When a pair of overleveraged Bear Stearns hedge funds imploded in 2007 when American stocks were at all-time highs many shrugged the episode off. Later, it became apparent that those bankruptcies were among the first shoes to drop in an epic meltdown that would impact virtually all Americans.

Reports from across the U.S. indicate sluggish economic conditions in much of the country, with only three of the Federal Reserve’s 12 district banks reporting expanding activity in their regions, according to the Fed’s latest “beige book” report. The remaining nine districts reported either flat or contracting economic activity.

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell says that a sharp slowdown in hiring poses a growing risk to the U.S. economy.

The UK is set to be the second-fastest-growing of the world's most advanced economies this year, according to new projections from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). But the IMF also predicts the UK will face the highest rate of inflation among G7 nations both this year and next, driven by rising energy and utility bills.

JPMorgan, Citigroup and Wells Fargo all used "resilient" to describe U.S. consumers — even as they grapple with tariffs and a weakening job market.

The federal government shutdown, which began on October 1, is now in its third week with no resolution in sight.

The UK economy grew slightly in August, according to the latest official figures. The economy expanded by 0.1%, the Office for National Statistics said, after contracting by 0.1% in July. The government has made boosting the economy a key priority and pressure is mounting ahead of the Budget next month.

Air Canada has announced that economy passengers on all flights will be served complimentary beer, wine, and snacks starting this fall.

Before the trading day starts we bring you a digest of the key news and events that are likely to move markets. Today we look at:

The economic analyst pulled back the curtain to explain why the economy appears to be working well for some but not others. Rattner noted that between 2024 and 2025, the U.S.'s gross domestic product growth had slowed, down about 2% from the previous year — a bad sign for all Americans.