Business & Markets — September 23, 2026

DoorDash settles for $131.5 million. DoorDash agreed to pay $131.5 million in a settlement with New York City's consumer protection agency. More than $115 million goes to roughly 264,000 underpaid delivery workers.

According to Fast Company, more than $115 million of the total is earmarked directly for delivery workers the city says were underpaid, which works out to an average of roughly $435 per person across the approximately 264,000 workers covered. The remainder of the $131.5 million goes to other components of the agreement. The case was brought by New York City's consumer protection agency, which oversees pay rules for app-based delivery workers.

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Fed's Barkin sees possible inflation decline. Richmond Fed President Thomas Barkin said inflation could ease "in short order." But he cautioned prices may stay elevated during the Iran war -- one week after the Fed's rate hike.

The timing gives the remarks added weight: they came one week after the central bank raised rates, according to The Hill, offering an early read on how at least one regional Fed president views the path ahead. Barkin described himself as open to inflation declining quickly while flagging a countervailing risk, the Iran war, that could keep prices elevated, underscoring the conflicting pressures policymakers are weighing between easing inflation and geopolitical shocks.

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Analysts warn diesel export ban could backfire. President Trump backs a temporary ban on U.S. diesel exports to ease record fuel prices; analysts warn the move could shrink supply and push prices higher.

The proposal is framed as a response to record fuel prices, with the administration betting that keeping U.S. diesel at home would provide relief. But MarketWatch reports analysts see a risk the policy achieves the opposite of its goal: rather than lowering costs, restricting exports could tighten available supply and drive prices higher still. The disagreement sets up a test of whether export limits can deliver the price relief the White House expects.

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Bitcoin hits 2026 high. Bitcoin has gained nearly 50% since its slump a few months ago, reaching its highest level of the year and prompting talk that the 2026 crypto winter is thawing.

The Washington Examiner notes the roughly 50% rebound is measured from bitcoin's slump a few months earlier, and the new peak is the currency's highest point since the start of the year rather than an all-time record. The recovery has nonetheless fueled speculation that the downturn dubbed the 2026 crypto winter may be ending, a shift in sentiment after months in which the market languished.

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