Embedded Files
Next Meeting: 11/10/25, 7 PM, Ozark-Dale Library
Will Trump Tariffs Reignite Inflation?
Will Trump Tariffs Reignite Inflation?
How Will Proposed Federal Budget Cuts Impact Unemployment Rate?
How Will Proposed Federal Budget Cuts Impact Unemployment Rate?
Focus On The Economy and Inflation (Post 2024 Election):
Video: ‘He’s basically reset the clock to January’: David Sanger reacts to Trump’s trade deal with China - October 30, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWbNjQllfH4
Comment: Suggest you watch all of the video, to understand what was not accomplished in the "deal"
Video: Trump administration moves to overrule state laws protecting credit reports from medical debt - October 30, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oUXZd5UHn8
Video: More Canadian snowbirds decide [against] wintering in the U.S. over economic tensions - October 30, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uq-vVq14Jk
Comment: Economic impact to US tourism?
Video: Expert explains surging health insurance premiums - October 29, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94S5-5MO9Nw
"No hire, no fire" job market may no longer be a thing as big companies announce mass layoffs
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/amazon-ups-layoffs-labor-market-jobs-economy/
Comment: "For most of 2025, the job market was described by economists as 'no hire, no fire' — a stretch of time when job seekers faced slim prospects, but workers could count on job security. But that fragile balance may now be shifting, labor experts warn, as mass layoffs at companies like Amazon and UPS signal a possible turning point for the labor market."
"Amazon on Tuesday announced 14,000 job cuts, citing a shift toward artificial intelligence, while UPS on the same day said it has reduced its workforce by 48,000 from a year earlier. Paramount Skydance, the owner of CBS News, on Wednesday also announced it is shedding jobs, part of an ongoing effort to cut costs at the entertainment and media company."
"Target on Tuesday also notified a state employment agency in Minnesota, where the retailer is based, that it plans to lay off more than 800 workers in January as part of a broader corporate restructuring, CBS News Minnesota reported. The retailer announced last week that it would cut 1,800 corporate positions as the chain trims its global workforce by about 8%."
Comment: "Even before Tuesday's job cuts, layoffs had been trending higher, according to data from Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Employers across the U.S. cut nearly 950,000 jobs this year through September, the largest number of layoffs since 2020, its most recent data shows."
"Official federal reports on the state of the labor market have been suspended due to the government shutdown, which means the Fed will make its next interest decision tomorrow, Oct. 29, without information about hiring in September."
Amazon cuts 14,000 corporate jobs, plans to increase AI investments
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8f4SiX9kktU
States sue Agriculture Department over looming suspension of SNAP food assistance
Comment: "Democratic leaders from 25 states are suing the Agriculture Department over the looming suspension of the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps. Benefits are expected to run dry across the country this weekend because of the ongoing government shutdown."
"The lawsuit, filed Tuesday in Massachusetts district court, argues that the USDA is legally required to continue providing SNAP benefits during the shutdown as long as it has funding. It calls on the court to compel the USDA to use contingency funds appropriated by Congress to keep the program running."
Comment: Not Alabama.
SNAP runs out of money Nov. 1. States are now figuring out how to feed millions of people
https://www.npr.org/2025/10/28/g-s1-95189/snap-food-stamps-government-shutdown-november
Comment: "Roughly 749,000 people participate in SNAP in Alabama, according to the USDA."
"Alabama's Department of Human Resources (DHR), the agency responsible for SNAP in the state, says on its website that individuals can still apply for SNAP benefits during the suspension and DHR will continue to process applications and determine eligibility. Benefits will not be issued until the suspension is lifted."
"Current SNAP recipients, however, 'must continue to recertify their benefits, report as they normally would, and submit all documentation that would normally be required for them to continue in the program,' DHR says. This is necessary so that each SNAP recipient can more quickly use their November funds in the grocery stores."
Video: 'Enough Is Enough': Time Kaine Demands End To Trump's National Emergency Used To Implement Tariffs - October 28, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=664FvHh5_yc
Video: We're 9 months into Trump's presidency – and prices are up across the board thanks to his agenda. - October 28, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95XYbo5affY
Political peril spurs Trump to act on beef prices even as ranchers rage
Comment: "The average price for a pound of ground beef is $6.32, up about 14 percent since Trump took office."
Iowa soybean farmers lost China as a buyer. Cattle was their backup plan — then Trump announced plans to import more beef
Comment: "That's why they were astounded when President Trump announced he wanted to quadruple beef imports from Argentina, claiming it would 'bring our beef prices down' and help 'a very good ally'."
"His words sent wholesale cattle prices plummeting."
China to Make Substantial US Soybean Purchases, Bessent Says
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/china-substantial-us-soybean-purchases-101725948.html
Comment: If Bessent's statement is true, this is finally some good news for US farmers devastated by Trump's trade wars. However:
Comment: "Renewed Chinese buying may not offer much immediate support for US growers, as crushers in China have already secured ample soybean supplies that can cover their demand through this year and part of next, narrowing the window for new US sales."
In the rural South where Medicaid has been a lifeline, residents brace for cuts
Comment: When will folks ignore the GOP promoted "culture wars," and quit voting against their own economic interests?
Trump's initial trade deals in Southeast Asia have gone MIA
Comment: "President Donald Trump touches down in Malaysia Sunday seeking to bolster economic ties with the region amid a high-stakes trade war with China. Missing from the agenda: finalizing the splashy trade deals he announced this summer with three of Southeast Asia’s biggest economies."
"The president in July touted agreements with Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines as the White House raced to secure as many trade deals as possible before a self-imposed deadline to raise tariffs. But beyond the celebratory social media posts, the White House provided little detail on the terms to lower U.S. duties. The three countries openly disputed some of the things Trump claimed they’d agreed to. And aside from a fact sheet on the Indonesian agreement, the administration has not released further updates in the ensuing months."
"Trump is not expected to announce any new progress on the negotiations in Kuala Lumpur, as talks with the three governments drag on, according to three people with knowledge of the talks, although he is poised to unveil new preliminary deals with neighboring Cambodia and Malaysia."
"The struggle to finalize terms with Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines highlights the fragile nature of the handshake agreements the White House rolled out en masse this summer, which didn’t address thorny areas of dispute. That’s particularly true when it comes to the issues that involve China, including Beijing’s use of Southeast Asian countries as a transit point to duck U.S. tariffs. The failure to resolve those issues puts Trump in a weaker position going into a make-or-break meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, currently planned for Oct. 30."
Comment: Trump has a habit of declaring a successful trade deal despite the fact that often there is only a framework for further negotiation and nothing written down and signed. It's an attempt to mislead the American public as to the success, or lack of success, regarding Trump's trade and tariff policy.
Trump's halt of US-Canada trade talks could impact these prices
Comment: "Prices for home appliances, cars and auto parts could be impacted by President Donald Trump’s decision overnight to end trade talks between the U.S. and Canada, some trade experts told ABC News."
Comment: "Canadian goods currently face steep 35% tariffs, though many of those exports to the U.S. remain duty-free because the policy excludes products compliant with the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA, a free trade agreement."
"A separate swathe of Canadian products is subject to sector-specific tariffs, such as 50% levies on steel and aluminum."
"In trade negotiations, Canada sought to reduce or lift the steel and aluminum tariffs, but a halt to discussions could keep those in place for an extended period, experts said. Canada is the top exporter of steel and aluminum to the U.S."
"Steel and aluminum are found in a host of goods, including home appliances, food packaging, cars and auto parts, some experts added."
Trump says he’s increasing tariffs on Canada by 10% after Ontario’s Reagan ad | CNN Business
https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/25/business/trump-tariffs-canada-reagan
Comment: Tariff increase based on Trump's whim. What will the rate be tomorrow and how will the resulting chaos be handled by businesses on both sides of the border?
Video: New data shows inflation continued to rise in September - October 24, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkWagdkAMoA
752,000 Alabamians at risk of losing food stamp benefits Nov. 1 due to government shutdown
Comment: "With only one week left until the end of the month, it remains unclear whether 752,000 Alabamians who receive food assistance will get their benefits in November."
"The federal Department of Agriculture informed states on Oct. 10 that there isn't enough money to guarantee people across the nation will receive their full November SNAP benefits due to the government shutdown."
"The Alabama Department of Human Resources, which is responsible for administering the program in the state, and Gov. Kay Ivey’s office, have not responded to requests from AL.com about whether Alabamians will receive the benefits that help them buy food next month."
Comment: "About 15% of the state’s population, more than 752,000 people, are enrolled in SNAP in Alabama."
"Nearly 70% of participants are families with children and more than a third are working families, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities."
Fact check: Grocery prices are up, not ‘way down’ as Trump claimed | CNN Politics
https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/24/politics/fact-check-grocery-prices-trump
Video: What happens when no one trusts a country’s economic data - October 24, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsA3EOo7CXY
Video: How delayed federal aid impacts America's farmers - October 23, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOfG3rra2_Q
Video: Soybean farmer says aid announced by Trump falls short as losses mount from trade war - October 23, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yoLLsY0niUQ
Video: Any American making under $250K feeling 'brunt' of Trump tariffs: Economic expert - October 22, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xq-L5aCadFM
ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos: Trump prods American cattle ranchers to 'get their prices down' amid tariff battle
https://abcnews.go.com/US/trump-prods-american-cattle-ranchers-prices-amid-tariff/story?id=126765951
More and more workers are using weight loss drugs. It’s costing their employers a fortune | CNN Business
https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/22/economy/weight-loss-drugs-kff-employer-survey
Some Americans fear high health insurance premiums if ACA enhanced subsidies expire: 'Very much a worry'
Comment: Just another reminder of what might happen, if Republicans fail to act.
GOP senator has ‘deep concerns’ over Trump plan to import Argentine beef
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5564985-deb-fischer-trump-argentina-beef-imports/
Reuters: Trump plan to import Argentine beef angers US farmers
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-plan-import-argentine-beef-angers-us-farmers-2025-10-20/
Comment: "U.S. farmers on Monday criticized President Donald Trump's suggestion that the country may import more beef from Argentina, after they recently lost out to the South American nation on soybean sales to top buyer China."
"Trump said on Sunday that he was considering imports to reduce U.S. beef prices that have climbed to record highs. His administration earlier extended a $20 billion currency sway lifeline to Argentina, which the president considers an ally."
"Cattle producers saw the suggestion as a threat to their livelihoods and free markets, at a time when ranchers are profiting from sky-high livestock prices and strong consumer demand."
" 'This plan only creates chaos at a critical time of the year for American cattle producers, while doing nothing to lower grocery store prices,' said Colin Woodall, CEO of the National Cattlemen's Beef Association industry group."
"Last month, the Trump administration frustrated farmers by negotiating financial support for Argentina at a time when Argentina was selling soybeans to China, which has not bought any soy from the autumn U.S. harvest due to its trade conflict with Washington."
Video: 'No coherent plan.' Trump admin. quietly softens some tariffs as SCOTUS case looms - October 20, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3SM0SiGEJk
CBS News: Your health insurance premiums are set to jump in 2026, with costs rising twice as fast as inflation
The UPS chaos shows tariffs have finally arrived on our doorsteps
‘Finances are getting tighter’: US car repossessions surge as more Americans default on auto loans
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/oct/17/us-car-repossessions-economy
Visualizing Global Wealth Inequality in 2025
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/visualizing-global-wealth-inequality/
Comment: Although there are a few countries having greater wealth inequality, the U.S. ranks fairly high in the amount of wealth inequality between it's residents.
Comment: "This visualization compares countries by wealth inequality in 2024 using the Gini coefficient, a standard measure where 0 represents perfect equality and 1 represents maximum inequality."
"The data for this graphic comes from the UBS Global Wealth Report 2025, which analyzes wealth levels and distribution across more than 50 markets."
Comment: Brazil has the highest Gini coefficient (0.81 - representing the greatest inequality) while Slovakia had the lowest Gini coefficient (0.38). Most European nations had a Gini coefficient range of between 0.55 and 0.68. The United States had a Gini coefficient of 0.74, indicating a fairly high wealth inequality when compared to most nations charted.
U.S. will 'neither be commanded nor controlled' by China, Bessent says as trade standoff deepens
https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/trump-trade-china-bessent-rare-earth-rcna237786
Comment: That's Big Talk from Bessent, but:
Comment: "Beijing has yet to approve the sale of TikTok U.S., increase soybean purchases or ease export controls, despite several rounds of U.S. trade talks."
Comment: "The remarks were the latest sign that the U.S.-China trade relationship continues to deteriorate after Beijing’s surprise announcement Thursday of new limits on rare-earth minerals and related technologies."
"In response, President Donald Trump threatened to impose 100% tariffs on China, as well as export controls on 'any and all critical software'.”
"The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday that the export controls were consistent with international practice and had been implemented 'to better safeguard world peace and regional stability, and fulfill non-proliferation and other international obligations'."
" 'China’s position has been consistent and clear. It is the U.S. who asks for talks while threatening high tariffs and new restrictions,' spokesperson Lin Jian said at a regular news briefing in Beijing. 'This is not the right way to deal with China.' ”
"The only way China can avoid the new tariffs, Greer told NBC News, is to drop the proposed export controls."
"Bessent and Greer were cautiously optimistic that Beijing would back down and return to the negotiating table."
" 'Our expectation is that they won’t implement [the controls] and that we’ll be able to be back to where we were a week ago,' Greer said, 'where we had the tariff levels we’ve agreed to and we have the flow of rare-earth magnets we agreed to.' "
"In the meantime, Bessent said, Washington is conferring with its allied trade partners about a unified response to the restrictions. 'This is China vs. the world,' he said. 'We and our allies will neither be commanded, nor controlled.' ”
Comment: There seems to be a great deal of posturing on both sides. But the real question is, who has the best negotiating position? Please consider the following:
Comment: "Rare-earth minerals are critical to manufacturing a wide variety of products, such as batteries, electric vehicles, household goods, TVs and smartphones and solar panels."
"After three rounds of what the officials called successful trade talks, China also has yet to officially approve the sale of TikTok U.S. and has not bought any soybeans from American farmers since May."
"Nonetheless, Greer and Bessent said the current 90-day pause on tariffs with China — renewed at least three times so far — could be re-upped again for a longer interval if China lifts the rare-earths restrictions."
CBS News: Growing number of Americans facing prospect of long-term unemployment
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/growing-number-of-americans-facing-long-term-unemployment/
Comment: "According to Labor Department data, in August, nearly 2 million people in the U.S. faced long-term unemployment, defined as being out of work for at least 27 weeks. That's the highest number since 2022, during the pandemic."
" 'The primary reason we are seeing long-term unemployment getting worse is because of economic uncertainty coming out of the White House,' labor economist Teresa Ghilarducci said."
"Fuel has been added to some of that uncertainty recently by the government shutdown and an ongoing flurry of tariffs instituted by the Trump administration on nations across the globe. In early September, the number of U.S. workers filing for unemployment benefits hit about 263,000, the highest mark since October 2021."
"Ghilarducci believes that the job market is not going to improve 'anytime soon'."
Fortune: Beth Ford says 'we need more legal immigration' to help American farmers because a lack of labor could trigger a 'black swan event'
Comment: "At the Fortune Most Powerful Women (MPW) Summit Tuesday morning, LandO'Lakes CEO Beth Ford warned that American farmers face a critical labor shortage that could lead to a 'black swan event' if the U.S. doesn’t institute more pathways for legal immigration. 'While there might be some discussion on undocumented, et cetera, this is critical for the health of the economy,' she said."
Comment: "The term 'black swan event,' for those unfamiliar, refers to an unpredictable occurrence with severe consequences that appears obvious only in hindsight. In agriculture, such events can include natural disasters, disease outbreaks, or severe labor disruptions that threaten food production systems."
"Ford’s comments underscore the precarious position of American farmers who depend heavily on immigrant workers. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as of 2022, only 32% of crop farmworkers were actually born in the U.S. The vast majority of farmworkers (~42%) are born outside the U.S. and have no work authorization. Only a small percentage of workers (~7%) are immigrants who obtained U.S. citizenship, while about 19% are authorized immigrants (permanent residents or green-card holders). In the dairy industry, which Ford’s company, Land O’Lakes, serves, the dependency on foreign-born labor is even more pronounced: The National Milk Producers Federation says immigrant workers account for 51% of all dairy labor."
The Hill: Trump admin warns of rising food prices
https://thehill.com/newsletters/business-economy/5555821-trump-admin-warns-of-rising-food-prices/
Comment: "The Labor Department warned that the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts could cause an uptick in food prices amid a decrease in labor and an increase in demand for fresh produce."
Comment: "The department wrote in an interim rule that the decline in immigrant labor will 'exacerbate [an] already pressing mismatch in the agricultural labor market and deprive growers of a relatively cheaper labor supply on which they have become economically reliant.' "
One of Europe’s biggest farm machinery firms halts US exports over ‘hidden’ tariffs
Comment: "One of Europe’s biggest farm machinery companies, Krone, has been forced to pause exports of large equipment to the US because of 'alarming' and little-known new tariffs that are hitting hundreds of products from knitting needles and hairdryers to combine harvesters."
"Among the products on the steel derivatives list drawn up in consultation with US manufacturers, Donald Trump is taxing 407 specific products ranging from tiny embroidery stilettos to cooker hoods, barbecues, fridges, freezers, dishwashers, hair curling tongs, grills, elevators, bridge and railway structures, agriculture equipment and wind turbines."
"It has meant that since 18 August, companies such as Krone and the construction company Liebherr in Germany have to provide an unprecedented level of detail to customs border authorities certifying the origin, weight and value of any steel in their products right down to nuts and bolts."
" 'You have to get paperwork from the supplier to the supplier to the supplier. That is pretty much impossible,' said Oliver Richtberg, the head of foreign trade at the German engineering federation VDMA, one of the most influential trade bodies in Europe."
"He described the EU/US trade deal, struck in July, as 'not worth the paper it is written on'."
Comment: " 'The bureaucratic hurdles are so high that some companies have just stopped exporting to the US,' added Richtberg."
Comment: "Providing a paper trail that essentially proves to the US that every nail, nut or bolt did not originate in China is a bureaucratic nightmare."
Comment: More chaos and confusion from the Trump administration that creates unnecessary costs that will ultimately be paid by US consumers.
CNN: China warns US of countermeasures if Trump doesn’t walk back 100% tariff threat
China ‘not afraid of trade war,’ accuses U.S. of ‘double standard’ for rare earths retaliation
Beijing blames US for raising trade tensions, defends rare earth curbs
Axios: How to measure the economy when the government isn't doing it
https://www.axios.com/2025/10/11/shutdown-data-jobs-cpi
Visual Capitalist: Where Americans Can’t Afford Healthcare, Ranked by State
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/where-americans-cant-afford-healthcare-ranked-by-state/
Comment: Look at the map in this article and you'll see that worse states for healthcare affordability are those governed by Republicans (Red States)
The Hill: The second phase of the trade war could be sector tariffs
https://thehill.com/opinion/finance/5547238-trump-tariffs-trade-war/
Trump announces new 100% tariff on Chinese imports, after stock market sell-off
Comment: "China imposed limits on rare earth minerals a day earlier."
CNN: Dow tumbles 600 points as Trump’s remarks on China reignite trade war fears
https://www.cnn.com/2025/10/10/investing/us-stock-market
AP News: China hits US ships with retaliatory port fees before trade talks
https://apnews.com/article/china-us-port-fees-a67996522d4705e663e37515fa45baf5
Comment: "China has hit U.S.-owned vessels docking in the country with tit-for-tat port fees, in response to the American government’s planned port fees on Chinese ships, expanding a string of retaliatory measures before trade talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping."
"Vessels owned or operated by American companies or individuals, and ships built in the U.S. or flying the American flag, would be subjected to a 400 yuan ($56) per net ton fee per voyage if they dock in China, China’s Ministry of Transport said on Friday."
"The fees would be applied on the same ship for a maximum of five voyages each year, and would rise every year until 2028, when it would hike to 1,120 yuan ($157) per net ton, the ministry said. They would take effect on Oct. 14, the same day when the United States is due to start imposing port fees on Chinese vessels."
