Business News

(WASHINGTON) -- Global oil prices on Monday climbed to their highest level since May after Saudi Arabia shut down a key pipeline, choking worldwide crude supply and threatening to put upward pressure on U.S. gasoline prices.Brent crude, a major benchmark of worldwide oil prices, topped $109 on Monday before retreating to about $107. That's a 50% increase since the start of the war.Oil prices account for a large share of the price of […]

(WASHINGTON) -- Amazon announced Sunday it’s pausing operations with cargo carrier 21 Air following last week’s cargo plane crash in Miami, which killed five people and injured five others. “After the tragic incident last weekend, we’ve spent time supporting the investigation and reviewing some of the surrounding circumstances, and we’ve decided to pause our operations with 21 Air, the operator of Flight 7598,” Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said in a statement. […]

(Getty Images stock photo/Hapabapa) (NEW YORK) -- Artificial intelligence company Anthropic says it blocked several possible attempts to use its AI technology for research that could potentially support the development of biological weapons, according to a new report from the company.Anthropic, the company behind the Claude AI assistant, said it disrupted dozens of instances of potentially malicious use of its AI models since December 2025, including several examples of what the company described as "biological […]

(WASHINGTON) -- The U.S. economy unexpectedly lost jobs in July, demonstrating a wobbly labor market as shoppers continued to withstand a surge of inflation set off by the Iran war.The U.S. lost 23,000 jobs in July, according to the federal government's monthly jobs report, which marked a decline from 57,000 jobs added in June.The unemployment rate fell slightly from 4.2% in June to 4.1% in July, the Bureau of Labor […]

(WASHINGTON) -- Inflation held steady in August but price increases remained elevated as the Iran war continued to push up fuel prices months after it began. The reading matched economists' expectations.Prices rose 3.4% in August compared to a year earlier, maintaining the same level from the prior month, federal government data released on Friday morning showed.Inflation stands more than a percentage point higher than the Federal Reserve's target rate of 2%.Gas prices jumped nearly […]

(NEW YORK) -- Mortgage rates have dropped to their lowest level since May as negotiations between the United States and Iran ease financial markets.The average interest rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage stands at 6.43%, down from last week's rate of 6.49%, Freddie Mac data on Thursday showed.Still, mortgage rates register above their level before the war with Iran. Prior to the Middle East conflict in late February, a 30-year fixed mortgage clocked in at an […]

(NEW YORK) -- If you're a millennial, you may remember the beauty and lifestyle influencers of the 2000s and 2010s. Back then, influencers were maximalists, competing to out-consume one another with walk-in closets filled with designer bags and shoes, and entire rooms dedicated to their makeup collections.But in 2020, the economy began rapidly changing in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and the culture around influencers has followed suit.According to recent […]

(NEW YORK) -- Hiring slowed markedly in June, falling short of economists' expectations and displaying a wobbly labor market amid elevated inflation set off by the Iran war.The U.S. added 57,000 jobs in June, according to the federal government's monthly jobs report, which marked a decline from 172,000 jobs added in May.The sluggish pace recorded in June departs from strong performance for the labor market so far in 2026. Employers […]

(NEW YORK) -- Apple announced its first-ever foldable iPhone at its annual products event on Wednesday as customers worldwide watched for fresh products, as well as the debut of Apple CEO John Ternus.The foldable smartphone, called iPhone Duo, folds open like a book, producing one continuous screen that is 80% larger than the company's latest version of the iPhone Pro, the company said, adding that when opened it will also be the […]