Newsletter Archive

January 2020

The Path to War?

Is the U.S. on a path to war with Iran? Neither side may want it, but fears of a new war in the Middle East have surged after President Trump ordered the targeted military strike that killed Iranian Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, who commanded…

Plus: Plus, your Friday fiscal news roundup

Bill Gates Calls for Higher Taxes on the Rich

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, the second richest person in the world, says people like him should be paying higher taxes.

Plus: Plus, drugmakers ring in 2020 with higher prices

December 2019

2020 Preview: The Fiscal and Economic Picture in 10 Charts

The economy is humming along, having grown at an average inflation-adjusted annual rate of just over 2% over the last four quarters. But it is projected to have grown more slowly this year than the 2.9% expansion in 2018. Still, a CNN poll…

Plus: Plus, your Monday news roundup

Unhappy Birthday? Trump Tax Cuts Turn 2

“Two years ago today, Republicans in Congress passed a sweeping tax cut,” writes National Public Radio’s Scott Horsley. “It was supposed to be a gift-wrapped present to taxpayers and the economy. But in hindsight, it looks more like a…

Plus: Plus, how to raise $1 trillion for Social Security

Explaining Washington’s Love of Zombies

In one of Washington’s less appealing year-end rituals, lawmakers have once again passed a package of tax extenders — special tax breaks aimed at specific industries, such as race-track owners, craft-beer brewers and short-line railroad…

Plus: Plus, Trump's plan to import cheaper drugs

1 Big Winner and 1 Big Loser From Congress’s Year-End Spending Deal

Christmas came early on Capitol Hill as lawmakers racing to finalize a nearly $1.4 trillion year-end deal to fund the government through September 30 loaded up their must-pass 2,300-plus-page package of spending bills with enough policy…

Plus: Plus, US health-care prices are off the charts

Congress Is About to Kill 3 Obamacare Taxes

This week is shaping up to be another wild one, as Congress scrambles to wrap up some major legislation before leaving town for the holidays. Lawmakers on Monday reportedly raced to finalize a spending deal for fiscal year 2020, with some…

Plus: Plus, how Trump's tax law slashed corporate rates

Buttigieg vs. Biden on Taxes and Spending

In his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, Pete Buttigieg may be positioning himself as a moderate alternative to Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, but he still calls for more taxes and government spending than Joe…

Plus: Plus, watchdog questions $6.7 billion in Medicare payments

Looks Like We Have a Deal to Avoid a Shutdown

Congressional appropriators have reportedly reached a deal “in principle” to fund the federal government for the rest of the fiscal year and avert a potential shutdown at the end of next week.

Plus: Plus, Democrats push a tax cut for the rich

Ready to Rumble: Pelosi’s Drug Bill Sets Up Dems for 2020

After making a deal with liberal Democrats Tuesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appears to have cleared the way for a vote this week on a sweeping bill that would empower Medicare to negotiate drug prices.

Plus: Plus, a shocking health care stat

Congress Rushes to Do Something on Drug Prices

The leaders of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees announced late Monday an agreement on the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, which includes a provision that would establish a new, independent Space Force within the Air…

Plus: Plus, Space Force is happening!

The Terrible Cost of the War in Afghanistan

The war in Afghanistan is the longest armed conflict in U.S. history, and throughout the 18 years of fighting, U.S. officials have publicly said they were making progress. Yet a new investigative report by Craig Whitlock of The Washington…

Plus: Plus, a surprise deal on surprise medical bills

Biden: Trump Tax Cuts a 'Disaster for the Middle Class’

Joe Biden has been criticized by his fellow Democrats for insisting that as president he would be able to work with the Republican Party – the same party that rejected much of the Democratic economic agenda when Biden was vice president…

Plus: Plus - the rising tide of health care costs

Health Care Spending Hits Record High, Even With 1 Million Fewer Insured

Total U.S. taxes as a share of the economy fell to 24.3% last year, thanks in large part to the tax cuts signed into law by President Trump in 2017, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said Thursday in a new report.

Plus: Plus, after Trump’s cuts, US taxes fourth lowest in developed world

Biden's Plan to Make Amazon Pay Taxes

Joe Biden rolled out a plan Wednesday to raise $3.2 trillion in additional taxes over 10 years, with the wealthy and corporations paying more to cover the cost of spending proposals on health care, climate, infrastructure and education.

Plus: Plus, new Trump food stamp rule will cut 700,000 from program

Biden Says Buttigieg ‘Stole’ His Health Care Plan

Former Vice President Joe Biden said Monday that Pete Buttigieg, a surging rival for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, “stole” his health care proposal to expand the Affordable Care Act and allow people to choose a government…

Plus: Plus, the Navy's largest shipbuilding contract ever

Trump Scores a Win From NATO, but Fireworks Ahead

Ahead of NATO’s 70th anniversary meeting in London this week, Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced last Thursday that the U.S. will contribute less to the alliance’s relatively small central budget.

Plus: Plus, your post-holiday news roundup

November 2019

Would Medicare for All Save the U.S. Money?

Politico’s policy magazine, The Agenda, on Monday rolled out a special issue focused on Medicare for All, with much of the package centered on a key question: Would switching to a single-payer system really save money?

Plus: Plus, your Tuesday news roundup

A 2020 Spending Deal, but the Budget Battle Is Far from Over

Lawmakers took a big step over the weekend toward reaching a spending deal for the 2020 fiscal year, though a major hurdle — funding for President Trump’s border wall — remains in place.

Plus: Plus, the health-care industry’s war against Medicare for All