US treasury chief Bessent backs using US financial power as foreign policy tool
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent advocated on Tuesday for Washington’s use of financial power as a foreign policy tool with the goal of advancing the
Crypto, banks take lobbying war to US senators’ home states ahead of key vote
A fight over major cryptocurrency legislation has spilled into the congressional summer recess, with the crypto industry and the banking sector mounting a final lobbying
Chime shares jump 10% as Stride deal puts fintech on path to bank charter
Chime shares surged 10% before the bell on Wednesday after the fintech firm agreed to buy Stride for $590 million, gaining a bank charter that would allow
How are governments using AI? New evidence from around the world
Artificial intelligence is already making its way into governments around the world. Public servants are using AI to summarize documents and search for information. Tax
Immigration, innovation, and the geography of growth: Lessons from the Age of Mass Migration
US net migration turned negative in 2025 following a sharp tightening of immigration policies. This column turns to the Age of Mass Migration and the
Tariff confusion
The year 2025 was unprecedented in the frequency, complexity, and volatility of US trade policy interventions. This column uses a new database tracking US tariff
Monetary policy’s ‘last-mile problem’ and what can be done about it
Central banks can move policy rates, but transmission depends on households acting on them. This column shows that central banks can mitigate monetary policy’s ‘last-mile
What is driving the global rise in long-term interest rates?
Rising bond yields are likely down to stronger investment demand, more supply of long-duration debt and less absorption by yield-insensitive investors. Long-term government bond yields
World agricultural prices and the outbreak of civil war
Falling agricultural prices have been found to generally increase armed civil conflict in producing regions, but not the risk of the most lethal conflicts –
Government support of religion strengthened religiosity and divided America
The White House Faith Office is expanding federal support for religious organisations. Can government policy change how religious citizens are, and what does blurring the
