Democrats' wary optimism about the midterms gave way to growing confidence this week.
The party has seen strong post-Labor Day polls in key battlegrounds - and even in traditionally red areas. Recent escalations in the war in Iran, including an attack on a major pipeline in Saudi Arabia, mean the rising gas prices bedeviling Republicans will not be going down anytime soon. Republicans have not been able to bring prices under control more generally. And President Donald Trump's unpopularity is at near-record levels.
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Considering all this, Democrats now think conditions are right for the party to retake control of the House and possibly the Senate later this year.
"If the election were held today, we would win the majority," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (New York) said in an interview with The Washington Post.

#labor

The Republican speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, announced on Wednesday that he would again cancel votes scheduled for Thursday, sending lawmakers home one day early ahead of the midterm election recess.
The latest change to the legislative schedule means House members will avoid voting on Republican Thomas Massie's resolution to impeach the defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, and comes amid a frenzied attempt to propose legislation on artificial intelligence.
It's the latest round of cancellations at the hands of Johnson, who had already cut the pre-election session short by two weeks. Democrats have reacted angrily, encouraging Johnson to keep lawmakers on Capitol Hill before the midterm recess beginning on Friday.
Related: More Republicans are turning on Iran war as midterms come into view
"I think it shows the cowardice of the Republican party. They are canceling votes to do business for the American people because they are afraid that that impeachment resolution of Pete Hegseth would pass on a bipartisan basis," the Democratic representative Pramila Jayapal told MediasTouch.

#votes #election

Adam Carolla cut right to the chase when he offered his take on President Donald Trump's plan to give out $5,000 to every American adult, as long as Republicans win the 2026 midterms.
"So now we're just bribing people," Carolla said on the Sunday episode of his podcast.
He said again it sounded like Trump was "bribin' 'em" to get votes — but Carolla didn't seem too upset about it.
The veteran comic and podcaster argued the Democratic Party has been doing its own version of freebie payments for decades, thanks to government programs like food stamps and states paying for the healthcare of low-income residents. Carolla said it "evidently works" when it comes to winning over voters, so Republicans should give it a shot.
"It definitely works on all the poor people," Carolla continued. "We'll just get you free cheese, and free school, and free Medicare, and we'll get you free sh*t. Why don't rich people start bribing people? Why not?"

#we 'll #like #adam

A reporter asked Trump why he needed to give voters $5,000 if his economic policies were working.
It didn't go well.
He blamed Biden, and leaned forward and glared at her when she tried a follow-up question.
A reporter asked President Donald Trump why he needed to incentivize voters with a $5,000 check if his economic policies were working, and it seemed to strike a nerve.
On Wednesday, Trump told the Republican Party's midterm convention that every US citizen would receive a $5,000 "Trump dividend" if Republicans retain control of both chambers of Congress in November's midterms.

#voters

Listen
(3 min)
1525 ET – Oil futures settle at their highest level since May 22 as strikes between the U.S. and Iran escalate and Houthis step up attacks on Saudi oil facilities. The escalation is cause for concern as inventories are low and drawing down and it doesn’t look like the U.S. is making any progress with the conflict, says John Deal, managing director of capital markets at Post Oak Group. “I frankly think we’re in really risky territory right now,” he says, with significant risk of damage to infrastructure in Saudi Arabia. “I wouldn’t be surprised, if this conflict doesn’t wrap up soon, I think we could be looking at prices over $100 maybe as high as $120.” Brent settles up 3.4% at $101.21 a barrel, and WTI rises 3.2% to $96.05. (anthony.harrupwsj.com)
1233 ET – Renewed fighting between the U.S. and Iran is dimming prospects for an agreement to settle the conflict, creating scope for sustained upside in crude, says Nikos Tzabouras of Tradu. But crude oil continues to find a way out of the Persian Gulf and the U.S. still prefers to pressure Tehran and its enablers through economic measures, he adds. “President Trump may also be incentivized to seek an off-ramp as the conflict increasingly clashes with his domestic agenda, with the midterms getting closer.” WTI is up 3.5% at $96.25 a barrel and Brent gains 3.2% to $101.08.(anthony.harrupwsj.com)

