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Federal Reserve officials voted for another quarter-point rate cut on Wednesday, lowering their benchmark lending rate to a range between 3.75% and 4%, the lowest in three years. The decision drew two dissents; one from Fed Governor Stephen Miran, who backed a larger, half-point cut; and another from Kansas City Fed President Jeffrey Schmid, who preferred to hold borrowing costs steady. It is the first time since 2019 that there were dueling dissents — both calling for easier and tighter policy — underscoring the heated debate among officials over how President Donald Trump’s sweeping policies on trade, immigration and spending...

I know many claim things are better but the there are 0.97 open jobs to every 1 unemployed...Businesses are closing right and left..Banks are in trouble, repos are at record levels, Credit Card defaults are at atmospheric levels. Beginning to look like 1929...the beginnings of it anyway...Let them eat cake I guess... October layoffs Amazon 30,000+ UPS 46,000 Target 1,800 Paramount 1,000 Applied Materials 1,400 Sika 1,800 And many more

Quote of the week: “Inflation is when you pay fifteen dollars for the ten-dollar haircut you used to get for five dollars when you had hair. “ - Sam EwingThe ‘debasement trade’ has been gathering momentum all year, but it's really gathered momentum in the financial media lately. And then just to keep everyone on their toes, the gold price took a tumble on Tuesday. So what is the debasement trade? Is it real, and should you be following it?In this piece, we’ll unpack what debasement really means, why it’s driving markets today, and how to think about real assets,...

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is looking to provide an additional $20 billion in financing for Argentina through a mix of financing from sovereign funds and the private sector.That would come on top of the $20 billion credit swap line that the U.S. Treasury pledged to Argentine President Javier Milei and his government this month to bolster the South American nation's collapsing currency.“We are working on a $20 billion facility that would complement our swap line, with private banks and sovereign funds that, I believe, would be more focused on the debt market,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters...

It’s finally started to really hit home. At our store, we placed a regular order for replacement change last week, and we got NO PENNIES in. I took some bills and went to the next door bank, and they said they’ve gotten fewer pennies in than usual, and could only give me a limited amount. So the PENNY, which we’ve all taken for granted all our lives, is really finally going to become a collector’s item, as they’re really following through on their promise to do away with it. In a way, it makes sense (no pun). It costs more...

Key Points The consumer price index showed a 0.3% increase on the month, putting the annual inflation rate at 3%, both lower than expected. Excluding food and energy, core CPI showed a 0.2% monthly gain and an annual rate also at 3%, also less than forecasts. The BLS released the data specifically because the Social Security Administration uses it as a benchmark for cost-of living adjustments in benefit checks. Otherwise, the federal government has suspended all data compilation. ==================================================================== Prices that people pay for a variety of goods and services rose less than expected in September, according to a Bureau...

Consumer prices rose less than expected in September, government data showed Friday, clearing the path for further rate cuts from the Federal Reserve and suggesting that tariffs are not weighing on household budgets. The consumer price index increased 0.3 percent last month, down from the 0.4 percent in August. Economists had forecast a 0.4 percent increase. Compared with a year ago, consumer prices are up 3.0 percent, slightly below the 3.1 percent forecast. Core prices, a metric that excludes food and energy prices, rose 0.2 percent, below the estimate for 0.3 percent. Over the past 12 months, core prices are...

Oil prices jumped and energy companies helped the FTSE 100 to a record high after Donald Trump announced new sanctions on Russia’s two biggest oil producers.Brent crude increased by 5.2% to $65.83 a barrel – a two-week high – after the news of the fresh restrictions on Rosneft and Lukoil, as the US president ramps up pressure on Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine.The jump in oil price also boosted shares in the energy companies Shell and BP by about 3%, which in turn helped to drive the FTSE 100 to a record high of 9,594.82.

WASHINGTON (AP) — In the midst of a federal government shutdown, the U.S. government’s gross national debt surpassed $38 trillion Wednesday, a record number that highlights the accelerating accumulation of debt on America’s balance sheet. It’s also the fastest accumulation of a trillion dollars in debt outside of the COVID-19 pandemic — the U.S. hit $37 trillion in gross national debt in August this year. The $38 trillion update is found in the latest Treasury Department report, which logs the nation’s daily finances. The U.S. hit $34 trillion in debt in January 2024, $35 trillion in July 2024 and $36...

President Donald Trump rebuked cattle ranchers after they criticized his idea to import Argentinian beef, writing on Truth Social on Wednesday they “don’t understand” his policies—as the proposal has prompted criticism from Republican lawmakers in farm states while consumers face record-high beef prices.

Senate Republicans are discussing voting on a bill that would prevent millions of low-income Americans from losing access to food aid on Nov. 1.The bill from Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) would fund Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits for the duration of the shutdown, which on Wednesday entered its 22nd day. The Department of Agriculture warned earlier this month that if the government shutdown dragged on “there will be insufficient funds to pay full November SNAP benefits for approximately 42 million individuals across the Nation.”Senate Majority Leader John Thune said in a brief interview that senators were discussing “some options,” though...

