President Donald Trump has picked Dr. Heidi Overton to lead the Food and Drug Administration. Overton is a deputy director of the White House Domestic Policy Council and a trusted figure in Trump's administration. Overton has worked on several of Trump's health initiatives. But the new FDA commissioner will face challenges balancing Trump's priorities, traditional Republican interests and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s anti-corporate stance. Overton will need Senate confirmation and face questions from the Senate health committee. The previous FDA head, Dr. Marty Makary, resigned in May, leaving unfinished projects like work on ultra-processed foods, antidepressants and COVID-19 shots.
Brent oil shot to its highest price since May after increased fighting in the Middle East threatened to slow the global flow of crude. Sharp drops for Alphabet and Tesla, meanwhile, yanked the U.S. stock market on Thursday to its worst loss in a month. The S&P 500 sank 1.2%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1% and the Nasdaq composite fell 2.2%. Brent oil’s price jumped as high as $102 per barrel during the day, up from $72 early this month. That threatens to worsen inflation, and Treasury yields climbed. Alphabet and Tesla fell following their latest profit reports.
U.S. stock indexes barely budged after oil prices climbed another 3%. The S&P 500 edged down by 0.1% Wednesday after swinging between modest losses and gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was virtually unchanged and slipped less than 0.1%, while the Nasdaq composite fell 0.6%. Philip Morris International, AT&T and other stocks rallied after reporting stronger profits for the spring than analysts expected. But AI stocks continued to swing and dragged the U.S. market with them. The price for Brent crude oil touched its highest level in nearly six weeks, and Treasury yields rose in the bond market.
U.S. stock indexes barely budged after oil prices climbed another 3%. The S&P 500 edged down by 0.1% Wednesday after swinging between modest losses and gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was virtually unchanged and slipped less than 0.1%, while the Nasdaq composite fell 0.6%. Philip Morris International, AT&T and other stocks rallied after reporting stronger profits for the spring than analysts expected. But AI stocks continued to swing and dragged the U.S. market with them. The price for Brent crude oil touched its highest level in nearly six weeks, and Treasury yields rose in the bond market.