Week of September 21st, 2026

Amanda Mendoza, the lead researcher on the Private Equity Climate Risks Scorecard, explains its purpose and importance to American consumers.

The Congressional Budget Office calculated the effects of long-term elevated borrowing costs in a recent report. Plus: Trump-Xi summit, soil conservation, and a private equity climate scorecard.

What came out of the Trump-Xi summit this week? And could 6% be the new 5% threshold in the bond market?

When interest rates rise, everyone — including the federal government — pays more to borrow. What does that mean for the economy in the long term?

The Natural Resources Conservation Service lost nearly a quarter of its staff nationwide in 2025. Many were local experts that help farmers with soil and water conservation efforts.

If more local building contractors learn how to use cross-laminated timber, they could cut down on the time it takes to rebuild.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is continuing his meetings with President Donald Trump today. We dig into the big picture of U.S.-China trade.

Countries in Africa are looking toward energy resilience as the war in Iran exposed their dependence on oil imports.

The city will host the annual Grand Prix through 2035.

Dolly Parton Day, celebrated on 9/25 in honor of her song "9 to 5", also lands on the 100th anniversary of Ford Motor Company's adoption of the eight-hour, five-day workweek, which Henry Ford introduced in 1926.

Sept. 25 is Dolly Parton Day — an ode to the hit song “9 to 5.” Today, we look into the origin of that schedule.

Plus, cybersecurity valuations rise amid growing AI threats, and Discord enters its age-gate era.

El Niño years bring hurricanes and typhoons to unusual places, says catastrophe modeler Dan Ward.

Warsh may be staying mum, but other central bankers have filled the void. Plus: Layoff pivots, catastrophe modeling, and a potato bust.

Farmers nationwide grew way too many potatoes, flooding the market and crashing the price.

Fed Chair Kevin Warsh thinks Fed officials have tipped their hand too much in the past about their future plans for interest rates. But he hasn’t been able to keep everybody else quiet.

And that change could be for the better.

The recent social media debate about iced coffee is also a broader conversation about etiquette in the workplace.

This morning, we continue our conversation with reporter Yvette Fernandez about some of the biggest economic stories coming out of Nevada.

The average rate on a 30-year fixed just climbed above 7.1% for the first time in more than two years. That's making cheaper, adjustable-rate mortgages more attractive to some buyers.

More people are turning toward adjustable-rate mortgages, which can carry risks.

Yvette Fernandez, a reporter for Nevada Public Radio, discusses some of the big economic news stories out of her state.

While both nations remain locked in a competition for dominance in artificial intelligence, both share deep vulnerabilities around catastrophic risks, system control and cybersecurity, says Samm Sacks, senior fellow at New America.

Fan fiction was a labor of love, until money entered the equation.

Artists have started taking up residency rather than touring. It’s changing the music industry.

Mortgage rates hit a more-than-two-year high last week. But sellers keep sellin’. Plus: Artist residencies, distance running, and Nashville hot chicken.

“The bond market is often seen as the boring sibling to the stock market,” said Robin Wigglesworth. “I think that's completely wrong. It is the bedrock to the entire financial system.”

The sport’s resurgence even has spin-bike icon Peloton diversifying into treadmills.

Nashville hot chicken, a style credited to Prince's Hot Chicken Shack in 1945, has spread to thousands of restaurants worldwide.

The 30-year fixed mortgage rate hit a more than two-year high last week, sending mortgage applications down for the third consecutive week.

Attacks on Russian oil refineries have contributed to rising diesel prices in recent months.

The change could create new opportunities to land lucrative federal contracts.

Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit Washington D.C. this week for a summit with President Trump. Here are some of the big issues they’re likely to discuss.

Unless a business meets the government’s definition of a small business determined by revenue or headcount, it might miss out on those lucrative contracts.

Brands are increasingly incorporating AI into how consumers discover and shop for products. Maghan McDowell, a fashion-tech journalist, walks us through the evolving landscape.

Experts say cutting off diesel exports to lower prices is likely to backfire. Plus: Public debt, Trump’s meeting with President Xi, small bank mergers, and the crude oil spread.

President Trump and China’s Leader Xi Jinping are meeting this week. Chad Bown, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, previews what to expect from that meeting.

That’s a big gap between the financial world’s price of oil versus what people are actually paying to get a physical delivery of a barrel of oil.

Bank consolidation has been happening for decades, and its pace has sped up in recent years. Borrowers and depositors are experiencing a number of side-effects.

Productive cows, sluggish sales to restaurants, and the protein craze are all playing roles in bringing prices down.

Some senators and governors are calling on the Trump administration to temporarily ban diesel exports to boost domestic supply. Experts say it might not work as well as they hope.

Yesterday, Paramount Skydance reached a settlement, clearing the last major roadblock to its $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.

The Protect College Sports Act, which is making its way through Congress, could limit how much schools pay college football athletes.

Heating oil prices have shot up along with diesel prices.

Today: why heating oil prices are going up and what’s behind the pay range for college football athletes.

Digital detox retreats are becoming a mainstream thing, where consumers pay thousands of dollars to live a screen-free life, says Paula Mejia, who wrote about this booming industry for Mother Jones.

Listen to the trailer now!

Where do things stand ahead of President Trump’s meeting with President Xi? Plus: the neutral rate, high copper prices, and “weekend lunch.”

Brunch has long been a staple of the modern weekend. But the combination meal of eggs Benedict and boozy mimosas is losing popularity .

The price of copper usually tells us a lot about the future of global economic growth. But recent developments could make it less accurate as an economic indicator.

Tariffs have come down, but they’re still higher than they were under the Biden administration.

As fall's seasonal travel slowdown arrives, airlines are beginning to cut routes and flights that can no longer turn a profit at current fuel costs.

The job search site Monster ranked the best cities for young workers based on affordability and job prospects.

How likely is some kind of agreement between the U.S. and China on what to do about AI?

The rule gives officials the power to deny green cards to immigrants if they — or their U.S.-born children — have received certain kinds of public assistance.

Bipartisan housing legislation that became law earlier this summer takes steps to encourage factory-built housing at scale.

Immigrants applying for a green card could now potentially be denied if they or their children have received any kind of public benefits.

Rana el Kaliouby lives in a household with very mixed feelings about AI — her daughter is a skeptic, while her son is an AI native.