Decades of declining quality and accuracy in federal statistics, exacerbated by President Donald Trump’s cuts, have economists questioning data that inform everything from the Federal Reserve’s decisions to Social Security payments for more than 70 million Americans.

President Trump has been able to argue that falling energy prices early in his term show his economic policies aren’t stoking inflation, but rapid-fire developments in the Middle East could put that case in jeopardy.

The U.S. government produces vast quantities of data about what's happening in every corner of the economy. Its ability to do so is facing threats, both from long-running challenges and the impact of Trump administration policies.

The market rally set in motion by the tame May consumer price inflation (CPI) report released on Wednesday petered out as fears over uncertainties on multiple fronts ruled high. However, President Donald Trump cheered the number,

Inflation broadly held steady in May — and by some measures cooled unexpectedly — as price growth data showed few signs of President Donald Trump’s tariffs hitting the consumer economy

The S&P 500 posted a 0.27% decline on Wednesday as investors weighed Trump’s scant-on-details trade deal with China as well as an inflation report that outperformed analysts’ expectations. The stock markets dropped on Wednesday despite a seemingly positive development in the trade war between the U.

US stock market futures dipped on Thursday as investors turned cautious ahead of key May inflation data and fresh tariff threats from President Trump. The Dow Jones fell nearly 300 points, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures dropped 0.

In today’s newsletter: California Governor Gavin Newsom’s fiery response to the White House’s troop deployment in Los Angeles. What May’s inflation numbers say about tariffs and the challenges facing the U.S. men’s national team at the 2026 World Cup.