Featured Articles in National Business News

U.S. LNG exports up again in March on global panic buying

(The Center Square) – U.S. LNG exports hit record-high 11.7 million metric tons in March as new plants in Texas ramped up production while supply disruptions caused by the war in the Middle East drove global gas prices sharply higher, according to preliminary LSEG data. Asian benchmark LNG prices spiked above $22 per million Btu Read More…

U.S. adds 178,000 jobs in March, unemployment falls to 4.3%

The U.S. economy added 178,000 jobs in March, the Labor Department reported Friday, a figure that surpassed expectations and came in roughly triple some earlier forecasts, signaling continued resilience in the nation’s labor market as geopolitical tensions mount abroad. The unemployment rate dipped to 4.3%, while wage growth moderated slightly from previous months — a Read More…

Bank of America to Pay $72.5 Million to Settle Epstein Victims Lawsuit

Bank of America has agreed to pay $72.5 million to settle a federal class-action lawsuit accusing the bank of helping facilitate Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking operation — becoming the latest major financial institution to face accountability for its ties to the disgraced financier. Details of the settlement were presented Friday to U.S. District Judge Jed Read More…

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U.S. LNG exports up again in March on global panic buying

(The Center Square) – U.S. LNG exports hit record-high 11.7 million metric tons in March as new plants in Texas ramped up production while supply disruptions caused by the war in the Middle East drove global gas prices sharply higher, according to preliminary LSEG data. Asian benchmark LNG prices spiked above $22 per million Btu Read More…

U.S. adds 178,000 jobs in March, unemployment falls to 4.3%

The U.S. economy added 178,000 jobs in March, the Labor Department reported Friday, a figure that surpassed expectations and came in roughly triple some earlier forecasts, signaling continued resilience in the nation’s labor market as geopolitical tensions mount abroad. The unemployment rate dipped to 4.3%, while wage growth moderated slightly from previous months — a Read More…

Bank of America to Pay $72.5 Million to Settle Epstein Victims Lawsuit

Bank of America has agreed to pay $72.5 million to settle a federal class-action lawsuit accusing the bank of helping facilitate Jeffrey Epstein’s sex trafficking operation — becoming the latest major financial institution to face accountability for its ties to the disgraced financier. Details of the settlement were presented Friday to U.S. District Judge Jed Read More…

Microsoft Takes Over Texas AI Data Center Expansion After OpenAI Pulls Back

Microsoft is taking over a major AI data center expansion project in Abilene, Texas, after OpenAI decided not to move forward with the additional buildout, signaling a continued shift as the two companies increasingly pursue separate strategies in artificial intelligence infrastructure. Developer Crusoe said it is now working with Microsoft to construct two new “AI Read More…

FSOC Proposes New Guidance for Nonbank Financial Company Designations

The Financial Stability Oversight Council voted unanimously this week to release proposed interpretive guidance for public comment on how it designates nonbank financial companies as potential threats to U.S. financial stability. The proposal would restore several elements of the council’s 2019 framework while adding new provisions tied to economic growth, economic security, and transparency in Read More…

Stocks End Week Mixed as Tech Strength Offsets Broader Market Weakness

U.S. stocks closed the week with mixed results, as gains in large-cap technology companies helped offset broader weakness across financials, energy, and industrial sectors. The S&P 500 finished little changed for the week, while the Nasdaq Composite posted modest gains, supported by continued strength in artificial intelligence and semiconductor names. The Dow Jones Industrial Average Read More…

Microsoft, OpenAI Alliance Faces New Strain

The high-stakes partnership between Microsoft and OpenAI is showing fresh signs of strain after reports that Microsoft is weighing legal action over a massive cloud agreement between OpenAI and Amazon. According to a report cited this week, Microsoft is considering whether a reported $50 billion deal involving Amazon Web Services and OpenAI could violate its Read More…

Stocks Fall for Fourth Straight Week as Oil, Inflation Fears Weigh on Wall Street

U.S. stocks fell again this week, extending Wall Street’s losing streak to four straight weeks as rising oil prices, stubborn inflation concerns and fading hopes for near-term Federal Reserve rate cuts pushed investors into a more defensive posture. By Friday’s close, the S&P 500 had fallen 1.9% for the week, while the Dow Jones Industrial Read More…

