Mortgage rates climb again, hitting 6.75%
The average rate on a 30-year U.S. mortgage rose for the second week in a row, another setback for the U.S. housing market, which is mired in a sales slump as affordability constraints shut out prospective homebuyers. The long-term rate ticked up to 6.75% from 6.72% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year a[...]
Trump signs GENIUS Act, setting stablecoin regulations
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday signed into law new regulations for a type of cryptocurrency, a major milestone for an industry that has spent heavily to strengthen its legitimacy and political might. The GENIUS Act sets initial guardrails and consumer protections for stablecoins, which are tied to assets [...]
Chevron clears hurdle, seals $53B Hess acquisition
HOUSTON (AP) — Chevron has scored a critical ruling in Paris that has given it the go-ahead for a $53 billion acquisition of Hess and access to one of the biggest oil finds of the decade. Chevron said Friday that it completed its acquisition of Hess shortly after the ruling from the International Chamber of […]
Retail sales rebound in June despite tariff concerns
WASHINGTON (AP) — After an earlier pullback, consumers picked up their spending in June despite anxiety over tariffs and the state of the U.S. economy. Retail sales rose a better-than-expected 0.6% in June after declining 0.9% in May, the Commerce Department said Thursday. Sales in April fell 0.1%, pulled down by a steep d[...]
Jobless claims fall to 3-month low, defying tariff fears
WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell last week to the lowest level in three months, a sign that the U.S. labor market remains sturdy despite fears over the impact of widespread U.S. tariffs. The Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claims for the week ending July 12 fell by[...]
Trump administration fires 17 immigration judges in 10 states, including Virginia
WASHINGTON (AP) — Seventeen immigration court judges have been fired in recent days, according to the union that represents them, as the Trump administration pushes forward with its mass deportations of immigrants in the country. The International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, which represents immigration[...]
Maryland Supreme Court disbars Virginia lawyer for abusing courts, financial misconduct
Maryland Supreme Court found Virginia-based attorney violated several ethics rules in dispute over family trust
The tariff-driven inflation that economists feared begins to emerge
WASHINGTON (AP) — Inflation rose last month to its highest level since February as President Donald Trump‘s sweeping tariffs push up the cost of everything from groceries and clothes to furniture and appliances. Consumer prices rose 2.7% in June from a year earlier, the Labor Department said Tuesday, up from an annual in[...]
Nvidia to resume highly desired AI computer chip sales to China
BANGKOK (AP) — Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang says the technology giant has won approval from the Trump administration to sell its advanced H20 computer chips used to develop artificial intelligence to China. The news came in a company blog post late Monday, which stated that the U.S. government had “assured” Nvid[...]
US inflation accelerated in June as Trump’s tariffs start to bite
WASHINGTON (AP) — Inflation rose last month to its highest level since February as President Donald Trump‘s sweeping tariffs are pushing up the cost of a range of goods, including furniture, clothing, and large appliances. Consumer prices rose 2.7% in June from a year earlier, the Labor Department said Tuesday, [...]
Supreme Court allows Trump to lay off nearly 1,400 Education Department employees
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is allowing President Donald Trump to put his plan to dismantle the Education Department back on track — and to go through with laying off nearly 1,400 employees. With the three liberal justices in dissent, the court on Monday paused an order from U.S. District Judge Myong Joun in Boston[...]
Under fire by Trump over costs, Chair Powell seeks watchdog review of Fed building overhaul
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell has asked an inspector general to review the cost of the central bank’s building renovations that White House officials have attacked as “ostentatious.” A spokesperson for the inspector general, an independent watchdog, confirmed the request and declined further[...]