Axios

Motor oil could become the next supply-chain headache as major companies warn that Middle East turmoil is squeezing key ingredients used in synthetic lubricants.

Why it matters: Drivers, repair shops and auto suppliers could soon see higher prices, reduced selection and temporary out-of-stocks for some synthetic motor oils.

Bed Bath & Beyond's comeback is entering its next phase with the opening Saturday of its first co-branded Container Store location in Texas.

Why it matters: The new Bed Bath & Beyond is betting shoppers still have an emotional connection to the brand after its last stores closed in 2023 — and that a smaller co-branded format can succeed where its sprawling big-box stores failed.

We knew the Cerebras IPO would whet public market appetite for new AI stocks, ahead of SpaceX next month, but not that it would look more like a nachos platter than an amuse bouche.

• Shares opened at $350 — a whopping 89% above its IPO price — and climbed as high as $385 before settling at $311.
• For context, it originally filed to price at between $115-$125, and just four months ago sold shares in a Series H round at $89.

Kimmeridge, an energy-focused private equity firm, on Friday announced that its Caturus unit will proceed with construction of its Commonwealth LNG project in Louisiana.

Why it matters: While Commonwealth has been planned for years, the go-ahead arrives as the Iran war is putting fresh focus on gas from outside the Middle East.

College-educated fathers are spending less time doing paid work and more time doing things like child care and chores at home, according to a new analysis of Census data.

Why it matters: Millennial and Gen X men are more involved fathers than previous generations, a pattern that appears to have accelerated in the post-pandemic period.

A new political thriller is mulling what would happen if the United States had a 17-year-old as president.

The big picture: The premise is meant to challenge young Americans to run for office, taking control away from aging politicians and giving it to those who will live with the government's decisions for decades to come.

President Trump's summit with Xi Jinping was staged as a reunion between old friends, concluding Friday with a private tour of Zhongnanhai, the Chinese Communist Party's secretive leadership compound.

• Strolling the gardens, Trump declared the blooms around him "the most beautiful roses anyone has ever seen." Xi promised to send him seeds.

Why it matters: The warm public choreography of the past two days has masked a stubborn reality: Nearly every force shaping U.S.-China relations is pulling them apart.

Americans across income levels are flocking to cruise vacations despite economic anxiety and broader travel headwinds.

Why it matters: Cruises are one of the travel industry's most resilient sectors — drawing younger travelers and value-conscious consumers even as other parts of the vacation economy show signs of strain.

The Federal Reserve's annual household survey shows Americans are managing even as their perceptions of the broader economy have collapsed.

Why it matters: The gap between how people feel about their own finances and how they view the national economy remains far wider than pre-pandemic times. That divergence could help explain why consumer spending has chugged along even as other sentiment readings hit record lows.

The good news in Thursday morning's April retail sales report is that the overall numbers are holding up fine. The bad news is that there are early signs of higher energy prices crimping Americans' spending on everything else.

The big picture: One of the great questions for the economy in the months ahead is how much demand destruction there will be from the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and the resulting surge in prices for fuel and other commodities.