PepsiCo plans to raise prices on some snacks and drinks and slash corporate costs after a disappointing performance in North America during the third quarter.

The price hikes, which will hit Doritos, Ruffles, SunChips and some sodas, will be in the single-digit percentage range, and prices will still be lower than they were at the start of this year. PepsiCo said Thursday that it must raise prices to recoup rising costs for fuel, aluminum and agricultural commodities.

Many companies, including PepsiCo, have offset rising costs this year by using tariff refunds issued by the U.S. government after the Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s far-reaching global tariffs.

PepsiCo used its $178 million refund to do just that during the most recent quarter, but said that money will not be available in coming quarters.

Yet there are risks for U.S. companies that raise prices in the current economic environment, with so many American households already stretched financially.

Read more [paywall removed for Redditors]: https://fortune.com/2026/10/08/pepsico-price-hike-doritos-ruffles-sodas-178-million-tariff-refund/?utm_source=reddit/

- Household income: Census CPS ASEC via FRED (MEHOINUSA672N), 2025 dollars. Starts 1984.

- Unemployment: BLS Current Population Survey via FRED (UNRATE), yearly average.

- Inflation: BLS CPI-U via FRED (CPIAUCSL), yearly average.

- Poverty: Census Historical Poverty Tables, Table 2.

- Murder: CDC NCHS death records, age-adjusted rate per 100,000. Ends 2024.

- Life expectancy: World Bank via FRED (SPDYNLE00INUSA). Ends 2024.

- Federal debt: Treasury and BEA via FRED (GFDEGDQ188S), year end.

- Removals: DHS Yearbook of Immigration Statistics Table 39, plus DHS monthly tables for FY2024 (preliminary). The counting rules changed in 1997, so later years count more cases.

2026 Nobel Prize in Economics Explained | Hall & Woodford

Why did Robert E. Hall and Michael Woodford win the 2026 Nobel Prize in Economics? How can millions of small decisions by consumers, businesses, and governments shape inflation, unemployment, recessions, and economic recovery?

President Donald Trump says his administration will make one-time payments of $90 per person to help more than 20 million Medicare enrollees pay for their Part B premiums. It will cost about $2 billion.

Less than one-third of all Medicare recipients are eligible for the payments, which are expected to be sent out this week. Not eligible are roughly 35 million Medicare Advantage enrollees, millions of other people with disabilities and low-income Medicare recipients.

The election-year promise that the Republican president made over the weekend comes as the Nov. 3 midterms are fast approaching, with the cost of living and healthcare expenses among the top issues for voters.

Read more [paywall removed for Redditors]: https://fortune.com/2026/10/07/trump-medicare-90-rebate/?utm_source=reddit/

China has increased its gold purchases every month for nearly two years.

The stockpiling comes as Hong Kong plans to become a global gold trading hub, with support for yuan-denominated transactions.

It's the latest sign of diversification away from the U.S. dollar.

October 12, 2026

My neighborhood is usually bustling with decorations for the holidays. Now, only about 10% of the homes are decorated. Guess it’s a sign of the troubling economy.

Why two Americans just won the Nobel Prize for their work on economic stability - The Wall Street Journal