Axios: The labor market is now "bed rotting"
https://www.axios.com/2025/10/10/jobs-fed-rates-layoffs
Comment: "No hiring. No firing. No switching jobs. No higher salaries."
" 'The labor market is 'bed rotting' right now,' Ed Al-Hussainy, rates strategist with Columbia Threadneedle investments, tells Axios, referring to the viral term for staying in bed all day doing nothing."
How the government got hedge funded
Comment: "The U.S. government spends a ton of money, on everything from Medicare to roads to defense. In fact, it spends way more than it takes in. So…it borrows money, in the bond market. By selling U.S. Treasurys, basically IOUs with periodic interest payments. And for decades, people have loved to invest in Treasurys, for their safety and security."
"But lately, Treasurys have started to look riskier.
"In part because, in recent years, there's a new buyer at the table: hedge funds, those loosely-regulated financial companies that invest on behalf of institutions and wealthy clients. They have started doing a special trade called the 'Treasury basis trade.' And, depending on who you talk to, this trade could destabilize our entire financial system. Or help the U.S. government borrow more money. Or both."
Comment: 30 minute podcast from NPR.
NBC News: Consumer outlook for household finances falls to lowest in over a decade
https://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/consumer-sentiment-michigan-october-rcna236879
Comment: "The University of Michigan’s monthly consumer sentiment survey showed households feel glum amid concerns about unemployment and inflation."
NBC News: Without Obamacare subsidies, this couple’s insurance premiums are set to go up almost $2,000
Comment: That's $2000 per month!
Steve Rattner warns the GOP: Health care cuts will hit red states the hardest
Comment: "As the government shutdown stretches on without an end in sight, 'Morning Joe' economic analyst Steve Rattner warned Republicans that it’s their constituents who are set to suffer the most from the standoff."
"On Thursday’s show, the former Treasury Department official broke out a new set of charts showing the impact the government shutdown is having on red states versus blue states."
"Democrats have refused to fund the government unless Republicans agree to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits, which are set to expire at the end of the year. Rattner explained that after the passage of those Biden-era subsidies, Americans living in Republican-run states, where Medicaid had not been expanded, took advantage of those cheaper rates by a wider margin than their counterparts living in Democratic-run states."
"Rattner, citing data from the Kaiser Family Foundation, noted that in red states there was a “157% increase in the number of people in the marketplaces, versus 36% in blue states.” Rattner said that kind of data is likely a motivating factor for some Republicans, who are starting to break with their party over the shutdown."
" 'That’s why Marjorie Taylor Greene is so exercised about this ... because it is heavily a red state phenomenon,' he said."
"Rattner then moved on to a separate chart, which showed that red states used the enhanced ACA subsidies at a rate of 'almost twice as frequently as the blue states. … The average benefit in the red states is $580 a month.' If those subsidies were to expire at the end of the year, he said, 'seven out of 10 of the most affected states will be red states.' "
Comment: "He also fact-checked Republicans' claim that Democrats are shutting down the government over demands to expand health care coverage for undocumented immigrants. 'That is simply not true,' he said. ‘They cannot get health care through Medicaid. They can’t take advantage of these tax credits. None of that is true.' "
Mother Jones: Brace for the Single Largest Spike in Health Insurance Premiums—Ever
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/10/aca-obamacare-premium-shutdown-tax-credit-increase/
Video: ACA subsidies set to expire fueling government shutdown - October 8, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgnLFHvVjuU
Fortune: Trump’s former USDA chief economist warns the shutdown makes the president’s $15 billion farmer bailout a fantasy: 'You can’t just flip a switch'
Comment: "Trump said last month the administration would roll out subsidies for struggling farmers using revenue from his sweeping tariff policies. The White House will imminently announce a bailout plan that could put up to $15 billion in farmers’ pockets, Reuters reported, citing anonymous sources. Trump has said the aid would come from tariff revenues, but experts say that’s far easier said than done."
" 'How to fund this bailout is very complicated, and different than it was in 2018,' Joe Glauber, former chief economist at the U.S. Department of Agriculture during Trump’s first term, told Fortune. 'You’d need Congress to reallocate tariff revenues. USDA can’t just say, ‘We’re going to take all that money and give it to farmers.’ That takes an act of Congress, and that’s tricky when the government isn’t even open.' ”
Video: Trump considers $10 billion bailout for farmers as tariffs disrupt the market - October 7, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hc6hKjAuKgI
Axios: Exclusive: AI could erase 100 million U.S. jobs, Senate Dem report finds
https://www.axios.com/2025/10/06/ai-us-jobs-cut-100-million-democrats
Mother Jones: Indigenous Nations Plan Tariff-Free Trade Corridor Across US-Canada border
Comment: Interesting idea. Could this be used to beat the U.S.- Canadian tariffs, at least in the upper Mid-West?
Axios Vibes: Grocery price pain rises, in warning sign for Trump and GOP
https://www.axios.com/2025/10/02/grocery-prices-rise-trump-poll
Comment: "Americans say it's harder to afford their groceries now than it was a year ago, a warning sign for President Trump and Republicans, in the latest Axios Vibes survey by The Harris Poll."
Underwater’: Young voters, Black Americans sour on Trump as job market struggles - POLITICO
Comment: "President Donald Trump’s surprising performance among Black Americans and younger voters helped him win the popular vote in the 2024 election. Those constituencies are still waiting for a return on their investment."
"The unemployment rate for Americans between the ages of 16 and 24 has jumped to 10.5 percent from 9 percent since Trump returned to the White House, a period that coincided with a marked decline in their participation in the labor force. Black joblessness has also climbed, with federal workforce cuts and a broad slowdown in hiring contributing to the rise. And both groups saw their paychecks drop through the first half of the year, despite an acceleration in weekly earnings for workers overall."
"Trump notched impressive levels of support within those communities, including Hispanics, that have traditionally voted Democratic, but now his job-approval ratings are tumbling among all three groups. Those voters may be less likely to show up to back GOP congressional candidates next year if he fails to deliver on the high wages and work opportunities that he pledged throughout the campaign."
Visual Capitalist: Chart: The Surging Price of Beef in America
https://www.visualcapitalist.com/chart-the-surging-price-of-beef-in-america/
Supreme Court says Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can stay — for now
https://www.npr.org/2025/10/01/nx-s1-5556920/trump-fed-governor-fire-lisa-cook
Comment: "The Supreme Court has temporarily blocked President Trump's attempt to fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, maintaining a critical firewall for now around the central bank's ability to make decisions without political interference from the White House."
"That means Cook can stay in her job at least until the high court hears oral arguments in the case in January.:
"The decision shows that the conservative court is willing to at least consider some limits on the president's power, even as it has allowed Trump to exercise considerable authority over other nominally independent government agencies."
"Critics had warned that allowing Trump to fire Cook would have trampled on decades of research showing central banks function best when they're allowed to operate without meddling from politicians."
Video: Americans Report ‘Sharp Deterioration’ In Economic Confidence, Survey Says - September 30, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8NGfDYuBj8
Video: These are the possible effects of a government shutdown - September 30, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aafy3pbjd9s
Trump threatens 100% tariff on foreign-made movies
https://www.axios.com/2025/09/29/trump-tariff-foreign-movies-hollywood
Comment: "Such a levy could cause massive disruption to the entertainment industry, given the volume of media produced outside the U.S."
"It's not clear when or how the tariff would be levied, and whether the burden would be on the producers, distributors or somewhere in between."
"While Trump said the tariff would apply to 'any and all movies that are made outside of the United States,' it's not clear how much work on a film would deem it to be foreign made."
Comment: "While details on the looming movie tariffs are limited, two possibilities would be to calculate tariffs based off box office sales or production budget."
"If the tariff is based off total box office sales, many soon-to-be released films would have 'virtually no chance of turning a profit,' according to a July analysis by Jacob Jensen, trade policy analyst at the American Action Forum."
"Even if it were based off profits, the tariff would likely lead to higher ticket costs, licensing fees and at-home sales, Jensen noted."
"A tariff on production costs would have a more limited impact, especially if it only applies to the portion that was spent outside the U.S., but would still likely lead to higher ticket prices."
Comment: "Tariffing foreign-made films risks triggering retaliatory actions on U.S. films."
"The U.S. has historically been the largest exporter of films globally, and American movie studios generally derive most of their box office sales from overseas."
Comment: Another tariff plan that has not been thought through that, if enacted, would create more chaos, confusion, and unintended consequences. How many of you think this is an act of retribution and intimidation against a film industry/actors that typically opposes Trump and his policies?
Video: U.S. farmers in a bind as crop prices crash and tariffs drive higher equipment costs - September 28, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTSwkOR5z9w
Trump’s trade battle with China puts US soybean farmers in peril
Video: Breaking down Trump’s new round of tariffs - September 27, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOaEafMEMdQ
Comment & Clarification: Pharmaceutical tariffs apply to "branded and patented" drugs. Don't believe that generic drugs will be affected by these new tariffs. Other caveats apply on pharmaceuticals, as stated in the video.
Trump-pledged support for Argentina stirs anger among Republicans
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/25/trump-argentina-milei-bessent-republicans-bailout-00581449
Comment: "President Donald Trump’s potential $20 billion financial backstop for his ally, Argentina’s leader Javier Milei, is running into growing opposition from Democrats, Republicans and farm groups over concerns the deal would hurt farmers and use U.S. taxpayer resources to backstop a flailing foreign economy at U.S. taxpayers’ expense."
"Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent earlier this week pledged a major economic rescue package for Argentina. Bessent, who has been touting the plans on social media and TV appearances in recent days, says the deal is needed to stabilize the nation’s financial turmoil ahead of October midterm elections that are critical to Milei retaining power and continuing reforms that supporters say will turn around the country’s floundering economy."
"But the economic lifeline to a foreign country — one which has struggled for decades to pay its international creditors and rein in government spending — also carries some political and financial risks for the White House. Democrats have already seized on the opening to criticize a foreign bailout at U.S. taxpayer expense."
"And powerful agriculture groups and their Republican allies in Congress are also sounding alarms about the deal."
" 'Why would USA help bail out Argentina while they take American soybean producers’ biggest market??? We shld use leverage at every turn to help hurting farm economy Family farmers shld be top of mind in negotiations by representatives of USA,' Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said on X Thursday."
"Grassley said farmers were 'very upset' about Argentina 'selling soybeans to China right after USA bail out'.”
"The American Soybean Association said Argentina, a major agricultural producer, sold 20 shiploads of soybeans to China around the same time Bessent announced the U.S. was exploring a financial package. The transaction was eased by Buenos Aires waiving taxes on its soybean exports. China has turned to other major soybean exporters, such as Argentina and Brazil amid a trade war with the U.S."
Video: Grocery prices continue to soar, causing major stress for Americans - September 25, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qU05UJEauDw
Pharmaceutical tariffs: A 100% tariff on some imported drugs is coming October 1, Trump says | CNN Business
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/25/business/imported-pharmaceuticals-tariff-trump
Time Magazine: Why Patients Are Flooding Emergency Rooms
https://time.com/7319387/health-insurance-us-emergency-room-prior-authorization/
Comment: "Emergency rooms are the last functioning front doors to American healthcare. As an emergency medicine physician in one of America’s largest cities, I see firsthand how insurance denials stall diagnoses, inflict needless suffering, and drive up costs by pushing routine care into the most expensive setting: the emergency department."
"Patients come because we can compress weeks of outpatient work into hours, without the opening battle over insurance prior authorizations. In an emergency, when seconds count, we treat patients immediately. Increasingly, though, our ERs have become America’s default outpatient clinics, caring not only for the critically ill and injured, but for patients with pressing, non-life-threatening conditions whose insurers have blocked access elsewhere."
Trump says U.S. will impose new tariffs on heavy trucks, drugs and kitchen cabinets
Trump hikes tariffs on heavy trucks, pharma and kitchen cabinets
Comment: "The U.S. will impose 25 percent tariffs on imports of heavy trucks, Trump wrote on Truth Social."
"Trump also said in a separate post that he plans to impose 50 percent tariffs on all imports related to kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities, and charge a 30 percent tariff on upholstered furniture."
"In a third post, Trump reiterated his plan to hike tariffs of up to 100 percent on pharmaceutical products, unless the drugmaker is currently building in the United States."
Comment: "Each of the three product sectors were the target of an investigation under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 by the Commerce Department this year, and the posts could be a signal that the administration is moving to conclude those reviews."
Comment: "Tariffs the president plans to place on key sectors are separate from tariffs Trump levied on countries using his executive authority under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Those tariffs have been challenged in court in a set of cases that will come before the Supreme Court in November."
Trump says he'll use tariff revenue to bail out farmers - POLITICO
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/25/trump-tariff-revenue-bail-out-farmers-00580708
Comment: "President Donald Trump said Thursday that he will use tariff revenue to offer cash bailouts for farmers who are struggling with trade uncertainty and other economic headwinds."
Comment: "Trump officials expect that Congress will need to authorize the use of tariff revenue for the farm aid package and are hoping lawmakers will include it in their omnibus package due by Nov. 21, according to three people familiar with the talks. That means the rollout of cash will likely start in early 2026."
"The Trump administration has been exploring several ways to fund a farm aid package this fall for weeks as producers of top exports like corn and soy stare down a potential economic crisis that’s been exacerbated by the president’s aggressive tariff rollout."
"Republicans from House Agriculture Chair G.T. Thompson (R-Pa.) to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins have also floated using tariff revenue to pay farmers, though the plan could run into roadblocks if the Supreme Court decides Trump's tariffs are not legal."
Comment: Farmers wouldn't need a bailout if it weren't for Trump's disastrous trade policy. One of the very few advantages of the tariffs has been the money raised for the treasury. Now to placate farmers, a major source of GOP political support, Trump proposes spending that money. Consumers and everyone else suffers from the tariffs, but the farmers get a bit of a bailout. It won't be enough to compensate most from all the trade war negative impact. What's sad is that it all could have been avoided with a traditional trade policy that respected our trading partners, instead of trying to bully them.
NBC News: Former Fed chairs warn that removing Lisa Cook could lead to inflation boom
Comment: "A group of the country's top economic leaders, including every living former Federal Reserve chair, filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court on Thursday in support of Fed governor Lisa Cook, who President Donald Trump is seeking to remove."
"The group, led former central bank chiefs Alan Greenspan, Ben Bernanke and Janet Yellen, said that 'allowing the removal of Governor Lisa D. Cook while the challenge to her removal is pending would threaten that independence and erode public confidence in the Fed'.”
Comment: "Trump is the first president in U.S. history to try to remove a sitting Fed official."
" 'There is broad consensus among economists, based on decades of macroeconomic research, that a more independent central bank will lead to lower and more stable inflation without creating higher unemployment — thus helping to achieve the Federal Reserve’s statutory objective of price stability and maximum employment,' the officials said in the brief."
The new, steep price for this U.S. visa could be a blessing for Canadian tech
https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/us-h1b-visa-canada-benefits-1.7640068
Comment: "As the Trump administration moves to limit some skilled workers from entering the U.S. on a specialized visa, the Canadian tech sector is champing at the bit — hoping the new restriction will send talent up north."
"The H-1B visa, whose champions include Tesla founder Elon Musk, is a common immigration pathway for international tech talent recruited by U.S. companies. But the White House is slapping a $100,000 US fee on new applications for the visa, forcing companies to pay steeply for their recruits or otherwise find workers in the U.S."
"H-1B visas were already hard to get, as thousands of foreign students learn every year upon graduating from U.S. universities, says Becky Fu von Trapp, an immigration lawyer and founding partner at Von Trapp Law PLLC in Stowe, Vt."
" '"They want to stay in America, but the lottery system and visa limits forced them out,' she said."
" 'Canada has built an entire industry by capturing this talent. And with this $100,000 fee, that trend is about to grow much stronger,' she said. 'This is almost a gift because every time the U.S. closes the door on global talent, Canada gains.' "
Comment: Canada appreciates the value of skilled immigrants, while we force them out. Glad that Canada is taking this talent that might otherwise go to China or one of our other adversaries.
Yahoo Finance: Silicon Valley hiring in turmoil after new H-1B visa fees, move spurs offshoring talk
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/silicon-valley-hiring-turmoil-h-100527618.html
Comment: "The Trump administration's hefty new visa fees for H-1B workers have prompted high-level talks inside companies in Silicon Valley and beyond on the possibility of moving more jobs overseas - precisely the outcome the policy was meant to stop."
"U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday announced the change to the visa program that has long been a recruitment pathway for tech firms and encouraged international students to pursue postgraduate courses in the U.S."
"While the $100,000 levy applies only to new applicants - not current holders as first announced - the confusion around its roll-out and steep cost are already leading companies to pause recruitment, budgeting and workforce plans, according to Reuters interviews of founders, venture capitalists and immigration lawyers who work with technology companies."
Trump’s $100,000 H-1B visa fee could hurt US growth, economists warn | US economy | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/sep/22/trump-h-1b-visa-fees-us-economy-tech-india
Comment: "Trump signed a proclamation on Friday introducing the application fee for the H-1B visa, 60 times the current cost, in a move designed to encourage companies to hire more American workers. "
Comment: "Atakan Bakiskan, an economist at the investment bank Berenberg, said the move was an example of the Trump administration’s 'anti-growth policymaking'."
“ 'By making it very expensive for companies to attract foreign talent, and by forcing some international students to leave the country after graduation, the brain drain will weigh heavily on productivity,' he added."
Comment: "Berenberg recently lowered its estimate for US economic growth, from 2% at the start of the year to 1.5%. However, Bakiskan warned that, unless Trump relents, the 1.5% forecast 'may soon look optimistic'."
"He said: 'Taken together, the erosion of trust in institutions, a loss of human capital, tariffs, chronic uncertainty, and unsustainable fiscal policies can raise the tail risk of a financial crisis in the US. In the long run, they may set a path for an even weaker dollar and higher long-term yields.' ”
Axios: New H-1B visa fee will not apply to existing holders, official says
https://www.axios.com/2025/09/20/trump-h-1b-immigration-visas
Comment: "A new $100,000 fee for H-1B visas goes into effect Sunday, but it will not be applied to existing holders of valid visas re-entering the country, a White House official tells Axios."
Comment: "President Trump's executive order, as written, gave some lawyers the impression the fee would kick in immediately for existing holders — prompting panicked advice to clients to get back to the U.S. Saturday, or else."
Politico: White House tries to tamp down corporate panic for high-skill visa holders after last-minute overhaul
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/09/20/donald-trump-h1b-visas-overhaul-00574345
Comment: "President Donald Trump’s new $100,000 fee for high-skill visa holders only applies to new applicants — not current visa holders who may be on travel outside of the U.S. — according to the White House."
"The president’s H-1B announcement on Friday immediately spurred chaos, with companies and immigration lawyers warning travelers to return to the U.S. before midnight on Sunday, when the new policy is scheduled to kick in."
Comment: "The White House said Saturday that corporate lawyers and 'others with agendas are creating a lot of FAKE NEWS' around the proclamation, and said it does not apply to anyone with a current visa, and only affects future applicants in the February lottery who are outside of the U.S."
Comment: " 'It does not apply to anyone who participated in the 2025 lottery,' the White House said on X post-publication. 'The Proclamation does not impact the ability of any current visa holder to travel to/from the U.S.' ”
"In a separate post clarifying the proclamation, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote that the $100,000 payment would be applicable 'only to new visas, not renewals, and not current visa holders'.”
Comment: "Earlier Saturday, critics of Trump’s order said the administration needed to do more make clear the bounds of the new policy with additional guidance, even as immigration lawyers signal that lawsuits challenging the administration are likely in the works. Lawyers argued that the text of the presidential proclamation did not make the distinction between existing visa-holders and future applicants clear."
Comment: "Lutnick also repeatedly said on Friday that the fee would be annual for companies, while the White House official said Saturday that it’s a 'one-time fee that applies only to the petition'.”
"In her Saturday afternoon post, Leavitt clarified that the payment would only be a “one-time fee” — not an annual one."
