Consumer prices rose in January, before Iran War added price pressures
Economic growth was slower at the end of 2025 than data first showed and inflationary pressures persisted at the start of this year, a troubling snapshot of an economy on unsteady footing before war with Iran upended oil and financial markets. Consumer prices increased moderately in January, the Federal Reserve’s...
When DOGE unleashed ChatGPT on the humanities
When the Trump administration went looking last spring for National Endowment for the Humanities grants to cut, it turned to a familiar scourge of professors: ChatGPT. Last March, two employees from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency arrived at the agency with the mandate of canceling previously approved grants that...
What the Live Nation settlement would mean for concertgoers — and why some say it isn’t enough
NEW YORK — Live Nation and the U.S. government announced a deal this week that they say would give artists and venues more choice when it comes to selling concert tickets to music fans. But critics say meaningful changes are far from guaranteed. It’s no secret that buying concert tickets...
Oil jumps to $100 per barrel and stocks sink worldwide with no clear end in sight for the Iran war
NEW YORK — With no clear end in sight, the war with Iran sent oil prices back to $100 per barrel on Thursday, and stocks sank worldwide. The S&P 500 fell 1.5% and resumed its sharp swings following a couple days of relative calm. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped...
Mortgage rates rise as Iran war ripples through financial markets
Mortgage rates in the United States are rising again, ending — for the time being — a decline that had offered hope to homebuyers struggling to afford housing. The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rate in the United States rose to 6.11%, mortgage-financing giant Freddie Mac said Thursday, the second week...
Running on rage bait: Young conservatives in Florida are fascinated by James Fishback
The crowd on the back patio of the sports pub milled about anxiously. Some 200 or so Floridians, many in their teens and early 20s, had been drawn to this nondescript Miami ale house, on a weeknight in February, by the algorithm. From Instagram to X to TikTok, they had...
Rising fuel costs pressure airlines and truckersVideo
The surge in fuel prices because of the war in Iran is starting to put significant pressure on airlines, truckers and the public. The conflict has effectively frozen shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a conduit for about one-fifth of the world’s oil. President Donald Trump’s statement Monday that the...
Stocks hold steadier as Wall Street waits for the next signal on how long war with Iran might last
NEW YORK — The U.S. stock market held steadier Tuesday as Wall Street waited for the next signal on when the war with Iran may end. The S&P 500 dipped 0.2%, a day after its latest wild swings caused by extreme moves in the oil market. The Dow Jones Industrial...
U.S. solar installations fell in 2025 as Trump attacked clean energy
Solar power installations declined in the United States last year, as the Trump administration sought to impede the growth of renewable energy, according to an industry report released Tuesday. Solar energy maintained its position as the largest source of new electricity generation added to the electric grid, but the amount...
U.S. stocks erase a big early loss and rise after oil prices whip from nearly $120 back below $90Video
NEW YORK — The U.S. stock market careened through a manic Monday, going from a steep early loss to a solid gain as worries turned into hope that the war with Iran may not last that long. Oil prices whipped from nearly $120 per barrel, their highest since 2022, back...
Energy prices soar to levels not seen in years as Iran names new supreme leader and digs in
Oil prices spiked near $120 per barrel before falling back Monday as the Iran war intensified, threatening production and shipping in the Middle East and pummeling financial markets. The price for a barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, surged to $119.50 per barrel early in the day but later...
Japan’s Nikkei 225 share index falls more than 6% as oil soars over $100 a barrel
BANGKOK — Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index plunged more than 7% early Monday and other Asian markets also tumbled after oil prices soared to about $114 a barrel due to disruptions from the war in the Middle East, casting a shadow over economies heavily dependent on imported crude and gas...
Crude oil prices surpass $100 a barrel as the Iran war impedes production and shipping
CHICAGO — Oil prices eclipsed $114 per barrel for the first time since 2022 on Monday as the Iran war intensified, threatening production and shipping in the Middle East. The price for a barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, surged past $114 after trading resumed on the Chicago Mercantile...
