Update 355: Democrats and Rural America as Trump Gives Farmers Crumbs, not Cake Last week, the Trump administration announced a $16 billion aid package for farmers in an effort to bail out those affected by the continuing trade war with China. But the bailout sop may not be wooing rural Americans. Per Bill Gordon, vice-president …
Update 354: Nest Eggs Bills on the HillIs it Goose Eggs or Law after Floor Vote? A big-ticket bipartisan bill is blasting through Congress? Really? Or is this “Infrastructure Week” again? No, this is serious stuff and it’s about retirement. We look at the two leading proposals to address the dire underpreparedness of Americans for …
Update 353: 2020 Presidential Cand. SeriesSen. Warren’s Prolific Progressive Policy Platform Today’s update marks the start of our new bi-weekly series, a review of the economic policy platforms of prominent 2020 Democratic presidential candidates who have qualified for one or more DNC debates. First up, we examine Senator Elizabeth Warren’s proposed “wealth tax.” Below, we …
Update 352 — Wall St. Regulators Face Music of House ‘18 Class at HFSC Hearing Tomorrow Today, we mourn the loss of Alice Rivlin, founding director of the Congressional Budget Office and a “decathlete” of high-level public office. Her steady hand and even temper weathered multiple administrations and several financial crises, both local and national. …
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Update 351 — Class of 2020 Pres. Candidates:Making the Grade on Education Finance Policy Over the course of the last decade, a consensus has emerged among progressive policy makers that something serious must be done to address the costs of higher education, tuition and debt. 2020 candidates are weighing in, setting priorities and offering proposals. …
Update 350 — Fed Stability Report and the Perils of Prediction, Cycles, and Psychology On Monday, the Federal Reserve released its latest assessment of risks to the financial system in its biannual Financial Stability Report. The Report mainly focused on the increase in high risk corporate debt — or leveraged loans (see last week’s update). …
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Update 349 — Today’s Leveraged Loan Market: Animal Spirits or 2020 Recessionary Canary? The leveraged loan market may not sound like a factor in the 2020 elections, but 18 months before the 2008 election, leverage was already off the dial, Wall Street was booming, and no one predicted the economic or electoral consequences. Odds that …
Update 348 — O-Zone Protections Paltry;Road for Investors, Public Still Perilous The Trump Administration’s putatively anti-poverty program known as the Opportunity Zone initiative seeks to promote economic investment in 8,700 distressed areas throughout the country. It was passed into law as part of the Trump tax cut. Taxpayer money is put to use here as …
Update 347 — Congressional Taxonomy: Which Tax Bills Can Pass SFC and HW&M? Roughly 100 million Americans, people and corporations, both prepared or just signed and filed federal tax returns due this past Monday. And now the government wants to go and change the tax code again? When doesn’t it? So we thought this would …
Update 346 — FY 2020 Coming into ViewBackward, Baby Steps So Far; Cliff 2.0 Looms As Congress departs for a two-week recess, it leaves behind a budget process with miles to go. Where does the FY 2020 budget making process stand, what steps are ahead, what is at stake, and what are the obstacles to …
