Bloomington and IU Columbus did their best to look into a crystal ball to predict economic conditions locally, statewide, and for the United States in 2026 during a panel Wednesday.

The U.S. and Southwest Florida economies face uncertainty due to AI investments, trade policies, and a government shutdown.

It has been especially difficult to get a read on the current state of this economy, ever since the government shutdown started last week and agencies in Washington stopped delivering economic data.

Federal Reserve officials signaled concern at their meeting earlier this month that large tariff hikes would push up prices and could risk stoking higher inflation. Policymakers largely agreed that ...