With inflation measures likely to rise in the coming months, the prospect of interest rate cuts this year by the Federal Reserve is fading. Source: pbs.org

Closely watched sentiment data points to slump in business activity from Australia to Europe Source: ft.com

The Small Business Administration lent $378 billion to keep businesses afloat. Getting paid back is proving difficult. Source: nytimes.com

Stanley Black & Decker’s decision to close its last manufacturing plant in New Britain, Conn., the city long known as “Hardware City,” is more than a local story. It is the latest example of how one of America’s most historically industrial states continues to struggle with competitivene Source: yankeeinstitute.org

Iran is holding the world economy hostage by blockading the Strait of Hormuz, said Shaikh Nawaf Al-Sabah, the CEO of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation. Source: cnbc.com

The flotilla is part of a caravan called “Our America Convoy to Cuba,” with more than 650 participants from 33 countries who arrived on the island this past weekend with tons of aid. Source: pbs.org