Author: Leslie Stewart

A man walks through a supermarket in Houston, Texas, on March 17, 2026.Ronaldo Shemit | AFP | Getty ImagesRising energy prices, rising import costs and growing concerns about stagflation have led to widespread speculation in the market that the Fed’s next move could be to raise interest rates.Futures traders on Friday morning raised the probability of a rate hike by the end of 2026 to 52%, surpassing the 50% threshold for the first time, according to CME Group’s FedWatch tool.The move comes as global benchmark oil prices have climbed above $110, adding to a series of developments this week that…

In today’s newsletter: The Senate agrees to fund DHS, excluding ICE and Border Patrol, to end the shutdown. Key figures in Iranian politics emerge as possible negotiators with the US. And, at the age of 73, he is still a top college basketball coach.Here’s what you need to know today.Senate approves deal to fund most of DHS, but not ICEThe Senate unanimously agreed early Friday to fund the Department of Homeland Security after the 40-day shutdown, but not for immigration enforcement or deportation operations.The package was approved by voice vote at 2:20 a.m. after a marathon session, hours after President…

An oil tanker unloads crude oil at a port terminal in Qingdao, eastern Shandong province, China, March 11, 2026. – | AFP | Getty ImagesChinese industrial companies saw profits soar in the first two months of the year as authorities pushed ahead with efforts to curb the impact of industry overcapacity and weak consumer demand. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics on Friday showed industrial profits rose 15.2% year-on-year in the January-February period, a sharp rebound from December’s 5.3% rise. Yu Weining, chief statistician at NBS, attributed the notable increase to an acceleration in factory activity and higher product…

IE11 is not supported. For the best experience, please visit our site in a different browser.President Trump extends deadline for attacking Iran amid talks01:25Currently playingPresident Trump announces he will sign order to pay TSA workers after weeks of long lines01:37to the nextSavannah Guthrie tells life’s most difficult story01:29How Savannah Guthrie survived the terrifying early days of her mother’s kidnapping09:32School celebrates teacher’s 100th cancer treatment01:27Utah mother says she bullied her child after allegedly kidnapping her boy01:18Air Canada plane removed from LaGuardia runway01:12Iran rejects Trump’s peace proposal02:13TSA warns closure could lead to airport closures02:10New video of attempted murder suspect’s wife01:31Jury finds meth…

A major global policy group says the Iran war and its impact on global energy markets will cause headline inflation in the United States this year to be much higher than the Federal Reserve expected, potentially requiring policy action.In its regular economic update, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development projects that U.S. all-item inflation will be 4.2% in 2026. This was a significant increase from the previous estimate of 2.8%. Moreover, this is much higher than the 2.7% that Fed officials estimated when they updated their own forecasts last week.This revision is primarily due to two factors. One is…

Savannah Guthrie shares the tearing fear and heartache she experienced over Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance and the possibility that her mother was targeted because of her fame as a co-anchor on “Today.” “I don’t know. I think it’s because she’s my mother and someone thought, ‘Oh, that girl, that woman has money. We can… make some quick money.’ I mean, that makes sense,” Savannah Guthrie told Hoda Kotb in her first interview since her mother went missing. “But we don’t know. I can’t bear to think that I brought this to her bedside. It’s my fault.”Watch the rest of Savannah Guthrie’s…

Michael Flynn and the Justice Department have agreed to settle a lawsuit filed over allegations that Flynn, President Donald Trump’s former national security adviser, was politically targeted in a 2017 case in which he initially pleaded guilty.The parties notified a federal judge in Florida on Wednesday that they had reached a settlement. The amount was not disclosed. Flynn had sued for $50 million in 2023, alleging malicious prosecution and abuse of process.A judge had previously dismissed Flynn’s lawsuit in 2024. Flynn’s lawyers filed an amended complaint last June, alleging that the United States “unjustly and politically targeted General Flynn because…

Last week, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell pushed back when asked whether stagflation posed a threat to the U.S. economy. His successor could face even tougher challenges, with Wall Street forecasters raising expectations for a recession, due in part to the possibility of a war with Iran and higher prices. Economists have raised their risk assessments for a U.S. recession in recent days amid heightened uncertainty over geopolitical risks and a labor market that has been tense over the past year.Moody’s Analytics model has raised its forecast for a recession over the next 12 months to 48.6%. Goldman Sachs raised…

The Justice Department has requested House Intelligence Committee records related to former CIA Director John Brennan, a frequent target of President Donald Trump, two people familiar with the request said.The Intelligence Committee voted Tuesday night to send several confidential hearing records related to Brennan to the Justice Department, according to a person familiar with the committee’s work. The vote was taken at the request of the Justice Department, two sources said.A Republican spokesperson for the committee said in a statement that the committee “resolved to report confidential hearing records at the request of the U.S. Department of Justice for ongoing…

People fill up at the pumps at a Costco gas station in West Thurrock, Essex. The Iranian conflict has caused oil and gas prices to soar. Photo date: Thursday, March 5, 2026.Jordan Pettit – Pennsylvania Images | Pa Images | Getty ImagesUK inflation stood at a solid 3% in February, according to the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures, the last before the start of the Iran war.Economists polled by Reuters had expected the consumer price index to be flat from last month. Core inflation, which excludes energy, food, alcohol and tobacco, was 3.2% in February, up from 3.1%…