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Boeing says it is hiring new workers to replace employees in its defense unit.
The roughly 3,200 workers have been on strike since Aug. 4 after turning down a contract offer from Boeing.

A worker pickets outside the Boeing Defense, Space & Security facility in Berkeley, Missouri, US, on Monday, Aug. 4, 2025.
Neeta Satam | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Boeing is hiring new workers to replace employees in its defense unit as their strike enters a second month without a new contract agreement.
“Unfortunately, the union continues to demand more of everything while also saying it has no control over what it will take to end the strike, driving the parties further apart,” said Dan Gillian, a vice president at Boeing and senior executive at the St. Louis site, where many of the defense workers are located, in an emailed statement. “As a result, we’re taking the next step in our contingency plan and hiring permanent replacement workers for manufacturing roles to ensure we’re properly staffed to keep supporting our customers.”

Boeing didn’t say how many workers it’s hiring. The workers assemble and maintain F-15 fighter jets as well as missile systems.
“Boeing is doubling down on its mismanagement by saying it plans to hire replacement workers to build military aircraft and equipment, instead of negotiating with their dedicated, generational and skilled workforce,” IAM Union International President Brian Bryant said in a statement. “Boeing – let’s get back to the negotiating table. Let’s get real about the concerns of our members and your employees.”

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The 3,200 workers, represented by International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District 837, went on strike on Aug. 4 after turning down a contract offer from Boeing.
The company had offered a 20% general wage increase, a $5,000 ratification bonus and other improvements. Boeing said the increases could average about 40% taking into account other improvements. The increases would bring average IAM 837 machinist pay to more than $102,000 from $75,000, according to a note from Jefferies last month.
Boeing’s defense unit contributed about 30% of the company’s $42 billion in revenue in the first half of this year.

The strike comes less than a year after more than 32,000 unionized machinists who build commercial aircraft walked off the job after failed contract talks last year.
Their seven-week strike hobbled the company’s aircraft output and ended after they voted to approve a contract with 38% raises over four years and other improvements, marking the latest in a series of aviation labor unions winning higher pay as the industry faces a shortfall of trained workers. More

Las Vegas has seen visitation decline for seven consecutive months, with the most recent report from July showing a 12% decline year over year.
MGM Resorts CEO Bill Hornbuckle said, “Las Vegas is not done or dead.”
When asked whether the Vegas slump could be a canary in the coal mine for U.S. travel more broadly, Hornbuckle said it does seem to be a leading indicator.

Las Vegas is launching a new campaign to boost tourism after a significant summer slump.
The new campaign, “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas,” will focus on value for visitors and offer promotions and other incentives at the destination.

The city has seen visitation decline for seven consecutive months, with the most recent report from July showing a 12% decline year over year.
And yet, MGM Resorts CEO Bill Hornbuckle says, “Las Vegas is not done or dead.”
“To the contrary, I think there’s lessons to be learned, you know, in terms of value and value creation,” Hornbuckle told CNBC Thursday at the Bank of America Gaming and Lodging Conference.
Hornbuckle said affordability and perceptions of value have been especially top-of-mind for budget-conscious visitors. He pointed to the deals available at the Excalibur, one of MGM’s resorts on the Las Vegas Strip: $85 rooms, including resort fee; $5 tables; $5 beers. But the $12 Starbucks coffee grabs the headline.
“There is value there, and there’s always been value,” Hornbuckle said. “We let the narrative get away from us and shame on us. We need to do a better job.”

MGM and Las Vegas more broadly had posted several years of growth in visitation, room rates and profits before this year’s slowdown.
When asked whether the Vegas slump could be a canary in the coal mine for U.S. travel more broadly, Hornbuckle, who chairs the U.S. Travel Association, said it does seem to be a leading indicator. And the industry as a whole is facing some troubling obstacles.
Canadian visitation to the U.S. has plummeted some 40% this year, following comments by President Donald Trump about Canada as a potential 51st U.S. state and evolving trade policies. The Canadian dollar has also weakened, lessening the buying power of visitors crossing the border into the U.S.

