The U.S. Department of Transportation has eased restrictions on Mexican airlines launching new routes from Mexico City's two principal airports, after Mexico took steps to address a long-running aviation dispute, Reuters reported October 16. The restrictions had followed U.S. complaints about Mexico's compliance with a 2015 bilateral air transport agreement; an earlier Transportation Department order affected 13 routes. The new action does not eliminate every oversight requirement: carriers still face schedule filings and approvals for certain operations, and other related orders remain. The change could improve cross-border air connections, but passengers should not assume that any specific flight will begin until an airline announces and secures the necessary approvals.

Restaurant visits are falling across income groups. The consequences are spreading to businesses that supply the dining industry.

U.S. business activity continued expanding in October, although the pace eased from September, according to S&P Global's October 23 flash survey. The composite output index fell to 57.6 from 58.4, remaining well above the 50 threshold separating expansion from contraction. New orders strengthened even as manufacturers and service providers reported persistent price pressures. Reuters reported that the output-price index rose to 59.8, its highest since August 2022, and input costs remained elevated at 64.9. The combination complicates an easy reading of the economy: businesses can be busy and still face rising costs that make customers more cautious. These are survey diffusion indexes, not official GDP growth rates or direct measurements of price inflation. The next test is whether demand stays strong as those costs reach households.