‘It’s Taking All of Our Money’: Truck Drivers in Iowa Lament Gas Price Surge Sparked by Trump’s Iran War
Truck drivers at Iowa 80, the nation’s largest truck stop, are confronting record fuel prices after the U.S. entered a war with Iran that shut the Strait of Hormuz. Regular gasoline now sells for $4.26 a gallon and diesel for $5.72, forcing an owner‑operator to spend over $800 on a single fill‑up. Analysts predict the surge will linger through the summer travel season, while the Trump administration is weighing higher‑ethanol blends and a possible gas‑tax suspension to blunt the impact. The price shock is also eroding voter confidence in President Trump ahead of the midterm elections.
UK Supply Chain Unprepared for Major Shocks Such as War, Report Warns
A National Preparedness Commission report warns that Britain’s critical supply chains are ill‑equipped for major shocks such as a renewed war with Russia, a pandemic or climate‑driven disruptions. The study finds the UK lags behind most EU neighbours in stockpiling...
Oil Prices Rise and Bonds Wobble as Iran War Stokes Inflation Fears
Oil prices jumped after an attack on a UAE nuclear plant and stalled US‑Iran peace talks, pushing Brent crude to $111.16 a barrel before easing to $110. Global bond markets reacted sharply, with the US 10‑year Treasury yield climbing to...
Campaigners Threaten Legal Action over UK-US Deal on Prices NHS Pays for Drugs
Campaign groups Global Justice Now and Just Treatment are threatening a judicial review after the UK government introduced a statutory instrument that allows the health secretary to over‑rule NICE’s drug‑pricing recommendations. The move is part of a broader UK‑US medicines...
US Workers Overwhelmingly Support Union-Backed Policies on AI, Poll Says
A new AFL‑CIO poll of 1,588 U.S. workers shows overwhelming support for union‑backed AI safeguards. Over 90% favor policies such as a human final decision‑maker and strict transparency, while 78% deem worker protection from AI harms essential. Trust in unions...
US Added 115,000 Jobs in April in Surprise Gain Amid Iran War Uncertainty
The U.S. Labor Department reported an unexpected gain of 115,000 jobs in April, far outpacing the 55,000 jobs economists had forecast. The unemployment rate held at 4.3%, unchanged from the prior month, despite heightened uncertainty from the US‑Israel conflict with...
Financial Stability Risks Are Rising as AI Fuels Cyber-Attacks, IMF Warns; Oil Below $100 on Iran Peace Hopes – as...
The International Monetary Fund warned that AI‑driven tools such as Claude Mythos are accelerating cyber‑attack capabilities, creating systemic risks for global financial stability. Mythos can locate and exploit vulnerabilities in major operating systems and browsers, even for non‑experts, prompting the...
Powerful US Utilities Secretly Fund ‘Grassroots’ Groups to Sway Cities Away From Switch to Public Power
Private utilities are deploying a network of industry‑funded front groups to undermine municipalization efforts in cities such as Ann Arbor, Michigan, San Diego and St. Petersburg. In Ann Arbor, the Ann Arbor Responsible Energy Coalition received nearly $2 million from DTE...
CNN Legend Christiane Amanpour Expresses Concern About Ellison Takeover
Christian Amanpour warned that Paramount Skydance’s planned takeover of Warner Bros Discovery, which would merge CBS News and CNN, could jeopardize editorial independence. She cited the recent decline in viewers and revenue at CBS’s *60 Minutes* after Skydance assumed control, suggesting similar interference may...
US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Sues NYT over Bias Claim
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a lawsuit against The New York Times, alleging the newspaper discriminated against a white male editor by rejecting him for a deputy real‑estate editor promotion in favor of a female candidate. The EEOC claims the...
End of Trump Tariffs on Whisky Sparks Row Between Scottish Parties over Claiming Credit
The United States announced it will lift the 10% tariff on Scotch whisky, a move that removes an estimated $150 million in lost sales for the industry. The decision, announced by President Donald Trump on Truth Social, coincides with King Charles...
60 Minutes Journalist Decries ‘Spread of Corporate Meddling and Editorial Fear’ at CBS News
Veteran 60 Minutes correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi warned that corporate meddling and editorial fear are eroding CBS News’ independence after a segment on El Salvador’s Cecot prison was delayed and altered at the request of CBS editor Bari Weiss. Alfonsi, who received a Ridenhour...
