The bottom line

■ Oil prices have risen 30 percent since June to $95.33 per barrel of Brent crude. The International Energy Agency expects global oil consumption to average a new record of 101.8 million barrels a day this year. Financial Times ■ The U.S. national debt hit $33 trillion, a new milestone high. A roughly 50 percent increase in federal spending between fiscal 2019 and fiscal 2021 contributed to the debt jump. CNBC.com ■ Public-sector jobs at the federal, state, and local levels have risen by 327,000 positions so far in 2023—close to onefifth of all new American jobs created this year. Government jobs accounted for 5 percent of employment growth in the same period last year. The Wall Street Journal ■ A Redfin survey found that 10.1 percent of current home sales are being driven by returnto-office mandates. Business Insider ■ Barbie toy sales in the U.S. increased 25 percent in the two months after the Barbie movie was released, according to market research firm Circana. Mattel has locked in more than 165 partnerships with brands and retailers that cover everything from clothing to furniture to Barbie-inspired sushi. CNN.com ■ U.S. homebuilding plunged to a more-than-three-year low in August, falling 11.3 percent from the month before to an annual rate of 1.28 million units. Starts for multifamily projects fell 26.3 percent. A bright spot: Permits for future multifamily housing rose 14.8 percent. Reuters ■ “Tip fatigue” has driven typical tips down to 19.4 percent in the second quarter of 2023, the lowest average since the start of the pandemic, according to online restaurant platform Toast. CNBC.com