Current with Christine Romans – Aug. 7 | NBC News NOW

Labor Market and Economic Trends - The U.S. economy shed 23 thousand jobs in July, marking the first labor force contraction since February[4][5] - The national unemployment rate ticked down to 4.1 percent due to Americans leaving the labor force rather than job growth[4] - Wage growth came in at 3.2 percent on a yearly basis, while inflation stood at 3.5 percent, eroding consumer purchasing power[6][7] - Over 2 million people have left the labor force since November due to retirements, lower immigration, and discouraged workers[12][13][14] Big Tech Regulation and Legal Actions - A New Mexico court ordered Meta to pay 567 million dollars, bringing total penalties and damages to nearly 1 billion dollars for failing to protect children online[15][138][140] - Meta faces extensive legal challenges, including upcoming lawsuits from 29 states in a federal court in Oakland regarding child safety and mental health addictions[16][17][145] Healthcare and Food Safety Outbreaks - Dual multistate outbreaks of Cyclospora and Salmonella across nearly every state have been linked to imported Mexican vegetables, which account for 63 percent of U.S. vegetable imports[45][49][50] - The FDA inspects only 2 percent of all imported food products due to limited testing resources, raising food safety concerns[51] - Michigan reported over 12 thousand cases of Cyclospora this summer before cases finally began to decline, allowing the state to lift its bagged salad ban[52][53] Energy and Commodity Markets - The ongoing conflict with Iran has severely disrupted the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world's oil supply flows, creating global supply chain and energy price pressures[165] - U.S. President Trump acknowledged that the supply of certain powerful U.S. military munitions is getting tight, requiring daily replenishment[41][42] Media and Entertainment Industry - The domestic box office experienced record-breaking sales, with the new Spider-Man movie outperforming Avengers: Endgame's previous record by opening to 360 million dollars[258]