The numbers: Consumer prices rose in June at the highest yearly rate since 2012, reflecting a U.S. economy that’s running hotter than anytime since the Great Recession. The increase in the cost of living rose to a 12-month pace of 2.9% from 2.8%, marking the highest level in more than six...

Israel plans to sell off 40 percent of its state-owned national postal service by bringing in a private investor and then listing shares on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange, the Finance Ministry said on Monday. A ministerial committee approved the sale of 20 percent of the Israel Post Co to a...

In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court overturned a long-standing precedent Monday that had barred states from requiring online companies to collect and pay sales taxes, delivering a victory for cash-strapped states and brick-and-mortar retailers. Online retailers have long enjoyed an advantage over brick-and-mortar stores because of a 1992 Supreme Court...

The greatest public speaker I've ever seen was former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. I watched him in 2005 as he gave a speech to a crowd outside a train station. He thundered, cajoled and generally mesmerized the assembled throng. This was all the more impressive given that the topic...