Business

President Trump’s China tariffs are threatening Christmas. Toy makers, children’s shops and specialty retailers are pausing orders for the winter holidays as the import taxes cascade through supply chains. Factories in China produce nearly 80 percent of all toys and 90 percent of Christmas goods sold in America. The production of toys, Christmas trees and…

The chaotic start to President Trump’s second term roiled the economy at the beginning of the year, as consumers and businesses scrambled to react to a constant stream of tariff announcements and policy shifts. The policies, and the uncertainty they created, were enough to push economic growth into reverse in the first quarter. U.S. gross…

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a rally to mark his 100th day in office, at Macomb Community College in Warren, Michigan, U.S., April 29, 2025. Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters President Donald Trump on Wednesday blamed his predecessor and defended his sweeping tariffs after new data showed the U.S. economy contracting last quarter, while warning…

I recently developed a leadership communication seminar for a large global organization. Upon seeing that my draft program included a session on empathy, the CEO reacted, “Oh, God! We all know empathy’s good, but doing all that touchy-feely stuff feels off!”

On Dec. 27, Bill Gates, the billionaire philanthropist, made a trip to Mar-a-Lago for dinner with Donald J. Trump. Some people around him were surprised that he had decided to go, but Mr. Gates wants to talk to whoever will listen. The dinner lasted three hours, and Mr. Trump seemed to enjoy himself, a person…

During his presidential campaign, Donald J. Trump pledged to quickly bring down prices for American households, including making housing more affordable. “We’re going to open up tracts of federal land for housing construction,” Mr. Trump said in August. “We desperately need housing for people who can’t afford what’s going on now.” The Trump administration is…

British bank Barclays on Wednesday reported slight beats on the top and bottom line in the first quarter, boosted by stronger investment bank performance. Pre-tax profit came in at £2.7 billion ($3.6 billion), up 11% year-on-year and ahead of analyst expectations of £2.49 billion, according to LSEG. Group revenues hit £7.7 billion, above an analyst…