Markets watch for dangers of further escalation

Markets watch for dangers of further escalation

Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile system intercepts rockets, as seen from Ashkelon, Israel, October 1, 2024  Amir Cohen | Reuters Israel’s government has vowed a severe response to Iran’s unprecedented missile barrage into Tel Aviv, leaving the Middle East on edge as fears rise over a possible all-out war between the two long-time foes. On Tuesday … Read more

Blockbuster weight-loss drug supply hit in trade shutdown

Blockbuster weight-loss drug supply hit in trade shutdown

An Eli Lilly & Co. Zepbound injection pen, March 28, 2024. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images As a port strike stretching from New England to Texas halted nearly half of all trade coming into the U.S., customs data shows that critical medical devices and drug components for the booming, expensive weight-loss and diabetes drugs … Read more

Saudi Arabia slashes growth forecasts, sees wider budget deficits

Saudi Arabia slashes growth forecasts, sees wider budget deficits

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Xavierarnau | E+ | Getty Images Saudi Arabia cut its growth forecasts and raised its budget deficit estimates for the fiscal years 2024 to 2026, looking ahead to a period of higher spending and lower projected oil revenues. Real gross domestic product is now expected to grow 0.8% this year, a dramatic … Read more

East Coast ports strike, ILA union work stop strands billions in trade

East Coast ports strike, ILA union work stop strands billions in trade

 Shipping containers sit stacked in the Port of Newark on September 30, 2024 seen from New York City. A massive strike shutting down ports across the East and Gulf coasts began at midnight as members of the International Longshoremen’s Association continue to make salary and other demands to the United States Maritime Alliance, which controls … Read more

Powell indicates further, smaller rate cuts, insists the Fed is ‘not on any preset course’

Powell indicates further, smaller rate cuts, insists the Fed is ‘not on any preset course’

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Monday that the recent half percentage point interest rate cut shouldn’t be interpreted as a sign that future moves will be as aggressive, in fact indicating the next moves will be smaller. The central bank chief asserted during a speech in Nashville, Tennessee, that he and his colleagues will … Read more

Truckers, rails scrambling to move billions in cargo

Truckers, rails scrambling to move billions in cargo

Shipping containers stacked at a storage yard outside of the APM Terminals yard at the Port of Mobile in Mobile, Alabama, US, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. Micah Green | Bloomberg | Getty Images With a potential strike at ports up and down the East Coast and along the Gulf Coast set to begin after … Read more

Are immigrants taking jobs from U.S. workers? Here’s what economists say

Are immigrants taking jobs from U.S. workers? Here’s what economists say

The first debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump is shown on television at the Juventud 2000 migrant shelter in Tijuana, Mexico, on Sept. 10, 2024. Immigration has been a hot topic throughout the presidential campaign. Carlos Moreno/NurPhoto via Getty Images The idea that immigration has a negative impact on the … Read more

Ports strike threatens Walmart, Ikea, Home Depot imports

Ports strike threatens Walmart, Ikea, Home Depot imports

A truck picks up a shipping container at the Port of Savannah in Georgia. Paul Hennessy | LightRocket | Getty Images As the International Longshoremen’s Association port workers move closer to a strike at East Coast and Gulf Coast ports, the union is warning that major importers such as LG Electronics, Walmart, Ikea, Samsung, and … Read more

Oil alliance OPEC+ zeroes in on group compliance

Oil alliance OPEC+ zeroes in on group compliance

Dilara Irem Sancar | Anadolu | Getty Images The OPEC+ alliance is once more cracking down on group compliance with oil output cuts, as it presses ahead with a three-pronged plan of formal and voluntary production trims.  Two OPEC+ delegates, who could only comment anonymously because of the sensitivity of the talks, told CNBC that … Read more

OpenAI’s CFO says funding round should close by next week in letter

OpenAI’s CFO says funding round should close by next week in letter

OpenAI’s Sora AI tool allows users to create AI-generated videos from text-based inputs. Costfoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar is looking to reassure its investors that the richly valued artificial intelligence startup is still in a strong position and is poised to close a big funding round soon, despite losing top … Read more