The kids are alright – Consumer confidence rose in February, but most of the gains were driven by Gen Z and younger millennials under the age of 35. Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, and the Silent Generation remain concerned about affordability and inflation as trade policy continues to shift. (Sources: Fortune and The Conference Board)

That’s a whole lot of zeros – In the wake of the Supreme Court overturning tariffs, more than 1,800 companies have filed suit against the US government to get refunds on what they spent on tariffs in 2025. The US Treasury collected more than $130 billion from import taxes based on the 2025 tariffs, which companies are requesting back to reinvest in their operations. (Source: The Wall Street Journal)

The robots are looking sus – US investors shifting away from pure AI plays and into so-called “HALO” companies: businesses with heavy assets and low obsolescence that investors see as largely immune to AI disruption. As money rotates out of tech, capital is flowing toward factory owners, fast-food operators, and commodity producers seen as better-positioned to withstand rapid tech shifts. (Source: The Wall Street Journal)

Prime in its prime – For the first time, Amazon has surpassed Walmart as the world’s largest company by annual revenue, posting $716.9 billion vs. Walmart’s $713.2 billion in its most recent fiscal year. Amazon first overtook Walmart in quarterly sales about a year ago, and the gap continues to widen as the two take different paths on AI—Amazon ramping up internal AI investment, while Walmart leans more heavily on technology partnerships. (Source: CNBC)

Go on then, dazzle us – Despite a tight labor market, employee engagement has continued to decline since the pandemic, which ended a decade-long growth stretch. Less than a third of employees said they were "actively engaged" at work in 2025. Older millennials have shown the largest decline in engagement, citing fewer opportunities for growth and not feeling that companies care about them as people. (Source: Gallup)

Almost had to play the wrap-up music – President Donald Trump's 2026 State of the Union speech was the longest address to Congress on record, lasting 108 minutes. He beat his own record from the 2025 address, which lasted 100 minutes. The median length of a State of the Union is about 45 minutes, though recent ones have been longer, especially since the Clinton era. (Source: Axios)

Dust off those binoculars – Birdwatching may do more than sharpen your eyesight—it could also strengthen your brain. A new study found that expert birders had denser brain tissue in areas linked to attention, memory, and visual perception, with benefits seen even among older adults. Researchers say the mentally demanding mix of observation, pattern recognition, and recall involved in birding may help support cognitive health across the lifespan. (Source: NBC News)

Not so supreme after all, Timmy – Sports dramedy "Marty Supreme" tied an unfortunate record at the BAFTA awards—the most losses in a single night. The movie was nominated for 11 awards and didn't win a single one of them, an unwelcome distinction it now shares with 1969's "Women in Love" and 2004's "Finding Neverland." (Source: Variety)

When in doubt, sell more variants – Taylor Swift dominated the vinyl market last year, with “The Life of a Showgirl” selling five times as many records as the second-best-selling album. US vinyl sales rose for the 19th consecutive year, climbing nearly 10%, driven in large part by Swift’s latest release. Her expansive rollout helped fuel demand, with 27 different physical variants offered. (Source: Sherwood News)

Ciao, Winter Olympics, see you in 2030 – The Milan Cortina Winter Olympics captivated US audiences, averaging 23.5 million viewers and becoming the most-watched Winter Games since 2014, with viewership up 96% compared with Beijing four years earlier. Norway topped the final medal counts with 41 total medals, followed by the US in second (33) and the Netherlands in third (20). (Sources: ESPN and Olympics)