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CNBC Finance

Kimmel says interview with Senate candidate Talarico won't air on ABC amid FCC threats

Jimmy Kimmel, the late-night talk show host with Disney-owned ABC, is taking some precautions in the face of scrutiny by the Federal Communications Commission. Kimmel said on Wednesday night that he will not air an interview with Democratic U.S. Senate candidate James Talarico on national television. The interview will air on YouTube on Thursday instead. "For some reason, and I can't seem to figure out what that reason is, something has changed," Kimmel said during his Wednesday night broadcast. "Now that [Trump] is president, his FCC has threatened me, threatened our show, threatened our network, ABC, our affiliates, our local stations, based on simple, traditional editorial decisions." He added that the decision not to broadcast the interview on TV is "out of consideration" for ABC affiliates who he said would have to "deal with this nonsense" of FCC scrutiny. "In the America we live in right now, that is the best we can do, until November, of course," Kimmel said. Talarico, a Texas state representative, is locked in a tight Senate race against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who's gotten an endorsement from President Donald Trump. Public polling has shown Talarico slightly ahead of Paxton, a controversial figure in Texas who was impeached by the state House of Representatives over allegations of corruption. He was acquitted by the state Senate. In January, the FCC called into question whether TV talk shows are "bona fide" news programs and are therefore exempt from equal airtime rules for political candidates. "The View," another ABC program, has faced similar scrutiny from the FCC. Kimmel said Wednesday that he has been interviewing political candidates, including Trump himself, for years. Kimmel's show has become a lightning rod for debates around broadcasting rights, First Amendment protections and government intervention. Last year, ABC-affiliate station owners opted not to air "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" after comments he made during a monologue following the killing of Charlie Kirk. ABC suspended the show for roughly a week, and Kimmel later said, "It was never my intention to make light of the murder of a young man." In April, the FCC launched an early renewal process for ABC-owned stations, citing an investigation into the company's diversity, equity and inclusion practices. ABC filed the license renewals, but in August it sued the agency over First Amendment concerns, calling its investigation into the company a "retaliatory campaign."

Kimmel says interview with Senate candidate Talarico won't air on ABC amid FCC threats
North America
CNBC Economy

Wholesale prices rose 0.4% in August, as expected

U.S. wholesale prices rose in August, according to a report Thursday that could play a key role in the Federal Reserve's upcoming interest rate decision. The producer price index, a measure of final demand costs for goods and services, increased a seasonally adjusted 0.4% for the month, in line with the Dow Jones consensus, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. On an annual basis, that put the PPI at 5.4%, still well above the Fed's 2% inflation target and 0.1 percentage point higher than expected. The PPI rose 0.1% in July, a slight upward revision from the original estimate of no change. Excluding food and energy, the core PPI accelerated by 0.2%, against the forecast for a 0.3% increase. Core less trade services, another volatile category, was up 0.3%, in line with estimates. Stock market futures were negative following the report, the release of which coincided with U.S. crude oil prices topping $100 a barrel. Treasury yields moved sharply higher, with the 10-year note hitting its highest since November 2023. "Net, net, today's PPI inflation report does nothing to turn down the warnings about the inflation threats the economy faces, especially if you are an inflation hawk with an itchy trigger finger at the Federal Reserve," wrote Chris Rupkey, chief economist at Fwdbonds. Energy prices in particular and goods prices overall were responsible for most of the PPI increase. Final demand energy prices rose 4.2%, pushed largely by soaring diesel, which surged 24.1%. Goods prices broadly increased 1.1%. Services prices were up just 0.1%, with a 2.3% increase in transportation and warehousing accounting for much of that move. Portfolio management costs, a closely watched metric in the PPI calculations, fell 1.6% for the month but were still up 18.8% from a year ago. There were further signs of pipeline pressures: Processed goods prices increased 1.8% while unprocessed goods accelerated 1.1%. The report comes less than a week before central bankers will release their decision on interest rates. A separate report, the consumer price index, will be out Friday. CPI is expected to show a headline annual inflation rate of 3.4%, though core is expected at 2.4%. Both BLS measures feed into the Fed's primary inflation gauge, the personal consumption expenditures price index, though that will not be released until later in the month, and after next week's policy meeting.