Comment: We note that the existing H-1B employees currently working for the tech billionaires will be grandfathered in. However, new H-1B employees that might support tech startups will have a $100,000 per employee fee. Does that seem to favor the tech billionaires that currently support Trump?
Comment: The chaos and confusion of the Trump executive order rollout continues.
Bureau of Labor Statistics postpones key data report
https://www.axios.com/2025/09/19/bls-cpi-report-inflation
Comment: "The Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday postponed the release of a key annual report central to future inflation data."
Comment: "The BLS — charged with collecting critical data on employment, prices and more — did not explain the reasoning for the delay or when it might ultimately be released."
"There is heightened concern about the future of U.S. statistics, including the politicization and accuracy of crucial data that affects the stock market and interest rates."
Comment: "The agency is under tremendous strain, with staffing shortages and limited resources."
"It is also under unprecedented attack from the White House. President Trump fired the agency head last month after huge revisions to previous months' data confirmed a slowing labor market."
"The White House has nominated economist E.J. Antoni to lead the agency. Some prominent conservative economists have bashed Antoni as partisan and unqualified."
" 'I think we are all concerned now about the future of our country's economic data,' Erika McEntarfer, the former BLS commissioner abruptly fired by Trump, said this week at Bard College."
" 'I can vouch for the accuracy and independence of the work of the agency up until the moment I was fired ... but in terms of the future: it is an uncertain moment,' McEntarfer said."
Update: Axios: BLS says key report, delayed last week, will come out Oct. 30
https://www.axios.com/2025/09/22/bls-cpi-report-inflation-delay
There’s no ‘material inflation from tariffs,’ says new central banker Stephen Miran | CNN Business
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/19/economy/fed-stephen-miran-dissent
Comment: How's that statement for destroying your credibility as you begin your new job?
Reuters: Trump to impose $100,000 fee for H-1B worker visas, White House says
Comment: "The Trump administration said on Friday it would ask companies to pay $100,000 per year for H-1B worker visas, prompting some big tech companies to warn visa holders to stay in the U.S. or quickly return."
"The change could deal a big blow to the technology sector that relies heavily on skilled workers from India and China."
"Since taking office in January, Trump has kicked off a wide-ranging immigration crackdown, including moves to limit some forms of legal immigration. The step to reshape the H-1B visa program represents his administration's most high-profile effort yet to rework temporary employment visas."
Comment: "Trump's threat to crack down on H-1B visas has become a major flashpoint with the tech industry, which contributed millions of dollars to his presidential campaign."
Comment: "Critics of the H-1B program, including many U.S. technology workers, argue that it allows firms to suppress wages and sideline Americans who could do the jobs. Supporters, including Tesla CEO and former Trump ally Elon Musk, say it brings in highly skilled workers essential to filling talent gaps and keeping firms competitive. Musk, himself a naturalized U.S. citizen born in South Africa, has held an H-1B visa."
Comment: "The move could add millions of dollars in costs for companies, which could hit smaller tech firms and start-ups particularly hard."
"Reuters was not immediately able to establish how the fee would be administered. Lutnick said the visa would cost $100,000 a year for each of the three years of its duration but that the details were 'still being considered'."
"Under the current system, entering the lottery for the visa requires a small fee and, if approved, subsequent fees could amount to several thousand dollars."
"Some analysts suggested the fee may force companies to move some high-value work overseas, hampering America's position in the high-stakes artificial intelligence race with China."
Comment: The Silicon Valley Billionaires who have supported Trump are not going to like this.
NPR: Grocery prices have jumped up, and there's no relief in sight
https://www.npr.org/2025/09/19/nx-s1-5539547/grocery-prices-tariffs-food-inflation
Video: Reporter's Notebook: Protecting the Fed's independence - September 18, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXlcNqYBdEU
CBS News: Rising grocery prices could lead to shrinkflation, food industry analyst says
Comment: " 'Tariffs have a huge impact on grocery prices,' food industry analyst Phil Lempert, editor of SupermarketGuru, told CBS News."
"Lempert believes the Trump administration's tariffs are one of three primary reasons that Americans are seeing a rise in grocery prices, with the others being climate change and labor shortages."
Comment: "He also says the U.S. should brace for shrinkflation — when food and product manufacturers keep prices the same, but reduce the size of items, meaning consumers are ultimately paying more for the same amount."
Labor statistics chief fired by Trump sounds alarm over White House’s ‘dangerous’ interference | US economy | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/sep/17/labor-statistics-chief-trump-erika-mcentarfer
Comment: "Erika McEntarfer says Americans should be concerned about independence of key economic institutions"
Video: 'There's A Deeper Problem': Jerome Powell Says That The Fed Cannot Fix U.S. Housing Prices Alone - September 17, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FX_FnSLEPkA
Video: Fed cuts interest rates by 0.25 percentage points - September 17, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnXe764aqx0
Recent grads face tougher odds in the job market as applications rise and postings fall - CBS News
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/college-graduates-job-market-employment/
Powell on the Gen Z hiring nightmare: 'Kids coming out of college ... are having a hard time' | Fortune
https://fortune.com/2025/09/17/jerome-powell-says-gen-z-hiring-nightmare-college-kids-hard-time/
US farmers face 'financial calamity' without extra aid soon, Republican lawmakers say | Reuters
Comment: "As U.S. farmers enter autumn harvest season worried that low crop prices and a trade war could hurt their livelihoods, Republican farm-state lawmakers are urging President Donald Trump's administration to issue economic aid for farmers by year's end."
"Discussions between lawmakers and the administration highlight the trade-offs Republicans face between loyalty to the president and representing constituents who have contacted their offices and flocked to town halls in their districts, worried about the impact of Trump's trade policies."
Comment: "Republican Senator John Hoeven, who leads agriculture funding on the appropriations committee, said he is discussing with the administration an approach similar to that taken during Trump's first term, when the federal government issued $23 billion in payments to farmers to offset losses from a trade war with China. He said emergency aid could also be added to a government spending bill."
Comment: " 'President Trump and Secretary Rollins are always in touch with the needs of our farmers, who played a crucial role in the President’s November victory,' White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in an email."
Comment: "The federal government is already expected to spend more than $40 billion on payments to farmers in 2025, the second-highest amount since 1933, according to USDA data. The near-record sum is fueled by ad-hoc disaster and economic aid passed by Congress last December."
Comment: While most citizens feel sorry about the situation farmers are suffering now, how many taxpayers are anxious to bail them out once again, after they continue to vote for an administration that is destroying their livelihood through its disastrous trade policies? Taxpayers bailed farmers out during Trump's first term. Instead of learning their lesson, most of them rewarded Trump with their vote in 2020 and 2024. The phrase, "You reap what you sow," also applies in politics.
Comment: American taxpayers would not have to bail out farmers, if it were not for Trump's disastrous trade wars. One might have thought Trump, Republican lawmakers, and farmers would have learned their lesson from his first term trade war with China. But no, Trump seems to have doubled down. Both farmers and American taxpayers are paying the price.
EPA issues permit for deepwater port that will allow for 365M oil barrels loaded a year
https://www.aol.com/articles/epa-issues-permit-deepwater-port-023900488.html
Comment: Do you remember all those years the that federal government (taxpayers) provided massive grants and loan guarantees to the oil corporations so that they could make America "energy independent?" Now the oil companies are spending their funds on infrastructure to export this valuable American energy resource to whoever is the highest bidder. When do American taxpayers reap the rewards for their earlier investment?
Trump’s tariffs are bigger than his tax cuts for most Americans | CNN Politics
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/15/politics/tariffs-tax-cuts-trump-households-deficit-analysis
Trump administration considering economic aid for farmers: Agriculture secretary
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5504284-farmers-aid-trade-negotiations/
Comment: "The Trump administration is evaluating whether to grant aid to American farmers this fall, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said Monday."
" 'We are working with our colleagues in Congress and closely monitoring markets daily to evaluate the amount of additional assistance that might be needed this fall,' Rollins said at a meeting of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture in Rogers, Ark."
"A spokesperson for Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee Chair John Boozman (R-Ark.) told The Hill that the senator 'is engaging with his colleagues and the administration about the dire circumstances in rural America and the need to provide farmers resources to continue farming.' Boozman told Brownfield Ag News earlier this month that 'everything is on the table' regarding assistance to farmers."
Comment: "Rollins’s comments come as Chinese buyers have yet to purchase soybeans from U.S. farmers, despite increased production yields relative to last year. China is utilizing soybeans as a bargaining chip in its ongoing trade negotiations with the Trump administration."
"They also come as farmers feel the impacts of the administration’s cuts to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs. In March, the agency cut more than $1 billion in funding for schools and food banks to purchase goods from local farms and ranches."
Comment: "During President Trump's first term, the USDA sent roughly $23 billion to farmers in the midst of the president’s initial trade battle with China. USDA research showed that $27 billion in agricultural exports were lost as a result of the trade war."
Comment: American taxpayers would not have to bail out farmers, if it were not for Trump's disastrous trade wars. One might have thought Trump would have learned his lesson from his first term trade war with China. But no, he seems to have doubled down. Both farmers and the American taxpayers are paying the price.
Yahoo Finance: China’s soybean shift threatens US farmers — and freight jobs
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/china-soybean-shift-threatens-us-110000222.html
Comment: "A sharp drop in U.S. soybean exports to China could impact more than just farmers — it may soon begin putting pressure on trucking jobs, rail shipments, and port operations across the country."
"Once America’s top soybean customer, China has drastically cut back purchases in favor of South American suppliers. With fewer soybeans slated to move overseas, freight demand could plummet — and so could jobs."
Unemployment, inflation and GDP growth will be worse this year than projected, budget office says
https://apnews.com/article/cbo-outlook-trade-tariffs-58a06e8b72aab4f145e2ca18f44549a4
Comment: "President Donald Trump’s tariff policy, immigration crackdowns and sweeping tax and spending law are expected to increase jobless rates and inflation and lower overall growth this year before they improve next year, according to a new report from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office."
"The CBO on Friday released new economic projections for the next three years, updating the outlook it originally released in January, before Trump’s inauguration."
"The latest figures, which compare fourth quarter changes, show the unemployment rate, inflation and overall growth are expected to be worse this year than initially projected, while the economic picture is expected to steady in subsequent years."
CNN: Americans are feeling a lot worse about the state of the economy
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/09/12/economy/september-consumer-sentiment
Yahoo Finance: US consumer sentiment slips again in September, University of Michigan survey says
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-consumer-sentiment-slips-again-141333209.html
Comment: "U.S. consumer sentiment fell for a second straight month in September as consumers saw rising risks to business conditions, the labor market and inflation."
"The University of Michigan's Surveys of Consumers on Friday said its Consumer Sentiment Index fell to 55.4 this month, the lowest since May, from a final reading of 58.2 in August. Economists polled by Reuters had been expecting a reading of 58.0, little changed from the month before."
Comment: "Households have generally been downbeat about the economy over the course of 2025 on concerns that President Donald Trump's aggressive tariff measures will cause goods prices to rise and eat into their purchasing power."
CBS News: Tariff-fueled price hikes have arrived — and hitting these items first
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-tariffs-consumer-price-hikes-inflation-coffee-autos-apparel-cpi/
Comment: "For much of 2025, the Trump administration's wide-ranging tariffs defied forecasts that the import duties would drive up inflation. But that reprieve appears to be over, with economic data this week showing the tariffs are now pushing prices higher."
Comment: "Facing the prospect of sharply higher tariffs, some American companies scrambled to stock up on the imported goods and parts they use in their business, postponing the need to raise customer prices. Others absorbed the levies instead of passing them along to consumers."
"But many companies are now pulling back from those strategies, economic data shows. According to the Federal Reserve's latest 'Beige Book' survey, which includes responses from businesses, economists and other sources, tariff-related price hikes were visible across the U.S. in August."
Comment: "Many types of goods that rely heavily on imports saw significant price hikes last month, the latest CPI report shows."
"Coffee, for instance, is largely imported because there are only a handful of places in the U.S. where the beans can be grown, such as Hawaii and Puerto Rico. About 80% of unroasted coffee imports are sourced from Latin America, primarily from Brazil, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture."
"Products from Brazil that are shipped to the U.S. now face a 50% tariff, according to the White House. Once those import taxes kicked in, U.S. consumers in August shelled out 21% more for beans than a year earlier, according to CPI data."
"Other products that are heavily imported and that, as of August, are seeing large price increases compared with a year ago include:
Audio equipment: +12%
Household furniture: +10%
Bananas: +6.6%
Women's dresses: +6.2%
Watches: +5.6%
Motor vehicle parts: +3.4%"
Comment: " 'It's troubling that so many basic necessities now cost more. Food, gas, clothing and shelter all had big cost jumps in August,' Heather Long, chief economist at Navy Federal Credit Union, said in an email. 'And this is only the beginning of the price hikes. The situation will worsen in the coming months as more costs are passed along to American consumers.' "
With Hyundai raid, Trump’s immigration crackdown runs into his push for foreign investment
Comment: "President Donald Trump’s push to revitalize American manufacturing by luring foreign investment into the U.S. has run smack into one of his other priorities: cracking down on illegal immigration."
"Hardly a week after immigration authorities raided a sprawling Hyundai battery plant in Georgia, detained more than 300 South Korean workers and showed video of some of them shackled in chains, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung warned that the country’s other companies may be reluctant to take up Trump’s invitation to pour money into the United States."
South Korea’s president says Georgia ICE raid could have ‘considerable impact’ on direct US investment from his country | CNN
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/11/asia/south-korea-ice-raids-georgia-trump-intl-hnk
AP News: Rising inflation and a deteriorating job market puts the Fed and Americans in a difficult spot
https://apnews.com/article/inflation-economy-trump-federal-reserve-fabecefa501709184895bf73b3dc698a
Comment: "Inflation rose last month as the price of gas, groceries and airfares jumped while new data showed applications for unemployment aid soared, putting the Federal Reserve in an increasingly tough spot as it prepares to cut rates at its meeting next week despite persistent price pressures."
"Consumer prices increased 2.9% in August from a year earlier, the Labor Department said Thursday, up from 2.7% the previous month and the biggest jump since January. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, core prices rose 3.1%, the same as in July. Both figures are above the Federal Reserve’s 2% target."
"A separate government report Thursday showed that weekly applications for unemployment aid jumped 27,000 to 263,000, the highest in nearly four years. Requests for jobless benefits are a proxy for layoffs. Recent reports have also showed that hiring has weakened dramatically this year and was lower than previously estimated last year."
"The data raises the specter of 'stagflation,' a trend that last bedeviled the U.S. economy in the 1970s. The term refers to a period of slower growth, higher unemployment along with rising inflation. It is unusual because a weak economy typically keeps inflation in check."
Axios: Inflation and unemployment filings are up, with no silver lining this time
https://www.axios.com/2025/09/11/cpi-report-unemployment-inflation
Comment: "Two new indicators out Thursday illustrate the economy's woes: Prices accelerated again last month as the labor market shows fresh signs of weakness."
Comment: "Companies are passing along tariff-related costs, squeezing consumers already hit with price hikes from the recent inflation shock. This time, however, Americans don't have the tailwind of a roaring jobs market."
Video: Food prices see largest monthly increase since August 2022 - September 11, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78PsYRfsnVQ
Axios: Young America faces an economic crisis
https://www.axios.com/2025/09/10/jobs-young-adults-labor-market
Comment: "Younger adults are facing the worst labor market shock in years, one far more acute than the rest of the population."
Comment: "There's no denying the misery for young people who can't find work. It might stunt their career growth for decades to come."
Comment: "What's holding back hiring is a mix of fleeting, cyclical factors — economic uncertainty as a result of Trump's trade policies, for instance, or high interest rates."
"Other factors, like the uptake of AI eliminating entry-level positions, are likely structural. The result might be a difficult hiring environment for younger people for the foreseeable future."
Comment: "The unemployment rate among 16- to 24-year-olds was 10.5% in August, the highest since the aftermath of COVID. Excluding that period, youth unemployment has not been this high since 2016."
Trump's tariffs could push nearly 1 million Americans into poverty, report finds
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/10/business/trump-trade-prices-poverty-report
Video: 'We've got a real disaster': Farmers struggle amid rising costs and Trump's tariffs - September 10, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiuTCgGcz2s
China clears imports of Brazil sorghum, official says, in blow to US | Reuters
US misses out on billions of dollars of China soybean sales midway through peak season | Reuters
Comment: "U.S. farmers are missing out on billions of dollars of soybean sales to China halfway through their prime marketing season, as stalled trade talks halt exports and rival South American suppliers step in to fill the gap, traders and analysts said."
Farmers' loyalty to Trump is about to be tested - POLITICO
Comment: "Farmers across the country are looking at record yields during their fall harvest. They may have nowhere to sell them."
"As a result of President Donald Trump’s trade war with China, crop farmers have lost a significant export market, driving down the price of top U.S. crops like soybeans and corn, even as Trump’s tariffs drive up the cost of farm equipment and fertilizer."
"Now, as they approach the end of growing season, those farmers, farm groups and Republican lawmakers from agriculture-heavy states are warning of a looming crisis: crops piling up with nowhere to put them and farmers ending the year deep in the red."
Why rising Black unemployment is a warning sign for America’s economy | CNN Business
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/08/business/black-unemployment-rate-us-economy
Fortune: Your health insurance is about to go up by the biggest percentage in 15 years
https://fortune.com/2025/09/08/your-health-insurance-biggest-increase-15-years-since-2010-mercer/
Video: Why your health insurance copays, deductibles and premiums will probably surge next year - September 7, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9EtUsovSHU
Axios: SCOTUS loss would lead to huge Trump tariff refunds, Bessent warns
https://www.axios.com/2025/09/07/trump-tariffs-refunds
Comment: "The U.S. Treasury would have to refund about half the tariffs collected since President Trump took office if the Supreme Court rules they were imposed illegally, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday."
Comment: "That could put the government on the hook for tens of billions of dollars in refunds, a prospect that has scared bond market investors in recent days."
Comment: Do you think the Trump administration should have thought about that before they unilaterally imposed the tariffs without congressional authorization? To make up for the treasury shortfall, how about taxing the billionaires for a change?
The Daily Beast: Murdoch Paper Slams Trump After Disastrous Jobs Report
https://www.thedailybeast.com/murdoch-paper-slams-trump-after-disastrous-jobs-report/
Comment: "The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board has published a snark-filled reaction to August’s disastrous jobs report for President Donald Trump."
"The conservative paper, owned by Rupert Murdoch, placed blame for the slowdown on Trump and his tariff crusade, which is wrecking the very industries—like mining and manufacturing—that he campaigned on saving last year."
CNN: What the latest jobs report means for you … buckle up
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/06/economy/us-jobs-report-impacts-americans
NPR: Cracks in the U.S. economy: Job growth slows 75% from a year ago
https://www.npr.org/2025/09/05/nx-s1-5529937/economy-jobs-trump-bls
US added just 22,000 jobs in August, continuing slowdown amid Trump tariffs | US unemployment and employment data | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/sep/05/us-jobs-report-august-tariffs
Comment: "Latest report also contained more bad news – the US lost 13,000 jobs in June, according to latest survey"
Comment: "The US jobs market stalled over the summer, adding just 22,000 jobs in August and continuing a slowdown in the labor market as businesses adjusted to disruptions caused by tariffs."
"The latest jobs report also contained more bad news. The US lost 13,000 jobs in June, according to the latest survey, the first time it went into the negative since December 2020."
"The unemployment rate for August inched up to 4.3%, the highest it has been since 2021."
"The healthcare sector added 31,000 last month but most other sectors were flat or lost jobs."
"The report highlighted worrying trends:
"Federal employment dropped 15,000 jobs in August, totaling 97,000 jobs lost since January."
"Manufacturing jobs went down by 12,000 in August and have tumbled 78,000 for the year."
