Economy

WASHINGTON — The U.S. proposed tariffs on roughly $2.4 billion in French products, in response to a tax on digital revenues that hits large American tech companies including Google, Apple Inc., Facebook Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. “France’s digital services tax... Read More

NEW YORK — Black Friday hit a record $7.4 billion in U.S. online sales as many shoppers spent the day clicking instead of lining up to buy. It was the second-biggest U.S. online sales day ever, behind 2018 Cyber Monday’s... Read More

WASHINGTON — Moving to offset the impact his trade war has had on rural America, President Donald Trump has bypassed Congress to send some $20 billion in aid to farmers, mostly going to a bundle of states that are essential... Read More

WASHINGTON - The House voted on Friday to renew the charter of the Export-Import Bank, the U.S. agency that provides loans and other help to foreign buyers of U.S. exports, despite opposition from Republican lawmakers. Despite the bank having historically... Read More

Business leaders in California appealed to Congress Friday to expand financial assistance to immigrants trying to start their own businesses. They said small government investments can create big payoffs when immigrants start successful businesses that pay taxes and employ other... Read More

WASHINGTON - The World Trade Organization said Friday that China can place new trade sanctions on $3.5 billion of U.S. goods in retaliation for U.S. restrictions on Chinese furniture, steel products and solar panels. The award by an arbitration panel... Read More

WASHINGTON - Private equity sector is playing a positive role in the U.S. economy, supporting more than 26 million jobs while accounting for about 5% of the nation's gross domestic product, according to a new report. The analysis comes from... Read More

WASHINGTON — When President Trump slapped 25% tariffs on foreign steel in March 2018, panicky U.S. buyers rushed to place new orders ahead of feared supply interruptions, driving prices up sharply. It was an instant bonanza for domestic steel producers.... Read More

WASHINGTON - The federal deficit for fiscal year 2019 was $984 billion, $205 billion more than in the prior fiscal year, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announced Friday afternoon. The final accounting from the Treasury Department of the Office of Management... Read More

WASHINGTON — Donald Trump has called its work “phony.” His Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney warned that President Barack Obama was “manipulating” its numbers. Economic adviser Larry Kudlow termed one of its reports “very fluky.” Is it a House... Read More

The governors of five northeastern states came together for a summit on Thursday to discuss the outlines of a joint regional approach to cannabis and vaping policies. "This issue is complicated, controversial and consequential. It is probably one of the... Read More

FRANKLIN, Tenn. — Kat Merryfield was ready to share her farm-to-home oils, chocolates and creams with the rest of the country. But banks and credit card processors weren’t ready to work with her small business. “We started out our website... Read More

WASHINGTON - If Democrats want to hold their majority in House in 2020 they'll focus on core issues important to their constituents like protecting healthcare coverage, fighting corruption, and expanding economic opportunity, according to a new analysis by Third Way,... Read More

WASHINGTON — The International Monetary Fund on Tuesday downgraded its outlook for the world economy, predicting that growth in the developed world this year, stymied by trade conflicts, will be the weakest since the 2008 financial crisis. During a press... Read More

Mark Tuttle cuts straight to the point when describing the field and weather conditions he has faced this year on his farm in southern DeKalb County. “In one word, I’d say: ‘miserable,’ ” said Tuttle, who grows corn, soybeans and... Read More

WASHINGTON  — Kristalina Georgieva, the new head of the International Monetary Fund, said Tuesday that the world economy is in the grips of a "synchronized global slowdown" fueled by ongoing trade disputes. Speaking at the World Bank/IMF annual meetings being... Read More

WASHINGTON - Scottish whisky, French wine and Italian cheese all could feel the wallop of hefty tariffs now that the World Trade Organization decided it will allow the United States to place tariffs on $7.5 billion of European Union goods.... Read More

WASHINGTON - The House passed a bill earlier this week that would grant legal marijuana businesses access to banking, resolving a longstanding challenge for the growing industry. The bill, called the SAFE Banking Act, passed 321-103 on the strength of... Read More

WASHINGTON - Kristalina Georgieva, a Bulgarian economist and top World Bank official, has been named the new head of the International Monetary Fund. She succeeds Christine Lagarde who is stepping down to take over as head of the European Central... Read More

WASHINGTON - The gap between those who are well-off in the United States and those who aren't is now the largest it's been in the past 50 years - this despite the median U.S. income setting a new record high,... Read More

WASHINGTON - Reps. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C., and Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., have introduced legislation to make financial data more easily available online and less opaque. McHenry, ranking Republican of the House Financial Services Committee, said with technology playing such a large... Read More

WASHINGTON - Women-owned businesses continue to fuel the economy and now represent 42% of all businesses — nearly 13 million — employing 9.4 million workers and generating revenue of $1.9 trillion, according to a new report commissioned by American Express.... Read More

DETROIT — The UAW is considering staying on strike against General Motors until rank-and-file members approve a tentative agreement, a process that could add more than a week to the length of the work stoppage, the Free Press has learned.... Read More

WASHINGTON - A majority of chief financial officers surveyed by Duke University believe the United States will be in an economic recession by the 2020 Election, despite continuing low unemployment. Fifty-three percent of the 225 CFOs participating in the latest... Read More

WASHINGTON — Wall Street could soon get one of its most consequential wins of the Trump era as regulators are considering ripping up a rule that’s forced banks to set aside billions of dollars for swaps trades, according to people... Read More

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — The latest and most destructive attacks on Saudi oil facilities provide stark evidence of the vulnerability of global crude supply in an age of disruptive technologies that can bring a century-old industry to its knees... Read More

DETROIT — Members of the United Auto Workers went on strike at General Motors Co. plants nationwide at midnight Sunday night, sending 46,000 workers to picket lines in the union’s first walkout since the automaker emerged from taxpayer-funded bankruptcy a... Read More

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration announced Thursday that it is repealing an  Obama-era clean water rule that had placed limits on polluting chemicals that could be used near streams, wetlands and other bodies of water. According to the Environmental Protection... Read More

WASHINGTON - A far-reaching broadband connectivity should not be dictated by the location of a home or business, but rather should foster economic growth and sustainable communities by being equally accessible by all. That was the overarching message delivered to... Read More

WASHINGTON - Rep. Francis Rooney, R-Fla., couldn't be happier that the House Wednesday passed a pair of bills blocking offshore oil drilling in almost all waters around the United States. But in an interview with The Well News, he acknowledged... Read More