Wholesale prices rose 0.4% in August, as expected
North America
CNBC Finance

Macy's posts strong results, raises guidance as turnaround begins to take hold

Macy's on Thursday posted growth across the company in its second fiscal quarter and raised its guidance as it continues its turnaround. The retailer said overall comparable sales rose 2.7% for the quarter, with comparable sales for its namesake brand up 1.1%. The company said that growth was largely driven by its so-called reimagined stores, locations it has revamped as one of the focuses of its turnaround. Macy's said its higher-end store line Bloomingdale's saw an 11.3% increase in comparable sales, while beauty brand Bluemercury was up 6.2%. "I think it's a different Macy's Inc. today," CEO Tony Spring told CNBC. "We're in a healthier position. We're catering to our customers while we're also becoming a more interesting investment option for our shareholders." Spring added that Bloomingdale's has seen success by "doing innovative things" to remain "accessible and very differentiated" for a higher-end consumer. On the other side, Spring said the overhauled Macy's stores have had better assortments, more customer assistance and stronger displays of merchandise to help improve the experience. The company also raised its full-year guidance and now projects net sales to be between $21.68 billion and $21.83 billion, compared to a prior expectation of between $21.5 billion and $21.75 billion. It also raised its comparable sales outlook range from between 0.5% and 1.2% growth to a 1% to 1.5% increase. Macy's hiked its full-year earnings per share outlook to a range of $2.15 to $2.35, up from $2 to $2.20. It said that included a roughly 5 cent per share bump from tariff repayments it will apply to its bottom line. The retailer reported that it has received a total of $116 million in tariff refunds, and will invest most of that — about $96 million — in the customer experience and its turnaround plan. Spring said Macy's would rather put the money toward long-term improvements than temporary price reductions, a step some retailers have taken to cater to cash-strapped shoppers. "There is great value being offered across all of our nameplates, and we just really wanted to make sure that the reinvestment of the tariff refunds were things that were beyond one-time benefits that really had lasting power to support the overarching intent of our strategy," Spring told CNBC. He added that the company is holding back a small portion of those refunds due to uncertainty around fuel costs to make sure Macy's is "not surprised by anything else." The company reported net income of $169 million, or 62 cents per share, compared to $87 million, or 31 cents per share, the year prior. Adjusting for one-time items, Macy's reported earnings per share of 40 cents. Sales rose to roughly $4.87 billion, up just slightly from $4.81 billion the year prior.

Macy's posts strong results, raises guidance as turnaround begins to take hold
North America
CNBC Finance

NFL's Roger Goodell is playing the international long game ahead of league's Australia debut

MELBOURNE, Australia — The NFL is making history this week with its first-ever regular-season game in Australia, but Commissioner Roger Goodell is already thinking well into the future. "Whether it's media, or whether it's labor, or whether it's our international plans or what we're doing with stadiums, all of that [requires] taking a 5-, 10-, 15-year look, and it's critical to do that," Goodell said in an exclusive interview with CNBC here ahead of the Week 1 game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams, set to kick off Thursday night at 8:35 pm ET. Earlier this month, Goodell, 67, signed a four-year contract extension that will keep him as the league's commissioner until March 2031. This year marks Goodell's 20th season on the job. He has overseen significant growth and change for the most popular U.S. sports league, including the addition of a 17th regular season game and its sale of media rights to streaming platforms. But no change may factor more into his long-term plans than adding recent regular-season games in a range of countries from Germany and France to Brazil and Mexico. NFL games are routinely the most-watched programming in the U.S., but international interest is still sparse. Last year's Week 1 international game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Chargers — streamed on YouTube — was watched by 18.5 million viewers in the U.S. and just 1.2 million abroad. Goodell's global growth plans include playing nine games outside of the U.S. in 2026 and 10 international contests in 2027. He's previously said he'd like to get that number to 16, but he'll need player buy-in to do so. The league's current collective bargaining agreement caps the number of international games at 10. The CBA expires in March 2031 — aligning with Goodell's contract. International travel can be disruptive to players who rely on routines to maximize their health and limit injuries over the course of a 17-game regular season. Still, Goodell said he believes players enjoy the global games. "I think they see the opportunity. I get calls, texts from our players during the offseason, and they're all over the world, so I think this generation of players is used to being international," said Goodell. "I think they're used to looking at opportunities to continue to grow their brands, and I think it's great for the NFL." The league's international strategy is predicated on holistic growth that goes beyond playing a once-a-year game in a certain city, said Goodell. It's unclear how much flying into an international city for a week to play a game moves the needle for sustained fandom. The league is relying on its Global Markets Program to build interest around the world. Each team owns the marketing rights to at least one international market. The NFL is still tweaking the program to maximize ways to build fan bases in countries without natural alliances to teams, Goodell said. "You don't want to be at the circus to come in and play a game and leave," he said. "You want to have events and sponsors and media partners. I think we'll continue to modify [the Global Markets Program], but I think it's worked well."

