Author: Leslie Stewart

ADP reported on Wednesday that private employment expanded at a rapid pace in May, providing further evidence of labor market stability.The payroll firm said companies added 122,000 employees in the month, up from 105,000 in April and above the Dow Jones consensus estimate of 110,000. May was the strongest month since January 2025. April’s total was revised downward by 4,000 cases.Unlike last month, when job growth was concentrated in health care and a few other sectors, the increase was more widespread. Eight of the 10 sectors in the ADP track saw increases, with employment spread evenly across both company size…

People watch as the Doris Ocean container ship leaves the Port of Los Angeles on May 28, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. Tama Mario | Getty ImagesThe Office of the U.S. Trade Representative has proposed imposing additional tariffs of up to 12.5% ​​on imports from 60 countries for failing to ban products made with forced labor, a drastic measure that would hurt most trading partners, including China, the European Union and Japan. The decision, made under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, found that all 60 countries have failed to impose or effectively enforce forced labor-related import bans,…

On Tuesday night, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra conceded to businessman Zach Rahn in the Republican primary for governor in Iowa after voters in his party rejected President Donald Trump’s late endorsement in the race.Subscribe to read this story without ads Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.NBC News is not predicting the outcome of the primary. But Feenstra campaign spokesman Billy Furst confirmed the concession had been made to Rahn.So far, none of Mr. Trump’s endorsed candidates for governor, House of Representatives, or Senate has lost a primary in the midterm elections.In 2024, Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, walks…

A ship remains anchored in the Strait of Hormuz near Larak Island, Iran, on May 16, 2026. Negotiations between the United States and Iran over the opening of the vital waterway have largely stalled as the two sides mutually reject proposals to end the war that began when the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28.Majid Saidi | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesU.S. Central Command said Tuesday it had launched defensive strikes in response to an “attempted attack” by Iran that destroyed multiple ballistic missiles and drones, the latest in a series of attacks that further threaten…

President Donald Trump signed a landmark executive order Tuesday requiring AI companies to give the government early access to their most powerful models for review. Subscribe to read this story without ads Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.The order, signed in private, directs federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, the Treasury Department, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, to strengthen cybersecurity defenses of the nation’s critical infrastructure and lays the groundwork for the federal government to test and vet the most powerful AI systems for safety issues before deploying them. The test will rely on…

A government report on Tuesday showed that while the number of job openings reached the highest level in nearly two years in April, employment fell sharply, showing that demand in the labor market is increasing but hiring is slowing.The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the number of job openings reached 7.6 million in the month, an increase of 731,000 from the previous month and the highest level since May 2024. Economists surveyed by Dow Jones were looking for 6.8 million job openings from the BLS job openings and turnover survey.Due to the rapid increase in job openings, available jobs…

Inflation in the euro zone rose to an estimated 3.2% in May, official data showed on Tuesday, driven by a double-digit rise in energy prices. The report is in line with expectations in a Reuters survey of economists, with expectations for a rate hike expected to be confirmed at next week’s European Central Bank meeting. Energy costs in May were the highest in terms of annual inflation, with prices rising by 10.9%, according to preliminary data. This was a slight increase from the 10.8% growth in euro area energy prices recorded in the previous month. Services inflation rose to 3.5%…

A Los Angeles County court on Monday granted a temporary restraining order to pop superstar Sabrina Carpenter against a man she claims stalked her and tried to break into her home.Subscribe to read this story without ads Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.According to Monday’s order, the court prohibited William Applegate, 31, from coming within 100 meters of Carpenter or her sister Sarah Carpenter and her partner, who also live in the Hollywood Hills home.Carpenter filed for a civil harassment restraining order against Applegate in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Friday. Applegate allegedly approached Carpenter’s front…

Oil prices soared on Monday after Iranian state media reported that the country was ending talks with the United States to end its ongoing war.Subscribe to read this story without ads Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.U.S. crude oil soared as much as 8.5% to nearly $95 a barrel, an increase of nearly $8. International Brent crude oil rose as much as 7.3%, jumping $6 to more than $97 a barrel.Heating oil, a substitute for jet fuel, also rose 7%, and wholesale gas prices rose 4%. As a result of the recent decline in oil prices, retail…

Colombia’s outgoing president on Sunday raised questions about the country’s elections, revealing that his favorite candidate, Iván Cepeda, will face a run-off next month against his right-wing opponent, Abelardo de la Espriela.Subscribe to read this story without ads Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.In the first round of voting on Sunday, neither candidate received more than 50% of the vote. With more than 99% of the votes counted, de la Espriela, who is running as a candidate for the party he founded, Defensor de la Patria, was leading with more than 43% of the votes. Cepeda, a…