Chris Dobstaff

Pittsburgh

Associate Editor, Newsletters at Forbes

Associate Editor of Newsletters at Forbes. Big fan of collecting records and Blu-Rays. Formerly: @mcclatchy @slotribune @DJNF

Articles

Forbes Daily: Americans Keep Spending Despite Low Consumer Confidence

1 week ago | forbes.com | Chris Dobstaff

Tariff uncertainty and an unstable stock market are weighing on U.S. consumer confidence—it’s down more than 30% since December. But that doesn’t mean Americans have stopped spending money. March data from the U.S. Census Bureau reveals that most retail segments posted growth for the month, with auto dealers getting the biggest bump—up 9.2% as consumers rushed to buy cars before tariffs went into effect.
Forbes Daily: Nvidia Chooses Texas As Its U.S. Supercomputer Base

1 week ago | forbes.com | Chris Dobstaff

With a record 3,028 people around the globe on Forbes’ most recent World’s Billionaires List—with a collective worth of $16.1 trillion—it’s clear that the richest people in the world are wealthier and more influential than ever. This week, Forbes will host a members-exclusive conversation, “Behind The Billions: Inside The Forbes Billionaires List,”diving into what we can learn from the super-rich and why tracking how the world’s wealthiest amass their fortunes is more important than ever.
As Trump Targets Car Imports, Investors Raise Concerns

4 weeks ago | forbes.com | Chris Dobstaff

Opening Day is music to the ears of baseball fans—and Major League Baseball’s owners are likely pretty giddy themselves. The value of MLB’s 30 teams continues to rise, hitting an average of $2.6 billion in 2024, an 8% increase from last season. Leading the pack is the New York Yankees, who have led the ranking of baseball’s most valuable clubs every year since Forbes started the list in 1998 and are now worth an estimated $8.2 billion.
Academy Awards Preview: A Look At The Money Behind The Movies

1 month ago | forbes.com | Chris Dobstaff

As the stars descend upon Los Angeles for the 97th Academy Awards on Sunday, Hollywood’s most prominent names will once again come face-to-face with the movie business’ shifting landscape. On the surface, much will be familiar about this year’s ceremony. First-time host Conan O’Brien is part of a long line of comedians to MC the Oscars, including fellow late-night legend Jimmy Kimmel, who has hosted the show a total of four times.
Forbes Daily: Trump’s Busy First Day In Office Signals New Priorities

Jan 21, 2025 | forbes.com | Chris Dobstaff

Good morning,American retailers are starting the new year strong after U.S. consumers exceeded expectations for holiday retail shopping at the end of 2024. Sales for November and December grew an “unexpectedly high” 4% over 2023, hitting a record $994.1 billion, according to the National Retail Federation—with online and non-store retailers leading the industry. However, NRF’s chief economist says that American consumers “remain budget conscious” entering 2025.
Forbes Daily: A New Trump Era Dawns In Washington

Jan 20, 2025 | forbes.com | Chris Dobstaff

Good morning,Later today, Donald Trump will be sworn in as the 47th president of the United States—becoming just the second person in U.S. history to serve non-consecutive terms in the White House. In this special Inauguration Day edition of Forbes Daily, we’ll outline what readers need to know in terms of Wall Street’s expectations of Trump, the president-elect’s policy positions on key issues, and just what an “External Revenue Service” would do.
Forbes Daily: Digging Into Profits From Beyond The Grave

Oct 30, 2024 | forbes.com | Chris Dobstaff

Good morning,Happy Halloween from Forbes! 🎃 On this spookiest of holidays, we thought it would be fun to brew up something a little different for you in today’s edition of the Forbes Daily. To get in the spirit of the day, we pulled together a newsletter with some of our favorite creepy reporting from Forbes. From the business of witchcraft on Etsy to the grim—and lucrative—reality of catastrophe bonds, our journalists have covered some disconcerting subjects in the past year.
Forbes Daily: S&P 500 Hits New High On Strong Bank Earnings

Oct 14, 2024 | forbes.com | Chris Dobstaff

Good morning,Even though marijuana is legal in 38 states, the drug’s status at the federal level means most banks and payment processors have policies forbidding them from working with cannabis companies. That means an industry that is expected to generate nearly $35 billion in sales this year is forced to do business mostly in cash. That’s where Kevin Hart—no relation to the comedian—saw an opportunity.
Curious About AI? Supercharge Your Productivity With AI Life Hacks

Oct 2, 2024 | forbes.com | Chris Dobstaff

Whether you’re aware of it or not, artificial intelligence is changing the way modern society works—with seemingly new applications for the technology announced on a daily basis. Some of the world’s brightest business minds are now using AI to make corporate America more efficient, modernize healthcare’s most costly treatments and even shake up financial management for startups. But you don’t have to be an entrepreneur or computer whiz to harness the power of AI.
Forbes Daily: Supreme Court’s Immunity Answer Raises New Questions

Jul 2, 2024 | forbes.com | Chris Dobstaff

Good morning,A “Google Maps” for bacteria in the gut could be the key to more effective cancer treatments. Immunotherapies are increasingly being used for cancer patients, but in some cases, a patient’s gut microbiome can prevent them from being successful. Startup Kanvas Biosciences’ technology tracks and labels specific interactions between the bacteria and immune cells in a patient’s gut, which the company aims to use to improve cancer treatments.