Economy of the United States

Republican Greg Dolezal and Democrat Josh McLaurin, both Georgia state senators, met in an Atlanta televised debate ahead of the lieutenant governor race. Dolezal called property taxes an unfair burden and criticized state subsidies for data centers, while touting the Georgia Promise Scholarship Program's reach among lower-income and Black families. McLaurin defended his bipartisan record, warned that eliminating property taxes would gut local services, and said communities need more control over data center growth given its strain on power and water. The two also traded accusations over public safety votes, with McLaurin framing his positions as constitutional pushback. Early voting runs through Oct. 30, with Election Day set for Nov. 3.

The Gellert Global Group, a New Jersey-based importer of Canadian cheese, has filed suit in the U.S. Court of International Trade challenging President Trump's use of Section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930 to impose 50% tariffs on roughly $20 billion in Canadian goods. The dormant, Depression-era statute had never before been used in a trade dispute. Trump invoked it in August over alleged Canadian discrimination against U.S. dairy, auto, and alcohol exports, triggering retaliatory tariffs from Ottawa and a later outright ban on nearly $1 billion in Canadian products. The Liberty Justice Center, representing Gellert, argues newer trade laws superseded this authority, following its earlier Supreme Court win against other Trump tariffs. The White House says it will vigorously defend the measure.

Elkhart County, Indiana — home to more than 80% of the world's RV production and long viewed as a bellwether for the national economy — is showing signs of softening after a pandemic-era boom. Manufacturing makes up more than half of the metro area's workforce, and a New York Times analysis found roughly a quarter of local jobs sit in industries targeted by early retaliatory tariffs. Community leaders are split on the effect of President Trump's tariff policy: some, including the local economic development CEO, say tariffs are pushing manufacturers to reshore supply chains, while others, including a local factory worker running for county council and the county GOP's vice chair, say tariffs and higher costs have dampened RV demand, contributing to layoffs, facility closures, and consolidation. An RV manufacturer in Bristol is set to close in September, cutting 105 jobs.

Beyond tariffs, the county is investing state redevelopment funds to retain young workers and has drawn a diverse, immigrant-heavy workforce. Politically, local leaders describe unusual bipartisan cooperation, even as tension grows with state government over property tax legislation ahead of the coming election.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has publicly pushed back on Paramount Skydance's tactics in the antitrust suit over its $111 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, calling a recent motion to force a $1.88 billion bond onto taxpayers a sign of "desperation" and dismissing threats to relocate Paramount out of California as ineffective pressure. Bonta, who leads 12 state attorneys general suing to block the merger ahead of a March trial, said he remains open to settlement talks but only through "structural," not "behavioral," remedies — such as divesting cable channels rather than pledging future theatrical output.

Bonta noted some shifting positions among stakeholders, with the DGA, IATSE and Cinema United now favoring settlement, though WGA, SAG-AFTRA and the Teamsters still oppose the deal. He said Governor Newsom and gubernatorial candidate Xavier Becerra's comments favoring negotiation align with his own preference to resolve disputes outside court, while insisting the case remains a straightforward antitrust matter unaffected by press-freedom concerns over CNN or CBS News ownership. Arizona lawmakers continue to scrutinize taxpayer exposure from the bond dispute.