U.S. Economy
China calls U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz ‘dangerous and irresponsible’
China has called the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz a “dangerous and irresponsible act” that will further enflame tensions in the region. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday that the targeted blockade of the vital shipping channel, which began at 10:00 a.m. ET on Monday, coupled with an increase […]
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Treasury yields rise as collapse of Iran talks clouds inflation outlook
Treasury yields edged higher on Monday as the breakdown of negotiations between Iran and the U.S. clouded the inflation outlook once again. The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note — the benchmark for government borrowing — was up more than 1 basis point at 4.333%. The 2-year Treasury note yield, which is more sensitive to short-term Federal Reserve interest rate […]
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Hormuz blockade could deepen world’s worst energy crisis — and risk a dangerous misstep
Lightning occurs when META 4, an Oil Products Tanker, sails into Muscat Anchorage on March 21, 2026 at Sultan Qaboos Port in Muscat, Oman. Elke Scholiers | Getty Images President Donald Trump ordered a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, dimming hopes for a quick end to the conflict in the Middle […]
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Here’s the inflation breakdown for March 2026 — in one chart
A woman shops for dairy products at a local supermarket in the Sugar Hill neighborhood of the Manhattan borough of New York City on April 9, 2026. Charly Triballeau | Afp | Getty Images Inflation spiked in March as the Iran war pushed up gasoline and other prices for consumers. The consumer price index, a […]
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The Tech Download: Reputational damage, supply chain issues and local investment. What’s next for Middle East tech?
This report is from this week’s The Tech Download newsletter. Like what you see? You can subscribe here. The past week has seen some progress, albeit uneasy and stilted, being made towards ending the Iran war. A two-week ceasefire was agreed on Wednesday, and while it looks fragile, hopes of the conflict approaching a close are […]
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The Trump administration is getting angry as EU Big Tech fines top $7 billion in 2 years
The Trump administration is increasingly on a collision course with the European Union over Big Tech fines. Google, Apple and Meta are contesting fines from the EU over violations of the bloc’s antitrust and competition laws, which total over 6 billion euros, or $7 billion, since the start of 2024. They’re an increasing bone of […]
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U.S. Postal Service seeks hike in price of first-class mail stamps to 82 cents in July
A US Postal Service (USPS) post office is near Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) in Los Angeles, California, on Feb. 5, 2025. Patrick T. Fallon | AFP | Getty Images The U.S. Postal Service, citing what it called a “severe financial crisis,” on Thursday announced a proposed set of price hikes across its mail products, […]
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OpenAI halts UK stargate project amid regulatory and energy price concerns
OpenAI’s Stargate project in the U.K. is being paused, with the company pointing towards the cost of energy and the country’s regulatory environment. The U.S. AI startup announced plans for the major infrastructure project in September, saying it would deploy up to 8,000 GPUs in partnership with Nscale and Nvidia. Politico first reported on Wednesday […]
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U.S. Treasury yields steady ahead of key U.S. inflation data releases
U.S. Treasury yields showed little movement in early trade Thursday as investors prepared for several key data releases, which will shed further light on the evolving inflationary backdrop and the outlook for interest rates. The yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note — the benchmark for government borrowing — was flat at 4.2872%. Meanwhile, the yield on […]
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‘Poorly run, piece of ice’: Trump targets Greenland again as Iran war deepens NATO rift
WASHINGTON DC, UNITED STATES – APRIL 6: The United States President Donald Trump holds a Press Conference in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on April 6, 2026, in Washington DC, United States. Celal Gunes | Anadolu | Getty Images U.S. President Donald Trump appears to have set his eyes […]
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