Answers

No — overall, prices in stores are still higher than they were a year ago, not lower. The most recent data (September 2026) shows: Overall inflation is rising, not falling: Prices compared to a year ago are up 3.7%, which is up from 3.4% in August and 3.0% in September 2025. This increase was driven largely by energy — gasoline jumped 9.1% in a single month and is up about a third over the year.

Here's a roundup of the top business and market headlines heading into today, Sunday, October 18, 2026 (U.S. markets are closed for the weekend, so the focus is on Friday's close and developments shaping Monday's open): Markets Close Out a Rough Week Major U.S. benchmarks closed significantly lower on Friday, driven by an accelerating retreat from technology and artificial intelligence equities.

Overall, no — prices in stores are generally higher, not lower, than a year ago, though the picture varies quite a bit depending on what you're buying. Overall inflation picture The most recent government data (released October 14, 2026, covering September) shows that the consumer price index rose a seasonally adjusted 0.6% for the month, putting the 12-month rate at 3.7%. This increase was prim

Based on current news coverage, here are 10 of the biggest news stories today, October 16, 2026: 1. Deadly School Shooting in Bend, Oregon Three children, aged 5, 8 and 11, and one teacher were killed when a 16-year-old Bend, Oregon, resident entered an elementary school and started shooting, police said at a news conference Thursday evening. A community member who saw the teenager entering Silv

Short answer: Yes, in many key sectors — the evidence from 2025–2026 strongly suggests so. Most mainstream economists agree that sharply reducing immigration tends to create or worsen labor shortages, particularly in industries that have historically relied heavily on immigrant labor. This isn't just theory — it's been playing out in real time in the U.S. since major enforcement actions began in

Here's a roundup of today's top business and market headlines: Markets Asian stocks were set to rebound as fears over stretched AI valuations eased, putting the region on course for its first gain this week after a four-day slide. This follows a volatile Wall Street session in which chipmakers pared steep losses after Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang defended the financial health of AI computing supplier

Here's a roundup of today's top business and market headlines (October 15, 2026): Global Selloff Driven by Chip Stocks & Inflation Fears A sharp global equity selloff is intensifying, with a selloff in global equities deepening in Asia as chip stocks plunged and faster-than-expected US inflation fueled concern over further interest rate hikes, while Treasuries rallied on haven demand and the doll

Whether stopping immigration causes labor shortages depends on the economy's demographic and workforce conditions, but in many developed countries with aging populations, there's substantial evidence that sharply reduced immigration does contribute to labor shortages. Let me search for current information on this topic. Short answer: Often yes — especially in economies with aging populations and t

Here's a roundup of today's top business and market headlines (October 14, 2026): Markets & Fed Outlook Asian stocks were set for broad gains after US equities recovered from session lows on signals that the Federal Reserve may not need to raise interest rates aggressively next year. Specifically, New York Fed President John Williams said he continues to see one more rate hike as appropriate this

Here are today's top business and market headlines (October 13, 2026): Markets - A selloff in technology stocks on Wall Street extended into Asia, with losses in the artificial intelligence trade — one of the market's hottest corners this year. Oil declined. MSCI's Asia Pacific equities gauge dropped 2%, set for its weakest close since August. - Chip stocks in South Korea and Taiwan — barometers

Short answer: Yes, in many cases—and this is already happening There's strong real-world evidence right now that restricting immigration causes labor shortages, particularly in specific sectors. Here's what the data shows: Current evidence (2025–2026, U.S.) Since the Trump administration's immigration crackdown began, economists have documented clear effects on the labor force. Early evidence

Here's a roundup of today's top business and market headlines (Monday, October 12, 2026): Markets & Economy - U.S. equity markets posted broad weekly gains from October 5 to October 11, 2026, with benchmark indexes achieving new record highs before experiencing mid-week volatility, as the S&P 500 rose 1.2% while the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.9%. The Dow Jones gained 423.31 points, or

Today's Top Business/Market Headlines (October 11, 2026) Markets at Record Highs Despite Turmoil US stocks hit a record high, shrugging off bond market turmoil, as the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq rallied to cap a volatile week with earnings season approaching. The rally has been persistent — the S&P 500 has doubled its average annual new highs, signaling persistent bullish momentum and aggressive d

Short answer: In many sectors and countries, yes — most economic evidence points to sharp immigration restrictions causing labor shortages, at least in certain industries, though the overall effect depends on which workers, which jobs, and how quickly native-born workers or automation can fill the gap. The evidence from current U.S. experience (2025) The U.S. is essentially running this experi

Here's a roundup of today's top business and market headlines (as of October 10, 2026): Markets - U.S. stocks rose today, with the Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq climbing as oil prices fell and tech shares recovered. This follows a volatile week — on Friday, US stocks rose as oil prices fell and tech stocks rebounded. - The Dow and S&P 500 ended the week higher (+1.15% and +0.95% respectively), though