Super Micro Shares Plunge After Co-Founder Indicted in AI Chip Smuggling Case

Super Micro Computer shares plunged 33% Friday after federal prosecutors charged company co-founder Wally Liaw and two others in a scheme to illegally divert advanced Nvidia-powered servers to China, intensifying new scrutiny on the server maker’s compliance controls and corporate governance. The sharp selloff marked one of the steepest single-day drops in the company’s history Read More…

Jury Finds Musk Liable for Misleading Twitter Investors in 2022 Takeover Fight

A federal jury in San Francisco found Elon Musk liable for misleading Twitter investors during his 2022 bid to buy the company, concluding that some of his public statements improperly affected the stock price while the $44 billion takeover was still in dispute. Jurors, however, rejected broader allegations that Musk carried out a larger scheme Read More…

Banks Navigate Slower Loan Growth as Rate Outlook Shifts

U.S. regional banks are entering the new quarter facing a more complicated interest-rate environment, as moderating inflation and growing expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts reshape lending dynamics and profitability outlooks. After two years of higher borrowing costs boosted net interest margins—the spread between what banks earn on loans and pay on deposits—many lenders are Read More…

Fed Officials Signal Patience on Rate Cuts

Officials at the Federal Reserve this week reinforced a cautious, data-dependent stance on interest rates, tempering investor expectations for rapid easing despite cooling inflation. In public remarks following the latest Consumer Price Index report, policymakers indicated they are encouraged by moderating price pressures but want clearer evidence that inflation is sustainably returning to the Fed’s Read More…

Energy Stocks Lag as Oil Prices Ease

Energy markets faced renewed pressure this week as crude prices softened amid mixed signals on global demand and steady U.S. production. Benchmark West Texas Intermediate crude drifted lower, weighing on shares of major producers and oilfield services companies. Analysts cited cautious demand forecasts from Asia and Europe, along with stable output from U.S. shale basins, Read More…

Stocks Edge Higher as Inflation Data Lifts Rate-Cut Hopes

U.S. stocks closed the week modestly higher, buoyed by a softer-than-expected inflation report that reinforced investor bets the Federal Reserve could begin cutting interest rates later this year. The S&P 500 notched a weekly gain, supported by advances in technology and consumer discretionary shares. The Nasdaq Composite outperformed, lifted by megacap growth stocks, while the Read More…

Canada looks to shift auto industry away from U.S.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney wants his nation’s auto industry to look far beyond its usual American market with investments in electric vehicles and other trade partners. U.S. tariffs have hit Canada hard, prompting a shift in Canada’s economic strategy. This pivot has already frustrated U.S. President Donald Trump, who threatened 100% tariffs on Canada Read More…

War Department Invites 25 Vendors to Compete in Phase I of Drone Dominance Program

The War Department announced today that 25 vendors have been selected to compete in Phase I of the Drone Dominance Program (DDP), a sweeping acquisition reform initiative aimed at rapidly fielding low-cost, unmanned one-way attack drones at scale to strengthen America’s Arsenal of Freedom. The program reflects one of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s core Read More…

Antitrust Suit Targets Union Pacific Over Rural Rail Access

Thirteen farmers from Kansas and Colorado, along with Weskan Grain and Colorado Pacific Railroad (CXR), filed an antitrust lawsuit Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas alleging that Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad (K&O) and Union Pacific Railroad Company (UP) conspired to block competition and inflate grain transportation costs across the region. Read More…

Businesses close in Minnesota for anti-ICE ‘economic blackout’

(The Center Square) – Many businesses across Minnesota closed today as part of an ‘economic blackout’ to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. This comes in response to calls from community leaders, activists, and union leaders for the event, which has been dubbed “ICE Out of Minnesota: Day of Truth and Freedom.” “The ICE surge that Read More…

Mitsubishi buys Louisiana, Texas shale gas assets for $7.5B

(The Center Square) – The second largest natural gas producer in northwest Louisiana and east Texas has sold its assets to Japanese conglomerate Mitsubishi. Aethon, a Dallas-based company that operates in the prolific Haynesville shale formation, agreed to a deal worth approximately $7.5 billion, according to an announcement on Friday. Mitsubishi agreed to pay $5.2 Read More…

