Morning Business Report: Trump boosts American Eagle, Claire’s nears bankruptcy, and fake studies plague scientific journals

American Eagle Outfitters stock surged 24% Monday after President Donald Trump praised the company's latest ad campaign featuring actress Sydney Sweeney.

(LILAMAX)- American Eagle Outfitters stock surged 24% Monday after President Donald Trump praised the company’s latest ad campaign featuring actress Sydney Sweeney. Trump called it the “hottest ad out there” and said American Eagle jeans are “flying off the shelves.” Analysts warn, however, that the true test for the retailer will come during the critical back-to-school shopping season.

Meanwhile, another mall staple may be nearing collapse. According to Bloomberg, Claire’s has missed rent payments for its stores in both June and July, signaling growing financial distress. The accessories retailer has long relied on low-cost jewelry from China, and its current cash flow struggles may soon push the company toward bankruptcy.

Major U.S. stock indexes jumped more than 1% to start the week, with the Dow recovering all of its losses from Friday. Investors showed renewed appetite for a broad range of equities—from utilities to meme stocks.

The Wall Street Journal reports a troubling trend in academic publishing: so-called “paper mills” are selling fake research papers to scientists looking to pad their publishing credentials. These fraudulent studies are ending up in legitimate scientific journals, overwhelming editors and, in some cases, forcing retractions of thousands of published papers. The problem threatens the credibility of journals once viewed as gold standards of scientific integrity.

President Trump announced plans to “substantially” increase tariffs on India, accusing the country of bolstering Russia’s economy by buying and reselling Russian oil. The new tariff rate has not been finalized but is expected to exceed the 25% already under consideration.