A booming Montana city's struggle with homelessness is a warning — and a model — for the West
A surge in housing costs has made Missoula, Montana, increasingly unaffordable. But the city is charting a path forward that could be a model.
Economy
Can't find a job: 750 readers blame ageism, AI, overqualification
From recent high school graduates to retirees in their 70s, readers shared with BI their frustrations with searching for a job.
A free AI tool can help you apply to hundreds of jobs per day. Users said there are risks, but they're worth it.
A tool called AIHawk is helping some job seekers apply for hundreds of jobs a day on LinkedIn. But users said there are risks.
CEOs around the world started talking about Trump's tariffs as soon as he won
Tariffs are already dominating conversations among the highest echelons of global business, months before Trump's inauguration.
Democrats wished the election was about jobs. Trump's win showed it was about prices.
The president-elect gained support in some states that saw declines in real wage growth, higher costs of living, and higher unemployment.
China just announced a $1.4 trillion plan to rescue its local governments
Friday's announcement is the latest in a string of stimulus measures China has taken to turn around its ailing economy.
Fed Chair Powell stands firm amid questioning about whether Trump will push him out
Fed Chair Jerome Powell said he wouldn't resign if Donald Trump asked him to, adding that firing him without cause is "not permitted under the law."
The chances of Russia's economy collapsing are 'extremely small,' and the war can go on for the long term, economist says
An economist says Russia can fight the war in Ukraine indefinitely as its economy has adapted and is now stable.
Advertisement
Advertisement
The Federal Reserve gives Americans another interest-rate cut
Two days after Donald Trump won the presidential election, the Federal Reserve announced a 25-basis-point interest-rate cut.
Trump is poised to make the Fed's job a lot harder
Trump's plans for tariffs could stoke inflation and make the Fed's interest-rate decisions more complicated.
Trump's win created a record $64 billion of net worth for the world's 10 richest people
A euphoric surge in the stock market on Wednesday sent the net worths of the world's richest people skyrocketing.
China's luxury slump is trickling down to other consumer companies
Companies like Starbucks, Nike, and Estée Lauder have reported falling sales in China as weak consumer confidence and slowing growth takes a toll.
The market is already indicating the early winners and losers from Trump's win
Trump's presidential win signals financial boosts for stocks, but inflation, high borrowing costs, and trade policies may hurt consumers and foreign markets.
Millennials are raising pets instead of kids. It's not going well for the pets.
Birth rates are declining, and millennials own more pets than any other age group. But experts say treating animals like kids isn't good for them.
Get ready for inflation and interest rates to rise again
Companies are already preparing to raise prices to account for Trump's proposed tariffs on imports. Inflation could signal more interest rate hikes.
4 major wins for YIMBYs on election night — and one loss
Pro-housing advocates won some major new funding for affordable housing in cities and states across the country.
Americans are probably getting another interest rate cut 2 days after the election
It's likely that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates by a quarter point on Thursday, following Trump's election victory.
Trump's presidency will hurt Europe's economic growth amid renewed trade tensions, Goldman Sachs says
Europe could face a 0.5% hit to GDP in a second Trump presidency amid increased trade policy uncertainty and more defense spending, Goldman Sachs says.
Corporations raised $16 million to oppose Oregon's universal basic income plan. They won.
Voters opposed an Oregon ballot measure that would have given $1,600 annually to all state residents.
2 counties voted to make childcare more affordable. Taxpayers will owe more, but it takes a cost burden off parents.
Counties in California and Texas voted on tax hikes to fund childcare initiatives.
How Trump's election victory could affect your wallet
Trump's plan to enact tariffs on nearly all US imports is central to how his presidency will impact consumers.
Advertisement
Advertisement
'Trump is going to win': Latino voters explain why they're moving to the right
A visit to the Texas border reveals why Latino voters supported the Republican candidate for president for the first time in 132 years.
The world prepares for a fresh era of tariffs under Trump 2.0
Trump's protectionist policies sparked a trade war with China during his first term. During his second term, this could go beyond China.
Volatility, higher rates, and surging bitcoin. Here's what analysts are saying about Trump's victory.
The economic impact of a second term for Donald Trump is likely to be volatile, with public spending set to remain high, one commentator wrote.
Workers in Missouri can look forward to raises after minimum-wage boosts passed
Five states voted on some kind of minimum-wage changes. Missouri passed an increase, while Massachusetts rejected a measure related to tipped workers.
