Tom Howell Jr.

Oil prices shoot up, stocks trend downward as Middle East flare-up ripples into markets

Benchmark oil prices rose to $90 per barrel on Monday after the first flare-up in fighting between the U.S. and Iran in over a month.

August 31, 2026

Trump honors Artemis II crew that flew around the moon

President Trump is awarding the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to the crew of Artemis II, the first humans to travel near the moon in more than half a century.

August 28, 2026

Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh says prices remain too high, hinting at possible rate hikes

Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh said the central bank has "work to do" in taming inflation and cannot offer any excuses in pursuing that goal, a signal that higher interest rates could be necessary.

August 28, 2026

Trump signs order renaming Lake Ontario as Lake America

President Trump on Thursday ordered the Department of the Interior to update maps and databases to rename Lake Ontario as Lake America, following through on his threat during a trade spat with Canada.

August 27, 2026

Canada sees progress in dispute over French language in U.S. trade talks

A top Canadian official said the U.S. might not make French language and cultural provisions a sticking point in trade talks, a potential sign of de-escalation between the nations.

August 27, 2026

Canada’s Doug Ford renews threat to stop electricity exports to U.S.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said Wednesday he's willing to cut off electricity exports to the U.S. if the trade war between Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney and President Trump escalates.

August 26, 2026

Inflation index prized by Fed holds steady in July

The Federal Reserve's preferred gauge of inflation, a price index of what Americans pay for goods and services, remained steady for the year ending in July, the government said Wednesday.

August 26, 2026

CIA chief’s visit to Moscow related to resolving Ukraine war, Trump says

President Trump on Wednesday said CIA Director John Ratcliffe is visiting Russia as part of "routine" efforts to end the war in Ukraine.

August 26, 2026

Canada answers with tariffs against U.S., unveils $7.5B loan for industries targeted by Trump

Defiant Canadian leaders announced tariffs against nearly $28 billion in U.S. products on Tuesday, saying President Trump's levies required a "dollar for dollar" response as they refused to relent to his demands.

August 25, 2026

Trump floats renaming Lake Ontario as Lake America

President Trump on Tuesday said he wants to rename Lake Ontario as "Lake America," opening a new front in the trade war with Canada.

August 25, 2026

Is the Strait of Hormuz becoming obsolete? Gulf nations quietly build a way around Iran

The crisis in the Strait of Hormuz is forcing Middle East nations to explore new routes for critical oil exports, easing the global supply crunch and reducing Iran's ability to use the waterway as a source of leverage.

August 19, 2026

Trump: U.S. not seeking talks with Iran as regional violence reemerges

President Trump said Tuesday his administration is not speaking to Iran and asserted U.S. control over the Strait of Hormuz while Tehran signaled a new phase of defiance and aggression in the region, raising tensions across the Gulf region.

August 18, 2026

Trump says U.S. won’t talk to Iran, will rely on economic pressure, blockade

President Trump said Tuesday there are no active or planned talks with Iran and his naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz will remain in "full force."

August 18, 2026

Iran denies rumors of back-channel peace talks with U.S. as 60-day ceasefire period lapses

Iran on Monday officially denied allegations that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was engaged in back-channel talks with the U.S. via Kurdish intermediaries in Iraq, maintaining Tehran's harsh stance against negotiations without concessions as the war continues.

August 17, 2026

Trump says making the Strait of Hormuz a U.S. territory remains a good idea

President Trump on Monday said making the Strait of Hormuz a U.S. territory would be a "great idea," repeating a proposal he floated in a speech a few days ago.

August 17, 2026

Trump praises young lifeguard Ryder Williams for ‘incredible’ rescue

President Trump on Monday hailed the heroics of a 16-year-old lifeguard who saved a boy caught in the rugged Californian surf in late July.

August 17, 2026

Trump threatens to bomb Oman if it ‘gets in the way’ of Iran negotiations

President Trump unleashed an expletive-laced threat toward Oman Monday, saying he would bomb the Middle East nation if it disrupts negotiations with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz.

August 17, 2026

State of Hormuz? Trump jokes about annexing Middle East waterway at heart of Iran war

President Trump says he might declare the Strait of Hormuz a "territory of the United States" and that a bit more pain at the pump for Americans will be worth keeping a nuclear weapon out of Iran's hands.

August 14, 2026

Trump says sailors on USS Lincoln were not deployed for too long

President Trump is dismissing concerns that sailors were deployed for too long on the USS Abraham Lincoln, an aircraft carrier that's been at sea since late 2025 and served as a launchpad for operations in Iran.

August 14, 2026

Treasury Secretary Bessent says U.S. set to deliver unprecedented economic pain on Iran

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says President Trump plans to drastically dial up financial pressure on Iran as the Middle East conflict reverts to an economic war of wills.

August 14, 2026