Washington Insider

The New York Times and others are reporting this week that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) is opening a review of the administration's $28 billion bailout for farmers. The Times said that the review would look into allegations that the money was...

There is a lot of concern among global policy makers just now regarding what will happen next on trade, Bloomberg is reporting this week. The "broad policy direction for many of the world's central banks and governments now hinges on one question: how will...

The president's Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 budget proposal went to Congress this week and, as expected, it would largely wipe out federal funding for the Environmental Protection Agency's Chesapeake Bay Program, the Washington Post said this week. The...

The media is focused heavily on the potential impacts of the coronavirus this week, especially on the European Union, in spite of the fact that only scattered cases of the virus have appeared in Europe, the New York Times says.

The Hill is reporting this week that the President's latest effort to reshape the Federal Reserve faces a new test as senators grill a controversial pick for the bank's board of governors.

The Trump administration budget proposalreceived a cool reception, as usual, although Bloomberg says there is talk now that the House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal, D-Mass., is "cautiously optimistic about a possible compromise with the...

The urban press is laser-focused on the rapidly spreading impacts of the coronavirus just now. Fed chair Jerome Powell is scheduled to appear before a couple of congressional committees this week and certainly will face strong scrutiny regarding...

Well, the economic outlook continues to show signs of both strength and weakness and to defy easy interpretation, Bloomberg is reporting this week. It highlights the warning from Caterpillar Inc. that "sales of its heavy machinery are expected to slump for...

Bloomberg is reporting this week that the U.S. trade gap narrowed last year. Lower shipments from China and declining oil imports are driving the trend, the report said. However, it also noted that the "overall gap" remains wider than it was before President...

Lest you think that the phase-one deal with China might mean more tranquil international markets this year, Bloomberg is reporting that the administration is going ahead with controversial new rules that would clear the way for the U.S. to apply punitive...

Global trade issues are increasingly complicated these days, especially when it comes to tech policies. For example, the New York Times report on technology policy this week concludes that "one of the biggest recent stories began with an announcement in...

Bloomberg is reporting this week that the world's largest central banks are getting louder about climate change risks and "some of them are even starting to do something about it."

There are 2.3 million farms with base acres, according to FSA, and typically around 1.7 million farms enroll the programs on an annual basis. As of Jan. 27, only 327,408 farms have enrolled, FSA detailed in a notice to state and county offices outlining steps to...

U.S. officials now see the budget deficit exceeding $1 trillion annually for much of the next decade, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said this week. The estimates were reported by the New York Times and other media outlets. The red ink is expected to...

In spite of signs of some pull backs in trade policy battles, the Trump administration announced plans to broaden tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum late last week. It argued that "existing tariffs had not proved as effective as hoped in reviving American...

There is considerable media attention this week on the nation's infrastructure needs and Bloomberg is reporting that as House lawmakers return to Washington after a recess week there are new plans "to roll out a draft infrastructure package."

There has been something of a surge in skepticism regarding parts of the recent phase one deal with Beijing, especially China's pledge to buy billions of dollars of U.S. foodstuffs. "The farmers are really happy with the new China Trade Deal," the president...

The fight over U.S. monetary policy continues on display. On Wednesday, President Donald Trump renewed that criticism from the sidelines of an elite gathering in Davos, Switzerland. When asked why his economic growth goal was not reached, he said, "No. 1, the...

Although President Trump is widely seen as a climate-change skeptic, he announced on Tuesday that the United States will join the One Trillion Trees Initiative launched at the World Economic Forum in a global effort to combat climate change, The Hill reported...

Bloomberg is reporting this week that Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Donald Trump agreed to a truce in their dispute over digital taxes and that "neither France nor the U.S. will impose punitive tariffs this year."