Economy

“U.S. oil plunges 25% to trade below $13 a barrel to start another punishing week”

“June West Texas Intermediate crude CLM20, -26.62%, the U.S. benchmark, lost $4.20, or 25%, to trade at $12.69 a barrel, following a 32.3% decline for the week—its biggest such decline on record—for the commodity and a landmark plunge in the now-defunct May contract,… Continue Reading…

Economy

“U.S. Economy May Have Hit the Coronavirus Bottom”

“As the calendar turns to May, we’re likely to see a slow return of growth for some types of economic activity that were wiped out by the coronavirus shutdowns in March and April. That’s the good news. The bad news… Continue Reading…

Economy

“Record government and corporate debt risks ‘tipping point’ after pandemic passes”

“The United States is embarking on a rapid-fire experiment in borrowing without precedent, as the government and corporations take on trillions of dollars of debt to offset the economic damage from the coronavirus pandemic. The federal government is on its… Continue Reading…

Economy

“…Trump unveils plan to reopen states in phases”

“As Covid-19 continues to spread across the US, President Donald Trump has given governors guidance on reopening state economies in the coming months. The guidelines for “Opening up America Again” outline three phases for states to gradually ease their lockdowns.… Continue Reading…

Economy

“The US economy has erased nearly all the job gains since the Great Recession”

“It took only four weeks for the U.S. economy to wipe out nearly all the job gains in the last 11 years. The coronavirus and the forced closure of business throughout the country again fueled the number of Americans applying… Continue Reading…

Economy

“How to reopen our economy? The same way we closed it down”

“It is not “stimulus” if there’s nothing to stimulate. With almost all states having ordered citizens to stay home and most businesses to shutter, the coronavirus “stimulus” bill passed by Congress and signed by President Trump on March 27 is really a “bridge” bill — a… Continue Reading…

Economy

“Coronavirus pushes annual deficit forecasts toward $4 trillion”

“Independent forecasters now expect this year’s budget deficit to nearly quadruple the pre-coronavirus estimate, reaching nearly $4 trillion. That amount of red ink in a single fiscal year would dwarf the deficit peak of $1.4 trillion during the Great Recession… Continue Reading…

Economy

“More than 2,100 U.S. cities brace for budget shortfalls… many planning cuts and layoffs”

“More than 2,100 U.S. cities are anticipating major budget shortfalls this year and many are planning to slash programs and cut staff in response, according to a new survey of local officials released Tuesday… Nearly 9 in 10 cities surveyed… Continue Reading…

Economy

“U.S. Economy Likely to Reopen in May…”

“A silver lining seems to be emerging finally for the market ravaged by the coronavirus crisis. The United States, which has been under partial or complete lockdown in some states, might finally lift the same in May if the current… Continue Reading…

Economy

“Unemployment claims swell to 6.6 million…”

“The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits swelled to 6.6 million last week… Claims between the period of March 28 and April 4 neared the previous week’s record of 6.87 million, according to the weekly jobless claims report from the Labor Department published… Continue Reading…