Government Debt and Fiscal Policy - Global government borrowing is increasing due to spending exceeding revenue [1] - The US debt situation, while concerning, appears less critical compared to countries like France due to the US having more flexibility [2] - Rising US government borrowing costs are consuming an increasing portion of the budget, exceeding Medicare and defense spending [7] - A potential government shutdown is particularly thorny due to rising borrowing costs and potentially lower revenue from tariffs [6][7] Economic Impact and Risks - A French debt crisis could have a significant impact, potentially dwarfing the Greek debt crisis, which almost shut down European banks [3] - The UK faces potential currency risks due to not having the world's reserve currency, exemplified by the dramatic drop in the pound [3] - Cutting pensions, as seen in the Greek debt crisis where pensions were cut by 30% (from €1,500 to €1,000 per month), is a politically sensitive issue [5] Potential Solutions and Considerations - Addressing the fiscal situation requires either cutting spending or printing money, both of which have drawbacks [6] - Growing the economy is a potential solution, and the US is in a better position than many other countries to grow its way out of debt [12] - Higher taxes, including middle-class tax hikes, may be necessary if spending is not addressed [9][10] - Cutting mandated benefits like Social Security is a politically difficult but potentially necessary option in a worst-case scenario [11]

Now closing bell on Wall Street announced market domination overtime. We have coverage of the latest moves to get you up to speed on the action from today's trade. Yahoo Finances Jared Blickery joining us now to break down the day.Jared, thank you. Ominous start for September here. We got the Dow down about 250 points or 610 of 1%.That's the chart behind me. You can see we are off of the lows. Those occurred very early in the session.So, not a disaster by any stretch of the imagination, but we know, as we w ...

Joining me now, NBC's Melanie Zenona on Capitol Hill. Also, former Montana Democratic Senator John Tester. Brendan Buck was an aid to former Republican House Speakers John Boehner and Paul Ryan.Both John and Brendan are MSNBC political analysts. Welcome all. I hope you had a good holiday weekend.Brendan, you've lived this countdown uh to government funding deadline and a divided Congress. But then other things I didn't even mention. Um look, the CDC firings, the vaccine fight.Oh, and Trump wants a crime bil ...

Government Funding & Potential Shutdown - Congress faces a September 30th deadline to avoid a government shutdown [2] - Pocket rescissions proposed by President Trump, which aim to cancel previously approved funding, are a key point of contention [2][3] - Democrats warn that unilateral clawbacks of previously approved funds would undermine bipartisanship needed to fund the government [3] - Senator Susan Collins opposes rescinding appropriated funds without congressional approval, calling it a violation of the law [3] - Disagreement over pocket rescissions is complicating funding negotiations between Congress, Democrats, and the White House [5][6] - House Democrats are prepared to withhold votes as leverage on issues including the Fed, CDC, and pocket rescissions [8] - Senate Democrats may take a different approach to the funding fight due to internal and external pressure [11] Epstein Files & Transparency - Lawmakers are returning to the issue of releasing the Jeffrey Epstein files [1] - Congressmen Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie will hold a joint news conference with Epstein victims [2][12] - A discharge petition is being pursued to compel a vote on releasing the Epstein files [16] - Republican leaders hoped a recess would diminish the issue's momentum, but it remains a focus [12][13] - There is public demand for transparency from the DOJ regarding the Epstein files [14] - Some Republicans feel pressure to release the files, creating a difficult situation for the White House [16] - Khanna and Massie may have enough votes to force a vote on the discharge petition [18] Federal Reserve & Political Influence - Senate Democrats are demanding a postponement of confirmation hearings for a Federal Reserve nominee [19] - Democrats are concerned about the attempted firing of Fed Governor Cook, viewing it as an attempt by Trump to control the Federal Reserve [20][21] - Democrats believe Trump wants to influence the Fed to lower interest rates [22][23] - Republicans may have private reservations about Trump's actions regarding the Fed's independence [24]

longest serving congressman in Texas history says he'll retire if the new Republican drawn redistricting map goes into effect. That's Democrat Lloyd Dogget who made the announcement yesterday. The 78-year-old has represented the Austin area since 1995.But this new map merges Dogget's district with another represented by Democrat Greg Casar. So instead of potentially generational primary against the 36-year-old Casar, Dogget says he's going to step aside unless the courts block the new map. Speaking of that ...

Morning everyone. Honored to be joined today by Whip Katherine Clark and caucus chair Pete Aguilar as we prepare to depart for the August district work period. The Trump administration and House Republicans have been a complete and total failure.These MAGA extremists promised that they were going to lower costs in the United States of America. In fact, they promised the American people that costs would go down on day one. But costs haven't gone down.They are on the way up. Inflation is up. It's the quality ...