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Money & Markets

Biden pans McCarthy’s debt plan as ‘huge cuts’ to Americans

WASHINGTON — House Speaker Kevin McCarthy worked furiously Tuesday to build support for a Republican plan that would demand strict limits to federal spending in return for agreeing to raise the nation’s debt limit and stave off an unprecedented U.S. default. But President Joe Biden ...

As grocery prices soar, push grows to end sales tax on food

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama is one of only three states that tax groceries at the same rate as other purchases. But as food prices soar — and as the state sees a record budget surplus — Alabama lawmakers are considering removing, or phasing out, the state’s 4 percent sales tax on ...

IRS pledges more audits of wealthy, better customer service

WASHINGTON — The IRS released details Thursday on how it plans to use an infusion of $80 billion for improved operations, pledging to invest in new technology, hire more customer service representatives and expand its ability to audit high-wealth taxpayers. While some Republicans have ...

US auto sales up 7.5% in 1Q; interest rates hit 15-year high

DETROIT — U.S. new-vehicle sales rose 7.5 percent in the first quarter as supplies improved and sky-high prices eased a bit while the global shortage of computer chips started to wane. But the average auto-loan rate hit 7 percent during the quarter, leaving open the question of whether ...

U.S. renewable electricity surpassed coal in 2022

Electricity generated from renewables surpassed coal in the United States for the first time in 2022, the U.S. Energy Information Administration announced Monday. Renewables also surpassed nuclear generation in 2022 after first doing so last year. Growth in wind and solar significantly ...

Deal to buy Silicon Valley Bank calms bank fears, for now

NEW YORK — First Citizens Bank is buying much of Silicon Valley Bank, the tech-focused financial institution whose failure this month set off a chain reaction that helped rattle faith in banks around the world. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and other regulators had already taken ...