Tourists take photos near the Las Vegas strip.
Robyn Beck | Afp | Getty Images

Hornbuckle also pointed to massive price hikes for a U.S. visa, from $100 to $350, where a family of four visiting for the Ryder Cup, World Cup or Olympics in 2028, for example, could pay $1,400 for visa documents alone.
“International travel in 2016 had a $50 billion U.S. surplus. Today it’s a $50 billion deficit,” Hornbuckle said.
The government’s commitment to funding marketing and promotion of U.S. travel was also slashed by 80% in the most recent spending bill, to $20 million.
“We obviously find ourselves in a world that has a fair amount of uncertainty from a macroeconomic perspective, from a socio-political perspective,” Marriott CEO Tony Capuano told investors at the BofA conference Thursday. “Marriott, and the sector more broadly, thrives in times of certainty and stability. So that creates some measure of challenge.”
Capuano said there’s been a slight uptick after Labor Day in some segments of travel. He said Marriott sees spending restrained in budget travelers and small businesses. But he described demand for luxury travel as “sturdy.”

Wyndham Hotel and Resorts CEO Geoff Ballotti laid out an optimistic view of the travel industry, noting robust demand for extended stay, driven in part by projects supporting the government’s infrastructure spending.
“You’re seeing incredible interest in investment right now,” Ballotti told CNBC. “Our new construction pipeline, 20 consecutive quarters of growth, is at an all-time high. We’re seeing groundbreakings accelerate. We’re seeing a new construction pipeline accelerate, and we’re seeing it more so here domestically than we are anywhere else in the world.” More

DraftKings CEO Jason Robins said the company is seeing record numbers heading into the kickoff to the NFL — sports betting’s biggest season.
BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt told CNBC that last week was the sportsbook’s best ever in terms of revenue, with pre-season volume up 30%.
The American Gaming Association estimates legal betting in the U.S. will grow by 8.5% this NFL season, to $30 billion.

DraftKings CEO Jason Robins has never been more enthusiastic about the kickoff to the NFL — sports betting’s biggest season.
It’s second only to the Super Bowl in terms of importance for acquiring customers and growing the overall betting pool, Robins told CNBC on Thursday at the Bank of America Gaming and Lodging Conference.

“The numbers just keep going up right into kickoff, and it’ll continue through Sunday,” Robins said. “We’re seeing big numbers, record numbers, and we’re really excited about what we’re going to see through the start of the season.”
The American Gaming Association estimates legal betting in the U.S. will grow by 8.5% this NFL season, to $30 billion.
DraftKings and its competitors have largely seen declines in the cost to acquire customers, even as legal sports betting opportunities continue to expand. Sports betting has proven to be resilient even amid volatility in consumer sentiment and broader concerns over discretionary spending.
“We’re seeing nothing to suggest that there’s any slowdown in the numbers for our business right now, everything is going up,” Robins said.
DraftKings beat Wall Street’s expectations for revenue and profit when it reported second-quarter results in August, surprising investors with significant growth.

BetMGM, jointly owned by MGM Resorts and Entain, is also demonstrating real momentum, raising earnings guidance twice this year.

BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt told CNBC on Thursday that last week was the sportsbook’s best ever in terms of revenue, with pre-season volume up 30%.
“We’re seeing no softness. We’re seeing no reduction in average bet size. We’re seeing no reduction in how many active sessions per week, per month, that players are engaging with BetMGM,” Greenblatt said when assessing the strength of the American consumer.
“I’m delighted to say that our sector seems to be behaving in a contrarian manner, ” he said.
Greenblatt said he is especially enthusiastic about the cross-selling opportunities with NFL kickoff. He said 60% of sports bettors will then wager on online casino games, or iGaming, which has higher profit margins than sports betting.
The nation’s leading sportsbooks are facing new competition — as well as potential opportunities — in the form of prediction markets’ events contracts, where odds change based on trades, like stock prices. Events contracts in the financial markets are regulated by the Commodities and Futures Trading Commission.
Front Office Sports reported in July that DraftKings was in talks to buy Railbird, an exchange that received CFTC approval to begin trading.
Robins declined to comment on the report but said he’s interested, though cautious, about entering predictions markets.
“We’re regulated in a lot of states, and some states have taken a very adversarial position, so we have to obviously be careful and engage the regulator,” Robins said, adding that DraftKings is unwilling to risk any threat to its sports betting licenses.
In August, Flutter-owned FanDuel announced a partnership on financial events contracts with the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. And Underdog, the fantasy and sports gaming company, announced on CNBC on Tuesday that it will partner with Crypto.com to offer sports predictions markets. Robinhood, Kalshi and Polymarket are also offering sports trades.
“Rapidly growing volumes, new product launches, especially around player props and parlays, and more clear direct marketing by prediction markets (post recent fundraising) are all key developments to watch for,” said Bank of America research analyst Shaun Kelly.
Investors will also be watching to see how federal courts rule on the pending question of whether sports predictions are in fact a form of sports betting. States and tribes argue they are, and that offering sports trades through predictions markets violates tribes’ sovereign rights or states’ rights to legalize sports gambling.
MGM CEO Bill Hornbuckle told the BofA Gaming and Lodging conference Thursday he doesn’t endorse predictions markets.
“Our view is that invites the federal government into a space it’s never been, and it’s not a place we’d like to see this marketplace go. Full stop,” he said.
The NFL told its employees they are under the same restrictions with regards to sports predictions markets as they are for betting. The league has said it worries about the integrity of the game in the face of the possibility of price distortion and other kinds of manipulation.

