Economy
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Fewer Americans sought unemployment benefits last week as layoffs remain low
Jun 26, 2025 9:46 am - The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits fell last week, the Labor Department said Thursday, a sign that companies aren’t cutting many jobs.
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Federal Reserve’s Bowman says rate cut should be on table in July
Jun 23, 2025 2:44 pm - Federal Reserve governor Michelle Bowman on Monday said the central bank should consider cutting its key interest rate as soon as its next meeting in July, underscoring deep divisions among Fed officials as they endure sharp criticism from the White House.
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Tariff threats, wars will slow but not collapse global luxury sales in 2025, new study shows
Jun 19, 2025 10:16 am - Global sales of personal luxury goods are ”slowing down but not collapsing,” according to a Bain & Co. consultancy study released Thursday.
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Americans turn cautious and retail sales slide after a spring rush to beat tariffs
Jun 17, 2025 3:15 pm - Retail sales fell sharply in May as consumers pulled back from a spending surge early this year to get ahead of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs on nearly all imports.
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Suburban toy company challenges Trump’s tariffs before Supreme Court in long shot bid for quick decision
Jun 17, 2025 3:02 pm - A suburban toy company challenged President Donald Trump’s tariffs in front of the Supreme Court on Tuesday in a long shot bid to press the justices to quickly decide whether they are legal. Vernon Hills-based Learning Resources Inc. filed an appeal asking the Supreme Court to take up the case soon rather than let it continue to play out in lower courts.
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US producer prices rise modest 2.6% in May with inflationary pressures still mild
Jun 12, 2025 8:54 am - U.S. wholesale prices rose modestly last month from a year earlier, another sign that inflationary pressures remain mild.
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Inflation barely rose last month as cheaper gas and cars offset some costlier importsJun 11, 2025 8:05 am - U.S. inflation picked up a bit last month as higher prices for groceries and some imported goods were largely offset by cheaper gas, travel services, and rents. Consumer prices increased 2.4% in May compared with a year ago, according to a Labor Department report released Wednesday. That is up from a 2.3% yearly increase in April. The cost of groceries, toys and games, and large appliances rose, which could reflect the impact of President Donald Trump's tariffs. Yet the price of new and used cars, clothes, air fares, and hotel rooms all dropped from April to May, offsetting the increases.
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Pritzker’s record-high budget: More spending, more taxesJun 07, 2025 12:57 pm - As a business leader, would you approve in under 24 hours a 3,400-page annual plan you had just read for the first time? What if the provisions changed two hours before the deadline? Probably not. Yet that’s exactly how Illinois lawmakers approach the end of every legislative session when passing the state budget.
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US employers added a solid 139,000 jobs in May despite uncertainty over trade wars
Jun 06, 2025 7:50 am - U.S. employers slowed hiring last month, but still adding a solid 139,000 jobs amid uncertainty over Trump’s trade wars.
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Trump says after Xi call that US and China will resume trade talksJun 05, 2025 8:22 am - U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping spoke on Thursday at a time when stalled tariff negotiations between their two countries have roiled global trade.