#saudi #anthony

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump's pitch to send Americans $5,000 checks should Republicans prevail in the November midterms is drawing scorn from some members of Congress — the very people who have constitutional authority over federal spending.
Economists and other political observers are voicing concerns about the potential effects on inflation and the national balance sheet. Taken together, it's a swift reaction that makes clear that Trump's dubious election-year gambit is likely little more than another grand promise from a politician with a long history of them.
"Donald Trump is a known liar. This is the biggest liar to ever serve in government. Period," said Rep. Robert Garcia, a California Democrat who was in Dallas on Thursday as part of his party's effort to counter Republicans' midterm convention. "The dividend is not happening."
Trump previously pledged to use savings from the Department of Government Efficiency and revenue from tariffs on foreign imports to distribute payments of $2,000 or more, but none of that came to pass.
His latest idea comes as the U.S. economy is reckoning with persistent inflation and rising interest rates, two forces that have politically undermined Republicans after previously helping them reclaim power from Democrats. Trump claimed the payments would be possible because of the economy's strength, yet consumer sentiment is weak as gasoline prices are increasing because of the war with Iran and wages are struggling to keep pace with inflation.

#inflation

In an exclusive interview with Meet the Press, Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) says he's unsure how the midterms will turn out for Republicans and says voters are "pissed off" about high cost of living and the war with Iran.

#Iran #exclusive #unsure

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration on Sunday renewed its appeal to the Supreme Court to allow new restrictions on mail ballots in time for the midterms.
The filing came after U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani extended an order against the Postal Service enforcing President Donald Trump's executive order for the November elections.
The legal wrangling is happening even as states start sending out mail ballots, leaving the administration little time to make big changes in mail ballot rules.
"Ballots have already begun to be mailed in North Carolina, and more States will begin the mailing process as the injunction remains in place — including Alabama on September 9 and at least five States the week of September 13," Solicitor General John Sauer said in the filing.
"Once those ballot envelopes enter the mailstream, there is no retrieving them. And while the injunction allows the Postal Service and the States to continue taking steps to ensure that their envelopes satisfy the Rule's requirements … each day the injunction is in place risks sowing confusion and chaos because the injunction makes those preparatory steps voluntary, rather than mandatory."

#mail

Washington — A federal judge on Friday extended her block on the U.S. Postal Service's new requirements for mail voting, as states prepare to begin sending mail ballots to voters for the November midterm elections.
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani issued a preliminary injunction barring the agency from enforcing the rules, which were finalized and published late last month, during the midterms. Talwani had temporarily blocked the measure on Aug. 26 and, following a hearing Thursday, agreed to grant a request for longer relief sought by two dozen Democratic-led states and voting rights groups.
In her 49-page decision, the judge said the Postal Service's new rules are likely unconstitutional and said states' difficulties with implementing the regulations so close to the November elections "nearly guarantee[s] significant disenfranchisement for eligible voters."
The judge also said the Postal Service likely exceeded its authority by moving ahead with the new requirements because "the Constitution reserves election regulation to Congress and the States, Congress has not authorized the USPS to make requirements of States before permitting use of the USPS for mailing their ballots, and ... the Final Rule impermissibly establishes a new category of nonmailable material."
"Unauthorized by the Elections Clause, the Final Rule clashes with Congress's statutory scheme, and is unconstitutional where it intrudes not only on Congress's Elections Clause powers but also that power left to the States," she wrote.

#november #congress

EXCLUSIVE: Footage obtained by Fox News Digital shows federal agents executing a sweep linked to a multi-state Department of Justice (DOJ) probe that has resulted in criminal charges against individuals for illegal voting, falsifying citizenship status and other election fraud related charges in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Wisconsin.
The charges arrive as part of a highly publicized nationwide surge by the Trump administration to hunt down election-related crimes ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Over the past year, the Justice Department has filed lawsuits against nearly 30 states to force the surrender of confidential voter rolls, while simultaneously repurposing Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)—an agency historically focused on cartels and terrorism—to spearhead a search for unlawfully registered non-citizens.
"Despite the media and Democrats claiming it never happens, the evidence of non-citizens registering to vote in our elections continues to pile up," White House spokesperson Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital. "Any non-citizens found registering to vote and voting in our elections will be held accountable. Only Americans should be electing American leaders."
'Raw Material For Election Fraud': Expert Flags Voter-roll Problems Far Beyond One State