"The racial unemployment gap widened in August. Black Americans are seeing an unemployment rate of 7.5%, compared to 6.1% last August. The unemployment rate for White Americans is 3.7%"
US Treasury Secretary Bessent calls for big changes at Fed
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-treasury-secretary-bessent-calls-big-changes-fed-2025-09-05/
Comment: " U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Friday called for renewed scrutiny of the Federal Reserve, including its power to set interest rates, as the Trump administration intensifies its efforts to exert control over a central bank whose insulation from short-term political pressures is widely seen as key to effective control of inflation."
Comment: Is this just another attempt by the Trump administration to threaten the independence of the Federal Reserve? If Trump takes control of the Fed, how do you think that will impact the sentiment of foreign investors who may wish to invest in the U.S.?
CNN: Bessent calls to take power away from the Fed
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/05/economy/bessent-federal-reserve-powell
Rising electricity costs pose significant political challenge for GOP
Comment: "Rising power prices are becoming a political liability for Republicans as electricity costs outpace inflation."
"A recent Consumer Price Index report found electricity prices were rising at double the rate of inflation, having increased 5.5 percent over the past year."
"And the general public may be starting to take notice."
" 'In the last couple of years, different items that have gone up in price have become media concerns. They become very visible, people get very angry — and I think electric rates are heading in that direction,' said Mark Wolfe, executive director of the National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association."
Comment: "Democrats are beginning to weaponize the issue against Republicans, especially after they repealed subsidies for wind and solar energy."
"'The big, ugly bill is going to mean a lot of big, ugly energy bills arriving in the mail for Americans around the country,' Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) said last month."
"Experts say a buildout of renewables would help bring down prices, but the impacts of Trump’s moves are not being felt yet."
Time Magazine: Why U.S. Energy Costs Are So High Right Now And How to Lower Your Electricity Bill
https://time.com/7314054/how-to-lower-high-electricity-bills/
CNN: Why your health insurance copays, deductibles and premiums will probably surge next year
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/04/business/health-insurance-premiums-cost-increase
CNN: If Trump loses his tariff lawsuit, America may have to refund businesses more than $200 billion
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/03/economy/trump-tariff-refund
Comment: Do you think Trump should have thought about that likely possibility ahead of time? The U.S. Court of International Trade ruled against the administration awhile back, and numerous legal experts seriously questioned the constitutionality of the tariffs ahead of the recent Appeals Court decision.
CNN: Confirmed: America is in a serious jobs slump
https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/03/economy/us-jolts-job-openings-layoffs-july
The Guardian: ‘He’s brazenly anti-worker’: US marks the first Labor Day under Trump 2.0
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/01/labor-day-workers-trump
Comment: "For this Labor Day, the Donald Trump administration has draped an enormous banner outside the US labor department with his portrait and the words 'American Workers First.' ”
"Trump was elected on promises, since repeatedly pledged, that he would fight for workers and forgotten Americans. But many labor advocates say that Trump has consistently put corporate interests first in his second term as he has taken dozens of actions that hurt workers, often by cutting their pay or making their jobs more dangerous."
"Despite his vow to help coal miners, Trump halted enforcement of a regulation that protects miners from a debilitating, often deadly lung disease. He fired the chair of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), leaving the US’s top labor watchdog without a quorum to protect workers from corporations’ illegal anti-union tactics. Angering labor leaders, Trump stripped one million federal workers of their right to bargain collectively and tore up their union contracts."
Comment: "Trump has hurt construction workers by shutting down major wind turbine projects and ending Biden-era subsidies that encourage the construction of factories that make renewable-energy products. In moves that will harm some of the nation’s most vulnerable workers, the Trump administration has proposed ending minimum wage and overtime protections for 3.7 million home-care and domestic workers. It has also killed a Biden plan to prevent employers from paying disabled workers less than the $7.25-an-hour federal minimum wage."
Comment: You need to read the entire linked article for more examples of Trump's anti-worker actions.
Yahoo Finance: You Can’t Haul What Ain’t There – And Tariffs Just May Have Made It Worse
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/t-haul-ain-t-tariffs-175109852.html
Comment: The economic impact of tariffs to the trucking industry
Yahoo Finance: Trump’s ‘no tax on overtime’ is now US law — but some Americans don’t even qualify. Here’s the catch
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-no-tax-overtime-now-143300208.html
Comment: "To start, the Wall Street Journal noted that the tax break only pertains to a portion of overtime pay, or the ' 'half' of 'time and a half pay', required under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.' ”
"For example, if a worker makes $40 an hour, then their time-and-a-half overtime would amount to $60 an hour. Of that $60, only $20 (the 'half' part of 'time and a half') remains tax-free."
"Additionally, the 'no tax on overtime' is a federal income tax change only. State and local income taxes still apply (unless your state separately conforms), and Social Security and Medicare taxes are still withheld on all wages, including overtime."
"As well, there’s a cap to how much overtime pay remains tax-exempt: $12,500 per person annually, or $25,000 for people filing together. Earners who make more than $150,000 (or $300,000 combined between two people filing together) are not eligible for tax-free overtime pay."
"Another issue, raised by Forbes, is horizontal equity: two people with the same annual pay can end up taxed differently. An hourly worker who logs FLSA overtime can deduct part of that overtime, while a salaried worker putting in the same extra hours gets no break."
Comment: Not mentioned in the article is the fact that this provision is only temporary. It runs out in 2028.
Comment: As they tout this temporary tax break, GOP politicians hope you won't read the fine print. They also hope that you won't realize that this temporary tax break (enjoyed only by some) will likely not compensate for the cost of Trump's tariffs, acting as a huge consumer sales tax increase.
Axios: Bessent: Everything on table for housing affordability fixes
https://www.axios.com/2025/09/01/trump-tariff-exclusions-construction-housing-affordability
Comment: "Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that President Trump may grant some exclusions on tariffs for home construction supplies, potentially offering relief to homebuilders."
"Why it matters: The housing market has stalled as the cost of purchasing has risen and supply has dwindled. High interest rates, as well as price increases for construction materials for building, renovating, or repairing, have also contributed to a stagnant market."
"While housing prices have cooled off from their pandemic-era peak, Redfin estimated in June that there are approximately 500,000 more home sellers than buyers — but that most were still struggling to find an affordable mortgage."
"Driving the news: Bessent told The Washington Examiner on Monday that the president is considering 'declaring a housing emergency in the fall.' "
Comment: Translation of 'everything on table': 'we don't have a definitive plan to solve problem'.
Comment: "housing emergency"? Every time Trump declares an emergency its an attempt to usurps more power that has historically resided elsewhere.
CBS News: A federal appeals court ruled against Trump's tariffs. Here's what could happen next.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-tariffs-federal-appeals-court-rules-illegal-what-happens-next/
AP News: Trump plans a hefty tax on imported drugs, risking higher prices and shortages
Comment: "Trump has promised to impose hefty import taxes on pharmaceuticals, a category of products he’s largely spared in his trade war. For decades, in fact, imported medicine has mostly been allowed to enter the United States duty free."
"That’s starting to change. U.S. and European leaders recently detailed a trade deal that includes a 15% tariff rate on some European goods brought into the United States, including pharmaceuticals. Trump is threatening duties of 200% more on drugs made elsewhere."
" 'Shock and awe' is how Maytee Pereira of the tax and consulting firm PwC describes Trump’s plans for drugmakers. 'This is an industry that’s going from zero (tariffs) to the potentiality of 200%.' ’’
"Trump has promised Americans he’ll lower their drug costs. But imposing stiff pharmaceutical tariffs risks the opposite and could disrupt complex supply chains, drive cheap foreign-made generic drugs out of the U.S. market and create shortages."
Comment: "In recent decades, drugmakers have moved many operations overseas – to take advantage of lower costs in China and India and tax breaks in Ireland and Switzerland. As a result, the U.S. trade deficit in medicinal and pharmaceutical products is big -- nearly $150 billion last year."
The Guardian: Trump’s war on Fed is ‘serious danger’ to world economy, says ECB head
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/01/trump-us-fed-ecb-christine-lagarde
Comment: "Donald Trump’s attempt to influence the US Federal Reserve could pose a 'very serious danger' for the world economy, the head of the European Central Bank has warned."
"Christine Lagarde, the president of the ECB, said Trump undermining the independence of the world’s most powerful central bank would have an impact for the US and other countries.
"Steps by the US president to remove the Fed chair, Jerome Powell, or the governor Lisa Cook would be a 'very serious danger for the US economy and the world economy', Lagarde told the French broadcaster Radio Classique."
" 'If US monetary policy were no longer independent and instead dependent on the dictates of this or that person, then I believe that the effect on the balance of the American economy could, as a result of the effects this would have around the world, be very worrying, because it is the largest economy in the world,' she said, according to remarks reported by Reuters."
AP News: How the Fed losing its independence could affect Americans’ everyday lives
Comment: "President Donald Trump’s attempt to fire a member of the Federal Reserve’s governing board has raised alarms among economists and legal experts who see it as the biggest threat to the central bank's independence in decades."
"The consequences could impact most Americans’ everyday lives: Economists worry that if Trump gets what he wants — a loyal Fed that sharply cuts short-term interest rates — the result would likely be higher inflation and, over time, higher borrowing costs for things like mortgages, car loans and business loans."
Politico: Trump’s attempts to lure companies away from China are backfiring
Comment: "President Donald Trump promised on the campaign trail that his trade policies would trigger an 'exodus' of manufacturing from China back to the U.S. But so far, many American companies that operate there are staying put."
"That’s the least risky option, half a dozen business leaders and business groups said in interviews, pointing to Trump’s blanket tariff increases — on not just Beijing but most of the world’s other manufacturing powerhouses — and uncertainty about the president’s future trade moves."
"It’s echoed in a survey by the U.S.-China Business Council, released in July. The group found that while the number of companies reconsidering their investment strategy has ticked up, roughly two-thirds of U.S. companies operating in China intend to maintain their planned investments in the country."
CNN: The ‘self-inflicted injury’ to US tourism that’s making some Americans angry and disappointed
https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/31/travel/international-tourist-decline-united-states
AP News: Trump wants to axe an affordable housing grant that’s a lifeline for many rural communities
https://apnews.com/article/trump-home-affordable-housing-cuts-rural-33a44092cfe5f8451e590e4a28718936
Comment: "Now, President Donald Trump wants to eliminate that grant, the HOME Investment Partnerships Program, and House Republicans overseeing federal budget negotiations did not include funding for it in their budget proposal. Experts and state housing agencies say that would set back tens of thousands of future affordable housing developments nationwide, particularly hurting Appalachian towns and rural counties where government aid is sparse and investors are few."
"The program has helped build or repair more than 1.3 million affordable homes in the last three decades, of which at least 540,000 were in congressional districts that are rural or significantly rural, according to an Associated Press analysis of federal data."
The Economics of Stagflation, Part III
https://paulkrugman.substack.com/p/the-economics-of-stagflation-part-2de
Comment: "But when the unemployment rate and the inflation rate are both too high — what economists call 'stagflation' — the Fed faces a dilemma. Cut the fed funds rate to support employment and you risk worsening inflation. Raise the fed funds rate to fight inflation and you risk raising unemployment. With stagflation, there are no easy answers, just a tradeoff of risks."
"And this dilemma looks very relevant right now: many economic indicators suggest that the United States will soon undergo at least mild stagflation."
Axios: Trump tariffs and the Fed: Fate of U.S. economy may lie with the Supreme Court
https://www.axios.com/2025/08/30/supreme-court-trump-tariffs-economy
Comment: "Two of President Trump's key economic policies appear headed for the Supreme Court: high global tariffs and his unprecedented firing of a Federal Reserve board member."
"Why it matters: These cases could not only have an enormous impact on the U.S. economy, but they could also reverberate throughout the global financial system."
"Driving the news: Late Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled that Trump can't use emergency powers to impose sweeping tariffs."
Video: Court rules most of Trump tariffs are illegal - August 29, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ob3aEhZNqhA
Comment: "Order will be held through October 14th," to give the Trump administration time to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Video: Appeals court rules most of Pres. Trump's tariffs are not legal - August 29, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJsbIWbyNyQ
Comment: Decision will be appealed to the Supreme Court, but will there be an injunction to stop the collection of tariffs until the Supreme Court hears the case?
Since Aug. 1 tariffs, ND farmers struggle to sell soybeans
https://www.kfyrtv.com/2025/08/29/since-aug-1-tariffs-nd-farmers-struggle-sell-soybeans/
Comment: "As farmers prepare for their soybean harvests, they are filled with uncertainty. China has basically stopped buying the crop from the United States because of tariffs, and prices are dropping because of it."
Comment: Alabama farmers grow a lot of soybeans also. How have the tariffs impacted their sales and crop prices?
NBC News: Retail panic: What the end of the 'de minimis' exemption means for brands across the globe
Comment: "The end of de minimis could cost U.S. consumers at least $10.9 billion, or $136 per family, according to a 2025 paper by Pablo Fajgelbaum and Amit Khandelwal for the National Bureau of Economic Research. The research found low-income and minority consumers would feeling the biggest impact as they rely more on the cheaper, imported purchases."
Comment: "Popularized by Chinese e-tailers Shein and Temu, use of the de minimis exemption has exploded in the last decade, ballooning from 134 million shipments in 2015 to over 1.36 billion in 2024. Prior to the recent change to limit its use, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said it was processing over 4 million de minimis shipments into the country each day."
"A 2023 House report found more than 60% of de minimis shipments in 2021 came from China, but because the packages require less information than larger containers, very little information is known about their origins and the types of goods they contain. That opacity is one of the key reasons why both former President Joe Biden and Trump sought to curtail or end the exemption."
"Both administrations have said the exemption was overused and abused and that it’s made it difficult for CBP officials to target and block illegal or unsafe shipments coming into the U.S. because the packages aren’t subject to the same level of scrutiny as larger containers."
NBC News: U.S. shoppers' orders canceled as world shuts down some American-bound shipments
Comment: "U.S. shoppers ordering smaller goods from abroad are being met with waves of cancellation notices ahead of a key trade rule change ordered by the Trump administration."
"On Friday, the United States will end the nearly century-old 'de minimis' exemption, which allowed items worth less than $800 to be shipped to the country duty-free, or without having to pay any tariffs."
"In advance of the official termination date for the exemption, many European nations, alongside Australia, India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and New Zealand, have announced suspensions of U.S.-bound shipments."
"Mexico's postal service announced Thursday it was suspending package deliveries to the United States because of the pending changes."
Video: Why aren't CEOs speaking up about Trump & the Federal Reserve? - August 27, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQgAfodpl0U
Comment: Despite the video title, much of the discussion deals with various tariffs and their economic impact. Later in the video, there is a discussion about the CEO related question posed in the video title.
Paul Krugman | Substack: The Crazy Comes for Clean Energy
https://paulkrugman.substack.com/p/the-crazy-comes-for-clean-energy
Comment: "Whenever I write about energy, I get many comments from people insisting that renewables are too costly to compete with fossil fuels unless they receive huge subsidies, and anyway that they can’t meet a large fraction of our energy needs because of intermittency — the sun doesn’t always shine and the wind doesn’t always blow. Gosh, I never thought of that."
"The most charitable interpretation of such comments is that the people making them formed their ideas about energy economics a long time ago, probably before 2010, and haven’t kept up with the extraordinary technological progress we’ve made in renewables since then. Between 2010 and 2023 the real cost of solar photovoltaic power fell 90 percent, while the cost of offshore wind fell 63 percent. Intermittency is still an issue, one that utilities to some extent deal with by using gas turbines to fill the gaps. But coal, much as some on the right love it, simply isn’t competitive anymore."
Comment: "And gas is becoming less important too, because there has also been huge progress in another energy technology — batteries:"
Comment: "Batteries, in turn, work synergistically with solar power, making it possible to generate power when the sun shines and use it after dark."
Comment: "In a way the most remarkable thing about the number of people insisting that large-scale reliance on renewables is impossible is that such reliance is already happening in many places around the world, including large parts of the United States. Britain gets 30 percent of its electricity from wind and another 5 percent from solar; Denmark gets 70 percent from renewables, mostly wind. Here in America, Iowa gets 65 percent of its electricity from renewables, mostly wind; California, whose economy is larger than that of most countries, gets 38 percent, mainly from solar."
"The renewables revolution is, in short, well under way, and it’s one of the great technological success stories of modern times."
"And the Trump administration is trying to kill it."
"We knew, coming into the second Trump administration, that Republicans in general and Trump in particular like fossil fuels and dislike renewables. Some of this is about money: In the last election cycle the oil and gas industry gave 88 percent of its contributions to Republicans. And as I wrote last month, energy policy has been caught up in the culture wars. Solar and wind power have, in the MAGA mind, become identified with wokeness, while burning fossil fuels is considered masculine. Hence the hostility to green energy."
"We also know that Trump has a special animus against wind power, dating back to Scotland’s refusal to cancel a wind project he thought ruined the view from his golf course."
Comment: "If you think this is empty posturing, look at what just happened to Revolution Wind, a wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island. Revolution Wind is a largely completed project, already connected to the grid, which was scheduled to start delivering power next year. But the Trump administration has just ordered work on the project to stop."
"Think about it. We’re talking about gratuitously trashing billions of dollars’ worth of investment. We’re also talking about significantly reducing the supply of electricity — not in the long run, but next year — at a moment when electricity prices are soaring thanks to the demand from data centers. And there’s every reason to believe that Revolution Wind is only the beginning of a real attempt to roll back wind and, possibly to a lesser extent, solar, even though both are now crucial parts of America’s energy system."
"If this sounds crazy, that’s because it is. But so was the way Covid vaccines became a partisan issue, which didn’t prevent anti-vax sentiment from killing thousands in right-leaning counties"
National Review: The New Medicine Tariffs Are a Prescription for Disaster
https://www.nationalreview.com/2025/08/the-new-medicine-tariffs-are-a-prescription-for-disaster/
Yahoo Finance: Commentary: The courts may soon kill most of Trump’s tariffs
Comment: "Businesses and consumers are starting to adapt to the tariffs President Trump has imposed on imported goods from virtually everywhere in the world, raising costs throughout the economy. But a new disruption is looming that could end most of those tariffs and send Trump back to the drawing board."
"A federal appeals court is set to rule any day on whether the legal basis Trump has used to justify the majority of his new tariffs is legally valid."
"On May 28, a lower court ruled that Trump does not have the authority to impose import taxes by declaring a national emergency, as he has done in numerous cases. A federal appeals court suspended that decision, allowing the tariffs to remain in place, while it heard the Trump administration's appeal."
"That court's ruling is likely by the end of August, and many analysts think Trump will lose."
Comment: "If the appeals court does invalidate those tariffs, Trump will almost certainly appeal to the Supreme Court. But a loss at the appeals court could still force Trump to overhaul his entire trade war."
The Guardian: What Trump’s move to fire Fed governor means for central bank’s independence
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/aug/25/trump-federal-reserve-lisa-cook-explained
Yahoo Finance: Here’s How Much Wealth the Top 1% in the US Has vs the Other 99%
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/much-wealth-top-1-us-175104252.html
Comment: "Wealth disparity between the top 1% and the rest of the U.S. has been on the rise for decades. But the amount of wealth held by the wealthiest individuals and families in our country is larger than most people think."
Comment: "As you can see, the wealthiest households in the U.S. now own nearly 1/3 of all the wealth in America."
AP News: Expect health insurance prices to rise next year, brokers and experts say
https://apnews.com/article/health-insur
ance-drug-costs-2026-rates-c4d865ec09c7088ecc6b55dc520f3566
Comment: "Pricey prescriptions and nagging medical costs are swamping some insurers and employers now. Patients may start paying for it next year."
"Health insurance will grow more expensive in many corners of the market in 2026, and coverage may shrink. That could leave patients paying more for doctor visits and dealing with prescription coverage changes."
"Price increases could be especially stark in individual coverage marketplaces, where insurers also are predicting the federal government will end some support that helps people buy coverage."
