Welcome to Markets Desk, your midday read on the stories moving the needle.
The U.S. economy grew faster than initially thought in the first quarter, with GDP revised up to two point one percent annualized from the prior read of one point six. But don't pop the champagne — economists note the revision was largely driven by inventory builds and a surge in imports ahead of tariffs, neither of which reflects genuine underlying demand.
Shifting to Washington, a federal judge has blocked a key piece of the Trump administration's student loan overhaul, specifically the narrowed definition of professional degrees that would have cut off higher borrowing caps for advanced healthcare programs like nursing. The ruling comes just days before the policy was set to take effect, handing healthcare advocates a significant procedural win, though broader repayment changes remain on track.
And in a move drawing attention in higher education circles, Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington is capping tuition at ten percent of family income — a direct challenge to the opaque financial aid formulas that have left millions of families buried in debt. It is a small school making a loud statement at a moment when the value proposition of a college degree is under serious national scrutiny.
That's the tape. Markets Desk, signing off the floor.
