Washington Insider

The shock from the COVID-19 attack on the U.S. population and economy has been so large and threatening that politicians are actively searching for more relief beyond the current measures.

The national media certainly is uncertain about the economic future these days. For example, the New York Times emphasized the "might of the Federal Reserve" is on display, but noted that it is now dealing with a virus, which seems almost impossible to understand.

The Senate unanimously (96-0) passed the coronavirus relief bill this week and it was sent to the House where it is expected to pass today, the Washington Post says. At least some of its many details are emerging, Bloomberg reports.

Amid widespread concerns about threats from the coronavirus, Food Safety News (FSN) is carrying a report by Frank Yiannas, deputy FDA commissioner for food policy and responses. Yiannas notes that a critical and specific part of FDA's mission is...

As of mid-day Tuesday, there was no firm deal yet on the expected federal economic bailout. However, there was a modest amount of information regarding efforts by the central bank to keep money flowing in the economy.

Almost everything is about the virus these days, but some of the news is deeply nuanced. For example, the U.S. is being pressed to ease sanctions on the Islamic Republic of Iran, but is pushing back, Bloomberg says.

There is broad agreement among U.S. economists now that the economic downturn will be severe with the main unknowns the length of contagion and the economic policy response. There also are strong signs of agreement in Congress and the administration regarding a large stimulus package...

Bloomberg and others are reporting this week that hardly a day goes by right now without business groups calling on the White House to suspend tariffs on Chinese goods in an effort to help them stem the growing challenges faced by the U.S. economy.

Bloomberg is reporting this week what it calls an additional threat amid what "could've been a moment for the U.S. and China to tackle a shared challenge." Instead, the trend is accelerating a long-anticipated separation, the report says.

The New York Times is reporting this week that the Federal Reserve's surprise Sunday evening announcement of sweeping efforts included approaches used before. Still, looking back to 2008, the Times says the similarities between the Fed's efforts then and now go deeper than the timing of...

The COVID-19 pandemic is testing the various levels of the U.S. government in new ways, the Washington Post reported this week, including what governments "can and can't do." And, it added that the reality is that the president's legal authorities in a pandemic are limited and that some of the...

Most of the media are focused on the virus outbreak and its implications, but Bloomberg is reporting that events have "ambushed" the Fed. For more than a year, America's central bankers have been brainstorming about how to tackle the next downturn while assuming they had time to travel...

Most of the over-arching issues being reported late this week concern the coronavirus and the still-evolving U.S. and global policies to counter the outbreak.

The Hill reported this week that there is still "much uncertainty" about the path forward after the administration pitched ideas to boost the economy amid the coronavirus outbreak.

The Washington Post is reporting this week that Wall Street continues to be skeptical that the Trump administration will design an effective coronavirus stimulus program. Questions are being raised about whether the package will be big enough, and whether the administration can secure...

Amid heavy-duty market uncertainty, Bloomberg weighed in on progress toward the phase one goals of the china trade deal this week. The U.S. is willing to show China "some flexibility" on its pledges to boost American imports, but is expected to insist that Beijing prevents an export surge when...

Bloomberg reported this weekend that after days of playing down coronavirus risks, the administration shifted ground on Friday and "opened the door to some micro-measures" to shelter what they argue is a fundamentally strong U.S. economy.

Bloomberg is reporting this week that crop traders obsessing over the deadly coronavirus in China "may be overlooking another key challenge to the administration's phase one trade deal: the strength of the U.S. dollar."

There is considerable uncertainty about the "next step" in coronavirus responses now, Bloomberg says. It attributes the market strength on Wednesday to Tuesday's election results and the market's extreme volatility.

The Federal Reserve slashed interest rates by half a percentage point in an attempt to give the U.S. economy "a jolt" in the face of concerns about the outbreak.