OpenAI and SoftBank Invest $1 Billion in SB Energy to Power AI Data Centers

OpenAI and SoftBank Group Corp. are jointly investing $1 billion in SB Energy, the infrastructure company helping build out the United States’ next generation of artificial intelligence data centers. Under the agreement, OpenAI and SoftBank will each contribute $500 million to support SB Energy’s growth as a data center developer and operator, the companies announced Read More…

Berkshire Hathaway Completes $9.7 Billion Acquisition of OxyChem

Berkshire Hathaway announced Friday that it has completed its $9.7 billion acquisition of OxyChem from Occidental Petroleum (OXY). OxyChem, a leading chemical manufacturer, will continue to be led by Wade Alleman, OxyChem’s president and chief executive officer, according to Berkshire Hathaway. https://bigskyheadlines.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/MVD-office15.mp4 The acquisition expands Berkshire Hathaway’s portfolio in the industrial and chemical sectors and Read More…

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon Signals Support for Kevin Warsh as Next Fed Chair

JPMorgan Chase (JPM.N) CEO Jamie Dimon signaled his backing for former Federal Reserve Governor Kevin Warsh as the next chair of the U.S. central bank, the Financial Times reported Friday. The comments come amid ongoing speculation over President Donald Trump’s choice to lead the Federal Reserve. Earlier Friday, Trump said he was leaning toward either Read More…

Strategy Retains Spot in Nasdaq 100 Amid Market Scrutiny

Bitcoin-focused company Strategy (MSTR.O) maintained its place in the Nasdaq 100 index on Friday, continuing its year-long presence in the benchmark despite growing questions from analysts over its business model. Some market observers have suggested that Strategy’s pioneering approach of buying and holding bitcoin, which has inspired numerous copycat firms, resembles an investment fund more Read More…

President Trump Signs Executive Order on Politically-Motivated Proxy Advisors

President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order aimed at curbing the influence of proxy advisory firms that critics say have prioritized political agendas over the financial interests of American investors. The move is intended to protect retirement savings in 401(k)s, IRAs, and pensions from policies driven by “diversity, equity, and inclusion” (DEI) and “environmental, Read More…

SpaceX Eyes Late 2026 IPO

paceX has informed investors and financial institutions that it plans to pursue an initial public offering (IPO) in the second half of 2026, according to a report by The Information on Friday. The rocket company, founded by Elon Musk, is reportedly considering a public listing of the entire company, which could include Starlink, its growing Read More…

Volkswagen to Invest $186 Billion Through 2030

Volkswagen Group will invest 160 billion euros—approximately $186 billion—through 2030 as the automaker tightens its long-term spending plans in response to mounting challenges in its two largest markets, CEO Oliver Blume announced this week. The updated figure is part of Volkswagen’s annual rolling five-year investment plan and reflects a continued pullback from previous spending peaks. Read More…

Meta Strikes Multiple AI Deals with Major News Publishers

Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, has entered into a series of commercial AI agreements with prominent news publishers, including USA Today, People Inc., CNN, Fox News, The Daily Caller, Washington Examiner, and Le Monde, the company announced Friday. The partnerships will allow Meta to provide “real-time” news and updates through its AI Read More…

Warner Bros Discovery to Sell Studio and Streaming Assets to Netflix in $72 Billion Deal

Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) has agreed to sell its iconic studio and streaming assets to Netflix (NFLX) for $72 billion, a blockbuster deal that will reshape Hollywood and create a vertically integrated media powerhouse. The deal ends a weeks-long bidding war with Paramount Skydance and Comcast, coming amid sweeping changes in the media industry as Read More…

Google Drops EU Antitrust Complaint Against Microsoft Amid Regulatory Probe

Google on Friday withdrew its European Union antitrust complaint targeting Microsoft’s cloud computing practices, just a week after EU regulators opened an investigation into whether Microsoft should face scrutiny under rules designed to curb market dominance in the sector. The EU’s move, announced last week, signaled growing concern about Microsoft’s influence in cloud services, including Read More…

Warburg Pincus to Acquire Raptor Technologies in $1.8 Billion Deal

Warburg Pincus has reached an agreement to acquire a majority stake in Raptor Technologies from private equity firm Thoma Bravo, in a transaction valuing the school safety software provider at roughly $1.8 billion, according to people familiar with the negotiations. Sources said the deal could be announced imminently. They requested anonymity because the details are Read More…