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Havana Rallies as Cuba Condemns U.S. Capture of Maduro

Thousands of people gathered in Havana as Cuban President Miguel Díaz‑Canel forcefully condemned the United States for its military operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Díaz‑Canel described the action as an attack on regional sovereignty and a dangerous escalation in U.S. interventionism. The U.S. operation, carried out in the early hours of Saturday, involved a rapid strike inside Venezuela that removed Maduro from power and transported him out of the country. The move has triggered intense debate across Latin America, with governments and political groups weighing in on the implications for regional stability. In Cuba, the response was immediate and highly visible. Demonstrators filled Havana’s streets waving Cuban and Venezuelan flags, chanting in support of Maduro, and denouncing what they view as foreign aggression. Cuban officials framed the rally as a defense of Latin American independence and a call for uni...

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Inflation Falls in June for First Time Since 2020

A closely-watched report on US inflation revealed that consumer price increases cooled further during the month of June. According to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) declined by 0.1% over the previous month and increased just 3.0% over the prior year in June. This marks a deceleration from May’s flat month-over-month increase and the 3.3% annual gain in prices. Notably, it’s the first time since May 2020 that monthly headline CPI came in below 0%.

On a “core” basis, which excludes the more volatile costs of food and gas, prices in June climbed 0.1% over the prior month and 3.3% over last year—cooler than May’s data. Economists had expected a 0.2% monthly uptick in core prices and a 3.4% year-over-year increase.

The markets responded to this report, with the 10-year Treasury yield falling about 9 basis points to trade around 4.2%. While inflation has remained stubbornly above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target on an annual basis, recent economic data suggests that the central bank may consider cutting rates sooner than later. Markets are now pricing in a roughly 87% chance that the Federal Reserve will begin rate cuts at its September meeting.

This data adds to other rate cut signals across the labor market and economy. The labor market added 206,000 nonfarm payroll jobs last month, ahead of economists’ expectations. However, the unemployment rate unexpectedly rose to 4.1%, the highest reading in almost three years.

Notably, the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge—the core PCE price index—showed inflation easing in May, with a year-over-year change of 2.6%, in line with estimates and the slowest annual gain in more than three years.


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