Reading up on economy

A steady career can build wealth by increasing your value, saving and investing the surplus, and avoiding lifestyle inflation over time.

Ethiopia has sustained over 8% annual real GDP growth since 2008 despite ongoing wars, driven by state-led infrastructure, hydropower, agricultural mechanization, and mining expansion.

Fallen autumn leaves provide valuable habitat for invertebrates, offering homeowners a marketable resource that can be leveraged for ecological and economic benefit.

Default hard budget caps should be imposed universally to curb excessive spending across various sectors and prevent fiscal overruns, addressing systemic issues.

The average 30‑year fixed‑rate mortgage climbed to 7.4 %, its highest level in three years, intensifying affordability pressures on prospective U.S. homebuyers.

In 1516 Venice created the world's first ghetto on a former foundry island to confine Jews while still relying on their financial services.

U.S. stocks rallied Tuesday, pushing the S&P 500 to a new intraday record above 7,830 as the Dow and Nasdaq also rose amid easing Treasury yields and steady oil prices.

Despite rising borrowing costs hurting households and businesses, AI infrastructure investment remains strong, fueling inflation and complicating the Federal Reserve's efforts.

Flávio Bolsonaro’s first‑round lead gives him a strong chance to win Brazil’s presidency, forcing Lula to rally votes in three weeks to avert a regional rightward turn.

The Wall Street Journal's WSJ.com delivers timely breaking news and expert analysis on global business, finance, and political developments for professional readers.

The Wall Street Journal website delivers comprehensive news coverage of business, finance, and global events, offering analysis and reporting for professionals and informed readers.

In 2026, the surge in U.S. billionaires drove a record number of residential listings priced at $100 million or higher.

A Princeton economist built an AI 'Keynes Bot' to simulate his view, suggesting Keynes would see AI as fulfilling his vision of technology liberating humanity from work.

Agentic AI assistants such as Muse could automatically move household cash into high-yield accounts paying 3.3%–5.0%, potentially triggering a bank run.

A major Super El Niño event is imminent, bringing extreme weather disruptions, and the article urges immediate preparation to mitigate its impacts.

Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, supermarket prices in Russia have surged dramatically, with sanctions altering product availability, according to receipts collected by journalists.

Wall Street skepticism grows toward data-center IPOs as public backlash mounts against the facilities' energy consumption.

China's AI advances are highlighted ahead of Xi's US visit, while its economy remains in its worst state in decades.

The IRS has stopped releasing its annual tax‑gap estimate, hindering efforts to determine if tax non‑payment has risen under the Trump administration.

Japan now has over 100,000 centenarians, exemplified by 107‑year‑old Tetsuo Sato who plans to celebrate his birthday at a hot‑springs hotel.

The 10‑year Treasury yield rose to 5%, its highest level in years, as investors ignored Trump administration attempts to influence the bond market.

Cities and towns are testing cash relocation incentives to lure newcomers, but results show mixed success in reversing rural population declines.

Nine major streaming services now cost $154.41 per month, up 61% from $95.91 in March 2021, adding $702 yearly for the same subscriptions.

AI-driven double-digit GDP growth in the next 10‑15 years is unlikely because real‑world constraints will limit automation’s impact, despite theoretical models showing it’s possible.

Declining UK birth rates are closing primary schools, straining pensions and services, and signal broader societal shifts away from parenthood despite potential benefits.

Stocks are rising due to strong corporate earnings and AI optimism despite Iran war concerns, but rising interest rates increasingly threaten the rally.

European travelers flock to Route 66 on its centennial, chasing nostalgic Americana while distancing themselves from war, inflation, and political turmoil in today's world.

Volkswagen's union deal to cut tens of thousands of jobs and reduce output seeks to revive the automaker, yet experts warn it may only postpone inevitable decline.

Uber announced it will lay off approximately 10% of its workforce across multiple departments as part of cost‑cutting measures to streamline operations amid slowing growth.

Holdren argues that early 20th‑century industrial physicians used routine medical paperwork to obscure worker injuries, enabling capitalism’s systematic erasure of labor harm.

A New York City comptroller report shows the top 0.001% of earners have grown even richer, highlighting entrenched income inequality.

Landlords in San Francisco are offering tens of thousands of dollars to rent-controlled tenants to vacate, but many deem the buyouts insufficient amid rising AI-driven wealth.

Nepal's recent floods have destroyed homes and livelihoods, leaving survivors without basic necessities and uncertain about how to rebuild their lives.

SpaceX's Starbase expansion in Los Angeles aims to boost local aerospace industry but faces regulatory and community hurdles.

This week’s featured listings include homes in Midtown East, the Upper East Side, and Crown Heights, showcasing current Manhattan and Brooklyn market offerings.

Rising gas prices have driven consumers across income levels to increase visits and spending at Dollar General and Dollar Tree stores.

Bill Gates warned that AI poses greater risks than tech companies acknowledge, citing potential mass unemployment and bioterrorism threats to the future.

Wall Street is overlooking the growing debt burdens of major technology companies.

The article examines a proposed tax targeting Amazon's revenues, analyzing its potential impact on the company's finances and broader e‑commerce regulation.

Moderna's stock nearly tripled in one day after revealing progress on a new mRNA cancer vaccine while Covid vaccine demand fell.

Loudoun County, Virginia, earns substantial tax revenue from over 250 data centers, but officials and residents warn that reliance on this income may be risky.

U.S. national debt surpasses $40 trillion due to war spending, tax cuts, and tariff refunds, undermining promises of fiscal restraint.

