A government shutdown is days away. And @rbeggin.bsky.social and I obsessing over it. What do you want do want to know? Will do my best to respond throughout the day.

The economy is slowing down, but the wealthiest consumers are still on buying sprees — keeping prices higher than usual. It’s a weird place for the economy to be, and the Fed is trying to cut rates to address it. We may need to start talking about (!) stagflation.

Is this a lyric from "We Didn't Start the Fire"?

Jeffrey Epstein’s estate has given Congress a copy of the 2003 birthday book, including the letter with Trump’s signature that he has said doesn’t exist. Read more: 🔗 on.wsj.com/4nGGdnJ

Still thinking about this mind-boggling exchange regarding the former CDC director today RFK JR: I told her that she had to resign because I asked her, “are you a trustworthy person?” and she said “no.” WARREN: What?

Let’s dive a little deeper. What exactly is behind this “Manhattan Project” for more babies?

👀 NEW: The group behind Project 2025 wants a "Manhattan Project" for more babies. We have the Heritage Foundation's closely-held draft paper taking a hard turn into "pronatalism." It pitches ripping up economic policy to induce straight, married couples to have more children. Gift link ⤵️

The Trump admin is using a loophole to wrestle spending authority away from Congress. And if we follow this end to its logical extreme, well, we’re a different kind of democracy than we thought.

Scoop - SUSAN MONAREZ, nation’s newly installed CDC director, is being ousted, people familiar tell @lenasun.bsky.social @laurenweberhp.bsky.social + me

I legitimately want to know where Trump administration officials are going in Washington, D.C., where they feel so frightened all the time. This is a safe, clean city, by and large. I really want to know where they're visiting, because they're not the same places I'm going or my friends/family go.

Between the “One Big Beautiful Bill” + tariffs, we’ve got a fresh picture of the US’s financial health, via new data from leading nonpartisan budgeteers. It’s not a pretty picture. But if you stay for the whole video, you’ll get a cute photo of my dog.

Between the “One Big Beautiful Bill” + tariffs, we’ve got a fresh picture of the US’s financial health, via new data from leading nonpartisan budgeteers. And if you stay for the whole video, you’ll get a cute picture of my dog.

The thing that underlaid Trump’s first impeachment — impoundment — is back. And if anyone is going to do something about it, it’s gotta happen soon. www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

This is the same issue at the root of Trump's first impeachment -- his administration blocking funding approved by Congress. “That’s completely unlawful,” one expert told us. “They don’t have the power to do that.”

🧵 Story time It's V-J Day, the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Going through my late grandfather's effects, we found the letter he wrote home 80 years ago today. He was the one who told his ship that the war was over. "Today," he wrote, "was the great day!"

I'm going to publish the entirety of an exchange I just had with the press office of the DOJ. I want you to see how they are talking about truth.

We got inflation data today and we’re starting — just starting — to see tariffs seep into higher prices. And a lot of the goods that inflation is hitting the most, consumers can’t avoid.

I have friends and family visit me in Washington D.C. from cities all over the country. Their universal message: "Wow, this city is so clean!" Yes, D.C. is clean and safe. Shocker, I know.

🚨 WaPo EXCLUSIVE Hours before Trump removed Billy Long as IRS commissioner, his agency clashed with the White House over sharing immigrants’ tax data.

Trump's massive tariffs are here. Apple found a way to wiggle out of them. Apple is putting $100 billion into a Kentucky glass factory & moving some supply chains to the US. Trump yesterday announced a **100% tariff** on chips & semiconductors -- with carveouts for Apple + other major tech firms.

The next logical stop after "nuclear bees" is obviously "nuclear moon."

I’m sorry, does that say “radioactive wasps”? www.nytimes.com/2025/08/01/s...

Now that Trump has shown a willingness to sack government officials who report data that angers him, it’ll be a doozy to see how he handles wider trade deficits from the EU + Japan investment funds (if these truly materialize). The slippery slope only gets steeper from here

President Trump's #tariffs are (almost) here. Large hashtag #tax hikes on imports are coming August 7. 🇨🇦 For Canadian goods, they're already here. Here's what they mean for you and the U.S. economy for @washingtonpost.com.

