Economics 14 August 2025 - 1 February 2026

Fed’s Goolsbee Says Rate Hikes Back on Table as Iran War Clouds Cuts
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Fed’s Goolsbee Says Rate Hikes Back on Table as Iran War Clouds Cuts

Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee said Monday the U.S. central bank could cut or raise rates this year, depending on inflation and fallout from the Iran conflict. Oil prices and rate hike odds swung sharply after Trump paused strikes on Iran, but volatility resumed as Iran denied talks. Goolsbee, not a 2024 voter, stressed inflation risks from higher gasoline. The Fed next meets April 28-29.
March 24, 2026
India Budget 2026 gives Apple a five-year tax shield for iPhone-making machines
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India Budget 2026 gives Apple a five-year tax shield for iPhone-making machines

India’s 2026/27 budget exempts foreign firms from income tax on machinery supplied to contract manufacturers in bonded export zones for five years. The rule, aimed at easing Apple’s expansion, does not cover domestic sales, which remain subject to import duties. Apple and its suppliers have pushed for clarity amid rising iPhone production. The exemption runs through the 2030-31 tax year.
February 1, 2026
US set for $1.6 billion USA Rare Earth stake deal as Washington chases homegrown magnets
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US set for $1.6 billion USA Rare Earth stake deal as Washington chases homegrown magnets

The U.S. government will acquire a 10% stake in USA Rare Earth as part of a $1.6 billion debt-and-equity deal focused on a Texas mine and Oklahoma magnet plant, sources told Reuters. A separate $1 billion private investment is also expected to be announced Monday. The deal involves 16.1 million shares and warrants for another 17.6 million, both priced at $17.17 each. USA Rare Earth declined to comment.
January 25, 2026
Asteroid Mining
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The New Gold Rush: How Asteroid Mining Could Create Trillionaires and Change Earth’s Future (2025 Update)

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx returned 250 grams of Bennu material in 2023, revealing water-rich clays and organics. The DART mission altered Dimorphos’s orbit by 32 minutes in 2022. Psyche launched in 2023 to a metal-rich asteroid valued at $10,000 quadrillion, with arrival set for 2026. China’s Tianwen-2 and AstroForge’s Odin and Vestri missions target asteroid sample return and mining by 2027.
August 14, 2025
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