Oil prices topped $70 a barrel Monday for the first time in over three months thanks to the latest mess in the Middle East. Higher prices at the gas pump seem sure to follow.

According to the Insurance Information Institute, 90% of wildfires in the United States are caused by people, and the remaining 10% are caused by lightning strikes or lava.

A UNLV economics professor predicted the national economy will continue its slowdown in 2020 and 2021 and that should trickle down to the gaming and hospitality industry in Las Vegas that he said is surprisingly soft given record passenger numbers traveling through McCarran International Airport.

Growth in the global economy is stalling. Trade tension with China is at an all-time high. So is a recession near? Many economists say yes.

Growth in the global economy is stalling. Trade tension with China is at an all-time high. So is a recession near? Many economists say yes.

The gap between economic theory and practice is sometimes cavernous. According to one theory, developed financial markets and access to lenders should make it easier for people to borrow money, become entrepreneurs and move to higher income brackets. But new research in the Journal of Policy Modeling finds that, in practice in the U.S., income inequality increases as financial markets develop.

Southern Nevada has roughly $26.1 billion worth of major construction projects in the pipeline — a sign, experts say, of a booming economy.

Beginning October 1, President Donald Trump will increase tariffs on $250 billion worth of Chinese goods from 25 percent to 30 percent. And come December 15, the US will extend a new 15 percent tax on $160 billion worth of Chinese products.

For several years now, the U.S. job market has been booming. And for even longer, companies have had the same complaint: They can’t find enough skilled workers. Businesses across a wide swath of industries, particularly trucking, restaurants, health care, and tech, report problems finding people with enough know-how to do the work.

Nevada, particularly Las Vegas, is known for being an affordable place to live. It’s thought of as a place you could come and get a new job, buy a home…or at least find an affordable rental.

The “advance” estimate of U.S. real gross domestic product (GDP) for the second quarter of 2019 increased modestly, up by 2.1 percent at an annualized rate. The real GDP increase largely reflected strong consumer spending, rising by 4.3 percent, its fastest growth in nearly two years.

Las Vegas is betting big on 2020, when more than 15 projects — ranging from a stadium to hotel-casino renovations — are slated to come online.