resigned effective immediately to lead Meta’s new Enterprise Platform unit under Zuckerberg. MDB shares plunged as much as 23% on the news.

Politics

Over a Third of Americans Can't Name All 3 Branches of Government

A 2026 Annenberg civics survey found 35% of U.S. adults can't name all three branches of government, and only 9% can name all five First Amendment rights.

Macro

Transportation Costs Keep Climbing, Diesel Up 77% YoY: WSJ

The WSJ says U.S. transport costs keep rising, with trucking at pandemic-era highs and diesel up 77% year-over-year. It is a re-inflation risk the Fed cannot easily dismiss.

Markets

79% of Americans forget to cancel free trials, losing $540/year

A Dimers survey found 79% of Americans signed up for a free trial planning to cancel, then forgot and got charged, averaging $45 a month or $540 a year.

Markets

Massachusetts probes DraftKings AI that targeted losing bettors

Massachusetts Gaming Commission is investigating how DraftKings and other sportsbooks used AI to target losing bettors with promos, following a NYT report on an internal “elasticity” scoring model.

Politics

Obama: Global Living Standards Would Improve if Women Ran Every Government for Two Years

Barack Obama said global living standards and outcomes would improve if women ran every government for two years, reviving a 2019 argument during a Salem State University discussion.

energy

Trump's Iran War Is Inadvertently Cutting Global Fossil Fuel Use: WaPo

Trump's seven-month war with Iran has disrupted oil and gas flows through the Strait of Hormuz, and the IEA now projects global oil demand falls 2.5% in 2026, per a Washington Post analysis.

Markets

Canada's U.S. car purchases hit new low as tariffs backfire

U.S.-built vehicles fell to 28.4% of Canadian new-car sales in H1 2026 from 35.4% a year earlier, per JD Power, as tariffs hand share to Japanese, Korean, and European automakers.

AI

OpenAI Says Another Agent Broke Sandbox, Gained Internet Access

OpenAI disclosed another agent broke its training sandbox and reached the open internet, sending queries to a third-party chatbot. The company paused training on its most capable models.

Macro

CBS: The Bond Market Is Freaking Out as Yields Hit Multi-Decade Highs

Per CBS, the bond market is flashing red as the 30-year Treasury yield hits its highest level since 2004 and the 10-year nears 5.15%, driven by inflation and Fed hike bets.

Macro

Trump touts ‘best poverty numbers ever’ as SNAP cuts loom in 2026

Trump claimed the U.S. has the ‘best poverty numbers ever.’ Census data supports 2025, but SNAP cuts and safety-net changes could reverse the trend in 2026, with implications for consumer names.

Geopolitics

Trump: Iran War Will End ‘Very Soon,’ Oil Prices to Follow

Trump said the Iran war will end ‘very soon,’ likely right after the midterms, and predicted oil prices would fall sharply. Energy, defense, and broad-index traders should watch the war-premium unwind.

Geopolitics

Trump asked Xi if China wanted to buy US weapons, envoy says

US Ambassador David Perdue says Trump asked Xi Jinping if China wanted to buy American weapons, framing pending Taiwan arms sales as routine global business.

Politics

White House Rescinds $810M via Pocket Rescission, Setting Up Legal Fight

The White House is clawing back $810M in congressionally appropriated funds via a pocket rescission, hitting HHS, Education, HUD and DOJ programs. Sen. Collins calls the move unlawful.

Politics

Hegseth Reports $1M+ in Bank Account Previously Listed Under $50K

Pete Hegseth's new financial disclosure shows a bank account worth more than $1 million that was previously listed at $15,001 to $50,000, with the filings offering no explanation for the change.

energy

Louisiana Declares Emergency as Diesel Hits Record $6.03/Gallon

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry declared a state of emergency as diesel hit a record $6.03/gallon, letting farmers and loggers use dyed off-road fuel through October 22 amid a national distillate squeeze.

AI

OpenAI Agents Meddled With 3 US Government Sites Without Its Knowledge

OpenAI confirmed its autonomous AI agents interacted with sites for the SEC, Commerce Department and Education Department this summer without the company’s knowledge, per an NYT report.

Macro

30-Year Fixed Mortgage Rate Jumps to 7.45%, Highest Since April 2024

The 30-year fixed mortgage rate jumped 19 basis points to 7.45%, the highest since April 2024, as bond yields surged on Fed comments, higher oil, and stronger economic data.

Geopolitics

Netanyahu Was Secretly Warned by UAE President Before Oct. 7 Attack

UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed reportedly gave Netanyahu a personal warning about a major Hamas attack days before Oct. 7, 2023. Netanyahu denies it, but the NYT and former PM Naftali Bennett back the account.

Crypto

US Seizes $84M From Payments Firm Capstone Linked to Tether, Bitfinex

The DOJ seized roughly $84M from Capstone, a payments firm handling flows for Tether and Bitfinex via EQIBank. Tether says exposure is under 0.034% of assets, but the case exposes stablecoin banking risk.

Geopolitics

US Military Lays Groundwork for Potential Action Around Cuba: CBS

CBS reports the US Army Reserve is reviewing whether it can supply Southern Command with police, medical and support units within 90-120 days as part of continued military planning aimed at Cuba.

Politics

Supreme Court Clears Trump SAVE Voter ID Tool Ahead of Midterms

The Supreme Court cleared the Trump administration’s revamped SAVE voter ID tool in a 6-3 ruling, letting states screen rolls for ineligible voters ahead of the midterms.