Oil prices have surged past $90 a barrel, marking the largest weekly gain since the Covid-19 pandemic, as the conflict in Iran disrupts Middle East energy markets. Brent crude reached $91.89 on Friday, up more than 25% since the U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran, fueled by storage limits in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. Concerns over Gulf energy exports have escalated after Iranian drone attacks … Continue reading Iran war pushes oil price above $90, threatening rise in global inflation

The U.S. economy lost 92,000 jobs in February, falling short of expectations, as severe winter weather and a Kaiser Permanente strike disrupted hiring, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported. The unemployment rate edged up to 4.4%, while long-term unemployment rose to 25.7 weeks—the highest since December 2021. Key sectors such as health care, information services, manufacturing, and government saw job losses, though wages rose 0.4% … Continue reading U.S. payrolls unexpectedly fell by 92,000 in February

More Americans are tapping into their retirement savings for emergencies, with 6% of Vanguard-administered 401(k) participants taking hardship withdrawals in 2025, up from 4.8% in 2024 and a pre-pandemic average of 2%. The top reasons were avoiding foreclosure or eviction and covering medical expenses, with a median withdrawal of $1,900. The increase reflects expanded withdrawal rules, more automatic 401(k) enrollment, and the growing importance of … Continue reading Record Numbers of Workers Are Raiding Their 401(k) Savings

Donald Trump on Tuesday accused the banking industry of undermining the stablecoin framework created by the GENIUS Act, which he signed into law last year. The dispute centers on a provision that banks say leaves a loophole allowing third-party companies to offer rewards to stablecoin holders, which they argue should be addressed in new crypto legislation. That broader bill, known as the Clarity Act, aims … Continue reading Trump slams banks over crypto bill holdup, urges Congress to pass act ‘ASAP’

Target announced it will invest an additional $2 billion this year to remodel stores, open 30 new locations, enhance staffing and training, and expand technology as it works to reverse declining sales. Speaking at the company’s Minneapolis headquarters, new CEO Michael Fiddelke outlined plans to refresh merchandise in key categories like fashion, home and food, including launching a Target Beauty Studio concept in 600 stores. … Continue reading Target to invest $2 billion more in AI, stores and staffing

U.S. stocks rebounded Wednesday after two volatile days, with the S&P 500 rising 0.8%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 301 points, and the Nasdaq Composite gaining 1.3%. Markets stabilized as oil prices eased, with Brent crude slipping to about $80.88 per barrel and U.S. crude falling to $74.14, after earlier spikes driven by the Iran war. Encouraging economic reports showing stronger business growth and … Continue reading US stocks rebound after strong economic updates and an easing of oil prices

Gold is drawing renewed interest as a safe-haven investment amid escalating Middle East tensions, though financial advisors caution it should remain a limited part of a diversified portfolio. Prices have surged recently following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran, with gold up roughly 23% this year after a strong 2025, and some analysts forecasting further gains. Experts note, however, that gold can be volatile and has experienced … Continue reading Gold price jumps on Middle East turmoil

U.S. stocks rebounded Monday as investors brushed off fears that U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran would significantly disrupt oil supplies. The S&P 500 rose 3 points to 6,882, the Nasdaq gained 0.4%, and the Dow slipped 0.2% after recovering from earlier losses. Oil prices surged, with Brent crude jumping over 6% to $77.74 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate rising 6.3% to $71.23. Analysts warned the … Continue reading Stocks rebound after earlier drop on concerns about Iran

Amazon Web Services (AWS) said two of its data centers in the United Arab Emirates and one facility in Bahrain were damaged by drone strikes on Sunday, taking them offline. The company said the attacks, tied to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, caused structural damage, power disruptions, and fire-related water damage. Services including Amazon EC2, Amazon S3, and Amazon DynamoDB experienced elevated error … Continue reading Amazon says drone strikes damaged 3 facilities in UAE and Bahrain

Stocks fell sharply on Friday after January’s producer price index came in hotter than expected, signaling persistent inflation. The Dow dropped 616 points (1.2%), the S&P 500 fell 0.7%, and the Nasdaq lost 1.2%, continuing a weak February for all major indices. Tech and software stocks were hit hard, with Zscaler down 13%, CoreWeave down 19%, and Nvidia extending its post-earnings slide. Financial and private … Continue reading Dow tumbles 600 points after hot inflation report

OpenAI announced a record-breaking $110 billion funding round on Friday, more than doubling its previous raise from last year and valuing the company at $730 billion. Major investors include Amazon ($50 billion), Nvidia ($30 billion), and SoftBank ($30 billion), with additional investors expected to join. Amazon also announced a multiyear strategic partnership, expanding its existing $38 billion AWS deal by $100 billion over eight years … Continue reading OpenAI announces $110 billion funding round

Netflix shares surged over 9% after the company withdrew from the bidding war with Paramount Skydance for Warner Bros Discovery’s studio and streaming assets. Netflix declined to match Paramount’s $31-per-share offer, maintaining its previous $27.75 bid, citing the deal as “no longer financially attractive.” Investors welcomed the decision, seeing it as a disciplined move that allows Netflix to refocus on its core business rather than … Continue reading Netflix shares jump 9% as investors back Warner Bros withdrawal

Ford is recalling over 4.3 million pickup trucks and SUVs from model years 2021–2026 due to a software issue that can cause trailer brakes and turn signals to fail. The recall affects F-150s, Super Duty trucks, Rangers, Expeditions, Mavericks, Lincoln Navigators, and 2026 Transit vehicles, with drivers seeing a “Trailer Brake Module Fault” warning if the problem occurs. Ford will provide over-the-air updates starting March … Continue reading Ford recalls over 4.3 million vehicles over software issue

