The heatwave that scorched the West has dissipated, but natural-gas prices have yet to cool off. The power-generation fuel has been in high demand to run air conditioners and make up for parched hydropower markets, and forecasters expect booming exports and more steamy weather to keep supplies down and prices up.
Natural-gas futures have gained 37% since April and are more than twice the price of a year ago. But the highest summer gas prices since 2014 have yet to entice producers to send many more drilling rigs into their fields.
University of Chicago research supports the notion that working from home is a trend with staying power. When more than 2,300 people were asked how they’d deal with a directive mandating a full-time return to the office, only 6% said they would flat out quit.
Just over half said they would comply. But more than a third said they would follow the command — and also start looking for a job that would let them work remotely at least part of the week.