‘My Own Contribution’: The Ottawa Immigrants Learning to Retrofit Homes and Fight the Climate Crisis
A new Ottawa social enterprise, Build, launched by the non‑profit EnviroCentre, trains immigrants and other under‑represented groups in home‑retrofit trades such as insulation, air sealing and drywall installation. The program tackles Canada’s twin challenges: the need to retrofit roughly 600,000...
US Economic Growth Rebounds 2% as Consumer Spending Slows Amid Iran War
U.S. gross domestic product accelerated to a 2% annualized pace in Q1 2026, reversing a 0.5% slowdown in Q4 2025. The rebound was driven by a 10% jump in government spending and a 6.4% rise in domestic investment, especially in AI‑related infrastructure....
BP Reports ‘Horrifying’ Jump in Profits as Iran War Boosts Oil Trading; Brent Crude Hits Three-Week High – Business Live
BP reported first‑quarter 2026 profit of nearly $3.2 billion, roughly double the $1.54 billion earned in Q4 2025, as the Iran‑Israel war lifted oil and gas prices and pushed Brent crude to a three‑week high. The surge was driven primarily by stronger trading...
Bosses Don’t Like the Sound of a ‘Four-Day Workweek’. Maybe It’s Time to Rebrand It
The four‑day workweek is gaining traction in Europe, with Belgium, Iceland and Lithuania enacting legislation and pilots running in the UK and Japan. In the United States, small and mid‑sized firms remain wary, fearing that paying five‑day wages for four...
‘Look, No Hands’: China Chases the Driverless Dream at Beijing Car Show
At the Beijing Auto Fair, Chinese automakers showcased a wave of autonomous‑driving technologies as domestic EV sales slump 17% YoY. Huawei announced a $11 bn (80 bn yuan) five‑year fund for self‑driving software, while Xpeng and Xiaomi demonstrated AI‑powered command and in‑car...
When Her ‘Soul Cat’ Died, She Was Bereft. Now She Designs Memorial Jewelry to Help Others with Pet Loss
Katie Teixeira turned her grief over her cat Milo into Fallen Whiskers, a handcrafted pet‑memorial jewelry brand. After a viral Instagram reel in 2023, she launched the business, which now fulfills about 15 orders weekly at $125‑$150 each and has...
EU Risks Fallout with US over Trump-Linked Balkans Pipeline Plan
The European Union has moved to block Bosnia and Herzegovina from awarding a $1.5 bn Southern Interconnection pipeline contract to AAFS Infrastructure and Energy, a Wyoming firm fronted by Donald Trump’s personal lawyer and other campaign allies. The pipeline, intended to...
Four Key Takeaways From Apple’s Change of Leadership
John Ternus, Apple’s head of engineering, will replace Tim Cook as CEO in September, taking the helm of the $4 trillion tech giant. He inherits a company praised for its brand but challenged by a lagging AI strategy, iPhone revenue concentration,...
Airlines Demand UK Relax Noise Rules and Cut Flight Tax as Fuel Shortage Looms
Airlines UK, representing carriers such as British Airways and easyJet, has lodged a formal request with the UK government to relax noise restrictions, suspend the emissions trading scheme, and cut air passenger duty as a looming jet‑fuel shortage threatens operations....
Kenyan Firm Sacks More than 1,000 Workers After Losing Meta Contract
More than 1,000 low‑paid Kenyan workers were abruptly dismissed by Nairobi‑based outsourcing firm Sama after Meta terminated its content‑moderation and AI‑training contract. Meta had paused the partnership amid allegations that staff used smart‑glass devices to view private, user‑generated footage. Sama...
Oil Tumbles 10% and Stock Markets Rally as Iran Declares Strait of Hormuz ‘Completely Open’ – as It Happened
Oil prices plunged about 10% as Brent slipped below $90 a barrel after Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz completely open for navigation. The easing of a major supply‑chain bottleneck sparked a rally across global equity markets, lifting risk‑on assets....
Employees at First Ever Starbucks Store Seek to Unionize Amid Fight for Contract
Baristas at Starbucks' original 1971 Pike Place Market store have filed a union election petition, joining more than 600 U.S. locations that have already voted to unionize since 2021. The drive comes as Starbucks Workers United lodged an unfair‑labor‑practice charge,...
