Joseph LaFave

About the author

Joseph LaFave writes about finance, maritime issues, healthcare, the National Guard, and conflicts around the world. Before becoming a journalist, he worked as an EMT in Florida and as an ESH engineer for Lockheed Martin supporting several DoD and NASA satellites. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Florida State University and a Master of Science in Management from Southern New Hampshire University.

Why are oil prices up? Several factors

Crude oil prices rose sharply Wednesday, driven up by a decline in the U.S. oil supply, and the expected effects of a new wave of sanctions on Iran. Iran is an influential member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and one of the worlds largest oil producers. Brent crude, a benchmark oil, crossed […]

Boeing says China will need around 7,700 new aircraft over the next twenty years

The Boeing Company revised its estimate of the number of new aircraft it expects Chinese airlines to buy between now and 2038. According to Reuters, in the next 20 years, Chinese airlines will spend about $1.2 trillion on around 7,690 new planes. The current prediction is about 6 percent higher than the previous forecast of […]

Crypto market started the week on the rocks, but news not all bad

Cryptocurrency investors awoke to reports on Monday that the unsteady market descended over the weekend, according to a report from Bloomberg’s Quint. Ether, the second largest cryptocurrency on the market following Bitcoin fell hard during the weekend, and continued its downward trend on Monday, finishing the day around $196.78 according to Coin Desk. This slump marks […]

Effects of Hurricane Florence already being felt by select industries

Hurricane Florence, a strengthening Category 4 hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean, is projected to make landfall somewhere along the U.S. east coast later in the week. The storm could become “one of the strongest strikes on this part of the East Coast on record,” according to a report from The Weather Channel. By noon on […]

Four American industries changed by the September 11, 2001 attacks

Just about everyone alive at the time remembers where they were when they first heard about the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. I was 11 years old, sitting in my 6th-grade Social Studies class when someone said something vague about a plane hitting a building in New York City. As the day went on, […]

Japan’s second quarter economic growth fastest rate in 2 years

The Japanese economy boasted its fastest growth rate in two years during the second quarter, according to a report from CNBC. This new push is aided significantly by the increase in capital expenditure, which comes earlier than previous forecasts. Between April-June, the Japanese economy grew 3.0 percent, surpassing the median predicted growth rate of 2.6 […]

Report: Gulf nations will spend $100 billion on defense in 2019

A new report published from Jane’s by IHS Markit on Thursday predicts that the six countries that comprise the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will spend a collective $100 billion on defense in 2019, a record high for the group. According to Al Jazeera, the rise in defense spending is coupled to a six percent increase […]

US, Canada still looking to reach NAFTA agreement

Negotiators from the U.S. and Canada are hoping to reach a deal on the ongoing North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) talks currently underway this week in Washington. According to Reuters, while delegates from both countries worked to advance the talks further on Thursday, several crucial items remain to be settled. “We are making good […]

Bitcoin stumbles, taking much of the crypto market with it

Bitcoin, the world’s most infamous cryptocurrency, fell for the second day in a row on Wednesday, taking much of the cryptocurrency market down with it. According to Yahoo Finance, Bitcoin fell by almost 10 percent on Wednesday and was trading at $6,402.27 on Thursday morning. Ethereum, another cryptocurrency, fell by more than 10 percent, bringing […]

Twitter’s shares fall as CEO testifies in front of Senate Intelligence Committee

Shares of the social media giant Twitter saw a 6 percent decline in value Wednesday, the same day the company’s CEO Jack Dorsey testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee regarding election meddling during the 2016 presidential race. Dorsey appeared with Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s Chief Operating Offer, during the hearing. According to a report from CNBC, […]

Nike shares plummet after controversial Colin Kaepernick ad campaign

Shares of Nike Inc. fell by close to four percent just hours after Tuesday’s opening. According to Reuters, the drop was caused by Nike’s controversial new “Just Do It” ad campaign which centers around Colin Kaepernick, the former NFL player who sparked controversy two years ago by taking a knee during the national anthem to […]

South Africa heads into first recession in nine years

South Africa entered a recession earlier this week for the first time since 2009. According to a report from CNBC, the country’s financial data, which was made available Tuesday, showed the South African economy shrink 0.7 percent in the second quarter of 2018. The recession, due in large part to losses in several of the […]