Oil prices fall below $80 per barrel, while US stocks drift

June 17, 2026

NEW YORK — Oil prices are sinking again Tuesday and pulled back below $80 per barrel for the first time since early March, while the U.S. stock market drifts near its all-time high. The S&P 500 slipped 0.2% following a rally that's brought it back within 1% of its record set earlier this month. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 502 points, or 1%, as of 12:46 p.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.5% lower. With optimism continuing that a tentative U.S.-Iran deal on their war will reopen the Strait of Hormuz at the end of the week and get the global flow of oil ...

McDonald’s is serving fried apple pie again for America’s 250th birthday

June 17, 2026

McDonald's is frying up some apple pies to honor America's 250th birthday. The company said Tuesday it's bringing back fried apple pies for the first time in more than three decades. They'll be available at most U.S. restaurants for a limited time starting June 23. McDonald's is one of several fast food companies offering semiquincentennial treats. Burger King recently debuted its Firecracker Cookie Pie, which has a sugar cookie crust and red, white and blue star-shaped sprinkles. Sonic is offering a red, white and blue slush float for $2.50. Hardee's has an iced Star-Spangled ...

Stocks leap worldwide, and oil prices drop after the US and Iran reach a tentative deal on their war

June 16, 2026

NEW YORK — Stock markets are rallying worldwide Monday, and oil prices are easing after the United States and Iran reached a tentative deal to extend their ceasefire and reopen the Strait of Hormuz to get the global flow of crude going again. The S&P 500 rose 1.7% on hopes that this time, ...

America In Focus: Inflation hits 3-year high, Wall Street rallies and Musk becomes a trillionaire

June 15, 2026

The economy, inflation and how those forces could impact the lives of Americans were front and center over the past week. Trips to the grocery store or gas station are more painful than they were last year, and rising costs are impacting the decisions of both households and ...

You can ignore AI giants like SpaceX, but your 401(k) won’t

June 15, 2026

NEW YORK — While you might want to ignore all the hubbub around SpaceX, Elon Musk and IPOs, your 401(k) likely can't. SpaceX is now worth $2.1 trillion after its stock launched 19.2% higher in its debut on Wall Street. Whether or not you believe it deserves to be worth more than Exxon ...

The world wants more high-protein products, but there’s not enough whey to go around

June 15, 2026

Global consumers want more protein in every bite, but the dairy industry is struggling to give it to them. Athletes and older adults have long used smoothies and shakes blended with whey protein concentrate – a powdered byproduct of cheese-making – to build or maintain muscle. More recently, food companies have sprinkled it into everything from breakfast cereals, Pop-Tarts and potato chips to bagels, tortillas and Starbucks drinks to meet growing consumer demand. The average U.S. supermarket now has 38,708 products advertising their protein content, according to NielsenIQ, a ...