** OpenAI’s ChatGPT expands directly into Walmart shopping while humanoid robotics attracts massive funding. Discover how Trump administration policies created Vietnam’s newest billionaire and reshaped global manufacturing patterns amid ongoing trade tensions.
Government Shutdown Disrupts Economic Data Flow
The ongoing government shutdown has surpassed the two-week mark, creating significant gaps in economic reporting. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has suspended most data releases, leaving investors and policymakers without crucial indicators about growth, inflation, and employment trends. While alternative metrics like ADP’s private sector employment reports and unconventional indicators such as the “Big Mac Index” for purchasing power comparisons or the “Lipstick Effect” tracking small luxury purchases during downturns provide some insight, they cannot fully replace official government statistics that drive critical financial decisions.