Page 4 - Us Government

Mass layoffs will start if shutdown talks 'going nowhere': White House

Trump described the potential job cuts on Sunday as 'Democrat layoffs,' telling reporters, Anybody laid off that's because of the Democrats

Lack of jobs data due to govt shutdown muddies view of hiring, US economy

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 am eastern as everyone awaits the Labor Department's crucial monthly jobs report. But with the government shut down, no information was released Friday about hiring in September. The interruption in the data has occurred at a particularly uncertain time, when policymakers at the Federal Reserve and Wall Street investors would need more data on the economy, rather than less. Hiring has ground nearly to a halt, threatening to drag down the broader economy. Yet at the same time, consumers particularly higher-income earners are still spending and some businesses are ramping up investments in data centres developing artificial intelligence models. Whether that is enough to revive hiring remains to be seen. It's the first time since a government shutdown in 2013 that the jobs report has been delayed. .

Trump goes online to target Democrats as US govt shutdown continues

On Thursday morning, as thousands of federal employees stayed home and faced potential layoffs because of the government shutdown, President Donald Trump got right to work on social media. He started by sharing praise from supporters. Then he falsely claimed that DEMOCRATS WANT TO GIVE YOUR HEALTHCARE MONEY TO ILLEGAL ALIENS. And then he announced that he would meet with his top budget adviser to figure out where to make permanent cuts to federal programmes that are a political SCAM. All that was before 8 am, just one flurry in a blizzard of online commentary from the president as the government shutdown entered a second day. Like so many other times when he's faced complex crises with no easy solutions, Trump seems determined to post his way through it. The stream of invective and trolling has been remarkable even for a 79-year-old president who is as chronically online as any member of Gen Z. His style is mirrored by the rest of his administration, which so far seems more interest

Trump uses govt shutdown to target federal workers, halt key projects

President Donald Trump has seized on the government shutdown as an opportunity to reshape the federal workforce and punish detractors, by threatening mass firings of workers and suggesting irreversible cuts to programmes important to Democrats. Rather than simply furlough employees, as is usually done during any lapse of funds, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said layoffs were imminent. The Office of Management and Budget announced it was putting on hold roughly USD 18 billion of infrastructure funds for New York's subway and Hudson Tunnel projects in the hometown of the Democratic leaders of the US House and Senate. Trump has marvelled over the handiwork of his budget director. He can trim the budget to a level that you couldn't do any other way, the president said at the start of the week of OMB Director Russ Vought, who was also a chief architect of the Project 2025 conservative policy book. So they're taking a risk by having a shutdown, Trump said during an event

US govt shutdown threatens timely economic data amid Fed uncertainty

The government shutdown that began Wednesday will deprive policymakers and investors of economic data vital to their decision-making at a time of unusual uncertainty about the direction of the US economy. The absence will be felt almost immediately, as the government's monthly jobs report scheduled for release Friday will likely be delayed. A weekly report on the number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits a proxy for layoffs that is typically published on Thursdays will also be postponed. If the shutdown is short-lived, it won't be very disruptive. But if the release of economic data is delayed for several weeks or longer, it could pose challenges, particularly for the Federal Reserve. The Fed is grappling with where to set a key interest rate at a time of conflicting signals, with inflation running above its 2 per cent target and hiring nearly ground to a halt, driving the unemployment rate higher in August. The Fed typically cuts this rate when unemployment rises, but ...

Trump admin puts on hold $18 bn in funding for New York City infra projects

President Donald Trump's administration, citing the government shutdown, said Wednesday it was putting a hold on roughly USD 18 billion to fund a new rail tunnel beneath the Hudson River between New York City and New Jersey and an extension of the city's Second Avenue subway. The White House budget director, Russ Vought, said on X that the step was taken due to the Republican administration's belief the spending was based on unconstitutional diversity, equity and inclusion principles. In a statement, Trump's Transportation Department said it had been reviewing whether any unconstitutional practices were occurring in the two massive infrastructure projects but that the shutdown, which began Wednesday, had forced it to furlough the staffers conducting the review. The suspension of funds is likely meant to target Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York, whom the White House is blaming for the impasse. He said the funding freeze would harm commuters. Obstructing these projec

Prolonged US govt shutdown could impact travel plans amid flight delays

If a US government shutdown goes on long enough, it could throw a wrench in travel plans, potentially leading to longer airport wait times, flight delays and even cancellations. The shutdown began Wednesday after President Donald Trump and Congress failed to reach a deal to continue funding government services and operations. That means a vast majority of employees who keep US airports and air travel running are working without pay until the government reopens. The longer a shutdown drags on, the more likely we are to see longer TSA lines, flight delays and cancellations, national parks in disrepair and unnecessary delays in modernising travel infrastructure," Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the US Travel Association, warned in a statement. Here's what to know about the shutdown and its potential impacts on your travel plans: Flying during a shutdown Travellers can still fly despite the lapse in funding, but during a prolonged shutdown, travellers should plan ahead for potenti