San Francisco's rental market has intensified as AI-driven high salaries collide with extreme housing scarcity, pushing rents to unprecedented levels.

Five shoppers across the U.S. are cutting back on groceries by switching to store brands, buying in bulk, meal planning, and reducing meat consumption due to sustained food inflation.

Leopold Aschenbrenner’s $45 billion AI‑focused hedge fund collapsed under excessive leverage just as his wedding guests arrived, forcing a fire‑sale of holdings to Citadel.

The article examines real-world data to assess whether AI is significantly displacing jobs or mostly augmenting work, challenging exaggerated claims about widespread automation.

South Korea’s KOSPI index has experienced wild swings driven by investor enthusiasm and anxiety over the global AI boom in recent months.

Investors with large unrealized stock gains can use tax‑loss harvesting or charitable giving strategies to realize liquidity without triggering immediate capital‑gains taxes.

Nearly 200 economists and tech leaders urge policymakers to better understand and act on AI‑driven disruptions, warning of significant societal and economic risks.

Start-ups are hiring white-collar professionals to train AI models to perform their jobs, creating a profitable yet unsettling shift that threatens future employment.

About one-third of adults under 35 now live with their parents, a share that has rebounded to the levels seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A Brooklyn Heights brownstone sold for $24.5 million, setting a new price record for the borough and signaling its shift from affordable Manhattan alternative.

MarketWatch identifies 14 value stocks from the Russell 1000 Value Index with high revenue growth estimates through 2028, noting value stocks tend to outperform growth during high inflation.

A vacant IBM campus in Somers, N.Y. has become a destination for trespassing urban explorers, drawing police responses and local frustration.

A cryptocurrency analytics report found nearly a million investors lost $3.8 billion on the Trump memecoin, with retail investors bearing most losses while savvy traders profited.

The piece catalogs six frustrating aspects of the U.S. financial system, including complex tax forms and hidden fees, advocating for simplification.

Microsoft's disclosure reveals how it uses tax haven subsidiaries to defer billions in U.S. taxes, a practice now subject to new European reporting rules.

Advanced chip packaging, critical for AI computing power, has increased US reliance on Taiwan, with political decisions affecting development efforts.

Even $180,000 tech salaries in San Francisco are insufficient as AI companies like OpenAI and Anthropic drive up costs, widening inequality and forcing workers to reconsider staying.

Anthropic's Economic Index shows Claude usage mirrors work and personal rhythms, higher-value work consumes more compute, and users who delegate more are more optimistic about AI's impact.

A proposed California tax on billionaires faces two opposing ballot measures funded by wealthy individuals, highlighting political tensions over inequality.

A bottom-up analysis finds the generative AI economy generated $110B in sales over the past 12 months, with a $175B annualized run rate.

Rising AI demand boosts stock markets and exports in South Korea and Taiwan, but widens economic inequality by excluding most other sectors.

AI boom has fueled a retail investing frenzy in South Korea, Taiwan, and Japan, with individuals pouring life savings into volatile stocks.

Warsh uses detailed jargon and a penchant for detail to outline a vision for change at the Federal Reserve during a press conference.

Consumer inflation hit a three-year high as rising energy costs drove price increases, while businesses resisted passing costs to consumers with stagnant wages.

Asia's chip suppliers, not just Nvidia, are surging from AI data-center demand, shifting the global tech power balance.

The article chronicles the final service at the Times Square Red Lobster, where regulars and tourists celebrated with seafood and biscuits before the iconic location closed.

British forces independently seized a Russian shadow fleet oil tanker for the first time, targeting vessels Russia uses to evade sanctions on fuel transport.

A 40-person expert workshop hosted by Windfall Trust concluded political polarization will hinder ambitious AI policy, but inaction will be more costly for the economy and jobs by 2030.

California's proposed billionaire tax is prompting wealthy residents to use charitable giving and vacation-home purchases to reduce their net worth and tax liability.

Bernie Sanders, Trump, and AI companies all support taxing AI but propose radically different methods for redistributing the wealth.

Sluggish growth in online sports gambling has betting sites like FanDuel and DraftKings banking on the World Cup to drive record activity.

Switzerland's upcoming referendum will let voters decide on a constitutional amendment capping the population at 10 million to curb migration.

Since early 2025, international markets have outperformed the U.S. — emerging economies up 68%, Europe 45%, Japan 44% — driven by the global AI infrastructure supply chain and corporate reforms.

Trump again mused that average Americans should share in the tech industry's AI wealth, reflecting a growing Washington debate about equitable distribution.

Wealth concentration among billionaires is accelerating due to asset growth outpacing economic expansion, illustrated by Elon Musk's trajectory toward trillionaire status.

Social Security's trust fund will be depleted by 2032, leading to automatic 22% benefit cuts for 68 million Americans unless Congress acts.

The SpaceX IPO exemplifies how hype and speculative optimism, fueled by regulatory changes and an insular investor ecosystem, have broken the stock market's link to fundamentals.

OpenAI plans to raise billions through a public offering, marking a major step in the commercialization of advanced AI technology.

Iran's imploding economy after months of war has created widespread hopelessness and disillusionment, even among those who desired regime change.

Kim Jong-un used the pandemic to tighten control over North Korea and later boosted its economy by exploiting Russia's war in Ukraine.

The Columbus, Ohio area is experiencing a tech and manufacturing boom driven by H1-B and O1-A workers, with local residents seeing no economic benefit but facing doubled power bills.

SpaceX employees and former staffers hold shares worth millions that will become liquid when the company goes public next week.