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David Ellison, CEO and chairman of Paramount, told employees Thursday that they will be expected to work in the office five days a week starting Jan. 5, 2026.
Employees who do not wish to make the transition can seek a buyout.
The move could help Paramount thin the herd ahead of looming staffing cuts.
Paramount Skydance is looking to take $2 billion in costs out of the conglomerate’s budget.

Paramount Pictures studio lot at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood, California, on June 5, 2024.
Brian Van Der Brug | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images

David Ellison continues to put his stamp on Paramount after its acquisition by Skydance.
The CEO and chairman told employees Thursday that they will be expected to work in the office five days a week starting Jan. 5, 2026, according to a memo obtained by CNBC. Employees who do not wish to make the transition can seek a buyout starting Thursday and until Sept. 15.

“To achieve what we’ve set out to do — and to truly unlock Paramount’s full potential — we must make meaningful changes that position us for long-term success,” Ellison wrote to staffers. “These changes are about building a stronger, more connected, and agile organization that can deliver on our goals and compete at the highest level. We have a lot to accomplish and we’re moving fast. We need to all be rowing in the same direction. And especially when you’re dealing with a creative business like ours, that begins with being together in person.”
The move could help Paramount thin the herd ahead of looming staffing cuts.
Variety reported last month that the company is expected to lay off between 2,000 and 3,000 employees as part of its postmerger cost-cutting measures. These cuts are slated for early November, Variety reported.
Paramount is looking to take $2 billion in costs out of the conglomerate amid advertising losses and industrywide struggles with traditional cable networks.
Phase one of Ellison’s back-to-work plan will see employees in Los Angeles and New York returning to a full five-day workweek in the new year.

Phase two will focus on offices outside LA and New York, including international locations. A similar buyout program will be offered in 2026 for those who operate in these locations.
“We recognize this represents a significant change for many, and we’re committed to supporting you throughout this transition,” Ellison wrote. “We will work closely with managers to ensure you have the time and flexibility to make the necessary adjustments.”

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Ford saw big growth in August in sales of its three-row Expedition SUV.
The most popular Expedition models start at around $74,000. The vehicle is gas-powered, signaling that even as demand for electric vehicles has risen, consumers are still interested in big, traditional models.
While the Expedition only made up about 5% of sales in August, Ford’s profit engine for decades has been large trucks and SUVs.

Ford’s redesigned three-row Expedition SUV is seeing explosive growth.
The Detroit automaker reported Wednesday that it sold 8,724 Expeditions in August, up 53.7% from the same time last year and marking its best sales in 21 years. It’s sold 61,022 of the vehicles so far this year, a 13.1% increase from the same period in 2024.

The Expedition is outperforming Ford’s sales overall. In total, the company’s August sales were up 3.9% from the same month last year.
While the Expedition only made up about 5% of sales in August, Ford’s profit engine for decades has been large trucks and SUVs.
It also has a traditional internal combustion engine, signaling customers are still interested in large, gas-powered vehicles even as electric vehicle sales have been up this year.
Buyers have been rushing to purchase EVs ahead of the end of a federal tax credit at the end of this month. Ford is seeing the surge, with EV sales up 19.3% in August from the same period last year. Wall Street analysts predict EV sales will drop at the end of the year as the credits expire.
Ford’s crosstown rival General Motors also touted its EV sales for the period, saying the segment set an all-time monthly record in August.

Mark Levine, Ford director of North America product communications, acknowledged that there’s been a lot of interest with EVs but said families are drawn to bigger vehicles, like the Expedition.

