Stocks clawed back some ground Friday but still logged a losing week, with all eyes now on Kevin Warsh's first Jackson Hole symposium next week and a September rate cut priced near 85%. Bitcoin ripped past $75,000 for its best week in more than two years. Anthropic showed Claude designing working protein binders at double the industry hit rate, and Nevada cleared thousands of robotaxis for Las Vegas. At Fenway, Rafael Devers homered in his return but the Red Sox won anyway, and back home, Governor Ayotte came out for a data center moratorium while Loudon braces for NASCAR weekend.
Bitcoin jumped past $75,000 Friday, up nearly 20% on the week, its biggest weekly gain since March 2024. The rally kicked off after the Treasury said it would buy back more long-term debt, and fresh White House pressure for crypto legislation added fuel. Ethereum climbed alongside it.
Willson Contreras hit a 450-foot three-run homer over the Green Monster and the Red Sox held off the Giants 6-4 Friday night in Rafael Devers' first game back at Fenway since the trade. Devers heard boos and cheers, then answered with a solo homer, his 26th. Sonny Gray improved to 16-3 and Aroldis Chapman closed for his 28th save, with Boston now 68-59 and holding a healthy lead for a playoff spot.
Anthropic published wet-lab results showing Claude designed protein binders that worked against 14 of 15 targets, with hit rates of 22% to 35% versus a typical 10% to 15% for the field. Claude ran most of the design workflow itself through Anthropic's research platform, with Adaptyv Bio and Twist Bioscience handling the physical lab work. For a builder, it is a clear sign that general-purpose models wired to specialist tools can run real scientific pipelines end to end.
Governor Kelly Ayotte said Friday she would support a moratorium on data centers in New Hampshire, arguing they make no sense right now on energy, environment, or location. She cited ISO New England's view that the region can absorb maybe one modest data center without pushing up electric rates. That is a notable stance for anyone in NH watching both their power bill and the AI buildout.
The S&P 500, Dow, and Nasdaq all finished higher Friday, recovering part of a rough stretch driven by a volatile Treasury market. The bounce was not enough to save the week: the S&P 500 lost about 1.4% and the Dow posted back-to-back weekly losses. For an MNQ trader, the tape is choppy and headline-driven heading into a heavy Fed week.
The Fed's Jackson Hole symposium runs August 27 to 29, the first under new Chair Kevin Warsh. Markets are pricing roughly an 85% chance of a rate cut at the September meeting, so every word from Warsh will get parsed for confirmation. This is the single biggest scheduled risk event for index futures over the next week.
Nevada's transportation regulator unanimously approved paid robotaxi service for Tesla, Uber, and Waymo in Clark County, home to Las Vegas. The permits allow up to 7,000 self-driving vehicles within a year, with Tesla authorized for as many as 5,000, a huge jump from its earlier 10-car interim permit. Taxi groups opposed the move over congestion and oversaturation concerns.
Reports Friday said Anthropic is laying groundwork for what could become one of the largest initial public offerings ever, potentially matching or topping SpaceX's record public debut. It lands as AI infrastructure spending is turning into its own asset class, with Broadcom, Blackstone, and Apollo already structuring financing around Anthropic's compute buildout. For anyone building on Claude, a public Anthropic would mean more capital behind the platform and more scrutiny of it.
The IRS guidance implementing the no-tax-on-overtime deduction is live, and the compliance burden sits on employers. For 2026, restaurants must separately report qualified overtime using the new Code TT in Box 12 of the W-2 so workers can claim deductions up to $12,500 single or $25,000 joint. Payroll taxes still apply, this only changes the worker's income tax bill. For Bobola's, it is worth a call to the payroll provider to confirm the W-2 coding is set.
Taco Bell rolled out three caffeinated energy drinks nationwide, each with 120 milligrams of caffeine, priced at $3.99 to $4.49. It is the latest big chain chasing beverage margins, which run far higher than food. Independent operators should notice the pattern: drinks are where the chains are hunting profit right now.
Fresh industry data shows quick-service traffic fell 1.4% year over year in July while net sales rose 1.4%, the seventh straight month of sales growth. Average check climbed 2.5% against a 2.3% price increase, meaning guests are buying slightly more per visit even as a third of Americans say they are spending less at restaurants. Fewer visits with bigger orders is the pattern for a family restaurant to plan around.
Jayson Tatum joined head coach Joe Mazzulla for a boxing workout as he builds toward the 2026-27 season, his first full year back from the torn Achilles that limited him to 16 games last season. With Jaylen Brown now in Philadelphia and Paul George in green, Tatum returns as the clear first option. How his legs hold up is the whole ballgame for Boston's season win total.
Nevada's Gaming Commission approved a $7.2 million fine against The Venetian for failing to stop convicted illegal bookmaker Mathew Bowyer, who deposited roughly $22.3 million across 30 visits even after telling a casino host what he did for a living. Bowyer's activity has now cost four Strip operators a combined $34 million in fines. For bettors, it is another sign regulators are squeezing the illegal book pipeline that fed the Ohtani interpreter scandal.
The state is rolling out traffic controls Saturday and Sunday for the NASCAR Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, with more than 15,000 cars and 42,000 spectators expected in Loudon. The Cup race runs Sunday, August 23, with practice and support racing Saturday. Race weekend traffic ripples down through the whole Merrimack Valley, and it is a strong weekend for any restaurant on the routes north.
Nashua and Hudson police say eight more suspects tied to July drug investigations have been arrested, including several charged in connection with running drug dens in the Gate City. It continues a summer-long enforcement push across the two towns.