Retail sales unchanged November to December

Shoppers unexpectedly paused their spending in December from November, closing out the holiday shopping season and the year on a lackluster tone.

The report, issued by the Commerce Department on Tuesday, surprised economists who were looking for growth despite mounting concerns about a slowing job growth, uncertainty about President Donald Trump’s tariffs and other economic headwinds. And it raised questions about shoppers’ ability to spend after they have remained resilient for months despite souring consumer confidence, economists said.

Honda reports declining profit as tariffs hit results

Honda has reported a 42% drop in profit for the nine months through December compared to a year earlier. U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs are hurting the Japanese automaker’s earnings.

Tokyo-based Honda said Tuesday that its profit over the three quarters totaled 465.4 billion yen. That’s down from 805.2 billion yen. That marked the second straight year that profit declined during the period at Honda.

US stocks drift to a mixed finish as yields fall

Stocks drifted to a mixed finish after flirting with record highs. The S&P 500 fell 0.3% Tuesday after briefly rising above its all-time high, which was set a couple weeks ago.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.1% to its own record, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.6%. The action was stronger in the bond market, where Treasury yields sank following a discouraging report on how much money U.S. retailers made in December.

Survey: Democracies’ efforts are slipping

Established democracies’ efforts against public-sector corruption appear to be flagging, according to a survey that serves as a barometer of perceived corruption worldwide.

It raised concern about developments in the United States and the impact elsewhere of U.S. funding cuts. Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index for 2025 gave top place to Denmark, with 89 out of 100, followed by Finland and Singapore. At the bottom were South Sudan and Somalia with nine points apiece, followed by Venezuela. The U.S. scored its worst yet under the current methodology, raising concerns about the use of public office to target independent voices and the weakening of anti-corruption laws.

Paramount sweetens offer for WB shareholders

Paramount is intensifying its efforts to take over Warner Bros. Discovery. On Tuesday, the company offered Warner shareholders an added “ticking fee” if the deal doesn’t close by year-end.

Paramount also pledged to fund Warner’s proposed $2.8 billion breakup payout to Netflix under their merger agreement. Paramount’s offer otherwise remains at the same price of $30 per share in cash. Paramount aims to buy Warner for $77.9 billion but needs more shareholder support — and is again extending the deadline for its tender offer, which is now March 2. Meanwhile, Warner’s leadership has continued to back its $72 billion studio and streaming deal with Netflix.

Activists want license plate readers removed

More than two dozen privacy groups are urging California Governor Gavin Newsom to remove covert license plate readers in southern California.

The Associated Press has reported that such devices feed data into a U.S. Border Patrol intelligence program that scans roadways for suspicious travel patterns. The nonprofits Electronic Frontier Foundation, Imperial Valley Equity and Justice and other organizations sent a letter Tuesday asking for an investigation and removal of these devices.