Economy
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Trump’s economy officially passes Biden’s for worst consumer sentiment in recorded history
American consumers are more pessimistic about the economy than at any time in recorded history. The University of Michigan’s Consumer Sentiment Index fell to 47.6 in preliminary April 2026 readings released Friday — a 10.7% drop from March’s 53.3 and the lowest reading in the survey’s 74-year history. The figure blew past the prior record…
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Trump’s macho MAGA economy is a bust. But there are plenty of high-paying jobs for men—in nursing and teaching
The White House promised a manufacturing renaissance. Instead, the factory floor keeps shrinking. For young men willing to ditch the hard-hat fantasy, the real money is in so-called “pink-collar” work—and the pay is better than anything on the shop floor. President Donald Trump built a political movement on the promise of restoring blue-collar America: steel…
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Trump’s agricultural tariffs hit all 50 states—driving up food prices, crushing exports, and leaving farmers with nowhere to turn
When the Trump administration began its tariff campaign in 2025, some of the loudest critics focused on the consequences for Midwestern farmers or for border states. A year in, the impact of tariffs has become clearer, and some research suggests no state has emerged completely unscathed. Early last year, the Trump administration established one of…
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IMF slashes global growth forecast, blaming ‘war in the Middle East’ for halted momentum
The Iran war has stalled the world’s economic momentum this year, likely pushing growth lower compared to 2025, the International Monetary Fund warned Tuesday. The IMF downgraded its forecast for global growth to 3.1% in 2026 from the 3.3% it had forecast back in January. The expected growth would mark a deceleration from a 3.4%…
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‘We have to be able to walk and chew gum’ on government spending, says budget chairman on debt crisis and national security
The U.S. government has a lot to pay for at the moment: in addition to mandatory spending like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, it has also needs to fund its military endeavors. First came Venezuela, a relatively brief period of intervention; but the U.S. and Israel’s conflict with Iran has dragged on longer than expected.…
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Most of Wall Street points to high oil prices as the driver of inflation. A maverick Johns Hopkins economist says they’re chasing the wrong culprit
Following the Commerce Department’s release on the morning of April 10 showing that March consumer prices rose at 3.3% year over year in March, this writer received well over a dozen emails from Wall Street analysts, market strategists and economists making the same main point: It’s the jump in oil prices triggered by Iran’s closure…
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The most valuable worker in the AI economy is Nurse Dana from ‘The Pitt’
If you want to understand where the American economy is going, don’t watch the stock ticker. Watch The Pitt. The Max medical drama that became one of the most-talked-about shows of early 2025 doesn’t center on a brilliant surgeon or a rogue attending. It centers on nurses and residents grinding through a single 15-hour shift…
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U.S. naval blockade on Iran will trigger a currency devaluation spiral and hyperinflation, potentially ending the war more quickly, analyst says
The U.S. blockade on ships entering or departing from Iranian ports went into effect on Monday, as President Donald Trump seeks to pressure Iran by cutting off its oil revenue. The Iranian economy was already in shambles before the U.S. and Israel launched their war on the Islamic republic more than six weeks ago, and…
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Investors are writing off any move from the Fed this month—collapsing talks in Iran have sealed the deal
With President Trump’s focus squarely on Iran at present, Jerome Powell and the U.S. Federal Reserve are getting some respite from the Oval Office’s attention. It’s a couple of weeks until the next Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting, but investors already appear to be convinced what the group’s next move will be. The base…
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Iran’s crumbling economy is the regime’s greatest weakness with prices up 40% since the war began while authorities worry about making payroll
The Iranian economy was already in shambles before the U.S. and Israel launched their war on the Islamic republic, and the relentless bombing since then has pushed the regime to the brink, according to reports. Prior to the war, high inflation and a currency collapse triggered mass protests that prompted a brutal crackdown. But now…