News Discussions

What should be the main goals of China's budget and economic development plans for 2026?

China’s Ministry of Finance released its draft 2026 budget report, including plans for a more proactive fiscal policy to support the domestic market, advanced technology and public welfare. Major central government expenditures: National defence: 1.91 trillion yuan, up 7 per cent Debt interest payments: 874 billion yuan, up 6.7 per cent Science and technology: 426 billion yuan, up 10 per cent Public security: 258 billion yuan, up 5.9 per cent Education: 192 billion yuan, up 5 per

How should our government respond to rising gas prices due to the conflict in Iran?

Data: Financial Modeling Prep; Chart: Axios Visuals In the first week of the American and Israeli attack on Iran, the economic ripples were looking pretty minimal. But as Week 2 begins, the risks to the global economy are growing much more serious. The big picture: You can't decapitate the leadership of a country of 90 million people, with expansive military and intelligence capabilities, in the heart of some of the world's most economically important supply chains, without a huge cost. The hours and days and weeks ahead are all about quantifying that cost. Zoom in: Oil skyrocketed 25% overnight, to just under $120 a barrel, fueling worries that higher energy costs will stoke inflation and curb spending by U.S. consumers. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index plunged more than 5%. That's the highest oil price since about four years ago, when energy prices surged due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.Patrick De Haan — a widely cited gas price expert and an analyst for GasBuddy — estimates there's an 80% chance the national average gas price will hit $4 per gallon in the next month. The latest: As of 5am ET, a barrel of the global crude oil benchmark was going for about $107 on futures markets, up 15% from Friday and 47% from 10 days ago, before the Iran attack. Brent crude prices approached $120 overnight before receding on reports of coordinated global action to release oil reserves. The oil price rise is poised to translate into a rapid increase in the cost of retail gasoline, which was already up about 51 cents per gallon before the weekend run-up in oil prices. The risk of a broader economic slump is rising with the disruption to oil supplies. S&P 500 futures are down 1.3% overnight, setting Wall Street up for its third consecutive day of losses. Japan's Nikkei index was down 5.2% and South Korea's KOSPI down 6%, reflecting those economies' more direct dependence on Middle Eastern oil now at risk of a protracted blockade. Of note: The odds of a U.S. recession this year spiked t

What should lawmakers consider when creating rules for the crypto market?

The Agriculture Committee is moving ahead on crypto legislation despite a lack of bipartisan agreement, even as the Banking Committee slows its own work

How might China's lower growth target affect its economy and the global economy?

Figure given at annual meeting of parliament as Beijing prepares to release new five-year plan

How could the introduction of tokenized stocks and ETFs change the way people invest and trade in the stock market?

The New York Stock Exchange is developing a tokenized securities platform that will allow for 24/7 settlement of trades

How should policymakers approach the inclusion of businesses in discussions about pub rate changes?

High street shops, pharmacies and music venues have said that the axing of planned increases to business rates for pubs should apply to them too

What are the benefits and drawbacks of increasing property taxes to support the budget and wealth tax proposal?

Mayor Zohran Mamdani said his proposal to raise New York City property taxes was a “last resort” to close a budget gap

How should updated data on economic growth be used to improve our community's well-being?

Gross value added by A*10 industry- international data cooperation quarterly data

What could be the effects of changing laws on Venezuela's oil industry for its people and the economy?

Bowing to Trump administration pressure, the new legislation improves conditions for foreign oil companies and opens the way to slash the taxes they pay

How might the recent trends in bond trading influence economic policy decisions moving forward?

Yield on 10-year Treasuries seen dropping below 4% in coming weeks

What do you think the rising property prices in the UK mean for families looking to buy a home?

What are the potential impacts of appointing a new leader to the Bureau of Labor Statistics?

President Donald Trump said he intends to nominate Brett Matsumoto to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics, his second pick for the role that’s been vacant since August