Senate vote fails to end shutdown as Democrats push for healthcare funding

A vote to end the government shutdown hours after it began failed on Wednesday, as Democrats in the Senate held firm to the party's demands to fund health care subsidies that President Donald Trump and Republicans refuse to provide. The tally showed cracks in the Democrats' resolve but offered no breakthrough. Blame was being cast on all sides on the first day of the shutdown. The White House and Congress failed to strike an agreement to keep programs and services open, throwing the country into a new cycle of uncertainty. Roughly 750,000 federal workers were expected to be furloughed, with some potentially fired by Trump's Republican administration. Many offices will be shuttered, perhaps permanently, as the president vows to "do things that are irreversible" to punish Democrats. Trump's deportation agenda is expected to run full speed ahead, while education, environmental and other services sputter. The economic fallout is expected to ripple nationwide. I certainly pray they will

Who works, who waits: What the latest US government shutdown means

The US government shutdown affects over 750,000 federal employees, halting some services, delaying salaries, and raising questions about the impact on essential programmes and daily life

US shutdown threatens EPA operations, impacting air, water, land protection

The Environmental Protection Agency was already reeling from massive stuff cuts and dramatic shifts in priority and policy. A government shutdown raises new questions about how it can carry out its founding mission of protecting America's health and environment with little more than skeletal staff and funding. In President Donald Trump's second term, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has leaned hard into an agenda of deregulation and facilitating Trump's boosting of fossil fuels like oil, gas and coal to meet what he has called an energy emergency. Jeremy Symons, a former EPA policy official under President Bill Clinton, said it's natural to worry that a shutdown will lead the worst polluters to treat it as a chance to dump toxic pollution without getting caught. Nobody will be holding polluters accountable for what they dump into the air we breathe, in the water we drink while EPA is shut down, said Symons, now a senior adviser to the Environmental Protection Network, a gro

US government shutdown looms as lawmankers' talks fail to reach deal

The Republican-controlled Senate is expected to vote on a temporary spending bill that has failed once already, with no sign that a second vote will bring success

Caution sets in: Equities fall, gold hits record amid US shutdown fears

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan, however, rose almost 0.5 per cent, poised for a gain of over 5 per cent this month

US govt shutdown draws closer as congressional leaders head to White House

Democratic and Republican congressional leaders are heading to the White House for a meeting with President Donald Trump on Monday in a late effort to avoid a government shutdown, but both sides have shown hardly any willingness to budge from their entrenched positions. If government funding legislation is not passed by Congress and signed by Trump on Tuesday night, many government offices across the nation will be temporarily shuttered and non-exempt federal employees will be furloughed, adding to the strain on workers and the nation's economy. Republicans are daring Democrats to vote against legislation that would keep government funding mostly at current levels, but Democrats so far have held firm. They are using one of their few points of leverage to demand that Congress take up legislation to extend health care benefits. The meeting is a first step, but only a first step. We need a serious negotiation, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said in an interview Sunday on NBC's

Asian markets edge higher as investors eye possible US govt shutdown

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan firmed 0.4 per cent, to be up almost 4 per cent for the month

US preparing for potential drone strikes on drug targets in Venezuela

Such plans could mark an escalation after US military strikes destroyed at least three small boasts near the Venezuelan coast in recent weeks, likely killing all individuals on board

Trump orders release of all govt records on Amelia Earhart's disappearance

President Donald Trump has announced that he has ordered the declassification and public release of all government records about aviator Amelia Earhart, who vanished in 1937 during an attempt to fly around the world. Trump said on Friday that it's an "interesting story" that has "captivated millions". He said people have asked him whether he'd consider declassifying and making public everything the government has on her. "She was an Aviation Pioneer, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, and achieved many other Aviation firsts,'" he wrote on his social media site. "She disappeared in the South Pacific while trying to become the first woman to fly around the World. "Amelia made it almost three quarters around the World before she suddenly, and without notice, vanished, never to be seen again," he continued. "Her disappearance, almost 90 years ago, has captivated millions. I am ordering my Administration to declassify and release all Government Records related to Amel

Bullet was aimed at all of us, says Trump during Charlie Kirk's memorial

Trump called Tyler Robinson, who allegedly shot Kirk at Utah Valley University on September 10, a 'radicalised, cold-blooded monster'

Trump amps up retribution campaign, asks Bondi to pursue cases against foes

Eight months into his second term, President Donald Trump's long-standing pledge to take on those he perceives as his political enemies has prompted debates over free speech, media censorship and political prosecutions. From late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel's suspension to Pentagon restrictions on reporters and an apparent public appeal to Attorney General Pam Bondi to pursue legal cases against his adversaries, Trump has escalated moves to consolidate power in his second administration and root out those who have spoken out against him. In a post on social media this weekend addressed to Bondi, Trump said nothing is being done on investigations into some of his foes. We can't delay any longer, it's killing our reputation and credibility, he said. Noting that he was impeached and criminally charged, JUSTICE MUST BE SERVED, NOW!!! Criticising investigations into Trump's dealings under Democratic President Joe Biden's Justice Department, Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said Sunday that it is

US ends temporary protection for Syrians, orders departures within 60 days

Trump, a Republican, has repeatedly sought to roll back protections for hundreds of thousands of migrants, including many who have lived and worked legally in the US for decades

Trump predicts US govt could shut down on Oct 1 amid funding stalemate

Democrats are demanding a boost to health care spending while Republicans refuse to go along and instead back a simple bill to keep the lights on through Nov 21