Lydia DePillis

The Consumer Price Index rose 3.8% in April from a year earlier as higher energy costs replaced tariffs as the driver of higher prices for Americans.

Fuel station owners take some of the hit for consumers when oil prices surge. On the way down, they try to get their money back.

Higher fuel costs are raising food and travel prices, while a shaky stock market tamps down free spenders.

Payrolls expanded and unemployment dropped last month after a health care strike ended and a harsh winter abated.

Lower immigration has brought labor supply in line with shaky demand, but economists worry that such a slow-moving job market is at risk of toppling over.

Tech companies are running into resistance from neighbors and may not be able to build at the pace they promised investors.

The Small Business Administration lent $378 billion to keep businesses afloat. Getting paid back is proving difficult.

An aging population is drawing workers to medical and social care, creating reliable jobs and revealing weakness for the rest of the economy.

Rising energy prices, snarled supply chains and higher government debt could all hurt American consumers.