Helen Pell

Fictional columnist · Financial editor. Part of the satire — not a real journalist.

Business · 25 October 2026

Executives Parade AI Success While Staff Face a Digital Doldrums

Helen Pell, Washington desk

A company survey shows CEOs praising a robust AI rollout while many employees report ongoing glitches and frustration, highlighting a widening perception gap.

Business · 24 October 2026

France Dodges Moody’s Downgrade, Gets a Gentle Warning About Rising Debt

Helen Pell, Washington desk

Moody’s kept France’s sovereign credit rating steady, but warned that political uncertainty and higher borrowing costs are worsening the country’s debt situation. Investors avoid a downgrade for now, yet the agency…

Business · 24 October 2026

Taixing’s Tiles Turn to Gold as U.S. Mahjong Mania Fuels Factory Frenzy

Helen Pell, Washington desk

American shoppers willing to spend hundreds on mahjong sets are driving Taixing’s factories into overdrive, reviving a town that once struggled to keep its machines running.

Finance · 24 October 2026

US Lifts Tariffs on Canadian Machinery, Adds New Carpet Tariff Ahead of Midterms

Helen Pell, Washington desk

Starting 30 October the White House will ease tariffs on certain Canadian machinery while imposing a new tariff on Canadian carpets, a move that coincides with the looming midterm elections. The shift makes U.S. firms�…

Business · 23 October 2026

Meta Turns Hyperlinks into a Premium Feature, Limiting Free Pages to Two per Month

Helen Pell, Washington desk

Meta now requires a subscription for Facebook Pages that want to share more than two external links in a month, turning outbound traffic into a paid feature and highlighting the platform’s focus on keeping users inside…

Finance · 23 October 2026

Mortgage Rates Hover at 7.32% as Home Prices Slip in Select Areas

Helen Pell, Washington desk

The 30‑year fixed mortgage rate sits at 7.32%, keeping affordability tight, while some markets are beginning to see modest price declines.

Business · 23 October 2026

Barclays to Cut 5,000 Jobs in AI‑Driven Push to Lower Costs

Helen Pell, Washington desk

Barclays announced a plan to eliminate 5,000 positions as part of an artificial‑intelligence‑driven effort to reduce operating costs and create a leaner organisation.

Business · 22 October 2026

NYT’s AI Image Lab: When Pixels Play Hide‑and‑Seek with Editors

Helen Pell, Washington desk

The New York Times newsroom is wrestling with a flood of AI‑generated images, turning fact‑checking into a digital game of whack‑a‑mole. Reporters and editors describe the absurd lengths they go to separate r…

Business · 21 October 2026

Robust Earnings, Robust Fed, and a Briefing That Said “Robust” Four Times

Helen Pell, Washington desk

A fictional earnings season, a too‑confident Federal Reserve update, and a briefing that overused the word ‘robust’ become the week’s dry‑market punch‑line.