NFL's Roger Goodell is playing the international long game ahead of league's Australia debut
Europe
The Guardian

The Odyssey and Spider-Man propel record-breaking summer box office worldwide

Hollywood’s Chinese theatre during opening weekend of The Odyssey in July. Photograph: AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC ImagesView image in fullscreenHollywood’s Chinese theatre during opening weekend of The Odyssey in July. Photograph: AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC ImagesFilm industryThe Odyssey and Spider-Man propel record-breaking summer box office worldwideThe biggest May to September of all time was recorded in US cinemas, with the UK enjoying a 56% rise in audiences, outstripped by an 88% lift in the Middle East and Africa As well as celebrating their wedding, the actors Tom Holland and Zendaya have something else to toast: their two summer blockbusters – The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day – have officially made box office history. The films were credited as the driving force behind the US’s biggest summer season of all time, taking $4.761bn (£3.51bn) from 1 May-7 September, beating 2013’s $4.756bn. Spider-Man is currently on $2.4bn worldwide and likely to climb higher, while The Odyssey has made $1.6bn. Other key titles driving sales include Toy Story 5, Michael and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, all of which have grossed over $1bn. The breadth of the success of Destin Daniel Cretton’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day was a particular surprise. The film is the best-performing of the year so far and the third highest-grossing film of all time. Its opening weekend was the second-best of all time behind Avengers: Endgame (2019) and it is also the second-fastest film to gross $1bn, doing so in six days. Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, meanwhile, is the highest-grossing “original” movie of the year, despite its adaptation from Homer’s epic poem. Low-budget original horror movies Backrooms ($394m) and Obsession ($513m) have also helped re-energise the box office. Sequels and spinoffs accounted for many of the underperformers, including Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu ($345.4m) , Supergirl ($126.4m) and Minions & Monsters ($518.1m – around half of 2022’s Minions: The Rise of Gru). Meanwhile, August cinema admissions in the UK rose 56% year-on-year to over 17m, according to the UK Cinema Association, signalling the biggest August since 2018 and the second-best performing month since July 2023, when Barbie and Oppenheimer opened together. Such an uptick is dwarfed by the picture in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, which saw an 88% year-on-year lift, according to Gower Street and the International Union of Cinemas. France’s 19.9m August admissions was the best number recorded during that month since records began 46 years ago, and marked a 50% increase from 2025. Italian cinemas recorded their best-ever June-August period, with 20.8m admissions and a take of €162.3m, as well as their best ever August. Spain saw a 71% year-on-year increase, while the Netherlands recorded a 77% lift.

The Odyssey and Spider-Man propel record-breaking summer box office worldwide
Europe
BBC Business

England's mayors to be given power to introduce tourist tax

Image source, Getty ImagesByJack Fenwick, Political correspondent, Ewan Somerville, Political reporter and Chris GrahamPublished10 September 2026, 03:19 BSTUpdated 57 minutes agoMayors in England are to be given the power to introduce an overnight visitor levy on tourists, under plans being announced by the government later. Local leaders would be allowed to bring in an uncapped levy, dubbed a "tourist tax", as a percentage of the cost of hotels, bed and breakfasts and other types of accommodation rather than a flat fee. Hospitality leaders have warned "jobs are now at risk" because of the proposals and that families holidaying in England would feel the pinch. But ministers are said to believe mayors are unlikely to make it too expensive with budget holidays protected by the fact it is not a flat fee. The idea was first raised under former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in November and is similar to schemes running in Scotland and European destinations. The government will announce more details after the Housing Secretary Angela Rayner meets mayors virtually at No 10 North on Thursday afternoon. Under the proposals, local leaders would decide how the revenue raised should be reinvested. A government source said "it will be up to local leaders and local voters" in England "to decide what is right for their area". But it means a holiday in England could become more expensive if local leaders decide to implement the tax. Leading trade body UKHospitality has hit back at the proposals, warning they are "not going to be painless". Its chief executive Allen Simpson claimed it would add about £100 to £120 on average to the cost of a family holiday in England, amid fears mayors would make use of the fact there is, in theory, no upper limit for the levy. "We know, don't we, that local government is struggling for funds - it was hit very hard by austerity," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

England's mayors to be given power to introduce tourist tax
Europe
BBC Business

Air traffic chaos and compensation: 'Shutdown cost us more than £1,000'

Catie and Phil Allen should have been enjoying their first holiday in two-and-a-half years. Instead, they are at home ringing round for refunds that won't be paid. The couple are among the many thousands of air passengers caught up in the chaos caused by the four-hour shutdown of the UK's air traffic control system on Tuesday. It means their holiday to Slovenia has been cancelled and - although their flight was refunded by British Airways - they estimate being left £1,300 out of pocket from unused accommodation and excursions. It's not the first time - and won't be the last - when passengers are left flying on a wing and a prayer after problems at UK airports. So, here is how their case relates to others, and why they have taken such a big hit. Catie, 30, and Phil, 34, were sat on a British Airways flight to Ljubljana on Tuesday that never took off. If a flight is cancelled, airlines must get customers to their destination as quickly as possible at no extra cost, even if it is with a rival carrier. Alternatively, passengers can take a refund, which should also be offered for flight delays of more than five hours. In Catie and Phil's case, the alternative flight offered would not have arrived until Saturday morning - four days into their week-long holiday. So they took the refund. That was not easy. The chatbot only seemed to allow them to rebook, and it took more than an hour waiting to speak to BA on the phone before the refund was confirmed. It will take a week to be paid. When airlines are at fault, extra compensation is paid under UK and EU rules. But not this time, because the air traffic control issues were beyond airlines' control. Even so, airlines themselves are furious that they have been saddled with a bill of millions of pounds. BA also refunded the couple's car hire, which had been organised through the airline. The problem for the couple was that they had booked accommodation and excursions separately, and that is money they have lost. The hotel stays, booked separately, have their own terms and conditions and cancelling so late meant there were no refunds. One explained to Catie that they were a family business that could not afford to do so.

