By Alex Stark
AI dominates the news stream. It seems to have its reach into just about everything. One of the big questions now is – Are We in an AI Bubble? And what exactly does that mean for the future? Ben Thompson, whom I follow, is an excellent resource on questions like this. He writes about industry and the economy on his site, Stratechery. It’s excellent.
He recently started turning his web pieces into videos. This one, ‘The Benefits of Bubbles,’ is a good watch/listen.
In the CPG space, industry experts have now had time to weigh in on the recent news about Kimberly-Clark’s acquisition of Kenvue. Most are bullish on the merger. RealClearHealth summed up its position by stating that this strategic combination will benefit consumers:
The Kimberly-Clark/Kenvue transaction fits that pattern. It combines two well-established American companies with strong track records of compliance, safety, and consumer trust.
And the beat goes on in U.S. transportation. Trucking, often regarded as a bellwether for the country’s overall economic well-being, appears to be stuck in second gear. According to the monthly transportation report from Cass Information Systems (as reported by FreightWaves), volumes in October have “plunged” and are some of the worst monthly numbers since 2009. Cass reports that November 2025 is on track to be 10% off from November 2024.
Number of the Week
1.6%
The decrease in traffic to restaurants so far this year; market-research firm Black Box Intelligence expects further declines in 2026. To attract customers amid inflation and a shaky job market, eatery chains are turning to promotional deals, spiffing up decor, improving their service, and introducing new menu items.
Source: WSJ (11/14/2025)
Bonus: (to take your mind off some of the not-so-great news)…here’s a quick, fun fact from the incomparable Neil deGrasse Tyson. This is his take on explaining wormholes and black holes.
Neil deGrasse Tyson Explains Wormholes and Black holes
Remember, it costs nothing to be kind.