Senate Democrats Move to Stall Trump’s ‘Absurd’ Bid to Install New Fed Chair
Senate Democrats on the banking committee have asked Republican leadership to postpone the confirmation hearing for Kevin Warsh, President Donald Trump’s nominee to replace Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. The request comes as the Justice Department investigates Powell over a...
Trump Warns US-UK Trade Deal ‘Can Always Be Changed’ with Relations in ‘Sad State’
President Donald Trump warned that the U.S.-U.K. trade agreement, signed in May 2025 and featuring reduced tariffs on cars, aluminium and steel, could be altered or revoked. He linked the threat to Britain’s perceived lack of support during the U.S....
New EU Entry-Exit System Causing up to Three-Hour Delays, Say Airports
The EU’s new Entry‑Exit System (EES) went live across Schengen states on 10 April, and airports in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Greece and others are reporting queues of up to three hours. The Airports Council International (ACI) warned the delays could...
‘Power in the Hands of People’: Union Leaders Push to Revive Ailing US Labor Movement
Union leaders have launched Union Now, a nonprofit aimed at reversing the decline in U.S. union density, which fell to 10% in 2025 despite 70% of workers favoring unions. The initiative seeks to provide financial firepower and faster contract negotiations,...
Soaring Rents and a Four-Hour Commute: The Misery of the Lagos Housing Crisis
Lagos, Africa’s second‑largest city, is grappling with a severe housing crisis as rents have surged five‑fold in two years, far outpacing the national minimum wage of about $645. Professionals like product manager Oluwatobi Ogundipe now endure four‑hour commutes after being...
The Daughters of Dominican Immigrants Achieved the American Dream. They’re Bringing Sweet Chocolate Success Back to the Homeland
Sisters Janett and Erika Liriano left lucrative U.S. careers to launch Inaru Chocolate, the Dominican Republic’s first vertically integrated cacao company. By contracting directly with farmers and paying 30‑50% above market rates, they give growers a stake in the finished...
Ceasefire Changes Little for Shipping in Strait of Hormuz, Experts Say
A two‑week conditional cease‑fire between the United States and Iran includes a provision to temporarily reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran announced it will allow safe passage only for vessels that obtain explicit permission, warning that unauthorized ships will be...
Workers Carved the Largest Modern Hindu Temple in the West. Now, some Have Incurable Lung Disease
The BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham temple in Robbinsville, New Jersey – the largest modern Hindu mandir outside India – was built between 2015 and 2023 using hand‑carved stone from Rajasthan. Workers, mostly Dalit artisans from India, allege they were paid as little...
$30 an Hour by 2030: New Pushes to Increase Minimum Wage in New York and California
Campaigns in California and New York City are pushing to raise the minimum wage to $30 an hour by 2030 for large employers, with Oakland and Alameda County placing ballot initiatives on the November 2026 ballot. New York City councilmember Sandy Nurse introduced...
‘Denial Machine’: Climate Misinformation Is Fuelling Conflict in Australian Communities, Inquiry Finds
A cross‑party Senate inquiry concluded that a coordinated climate‑denial network is fuelling community conflict and delaying renewable energy projects across Australia. The final report blames misinformation and disinformation for eroding public trust and recommends making tech platforms liable for psychosocial...
Child Labor Violations Rise in US – as Republicans Still Roll Back Protections
Child labor violations in the United States have surged fivefold over the past decade, rising from 1,012 minors in 2015 to 5,272 in 2025, with hazardous‑job violations more than doubling. Republican legislatures in Nebraska, Indiana and West Virginia enacted bills...
Fuel Spikes, Flight Delays and Storms Threaten US Spring Break Travel
US spring‑break travel faces a perfect storm of challenges. Airlines anticipate a record 171 million passengers, a 4% rise over last year, prompting a 2% increase in flights and seats. However, TSA agents have gone weeks without pay, lengthening security lines,...
Seven in 10 Americans Say Trump Tariffs Have Cost Them More Money
A Harris Poll finds 72% of Americans say Trump’s tariffs have raised their costs, with grocery items like beef and coffee seeing double‑digit price jumps. Despite a Supreme Court ruling limiting many levies, the administration plans a 15% baseline tariff...
Top US Banks Weigh Suing Federal Regulator over Crypto Banking Rules
The Bank Policy Institute (BPI), representing major lenders such as JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, is weighing a lawsuit against the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) over its new national trust charter framework for crypto, payment and fintech...