WASHINGTON, May 3 -- The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond issued the following Beige Book on April 23, 2025: * * * Summary of Economic Activity On balance, the Fifth District economy grew mildly in recent weeks. Reports on consumer spending were mixed with some businesses seeing sales pick up as weather improved but others seeing sales decline due to declining consumer confidence and job security fears from federal workers. Residential and commercial real estate activity increased slightly th  more

WASHINGTON, May 3 -- NASA issued the following news release: * * * NASA Balloon Circumnavigates World in 16 Days More than 16 days after lifting off from Wanaka, New Zealand, NASA's football-stadium-sized super pressure balloon has completed its first full circumnavigation of the globe -- a significant milestone for the test flight around the Southern Hemisphere's mid-latitudes. The balloon crossed the 169.24 east longitude line at 7:22 a.m. Saturday, May 3 (U.S. Eastern Time). "I am very pr  more