What goes up apparently keeps going up – Momentum stocks are having a big September—in the US, they’re up 8% so far this month, on track for their best monthly gains since March 2020. Year to date, momentum stocks have gained 10.5%, outpacing value and low-volatility names, which have lagged sharply. (Source: Sherwood News, as of 9/22/25)

We’re all fine here, now, how are you? – Small-business confidence jumped to its highest level since 2017, with 40% of owners saying the US economy is in good health—up from 34% last quarter. Still, inflation is keeping optimism in check, with nearly half of respondents (46%) calling it their biggest challenge for the 15th quarter in a row. (Source: Axios)

Reminds me of my 600 square foot apartment – Hamburger Helper is regaining popularity and helping families cope with inflation. Sales of the flavored pasta mix are up 14.5% in the year through August, as are sales of other foods commonly purchased during financially tough times, including rice, beans, and boxes of mac and cheese. (Source: The New York Times)

Know your wage – The new $100,000 fee on H-1B visas may have an outsized impact on the tech industry, which heavily uses the program to bring in foreign professionals. Amazon has the most H-1B hires by far, with more than 12,000, but investment banks and even Wal-Mart are also in the top-10 Fortune 500 companies with the most H-1B employees. (Source: Forbes)

Fifth time’s the charm – France has its fifth prime minister in two years. The new prime minister, Sebastien Lecornu, pledged to find creative ways to pass a debt-slimming budget while also promising new policy directions. President Emmanuel Macron picked Lecornu, a loyalist, because he’s unlikely to derail his pro-business economic agenda. (Source: Reuters)

But what about the cafeteria food? – Hospitals could see annual revenue losses of up to $25 billion through Medicaid losses stemming from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The law cuts about $1 trillion from Medicaid over the next decade, making it the largest reduction in the program’s history. (Sources: Kodiak Solutions, Becker’s Hospital Review)

Maybe they're born with it, maybe it's Maybelline – For the 55th year in a row, Japan has set a new record for centenarians, reaching nearly 100,000 people age 100 or older. Their longevity is credited to the nation’s healthy diets, active lifestyles, and successful public health campaigns. Women make up an overwhelming 88% of their centenarians. (Source: BBC)

Men are from Mars, but women are going there, too – For the first time in NASA's history, the latest astronaut candidate class includes more women than men (six to four). Roughly 8,000 people applied to join the agency's 10-person group, and those selected are scientists, pilots, engineers, and ex-military. They will train for two years to support future flight missions to low Earth orbit, the Moon, and Mars. (Source: NASA)

All that cardio for touring paid off – Pop singer Harry Styles ran the Berlin Marathon in under three hours, a coveted achievement among distance runners. The 31-year-old former member of One Direction was among 55,000 runners taking part in the race on what's widely regarded as the fastest marathon course in the world. (Source: ESPN)

First robots came for your jobs, now for your entertainment – Major League Baseball's 11-man competition committee approved the use of the automated ball/strike system in the major leagues in 2026. Human plate umpires will still call balls and strikes, but teams can challenge two calls per game and get additional appeals in extra innings. (Source: ESPN)