#election #digital #fraud

GOP Rep. Max Miller spent Monday morning not on the campaign trail, but Zooming into an Ohio courtroom in a dispute with ex-girlfriend and former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham, the second time the embattled congressman has been forced to appear in county court in less than a week.
As House lawmakers return to Washington for a sprint ahead of the midterms, Miller appeared from DC via Zoom to address whether he violated a 2023 settlement agreement with Grisham. That agreement came after Grisham alleged Miller abused her, he denied the allegation and then sued her for defamation. As part of their deal, Grisham and Miller were barred from disparaging each other publicly.
It's the latest legal battle facing Miller as he runs for re-election in a district Trump won in 2024 by more than 10 points but Republicans now fear will be competitive over his legal and personal issues. The congressman has faced calls from some Senate Republicans to step down, but Speaker Mike Johnson told CNN on Monday that he supports Miller's reelection bid, calling him "a great member of Congress."
Miller is also locked in a bitter custody battle with his ex-wife, Emily Moreno, the daughter of GOP Sen. Bernie Moreno. She has alleged that Miller abused her, including holding a gun to her when their daughter was an infant. Miller has denied the allegations. Miller came to court in person in that custody case last week.
Zooming in to the wood-paneled courtroom Monday, Miller faced questions over his social media habits, recent media interviews and whether he called Grisham a liar after the two of them entered into the 2023 settlement agreement.

#moreno #congressman

In an exclusive interview with Meet the Press, Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) discusses Democrats' chances to take back both chambers of Congress in the midterms, saying he believes South Carolina Senate candidate Dr. Annie Andrews can beat Sen. Darline Graham (R-S.C.).

#meet #clyburn #democrats #carolina

Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh delivered exactly what Wall Street was clamoring for this week: drawing a line in the sand against inflation while offering clarity on how the central bank would respond to rising prices.
Harvard professor and former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund, Ken Rogoff, said Warsh made it clear that if the inflation data didn't improve, he's going to hike interest rates.
"That surprised me because my layman political economic view of the situation was that if the Fed could possibly put that off until after the midterms, it would be good for the Fed as an institution," Rogoff said in an interview.
"By hiking, they demonstrate independence. On the other hand, democracy is under ******* ault, and if he hikes rates, you just don't know what the consequences are going to be."
Rogoff predicts that if the Fed raises rates at its September policy meeting, the central bank will face fierce backlash from President Trump. Following Warsh's speech, market odds for a September rate hike surged to 60%, up from 35% the previous day.

#warsh #september #bank

Fox News Digital spoke with attendees and activists at Friday's March on Washington who voiced support for systemic political change, from sweeping reforms to bringing socialist policies to their hometowns as DSA-backed candidates notch primary victories ahead of the midterms.
"I would definitely advocate for that from (the) ground up, like abolishing [the Constitution], rewriting it, including people's voices that haven't been included on there as well," Sravya, of Washington, D.C., told Fox News Digital. "I would probably also rewrite all the oppressive amendments that are in there targeting marginalized individuals."
March on Washington 2026: Defend the Vote was held Friday at the Lincoln Memorial on the 63rd anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington. It was organized by Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network.
Fox News Digital spoke with a handful of attendees, asking whether they would support abolishing and rewriting the Constitution and whether DSA policies are good for the direction of America, questions that drew support from some of those interviewed.
Socialists Launch Radical Platform To Abolish The Us Senate In Bid To Fundamentally Transform America

#support #spoke #policies

Back-to-school is Target's biggest shopping moment outside of the holidays.
Business Insider went behind the scenes with Target's stores chief to see how it's tackling the rush.
"This is the 16th state in three weeks of visits," Adrienne Costanzo told us.
If the holiday shopping season is a retailer's final exam each year, back-to-school is the midterms. For Target, this year's test is a big one.
Success depends on getting the basics right: exciting merchandise, fully stocked stores, and competitive pricing. Those are all areas where Target has stumbled in recent years.

#target #costanzo

Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh delivered exactly what Wall Street was clamoring for this week: drawing a line in the sand against inflation while offering clarity on how the central bank would respond to rising prices.
Harvard professor and former chief economist of the International Monetary Fund, Ken Rogoff, said Warsh made it clear that if the inflation data didn't improve, he's going to hike interest rates.
"That surprised me because my layman political economic view of the situation was that if the Fed could possibly put that off until after the midterms, it would be good for the Fed as an institution," Rogoff said in an interview.
"By hiking, they demonstrate independence. On the other hand, democracy is under ***** ault, and if he hikes rates, you just don't know what the consequences are going to be."
Rogoff predicts that if the Fed raises rates at its September policy meeting, the central bank will face fierce backlash from President Trump. Following Warsh's speech, market odds for a September rate hike surged to 60%, up from 35% the previous day.

