Retail sales up modest 0.4%, buoyed by online, dining spending
Consumers are facing plenty of challenges heading into the second half of the year from tightening credit to a weaker job market.
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Pence allies launch super PAC to back his expected 2024 presidential candidacy
The launch is the latest sign that former Vice President Mike Pence is moving ahead with his expected bid for the GOP nomination—a move that would put the former Indiana governor in direct contention with his former boss, former President Donald Trump.
Biden, congressional leaders to meet over debt limit as McCarthy pushes for faster deal
The president and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy are trying to strike a budget deal before the U.S. Treasury runs out of cash to keep paying the nation’s bills, which could occur as soon as June 1.
Repelled by high prices, Americans holding on to vehicles longer than ever
The average age of a passenger vehicle on U.S. roads hit a record this year, according to data gathered by S&P Global Mobility.
COVID era of big spending gives way to new focus on deficit
While the White House has threatened to veto Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s debt ceiling bill with its “devastating cuts” to federal programs, the administration has signaled a willingness to consider other budget caps.
AI presents political peril for voters in 2024: ‘We’re not prepared for this’
Generative AI can not only rapidly produce targeted campaign emails, texts or videos, it also could be used to mislead voters, impersonate candidates and undermine elections on a scale and at a speed not yet seen
Race teams ask NASCAR for ‘meaningful’ talks as dispute skids toward summer
The fight between NASCAR and its teams over a new revenue model prompted the owners of 16 chartered organizations to send a letter to NASCAR’s board of directors requesting “meaningful dialog” regarding the franchise model system.
Musk confirms Twitter’s new CEO is ad guru Linda Yaccarino from NBCUniversal
Yaccarino has worked at NBCUniversal for nearly 12 years—with her team generating more than $100 billion in ad sales since 2011, her company bio notes.
Feds start process to fund tech hubs across U.S. with $500M in grants
The grants are intended to expand tech investment that currently is concentrated around a few U.S. cities—Austin, Texas; Boston; New York; San Francisco; and Seattle—to the rest of the country.
Favre ends suit after Pat McAfee apologizes for ‘stealing from poor’ remark
In a lawsuit filed in a Mississippi court in February, Brett Favre’s attorneys wrote McAfee had used “outrageous falsehoods” that included calling Favre a “thief” who was “stealing from poor people in Mississippi.”
Defending Indy 500 champ Marcus Ericsson back at Brickyard, seeking new contract
The defending race champion and current IndyCar points leader is back in Indianapolis with a new goal: proving he deserves longer pact with Chip Ganassi Racing.
EPA proposes first limits on greenhouse gas emissions from power plants
The Biden administration proposed new limits Thursday on greenhouse gas emissions from coal- and gas-fired power plants, its most ambitious effort yet to roll back emissions blamed for climate change.
NCAA maintains tough penalties as legal sports gambling grows
More than 40 athletes from the University of Iowa and Iowa State University could be facing discipline from both law enforcement and the NCAA for impermissible online wagering. The NCAA consequences could be far worse than the legal ones.
Google giving its dominant search engine an artificial-intelligence makeover
Google on Wednesday disclosed plans to infuse its dominant search engine with more advanced artificial-intelligence technology, a move in response to one of the biggest threats to its long-established position as the internet’s main gateway.
U.S. prices remain high, showing inflation pressures persist
The nation’s inflation rate has steadily cooled since peaking at 9.1% last June but remains far above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target rate.
Indiana gas tax set to rise again this summer
The annual increase was set to expire in 2024, but it was extended until 2027 with a little-discussed provision included in the state budget bill.
Indiana elections chief criticized for CPAC Hungary trip
Republican Secretary of State Diego Morales’ office said his trip to the Conservative Political Action Conference in Hungary on Thursday and Friday didn’t disrupt any election-related actions by the office.
Tempur Sealy to buy Mattress Firm in $4 billion deal
Mattress Firm lists at least 17 retail outlets in Indianapolis and surrounding suburbs.
Americans have bet $220B on sports in 5 years since legalization
Two-thirds of the country now offers legal sports betting, with additional states likely to join in coming months or years.
Banks report tougher credit standards in wake of failures
A Federal Reserve report shows that banks raised their lending standards for business and consumer loans in the aftermath of three large bank failures. It’s a trend that could slow the economy in coming months.