Markets Have Returned To Taking Headlines As Gospel

US Gas Prices Cross Politically Sensitive $4 Level Closely Watched By Trump The U.S. national average for a gallon of regular 87-octane gasoline has climbed back above the politically sensitive $4 threshold as U.S. military forces and Tehran enter a ninth day of tit-for-tat strikes. This level is significant because it is where fuel costs begin to alter spending and driving behavior among working-poor households, while also weighing more broadly on consumer sentiment, making it a key pressure point closely watched by the Trump administration ahead of the midterm...

Brasília Makes Friends With Beijing Authored by Jake Scott via FEE, On a Sunday night in late July, Brazil's Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and China's Xi Jinping spoke for more than an hour. It was cordial and faintly triumphant, with the two governments announcing their intention to accelerate a long-stalled China-Mercosur trade agreement. Alongside this, there are plans to deepen cooperation on satellites and critical-minerals processing, and waive short-stay visa requirements. Image Credit: Custom image by FEE This marks a serious change for Brazil. For years, it was Brasília that had...