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September 9, 2026 The Appetizer “Today our Nation saw evil, the very worst of human nature. And we responded with the best of America.”
Now, on to the numbers. Drum roll, please …
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Dig In Imagine if one of the world’s busiest highways suddenly became unpredictable. That’s roughly what global shipping is dealing with. Tensions around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints, have added another complication to a shipping network already navigating disruptions around the Red Sea. Rather than wait around for traffic to clear, some ships are exploring a very different detour: through the Arctic. The Northern Sea Route, which runs along Russia’s northern coastline, can shave as much as 10 days off a voyage between Asia and Europe. One Chinese container ship recently completed the trip in just 20 days, while traffic along the route has climbed to roughly 40 million tons this year. Why does that matter? Because shipping disruptions rarely stay at sea. Longer or less reliable routes can mean higher fuel and freight costs, longer delivery times, and eventually higher prices for businesses and consumers. The Arctic isn’t about to replace traditional shipping lanes. Ice, unpredictable weather, higher insurance costs, and the need for specialized ships keep it a niche option. But its growing use is a good reminder of how adaptable global trade can be. When one route becomes less reliable, someone starts looking for another – even through the Arctic. |
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Weekly Specials In Salcombe, Devon, England, there are no Kardashians or Justin Biebers, but there is a local celebrity. His name is Roger, and he’s a seagull with a very important job. Paid four prawns a day, he keeps rival birds away from customers’ chips. Back home we’d call him a rat of the sky, but Roger seems more gainfully employed. We are in the thick of state fair season, and the Minnesota State Fair is celebrating 100 years of the Tilt-A-Whirl. The ride dates back to 1926, and a century later it’s still going strong ... but would you get on a 100-year-old ride? I may stick to the funnel cakes and fried Oreos. Candy stores are thriving across New York City thanks to the “lipstick effect,” where people skip big purchases but still splurge on affordable treats. It’s a strategy as old as Economy Candy, which pivoted from shoe and hat repairs to sweets during the Great Depression. NASA just launched the Roman Space Telescope, a $4.3 billion bus-sized observatory that will explore planets, galaxies, and other mysteries of the universe. Great! But can’t we just leave the aliens alone? Has nobody seen Independence Day? |
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Corporate Lunch McDonald’s loyalty program built one customer a 515-page dossier predicting she’d never stop eating there. My only question is: Who else has access to these reports? Asking for a friend. Eli Lilly has agreed to acquire Merida Biosciences for up to $2.875 billion, its 11th acquisition this year. Apparently GLP-1s suppress everyone’s appetite ... except Lilly’s. Waymo and Zoox expand into more U.S. markets as the robotaxi race heats up. I wonder if we’ll look back and think it was crazy we trusted strangers to drive us around. TikTok announced that it is adding voice comments, polls, and other features to its comment section. It’s official: the comments are about to be more entertaining than the video. Lululemon cut its full-year forecast again, giving the new CEO the warm welcome package of slowing growth, tougher competition, and a customer base that suddenly discovered there are other places to buy $98 leggings. |
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