The Atlantic: How the Richest People in America Avoid Paying Taxes
https://www.theatlantic.com/economy/archive/2025/08/billionaire-tax-study/683987/
Comment: "In the end, the top 400 Americans paid an estimated 23.8 percent of their income to Uncle Sam from 2018 to 2020—down from roughly 30 percent before the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, in 2017. They paid 1.3 percent of their total wealth to the IRS in those years, down from 2.7 percent from 2010 to 2013. Their tax rates were lower than the average paid by all American households."
"The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, Trump’s signature first-term domestic-policy package, helped these billionaires keep more of their money. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, passed this summer, extends the TCJA’s tax cuts, creates new business loopholes, and lowers taxes on estates. To help offset the revenue losses, the Trump administration is stripping health coverage from millions of low-income Americans and shrinking the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The rich, including Trump, will keep getting richer. The poor will pay for it."
CNBC: Solar executives warn that Trump attack on renewables will lead to power crunch that spikes electricity prices
CBS News: Why utility bills are rapidly rising in some states
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/why-utility-bills-are-rapidly-rising-in-some-states/
Comment: "If you noticed your utility bill has gone up this summer, you're not alone. On average, electricity costs are 5.5% higher today than they were a year ago, according to the latest federal data, and natural gas is up 13.8%."
"Nearly 60 utility companies are set to increase electricity rates this year by more than $38 billion, affecting more than 57 million Americans, according to analysis from the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank."
"President Trump recently commented on the rising prices, blaming them on renewable power. He wrote on Truth Social that renewables were 'THE SCAM OF THE CENTURY!' And he vowed he would not approve wind and solar projects."
"But higher rates are largely a result of higher demand, and that's being driven by the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence, oil and gas drilling, space heating and electrified forms of transportation — all technologies that require immense amounts of power, according to Rob Gramlich, president of Grid Strategies, a D.C. based energy consultancy firm, 'When supply is scarce, then prices go up,' he said."
Comment: "Over the past decade, the nation's energy mix has increasingly grown to favor natural gas and renewables, like wind, solar and hydropower, that have become much cheaper to produce. New nuclear plants won't be on line before 2030, Gramlich said, and coal is becoming less economically viable because of maintenance and update costs required to address pollution concerns."
" 'That leaves wind and solar and battery storage that can help in this decade,' Gramlich told CBS News."
"But the Trump administration has enacted policies to curtail new clean energy projects and instead foster greater reliance on fossil fuels. Approving and permitting new clean energy projects has become increasingly difficult, taking away a valuable asset from energy providers at a critical time."
Comment: In other words, Trump administration policies makes the electrical energy supply situation worse.
Trump tariffs will lower deficits by $4 trillion over a decade, CBO says
https://www.axios.com/2025/08/22/trump-tariffs-deficits
Comment: Deficit reduction is the good news. The bad news is that most of that money will come out of the pockets of poor and middle class consumers, hit with increased costs that act like a sales tax, the most regressive form of taxation.
Comment: "Despite the revised forecast, the CBO didn't project entirely positive effects from the trade war."
" 'We estimate that the changes in tariffs, both by the United States and its trading partners, will reduce the size of the U.S. economy,' Swagel wrote."
The Hill: A brief history of firing statisticians for telling the truth
https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/5464447-government-leaders-removing-statisticians/
Comment: "Increasingly government leaders worldwide are following suit by removing the heads of their country’s statistical offices who report unwelcome, inconvenient data on levels and trends truthfully."
"The latest example is President Trump's recent firing of the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics."
"The Bureau of Labor Statistics is the country’s official scorekeeper of labor market activity, employment, job growth, unemployment, wages, compensation, working conditions, productivity and price movements in the U.S. economy. Why did the president fire Erika McEntarfer, the leading official at an agency known for its rigorous and objective analyses? Because she factually reported revised statistics on weaker-than-expected employment data."
Comment: The remainder of the article discusses past economic consequences of targeting those who truthfully provide these statistics. Examples from several countries are discussed.
The U.S.-EU deal is here. Europe's businesses remain on edge
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/22/the-us-eu-deal-is-here-europes-businesses-remain-on-edge.html
Comment: "The U.S. and European Union granted businesses some desperately sought after clarity as they shared fresh details on their trade agreement on Thursday, but questions remain about whether the deal can really be trusted."
"Thursday’s update broadly echoed the framework announced by the U.S. and EU in July, which called for 15% tariffs as well as pledges for Brussels to amp up spending and investment in the U.S. New details include a cap of 15% tariffs on pharmaceuticals, lumber and semiconductors. Autos will face the same rate, but only after the EU makes legislation changes to reduce its industrial duties."
"However, EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic on Thursday suggested the framework was just the beginning, leaving the door open for future changes to the deal."
Comment: Businesses have difficulty planning if they don't know what to plan for.
Far fewer Canadians are visiting the U.S. this year : NPR
https://www.npr.org/2025/08/21/nx-s1-5508461/fewer-canadians-visiting-us
Comment: Economic impact to loss of tourism?
Walmart says tariff costs are rising 'each week' : NPR
https://www.npr.org/2025/08/21/nx-s1-5509592/walmart-tariff-costs-rising-earnings
Video: Beef prices skyrocket in US - August 21, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bag-WBSzGbo
Video: Trump 'pretty underwater' on the economy and 'sinking lower': Economist - August 21, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19igdDO39yI
Fed officials see inflation just around the corner — and think consumers will bear the burden, minutes show
AI revolution threatens entry-level jobs and internships
https://thehill.com/opinion/education/5460106-entry-level-jobs-disappearing-ai/
Comment: For decades, the entry-level job has been a crucial proving ground — a place to build skills, make connections and begin a career. But in the age of artificial intelligence and automation, many of these critical early roles are disappearing. Nearly 80 percent of hiring managers now predict that AI could impel companies to cut out internships and entry-level positions."
"One recent report estimates that more than 90 percent of information technology jobs will be transformed by AI, and that nearly 40 percent of those rolls will be at the entry level. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that about 1 million office and administrative support jobs will be lost by 2029 due to technological advancements."
"Once staples of a first job, tasks like drafting a press release, organizing information or conducting basic research are now increasingly handled by AI agents. As a result, today’s graduates face a steeper climb into meaningful, sustainable careers. It is no longer enough to be merely hireable. Students can’t even start on the ground floor — they’re expected to skip a level to get in the door."
NPR: Some Florida farmers reduce crops as deportation fears drive workers away
Comment: "In a typical year, about half his workforce is without legal status. The other half usually come through an agricultural visa called the H2A. But this year, F. is taking no risks: He's not hiring any strawberry pickers who are in the U.S. illegally."
"But he says he can't afford to hire more H2A visa workers — the costs have been going up for years. 'I'm drastically cutting down production next year,' he says, 'to 35% of what I usually do.' "
"Economists have warned that Trump's ongoing deportation campaign will hurt the U.S. economy, especially sectors that rely on migrant labor. Just in the last four months, agricultural employment has fallen by 155,000 workers, the biggest dip in nearly a decade."
Video: Goods containing steel and aluminum hit with new tariffs - August 20, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNyNJhBtRtU
Politico: Video games are getting more expensive amid trade war
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/20/video-game-prices-tariff-00516397
Comment: "Sony announced Wednesday that its popular video game console, the PlayStation 5, will face a price increase in the United States this week, with the company becoming the latest console maker to raise its prices amid President Donald Trump’s global trade war."
CNN: Home Depot says it will raise some prices because of tariffs
https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/19/economy/home-depot-tariffs-prices
Trump is promising a US manufacturing renaissance. Many experts are dubious
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/18/trumps-tariffs-manufacturing-resurgence-jobs
Comment: "Donald Trump’s hugely disruptive trade war is setting the stage for a manufacturing renaissance in the US, administration officials say. Outside the White House, many economists are skeptical."
"Global trade experts point to many reasons they believe the president’s tariffs will fail to bring about a major resurgence of manufacturing, among them: Trump’s erratic, constantly changing policies, his unfocused, across-the-board tariffs, and his replacing Joe Biden’s carrot-and-stick approach to brandish sticks at the world."
" 'I think [Trump’s tariffs] will reduce the competitiveness of US manufacturing, and will reduce manufacturing employment,' said Michael Strain, an economist at the conservative American Enterprise Institute (AEI). 'They’re raising the costs of production to US manufacturing companies, and that makes manufacturers less competitive. There will be some winners and some losers, but the losers will outnumber the winners.' ”
CBS News: Wages aren't keeping up with inflation, with some jobs falling further behind than others
CNN: What would happen if America started faking its economic data? Here’s what happened when other countries did it
https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/18/business/countries-fake-economic-data
ABC News: Consumer sentiment worsened in August amid sweeping new tariffs
Forbes: New $250 Visa Integrity Fee Will Cost US $11 Billion, Say Tourism Officials
https://www.forbes.com/sites/suzannerowankelleher/2025/08/15/visa-integrity-fee-cost-us-11-billion/
Comment: "U.S. tourism officials say Congress’s controversial $250 visa integrity fee will deter international visitors and cost the country nearly $11 billion in lost visitor spending and tax revenue over the next three years."
US Commerce Dept. widens products subject to steel, aluminum tariffs | Reuters
Video: Is Trump Trying to Cook the Books? - August 15, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adROeNcjuSQ
Video: Wholesale price of vegetables soar amid tariffs - August 15, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yswtPG1rn8
Beef prices soar in Alabama as U.S. faces lowest cattle numbers in 80 years
https://www.wvtm13.com/article/beef-cost-grocery-cattle-alabama/65778792
U.S. producer prices surge in July as Trump tariffs push costs higher
Businesses have been eating Trump’s tariffs. That’s starting to change | CNN Business
https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/14/economy/us-ppi-wholesale-inflation-july
Video: Wholesale inflation surges at fastest rate in 3 years - August 14, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87nLWvqtGEA
Video: Wholesale inflation heats up in July, a warning for consumers - August 14, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PDNc8T_0kk
U.S. producer prices surge in July as Trump tariffs push costs higher
Comment: "U.S. wholesale inflation surged unexpectedly last month, signaling that President Donald Trump’s sweeping taxes on imports are pushing costs up and that higher prices for consumers may be on the way."
"The Labor Department reported Thursday that its producer price index — which measures inflation before it hits consumers— rose 0.9% last month from June, biggest jump in more than three years. Compared with a year earlier, wholesale prices rose 3.3%."
"The numbers were much higher than economists had expected."
"Prices rose faster for producers than consumers last month, suggesting that U.S. importers may, for now, be eating the cost of Trump’s tariffs rather than passing them on to customers. "
"That may not last."
" 'It will only be a matter of time before producers pass their higher tariff-related costs onto the backs of inflation-weary consumers,' wrote Christopher Rupkey, chief economist at fwdbonds, a financial markets research firm."
NBC News: Businesses are charging each other higher prices, a warning sign for consumers
Comment: "Fresh inflation data suggests businesses have begun to raise the prices they charge each other for goods and services, a sign they are looking to preserve their profit margins in the face of President Donald Trump’s tariffs — with consumers potentially footing the bill."
Business Insider: US bankruptcies are surging past 2020 pandemic levels
Goldman Sachs doubles down on tariff research that infuriated Trump, saying average Americans will bear two-thirds of the costs
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/goldman-sachs-doubles-down-tariff-200748735.html
Comment: "Goldman Sachs is refusing to back away from its analysis that Americans—not foreign exporters or overseas governments—are bearing the majority of costs from President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs. The Wall Street giant doubled down this week on chief economist Jan Hatzius’s research as inflation data showed a jump in consumer prices and the political backlash from the White House intensified."
"Goldman’s latest report, published on Sunday, maintains that while U.S. businesses have so far shouldered most of the financial pain from tariffs, the share picked up by everyday Americans is set to rise sharply. As of June, consumers had absorbed 22% of total tariff costs, Hatzius calculated, adding the number is projected to leap to 67% by October if the pattern seen in early rounds of Trump’s trade actions continues. For businesses, the burden will shrink from 64% down to 8%, while foreign suppliers will see a modest uptick from 14% to 25% of the tariff impact."
"In reaction to the report, Trump erupted in fry on Tuesday, lambasting Goldman CEO David Solomon and, without naming him, Hatzius."
Reuters: US losing out on China soybean sales as Brazil fills key supply period
Comment: "U.S. soybean exporters risk missing out on billions of dollars worth of sales to China this year as trade talks drag on and buyers in the top oilseed importer lock in cargoes from Brazil for shipment during the key U.S. marketing season, according to traders."
"Chinese importers have finished booking soybean cargoes for September, taking around 8 million metric tons, all from South America, three traders told Reuters."
Comment: Soybeans are a major agricultural crop here in Alabama. Trade uncertainty with China is adversely impacting Chinese demand for U.S. grown soybeans and, therefore, adversely impacting U.S. soybean prices.
The Guardian: Trump announces another 90-day pause on China tariffs
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/11/trump-china-tariffs-deal-deadline
Comment: "Donald Trump has once again delayed implementing sweeping tariffs on China, announcing another 90-day pause just hours before the last agreement between the world’s two largest economies was due to expire."
Comment: "Failure to reach a deal would have major consequences. Trump had threatened tariffs on China as high as 245%, with China threatening retaliatory tariffs of 125%, setting off a trade war between the world’s largest economies."
Comment: "On Monday, the US president signed an executive order extending the deadline for higher tariffs on China until 10 November, officials confirmed to Reuters."
"Chinese officials said earlier in the day they hoped the United States would strive for 'positive' trade outcomes on Monday, as the 90-day detente reached between the two countries in May was due to expire."
"China’s commerce ministry, in a statement on early Tuesday, said it will suspend additional tariffs on US goods for 90 more days, after Trump signed an executive order extending the tariff truce."
"China will maintain its tariffs on US goods at 10%, the statement said, and take action to address non-tariff barriers facing American products. China will also postpone for 90 days the addition of US firms it had targeted in April to trade and investment restriction lists."
Comment: Did China call Trump's bluff?
US and China agree to critical tariff hike extension for another 90 days, according to executive order signed by Trump | CNN Business
https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/11/economy/us-china-tariff-extension
Wall Street frets about reliability of government data on eve of CPI
Trump taps conservative economist to lead statistics agency
https://www.npr.org/2025/08/11/nx-s1-5499537/trump-bls-ej-antoni
Comment: "The BLS post is typically held by apolitical technocrats who serve terms that span presidential administrations. The choice of a partisan economist to oversee the bureau is likely to raise fresh questions about the reliability of market-moving government data."
Video: Largest landlord in the U.S. settles lawsuit after illegally using computer generated rental prices - August 11, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSlrgRQHMgk
Comment: Price fixing for housing rentals
Reuters: Trump picks Heritage economist Antoni to lead US labor statistics agency
Comment: "U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday said he was nominating economist E.J. Antoni as the new Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner, 10 days after firing the agency's previous leader following a weak scorecard of the job market, accusing her without evidence of manipulating the figures."
"Antoni is currently the chief economist at the influential conservative think tank Heritage Foundation. He has been critical of the BLS, the Labor Department's statistical agency, whose monthly figures about the state of the job market and inflation are consumed by a global audience of economists, investors, business leaders, public policymakers and consumers."
Comment: "The nomination of Antoni, who contributed to 'Project 2025,' the controversial conservative plan to overhaul the government, was met with reservations from economists."
" 'The nominee will result in a surge in demand for private label data,' said Joe Brusuelas, chief economist at RSM US."
"Groundwork Collaborative's head of policy and advocacy Alex Jacquez called Antoni a 'sycophant,' adding his selection was 'a clear assault on independent analysis that will have far-reaching implications for the reliability of U.S. economic data.' "
Axios: White House roils markets with giant tariff revisions
https://www.axios.com/2025/08/11/gold-tariff-revisions-switzerland
Comment: "The White House continues to roll out sweeping tariff announcements with little detail, leaving investors scrambling for information."
Comment: "Why it matters: Even countries with direct involvement in the trade deals seem caught off guard by White House statements."
"What they're saying: 'Washington is just randomly shooting, and they are shooting some like-minded countries from behind,' Taro Kono, a member of Japan's House of Representatives, said in a briefing, per the New York Times."
Comment: "Driving the news: There was confusion last week after reports that gold bars from Switzerland would face tariffs, pushing gold prices to hit a record high."
Comment: "Zoom in: Henrietta Treyz, the director of economic policy research at Veda Partners, tells Axios that this 'mass confusion' stands out in several specific events that have 'rocked markets' in the last month alone."
Comment: Is this normal Trump administration chaos and confusion or is it planned market manipulation?
Forbes: Canada’s Travel Boycott Grows: Car Travel To U.S. Drops 37%
Comment: Even more impact to tourism.
The Guardian: Immigration crackdown causing ‘Trump slump’ in Las Vegas tourism, unions say
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/11/las-vegas-tourism-decline-trump-immigration
Comment: "The Trump administration’s immigration policies are affecting workers and driving, in part, a decline in tourism, including international tourists, to Las Vegas, according to workers and the largest labor union in the state of Nevada."
"Visitors to Las Vegas overall dropped 11.3% in June 2025, compared to the same month last year. According to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, international visitors to one of the world’s largest tourist destinations dropped 13% in June."
More than half of industries are already shedding workers, a ‘telling’ sign that’s accompanied past recessions, top economist says
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/more-half-industries-already-shedding-171804971.html
Comment: "Moody’s Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi followed up his earlier warning that the economy is on the brink of a recession. On Sunday, he pointed out that the start of a recession is often not clear until after the fact. For now, the jobs data don’t signal a recession yet, but more than half of U.S. industries are already shedding workers."
Video: Fallout from Trump trade war as tariffs go into effect - August 8, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jNRx9vLD0Q
The U.S. economy depends on the rich. That could hurt the labor market
https://www.axios.com/2025/08/08/stock-market-us-economy-rich-poor
Comment: "Spending is being held up by the wealthy, while consumption from middle and lower income groups continues to fade."
"Why it matters: The tale of two economies, also called a K-shaped recovery, is taking shape before tariffs have even taken effect, which could further pressure lower-income spenders, and potentially, the labor market."
AP News: As electric bills rise, evidence mounts that data centers share blame. States feel pressure to act
Comment: "Amid rising electric bills, states are under pressure to insulate regular household and business ratepayers from the costs of feeding Big Tech’s energy-hungry data centers."
"It’s not clear that any state has a solution and the actual effect of data centers on electricity bills is difficult to pin down. Some critics question whether states have the spine to take a hard line against tech behemoths like Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Meta."
"But more than a dozen states have begun taking steps as data centers drive a rapid build-out of power plants and transmission lines."
"That has meant pressuring the nation’s biggest power grid operator to clamp down on price increases, studying the effect of data centers on electricity bills or pushing data center owners to pay a larger share of local transmission costs."
Comment: What's the problem with levying impact fees and then charging more per kW/hr for massive energy users, especially during peak hours?
Paul Krugman | Substack: It’s Beginning to Smell a Lot Like Stagflation
https://paulkrugman.substack.com/p/its-beginning-to-smell-a-lot-like
KHOU: No tax on overtime now law but there’s a catch
Comment: "One of President Donald Trump’s most popular campaign promises — no tax on overtime — is now officially law under his 'Big Beautiful Bill,' which passed Congress last month. But while the policy sounds like a clear win for workers, many are now finding out the reality is more complicated."
Comment: "But here’s the key detail: the tax break only applies to the 'half' portion of time-and-a-half pay. The standard hourly wage still gets taxed — a surprise for many."
Car insurance costs could rise 7% by year’s end amid tariffs: Analysis
https://thehill.com/homenews/5440134-car-insurance-could-rise-amid-tariffs-analysis/
Comment: " 'The U.S. has imposed several rounds of tariffs that raise the cost of auto parts, thus increasing the cost of repair claims for insurers,' Insurify noted. '[Insurers] could raise premiums to align their rates with this additional financial risk.' ”
Comment: So, even if folks continues to drive their old used clunkers, they can't escape the tariff impact.
Trump says he will impose 100 percent tariff on semiconductors
Comment: "President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he plans to impose 100 percent tariffs on tens of billions of dollars of imported semiconductors used in consumer electronics and other products, but indicated he would not charge companies that commit to making chips in the U.S."
