News Discussions

What are the possible effects of Cuba's new economic reforms on its people and relationships with other countries?

Cuba's Communist Party has signed off on a package of free market reforms. One member called the changes a response to "economic war," while the party said they were not a "deviation" from the socialist project

How has Brexit affected the way European countries work together in their financial markets?

European Investment Bank President Nadia Calviño discusses the lender’s investment in security defense, tech and energy projects in an interview with Bloomberg TV’s Guy Johnson. She said the UK’s exit from the European Union is partly responsible for the EU’s failure to integrate its capital markets. “We shouldn’t underestimate the importance of Brexit,” Calviño said on Wednesday. “London was Europe’s financial market, and after Brexit we have divided our forces.” (Source: Bloomberg)

How might central banks' increased gold buying affect our economy and global trade?

What are the potential benefits and drawbacks of the new US trade deal for Europe and its citizens?

The European Parliament has approved cutting tariffs on many US imports to comply with a deal signed last year. US President Trump had given the bloc a July 4 deadline to meet its side of the deal

What should the government's role be in managing the oil reserve and its impact on prices for everyday people?

Emergency stockpiles of crude oil in the United States have hit the lowest level they have been since the 1980s, as the oil and gas markets grapple with the fallout from the war in Iran. The monthslong conflict disrupted more than 11 million barrels per day of oil from global trade, threatening supply worldwide and […]

How should Kenya balance fuel prices with global market changes and local needs?

[Capital FM] Nairobi -- President William Ruto has reaffirmed his commitment to stabilising fuel prices after EPRA announced a Sh10 diesel cut supported by a Sh10 billion subsidy

How might changes in the labor market and oil prices affect our economy and daily lives?

The 1970s oil-shock playbook needs an update: The inflation costs remain, but the employment risks appear far smaller than they did 50 years ago. Why it matters: As the Iran war continues, there are early signs of renewed strength in the labor market. If energy disruptions pose less of a risk to jobs, the challenge for central banks shifts from managing stagflation risks to guarding against renewed price pressures. That's the takeaway from new Federal Reserve Bank of Boston research that finds an oil shock the size of what the Iran war has produced would push inflation materially higher while having essentially no effect on national employment. What they're saying: "The U.S. economy's vulnerability to oil shocks has not been eliminated, but rather reconfigured," economists wrote in the report. "Oil shocks may now pose less of a challenge for monetary policy, allowing policymakers to focus more on the greater risk to inflation." Driving the news: The researchers estimate that the U.S.-Iran conflict generated a 33% oil price shock — a magnitude that is historically significant, though not unprecedented. The U.S. economy is now structured differently than past energy crises, allowing it to absorb a shock of that magnitude with far less damage to national employment.But with a smaller hit to growth and employment, there is less downward pressure on prices to counteract rising energy costs.The Boston Fed estimates that if an oil disruption like today's hit during the mid-1970s, it would lift the Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index by 2.2 percentage points and reduce national employment by 1.8 percentage point. What to watch: The oil shock is estimated to create relative winners and losers across the country, with oil-producing states faring better than oil-importing regions — differences that can leave an economic mark for as long as two years after the initial hit. The Boston Fed estimates that employment growth in Texas would be roughly 1.7 percentage point h

How should we address the workforce gap to ensure national security and support our communities?

Mike Rowe has been on a lonely mission. For two decades, he has been raising the alarm. Rowe has been warning anyone who would listen that our skills gap in the trades was widening to a chasm so large that the economic affect on U.S. manufacturing companies, in particular auto and steel industries, but also […]

What might be the effects of not renewing the trade deal with Canada and Mexico on our economy and jobs?

The president’s comments come at a crucial moment in talks between the three countries over the renewal of their free-trade agreement

What should our laws be to address crimes like money laundering in cryptocurrency?

DOJ charges two men over alleged AudiA6 crypto laundering service tied to more than $389 million in transactions

How might the war in Iran affect the UK's economy and its people in the future?

The contraction in April comes after the economy saw stronger than expected growth in March

How might the war in Iran affect the global economy and what steps could we take to support recovery?

Global growth forecast cut to 2.5 percent due to surging energy prices, inflation and borrowing costs