After a president-filled celebration, Rev. Jesse Jackson’s family gathers for an intimate homegoing
CHICAGO — A day after former presidents, sitting governors and local Chicago residents alike attended a vibrant, televised celebration for the late Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., the family and friends who knew him best hosted a more intimate gathering Saturday to grieve the civil rights leader at his organization’s headquarters....
Average long-term mortgage rate ticks up to 6%, ending 3-week slide
The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate came off its lowest level in three and a half years this week, as bond yields marched higher following a spike in oil prices because of the war with Iran. The benchmark 30-year fixed rate mortgage rate ticked up to 6% from 5.98% last...
Stocks drop after oil spikes to its highest price since the summer of 2024
NEW YORK — Stocks sank Thursday on Wall Street when the price of oil spiked to its highest level since the summer of 2024 because of the war with Iran. The S&P 500 fell 0.6% and erased what had been a small gain for the year so far. The Dow...
U.S. automakers risk being reduced to niche producers of gas vehicles
Perhaps no business needs certainty more than the auto industry. It usually takes at least four years to design a new model and bring it to market, requiring carmakers to divine what buyers will find appealing by the time the vehicles reach showrooms. Yet industry veterans say they can’t remember...
Oil prices rise sharply in market trading after attacks in Middle East disrupt global energy supply
NEW YORK — Oil prices rose sharply when market trading began Sunday, as U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran and retaliatory strikes against Israel and U.S. military installations around the Gulf sent disruptions through the global energy supply chain. Traders were betting the supply of oil from Iran and elsewhere...
Target will stop selling cereals with synthetic colors by end of May
Target will stop selling cereals containing synthetic colors by the end of May. The Minneapolis-based discounter said Friday it had been phasing out synthetic colors in cereals for several years. Right now, 85% of its cereal sales already come from products made without synthetic dyes. Target said it has worked...
Burger King testing AI headsets that will know if employees say ‘welcome’ or ‘thank you’
Burger King is testing AI-powered headsets that can recite recipes, alert managers when inventories are low and even track how friendly employees are to customers. Restaurant Brands International – the Miami-based company that owns Burger King, Popeyes and other brands – said Thursday it’s currently testing the OpenAI-powered headsets in...
Warner Bros gets a higher offer from Paramount in heated fight for the storied Hollywood studio
NEW YORK — Warner Bros. Discovery said that Paramount has raised the price of its takeover offer to $31 per share, potentially setting the stage for a fresh bidding war with Netflix over the future of the Hollywood giant. The company previously offered $30 per share when it first went...
ICE officer training is ‘deficient’ and ‘broken,’ former agency lawyer tells congressional forum
WASHINGTON — A former U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement lawyer who was responsible for training new deportation officers warned Monday that the agency’s training program for new recruits is “deficient, defective and broken.” Ryan Schwank’s comments during a forum held by congressional Democrats come at a time of intense scrutiny...
U.S. trade deficit declined in 2025, but gap for goods hits a record despite Trump tariffsVideo
WASHINGTON — The U.S. trade deficit slipped modestly in 2025, a year in which President Donald Trump upended global commerce by slapping double digit tariffs on imports from most countries. But the gap in the trade of goods such as machinery and aircraft — the main focus of Trump’s protectionist...
Tariffs paid by midsize U.S. companies tripled last year, a JPMorganChase Institute study shows
WASHINGTON — Tariffs paid by midsize U.S. businesses tripled over the course of past year, new research tied to one of America’s leading banks showed on Thursday — more evidence that President Donald Trump ‘s push to charge higher taxes on imports is causing economic disruption. The additional taxes have...
Warren Buffett’s company invests in the New York Times 6 years after he sold all his newspapers
OMAHA, Neb. — Five years after Warren Buffett sold off all of Berkshire Hathaway’s newspapers and predicted unending declines for most of the industry, Berkshire disclosed a new $350 million investment in the New York Times on Tuesday. The somewhat surprising move highlighted the quarterly update Berkshire filed with the...
