Update 897 – Trump’s Shutdown Threat:Mass Gov’t Firings without Budget Deal Congressional leaders remained at an impasse this week on federal government funding beyond October 1, leaving four days until a government shutdown kicks in, absent an agreement. Democrats want healthcare concessions in exchange for their votes – seven of which are necessary to reach …
Update 893 – Macro Muddle Faces Fed; Democrats’ Shutdown Strategy Emerges The nation’s macroeconomic picture got murkier this week, with CPI showing August prices rising by the most since January, even as jobless claims jumped by the most in four years this week and unemployment edged up last month — “a curious kind of balance,” …
Update 882 – Fiscal Fingers Crossed?Rescissions Package Sets Precedent For the first time in over 30 years, Congress has acted on a presidential rescissions request under the Impoundment Control Act to cancel funding that was previously approved in bipartisan appropriations bills. Beyond funding cuts, this move sets a precedent for undoing negotiated agreements by simple …
Update 819 — Storms of Disinformation:Speaker Johnson: Assistance “Can Wait” Millions of Americans affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton in the last month have had to endure not only personal and financial catastrophe but a flood of disinformation from Republicans about the status and availability of federal disaster assistance. Calls continued this week for Congress …
Update 808 — Sprint: September and Beyond:FY25 Budget, Harris Tax Proposals, Jobs Report This week’s leading macroeconomic news: the August jobs report, which showed that the American labor market has solidly shifted into lower gear, with job gains, 142,000 for the month, notably cooling. Also, Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris debuted a new set of …
