Economy - AZ FREE NEWS

U.S. Deficit Reaches $1.97 Trillion With One Month Left In Fiscal Year 2026

Sep 19, 2026

By Ethan Faverino | The federal government recorded a nearly $167 billion budget deficit in August, bringing the total shortfall for Fiscal Year 2026 to nearly $2 trillion with one month remaining in the fiscal year. According to the latest Monthly Fiscal Update...

New Arizona Property Tax, Deed Laws Take Effect

Sep 18, 2026

By Matthew Holloway | Arizona laws affecting property taxes, deed recording, and county assessor operations took effect Saturday, Sept. 12, the general effective date for the 2026 legislative session. Additional property tax exemptions for disabled veterans and their...

U.S. Consumer Prices Rise 0.4% In August While Phoenix Inflation Hits 2.5%

Sep 18, 2026

By Matthew Holloway | The U.S. Consumer Price Index rose 0.4% in August, accelerating from July’s 0.1% increase, while annual inflation remained at 3.4%, according to the latest release from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Gasoline prices accounted for more than...

Small Business Administration To Prioritize Defense-Critical Manufacturers As New Rules Take Effect

Sep 17, 2026

By Matthew Holloway | The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced last week that it will prioritize applications from small businesses in defense-critical manufacturing industries for its 8(a) Business Development Program as revised eligibility requirements...

Report: 119 Arizona Bills Could Have Cost 424,000 Jobs, $31.5 Billion Annually

Sep 13, 2026

By Matthew Holloway | A new economic analysis estimates that measures proposed during Arizona’s 2026 legislative session could have imposed at least $31.5 billion in annual costs and reduced employment by more than 424,000 jobs if they had taken effect together. The...

Small Business Optimism Slips As Sales Weaken, Inflation Persists

Sep 13, 2026

By Ethan Faverino | Small business optimism edged lower in August as owners reported weaker sales, persistent inflation pressures, and continued difficulty finding qualified workers, according to the latest data from the National Federation of Independent Business...

U.S. National Debt Surpasses $40 Trillion, Adds $2.67 Trillion In One Year

Sep 12, 2026

By Ethan Faverino | The U.S. national debt has surpassed $40 trillion, adding more than $2.6 trillion over the past year as federal borrowing and interest costs continue to climb. The Joint Economic Committee released its latest Monthly Debt Update on September 8,...

U.S. Added 162,000 Jobs In August, More Than Tripling Forecast

Sep 7, 2026

By Matthew Holloway | The United States added 162,000 nonfarm payroll jobs in August, and the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.1 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) monthly employment report. Republicans on the Joint Economic Committee...

U.S. Trade Gap Widens 24% In July, Remains Down Nearly 30% Year-To-Date

Sep 5, 2026

By Matthew Holloway | The U.S. trade deficit widened to $88.58 billion in July, increasing $17.39 billion from June and ending the month 43 percent above its 12-month average, according to an analysis released Thursday by Republicans on the Joint Economic Committee...

As National Debt Tops $40 Trillion, Schweikert Calls Congressional Inaction ‘Immoral’

Aug 23, 2026

By Staff Reporter | The Joint Economic Committee (JEC) chairman, Republican Rep. David Schweikert (AZ-01), says the government’s inaction on the $40 trillion national debt is “immoral.” The JEC leader issued a statement on Thursday after the national...

National Debt Surpasses $40 Trillion As Biggs Calls For Discipline On Federal Spending

Aug 21, 2026

By Ethan Faverino | The United States has surpassed $40 trillion in national debt, marking another record for the federal government and prompting renewed criticism from Congressman Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05) over Washington’s continued spending and borrowing. According to...

Federal Government Adds $432 Billion To Deficit In July, Shortfall Nears $1.8 Trillion

Aug 17, 2026

By Ethan Faverino | The federal government ran a $432.308 billion deficit in July, marking the largest monthly deficit since March 2021, according to the Joint Economic Committee’s latest Monthly Fiscal Update. The July deficit brought the federal government’s total...