Kelly Macias, staff writer for Daily Kos, explains why she believes Congress won't do anything about guns after the latest mass shooting in Florida. Macias also shares her thoughts on the resignation of a special assistant to President Trump after past marijuana use.
Macias cites a new study by Pew Research which shows 79% of Republicans want to protect gun owners, while only 20% of Democrats do, making this a clear-cut partisan issue. Macias doesn't expect a change in how mental health problems are addressed in this country, saying the funding doesn't match the rhetoric.
Macias also addresses the resignation of George David Banks, a special assistant to the president who resigned after being informed he would not receive permanent White House clearance due to past marijuana use. She explains it might not be the drug use, but Banks' attempt to cover it up that forced him to resign.
The White House budget office says mass firings of federal workers have started in an attempt to exert more pressure on Democratic lawmakers as the government shutdown continues.
President Donald Trump says “there seems to be no reason” to meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping as part of an upcoming trip to South Korea after China restricted exports of rare earths needed for American industry. The Republican president suggested Friday he was looking at a “massive increase” of import taxes on Chinese products in response to Xi’s moves. Trump says one of the policies the U.S. is calculating is "a massive increase of Tariffs on Chinese products coming into the United States." A monthslong calm on Wall Street was shattered, with U.S. stocks falling on the news. The Chinese Embassy in Washington hasn't responded to an Associated Press request for comment.
Most members of the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate setting committee supported further reductions to its key interest rate this year, minutes from last month’s meeting showed.
From Wall Street trading floors to the Federal Reserve to economists sipping coffee in their home offices, the first Friday morning of the month typically brings a quiet hush around 8:30 a.m. eastern, as everyone awaits the Labor Department’s monthly jobs report.
The Supreme Court is allowing Lisa Cook to remain as a Federal Reserve governor for now.
Rep. John Moolenaar has requested an urgent briefing from the White House after Trump supported a deal giving Americans a majority stake in TikTok.
