Friday, September 4 | By Colin Meyn and Steff Danielle Thomas
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It’s Friday … and no one deserves a long weekend more than our readers!
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Programming note: Hello! We are Colin Meyn and Steff Danielle Thomas filling in for Cate. Please send your tips, comments and story ideas to cmeyn@thehill.com or sthomas@thehill.com.
Also: The team will be taking a break for Labor Day. But we will be back in your inbox on Tuesday!
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This jobs report is good news for Trump, right?: |
The Associated Press | Alex Brandon and Nam Y. Huh
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Today’s jobs report showed the U.S. economy added 162,000 jobs in August, beating expectations that employers added about 53,000 jobs last month. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.1 percent.
That’s a good sign for the health of the economy, after last month’s report showed a slight drop in jobs in July (that was revised up today to plus 21,000 jobs).
But it doesn’t help President Trump’s push to keep interest rates down.
Why not? The Federal Reserve has two jobs: keep inflation in check and ensure a stable job market.
The better-than-expected job numbers will focus the Fed “squarely on controlling inflation when they meet next in September,” Bill Adams, chief U.S. economist for Fifth Third Commercial Bank, said in a statement.
Inflation remains around 3.4 percent, well above the Fed’s 2 percent target. Markets are now pricing in about a 60 percent chance of a rate hike later this month, according to CME Group’s FedWatch tool, up from 50 percent on Thursday.
Those are fighting words: So far, Trump has had nothing but praise for new Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh. That could change if Warsh oversees a rate hike weeks before the midterms.
Trump celebrated the jobs numbers in a post on Truth Social Friday, while also threatening a new trade war if rates don’t go down.
“LOWER THE RATE OR I’LL STOP TRADING WITH COUNTRIES WITH WHICH WE HAVE A DEFICIT,” the president wrote.
“The Fed Board, with its great new leader, must get smart - BE PATRIOTS for a change,” he added. “High interest rates put the U.S.A. at a very unfair disadvantage, and I won’t allow that to happen!”
💬 Follow today’s live blog
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Something seems to be missing from this Jobs Friday: |
Maria Bartiromo, who may have the world record for on-air reactions to jobs reports, is out at Fox News.
She hasn’t hosted her Fox Business Network show for about a month, and Fox News announced on Thursday she won’t be back.
“We thank Maria for her work over the last 12 1/2 years and wish her all the best on her next chapter,” the company said in a statement.
What happened? Fox offered no explanation, and Bartiromo hasn’t said anything publicly since the news broke. Status reported she betrayed the network by sharing information with the White House. The Hill has not confirmed that reporting.
Bartiromo’s lawyer, Bryan Freedman, Friday saying reports she was fired “are absolutely and unequivocally false.”
Trump said he couldn’t believe the news: “Three different shows, always number one. Maria is a total professional, and a true warrior. Her fans, of which there are many, will not be happy. God bless you, Maria!” he wrote on Truth Social.
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Redistricting fight revival: |
The map wars are heating up again — this time with courts throwing some curveballs.
Missouri: Republicans wanted a new map that would offer them another chance at picking up a House seat. Instead, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled Thursday that it's up to the voters in November.
So for now, the old congressional lines are back — including Missouri Democratic Rep. Emanuel Cleaver’s Kansas City district. GOP officials in the state have vowed to keep fighting the ruling.
Maryland: Democrats won a separate court fight on Thursday to keep a redistricting measure on the ballot in Maryland on Thursday. If approved, it could pave the way for Democrats in the state to redraw its eight House districts and target the one seat held by the GOP.
The catch: The court said the original ballot language was misleading and ordered it rewritten.
So, two states, two court fights, two wins for Democrats — with plenty more redistricting drama ahead.
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With just two months until Election Day, Trump called the state Supreme Court’s ruling a “Dark Day for ‘Justice’ in Missouri.”
In a post on Truth Social, he argued that the decision was unconstitutional and could disrupt the midterms.