Trump fired the official in charge of collecting basic statistics about the US economy. He's risking material harm to the economy by politicizing routine data reports, @michaelrstrain.bsky.social tells me. www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

I cover the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” Trump and Republicans’ massive new #tax and #immigration law. And even I lose track of what’s in it and when certain cuts to #Medicaid and #SNAP kick in. So here’s a breakdown — complete with a list you can screenshot.

Here’s a better sense of what’s on the chopping block at IRS: www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

🚨 NEW: The IRS is weighing dropping non-English language services That'd get rid of phone and in-person interpreters & translations of common tax forms and notices. It's to comply with Trump's executive order declaring English the "official language" -- a power the president may not actually have.

We built a calculator about how Trump and Republicans' "One Big Beautiful Bill" will affect you. And then we updated it to reflect all the last-minute changes in the bill. Plug in your info. See what it will mean for you and your family. www.washingtonpost.com/business/int...

You guys, Journalism did it again.

Some *very* fun @washingtonpost.com news: I’m moving to our White House economics beat! That’s covering taxes, spending, trade and more. I loved my time in Congress and getting to cover the GOP push through the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” Now I get to cover how it will shape the nation.

If you don't follow @kadiagoba.bsky.social, now is the time. She's @washingtonpost.com's newest congressional correspondent, and one of the best-sourced reporters in Washington. And she's super cool. Give her a follow and say hi.

Joined our friends at @crooked.com to talk the winners and losers of the “One Big Beautiful Bill.” How’d I do? (If you really give me feedback, be polite 🫣)

Paris-Saint Germain. Onions. Double order.

Best way to come down from a very intense month of work?

Can confirm this email is authentic — and about nothing in it is true. Social Security income is still taxed. This bill does nothing to change that. It’s willful disinformation on the part of SSA. It’s a lie.

Well, folks, they passed the "One Big Beautiful Bill." The vote was 218-214, with two Republicans siding with Democrats. I am going to catch up on some sleep after a 24+ hour workday, but happy to answer some questions here as I can. Whatcha got?

Awful. A joyful person to watch play the beautiful game.

Fun quirk if you're watching live. Hakeem Jeffries is taking a "Magic Minute." The speaker, majority & minority leader enjoy the privilege of holding the House floor for an unlimited time & their remarks count only 1 minute against debate time. Jeffries started at 4:53. Let's see how long he goes.

The Republicans appear to have the votes, and we're now debating the bill. I am sorry to all the poor souls who are up at this hour and seeing this post live.

The House has been stuck all day and all night -- and I feel vindicated.

The Senate is sending Trump’s tax bill back to the House.

It’s tempting to think the Senate passing the One Big Beautiful Bill makes this thing a done deal. It may have been the easy part. House hardliners have already called this a “nonstarter.” www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

👀 Murkowski got her deal, per source familiar. Part of it will be delaying the Medicaid cuts for high-poverty states. That was the only way to get it past the Senate parliamentarian, I’m told.

Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" came unglued overnight. GOP has run into problems with Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who wants her state exempted from Medicaid cuts. We're in a holding pattern while they try to work out a deal. Not a lot of progress being made. This bill is on the ropes.

We love @washingtonpost.com vertical video explainers of what’s in the “One Big Beautiful Bill.”

We've got new distributional data on the Senate's "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" from @natasharsarin.bsky.social and team at @budgetlab.bsky.social. The results are **stark.** Top 0.1% _GAINS_ $97,000, or 1% of household resources. Bottom 20% _LOSES_ $600, or 3% of household resources.

The Senate is churning through amendments to Trump and Republicans' "One Big Beautiful Bill Act." Here's my running tracker of _EVERYTHING_ in the bill.

👀 Here's my running tracker of _EVERYTHING_ in the "One Big Beautiful Bill." The scores come from CBO and Joint Tax Committee. **The upshot** This would increase the national debt by at least $3.3 trillion over 10 years. This is an extension of my notes. Please forgive typos, if you see them.

‼️ New news on the "One Big Beautiful Bill." It will add $3.3 trillion to the national debt over 10 years, according to CBO. This doesn't include debt service payments, which will add at least another half trillion. For context, the House bill *with* interest payments was $3.3 trillion.