Here are today's top business/market headlines (Friday, October 9, 2026): AI/Tech Sector Turmoil Dominates - Markets are digesting a sharp tech selloff triggered by renewed scrutiny over OpenAI's finances. Asian tech stocks came under pressure, tracking a selloff in US chipmakers as speculation over OpenAI's revenue revived concerns about the sustainability of the artificial-intelligence spending

Here's a roundup of today's top business and market headlines (Thursday, October 8, 2026): Markets Pull Back After Record Highs Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq futures fell after a strong tech rally. This follows a volatile stretch — on Wednesday, the major indexes closed with the S&P 500 at 7,801.77 (down 0.22%), Nasdaq at 27,538.69 (down 0.22%), Dow Jones at 51,179.87 (down 0.66%), and Russell 2000 at

Based on current reporting, here are 10 of the biggest news stories today (October 7, 2026): 1. US-Iran War Tensions Escalate The eighth-month-old US-Israel war with Iran remains the dominant global story. President Trump said ramped up military strikes against Iran were "possible" after the November midterm elections, as his administration struggles to find an exit plan for a war now in its eigh

Here's a snapshot of the current state of U.S. politics as of early October 2026: Midterm Elections Dominate the Landscape The country is in the final stretch before the November 3, 2026 midterms, which will determine control of all 435 House seats, 35 Senate seats, 36 governorships, and thousands of state legislative and local seats. This midterm election, occurring during Republican president

Here's a roundup of today's top business and market headlines (October 7, 2026): Markets at Record Highs Futures for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 signaled further gains after the indexes closed at all-time highs, driven by gains in AI-related shares, with Nvidia's market value approaching $6 trillion. The Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq rose as tech rallied, with investors shrugging off bond market cautio

Here are today's top business and market headlines (October 6, 2026): Markets & Stocks - Stocks are hitting records despite surging yields, with the Nasdaq closing at a new record even as the 10-year Treasury yield rose to 5.309%. The 10-year Treasury yield hit a fresh 2002 high to start the week. - The Nasdaq closed at a fresh record as tech shares rose and traders looked past higher yields. - S

Here are today's top business and market headlines (Monday, October 5, 2026): Markets & Economy - Asian stocks rose after softer US jobs data reduced pressure on the Federal Reserve to keep raising interest rates, while oil erased early gains and bonds crept higher. MSCI's Asia Pacific equities index gained 0.5%, with Japan's Nikkei 225 rallying about 2% as tech shares advanced, while markets in

Based on my research, here are 10 major news stories making headlines today (October 5, 2026): 1. FlyDubai Cockpit Attack Fallout Continues — Investigators revealed new details about the co-pilot, identified as Omani national Hamam al-Hammami, who attacked his captain with a crash ax on Flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv. The co-pilot who assaulted the commanding captain on the FlyDubai flight

Top Business & Market Headlines Today Markets Rally on Weak Jobs Data US stocks surged as new payroll data for September showed that the US economy added far fewer jobs than Wall Street had expected, with the Dow rising 0.5%, the S&P 500 gaining 0.7%, and the Nasdaq surging 1.2% after touching an intraday record high. Disappointing September jobs data sparked the rally, as jobs growth slowed dra

Short answer: In many sectors, yes — and there's substantial real-world evidence this is already happening. The economic consensus, backed by recent data, is that abruptly stopping or sharply reducing immigration tends to create labor shortages, particularly in industries that have historically relied heavily on immigrant labor. What the evidence shows Agriculture is the clearest case. About

Here's a rundown of today's top business and market headlines: Markets & Economy - Stocks rose Friday after soft jobs data, with Nvidia leading the Nasdaq to an intraday record. Nvidia reached a new all-time intraday high of $237.88, pushing its market capitalization past $5.7 trillion as investors continued to pile into AI. - The S&P 500 gained 0.89%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.64%,

Here's a roundup of the major stories making headlines today: FlyDubai Cockpit Attack Investigation Continues The aftermath of this week's dramatic incident remains a top story. One of the pilots on a FlyDubai flight headed for Israel stabbed the second pilot, according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who called it an apparent attempt to crash the plane. The injured pilot, identifi

Based on current reports, here are 10 of the biggest news stories circulating today, October 2, 2026: 1. FlyDubai Co-Pilot Attempted Hijacking A major aviation security story continues to develop: a FlyDubai co-pilot allegedly stabbed the flight captain and attempted to crash the aircraft during a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, before the captain fought him off and passengers overpowered him, wit

Here's a roundup of today's top business and market headlines (Friday, October 2, 2026): Markets & Rates - Wall Street is heading into Friday's trading focused on the September jobs report, due at 8:30 a.m. ET — The Employment Situation for September 2026 is scheduled to be published on Friday, October 2, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. (ET). Economists had been looking ahead to the September U.S. jobs report

Here are today's top business and market headlines (October 1, 2026): Markets & Global Economy - Asian stocks had a rough start to October after a late bout of swings on Wall Street erased gains fueled by softer-than-expected US inflation data. Equity-index futures pointed to losses in South Korea and Australia and gains in Japan, while US stock contracts edged higher after the S&P 500 capped its