The president and national Republicans have consistently pushed GOP-led states to redraw congressional maps ahead of November. The Show-Me State was supposed to be one of their biggest opportunities to pick up an additional seat in the House, as both parties wrestle for control of the lower chamber next year.
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➤ MEANWHILE, ON THE BALLOT FRONT
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The Trump administration is asking the Supreme Court to let the Postal Service move ahead with new rules for mail-in ballots — including updated envelope requirements and voter eligibility lists.
A federal judge temporarily blocked the plan last week after a previous high court ruling temporarily lifted restrictions on an executive order issued by Trump, but the clock is ticking.
North Carolina is expected to start mailing ballots Friday, with Alabama following next week.
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Clancy trial ends in hung jury: |
After seven days of deliberations, jurors in Lindsay Clancy’s trial threw in the towel on Friday.
Judge William Sullivan said around 11:30 a.m. EDT he had no choice but to declare a mistrial but gave the defense an hour to file an emergency stay before dismissing the jury.
The jury foreperson told the judge Thursday that one juror wasn’t following his guidance on the burden of proof. Sullivan then met with each person on the panel privately, clarified his instructions and sent them to reconsider their positions.
Clancy attorney Kevin Reddington pressed Sullivan to dismiss the juror, but the judge declined. Reddington on Friday urged the judge to send the jury back for further deliberation.
A quick refresher: Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse, stands accused of killing her three young children at their Massachusetts home in 2023. She has acknowledged the killings, but her defense says she was experiencing postpartum psychosis and should not be held criminally responsible for the deaths. Prosecutors say otherwise.
The jury had already told the judge several times that it could not reach a verdict — which requires a unanimous decision.
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A new trial with a fresh jury will likely be scheduled. When or if a jury eventually reaches a decision, there are two very different paths that will emerge.
If Clancy, who is paralyzed from the waist down and uses a wheelchair after jumping from a window following the killings, is found responsible, she faces a potential life sentence.
If she is found not guilty due to mental illness, she could instead be committed to a psychiatric facility.
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— 📺 The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is asking a federal judge to dismiss Disney and ABC’s lawsuit over the agency’s move to call several local station licenses up for early renewal. The FCC claims the suit is premature and could interfere with its investigation into the company’s diversity, equity and inclusion policies.
— 👶 Congress is getting younger, and its lone Gen Z member, Rep. Maxwell Frost (D-Fla.), thinks that could bring some needed change. But he warns that younger leaders don’t necessarily mean new ideas. Insiders can read more here or check out 😎 The Feed.
— 🎮 The White House has launched an online arcade featuring five games built around Trump administration policies, including two focused on immigration. The games let users build the wall, patrol the Rio Grande and fill their kids’ Trump Accounts, among other features.
— 🗣️ Vice President Vance defended his friendship with conservative Tucker Carlson during Thursday’s White House press briefing, saying political disagreements shouldn’t ruin friendships. Vance acknowledged he disagrees with some of Carlson’s quips about Trump and the Michigan Senate race.
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The New York Times: The Risk of Russian Sabotage in Europe: A Fight That Spirals Out of Control
The Washington Post: Jewish institutions see 33 percent jump in security spending after attacks
The Wall Street Journal: The ‘Deeply Nerdy’ Founders Behind Nvidia’s $13 Billion Bet on Hugging Face
Politico EU: How a ‘dodgy money’ scandal hijacked Nigel Farage’s reset conference
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The House and Senate are out. President Trump is in Washington. (All times EDT)
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12:30 p.m.: Trump participates in a policy meeting.
1:30 p.m.: Trump signs executive orders.
WEEKEND: The president is in Bedminster, N.J. He will hold executive time on Saturday and Sunday.
MONDAY: Trump returns to Washington.
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🏈 Celebrate: Today is National College Colors Day. Football is back! So put on your alma mater’s colors and get ready to cheer this weekend. (❤️💙 Hotty Toddy!)
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Here we are: Living our best life, heading into a three-day weekend and holding onto the last days of summer just like this cute Dalmatian.
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