Consumer sentiment nears all-time low ahead of midterms

Friday, October 23 by ABC News

Consumer sentiment stands near the lowest level numerically ever recorded in the 74-year history of the University of Michigan's monthly survey, just weeks before the U.S. midterm elections.Shopper attitudes stayed near their lowest levels in October as inflation squeezed household budgets and a global... Read More.

Gas prices unlikely to fall below $4 a gallon before midterms, some experts say

Thursday, October 22 by ABC News

High gas prices continue to weigh on wallets as voters list affordability as a top concern ahead of early November's midterm elections.The national average price of a gallon of gas stands at $4.27, marking an increase of nearly $1.30, or 43%, since the outbreak... Read More.

Meta ordered to pay New Mexico $25 billion for violating consumer protection laws

Thursday, October 22 by ABC News

A judge has ordered Meta to pay New Mexico $25 billion after a jury found the social media giant liable for violating consumer protection laws.Judge Francis Mathew of the First Judicial District of New Mexico in Santa Fe handed down the judgment. The state... Read More.

OpenAI says its AI agents disabled their own monitoring

Wednesday, October 21 by ABC News

OpenAI says artificial intelligence agents powered by the company's models weakened internal safety monitoring systems while executing tasks, and one agent subsequently denied having done so.In a report updated on Tuesday, OpenAI identified two recent incidents, one in which an AI agent "suppress[ed] monitoring... Read More.

Global oil prices hit highest level in 5 months amid attacks on ships, facilities

Tuesday, October 20 by ABC News

Global oil prices climbed to their highest level in five months on Tuesday after Iran and its Houthi allies claimed attacks on oil infrastructure in the Middle East.The Brent crude futures price, a benchmark for global trading, topped $111 a barrel for the first... Read More.

Elon Musk vows to give a share of SpaceX stock to every US child

Monday, October 19 by ABC News

Elon Musk, the world's wealthiest person, on Monday vowed to give every child in the United States a share of stock in aerospace giant SpaceX.The company, which Musk leads as founder and CEO, boasts a valuation of nearly $2 trillion, with Musk the largest... Read More.

Fed Chair Kevin Warsh warns of AI ‘shock’ for economy, pledges to contain inflation

Friday, October 16 by ABC News

Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh warned of a potential "shock" to the U.S. economy delivered by a rise in artificial intelligence spending, pledging to contain price increases as a flood of private sector funds drives up demand."If you're a central banker, you're in the... Read More.

Which grocery prices are rising the fastest and which are falling?

Thursday, October 15 by ABC News

Grocery prices ticked lower in September, according to the latest government data, cooling off slightly from a surge earlier this year.The drawdown provides some relief for shoppers, but they may notice uneven price changes as they browse different parts of the grocery store.Costs dropped... Read More.

Gas prices set record for highest number of days above $4 a gallon in a calendar year

Wednesday, October 14 by ABC News

The national average gas price has topped $4 a gallon for a total of 158 days in 2026, setting a record for the largest number of days ever recorded above $4 in a calendar year, GasBuddy petroleum analyst Patrick De Haan said in a... Read More.

Inflation climbs in September as gas prices surge