Morning Business Report: Government shutdown threat, Amazon Prime changes, EA buyout

A looming government shutdown is raising new concerns for both Wall Street and Main Street.

(LILAMAX)- A looming government shutdown is raising new concerns for both Wall Street and Main Street. Historically, shutdowns have had little effect on the stock market. But this time could be different, as President Donald Trump has threatened to make some of the federal furloughs permanent — potentially creating longer-term economic impacts. A prolonged shutdown could also delay the release of key economic data, including Friday’s closely watched jobs report.

Meanwhile, Amazon is making a major change for some of its members. The retail giant confirmed it is ending the Prime Invitee program, which allowed members to share free shipping benefits. The 16-year-old program will be discontinued Wednesday, Oct. 1. Customers who were invited under the program will lose access to Prime delivery.

On Wall Street, stocks gained ground Monday despite the shutdown threat. Energy shares lagged as oil prices dropped, making the sector the worst performer of the day.

In gaming, Electronic Arts (EA) has agreed to the largest leveraged buyout in U.S. history. Investors — including Saudi Arabia’s Private Investment Fund — are taking over the company behind Battlefield and Madden NFL. EA has been seeking new growth as gamers increasingly favor free-to-play franchises with continuous updates over expensive new titles that can cost $80 or more.

And finally, new research suggests the pandemic-era norm of “powering through” illness is losing its luster. A Talker Research survey for Zipfizz found 31% of Americans no longer see showing up sick to work as admirable. Only a quarter believe it still impresses bosses, and while 21% admitted to attending work or social events while ill in the past year, most said they worry when others come in visibly sick.