Category: Business


  • Consumer sentiment rebounds slightly after hitting lowest level on record

    Americans still feel lousy about the economy and worry that the US-Israeli war with Iran will continue to push up prices. The University of Michiganโ€™s final consumer sentiment reading for April measured 49.8, a slight improvement from the preliminary report earlier this month but still at the lowest level ever on records that go back to 1952.…

  • Pentagon strikes deals with 7 Big Tech companies after shunning Anthropic

    New York โ€”   The Department of Defense announced Friday an agreement with seven major technology companies to use their artificial intelligence tools in its classified networks. Not included: Anthropic, which the Trump administration has blacklisted over Anthropicโ€™s insistence that the Pentagon include certain safety guardrails for the governmentโ€™s use of AI in warfare. But the White…

  • The Fed subtly signaled that only rate cuts are on the table. Some Fed officials are crying foul

    Washington โ€”   One word in the Federal Reserveโ€™s lengthy policy statement released this week is causing consternation among its officials, some of whom are warning that it could end up costing the US economy. That word is โ€œadditional.โ€ Since the early 2000s, the Fed has signaled if interest rates could increase, decrease or remain unchanged โ€”…

  • It was another wild month for markets. Hereโ€™s what it means for you

    New York โ€”   Markets just had a month of seemingly contradictory results. The S&P 500 just had its best month in nearly six years, even though oil prices have surged back above $100 per barrel and bond yields have climbed. Stocks are forward looking and trying to see past the war with Iran. But energy prices…

  • What oil crisis? Chinaโ€™s EVs are ready to dominate the 21st century

    Beijing โ€”   A sleek SUV offers mechanical foot massages, a luxury minivan has rotating seats to help passengers hop into its third row โ€“ and a surprising proportion of models offer in-car karaoke with professional-grade speakers. Others have headlights that can project movies onto a wall to make anywhere a drive-in cinema. Here, intelligent driving features…