Washington desk

Filed from the Washington desk — including multi-city pieces that also ran elsewhere.

Finance · 27 September 2026

US Dollar Surfs on Xi‑Trump Diplomatic 'Robust' Stalemate While Wall Street Stays Skeptical

Helen Pell, Washington desk

A mock briefing on the market’s reaction to the latest China‑US diplomatic visit uses the word “robust” four times, while earnings reports and Fed commentary are tucked into the same dry, tongue‑in‑cheek disp…

Finance · 27 September 2026

Robust Earnings, Robust Fed, Robust Outlook: Washington Desk Briefing

Helen Pell, Washington desk

Washington’s finance desk delivers a dry briefing on robust earnings, robust Fed policy, and a robust outlook, all wrapped in a concise, no‑nonsense tone.

Business · 27 September 2026

Meat Merchant Operates on Vibes and a Faint Memory of Paperwork

Helen Pell, Washington desk

Federal auditors discovered that a popular meat distributor had been running its operation for years on nothing but optimism and a lack of required permits. The Agriculture Department has stepped in to replace the compan…

Business · 27 September 2026

eBay Pulls the Plug on Airbags, Declares No More Fake Cushioning

Helen Pell, Washington desk

eBay has decided to stop selling airbags and related parts after a flurry of concerns about counterfeit and defective components, turning the e-commerce giant into a reluctant safety watchdog.

Business · 27 September 2026

U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve Dwindles to a Niche, Sparks Debate Over Venezuelan Resupply

Helen Pell, Washington desk

With the Strategic Petroleum Reserve at its lowest point in decades, Washington is debating whether to tap Venezuela’s still‑mysterious reserves. The move, while potentially robustly economical, could send ripples th…

Business · 27 September 2026

Billable Hours: The Last Castle Against The Algorithmic Tide

Helen Pell, Washington desk

As artificial intelligence renders legal research instantaneous, law firms are finding new ways to maintain the billable hour, much to the chagrin of clients who expected a price drop.

Business · 26 September 2026

When Pikachu Goes Bust: The Curious Case of Declining Pokémon Sets and Rising Graveyard Prices

Helen Pell, Washington desk

Investors baffled as a nostalgic Pokémon set slides in value while the market for cemetery plots climbs, sparking speculation about whether dynamic pricing models are haunting the trade.

Business · 26 September 2026

Trump, Media, and the Seven‑Day Standoff That Made the Nation Rethink Co‑existence

Helen Pell, Washington desk

In a week of theatrics, the president’s executive order, a newsroom boycott, court filings, and a shaky truce left Washington’s political landscape as flat as a pancake, and the press corps wondering if they’d just…

Business · 26 September 2026

Houston Curry Outlet Crowned Global Logistics Tsar, Fed Unimpressed by Robust Output

Helen Pell, Washington desk

A Houston restaurant has claimed the world title for delivery volume, prompting a dry examination of whether forty thousand monthly takeout orders constitute meaningful economic stimulus or merely a very hungry populatio…