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I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but summer is over.
Yes, autumn technically starts on September 22, but most people view Labor Day as the unofficial end of summer.
The changing seasons can be jarring if you’ve spent the past few months unwinding. But even if your most significant professional accomplishment this summer was snagging a VIP bracelet at The Surf Lodge, work ramping back up doesn’t have to be a buzzkill.
Check out the biggest topics the business world is following this fall. (And stay tuned to the end. We want to hear from you.)
Trump/Powell
From the “Love Island” villa to the Coldplay “kiss cam,” it’s been a summer full of interesting relationships. However, President Donald Trump and Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s relationship, or lack thereof, has the biggest impact on the business world.
Powell’s decision to keep rates steady this summer only fueled the fire. And Trump’s ire for Powell has now extended to some of his colleagues, who are also fighting back.
However, Powell’s recent speech in Jackson Hole indicated that the cuts Trump has been begging for are likely coming this month. But is it too little, too late? And what could a reimagined central bank look like under Trump?
Tariffs
The summer slowdown did little to halt Trump’s trade war. The president’s push to correct what he views as a global trade imbalance against the US is still in the spotlight.
Some progress was made. The US and EU locked in a trade deal that’ll see a 15% tax on most European goods.
However, the elephant in the room — China — remains. Both sides have threatened taxes on each other’s goods in the triple digits. The global superpowers have called a truce, but the clock is ticking on the November 10 deadline.
Media deals
As the way we consume media continues to evolve, so do the companies providing the content.
Most notable was the finalization of Skydance’s acquisition of Paramount. The deal drew headlines for the conditions the FCC set out before approving it and the $16 million settlement Paramount paid to Trump for the lawsuit he filed against the company last year. Still, David Ellison isn’t wasting time trying to turn Paramount around. He announced a massive deal for the UFC that is upending the pay-per-view model.
Elsewhere in media land: ESPN’s long-awaited new streaming service is rolling out; MSNBC has a new name; Disney+ being Hulu’s new home has people pumped; and Netflix is going after a corner of the market the House of Mouse has long dominated.
In short, there’s a lot to watch when it comes to the people figuring out what we’re watching.
AI talent wars
For most of us, it’s not a good time to get a new job. That is, unless you’re an AI expert.
The hunt for AI engineers and researchers has created a type of talent war that is almost incomprehensible. Nine-figure pay packages — that’s not a typo — are reportedly being floated to top talent. (And some in the industry think that’s a bargain!)
Spending so much on tech that doesn’t always have a clear path to profitability has obvious risks, and not everyone is willing to shell out the big bucks.
But companies that are cutting massive checks need to worry about widening pay disparities that are ruffling feathers within their organizations.
How’d we do?
Vote on which topic you think is most important to the business world, or suggest your own.
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