U.S. Treasury Downplays Role of Crypto in Financing Palestinian Militant Groups
Finance
FinCEN Report Unveils Bitcoin's Role in Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation
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Gold Prices Plunge Below $2,000 as Stubborn Inflation Dashes Rate Cut Hopes
"Gold prices tumbled below the critical threshold of $2,000 per ounce, marking the lowest point in two months, as a U.S. inflation report that exceeded expectations dampened hopes for an imminent reduction in interest rates by the Federal Reserve. -
Dow Faces Sharp Decline Amid Hotter-Than-Expected Inflation Data
"The stock market experienced a significant downturn on Tuesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeting over 500 points, marking one of its steepest declines since March 2023. This sell-off was spurred by unexpectedly high inflation data for January, which has cast doubts on the anticipated series of Federal Reserve rate cuts that many investors had been banking on to bolster the equity market.
The Latest
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Fed Proposes $223 Billion Capital Cut for Big Banks Amid Internal Dissent
The Federal Reserve on Wednesday advanced a proposal to ease capital requirements for the nation's largest banks, marking a significant regulatory shift that has sparked division among policymakers and reignited concerns over systemic financial risk. The move would lower the enhanced supplementary leverage ratio (eSLR), a post-crisis safeguard meant to ensure banks hold adequate capital to absorb losses. 
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Oil Prices Rebound 2% as U.S. Demand Surges, Middle East Tensions Simmer
Oil prices climbed nearly 2% Wednesday, rebounding from a steep early-week decline as U.S. inventory data pointed to robust fuel demand and markets weighed the stability of a tenuous ceasefire between Israel and Iran. Brent crude futures rose $1.22, or 1.8%, to $68.36 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate gained $1.25, or 1.9%, to $65.62. 
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Oil Prices Plunge 8% After Iran Targets U.S. Base But Avoids Disrupting Oil Flow
Oil prices plunged 8% Monday after Iran retaliated against U.S. airstrikes with a missile attack on a U.S. base in Qatar that left global energy flows untouched. Markets interpreted the move as symbolic and restrained, easing fears of disruption to oil exports through the vital Strait of Hormuz and lifting U.S. stocks. 
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Oil Prices Fall Sharply as Trump Delays Decision on Iran Strike
Oil prices fell more than 3% Friday as President Donald Trump opted to delay a decision on direct U.S. involvement in the escalating Israel-Iran conflict, citing a potential window for diplomatic talks over Iran's nuclear program. -
Federal Reserve Holds Interest Rates Steady, Warns of Tariff-Driven Inflation While Keeping 2025 Cuts on Table
The Federal Reserve left its benchmark interest rate unchanged Wednesday for the fourth consecutive meeting, maintaining the range at 4.25% to 4.5%, as policymakers confronted mounting evidence of tariff-induced inflation and slowing growth. The decision keeps the Fed on track for two rate cuts this year, but also revealed internal divisions and an increasingly complex economic outlook shaped by President Donald Trump's tariff regime. 
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Fed to Hold Rates as Inflation Jitters Mount Amid Trump Tariffs, Mideast Turmoil
The Federal Reserve is widely expected to hold interest rates steady on Wednesday, resisting pressure from President Donald Trump to cut borrowing costs, as escalating tensions in the Middle East and uncertainty over U.S. tariffs cloud the economic outlook. Policymakers continue to weigh competing signals from a slowing domestic economy and mounting inflation risks. -
Oil Prices Surge as Israel-Iran Strikes Hit Refineries, Gas Field
Oil prices surged sharply in early Asian trading Monday as Israel and Iran launched direct attacks on each other's energy infrastructure, stoking fears of wider supply disruptions across the Middle East. Brent crude futures rose $2.37, or 3.2%, to $76.60 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate climbed $2.39, or 3.3%, to $75.37. Both benchmarks had settled 7% higher Friday, after jumping more than 13% during the session. -
Oil Soars, Markets Drop as Israel Strikes Iran, Triggering Fears of Wider Middle East Conflict
Global oil prices surged and equity markets tumbled Friday after Israel launched a wave of airstrikes targeting Iranian nuclear and military facilities, killing at least two of Tehran's top commanders and triggering a sharp escalation in Middle East tensions. -
Oil Prices Hit Two-Month High as Trump Touts China Trade Deal, U.S. Inventories Drop 3.6 Million Barrels
Oil prices climbed to their highest levels in more than two months Wednesday, as investors reacted to renewed trade optimism between the U.S. and China and a sharper-than-expected decline in U.S. crude inventories. -
ECB Cuts Key Rate to 2% Amid Slowing Inflation, But Growth Outlook Remains Flat
The European Central Bank on Thursday trimmed its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points to 2%, responding to a sharper-than-expected slowdown in inflation and rising geopolitical and trade uncertainties. The move, widely anticipated by markets, marks the ECB's first rate cut since inflation dipped below the bank's 2% target for the first time in three years. 
