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J. Edward Moreno

Vaccine stocks are tumbling on news of RFK Jr. nomination to lead HHS

Vaccine makers saw their stocks dip on Thursday following the news that President-elect Trump has nominated Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.

Kennedy is known for many things, including being a staunch vaccine skeptic. On no other news, stock prices for Moderna and Pfizer, the two companies that make the Covid-19 vaccine, fell 5.6% and 2.6%, respectively. Novavax, which makes a different kind of Covid-19 vaccine, is down 7%.

Kennedy, who ran an unsuccessful campaign as a third-party candidate, is the founder of the nonprofit Children’s Health Defense, an organization lobbying against vaccines and fluoridation of tap water, among other issues. As head of HHS, Kennedy would be in charge of an agency that typically gives government contracts to vaccine makers.

Scientists, including those at HHS, overwhelmingly agree that vaccines on the market are safe and effective at stopping the spread of disease.

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Family Watching Baseball On Tv

Netflix and Disney+ probably only added ad-tier subscribers this year, says Morgan Stanley

As streaming prices climb, ad-free subscribers are becoming a rarity.

Max Knoblauch12/18/25
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J. Edward Moreno12/17/25
Aldi Grand Opening

Discount stores are having a moment in America, drawing high- and low-income consumers alike

Everyone loves a deal in 2025 — and Aldi, Walmart, and Dollar Tree are all cashing in.

Millie Giles12/17/25
business
Max Knoblauch

Report: OpenAI won’t pay a dime in cash for its 3-year licensing deal for Disney IP

More financial details behind the landmark deal that will grant OpenAI three years of access to Disney intellectual property are coming out, and they’re pretty surprising.

The deal will reportedly see OpenAI pay zero dollars in licensing fees, instead compensating Disney in stock warrants. It was previously reported that Disney would invest $1 billion into OpenAI as part of the agreement.

It’s very abnormal for Disney to grant anyone access to its massive IP library without a cash payment, and the entertainment juggernaut has been known to strike down even crocheted Etsy Yodas for infringing on its turf. In its fiscal year 2025, Disney booked more than $10 billion in revenue from licensing fees across merchandising, television, and theatrical distribution.

OpenAI Deal to License Disney Characters Is Entirely in Stock

OpenAI Deal to License Disney Characters Is Entirely in Stock

It’s very abnormal for Disney to grant anyone access to its massive IP library without a cash payment, and the entertainment juggernaut has been known to strike down even crocheted Etsy Yodas for infringing on its turf. In its fiscal year 2025, Disney booked more than $10 billion in revenue from licensing fees across merchandising, television, and theatrical distribution.

business
Max Knoblauch

Ford says it will take $19.5 billion in charges in a massive EV write-down

The EV business has marked a long stretch of losing for Ford, and today the automaker announced it will take $19.5 billion in charges tied, for the most part, to its EV division.

Ford said it’s launching a battery energy storage business, leveraging battery plants in Kentucky and Michigan to “provide solutions for energy infrastructure and growing data center demand.”

According to Ford, the changes will drive Ford’s electrified division to profitability by 2029. The company will stop making its electric F-150, the Lightning, and instead shift to an “extended-range electric vehicle” that includes a gas-powered generator.

The Detroit automaker also raised its adjusted earnings before interest and taxes outlook to “about $7 billion” from a range of $6 billion to $6.5 billion.

Ford’s write-down is one of the largest taken by a company as legacy automakers scale back on EVs, giving EV-only automakers a market share boost.

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