There's just no stopping the stock market, no matter how hard anyone tries. No matter the news out of Washington or the slow start to the year economically, the market just keeps humming along.
This week brings an interesting smattering of news for investors to digest, each with its own potential imprint.
The jobs picture
Investors are still trying to figure out what happened in March, when payrolls grew a scant 98,000 and fell way below what the market expected. That came even though the unemployment rate dropped to 4.5 percent.
On Friday, we'll learn whether that was a one-off in which bad storms during the month held down employment, or if the big gains in January and February were just a mirage.
This is important because much of the market's enthusiasm is based on the potential of a resurgent economy. A bad jobs number for April would be a buzzkill.
Up in the air
You've heard all the talk about air travel and overbookings and passengers being dragged off planes by their arms. Now Congress is going to hear about it, too.
On Tuesday, the House Transportation Committee will meet to hear testimony on airline customer-service issues. The panel will hear from both airline employees and consumers with stories to tell.
On Thursday, the Senate Commerce subcommittee on aviation operations, safety and security will hold a similar hearing, focusing specifically on the removal of United passenger Dr. David Dao.
These hearings can get pretty dramatic, and an issue as contentious as flying should be good for lots of emotional testimony.
Dao recently settled with United after a video a fellow passenger shot of him being pulled off an overbooked flight went viral and sparked a major debate over shoddy passenger treatment by airlines.
What else is up in Washington
President Donald Trump and his deputies shook up the markets last week with a tax cut plan that was big on promises and short on details. Investors should be watching carefully for any more intel on how the plan will be executed and paid for.
Meanwhile, there's that little business of a government shutdown to keep an eye on.
Congress figured out a way to keep the doors open for another week, but that only lasts until Friday. The market's been pretty patient so far with Washington shenanigans, but shutting down the government could be a bit much.
Zuck looking for some likes
Of the many companies that will report quarterly profits this week, none will be more important than Facebook.
The ubiquitous social network is set to report on Wednesday, and CEO Mark Zuckerberg no doubt is hoping things go well.
Facebook likely earned $1.12 per share to start the year on $7.83 billion in revenue.
Interest in rates
The Fed meets this week and is not expected to raise interest rates.
That means that your credit-card bill and adjustable-rate loans won't be going up anytime soon. After hiking in March, there's no way the Fed will move again in May.
However, there could be more insight into when the central bank will move next. As things stand now, the market is expecting another quarter-point hike in June.
Stay tuned.