Finance
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‘The national debt is now larger than the economy’: Watchdog marks 100% of GDP milestone for $39 trillion burden
The United States has crossed a grim threshold: the national debt now exceeds the size of the entire American economy. As of March 31, debt held by the public stood at $31.27 trillion, while nominal GDP over the prior 12-month period was an estimated $31.22 trillion — pushing the debt-to-GDP ratio to 100.2%, according to…
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For years, the risk Jamie Dimon was most concerned about was geopolitics. His answer has shifted
When Jamie Dimon is asked about the greatest risk he sees to the global economy, his answer for years has been “geopolitics.” It’s been with good reason. In the past handful of years, Russia invaded Ukraine, a major conflict broke out between Israel and Palestine, and the U.S. and Israel then launched attacks on Iran,…
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Google shares hit all-time high on blowout earnings, market cap doubles to $4.4 trillion in just a year
Google’s transition into the era of artificial intelligence continued to pay off for its corporate parent, Alphabet Inc., which on Wednesday announced another quarter of the stellar growth that helped to more than double its already lofty market value during the past year. Alphabet earned $62.6 billion, or $5.11 per share, during the January-March period,…
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U.S. GDP rebounds from lackluster end to 2025, grows at 2% rate in first quarter
The U.S. economy accelerated at the start of 2026, expanding at a modest 2% pace from January through March after recovering from last fall’s 43-day federal government shutdown. But the outlook is clouded by the Iran war. The Commerce Department reported Thursday that gross domestic product — the nation’s output of goods and services —…
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The biggest jump in 3 years: gas’ effect on core inflation in March revealed
A key inflation measure jumped in March as gas prices soared, the latest sign that the Iran war is pushing up the cost of living and delaying any interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve. An inflation gauge monitored by the Fed rose 0.7% in March from February, up sharply from the previous month, the…
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Trump-tied public crypto company buys startup from one-time ‘cannabis king’ who serves as current advisor in deal worth up to $43 million
AI Financial, a publicly traded crypto firm tied to President Donald Trump’s family, has purchased a startup owned by one of the company’s own advisors. According to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Las Vegas-based company struck a deal last Monday worth up to $43 million to buy the crypto infrastructure business Block…
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Current price of oil as of April 30, 2026
By 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time today, oil had reached $114.66 per barrel, measured using the Brent benchmark. That’s 66 cents more than it cost yesterday morning and about $53 above its price a year earlier. Oil price per barrel % Change Price of oil yesterday $113.99 +0.58% Price of oil 1 month ago $111.62 +2.72%…
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How AstraZeneca’s 17,000 AI-certified employees are helping it reach a ‘stretch goal’ of $80 billion in revenue
Good morning. AstraZeneca’s AI strategy has moved well past the exploration phase as upskilling employees became a priority. The biopharmaceutical giant has now certified more than 17,000 of its employees in AI competencies, Aradhana Sarin, CFO of AstraZeneca, told me. The program mandates that all staff above a certain grade reach at least a silver-level…
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The global economy has a month—eight weeks at most—to avoid a recession, warns top economist
The countdown is on: The global economy has four weeks, eight at most, if it is to avoid plunging into a recession. That’s the warning from Mohamed El-Erian, the former CEO of PIMCO, who served as chair of President Obama’s Global Development Council. This week, El-Erian said the globe will “avoid a recession, provided—and here’s the…
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The debt crisis Congress has been ignoring could cost the average U.S. household $18,000 a year, according to a Brookings analysis
An excellent new study from the non-partisan Brookings Institution provides an ultra-sobering view of the potential tax increase U.S. families face in taming the runaway debt and deficits crisis that’s been near-roundly ignored in Congress and the White House. We all know the hit to either incomes, shopping tabs, social programs, or a blend of…