SANTA ANA — A federal judge on Monday blocked enforcement of a California law aimed at preventing increased billing costs at dialysis clinics. There is “a dire public interest" in granting a preliminary injunction that would bar enforcement for months while a lawsuit against it proceeds through the courts, Judge...
What the Fed's Rate Cut Means for You
The Federal Reserve has cut its benchmark interest rate again, big news for the U.S. economy but something that will likely have a muted impact on Americans' personal finances, experts say. That's because the reduction doesn't offset the increases of recent years. And as the key rate creeps closer to...
US Home Sales Fall 1.7% With Prices High and Supply Low
WASHINGTON — U.S. home sales tumbled 1.7% in June, with rising prices and a scarce supply locking out many Americans from ownership. The National Association of Realtors said Tuesday that homes were sold last month at a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 5.27 million units. Sales have shriveled 2.2% over...
Fed Signals Neither a Rate Hike nor a Cut Is Likely Soon
WASHINGTON — The Federal Reserve left its key interest rate unchanged Wednesday and signaled that it's unlikely to either raise or cut rates in coming months amid signs of renewed economic health but unusually low inflation. The Fed left its benchmark rate — which influences many consumer and business loans...
Leading Finance Officials Acknowledge Global Slowdown
WASHINGTON — Finance officials from the world's major powers acknowledged Friday that the global economy is in a slowdown, but they forecast that growth will pick up by the second half of this year, thanks to interest-rate policies from the Federal Reserve and other central banks. Officials of the Group...
Powell Says Trump’s Attacks Played No Role in Rate Pause
WASHINGTON — Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell says political attacks by President Donald Trump played no role in the Fed's decision in January to signal that it planned to take a pause in hiking interest rates. He also said in an interview broadcast Sunday that he can't be fired by...
Will PG&E Customers Pay More in Bankruptcy? Not if Watchdog Can Stop It
The consumer watchdog arm of the California Public Utilities Commission says millions of Pacific Gas & Electric customers should not have to bear the brunt of the utility’s misdeeds if it was responsible for two of the most destructive wildfires in California. “We should definitely not assume that because PG&E...