#going

Critics mocked former Vice President Kamala Harris after she warned Republicans are "trying to cheat" in the midterms while echoing President Donald Trump's signature "too big to rig" rallying cry in a new video urging Democrats to turn out in force.
"We are two months away from the midterms. Get out and vote. Let's get everyone out to vote. They are cheating," said Harris in a recorded video Thursday posted on X.
"They are trying to cheat, and we have got to turn out in big numbers and be too big to rig. I'll see you out there," Harris added.
Trump repeatedly used "too big to rig" during the 2024 campaign, after years of casting doubt on U.S. election integrity following his loss in the 2020 election. Harris is using the same phrase while accusing Republicans of trying to cheat in the 2026 midterms.
2026 Midterms State Of Play: Key Races Unfold As Stevens, El-sayed Battle In Michigan

#harris #midterms #republicans #vote

Republicans were already struggling to defuse simmering voter frustrations over the cost of living ahead of the midterms. Then President Donald Trump rekindled his trade wars.
Trump's latest actions — especially his decision to impose 50 percent tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian goods, inviting retaliatory duties from America's No. 2 trading partner — has sparked new pushback from GOP lawmakers and candidates.
His moves are set to reverberate especially hard in a handful of states crucial to the party's hopes of keeping their Senate majority. That includes northern border states, such as Maine and Michigan, as well as agriculture-heavy battlegrounds like Iowa and North Carolina that have been buffeted for more than a year by Trump's embrace of hardball trade tactics.
"We've got 71 days, and right now we don't have a positive message to tell farm country," said retiring GOP Sen. Thom Tillis, whose North Carolina seat is at risk of flipping into Democrats' hands in November.
Trump's threat to impose tariffs on Canada is creating "tension," Tillis added, and that "the party that owns that tension is the party that will probably suffer the consequences in November."

#carolina #especially #tariffs

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Monday said "no one from the Trump Cartel is getting a pass" in a post on the social media platform X. The video comes after he faced backlash for meeting with Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law.
The New York Times reported Sunday that the two met privately ahead of November's midterms to discuss common ground on issues like housing, immigration and the high cost of living.
Jeffries said Kushner reached out to him first, and he accepted so the pair could discuss affordability. His post emphasized, however, that House Democrats have pushed the Trump administration on issues including tariffs, the Affordable Care Act, nutritional ****** istance and more.
"I shouldn't have to say it, but I am. No one is going to get a pass," he said. "We're going to follow the facts, apply the law, and be guided by the Constitution beginning on day one. And hold the crooks accountable."
Reactions to the meeting have been mixed. Tommy Vietor, a co-host of "Pod Save America" and former Obama aide, took to X on Sunday to criticize Kushner.

#Trump #issues

The U.S. Postal Service unveiled new requirements for mail ballots less than two weeks before some states begin sending them and in time for the conservative majority of the Supreme Court to clear the way for President Donald Trump's executive order limiting the method to be used in November's elections.
The provisions are still subject to additional legal challenges and may not go into effect in time to meet the tight deadline to change procedures for the midterm elections. They would forbid the Postal Service from sending mail ballots from any state that does not comply with Trump's order and would require an overhaul of the envelopes containing the ballots.
Despite the high court's initial clearance of the order, it did not decide on the constitutionality of the new regulation— only on whether the challenge was premature when Democratic-controlled states persuaded a federal judge in Boston to suspend them in June. A second ruling from the same judge would prevent the Postal Service from implementing any procedural changes before this year's midterms and would likely need to be nullified, as well.
Time is running out for the administration to make any changes in the nation's voting procedures. The first mail ballots are required to be sent to military and overseas voters from North Carolina on Sept. 4. At that point, it would be virtually impossible for all states to alter the formatting of their mail ballots to comply with Trump's directive. The Postal Service rule also requires states to submit voter lists in order to get their mail ballots delivered.
The Postal Service said it could not comment on its rule given the litigation.

