Update 906 — Chinese Trade Detente,Shutdown Rolling to Record Lead Week President Trump returned from Asia touting major success when, in fact, details of finalized plans are few and far between. With China, we are nearly back where we were before, after months of pain for American businesses and farmers who are paying the price …
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 874 – Tariff Rate Date MoveMay CPI, Rescissions Bill Lead Week On Tuesday, President Trump announced that the United States had completed a framework for a trade deal with China, calling for both countries to loosen export controls and bring tariff rates back down to levels agreed to in the Geneva “truce.” The next …
Update 874: Round-Up on Trade, Prices, Recissions Read More »
Update 872– The Trump-Musk Meltdown:Elon Attacks OBBB… But to Any Effect? Yesterday, President Trump and Elon Musk’s disagreement over the projected deficit impact of Trump’s reconciliation package erupted into public view on social media. While the dust seems to have settled somewhat as of today, this split raises questions about Musk’s political influence going forward. …
Update 871 – Tariffs’ Court Battles;Musk Mission Ends in Fiscal Failure Trump’s trade agenda hit a major but tentative roadblock this week as two courts halted many of his tariffs, ruling his use of emergency powers “unlawful.” As the appeals process unfolds, the administration is able to maintain its tariff rates, but its long-term survival …
Update 869 – Treasuries Downgraded:Causes, Costs of Moody’s Rating Cut The United States’ debt rating was downgraded from Aaa to Aa1 by Moody’s Ratings on Friday. The move makes Moody’s the final of the three major credit rating agencies to move the nation’s credit rating down from triple A to one notch below perfect. Moody’s …
Update 863 – A Tariffying 100 Days:GDP, Markets, Polling All in Retreat Yesterday marked 100 days since Trump began his second term, a period marked by chaotic and unpredictable shifts in economic policy and a prioritization of Wall Street and the wealthy at the expense of everyday people. His administration, with acquiescence by congressional Republicans, …
Update 861 — DOGELess Barking But Still Biting DOGE’s initial visibility, assault on the civil service, budget cuts, and firings drew unwanted scrutiny and criticism, making it the focal point for the backlash against Trump, Musk, and the GOP’s efforts to reshape the federal government. Since then, the Trump administration’s actions, from immigration to tariffs, …
Update 859: Less Enforcement, Broader BreaksTrump IRS Could Threaten America’s Tax System Millions of Americans filed their taxes this week ahead of yesterday’s filing deadline. But this year’s tax day comes amid the Trump administration’s attempts to dismantle the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the very body responsible for collecting tax revenue used to fund important …
