The U.S. federal debt hit a record $40 trillion this week. The debt has doubled since 2017, and just paying interest on the accumulated debt now costs the government more than $1 trillion a year.

President Trump is threatening severe financial penalties on any country that helps Iran evade sanctions. Iran has denounced these threats.

Many people don't pay attention to bond markets, but they should — especially now. This is why they matter and why the drop in bond prices is signaling investor concerns about the U.S. economy.

The federal debt is growing even faster than expected. Just paying interest on the $40 trillion balance is now the government's second-largest expense, outpacing everything but Social Security.

NPR's Leila Fadel speaks with Bloomberg's Stacey Vanek Smith about why the U.S. Treasury acted to push down long-term bond yields and how that relates to the ballooning U.S. debt.

The federal debt reached $40 trillion as the government adds red ink at a rapid rate. That's leading nervous investors to demand higher interest rates — pushing up borrowing costs for everyone else.

The tariffs were set to go into effect Tuesday night at midnight, but the two countries have agreed to pause them until Friday while they work on a deal.

President Trump said he was delaying the 50% U.S. tariffs on Canadian imports after the two countries reached a last-minute deal less than two hours before the sanctions were to go into effect.

The comments come as some local governments grapple with concerns over rapid data center growth.

Many public sector workers go into the civil service expecting lower pay but stronger benefits.