Comment: "Trump said companies that make semiconductors in the U.S. will not face the levies. However, it was not entirely clear if he meant he would exclude chips that those companies import from abroad, or just observing that chips made domestically will not face tariffs."
" 'If you have made a commitment to build or are in the process of building, as many are, there is no tariff. If for some reason you say you are building and you don’t build, we go back and add it up, it accumulates, and we will charge you at a later date. You have to pay,' Trump said."
"A White House official, granted anonymity to discuss the issue, said additional details will come in the official announcement. 'But the point he’s clearly making is that the tariffs will be nuanced and phased in to reshore manufacturing while minimizing supply chain disruptions,' the official said."
Comment: So, in additional to imposing taxes (tariffs) that U.S. consumers will ultimately pay, the confusion over his tariff plans impact business decisions.
Trump hikes India tariffs to 50% for buying Russian oil
Comment: "President Donald Trump said he was doubling tariffs on India from 25% to 50%."
Comment: "A 50% tariff on India would be among the highest on any trading partner in the world. The only countries with tariffs as high as India's is set to be are Brazil at 50%, Syria at 41%, Myanmar at 40% and Switzerland's which is set at 39%."
Video: Trump threatens 250% tariff on pharmaceuticals down the line - August 5, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOvjmpgH0lU
CNBC: Trump says new semiconductor tariff plan coming as soon as next week
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/05/trump-tariffs-chips-semiconductors.html
Video: President Trump threatens higher tariffs on India - August 5, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoeCOhP6iGw
Reuters: From ingredient costs to sagging demand, tariffs further pinch company earnings
Trump says he doesn't trust the jobs data, but Wall Street and economists do
https://apnews.com/article/trump-bls-jobs-report-data-0f0a81b9c9320359370976a529c5c9e3
The tariffs that stole Christmas
https://www.axios.com/2025/08/03/tariffs-christmas-decorations-prices
Video: Companies announce price increases to offset tariff costs amid trade war - August 2, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uz9xWXgEE1w
Axios: After a historic economic week, stagflation fears are back
https://www.axios.com/2025/08/02/stagflation-economy-inflation-growth-trump
Comment: "America is showing new signs of stagflation — inflation running hotter, the job market suffering new weakness, and economists warning both are at risk of getting worse in the months ahead."
"Why it matters: The word 'stagflation' revives miserable memories of the 1970s, when Americans faced a dreadful combination of higher prices and few job opportunities."
Dark clouds emerge for Trump on economy
https://thehill.com/business/5432944-trump-economy-jobs-report-bls-firing/
Comment: "Dark clouds formed over President Trump’s economy Friday after the July jobs report showed the labor market only gaining 106,000 jobs over the last three months."
"The report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) suggested the economy and labor market are much weaker than previously thought, and will raise questions about whether the president’s tariff regime is keeping businesses from hiring."
"The combination of the dismal jobs report and rising inflation also raises disturbing questions about whether the economy is in stagflation, where unemployment rises with prices.
"Trump’s response to the report was furious: He fired BLS commissioner Erika McEntarfer, accusing her, without evidence, of politicizing previous BLS reports in the run-up to last year’s presidential election."
"In doing so, Trump cast doubt on whether future jobs reports, which are analyzed carefully around the world for signals about the U.S. economy, will be politicized and inaccurate."
Trump's latest tariffs will cost U.S. households $2,400 this year, analysis says
https://www.axios.com/2025/08/01/trump-tariffs-inflation-jobs-report
The Guardian: Trump to blame for high cost of living, Americans say in new poll
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/aug/01/trump-inflation-cost-of-living-poll
Comment: "Sixty three per cent said Trump had had a negative impact on grocery prices, and 61% said he had had a negative impact on the cost of living. Nearly half, 49%, said the Trump administration had had a negative impact on their finances. Nearly eight out of 10 Americans, including 70% of Republicans, fear that Trump’s tariffs will increase the price of everyday goods."
Video: Soybean Market Bloodbath Continues: How Low Will Prices Fall with No China Demand and Ideal Weather? - August 1, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCF8Z_1WPMs
Comment: Trump's trade war adversely impacts agricultural prices for soybeans, a major crop for Alabama's farmers.
Video: Schiff Goes Live on MSNBC to Blast Trump for Terrible Jobs Report - August 1, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_LpIbQ3kYg&t=15s
Video: Trump will try to ‘cook the books’ after firing labor stats chief, experts warn - August 1, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_F4rrRZfgU
US labor market cracks widen as job growth hits stall speed | Reuters
Comment: "U.S. employment growth was weaker than expected in July while the nonfarm payrolls count for the prior two months was revised down by a massive 258,000 jobs, suggesting a sharp deterioration in labor market conditions that puts a September interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve back on the table."
Comment: "Import duties are starting to boost inflation, raising the risk that the economy could experience a period of tepid growth and high prices, known as stagflation, which would put the U.S. central bank in a difficult position. Domestic demand increased at its slowest pace in 2-1/2 years in the second quarter."
US job growth stalls: Just 73,000 jobs added in July, with ‘stunning’ downward revisions to recent months
https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/01/economy/us-jobs-report-july
Video: Tariffs could raise the average cost of a single family home by $7,885: UBS - August 1, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5oFmgBvwUJY
2025 Job Cuts Have Already Surpassed All Of 2024—DOGE, AI And Tariffs Are Biggest Causes
Trump’s tariffs get frosty reception at federal appeals court - POLITICO
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/31/trump-tariff-arguments-appeals-court-00486972
Comment: "Federal appeals court judges on Thursday sharply questioned President Donald Trump’s authority to impose sweeping tariffs on foreign trading partners under an unprecedented use of emergency powers."
"Several judges of the Washington, D.C.-based Federal Circuit Court of Appeals repeatedly wondered how Trump could justify the broad tariffs using a 1977 law known as the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, that presidents have used to set economic sanctions and other penalties on foreign countries — but never previously tariffs."
Comment: "Other judges seemed to agree that Trump had used a statute intended to give presidents emergency powers to deal with an international crisis to, instead, usurp a key congressional responsibility."
Comment: "The lawsuit is expected to end up at the Supreme Court."
Comment: What happens to Trump's trade policy if his tariff authority is declared unconstitutional?
European Union expects to face 15% US tariffs from Friday. But a key text still isn't ready
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/european-union-assumes-faces-15-145514441.html
Comment: "The European Union is working on the presumption that the United States will impose a 15% tariff on most EU exports from Friday, even though the two sides have yet to complete a key document clarifying how the agreement will operate."
US inflation warms up in June as tariffs boost some goods prices | Reuters
A key US inflation gauge rose last month as Trump’s tariffs lifted goods prices
https://apnews.com/article/inflation-federal-reserve-economy-8c9298ce80d2e40a71a17e0c3af3c292
Comment: "The Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation gauge ticked higher last month in a sign that President Donald Trump’s broad-based tariffs are starting to lift prices for many goods."
Comment: " 'The above-target rise in core prices in June, upward revisions to previous months’ data and the sharp rise in core goods inflation will do little to ease the Fed’s concerns about tariff-driven inflation,' said Harry Chambers, assistant economist at Capital Economics, a forecasting firm."
Comment: The inflation impact of Trump's higher tariffs, recently announced, has not yet occurred.
Reuters: Trump escalates trade war with Canada following Palestine stance
Comment: "U.S. President Donald Trump intensified his trade war with Canada a day ahead of his August 1 deadline for a tariff agreement, saying it would be 'very hard' to make a deal with Canada after it gave its support to Palestinian statehood."
"Trump is set to impose a 35% tariff on all Canadian goods not covered by the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement if the two countries do not reach an agreement by the deadline."
Why U.S. copper tariff exemption won't fully ease price rises
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/31/why-us-copper-tariff-exemption-wont-fully-ease-price-rises.html
Comment: "A major exemption to President Donald Trump’s 50% copper tariff has shocked traders and sent U.S. market prices plummeting."
"The final order on copper tariffs, which the Trump administration says will boost the domestic copper production industry, applies to semi-finished products such as pipes, rods, sheets and wires. It also impacts copper-intensive items like cables and electrical components. But crucially, it does not include the raw input material copper cathode, copper ores, concentrates or scraps, as had been widely expected."
"However, analysts say that may not be enough to avoid prices for a range of consumer goods containing the metal, from cookware to air conditioning units to plumbing parts, being pushed higher as a result of the tariffs."
Comment: More confusion, chaos, and potential for market manipulation?
Lula’s Defiance Pays Off as Trump Blinks on Brazil Tariffs
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/lula-defiance-pays-off-trump-113119274.html
Comment: "Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s defiant response to Donald Trump’s 50% tariff threat was validated Wednesday — at least in the short term — with markets and businesses breathing a collective sigh of relief at the long list of exemptions to the levies."
Comment: "Some of Brazil’s biggest exports to the US, from civilian aircrafts to orange juice, won’t face increases beyond the 10% rate previously imposed, softening the blow of tariffs Trump now plans to implement next week instead of Friday."
Comment: "In Lula’s eyes, Trump’s decision has brought at least some trade rationality back to the discussions, even if he still regards the dispute as primarily political in nature, one Brazilian official familiar with the situation said."
Comment: "Itau now estimates that Brazilian goods will face an effective tariff rate of about 30%, Fernando Goncalves, the bank’s head economic research, said in an interview."
Politico: Trump stands firm on Aug. 1 tariff deadline: It ‘will not be extended’
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/30/trump-tariff-deadline-august-1-00483122
Squeezed ‘like a lemon’: White House raising the pressure ahead of Friday tariff deadline - POLITICO
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/30/countries-trade-agreement-trump-brace-deadline-00486094
US ends tariff exemption for all low-value packages | Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/world/us-ends-tariff-exemption-all-low-value-packages-2025-07-30/
Comment: "The United States is suspending a 'de minimis' exemption that allowed low-value commercial shipments to be shipped to the United States without facing tariffs, the White House said on Wednesday."
"Under an executive order signed by President Donald Trump, packages valued at or under $800 sent to the U.S. outside of the international postal network will now face 'all applicable duties' starting on August 29, the White House said."
Comment: "Between 2015 and 2024, the annual volume of de minimis shipments entering the U.S. increased from 134 million shipments to over 1.36 billion shipments. U.S. Customs processes over 4 million daily de minimis shipments."
Trump hits India, Brazil and South Korea with tariffs as deadline looms
https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/trump-hits-india-25-tariff-rcna221907
Comment: "Imports from India now face a 25% tariff, Trump said in a social media post earlier in the day, along with an unspecified penalty for what Trump said was an over-reliance on Russian energy and military equipment. The president later signaled talks with India were ongoing."
"Brazilian goods are now facing a 50% tariff, as the administration also sanctioned the Brazilian judge overseeing the cases of former President Jair Bolsonaro for allegedly plotting a coup. Trump has taken issue with Brazil’s treatment of Bolsonaro, who was a strong supporter in his first term."
"Finally, Trump said Wednesday afternoon that South Korea had made 'an offer to buy down' the 25% duty level it faces. 'I will be interested in hearing what that offer is,' Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. NBC News has reported South Korea is interested in investing in U.S. shipbuilding capacity."
Comment: Please remember that folks in the U.S. will be paying these tariff taxes, not folks in the country of origin. That likely means you.
Axios: Exclusive: Senate Democrat presses Amazon on food price hikes amid Trump tariffs
https://www.axios.com/2025/07/30/amazon-prices-trump-tariffs-senator-letter
Comment: "Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) is pressing Amazon CEO Andy Jassy over grocery price hikes tied to President Trump's steel and aluminum tariffs, per a letter exclusively obtained by Axios."
"Why it matters: The letter from the ranking member of the Joint Economic Committee could put Amazon in a tight spot — forced to talk about tariffs' impacts on prices just months after the White House threatened the retailer over sharing tariff costs."
"There's been more pressure on canned goods after Trump signed an order in early June that doubled tariffs to 50% on steel and aluminum imports."
Comment: "The big picture: This is part of Hassan's effort to aid the committee in its 'ongoing effort to analyze the impact of steel and aluminum tariffs, specifically, on food prices and jobs within the grocery supply chain.' "
Comment: Why do you think the Trump administration threatened Amazon about speaking about tariff costs?
The Guardian: Brazil’s president Lula hits back as Trump tariffs threaten US trade showdown
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/30/us-brazil-lula-trump-tariffs
Comment: "Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva says he won’t be cowed by Trump ahead of 50% tariffs set to hit Brazil"
Comment: "Trump announced plans to slap Brazil with tariffs on 1 August earlier this month, partly in retaliation for a supposed political 'witch-hunt' against his far-right ally Jair Bolsonaro. The former Brazilian president faces decades in jail for allegedly plotting a military coup to stop Lula from taking office after the former lost the 2022 presidential election."
Comment: What does a "political 'witch hunt' " in Brazil have to do with Trump's use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to usurp Congress's constitutional authority to impose tariffs? This exposes the fact that there is no economic emergency that justifies Trump to unilaterally impose tariffs. That is the responsibility of the U.S. Congress.
Reuters: Ford raises projected tariff hit to results, shares drop 3%
NPR: Automakers are eating the cost of tariffs — for now
https://www.npr.org/2025/07/30/nx-s1-5482857/automakers-eating-tariff-costs
Comment: "Tariffs have been costly for the auto industry. Higher taxes on imports like aluminum and steel are pushing up the prices of the materials that go into cars, while tariffs on foreign-made parts and imported vehicles have been as high as 25% since the spring. Even after recent deals struck with Japan and the European Union, tariffs on imports from those countries are still at 15% — far higher than in previous years."
"But so far, those costs have not been passed along to consumers."
Comment: "Instead, so far, big automakers have been absorbing the loss."
"In calls with investors, automakers have been laying out their tariff bills for the last three months: $1.1 billion for General Motors, $600 million for Hyundai, more than $500 million for Kia, $1.5 billion for Volkswagen. Stellantis, the parent company of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram, expects its total tariffs for the year to be around $1.7 billion."
Comment: "Still, the companies are under pressure from investors not to absorb those costs forever."
Comment: "And eventually, executives have indicated, costs will be passed along to consumers."
Comment: "In addition to sticker prices going up, Drury predicts that costs will get passed along to consumers in more subtle ways. A 1.9% financing deal might become a 3.9% rate; $3,500 cash back might become $1,500 cash back."
Video: Poll: Most Americans expect price hikes soon - July 30, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wH180smj_Po
Trump gets tariffs; Americans get price hikes
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trump-gets-tariffs-americans-price-180747935.html
Comment: "U.S. President Donald Trump is getting his tariffs. Companies are making it clear how they intend to deal with it - passing them on to American consumers."
Video: Fed holds interest rates steady, defying Trump's pressure - July 30, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8GNFzj-DwU
US workers say Trump’s immigration crackdown is causing labor shortages: ‘A strain on everybody’
Comment: "Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration is piling pressure on US factories, according to employees and union leaders, as veteran workers from overseas are forced to leave their jobs."
"As economists warn the administration’s full-scale deportation ambitions could ultimately cost millions of jobs, workers at two sites – in Michigan and Kentucky – told the Guardian that industrial giants are grappling with labor shortages."
"The US president has moved to strip more than a million immigrants of their legal status in the US, including by shutting down the Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, Venezuelans (CHNV) Parole Program, which allowed hundreds of thousands to work legally in the country. It has meanwhile ramped up immigration arrest operations with prospective daily quotas of 3,000 arrests per day."
CNBC: Trump: Global baseline tariff will likely be 15% to 20%
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/28/trump-world-tariff-trade.html
Comment: "The figures are significant because they represent an increase from the 10% baseline tariff Trump announced in April of this year."
Video: 55% tariffs on Chinese goods will hurt holiday shopping, says market researcher David Riedel - July 28, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fb6Gl9RUnU
EU's pledge for $250 billion of US energy imports is delusional | Reuters
Comment: "But more important than the 15% tariff rate was the apparent commitment by the EU to massively ramp up energy imports from the United States."
"The agreement calls for EU imports of U.S. energy, which currently are mainly crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG), of $250 billion a year for three years."
"This is a delusional level of imports that the EU has virtually no chance of meeting, and one that U.S. producers would also struggle to supply."
"Even if the EU did manage somehow to boost its energy imports from the United States to the $250 billion a year mark, it would also prove massively disruptive for energy flows around the rest of the world."
BBC: EU and US agree trade deal, with 15% tariffs for European exports to America
https://www.bbc.com/news/live/c5y0d0yz282t
Comment: Views from across the Atlantic.
CNN: Trump announces US and EU reached framework for a trade deal
https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/27/business/trump-us-eu-trade-deal
Comment: What does "framework" mean? Is the deal finalized and enforceable?
Trump, EU’s von der Leyen strike trade deal for 15 percent tariffs
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5422634-trump-eu-trade-deal-tariffs/
Comment: "President Trump and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen announced a trade deal on Sunday, setting tariffs at 15 percent for European goods, including automobiles."
"The European Union will purchase $750 billion worth of energy from the U.S. as part of the deal, Trump announced, and agreed to invest in the U.S. $600 billion more than the current investments for other goods."
"The agreement is lower than the 30 percent tariff Trump had threatened to impose on the EU, which would have begun on Aug. 1, and avoids a trade war with the U.S.’s largest trading partner."
Comment: Is the U.S. consumer ready to pay the 15% tariff imposed on imports from the European Union?
Trump tariffs start August 1, no extensions, Lutnick says
https://www.axios.com/2025/07/27/trump-tariffs-august-1
Comment: How much extra will U.S. consumers pay?
Video: Trump pours cold water on Canada-U.S. trade deal - July 25, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-IhGFEaQk0
Comment: View from Canada.
Yahoo Finance: Trade flows boost China, Europe ports while tariffs pain US gateways
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trade-flows-boost-china-europe-172754541.html
Inflation ahead? Companies will only absorb higher tariff costs for so long
NBC News: From toys to cars, tariffs hit companies' bottom lines
https://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/toys-cars-tariffs-hit-companies-bottom-lines-rcna220475
Axios: A new analysis projects a 24% cut to Social Security benefits by late 2032.
https://www.axios.com/2025/07/24/social-security-recipients-benefit-cut
Comment: "Retirees are facing the prospect of substantial Social Security cuts in just seven years, sooner than projected, due to the 'big, beautiful bill,' per an analysis out Thursday from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget."
CNN: The typical employee would have had to start working before the Revolutionary War to match average CEO’s 2024 pay
https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/23/business/starbucks-ceo-afl-cio-report
NBC News: This congressman wants to ban companies from using your search history to set personalized prices
Comment: "From raising the price of diapers for parents who recently searched for them online, to stores excluding regular customers from discounts because they are likely to buy the product anyway, companies are using personal data to set different price points for different people."
"The practice, known as 'surveillance pricing,' has caught the attention of Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, who wants to ban it at the federal level.
Comment: Yikes! Who knew this 'surveillance pricing' was being done? What would keep prices from being adjusted for customers based on race, sex, age and other discriminating factors? Do you agree that this practice should be banned, or, at least, heavily regulated?
Canada tariffs could add $14,000 to the cost of building a home by 2027, report warns | CNN Business
https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/22/business/tariffs-on-canada-home-building-cost
Video: 'This was not a thoughtful exercise': US Travel Association CEO on new $250 visa fee to visit US - July 22, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKLFHR7y9LM
MarketWatch: Opinion: Interest rates will soar — and so will mortgages and other loans — if Trump fires Powell
Comment: "Firing the Fed chair would spook markets and hurt American businesses and households"
Axios: Hospitals scoop up physician practices, driving prices up
https://www.axios.com/2025/07/21/hospital-consolidation-doctor-practice-cost
Comment: "Why it matters: It's the latest evidence of consolidation in health care that's left more than three-quarters of U.S. doctors employed by health systems or corporations."
"The pace has quickened in recent years, driven by factors like declining reimbursements for some specialties and expenses like electronic health record systems that have left small independent practices struggling."
"But that's brought a decline in competition that raises antitrust concerns."
