New Law Revives SBA Support for Defense Startups After Months of Funding Uncertainty
President Donald Trump has signed legislation restoring federal funding for startup programs that are especially important to defense and aerospace companies in California and across the country. According to data, the bill revives Small Business Administration-backed programs whose funding had been delayed for more than six months after expiring in October during a congressional standoff. […]
Fed Faces Growth-and-Inflation Squeeze, but Powell Signals No Rush to Move
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the U.S. central bank is in a position to wait and watch how the expanding Iran war affects inflation and the broader economy, signaling that policymakers do not yet see a need to change interest rates even as new risks emerge. Speaking at Harvard University on March 30, Powell […]
Gold Exports Record Drive Sharp Narrowing in U.S. Trade Deficit
The U.S. trade deficit narrowed sharply in January as exports surged to a record high and imports edged lower, a shift that—if sustained—could make trade a positive contributor to economic growth in the first quarter. The Commerce Department said the overall trade gap in goods and services fell 25.3% to $54.5 billion. Economists had expected […]
Fed Beige Book: Growth Holds Up But Shoppers Resist Price Increases
The Federal Reserve’s latest Beige Book offered a cautiously positive read on the U.S. economy, describing modest growth, stable employment, and continued—but potentially easing—price pressures across much of the country. Based on surveys and interviews gathered through late February, economic activity “rose a bit” in recent weeks, with 7 of the Fed’s 12 districts expanding […]
Middle-Class Squeeze: Most Americans Say a New Car and a First Home Are Out of Reach
A new Washington Post–ABC News–Ipsos survey finds that many Americans feel they can cover today’s basics but still can’t reach the milestones that define “getting ahead”—especially buying a home and purchasing a new car. The poll paints a picture of an economy where the stock market and consumer spending may look steady, yet households say […]
Trump’s First Year Back: Markets and Prices Up, Job Engine Slows
The Wall Street Journal’s year-one snapshot of President Trump’s second-term economy paints a picture of uneven performance: some headline indicators look stable or even strong, but several underlying pressures—especially jobs, housing, and trade—remain stubborn or have worsened. On the labor market, the biggest shift is slower job creation. The U.S. added 181,000 jobs in 2025, […]
White House Fires Back at NY Fed Research Arguing Americans Shoulder Most Tariff Costs
A political clash is brewing between the White House and central-bank researchers after Kevin Hassett publicly suggested punishment for the authors of a Federal Reserve Bank of New York analysis that challenges the administration’s tariff narrative. In a February 18 interview with CNBC, Hassett said the research was “an embarrassment,” called it “the worst paper” […]
US Factory Output Jumps Most in 11 Months, Signaling a Tentative Manufacturing Rebound
U.S. manufacturing activity showed a noticeable pulse of life in January, with factory production posting its largest monthly gain in 11 months—a result that offers some optimism for a sector that has been pressured by higher borrowing costs and trade frictions. According to data, manufacturing output rose 0.6% in January after being flat in December, […]
New data reveals the world’s leading economies by ‘real GDP’ in 2025
The International Monetary Fund has just warned of slowing global economic growth in its latest analysis. Similar to this finding, a newly issued report reveals the world’s wealthiest countries by real gross domestic product in 2025. To evaluate how countries rank in real economic terms, researchers at BestBrokers calculated Real GDP figures for 135 countries, based on IMF data covering the […]
Asian markets cool as Trump hails ties on Japan trip
Asian markets cooled off Tuesday after the previous day’s surge as traders digested Donald Trump’s visit to Asian ally Japan, ahead of his high-stakes talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week. The US president is due to meet Xi Thursday in South Korea, and rosy comments by Trump have fuelled optimism that the […]
