Washington desk

Filed from the Washington desk — including multi-city pieces that also ran elsewhere.

Finance · 30 September 2026

Inflation Volatility Soars; Fed Chair Warns Prices Are 'Robust, Robust, Robust, Robust'

Helen Pell, Washington desk

Markets jittery over price swings, while a high-level briefing insists the economy is robust four times over, a phrasing that has left bond traders confused and coffee prices up.

Business · 30 September 2026

Electric Dreams Dwindle: One Year After Tax Credit Vanishes, Wheels Keep Turning

Helen Pell, Washington desk

A year after Congress pulled the plug on the federal EV tax credit, automakers are still revving up, but the market’s charge has lost some spark.

Finance · 30 September 2026

Situational Awareness Point: The Day an AI Startup Made Wall Street’s Leverage Look Like a Bad Joke

Helen Pell, Washington desk

When an AI‑focused investment firm at Situational Awareness Point collapsed, banks that had lent it billions are left wondering whether their leverage was truly robust. The market reaction suggests investors are treati…

Finance · 30 September 2026

Tariff Tussle: Trump’s Trade War Gets a Courtroom Reboot

Helen Pell, Washington desk

The Trump administration’s latest set of tariffs is headed back to the bench for a third time in less than two years, sparking a courtroom spectacle that could outshine a reality‑TV finale.

Entertainment · 30 September 2026

Cindy Holland Evacuates Paramount+ as Casey Bloys Becomes Streaming Supreme

Candy Voss, Washington desk

With the Warner‑Bros‑Discovery merger looming, Paramount+’s chief is out and the new streaming monarch, HBO’s Casey Bloys, is poised to rule the combined digital empire.

Entertainment · 30 September 2026

Curry Barker's 'Anything But Ghosts' to Haunt Theaters on May 7, 2027

Candy Voss, Washington desk

The Obsession‑making director Curry Barker is back with a horror‑comedy that promises to scare as much as it slaps you on the back. Focus Features and Blumhouse Atomic Monster have lined up a May 7, 2027 release th…

Entertainment · 30 September 2026

Hollywood's New Power Couple: Gigliotti and Farah Take the Producer’s Chair—And the Entire Studio System

Candy Voss, Washington desk

Donna Gigliotti, famed for 'Shakespeare in Love,' and Mike Farah, former Funny or Die CEO, have been elected as co‑presidents of the Producers Guild of America, succeeding Donald De Line and Stephanie Allain. Their p…

Entertainment · 30 September 2026

Sheen Brothers Reunite for AMC’s ‘Happy Jack,’ The Only Show That’s 100% Family‑Friendly Even When They’re Both Unfriendly

Rita Knox, Washington desk

Charlie and Martin Sheen are set to headline a new multi‑cam comedy for AMC, a series that will probably be the first time audiences see them both on the same screen without a lawsuit looming in the background.

Technology · 30 September 2026

OpenAI Releases Dots: The New Dotting of AI’s Next Big Self‑Serve Revolution

Clyde Rook, Washington desk

OpenAI’s fresh Dots agents aim to be the ever‑present helpers that can juggle tasks across apps, sparking a race with Meta’s Muse that could turn our digital lives into a perpetual circus.