#elections #procedures

(Bloomberg) -- JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Morgan Stanley are among banks shareholders are suing over their roles on multibillion-dollar buyout deals after a recent corporate-law overhaul failed to protect financial advisers from potential liability.
Most Read from Bloomberg
Canada Sees Long Trade War With US That May Last Beyond Midterms
Canadians Brace for Economic Pain as 50% US Tariffs Take Effect
Bessent Has No Easy Fix for What's Really Driving Yields Up

#chase #canada

(Bloomberg) -- Michael Saylor's Strategy Inc. is adding a new pool of cash to its balance-sheet toolkit, part of an effort to preserve flexibility as its once-powerful financing model remains under pressure.
Most Read from Bloomberg
Canada Sees Long Trade War With US That May Last Beyond Midterms
Canada Rejected US Tariff Deal. Now Comes the Economic Cost
Bessent Has No Easy Fix for What's Really Driving Yields Up

#michael #strategy #trade #beyond

(Bloomberg) -- Xpeng Inc.'s robot unit plans to raise $900 million from investors including Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Tencent Holdings Ltd., bolstering the automaker's push into humanoid robots.
Most Read from Bloomberg
Canada Sees Long Trade War With US That May Last Beyond Midterms
US Oil Refiners Face Import Squeeze From Biggest Foreign Seller
US-Canada Trade Talks Fell Apart Over Fine Print, Envoy Says

#bloomberg #alibaba

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — U.S. Sen. Darline Graham and U.S. Rep. Ralph Norman face South Carolina voters yet again Tuesday in a special Republican primary runoff to replace the late Lindsey Graham in the Senate, one month after his sudden death.
The two-week runoff window since the two Republicans were the top vote getters in an Aug. 11 primary has been a slugfest. Darline Graham — a political newcomer serving as interim replacement for her late brother — has struggled to define herself to voters who routinely backed Lindsey Graham in the heavily Republican state. Norman, who's served the better part of two decades in state and federal elected office, has stressed his experience to voters already aware of him from his years in Congress, plus an unsuccessful run for governor earlier this year.
In the background of all of this is President Donald Trump, the longtime Lindsey Graham ally who endorsed Darline Graham's candidacy to replace her brother in the November general election before she even entered the race, stumped for her in the state days ahead of the runoff and held a runoff-eve tele-rally with Graham.
On Monday, MAGA Inc., the super PAC that supports Trump and aligned Republicans — but has spent little thus far on Trump's picks in this year's midterms — infused nearly $830,000 into Graham's campaign for voter calls and text message blasts.
Among the unknowns are if Trump's backing is enough to boost the novice candidate with the famous last name, but whose political positions were previously unknown, across the finish line to the nomination. Also yet to be determined is if Norman's hard-line conservatism has an appeal statewide, two months after he finished third in the Republican governor's primary.

#norman

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday cleared the way for President Donald Trump to move ahead with his executive order restricting mail-in voting, though it remains unclear how much his administration can implement before the fast-approaching midterm elections.
The decision appears to leave room for additional court challenges that could further slow Trump's order. The U.S. Postal Service laid out how it would implement the order last week, but time is running short to impose major changes with some states beginning to send mail ballots to voters in just a few weeks.
The Supreme Court's three liberal-leaning justices dissented from the unsigned order.
Mail balloting has long been a favorite target for Trump, who has claimed that it breeds fraud despite strong evidence to the contrary and his own use of the voting method.
The case could be one of multiple voting-related challenges before the justices. The Justice Department had filed an emergency appeal asking the high court to allow work on implementing the changes before the midterms.

#order #implement #justices

President Donald Trump heads into the second half of his term with key vacancies among his senior White House staff. That means whoever comes off the bench must contend with the possibility of a Democratic-controlled Congress, a slew of subpoenas, a lingering war in the Middle East and an open Republican presidential primary.
James Braid, the top liaison to Congress, this week announced his exit. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said she would depart the week before. Replacements for either have not been announced.
Though it's not unusual for staff to depart around the midterms, Trump's desire to run the country through a handful of close, fiercely loyal aides means each loss is more impactful than in a White House where power and responsibility are more diffuse.
These departures don't guarantee a tougher road for the administration, but they inject a dose of uncertainty at an already tenuous time, when the president is facing a slew of challenges — both foreign and domestic.
"I think people are seeing the writing on the wall and thinking Republicans probably aren't going to have the House, might not have the Senate either, and things are going to be stalled," said an official who served in Trump's first term, who like others in this article was granted anonymity to speak candidly.