Air traffic chaos and compensation: 'Shutdown cost us more than £1,000'
Europe
BBC Business

Primark finally set to launch home deliveries

Image source, PA MediaPublished10 September 2026, 08:15 BSTUpdated 1 hour agoPrimark has said it plans to launch a home delivery service in Britain, four years after it made its first foray into e-commerce. The retailer did not say when it expects to launch the service, but it has bought a warehouse in Sheffield from to enable it to ship products to homes. The company said there was "opportunity for profitable growth" through home deliveries, which could help boost trade after Primark reported subdued sales following the recent hot weather. Analysts said the decision to offer home delivery after years of resistance - including through the pandemic - indicated that Primark was facing major challenges from ultra-fast-fashion brands such as Shein. Primark did not sell goods online until 2022, when it launched a click-and-collect service which meant shoppers still had to travel to pick up their purchases. Associated British Foods (ABF), which owns Primark, said the fashion chain would "continue to grow click and collect and... will in the future offer home delivery in Great Britain". ABF predicts Primark's UK sales will grow by about 1% in the fourth quarter of the year. But like-for-like sales - a key metric in the retail industry, which strips out the impact of store openings and closures - are expected to be "broadly flat" in the UK, and fall 3% across its global operations. It said sales of autumn/winter clothing started later than normal due to the hot weather in the summer, but "trading was stronger when the weather cooled towards the end of the quarter". The fast-fashion chain is struggling to compete with brands such as Shein and Boohoo, as well as alternative platforms such as TikTok Shop and Vinted, and in July said it was lowering prices on hundreds of clothing items. Retail analyst Julie Palmer said that "Primark has been playing catch up for years" and launching home deliveries "is as much about defence as growth". She told BBC News that "the real test" for the brand is whether it can make home deliveries profitable at the low prices customers have come to expect from fast fashion chains. "Shein and Vinted have already reset customer expectations on convenience," she said, adding that a "slick and effective returns policy" will also be key.

Primark finally set to launch home deliveries
North America
CNBC Finance

What a historic summer box office reveals about massive shifts in the theatrical industry

The domestic box office tallied $4.76 billion in ticket sales during the period between May 1 and Sept. 7, the highest haul in cinematic history. The key moviegoing season, which starts the first weekend in May and runs through Labor Day weekend, is a pivotal piece of the theatrical calendar, typically responsible for 40% of the total annual domestic box office. The previous summer record was cemented in 2013 when films including Disney and Marvel's "Iron Man 3," Illumination's "Despicable Me 2," Warner Bros.' "Man of Steel," Pixar's "Monsters University" and Universal's "Fast & Furious 6" led the period to $4.75 billion. The 2026 season was boosted by Sony's "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" and Universal's "The Odyssey," which together contributed more than $1.5 billion to the summer tally, or more than 30%. It was also helped by an extra week of ticket sales. In 2013, the summer began on May 3 and ended Sept. 2, a period that was seven days shorter. "This should be a blueprint for future summers," said Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends at Rentrak. "One movie should not have to carry an entire season. You need the event pictures, the family films, the breakout surprises, and the independent films working together to keep people coming back. This summer showed what that combination can deliver." The summer 2026 box office ended nearly 10% ahead of 2019, according to data from Rentrak, the year before Covid shutdowns hamstrung ticket sales and before streaming took a bite out of moviegoing in earnest. This strong showing has positioned the 2026 year-to-date haul to be just 7.5%, or $595 million, behind that pre-pandemic marker and reaffirmed box office analysts' predictions that the full-year box office can top $10 billion for the first time in seven years. Heading into the summer movie season, 2026 lagged behind 2019 by 24%, or about $830 million in sales, according to Rentrak. While this year's box office is making gains, the figures don't tell the full story. Cinema operators, studios and analysts are celebrating the strong summer, citing a return to pre-pandemic normalcy, but industry dynamics have shifted. The post-pandemic era in the theatrical space has been defined by fewer screens, fewer moviegoers and fewer movies.

What a historic summer box office reveals about massive shifts in the theatrical industry