Markets Weigh Business Strength Against Consumer Weakness

Published on August 26, 2026

Equity markets stumbled this week despite an economic backdrop that continues to show signs of broadening. While concerns about consumer strain are mounting, those worries have so far been offset by ongoing strength in business investment, particularly spending tied to artificial intelligence (AI).

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Markets Hold Firm as Inflation Risks Build

August 26, 2026
Markets continue to hold up remarkably well as we move through the traditionally difficult second half of August, but the risks beneath the surface have shifted. Commodity prices are rising, money growth remains stronger than I would like, and long-term interest rates are again testing important levels.

US Department of Labor cites Pennsylvania brick manufacturer for willfully exposing workers to silica hazards, proposes $496K in fines

August 26, 2026
WATSONTOWN, PA – The U.S. Department of Labor has cited a brick manufacturer with three willful and four serious violations for knowingly exposing its workers to unsafe levels of respirable silica dust at its Watsontown plant.On Feb. 12, 2026, investigators with the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspected General Shale Brick Inc. – doing business as Watsontown Brick Co