New York — U.S. stock market futures declined on Friday, July 17, 2026, as investors confronted renewed trade tensions alongside persistent borrowing costs and shifting inflation signals. The pullback followed the U.S. decision to impose 25% tariffs on Brazilian imports after findings of unfair trade practices, adding a new layer...
TAMPA, Florida — Florida lawmakers have advanced a proposed constitutional amendment that would limit annual increases in assessed values for certain properties, including many owner-occupied homes, to no more than 5%. In the Tampa Bay area, where more than half of renters already spend at least 30% of their income...
The U.S. dollar traded near a one‑month low on Thursday, July 16, 2026, after weaker‑than‑expected June producer price data reinforced expectations that the Federal Reserve will delay further interest rate hikes. The dollar index, which measures the greenback against six major peers, held around levels last seen in mid‑June following...
Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh signaled a sharp policy shift in testimony to Congress in mid-July 2026, pledging what he called a "regime change" at the U.S. central bank. Appearing before the House Financial Services Committee on July 14 and the Senate Banking Committee on July 15, Warsh said "inflation...
Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh on Wednesday pledged a fundamental shift in U.S. monetary policy to stamp out elevated inflation, calling price growth an "unfair burden" and a "punishing tax" on households and businesses. Testifying before the House Financial Services Committee in his first semiannual Monetary Policy Report since becoming...
U.S. consumer inflation slowed more than expected in June 2026, easing pressure on households and giving the Federal Reserve additional flexibility on interest rate policy. Bureau of Labor Statistics data released on July 14 show the headline Consumer Price Index fell 0.4% month over month on a seasonally adjusted basis,...
DES MOINES — The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported this week that Iowa corn silking reached 38% for the July 6–12 reporting period, rising sharply from 8% the prior week and placing the crop five percentage points ahead of last year and nine points ahead of the five-year average. State data...
BATON ROUGE, La. Leaders for a Better Louisiana reported on Tuesday that Louisiana reached a record 2.01 million nonfarm jobs in May, keeping employment above two million for the fourth consecutive month. The quarterly update noted a year-over-year increase of 16,700 jobs and identified construction as the largest source of...
Illinois was the focus of three recent developments: U.S. News & World Report ranked the state near the bottom for long-term fiscal stability this week, the University of Illinois Extension launched a household food-waste survey in Urbana to gather behavioral data, and residents in Bolingbrook publicly opposed Illinois American Water’s...
The U.S. government has refunded $81 billion to commercial importers after the Supreme Court ruled a key part of former President Donald Trump’s tariff program unlawful. In a 6–3 decision on February 20, 2026, in Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump and Trump v. V.O.S. Selections, Inc., the Court held that...
