Ward: Security

109

How Much More Can the U.S. Travel Industry Take?

Politics and border hassles have chased away foreign visitors, costing businesses billions. Some fear next year’s World Cup won’t be enough to bring tourists back.

221

The solve for America's aging crisis: Universal Basic Investment

America faces an aging crisis: We have too few young people supporting too many older people — at the very moment Social Security, our national retirement program, nears insolvency.To make matters worse, young people are increasingly scared to have kids — in part because they fear AI will make findi…

220

Americans weigh in on cost of living, Trump, expectations for 2026 in poll

More see Trump's policies responsible for economy today than Biden's; there are also concerns about AI impact on jobs.

320

Labour admits 60% of parents wrongly targeted in HMRC child benefit fraud crackdown

Exclusive: Scale of government’s anti-fraud fiasco is four times higher than previously admittedMore than 60% of parents who had their child benefit stopped by HMRC using incorrect Home Office travel data were not fraudulently claiming the support from abroad, it has emerged.The scale of the governm…

348

‘It can be quite a thankless job’: why driving examiners are calling it quits

A staff exodus and a broken booking system are helping to cause huge jams in Britain’s driving test system It has long been a stressful rite of passage for many young people but, in recent years, passing the actual driving test is the easy part. Now, many people seeking a test need to wake up early …

109

Holiday shoppers out in force, but concerns over consumer sentiment linger

Holiday shopping is in high gear, with the National Retail Federation predicting a record 159 million shoppers on what it calls "Super Saturday," with nearly a third buying gifts in stores. However, consumer sentiment is down as many Americans are concerned about their economic future. Nicole Valdes…

123

Chicago Council Passes 2026 Budget to Close $1.2 Billion Gap

Chicago’s City Council passed a roughly $16 billion budget for 2026 — less than two weeks before the deadline — without certainty about whether Mayor Brandon Johnson will sign or veto the plan.

111

How to Stop Supporting Your Adult Kids When You’re Retired

In trying to help grown children, parents can hurt their own retirement security. Here’s how to stop the flow of money.

219

Your paycheck may get larger in January, even without a raise

You could be starting off 2026 with more income than expected.

333

The real reason incomes rise and why they drop

Getting ahead financially is mainly about what you earn at work, not what you make from investments. Researchers found that promotions, skills, and better jobs drive most upward income movement. But when people slip backward, falling investment income is usually the main reason. Labor builds income …

111

Report: Americans spent $228 billion on alcohol last year. Where did adults spend the most?

While some states spent vastly more than others on adult beverages, like California, which paid the most in the country at roughly $29 billion, the states where the average adult spent the most on alcohol over the last year may surprise you.

209

Don’t bet on lots of hiring and new jobs in 2026 — or lots of layoffs, either

The U.S. jobs market took a sharp turn for the worse in 2025, and it doesn’t look like hiring will catch fire in the new year.

321

From A.I. to Tariffs, 14 Charts That Explain 2025

President Trump’s trade policy, inflation and climbing stock prices shaped business and the economy this year.

333

Fitch Cuts Gabon’s Rating Further Into Junk on Debt Risks

Fitch Ratings has cut Gabon’s credit rating further into junk territory, citing widening government deficits and declining demand for the country’s debt.

109

Covid, Inflation and the GFC: The Economic Story of a Quarter-Century

From Clinton-era optimism to the dot-com crash, the housing bust, a manufacturing decline that fueled MAGA, and the once-in-a-century shock of Covid, the first 25 years of the century reshaped both the economy and the public mood. Michael McKee, Jason Furman, Torsten Slok, and Stephanie Flanders exp…

109

China’s first polysilicon consolidation steps unlikely to move prices in Q1

China’s largest polysilicon producers have launched initial steps toward consolidation to curb overcapacity, but OPIS analyst Summer Zhang tells pv magazine that unresolved funding, capacity cuts and governance issues mean prices are likely to see only modest support in the near term without sustain…

223

What will happen when the £100 contactless card limit is scrapped?

Watchdog says banks will be able to respond to changing consumer demands, inflation and new technologyThe limit on contactless spending with a credit or debit card will be scrapped in March 2026, and banks will be allowed to set their own restrictions.The City watchdog, the Financial Conduct Authori…

121

Cocoa Prices are Falling. When Will Chocolate Get Cheaper?

Cocoa prices have dropped from their 2024 peak — but don't expect chocolate bargains this holiday season. When will prices finally fall? Harry Black explains. (Source: Bloomberg)

229

USGS releases assessment of undiscovered gas resources in Gulf Coast’s Haynesville Formation

RESTON, Va. — The U.S. Geological Survey released its assessment of potential for undiscovered gas and oil in the Haynesville Formation underlying the onshore Gulf of America and adjoining state waters, assessing that there are technically recoverable resources of 47.9 trillion cubic feet of gas and…

11

Retailers hope ‘panic weekend’ will bring Christmas cheer to UK sales

Experts forecast spending will be more than 12% up on same period in 2024 after lucklustre figures so farRetailers are hoping for a last-minute dash for the shops this weekend after a lacklustre run-up to Christmas, with UK households forecast to spend £3.4bn, up more than 12% on the same weekend in…