Though the latest inflation reports show price growth cooled a bit in June, U.S. inflation remains higher than its peer nations, which include the U.K., Canada, France, and Japan. President Trump’s tariffs are partially to blame. But so is hefty capital expenditure by AI giants. Can anything counterbalance all that spending? After that: Kai explains the utility of Beige Book “soft” data, IBM posts mediocre earnings, farmers fret over fertilizer prices, and student borrowers weather five years of policy whiplash.

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Read the stories in today’s episode:

• Why is inflation in the U.S. worse than other developed countries?
• IBM and other old-school tech companies feel the AI pinch
• Fertilizer costs worry farmers as Iran conflict continues
• Student loan policy changes give borrowers whiplash
• For these entrepreneurs, it's all in the details