5 things to know before the stock market opens on Friday

Happy Friday. Another week, new ownership deals with major league sports teams. Private equity firm Arktos has agreed to buy a 10% stake in the Atlanta Falcons, two people familiar with the matter told CNBC.

Stock futures are rising ahead of the bell as traders look for a rebound from Thursday’s negative day.

Here are five important things investors need to know to start their trading day.

Pressure is mounting on Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent after his department’s efforts to calm the bond market failed to stop Treasury yields from rising. In an exclusive interview with CNBC yesterday, Bessent argued that the Treasury Department has a “big toolkit” it can use to appease bond traders.

Here’s what you need to know:

As CNBC’s Jeff Cox reports, Bessent’s toolkit includes moving to smaller bids and changing the maturity structure of the remaining debt. But Mr. Bessent could usurp the Federal Reserve’s authority and set up new tests for the independence of the central bank and Chairman Kevin Warsh. The Treasury secretary told CNBC that the department’s debt buyback operation could exceed $4 billion, more than the amount announced Wednesday. Still, Mr. Bessent’s comments on Thursday did not cause bond yields to fall, causing stock prices to fall. Dow Jones Industrial Average By the close, it was down 700 points. S&P500 is currently in its worst week in nearly two months. Follow live market updates here.

American brands have long loved China. Chinese consumers don’t necessarily love them.

As CNBC’s Raya Neelakandan writes, nike to general motors The company has struggled to convince consumers that its products are worth the price, and business in the region has declined in recent years. American brands are also losing ground due to geopolitical tensions and competition within China.

Indeed, some US-based companies are bucking this trend. That list includes: lululemon and ralph laurenThe latter announced that its China business grew 40% in the most recent quarter.

The state attorney general is suing to block it. paramount skydance–warner bros discovery There is no easy path to agreement in sight.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in an exclusive interview with CNBC on Thursday that a settlement would require “strong structural remedies.” Bonta, who heads a group of 12 states challenging the merger, also said Paramount appears to be focused on discussing issues that are not at the heart of the antitrust case. Paramount did not respond to CNBC’s request for comment.

“We prefer to resolve cases in the boardroom rather than in court,” Bonta told CNBC’s David Faber. “But for now, we have filed a lawsuit and, you know, we want the focus to be on the actual allegations that we are making in the complaint.”

Vaccination rates are declining in the United States, but that doesn’t necessarily mean anti-vaccine sentiment is widespread.

Many Americans seem to be stuck in the middle ground, as CNBC’s Annika Kim Constantino writes. They are neither pro- nor anti-vaccine, but rather have questions and concerns about vaccination that may make them more susceptible to messages about vaccine safety. “They don’t know who to believe or what to believe, and that means a lot of Americans are caught in the middle, and they’re trying to get their hands on it,” said Drew Altman, CEO and founding president of KFF.

This uncertainty could result in increased public health risks, especially as the Trump administration shakes up the nation’s vaccine policy.

The backlash over artificial intelligence data centers has become a major political issue in races across the country.

For some voters, large-scale facilities are a physical manifestation of AI, which they believe is responsible for rising electricity bills and job losses. Data centers have become a “sleeper problem” during the midterm elections, according to a Tuesday memo from the National Republican Senatorial Committee obtained by CNBC.

Opposition to data centers isn’t just reflected in public opinion polls. As voters headed to the polls in several primary elections Tuesday, two beverage companies released satirical ads about how much water is needed to power their facilities. The ad promised to “send your pee to the AI ​​data center of your choice.”

Here are some articles you may have missed this week.

—CNBC’s Jeff Cox, Matt Peterson, Sean Conlon, Fred Imbert, Raya Neelakandan, Annika Kim Constantino, Lillian Rizzo, Ashley Caputo, Garrett Downs and Jennifer Liu contributed to this report.

Josephine Rozzelle edited this version.