2025 Ford Expedition Tremor

While Ford has an electric vehicle segment of its business called “Model e,” the company hasn’t been as enthusiastic as some of its rivals when it comes to the all-electric transition. It canceled plans for a three-row electric SUV a year ago and said at the time it would prioritize the development of hybrid models.
“We are out of sync, in a good way, with our competitors who are now fully loaded with all their EVs, and they’ll have to commit to them,” Ford CEO Jim Farley said on the company’s latest earnings call with analysts at the end of July.
It’s also a sign that some consumers are still willing to spend on large vehicles. The most popular models of the Expedition start at around $74,000, Ford said Thursday, and can go up from there. Ford said its most popular models are the Platinum, Tremor and King Ranch, at the higher end of the lineup.
The automaker unveiled the latest model of the Expedition in October, and it started shipping the SUV about five months ago. It’s assembled at the company’s Kentucky Truck Plant.
Ford’s main rival in the segment has long been GM, with its Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Suburban and GMC Yukon vehicles. But new competitors such as the Jeep Wagoneer from Stellantis as well as large three-row crossovers from Kia and Hyundai have also come to market. More

JetBlue plans to adopt Amazon’s Project Kuiper satellite internet service on a portion of its fleet.
It’s a vote of confidence for Kuiper, Amazon’s constellation of internet satellites that is designed to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink.
U.S. airlines have been working to improve their in-flight Wi-Fi, which has long been derided for slow speeds and high prices.

A JetBlue Airways Airbus A321-231 departs San Diego International Airport en route to New York on March 4, 2025 in San Diego, California.
Kevin Carter | Getty Images

JetBlue Airways plans to install Amazon’s Project Kuiper on some of its airplanes to bolster in-flight Wi-Fi, the companies announced Thursday, in a vote of confidence for the nascent internet satellite service.
The technology will be added to about a quarter of the airline’s fleet, with the rollout beginning in 2027 and expected to be complete in 2028, JetBlue President Marty St. George said on a call with reporters.

The team-up is a significant win for Amazon, which has been working to build a constellation of internet-beaming satellites in low-Earth orbit, called Project Kuiper. The service will compete directly with Elon Musk’s Starlink, which currently dominates the market and has 8,000 satellites in orbit.
Amazon has sent up 102 satellites through a series of rocket launches since April. It’s aiming to meet a deadline by the Federal Communications Commission, which requires it to have about 1,600, or half of its full constellation, in orbit by the end of July 2026.
The company hopes to begin commercial service later this year.
“Even though we still have a lot more work to do, we’re super excited to have JetBlue as the first airline customer for Kuiper,” Chris Weber, Kuiper’s vice president of sales and marketing, told reporters.

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Starlink has signed up a growing number of airlines to use its services. JetBlue is Kuiper’s first airline partner, though Amazon has signed several deals recently as it tries to expand the service, including with European plane maker Airbus in April.

JetBlue has offered free in-flight internet for years through a partnership with Viasat, which operates a network of geostationary, or GEO, satellites. That partnership will continue, St. George said.
He praised Amazon’s satellite service, saying Kuiper offers high speed, low latency and high reliability compared with GEO satellite networks. JetBlue could eventually use a combination of low-Earth orbit and GEO satellites for in-flight internet, St. George added.
U.S. airlines have been working to improve their in-flight Wi-Fi, which has long been derided for slow speeds and high prices.
Southwest Airlines on Thursday said it will offer free Wi-Fi to members of its Rapid Rewards loyalty program through a partnership with T-Mobile starting Oct. 24.
Delta Air Lines followed JetBlue in unveiling complimentary connectivity in 2023 for its SkyMiles loyalty program members. Hawaiian Airlines is using Starlink for free in-flight Wi-Fi, and Alaska Airlines, which acquired that carrier last year, recently said it would outfit its planes with the same service.
United Airlines is also working to equip its planes to offer its loyalty program members free Wi-Fi through Starlink. American Airlines, for its part, in April said it plans to have free in-flight internet on most of its planes next year for members of its AAdvantage program.

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“Make America nuclear again.” That is the aim of Rick Perry, a former governor of Texas who served as energy secretary in Donald Trump’s first term as president. On July 4th, to back up the sloganeering, he launched Fermi America, a firm hoping to build the world’s largest energy and data-centre complex. Outside Amarillo, a cattle town in the Texan panhandle, bulldozers shift red soil for a facility that will first generate electricity using natural gas and solar, before construction of conventional nuclear reactors and several small modular reactors (smrs), which will produce 11 gigawatts (gw) of power. More

Lululemon Athletica, a brand famous for flogging leggings for over $100 apiece, has long been in vogue among investors as well as fashionistas. Over the past decade the “athleisure” firm has reported operating margins of 15-25%, well ahead of rivals, in part owing to the vast share of sales it makes directly to customers. Its sales per square foot of shop space have reached around $1,500 a year, also far outstripping other retailers. Lululemon’s stretchy trousers and chic sweatshirts have married comfort and fashion for a new breed of home workers who wanted to look sharp but relaxed on conference calls. More