Week of October 12th, 2026

Inflation picked up in September. What’s the Fed to do?

Kai and Nela reflect on their trip to India for “The Age of Work” series. Plus: fertilizer prices, inflation data, and a retail update.

Qure.ai uses AI for early detection of diseases. Its CEO thinks India will be on the forefront of AI use.

It's getting tougher for organizers to host races thanks to inflation, tariffs and greater competition for cash sponsorships.

The COVID-19 pandemic, for example, helped rapidly shift expectations around acceptable workplace clothing.

Fertilizer costs as much as 20% more this year than last year. Farmers can buy now at high prices, or wait until the spring and possibly pay even more.

In western Wyoming, some hunters drive four hours roundtrip to bring their harvest to a wild game processor. Now, there’s a new guy in town, and he’s staying busy.

Big hyperscaler data centers are just coming to Minnesota but have already become an issue in the midterm elections.

Hyperscaler data centers are relatively new in Minnesota. They’ve sparked a backlash and have become an issue in the midterm elections.

Spending at sporting goods, hobby, musical instrument, and book stores was down 0.5% from the month before. That’s after rising pretty steadily most of the year.

In some states, hospitals are experimenting with something called presumptive eligibility. It will automatically screen patients for financial assistance needs.

A recent Urban Institute study found that more than one in four adults in the U.S. had medical debt in 2025.

Plus, Netflix announces plans to cut about 6% of its staff, and AI proficiency becomes a factor in career advancement on Wall Street.

Not because they want to, but because of inflation.

Producer prices rose 1.3% in September. How will that show up in consumer prices?

Siblings Jay and Neha Shroff are looking to grow the family business, but there are some serious economic headwinds in their way.

The price of diesel, competition, and technological innovation are among the factors tamping down inflation in some sectors of this economy.

The producer price index rose 1.3% in September — the largest monthly jump since 2022 — driven largely by energy costs.

To keep generating tax revenue, Loudoun County, Virginia, has needed to keep approving new data centers. But there’s been backlash.

Nearly four out of five report that AI spending remains a top investment priority over the next three years.

The high price of diesel might start showing up in what you pay for fresh vegetables and more.

Today, grocery prices have been a bright spot for inflation. That may not last.

The county’s tax base has swelled thanks to the highest concentration of data centers anywhere. It’s already facing a future where those facilities stop gushing gobs of cash.

While the U.S. moves ahead in rolling out new features, European consumers face a delayed rollout due the bloc's strict tech laws aimed at protecting consumers, says Max von Thun, director of the think tank Open Markets Institute.

Reema Khrais and neurodivergent financial educator Ellyce Fulmore answers your questions about money and our minds, in our latest advice column episode.

Energy inflation, oil shipping, and a Mumbai garment business.

Prices in September increased 3.7% from last year. Has the energy price dumpster fire spread to the rest of the economy?

The women’s labor force participation rate in India is 32%. After seeing how little opportunity women had to earn money, one Mumbai woman started a company to empower women economically.

Freight rates for moving U.S. oil to Asia have soared from $3 to $6 per barrel before the war in Iran to around $38 per barrel today.

This morning: behavioral economics and gambling addiction, a hotter-than-anticipated inflation reading, and a continued squeeze on diesel.

The open enrollment period, which begins on Oct. 15, comes as many major insurers are dropping some Medicare Advantage plans for 2027.

Open enrollment for Medicare starts tomorrow, and some major insurers are dropping Medicare Advantage plans.

Why people keep betting, even when the odds are against them, and what can be done about it.

One ProPublica reporter put that question to the test by purposely going off the deep end with his sports betting. Here’s what he learned.

Kate Moran, a user experience researcher, explains why some AI integrations resonate with consumers while others fall flat.

How did UnitedHealth simultaneously shrink enrollment and turn a profit? Plus, big bank earnings, night school, and a Mumbai movie studio.

Zoë Goffe graduated from undergrad in 2025. After working for a little more than a year, she’s back on the job hunt.

To make the most of its huge working age population, India needs to develop its workforce at all levels — whether that’s at a visual effects company, or at night schools.

JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, and Goldman Sachs reported their quarterly financial results today. It was a mixed bag.

Insuring people who are likely to be sick isn’t profitable. Owning some clinics and a pharmacy benefit provider, in addition to providing health insurance, is.

To keep up with inflation, the Social Security Administration is expected to give retirees checks’ a bit of a bump.

After tomorrow’s Cost of Living Adjustment, retirees can likely expect to see an additional $75 each month on average.

In data centers, thousands of computers constantly work on hard tasks related to AI. Keeping them cool is one of the biggest expenses a data center grapples with.

We’ll find out later this morning whether home sales have declined as experts predicted.

Content creation degrees are popping up at universities across the country. Charlie Randall, a senior at Arkansas Tech University, explains why he sees the degree as a pathway to a career in voice acting.

How companies get on the stock market.

Mortgage rates and existing home prices are high, but the spillover effect on today’s economy has turned out to be more limited than one might think.

India’s median age is just 29. That’s shaping its vigorous economic growth. Plus: core inflation and U.S. visa law.

The median age in India is 29 years old — 10 years younger than in the United States. But despite its youth and high growth, the country’s economy faces hurdles.

Because everything we buy depends on energy in some way.

Forecasters are predicting lingering inflation and higher interest rates. We dig in.

JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, and Citigroup report third-quarter results on Tuesday, giving the first detailed look at how the Fed's rate hike and rising long-term bond yields are working through the economy.

As the number of prospective students shrinks, consultants say it’s especially important for smaller schools that want to expand their brand.

Stanford's Robert E. Hall and Columbia's Michael Woodford have won this year's Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences.

Generative models can be fed data of a deceased person, which some companies have dubbed "grief bots." Jack Manning recently published a study of people interacting with their past loved ones this way. The results were positive.