#House

Republican lawmakers are still locked in a power struggle with the White House over control of federal cash, long since President Donald Trump swept back into office with unprecedented orders undermining Congress' power of the purse.
Earlier this month, GOP senators overwhelmingly agreed to a bipartisan government funding bill that would temporarily block the Trump administration from finalizing a federal rule to let political appointees steer money toward grants "aligned with the president's agenda." The House could clear that bill next month, and Trump is expected to sign it to avert a shutdown before the midterms.
And while the days of widespread funding freezes might be over, the Trump administration continues to create new rules for federal grants and then deny funding based on them — only to be repeatedly shot down in court this summer.
Lawmakers in both parties have also blasted White House budget director Russ Vought this year for delaying the release of cash for congressionally backed programs for antipoverty services, foreign **** istance, banking in underserved areas and more.
"Congress has appropriated money, and you don't have the authority to impound it," Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) chastised Vought this spring over the withholding of hundreds of millions of dollars the Trump administration is supposed to send quarterly to states.

#Trump #administration #power

Vice President JD Vance put Abdul El-Sayed at the center of his attack on the modern Democratic Party, pointing to the Michigan Senate nominee's past remarks linking criticism of Sharia law to White supremacy as evidence that the party has abandoned its working-class roots.
Vance delivered the remarks Friday at the Cleveland-Cliffs Middletown Works steel plant in his Ohio hometown as neighboring Michigan gears up for one of the midterms' most competitive Senate races.
El-Sayed is facing Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers in a contest that could help determine control of the Senate.
Vance spoke about his late grandfather, who worked as a welder for 40 years and voted Democrat because he believed it was "the party of union men." But Vance argued the Democratic Party has strayed from its working-class identity.
Democrats' Civil War Heads To Michigan Where Progressives Face Biggest Test Yet In High-stakes Senate Showdown

#senate #party #working

Treasury data confirmed last night that U.S. national debt now stands at $40 trillion, with the government now expected to spend more than $1 trillion in interest on the debt in the fiscal year of 2026.

Debt hawks have been warning policymakers for some time that the nation's fiscal path is unsustainable, and the issue is increasingly rising up voters' agendas in the run-up to midterms later this year.

A new report from The Conference Board throws the issue into a new light for consumers: The potential impact on their personal finances if policymakers continue borrowing at the current pace.
The Conference Board modeled a series of scenarios: Baseline (using Congressional Budget Office data based on current trends), a good-case (in which federal deficits are cut roughly in half, in line with current targeting proposals), and a bad-case (in which deficit levels grow to 9% of GDP rather than the current 6% to 7%).
The Conference Board also modeled two financial crisis scenarios—a default and an interest rate shock—which economists like Bridgewater ****** ociates founder Ray Dalio have long been concerned about.
Even dismissing the most extreme negative outcomes, consumers still stand to lose thousands if policymakers don't act to reduce spending.
For example, the report models a family saving to buy a $600,000 house in either 5 or 10 years, with a 20% down payment and a 30-year fixed mortgage. The report does not provide a methodology for calculating rates offered in 2031 and 2036, but concludes that total payments over three decades for a home bought in 2031 come to $2.89m, and $2.8m in 2036.

#current #report

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump announced Friday that his administration will allow more beef to be temporarily imported into the U.S. without triggering higher tariffs, as he remains under pressure to cut costs and address affordability issues ahead of November's midterms.
Beef prices have climbed to record highs amid a sharp drop in the number of U.S. cattle, consistent consumer demand and limits on cattle from Mexico, where the animals are facing a flesh-eating pest. The U.S. president has also imposed 50% tariffs on Brazil, a major beef exporter.
The president's plan, however, drew immediate skepticism from agricultural experts and backlash from cattle ranchers and conservative rural-state Republicans. Ranchers, normally some of the president's biggest supporters, are enjoying some rare profitable years and worry cheap beef imports will reduce cattle prices — and with it, the incentive to increase herd sizes.
"We all want lower grocery prices, but as I've said for months, we cannot do it at the expense of American producers," Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., said in a statement. "Flooding the market with foreign beef hurts our livestock industry and undermines the long-term solution: growing the U.S. cattle herd to meet demand."
Sen. Tim Sheehy, R-Mont., said in a social media post just hours after Trump's announcement that the president's "heart is in the right place," but importing beef will "harm our ranching families who feed the nation."

#cattle #demand #herd