How the cost of childcare is expected to change under Trump or Harris
BI looked at Harris and Trump's past track records and proposed policies to see how the election could affect childcare affordability.
What a Trump or Harris presidency would mean for your tax bill
BI looked at how Harris and Trump's tax policies could impact high- and low-income earners, as well as businesses.
How the cost of housing is expected to change under Trump or Harris
BI looked at how Harris' and Trump's housing policies would affect supply, first-time homebuyers, and renters.
What's expected to get more and less expensive under Trump or Harris
BI unpacks Trump and Harris' plans to combat high costs.
Ballooning US debt could cause the next financial crisis and neither candidate has a plan to address it, former FDIC Chair says
Policy proposals from both Trump and Harris would add trillions to US debt, which could hurt investor confidence and fuel a crisis, Sheila Bair says.
The financial ties between China and Saudi Arabia keep getting deeper
China has has chosen Saudi Arabia as the site for its first US dollar bond sales in three years.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Workers in 4 states are up for a raise. This map shows the minimum wage in every state.
Most states' minimum wages are above the federal level of $7.25. Some are voting to hike pay even more.
School choice is gaining momentum, and it's on the ballot in 3 states. We want to hear what you think.
Colorado, Kentucky, and Nebraska have school choice on the ballot. A vote for the initiatives would allow more state funding for private schools.
Billionaire Ray Dalio says people should budget for the basics — and the US faces 3 huge threats
Elite investor Ray Dalio said people should budget for the basics and flagged government debt, infighting, and foreign rivals as threats to the US.
Counting the cost of Spain's hellish floods, the government pledged $11B, local officials want $34B
Spain's Valencia province was hit hard by floods last week. The government has pledged $11 billion to help it recover, but local officials want more.
China is boosting market sentiment by playing up hopes for stimulus
Chinese Premier Li Qiang said ahead of the US presidential election that Beijing has "ample space for fiscal policy and monetary policy."
Another jumbo Fed cut is coming by year-end with the US labor market weaker than many think, Citi economist says
"We see this weakening labor market dynamic across a number of different data points: low hiring rate, low quit rates, new hours worked coming down."
Here's a final breakdown of how both presidential candidates might affect your finances
Business Insider's five-part series looked at how Harris and Trump's policies affect consumers, from taxes to housing and childcare.
Australia announced a sweeping plan to forgive 20% of student debt
The move, which could take effect in June if the current Labor government stays in power, would erase around $10.5 billion worth of debt.
How the election will impact your wallet
BI put together a five-part series about the impacts either a Trump or a Harris presidency could have on US consumers.
Putin said Russia wouldn't have to choose between guns or butter. The price of butter is soaring.
In February 2023, Putin publicly rejected the idea that Russia was focusing on "guns instead of butter," repeating the concept in May this year.
A Trump win could prompt the Fed to hit pause on its rate-cutting cycle, JPMorgan strategy chief says
A Trump win would likely come with a host of inflationary policies that would make it difficult for the Fed to ease policy further, David Kelly said.
A retiree says $1,620 monthly Social Security isn't enough to live on, but she's worried about draining her savings too early
Elizabeth McCoy, 61, is struggling with expenses in central Indiana. High medical bills may force her to tap her 401(k) earlier than planned.
America has a shoplifting epidemic. The thieves aren't who you think.
Suburban shoppers like the "Parmesan Bandit" are pilfering everything from tape measures to blocks of cheese.
Millions of student-loan borrowers are waiting for broad debt cancellation. The next president won't have any immediate answers.
Millions of student-loan borrowers were counting on debt cancellation under Biden. Then came the lawsuits.
A Nevada mayor is battling one of the worst housing shortages in the US. Her solution: looser construction regulation.
Nevada is one of the most unaffordable places in the country. The mayor of Reno says cities need to deregulate housing and densify, rather than sprawl.
Barbecue, bingo, and bipartisan partying: How America is preparing for election night
Bars, venues, and delivery services are prepping for a big night, and trying to keep it bipartisan.
Russia's defense sector is running on overdrive — but firms are warning of bankruptcy
Russia has almost tripled defense spending for the Ukraine war, but rising inflation and interest rates threaten defense companies' profits.
Russia faces a crisis regardless if Putin ends or continues the war in Ukraine, economist says
Continuing the war means the economy faces stagnation, while ending it would shut off the massive defense spending that's driven growth, Alexander Mertens writes.
The US added very few jobs in October after hurricanes and strikes shook the economy
The final jobs report before the presidential election showed October's job growth was less than the forecast.