Economics

Publisher’s Note: Last week, Dr. Franza reviewed part of his 2026 economic predictions HERE.  Part One focused on the U.S. Economy, Financial Markets, and the Federal Reserve. Below is Part Two, focused on our Business Environment in the CSRA, including workforce enhancements and skillsets. Dr. Franza also delved into state government and politics and the impact on our finances. Business Environment Prediction #7: Workplaces will see an accelerated AI integration.   Assessment: Clearly happening. 78% of businesses use or explore AI, with about 58% of employees using it regularly. 50-60% of

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: This is part one of a two-part series. RICK: If nothing else, I am very consistent. In January, I provided you with my economic and business predictions for the coming year, as I have done in this space for each of the past few years. Another regular occurrence has been that midway through the year, I assess how accurate my predictions have been to this point in the year and how they might do for the remainder of the year. So, as the third quarter of 2026 begins,

I have followed the recent negotiations between the United States and Iran with much interest. As I noted in last week’s column, how these negotiations progress can significantly impact our economy and national security. I am watching closely to see how these negotiations impact Iran’s future nuclear weapon capability. However, as always, I watch situations like these for lessons learned we can apply to our business environments.   In this case, the most interesting and potentially valuable lesson we can learn from these negotiations is how President Trump and his proxies,