Finance
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Current price of oil as of April 15, 2026
At 9 a.m. Eastern Time today, the price of oil sits at $96.83 per barrel, using Brent as the benchmark (we’ll explain what that means shortly). That’s a decrease of $3.36 since yesterday morning and roughly $31.79 more than at this time last year. oil price per barrel % Change Price of oil yesterday $100.19…
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Economists warned California not to raise the minimum wage to $20. They were wrong in almost every way so far, another economist says
Following California implementing a law raising its minimum wage to $20 for more than 500,000 fast-food workers in the state in 2024, Christopher Thornberg, founding partner of research firm Beacon Economics, offered a warning about the state raising its minimum wage. “California’s well-intended push to reduce income inequality via wage floors is beginning to have…
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Markets haven’t rallied this fast since COVID—Iran volatility is just another ‘notch on the belt’ of investors, says J.P. Morgan strategist
Markets are trading strongly this week on hopes that the Iran war might soon be coming to an end. A fragile ceasefire has held despite peace talks collapsing, but President Trump overnight suggested conversations could resume this week. Investors are ready to hear some good news—in fact, some economists are worried that they’re so keen…
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Trump’s White House: America is short 10 million houses
White House economists estimate the United States has a shortage of 10 million houses, according to a new report out Monday — and say regulatory cuts could lead to more construction to stabilize prices, increase home ownership and fuel faster economic growth. The analysis, part of the Economic Report of the President, outlines both a…
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Augusta Precious Metals review: What to know in 2026
In times of economic uncertainty or high inflation, gold and silver tend to rally. Precious metals tend to preserve buying power far better than fiat currency. But what if you’re worried about the hard-earned money you’ve put toward retirement? Augusta Precious Metals helps you turn your current retirement funds into a gold IRA and/or silver…
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Xi Jinping says the world order is ‘crumbling into disarray.’ Larry Fink and the IMF are worried about a global recession
Chinese President Xi Jinping issued some of his starkest language yet about the state of the global economy on Tuesday, telling Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in Beijing “the international order is crumbling into disarray” in remarks reported by Bloomberg, which clarified the Chinese phrase connotes not merely chaos, but also moral decay. The two…
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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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Home sales just fell 3.6%—and the spring buying season may not save them
The picture of an American springtime usually looks something like this: sunny days, chittering birds, and, on many suburban streets, a congested driveway full of eager prospective homebuyers gathering for an open house. Spring is usually when the U.S. housing market heats up, as potential buyers start shopping ahead of desired summer move-ins. But the…
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Another month, another record-high home price: March hits $408,800—the 33rd straight increase
Home prices just did it again. For the 33rd consecutive month, the median price of an existing home climbed—this time to $408,800 in March, a record high for the month, according to the National Association of Realtors’ existing home-sales report. Politicians from President Donald Trump to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani have campaigned on…
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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…