Commerce Secretary Lutnick says next two weeks will be "for the record books" as Trump presses for tariff deals - CBS News
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/howard-lutnick-tariff-deals-trump-jerome-powell-face-the-nation/
Comment: "Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick expressed confidence Sunday that the Trump administration will cut trade deals with key U.S. trading partners in the coming weeks — before steep tariffs kick in for dozens of countries."
" 'The next two weeks are going to be weeks for the record books. President Trump is going to deliver for the American people," Lutnick said on 'Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan' "
Comment: Will Lutnick and the Trump Administration be held accountable if his predictions of trade deals don't occur, or will he and Trump just declare victory anyway (with or without the threatened tariffs)?
Video: Interest Rate Cuts Delayed — Fed Blames Tariff Inflation - July 21, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYMpx5tSbLc
Less selection, higher prices: How tariffs are shaping the holiday shopping season
https://apnews.com/article/holiday-shopping-2025-tariffs-prices-ad783aec433e8e4e03480afc338eae39
Comment: "Months of confusion over which foreign countries' products may become more expensive to import has left a question mark over the holiday shopping season. U.S. retailers often begin planning for the winter holidays in January and typically finalize the bulk of their orders by the end of June. The seesawing tariffs already have factored into their calculations."
"The consequences for consumers? Stores may not have the specific gift items customers want come November and December. Some retail suppliers and buyers scaled back their holiday lines rather than risking a hefty tax bill or expensive imports going unsold. Businesses still are setting prices but say shoppers can expect many things to cost more, though by how much depends partly on whether Trump’s latest round of 'reciprocal' tariffs kicks in next month."
Now, New York Joins Florida, California, Maine, Texas, and Nevada in Facing Steep Drop in Tourism to the US Amid Border Fears and Economic Tensions - Travel And Tour World
The Hill: Himes: White House warning of ‘massive market reaction’ if Trump fires Powell
https://thehill.com/business/5411006-himes-warning-trump-fires-powell/
Comment: "Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.) said Sunday that a White House insider is warning President Trump of a 'massive market reaction' if he fires Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell."
Comment: " 'Well, interestingly, inside the White House — and I don’t know who it is — my guess is, it’s maybe the Treasury secretary — is saying — and this is a very difficult thing to say to a person like Donald Trump — that, if you fire the Fed chair, either illegally, which they’re happy to do, or because you trump up some baloney-like charge associated with a renovation of the headquarters, there is going to be a massive market reaction, because you cannot lie to the capital markets,' Himes responded."
Comment: "Senate Republicans have recently warned Trump that it would be a large mistake to go forward on his threat to fire Powell, saying it would probably send a 'shock wave' through the financial markets and rattle the larger economy."
"Republican senators, including those who are strong supporters of the president, have warned that any action to oust Powell would jeopardize the Fed’s independence, which could erode investors’ confidence in American monetary policy and creditworthiness."
Video: US wholesaler says tomatoes will be limited due to tariffs | REUTERS - July 19, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2kvhvBnOIo
Exclusive: Trade partners have realized America is ‘simply not reliable’ after Trump’s tariff regime, says Elizabeth Warren—believing impact will be felt for generations to come
https://fortune.com/2025/07/19/elizabeth-warren-trade-tariff-trump/
Most US adults think the GOP tax bill will help the wealthy and harm the poor, AP-NORC poll finds
Comment: "Republican elected officials are promoting their recently passed tax and spending bill as a win for working Americans, but a new survey shows that Americans broadly see it as a win for the wealthy."
"About two-thirds of U.S. adults expect the new tax law will help the rich, according to the poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Most — about 6 in 10 — think it will do more to hurt than help low-income people. About half say it will do more harm than good for middle-class people and people like them."
CNBC: Travelers to the U.S. must pay a new $250 'visa integrity fee' — What to know
Comment: Do you think this fee will adversely affect the tourism economy in the U.S., already impacted by anger at U.S. imposed tariffs and fear of ICE arrests?
Video: Why millions of Americans could see their health insurance rates rise - July 18, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Oz_eSdPQPU
Climate catastrophes are creating a ‘new market reality’ for insurance carriers | CNN Business
https://share.google/DIcl8ulCEHlwZpmDF
Comment: "Raging wildfires and severe storms contributed to record-high global insurance losses — totaling an estimated $84 billion — for the first six months of the year, according to a report from reinsurance broker Gallagher Re."
Comment: How long do you think if will take for these massive insurance losses to translate into much higher insurance premiums?
Opinion: Immigration whiplash is hurting American businesses during a labor crisis
https://www.yahoo.com/news/opinion-immigration-whiplash-hurting-american-193000538.html
Comment: "Over the last month, American businesses have faced a destabilizing whiplash of immigration enforcement proposals. What began as a reported pause on raids targeting farms, hotels and other industries quickly reverted to aggressive action — with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents returning to fields and factory floors just days later."
"These shifts are more than policy tweaks — they are actively undermining the ability of American employers to operate, staff, and grow during a severe labor shortage that is on track to become much worse."
CNN: Copper prices have surged to record highs — and they could jump higher. Here’s why
https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/17/investing/copper-prices-us-market-tariffs
Comment: " Copper is at the core of the American economy. It’s in the wires of our pervasive electronics, in the walls of homes and in the engines of cars. Experts say President Donald Trump’s plan for tariffs on the red metal could stymy the goal of boosting American manufacturing while potentially igniting inflation."
"Trump’s July 8 announcement of a 50% tariff on copper imports beginning August 1 sent prices surging 13% in one day, up to a record high of $5.69 per pound."
Canadian visits to the U.S. drop 33% in June, impacting Montana tourism
https://share.google/fzs1amHpATwMY6Cwy
Comment: "The number of Canadians visiting the United States declined 33% in June, which followed a 38% decline in May according to a report from Forbes, citing Statistics Canada."
Trust in the US is eroding. The question isn’t if the dollar will lose supremacy – it’s when | Kenneth Mohammed | The Guardian
Comment: "For more than eight decades, the US dollar has reigned supreme as the world’s reserve currency – a position cemented at the Bretton Woods Conference in 1944 and reinforced by America’s postwar industrial power and military dominance."
"Today, that supremacy is facing growing resistance from multiple directions – from African revolutionary movements to economic recalibrations in Europe, and from the counterbalance efforts of Brics nations to the geopolitical entanglements of Ukraine and Israel."
Comment: "At the heart of the de-dollarisation movement is Brics – the economic bloc of Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, recently joined by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates. Brics has already surpassed the G7 in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP), amplifying its demands for a more fairly balanced global financial system."
"The group has increasingly moved to conduct bilateral trade in national currencies, bypassing the need for US dollars. India and Russia, for instance, are now trading oil in rupees and rubles. China and Brazil have established settlement mechanisms in yuan and Brazilian reals."
Power prices are expected to soar under new tax cut and spending law
https://www.npr.org/2025/07/15/nx-s1-5461128/congress-energy-tax-credit-solar-wind
Comment: "The law that President Trump signed on July 4 ending tax incentives for wind and solar projects is expected to drive up electricity bills across the U.S., with some of the sharpest increases in Republican-led states, according to Energy Innovation, a nonpartisan think tank."
"Without tax credits, the cost of wind and solar plants will go up. Companies are likely to respond by building fewer of those projects, and those facilities that do come online will have bigger price tags, according to multiple estimates. As that happens, the country is expected to generate more electricity from natural gas plants, which are often more expensive to run than wind and solar projects."
Axios: Gen Z's broken school-to-work pipeline
https://www.axios.com/2025/07/15/gen-z-job-market-ai-unemployment
Comment: "America’s next wave of workers is stuck in a misaligned job market: The career guidance they’re getting from their parents, teachers and counselors isn’t in sync with their economic reality, according to a new report from the Schultz Family Foundation and HarrisX."
"Why it matters: The disconnect is driving youth unemployment — and leaving many young people uneasy about their place in the workforce."
"The big picture: AI is changing the job market faster than ever, but the generation of workers that will be working on and with this new technology doesn't feel ready to do so."
Tax cuts for private jet buyers expected to lead to surge in sales
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/14/tax-cuts-private-jets-big-beautiful-bill.html
Comment: Finally some good economic news! [sarcasm added]
Fortune: Gen Z is right about the job hunt—it really is worse than it was for millennials, with nearly 60% of fresh faced grads frozen out of the workforce
Comment: "Gen Z’s suspicion that the job hunt is harder than ever may be true—about 58% of recent graduates are still looking for full-time work, compared to 25% of earlier graduates, like millennials, Gen Xers, and baby boomers before them. Young job-hunters are also three times less likely to have a job lined up out of school, as AI agents take over and entry-level roles are shrinking for Gen Z workers."
The Guardian: Trump promised to lower energy costs – his tax bill will raise them for people in red states the most
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/14/trump-tax-bill-energy-republican-states
Comment: "As air conditioners crank up across the US during another sweltering summer amid an unfolding climate crisis, rising energy costs will become even more severe for households due to the reconciliation spending bill passed by Republicans in Congress and signed by Trump, who called it the 'big, beautiful bill', on 4 July."
"By stripping away support for cheap solar and wind energy production, the legislation is set to cause electricity rates paid by families and businesses, many already struggling to pay their bills, to rise by much as 18% by 2035, according to an analysis by Energy Innovation, an energy and climate policy thinktank."
Trump’s 30% tariffs on Europe would effectively knock out transatlantic trade, says EU trade chief | CNN Business
https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/14/business/europe-us-trade-tariff-wipe-out-intl
CNBC: Nearly one third of major U.S. housing markets now see falling home prices
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/07/14/us-housing-markets-falling-prices.html
Comment: "Overinflated home prices, high mortgage rates, rising supply and falling demand are all joining forces to cool the nation’s housing market."
Yahoo Finance: Ex-Labor Secretary Robert Reich Says, 'If We Want To Make Housing Affordable For Working People, We Must Get Wall Street Out Of Our Homes'
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ex-labor-secretary-robert-reich-141615403.html
Comment: "A growing number of U.S. homes are being bought up by investors instead of regular homebuyers, and former Labor Secretary Robert Reich says that’s pushing working Americans out of the housing market."
Comment: "He shared the comment alongside a video in which he lays out how hedge funds and private equity firms have taken over a larger share of the housing market over the past decade."
EU announces delay to its trade countermeasures against United States until early August | CNN Business
https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/13/business/us-eu-tariffs-august-delay
Comment: "The European Union will delay the implementation of its trade countermeasures against the United States from Monday until early August to allow more time to negotiate a deal."
Comment: Do you think the Europeans are wondering if Trump is going to "TACO" again? (TACO- 'Trump always chickens out.' )
Trump announces new tariffs of 30% on Mexico and the European Union | CNN Business
https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/12/business/trump-tariff-mexico-european-union
Comment: "President Donald Trump on Saturday threatened duties of 30% on products from Mexico and the European Union, two of America’s biggest trading partners, in an ongoing tariff campaign that’s upended global trade since he retook office in January."
Comment: "Trump has imposed a slate of tariffs on US trading partners this year – then paused, modified, raised or lowered them, in a chaotic barrage of policy actions that’s left everyone from major nations to individual Americans trying to figure out how to plan for the future even as economic uncertainty grows."
NPR: Here's a list of Trump's tariff letters so far and the rates they threaten
https://www.npr.org/2025/07/12/nx-s1-5463818/trump-tariff-rate-letters
Comment: "President Trump's trade policy has been unpredictable, and that continues with letters he's been writing to foreign leaders informing them of the tariff rates he intends to impose on their countries' goods on Aug. 1."
Fortune: Trump's law of the jungle means U.S. trade deals aren't worth the paper they're printed on, trade expert warns
https://fortune.com/2025/07/12/trump-administration-trade-deals-law-of-the-jungle-wto/
Comment: "By dismantling the mechanism that settles international trade disputes, there is no way for countries negotiating with the Trump administration to enforce any bilateral trade agreements. With little incentive to play by the rules, he could simply change the terms of any deal down the road."
Comment: "Hopewell, a professor at the University of British Columbia, argues this erratic and fickle approach to international negotiations is symptomatic of a Trump deal: 'He can simply come back later demanding more. There’s no guarantee it will actually be upheld.' "
"That’s because the president already removed a cornerstone underpinning global commerce during his first administration six years ago when he blocked all appointments to what is essentially the supreme court of the World Trade Organization (WTO) — its Appellate Body."
" 'The WTO is unique amongst international organizations in that its rules are actually legally binding on states. It has teeth,' Hopewell said. Or rather it had teeth."
Trump delayed his tariffs again. This could be the last time. - POLITICO
Comment: "Trump insiders maintain that it would make little sense — politically or from a policy standpoint — for the president to offer any further extensions on trade."
Video: Watch "What’s behind White House attacks on the Fed Chair?" on YouTube - July 11, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=shared&v=iIH08DKGuJQ
Yahoo Finance: Trump's copper tariffs pile more metal misery on US auto industry
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/trumps-copper-tariffs-pile-more-180314403.html
Comment: "The duties on their own may be manageable, but prices of the red metal vital for making cars, in particular in wire harnesses and in motors for electric vehicles, have soared to record highs."
"The U.S. market is heavily reliant on imported copper, aluminium and steel, and developing new capacity could take years, so users are scrambling to buy metal from a limited number of suppliers, spurring price rises."
Forbes: Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill Has A Nasty Surprise For World Cup Tourists
Comment: "President Donald Trump’s marquee legislation includes steep increases to non-immigrant visa fees that kick in next year–just as the U.S. hopes to attract World Cup 2026 soccer supporters."
Comment: "The bill introduces a new $250 'visa integrity fee' for most non-immigrant U.S. visas, including tourist, student and work visas, beginning in 2026."
Comment: "U.S. tourism officials argue that anything that makes it more difficult or expensive to visit the United States can be a deterrent to large numbers of visitors. International visitors spent $254 billion on U.S. travel and tourism-related goods and services in 2024, according to the International Trade Administration. But a recent study from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) that analyzed the economic impact of tourism in 184 countries revealed the U.S. was the only country forecast to see international visitor spending decline in 2025."
The Guardian: Enduring confusion is the only certainty amid Trump’s latest tariff threats
Video: B.C. premier responds to Trump’s latest tariff threat - July 11, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-t5I-4dGwY
CNN: Trump just ramped up his tariff threats: Here’s what could get more expensive
https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/11/economy/what-could-get-more-expensive-trump-tariffs
Comment: "Gas"
Comment: "Appliances"
Comment: "Phones, computers and televisions"
Comment: "Apparel, footwear and accessories"
Comment: "Coffee"
Comment: These are just some of the items that will be impacted.
Video: Tariff chaos: Trump threatens Canada with 35% tariff sending market futures tumbling - July 10, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Brxs3tCXvC0
CNN: It hasn’t been this hard for Americans to find work since 2021
https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/10/economy/us-weekly-jobless-claims
Brazil draws up plans to retaliate against Trump’s 50% tariff threat | Trump tariffs | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/10/brazil-trump-tariff-threat
Comment: "Brazil threatened to hit back against Donald Trump’s plan to introduce 50% tariffs on its exports with its own 50% tariff on US goods, setting the stage for a precipitous trade war."
" 'If he charges us 50%, we’ll charge him 50%,' Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the Brazilian president, told local news outlet Record, a day after Trump threatened to impose steep duties on Brazilian goods and accused the country of conducting a 'witch-hunt' against its former president Jair Bolsonaro, who is facing a trial over his attempt to overturn his 2022 election defeat."
Trump threatens Brazil with 50% tariff and demands Bolsonaro's trial end
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c784ee81y4zo.amp
Comment: "He announced the plan in his latest tariff letter, which was shared on social media."
"In it, Trump accuses Brazil of 'attacks' on US tech companies and of conducting a 'witch hunt' against former far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, who is facing prosecution over his alleged role in a plot to overturn the 2022 election."
"Responding in a social media post, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said an increase in tariffs on Brazil would be reciprocated, and he warned against any interference in the nation's judicial system."
Comment: How will you feel about paying 50% more for your Brazilian coffee?
NPR: Confused about where things stand with Trump's tariffs? Here's a handy primer
https://www.npr.org/2025/07/09/nx-s1-5460936/trump-tariffs-economy-china-policy
Trump threatens 'no extensions' on new Aug. 1 tariff deadline, warns of higher import taxes
Comment: "President Donald Trump said Tuesday there would be 'no extensions' granted to the new Aug. 1 deadline he set Monday for U.S. trading partners to negotiate new deals or face significantly higher tariffs on goods imported from their countries."
Trump says August 1 tariff deadline is firm, hours after saying it wasn't
https://www.axios.com/2025/07/08/trump-tariffs-august-1
Trump delays tariffs as the rest of the world plays hardball - BBC News
https://share.google/grwnFmgr47r1WsIYb
Comment "However, the real takeaway here has been the Trump administration's inability to strike deals. The letters are an admission of failure."
"The White House may be playing hardball, but so are most other nations."
CNN: Trump says 50% tariff on copper imports is coming and threatens 200% on pharmaceuticals
https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/08/business/trump-copper-tariff
Deals made by Trump since pausing his 'Liberation Day' tariffs remain sparse | AP News
https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariffs-deadline-delay-d8ffef07d944dc1d460b472e4ffd2f57
Edmunds: EV Tax Credit: All The Cars That Lose The $7,500 Benefit In September
https://www.edmunds.com/car-news/every-new-car-set-to-lose-federal-ev-tax-credit-september.html
Comment: "Part of President Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act' was the removal of the federal EV tax incentive on new and used vehicles. The incentive, which was part of an effort by the Biden administration to make purchasing a new EV less costly, is now set to end on September 30 of this year. These 29 new EVs will lose the federal credit and that, in combination with Trump's tariffs, will likely mean higher costs and a slowing of EV adoption in the U.S."
CNN: Trump announces new tariffs of up to 40% on a growing number of countries
https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/07/economy/trump-letters-tariffs
Politico: Trump team moves goalposts on tariffs again
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/06/bessent-trump-tariffs-deadline-august-00440522
Comment: "Tariffs will revert back to their April 2 rates on Aug. 1 for countries that fail to nail down new trade deals with the United States, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday, just three days before the Trump administration’s initial July 9 deadline for tariffs to return."
"Bessent told CNN’s 'State of the Union' that the Trump administration would be sending out letters to 100 smaller countries 'saying that if you don’t move things along, then on August 1st, you will boomerang back to your April 2nd tariff level.' "
"The announcement effectively pushes back the tariffs that were originally set in April but had been suspended until July 9, a window the Trump administration used to pursue an ambitious round of dealmaking with other countries aimed at reaching deals to stave off the return of tariffs of between 10 and 50 percent on dozens of countries. It comes as Trump administration officials increasingly hint at difficulties in nailing down deals."
Fortune: Wall Street was expecting a TACO Tuesday. But Dow futures fall 250 points after Trump says he will set tariffs as high as 70%
Comment: "While U.S. markets were closed for the July 4 holiday, stock futures sank on Friday after President Donald Trump said he will start sending out letters informing countries of what tariffs they will face. The rates, which could reach as high as 70%, would become effective Aug. 1, he added. That comes ahead of the July 9 expiration of a temporary pause on his 'Liberation Day' tariffs."
Comment: Since the earlier tariff pause ends July 9th and the new proposed tariffs are to be enacted on Aug.1, do you think Trump will "TACO" (Trump always chickens out), after the stock and commodity markets are manipulated once again?
Trump eyes simple tariff rates over complex talks, says letters going out Friday
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-treasury-chief-sees-100-190335448.html
Comment: "President Donald Trump said Washington will start sending letters to countries on Friday specifying what tariff rates they will face on imports to the United States, a clear shift from earlier pledges to strike scores of individual deals."
"Acknowledging the complexity of negotiating with over 170 nations, Trump told reporters before departing for Iowa on Thursday that the letters will be sent to 10 countries at a time, laying out tariff rates such as 20% to 30%."
Comment: "Top Trump aides said in April they would work on 90 deals in 90 days, an ambitious goal that was met with skepticism from trade experts familiar with arduous and time-consuming trade deals of the past."
Comment: What happened to Trump's supposed expertise as a deal maker? What happened to Congress's constitutional responsibility for levying tariffs, instead of surrendering this responsibility to the whims of Trump?