The beef industry is battling multiple challenges: a prolonged drought across key cattle states, record‑high feed costs and the smallest U.S. cattle herd in 75 years.Beef prices in the United States are at record highs heading into the holiday season — and tariffs aren’t the only reason. At Oak Barn Beef in West Point, Nebraska, family tradition runs deep. Owner and operator Hannah Klitz is a fifth‑generation cattle producer. Alongside her husband, she sells farm‑to‑table beef to the local community and ships products nationwide. "Quarter four is normally our busiest quarter, just because of all of the gifting — and...

Coffee prices have risen 20% since last year because of inflation and amid tariff disruptions to traditional supply lines, exemplifying a broader rise in grocery prices across the board. Key FactsCoffee prices have risen more than 20% since August last year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.Last month, prices for coffee futures reached a record high in the Intercontinental Exchange in New York after Brazil’s crop agency, Conab, cut its 2025 arabica production forecast by 4.9% to 35.2 million bags.In July, President Donald Trump imposed tariffs of 50% on Brazil and 20% on Vietnam, the two countries that together...

A week on the road for your currently sober drunk host a week in the heartland visiting eateries like "Culvers" and "Pizza Ranch" synonymous with 'fly over country' as El Rushbo used to describe it... Those were big songs back in 1971 played by a local disc jockey whose remote broadcasts I used to hang out at. I was 11 years old. That guy used to get me involved in his remotes keeping track of that lengthy playlist of songs played from the radio station... "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow...

The Federal Budget Balance, a key indicator of the health of the U.S. economy, has reported a significant swing into surplus territory. The actual figure for the month came in at $198.0 billion, a stark contrast to the previous month’s deficit of $345.0 billion. This substantial change in the budget balance has exceeded all expectations. Analysts had been forecasting a continued deficit, making this surplus a welcome surprise. The shift from a hefty deficit to a surplus indicates a robust increase in the federal government’s income relative to its expenditure for the reported month. The surplus of $198.0 billion not...

President Donald Trump’s tariffs will cost global businesses upward of $1.2 trillion in 2025, with most of the cost being passed onto consumers, according to a new analysis from S&P Global. In a white paper released Thursday, the firm said its estimate of additional expenses for companies is probably conservative. The price tag comes from information provided by some 15,000 sell-side analysts across 9,000 companies who contribute to S&P and its proprietary research indexes. “The sources of this trillion-dollar squeeze are broad. Tariffs and trade barriers act as taxes on supply chains and divert cash to governments; logistics delays and...

Just about everywhere you look in the rich world, government finances are in ruins. France, as its debt mounts, is getting through prime ministers faster than Versailles went through wigs; on October 14th Sébastien Lecornu, the latest, proposed delaying an increase to the retirement age that was meant to restore sanity to the budget. In Japan both rival candidates for prime minister want to splash out, despite their country’s vast debts. Britain faces big tax rises to plug a hole in its budget, after welfare reforms were mostly abandoned—and despite a supposed once-and-for-all tax rise last year. Looming over everything...

The Center Square Voters' Voice Poll, conducted by Noble Predictive Insights, surveyed 2,565 registered voters from Oct. 2-6, 2025, via opt-in online panel and text-to-web cell phone messages. The poll found that 15% of registered voters cited price increases and inflation as their top issues, followed by government corruption (13%), the economy/jobs (11%), health care (9%), illegal immigration (8%), and crime/violence (7%). "Name anything that's getting less expensive," pollster Mike Noble told The Center Square. "Literally everything is going up from insurance premiums to you name it. More and more is coming out of pocket." Noble said polls across the...

China’s $128/oz Premium Sets Global Benchmark, Triggering a Worldwide Silver Supply Shock and Redefining Pricing Everywhere. Raw silver is commanding $128 per ounce in China, the world’s largest physical silver marketplace—a price more than double prevailing global spot rates. In an interconnected world, silver always flows to the market that pays the most and treats it best. When benchmark prices surge so dramatically in one dominant region, those levels ripple outward, redefining what buyers everywhere must pay for the real metal. As word spreads of China’s sky-high premiums, sellers and traders naturally align their offers to match, making $128 not...

The alarms aren’t just blinking anymore. They’re blaring. America’s debt-fueled consumer economy is starting to crack. Families who used to keep the stores and car dealers busy are now falling behind on payments. This isn’t some slow leak. It looks and feels like the early days of 2008, only deeper and faster. Car loans are a disaster. Credit cards are choking people. Home loans are sliding into trouble. Even those Buy Now Pay Later apps, sold as a way to “manage money,” are pulling people into digital debt traps. The question isn’t if the hit is coming. It’s how long...