Back-to-school shopping? Already?

Jul 6, 2026Anxiety over higher prices and pandemic-holdover retail schedules have families shopping early. Plus: Great Lakes algae, a native plants nursery, energy grid strain, and consumer moods.

Brandon Bell/Getty ImagesSegments From This EpisodeBrandon Bell/Getty ImagesIt’s early July, but already big box retailers are pushing their school supplies.

Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesHow consumers feel about the economy used to line up with how they spent. These days, not so much.

Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty ImagesA hot and stormy Fourth of July weekend saw more than 20 cities hit record highs. While the grid was strained in some places, the power mostly stayed on.

Kevin Carter/Getty ImagesBoeing and Airbus each have order backlogs thousands of aircraft deep, thanks to pandemic-era production slowdowns and persistent air travel demand.