Consumer confidence, as assessed by The Conference Board, grew steadily the past few months. But in December, the index fell 7%. One likely driver? Agita over President-elect Donald Trump’s tariff proposal. Also in this episode: The Senate passes a pricey bill to fix a decades-old Social Security issue, President Joe Biden announces an investigation into China’s trade practices for chips, and we check in with an Asheville business recovering from Hurricane Helene.

New research from the University of Washington found businesses owned by women and people of color are charged higher rates for loans, costing about $8 billion a year more in interest payments than their white counterparts. Also in this episode, some energy sector updates: Growing global coal demand is powered by data centers and industrialization, and a new Gulf Coast hydrogen hub aims to reduce the carbon footprint of the region’s oil refineries.

Amazon is reportedly postponing a return to in-person work for a portion of its staff due to insufficient office space. It’s not alone. For the first time since the pandemic began, office real estate may be heating up. Also in this episode: Exports, particularly in the electronics sector, drive GDP growth, Chinese importers of U.S. goods prep for retaliatory tariffs and insurers push back against “nuclear” verdicts in personal injury cases.