High oil prices, big oil profits

Permian Basin oil companies are reporting strong quarterly earnings, as the Iran war keeps prices up and supply restricted. West Texas, formerly in a slump, has seen an uptick in hiring and new rigs. But oil companies are moving cautiously — they want to avoid a bust after the boom. Also in this episode, more caution: Small businesses carefully weigh workforce expansion, the U.S. invests billions to prop up the Japanese yen, and a Colorado peach farmer preps for a water shortage.

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Read the stories in today’s episode:

• Why did the U.S. just spend billions to prop up the Japanese yen?
• What the bond market is trying to tell us
• How small- and medium-sized firms are navigating this labor market moment
• Becoming a freelance court reporter helped this mom find herself
• High oil prices lift all boats in the Permian Basin, but companies remain cautious
• Peaches pay the bills for Western Colorado farmers, but drought makes their future uncertain