Author: starbpo

There were signs that the U.S. economy was slowing down, so mortgage rates dropped to their lowest level since early April. Freddie Mac FMCC, +8.43% said Thursday that the average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage as of June 27 was 6.86%. It’s down one basis point from the week before. One basis point is equal to a hundredth of a percentage point. For the fourth week in a row, rates have gone down. The 30-year bond had an average rate of 6.71% a year ago. The average rate on a 15-year loan went up from 6.13% last week to…

The U.S. stock market went up in the first half of 2024. By the end of June, the S&P 500 had gained more than 10% and was close to its all-time high. The S&P 500 SPX fell slightly on Friday, ending the day at 5,460.48, which is only 0.5% below its record high on June 18. The index has gained 14.5% so far this year, mostly due to rising Big Tech stocks. This is an incredibly strong performance for the first half of the year, showing that the U.S. economy is still growing even though there are signs that it…

It looks like you can make money off of even a $5 meal. That’s what people who work in the restaurant business think about a new product that McDonald’s MCD, -1.29% started selling across the country on Tuesday. For $5, you get a McChicken or Double Cheeseburger sandwich, four Chicken McNuggets, a small order of french fries, and a small soft drink. People are complaining that fast food restaurants have too high prices right now, which is why this offer is being made. One thing that caused a lot of trouble was a $18 McDonald’s meal. It might seem impossible…

On Friday, people who fight for fair housing criticized a Supreme Court decision that lets cities enforce laws that make it illegal to sleep on public property. The justices said that the city of Grants Pass, Oregon, did not break the Eighth Amendment when it fined and jailed people for camping on public land or leaving their cars in city parks overnight. The 6-3 decision in City of Grants Pass v. Johnson will make it easier for cities to deal with homeless camps directly through the police. Many people who support fair housing have joined the justices who disagreed and…

The 2024 election could be decided by the biggest rise in inflation in 40 years. In Thursday’s debate, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump both tried to get ahead on the issue. “He didn’t do a good job.” He did not do a good job. And our country is dying because of inflation. “It is killing us all,” Trump said. For his part, Biden said that when he took office, there was “no inflation.” He also said that Trump’s policies about the pandemic made prices go through the roof. Inflation had been very low before the pandemic. From…

An official said on Saturday that Iran will hold a second election for president to replace the late hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi. This is because the top candidates did not get a majority win in the first vote, which had the lowest percentage of people voting in any poll ever held in the Islamic Republic. An open-government candidate, Masoud Pezeshkian, will face off against a hard-line former nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, in the runoff election this coming Friday. A spokesperson for the election, Mohsen Eslami, told reporters on Iranian state TV that the results had been announced. He said that…

Sunday is the first day of France’s parliamentary election. The country has the second-largest economy in the eurozone and is likely to end up with a legislative deadlock. Those who make it to the second round on July 7 will have already been through the first round. In theory, candidates can win in just one round if they get the support of more than 25% of registered voters and an absolute majority. However, that only happened in five of the 577 seats that were up for election last time. If that doesn’t happen, the top two candidates and any other…

You did hear that right. At Thursday night’s debate, former President Donald Trump caused a stir when he said, without any proof, that immigrants crossing the U.S. border were “taking Black jobs.” People have asked President Joe Biden what he would say to Black voters who are upset that his administration hasn’t done more to fix problems like the pay gap, the death rate for mothers, and the high rate of incarceration for Black Americans. Biden talked about how many small businesses owned by Black people were started during his time in office and how his administration worked to lower…

During Thursday night’s debate, President Joe Biden defended his record with a raspy voice and stuttering speech, which made Democrats worry about his candidacy. Former President Donald Trump made fun of Biden and questioned his mental health. He also denied having sex with a porn star and made fun of his felony conviction for that crime. Then they got into a fight about golf swings and handicaps. “Let’s not act like kids,” Trump said as a parting shot at the president’s golf skills. Biden replied, “You are a child.” When pollster Frank Luntz asked people who weren’t sure what they…

After Donald Trump seemed to beat Vice President Joe Biden in Thursday’s presidential debate, the U.S. stock market didn’t go through the roof. Still, people in the market may be getting more and more excited about the possibility of a Trump victory.That guess may or may not come true in a race that is still very close between two unpopular candidates. History shows that investors should try to keep their partisan feelings out of their portfolio choices. This is especially important right now, when the race for president is going through all of its usual ups and downs. Ken Lerner,…