Video: Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” has passed. What’s next for SNAP benefits in Alabama - July 03, 2025
https://share.newsbreak.com/dwsjz832
Time Magazine: The GOP Budget Takes From the Poor and Gives to the Rich
https://time.com/7299897/gop-budget-gives-to-the-rich/
NBC News: The U.S. dollar has fallen at the fastest clip since 1973. Here's what that means.
Comment: "Over the past six months, the dollar has declined more than 10% compared with a basket of currencies from the U.S.’ major trading partners — something it has not done since 1973. Today, it sits at a three-year low."
The Guardian: Ice raids leave crops unharvested at California farms: ‘We need the labor’
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/01/ice-raids-crops-california-farms
Axios: U.S. will send tariffs letters in coming days, deals not needed, Trump says
https://www.axios.com/2025/06/29/trump-tariffs-pause
Comment: " 'We made deals, but I'd rather just send them a letter, a very fair letter, saying 'congratulations, we're going to allow you to trade in the United States of America, you're going to pay a 25% tariff, or 20%, or 40 or 50%.' I would rather do that,' Trump said on Fox News' 'Sunday Morning Futures.' "
Comment: "Trump made similar promises of unilateral tariff letters on May 16 and June 11, saying both times they'd be sent in 2 to 3 weeks."
"That didn't happen."
Comment: How credible do you think Trump is this time? Do you think he will "TACO"? How does a business person plan with this level of uncertainty?
AP News: Canadian Prime Minister Carney says trade talks with US resume after Canada rescinded tech tax
https://apnews.com/article/canada-us-carney-trump-tariffs-659ecca350888efe0ab00eaaa4ccbc26
CNN: Trump is ending trade talks with Canada
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/27/business/trump-breaks-off-canada-trade-talks
Comment: "President Donald Trump said Friday he has put an end to trade talks with Canada and will soon announce a new tariff rate for that country, he said in a Truth Social post on Friday."
Deep inside U.S. economy, more sticker prices start going up due to tariffs, and inventory is headed down
Comment: "Inside the U.S. economy, within distribution networks that manage inventory, there are fewer items overall due to the trade war, but more goods on which sticker prices are going up."
GDP data shows U.S. economy shrank more than previously thought in early 2025 - CBS News
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/gdp-report-first-quarter-2025-declined-commerce-department/
CNN: The US economy shrank much faster in the first quarter than previously reported
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/26/economy/us-gdp-q1-final
US strikes on Iran nuclear sites could hit weakening American economy
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2025/06/22/us-strikes-iran-economy-inflation/84308384007/
Comment: "America’s entry into what had been attacks between Israel and Iran is most likely to impact oil prices, investors said, which could ripple through the economy by causing higher transportation and gas prices, just as overall inflation throughout the economy has seemed to be contained."
“Big Beautiful Bill” would threaten local economies, increase inequality
Alabama car buyers brace for higher prices as Trump tariffs take hold
https://www.fox10tv.com/2025/06/20/alabama-car-buyers-brace-higher-prices-trump-tariffs-take-hold/
Thousands of laid-off government workers are flooding a shrinking job market | Fortune
https://share.google/jSrvSq6ypTFmrLMDQ
Fired federal workers struggle to get new jobs in private sector
https://share.google/NHLLxhhmqC8c3QI9B
America’s economy could face a war shock | CNN Business
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/19/economy/americas-economy-war-shock
AL.com: Massive SNAP cuts could kill hundreds of Alabama grocery stores, ‘send hunger soaring’
Axios: The immigrants caring for the nation's elderly are losing their jobs
https://www.axios.com/2025/06/18/trump-immigration-nursing-homes
Comment: "The White House immigration crackdown is hitting the long-term healthcare industry, as nursing homes and care providers lose foreign-born employees and struggle to hire."
"Why it matters: These folks care for the disabled and for the country's fast-growing elderly population, and they're already in short supply."
New graduates are having such a hard time finding jobs they’re now having an ‘oversize’ impact on America’s unemployment rate
https://www.yahoo.com/news/graduates-having-hard-time-finding-110849906.html
Comment: "Unemployment rates for recent college graduates have surged in recent data, with the rate for those holding a bachelor’s degree rising to 6.1%—and even higher for those with advanced degrees or some college but no degree—contrasting with a national rate of 4.2%."
As Trump goes to G7 summit, other world leaders aim to show they're not intimidated | AP News
https://apnews.com/article/trump-g7-fear-summit-taco-trade-117f9034f2a06d23bfbb2de201431c54
Comment: "But many world leaders see fewer reasons to be cowed by Trump, even as they recognize the risks if he followed through on his threats. They believe he will ultimately back down — since many of his plans could inflict harm on the U.S. — or that he can simply be charmed and flattered into cooperating."
'The White House should be worried': Oil prices soar after Israel's attack on Iran - POLITICO
Trump’s 50% steel tariffs are coming for your next fridge and dishwasher | CNN Business
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/13/business/steel-us-tariffs-appliances
Americans will feel impact of immigration enforcement on farms, union president warns
https://www.npr.org/2025/06/13/nx-s1-5431612/trump-ice-farm-raids-united-farm-workers-union
Comment: "As immigration enforcement ramps up, the head of the United Farm Workers (UFW) union says agriculture workers across the country are afraid to show up for work – and warned that fear could impact households across the country."
The price you pay for an Obamacare plan could surge next year - CBS News
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/obamacare-aca-health-care-plan-price-next-year/
GOP's massive bill would benefit rich -- and hurt the poor : NPR
https://www.npr.org/2025/06/12/nx-s1-5431638/republican-gop-mega-bill-tax-cuts-cbo
Comment: "A new analysis from the Congressional Budget Office shows the top 10% of earners in the U.S. would see the biggest gains from the House-passed tax and spending package. Those at the bottom of the income ladder would be worse off."
NPR: Immigration raids could 'devastate' construction in the United States, says industry leader
Graham’s ‘bone crushing’ Russia sanctions bill could freeze US trade with the world’s largest economies
Comment: "The proposed 500 percent tariffs on countries that buy Russian energy could cut the U.S. off from major trade partners."
Yahoo Finance: US service sector unexpectedly contracts in May; inflation heats up
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-sector-unexpectedly-contracts-may-141546108.html
NBC News: Trump's ambitious push for trade deals is hitting some snags
Comment: "Some of the challenges are self-inflicted, but a fresh set of court rulings questioning the president's authority to enact tariffs hangs over his trade agenda."
No hire, no fire: The worst job market for grads in years
https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2025/06/02/business/jobs-market-college-graduate-economy
Yahoo Finance: The labor market is worse than than it appears: Chart of the Week
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/the-labor-market-is-worse-than-than-it-appears-100130844.html
Yahoo Finance: GM, Ford Stocks Among Biggest S&P 500 Decliners on Trump's Steel Tariff Comments
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/gm-ford-stocks-among-biggest-185752366.html
Trump threatens tariff on foreign steel, and Alabama imports a lot of it
EU ‘prepared to impose countermeasures’ after Trump doubles steel tariffs to 50%
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/31/eu-responds-trump-raising-steel-tariffs-to-50percent.html
Trump tells US steelworkers he’s going to double tariffs on foreign steel to 50%
Comment: "President Donald Trump on Friday told Pennsylvania steelworkers he’s doubling the tariff on steel imports to 50% to protect their industry, a dramatic increase that could further push up prices for a metal used to make housing, autos and other goods."
Labor Department suspends Job Corps centers operations, drawing bipartisan pushback
https://thehill.com/business/budget/5325826-labor-department-job-corps-centers/
Comment: "Job Corps, established as part of the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, is a free residential education and job training program for low-income people between 16 and 24 years of age."
CNBC: U.S. foreign tax bill sends jitters across Wall Street
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/30/us-set-to-weaponize-taxes-on-foreign-investors-via-section-899.html
Video: Fareed Zakaria breaks down Trump’s tariff battle - May 30, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/tjS_IDl3wQ4
Video: Hear top Trump adviser’s admission about tariff talks with China - May 30, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--sS5XPaau8
NBC News: Trump accuses China of violating Geneva trade agreement
Axios: Trump claims China has "totally violated" tariff pause deal
https://www.axios.com/2025/05/30/trump-china-tariffs
CNN: Tariffs, and Trump’s entire economic agenda, were just thrown into chaos
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/29/business/tariffs-trump-economic-plan-hnk
Comment: "Built on tariffs, spending cuts and tax cuts, Trump’s economic agenda relies on all three components to stand strong."
Unemployment claims hit 3.5-year high amid rising layoffs
Bessent Says US-China Talks ‘Stalled,’ Pushes for Trump-Xi Call
https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/bessent-says-us-china-talks-020103866.html
CNN: Home sellers now outnumber buyers by largest margin in 12 years, report finds
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/29/business/home-sellers-market-redfin-report
The Guardian: ‘Trump always chickens out’: Taco jibe ruffles president’s feathers
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/29/trump-always-chickens-out-taco-investors-narrative
Comment: "Wall Street is increasingly betting that Trump will blink first in the tariffs stand-off"
US court blocks most Trump tariffs, says president exceeded his authority | Reuters
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-court-blocks-trumps-liberation-day-tariffs-2025-05-28/
Video: US court blocks Trump's 'Liberation Day' tariffs - May 28, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K61OTQazQwY
CNN: US court blocks Trump from imposing the bulk of his tariffs
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/28/business/us-court-blocks-trumps-tariffs
White House cuts $400 million in aid for state unemployment systems
https://www.axios.com/2025/05/28/unemployment-states-fraud-labor
Fewer international tourists are visiting the U.S. — economic losses could be 'staggering,' researchers estimate
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna209477
CNN: Trump was just asked about the ‘TACO’ trade for the first time. He called it the ‘nastiest question’
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/28/economy/trump-wall-street-taco-trade-nastiest-question
NPR: 'We're in a holding pattern': Home sales and building slump in the face of uncertainty
https://www.npr.org/2025/05/28/nx-s1-5413361/home-building-sales-uncertainty
Video: Director at key US port says cargo traffic is ‘still very light’ - May 28, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAOT1GJ3Ra8
Video: 'There is tremendous uncertainty': CNN's Harry Enten on trade policy - May 27, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtOmBH290ng
As Trump reignites a trade war and faces a bond market revolt, the economy is about to go through the wringer this week
https://share.newsbreak.com/d9vwq02z
Trump extends trade deal deadline for EU after ‘good call’ with commission leader
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5318236-eu-seeks-to-lower-trump-trade-tensions/
Comment: What will be the position tomorrow?
Politico: Trump grants extension to European Union on tariff hike
Comment: "The new date is July 9."
Video: 'Enough to make you crazy': Social Security chatbot talks in circles; DOGE further degrades service - May 23, 2025
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DakKe9A8tbg
Europe Freezes US Travel as Lufthansa, British , Air France, KLM and More Slash Routes to Major Cities Including New York, Miami, Los Angeles, and Chicago to Tap Soaring Demand Across Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Caribbean - Travel And Tour World
U.S. may lose 230,000 jobs if foreign tourists stay away | Fortune
AP News: Trump threatens 50% tariffs on EU and 25% penalties on smart phones as his trade war intensifies
https://apnews.com/article/trump-tariff-apple-iphone-tax-170021e8fad22878d0183b5d48971087
Trump says he’s ‘not looking for a deal’ with the EU after threatening a 50% tariff
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/23/economy/trump-eu-tariffs
What does the Moody's rating downgrade mean for the economy? - ABC News
https://abcnews.go.com/Business/moodys-rating-downgrade-economy/story?id=121944070
BBC: US debt downgrade drives up borrowing costs
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2j03w10gno
Forbes: $1 Trillion In Economic Damage From U.S. House’s Reconciliation Bill
Trump's tariffs may mean Walmart shoppers pay more, his treasury chief acknowledges | AP News
Trump warns Walmart: Don’t raise prices due to my tariffs but do eat the costs from those taxes
CNN: The United States just lost its last perfect credit rating
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/16/business/moody-us-credit
CNN: There’s no denying it now: Tariffs are raising prices
https://edition.cnn.com/2025/05/16/business/tariffs-walmart-prices-nightcap
Reuters: What are the Gulf 'trillions' that Trump says will boost the US economy?
Comment: "Experts say Gulf's money commitments to Trump exaggerated" "Many deals are non-binding memorandums of understanding"
Consumer sentiment slides to second-lowest on record as inflation expectations jump after tariffs
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/16/consumer-sentiment-may-inflation-expectations-tariffs.html
Yahoo Finance: US consumer sentiment deteriorates further in May
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-consumer-sentiment-deteriorates-further-142337423.html
Why aren't Americans filling the manufacturing jobs we already have? : Planet Money : NPR
DC's DOGE recession is fast approaching - Axios Washington D.C.
https://www.axios.com/local/washington-dc/2025/05/13/dc-recession-federal-cuts-layoffs
U.S.-China tariff deal doesn’t ease uncertainty, economist warns : NPR
https://www.npr.org/2025/05/13/nx-s1-5395730/china-tariff-deal-temporary-inflation-prices
Trump’s biggest win isn’t a trade deal — its his distortion of reality | CNN Business
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/13/business/trump-china-trade-nightcap
The Guardian: Ireland hopes to entice academics as US becomes ‘a cold place for free thinkers’
Trump keeps creating trade problems to (badly) solve
https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/trump-trade-tariffs-china-uk-rcna206282
Comment: "Reduced tariffs on China mark the latest Trump administration effort to frame cleaning up a mess that the president created as a win."
US and China agree to drastically roll back tariffs in major trade breakthrough | CNN Business
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/12/business/us-china-trade-deal-announcement-intl-hnk
Comment: Good news, but roll back is temporary with many details to be worked out in further negotiations. Some tariffs still remain.
So much for ‘drill, baby, drill’? | CNN Business
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/12/business/oil-trump-trade-war-gas-prices
10% tariffs are here to stay, Lutnick says, insisting consumers don't pay
https://www.axios.com/2025/05/11/trump-trade-war-lutnick-tariffs
Comment: "Economists generally disagree, and sentiment surveys say consumers don't believe it, either."
When you'll see empty retail store shelves due to tariffs - TheStreet
https://www.thestreet.com/retail/when-youll-see-empty-retail-store-shelves-due-to-tariffs
Treasury Dept. asks Congress to raise debt ceiling before August to avert default
Comment: "In a May 9 letter, he urged them to extend the debt ceiling by July, before Congress leaves for its annual August recess, in order to avert economic calamity."
Poll shows big problem for Trump’s trade deal: It’s Trump
https://www.yahoo.com/news/distrust-trump-hangs-over-emerging-095000048.html
Trump gives break to Rolls-Royce cars but threatens more tariffs on Mattel toys
In a bid for survival, businesses are labeling tariff costs on receipts to explain price hikes and retain customer trust
Many companies plan to pass tariff costs on to consumers, economic data shows - CBS News
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-tariffs-inflation-rate-economy/
NPR: Economists warn Trump's research cuts could have dire consequences for GDP
https://www.npr.org/2025/05/08/nx-s1-5383918/economists-trump-research-science-cuts-gdp-recession
The New Republic: The Big Winner of Trump’s Much-Hyped Trade Deal Is ... Not the U.S.
https://newrepublic.com/article/195028/trump-uk-trade-accord-tariffs
Yahoo Finance: Detroit Three automakers blast Trump UK trade deal
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/detroit-three-automakers-blast-trump-202154913.html
Reuters: Exclusive: Ford hikes prices on Mexico-produced models, citing tariffs
Trump: China tariffs slowing down ports is a "good thing"
https://www.axios.com/2025/05/08/trump-tariffs-china-ports-slowdown
Comment: Really? A good thing?
Powell on meeting with Trump: 'I've never asked for a meeting with any president, and I never will'
The first boats carrying Chinese goods with 145% tariffs are arriving in LA. Shipments are cut in half. Expect shortages soon | CNN Business
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/06/business/tariffs-price-increases-shortages-ports
CNBC: Trump trade tariffs slump widens to 'nearly all U.S. exports,' supply chain data shows
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/06/trump-tariffs-hit-us-exports-import-covid-level-event.html
CNBC: Trump administration to garnish wages of 5.3 million defaulted student loan borrowers this summer
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/06/how-soon-defaulted-student-loan-borrowers-may-face-collections.html
Fact check: Trump claimed the US doesn’t do ‘much business with Canada.’ Canada is the world’s top buyer of US exports
https://www.yahoo.com/news/fact-check-trump-claimed-us-195239917.html
Trump Treasury Secretary Crashes When Asked Easy Question on Tariffs
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-treasury-secretary-crashes-asked-152835604.html
NPR: Why oil prices are falling, and what it means for the economy
https://www.npr.org/2025/05/06/nx-s1-5387426/oil-prices-falling-tariffs-opec
Is it 'okay' for U.S. to have short-term recession due to tariffs? Trump says 'yes'
https://www.yahoo.com/news/okay-u-short-term-recession-145733927.html
Cato Institute: Tariffs and Agriculture: Reaping What You Sow?
https://www.cato.org/blog/tariffs-agriculture-reaping-what-you-sow
BBC: Trump tariffs: US president says non-US movies to be hit with 100% levies
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjr7e2z1rxyo
Voters Are Clear: This Economy Belongs to Donald Trump | TIME
https://time.com/7282875/trump-tariffs-economy-voters/
Trump wants the credit, but not the blame, for US economy
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-wants-credit-not-blame-132852914.html
The Christian Science Monitor: Empty shelves? Tariffs are about to hit US shoppers in a variety of ways.
https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2025/0503/tariffs-shoppers-shortages-price-hikes
Another round of auto tariffs just went into effect. They could change the industry forever
https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/another-round-auto-tariffs-just-040151240.html
Forbes: U.S. Now ‘Flyover’ Country For Canadians—Who Are Traveling To Mexico, Caribbean Instead
Yahoo: We Could Soon Be Seeing Empty Shelves Everywhere. Here's Which Items Might Disappear First.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/could-soon-seeing-empty-shelves-110030463.html
CNN: A massive tariff on millions of Americans’ purchases just went into effect — cue the chaos
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/02/economy/de-minimis-packages-tariff
NBC News: McDonald's suffers worst U.S. sales decline since 2020, warns of 'anti-American sentiment' abroad
Trump’s bubble of economic unreality is coming close to bursting
https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-bubble-economic-unreality-coming-040050104.html
CNN: The last boats without crippling tariffs from China are arriving. The countdown to shortages and higher prices has begun
https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/01/business/ports-shelves-tariffs-shipping
Axios: Stephen Miller: Most Americans would pay more for U.S.-made dolls
https://www.axios.com/2025/05/01/stephen-miller-tariffs-american-made-dolls
Comment: Miller argues that Americans wouldn't mind paying more for an American made doll, as opposed to a foreign made doll.
The Guardian: No Ken do: Trump says US kids may get ‘two dolls instead of 30’ due to tariffs
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/01/trump-dolls-tariffs-war-china
Comment: "President acknowledged his tariff war with China could lead to a toy shortage and costlier products"
AP News: Cheap parcels from China will no longer be duty-free. Here's what it means for buyers and sellers
https://apnews.com/article/de-minimis-trump-tariffs-china-1b52319a85572331baf31cb6287ecddf
Travel And Tour World: Canada Freezes US Travel as Air Canada, WestJet, Porter, and Flair Slash Routes to Major Cities Including San Francisco, Miami, New York, and Washington to Tap Growing Demand in Europe
Comment: Declining tourism from Canada.
For News Articles links from before May 1st, 2025, please go to:
https://sites.google.com/view/dem2oldnews/home/old2-the-economy
There you will find a continuation of the news links & comments from the period prior to May 1, 2025 (Including article links prior to the November 2024 election, found by clicking a second google sites website link at the end of the site referenced immediately above). The article history can be viewed as follows:
www.dalecodemocrats.com (latest)
sites.google.com/view/dem2oldnews/home/ (Nov 2024 election - April 30, 2025)
sites.google.com/view/demoldnews/home/ (Prior to 2024 election)
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