The U.S. Treasury is moving to cut MBaer Merchant Bank AG, a small Swiss bank, off from the U.S. financial system over alleged support for Iranian and Russian actors. The bank, founded in 2018 with roughly $245 million in assets, is accused of funneling over $100 million through U.S. banks for criminals, including Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Russian actors. Treasury’s proposed regulation would … Continue reading US moves to cut off a Swiss bank over alleged Iran and Russia money flows

U.S. mortgage rates have dropped below 6% for the first time since September 2022, with the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at 5.98%, according to Freddie Mac. The decline follows Federal Reserve rate cuts and a $200 billion mortgage-backed securities purchase ordered by former President Donald Trump, which has allowed lenders to offer slightly lower rates. While rates are still far above pandemic lows of around … Continue reading Mortgage rates fall below 6% for the first time in years

Spirit Airlines unveiled a plan in U.S. Bankruptcy Court to slim down its operations, focusing on high-demand routes and peak travel periods while expanding premium-class seating to remain competitive. The airline will concentrate flights from major hubs in Florida, New York, and Detroit, cut underperforming routes, and reduce operations in Latin America, while increasing aircraft utilization during busy times. Spirit plans to shrink its Airbus fleet, reduce costs by $5.5 … Continue reading Spirit Airlines plans to slash flights, fleet in bid to emerge from bankruptcy

Asian and Australian markets surged to record highs Wednesday, following a tech-driven rally on Wall Street amid easing concerns about AI-related disruption. Japan’s Nikkei 225 jumped over 2% to 58,583.12, while South Korea’s Kospi topped 6,000 for the first time, closing at 6,083.86; Taiwan’s benchmark hit a five-day record high. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 rose 1.17%, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng and China’s CSI 300 also advanced. U.S. equities gained overnight, led … Continue reading South Korea and Japan stocks hit fresh highs amid regional gains

Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) said Paramount Skydance (PSKY) has raised its takeover bid to $31 per share, up from $30, in a proposal that could surpass WBD’s existing deal with Netflix. WBD is reviewing the revised offer, which is all cash and includes a $7 billion breakup fee if regulators block the merger, plus a $2.8 billion fee to cover Netflix if that deal is abandoned. The board has … Continue reading WBD says Paramount raised its bid to $31 per share

European stocks are expected to open lower Monday as markets react to President Donald Trump’s announcement of a new 15% global tariff, up from his previous 10% levy. The U.K.’s FTSE is seen down 0.2%, Germany’s DAX 0.7%, France’s CAC 40 0.4%, and Italy’s FTSE MIB 0.45% lower. Last week, European markets had risen after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a large portion of … Continue reading European stocks to start the week lower as markets react to new Trump tariffs

JPMorgan Chase has, for the first time, acknowledged that it closed President Donald Trump’s accounts and those of several of his businesses following the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack, as part of Trump’s $5 billion lawsuit against the bank. Trump alleges the closures were politically motivated, disrupted his business operations, and placed him and his companies on a reputational “blacklist” that prevented future banking access. … Continue reading JPMorgan concedes it closed Trump’s accounts after Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol

Brad Reese, grandson of H.B. Reese, inventor of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, criticized Hershey’s for replacing milk chocolate with a chocolate-flavored coating in Valentine’s Day Reese’s Mini Hearts, calling the product “cheap” and “inedible.” He also noted similar changes in Reese’s Mini Eggs and Reese’s Pieces, and posted a viral letter demanding the company “Make Reese’s Great Again.” Hershey’s responded that the original Reese’s Peanut … Continue reading Grandson of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups inventor is in pieces over missing milk chocolate

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) announced a recall of over 3 million pounds of frozen chicken fried rice sold in the U.S. and Canada. Ajinomoto Foods North America, Inc. recalled Ajinomoto Yakitori Chicken with Japanese-Style Fried Rice and Trader Joe’s Chicken Fried Rice due to possible glass contamination. The affected products were produced between September 8 and November 17, … Continue reading USDA Announces Recall on More Than 3 Million Pounds of Frozen Food for Potential Glass Contamination

U.S. economic growth slowed sharply at the end of 2025, with GDP rising just 1.4% annualized in Q4, below the 2.5% forecast, largely due to the record-length government shutdown. Consumer spending and exports pulled back, while federal government spending fell 16.6%, though state and local outlays rose modestly. Despite slower growth, inflation remained elevated, with the core personal consumption expenditures index up 3% in December, … Continue reading Fourth-quarter U.S. GDP up just 1.4%, badly missing estimate; inflation firms at 3%

Bayer has proposed a $7.25 billion (€6.1 billion) nationwide settlement to resolve roughly 65,000 U.S. lawsuits claiming its weedkiller Roundup causes cancer. Plaintiffs allege exposure to Roundup’s active ingredient, glyphosate, led to non-Hodgkin lymphoma and other cancers, while Bayer maintains decades of studies show it is safe and denies wrongdoing. The settlement would involve annual payments over 21 years, with amounts varying based on use, … Continue reading Bayer agrees to pay billions to settle Roundup lawsuits

U.S. stock indexes rose Wednesday as technology shares rebounded after an AI-driven selloff, while investors awaited minutes from the Federal Reserve’s latest policy meeting. The S&P 500 software and services sector climbed 1.4%, led by a 9.5% gain in Cadence Design Systems, though Palo Alto Networks fell 6.3% after lowering its profit forecast. Megacap tech companies also advanced, with Nvidia up 2.6% following a multi-year … Continue reading Wall St rises as tech stocks recoup some losses