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USA Today
09-03-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Stock market rises but posts weekly loss. Jobs report keeps Fed sidelined. Eyes on tariffs
Hear this story U.S. stocks closed higher despite fewer-than-expected jobs added in February and an unexpected uptick in the unemployment rate. Nonfarm payrolls increased by 151,000 jobs in February, less than the consensus forecast of 170,000 from economists polled by Dow Jones. The unemployment rate edged up a tenth to 4.1%, above expectations for the rate to remain steady at 4.0%. The broad S&P 500 index closed up 0.55%, or 31.68 points, to 5,770.20; the blue-chip Dow edged up 0.52%, or 222.64 points, to 42,801.72; and the tech-heavy Nasdaq rose 0.7%, or126.96 points, to 18,196.22. The benchmark 10-year yield rose to 4.309%. The data were not as strong as expected, but economists don't think it moves the needle for the Federal Reserve in deciding whether it should continue to lower rates later this year. "The February payrolls data wasn't soft enough to change the Fed's calculus, but we are eager to hear how they are thinking about the bigger picture," said Elyse Ausenbaugh, head of investment strategy at J.P. Morgan Wealth Management. "Recently, there have been a handful of data points pointing towards a growth slowdown, and we think the Fed's bias is still tilted towards easing." Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. Recent data that suggested economic slowing include declines in consumer confidence and households struggling to spend beyond necessities. Fed Chair Jerome Powell reiterated at the U.S. Monetary Policy Forum that he was in no hurry to move rates as the Fed seeks more clarity on Trump's policies. Stock gains on Friday were limited due to the uncertain tariff picture. President Donald Trump's back-and-forth rhetoric on tariffs is creating uncertainty and anxiety, investors say. This week, alone, he slapped a 25% tariff on Canadian and Mexican goods and an additional 10% tax on Chinese goods only to walk some of that back in bits and pieces later. First, he exempted the auto sector for a month from the 25% levy and then expanded that to everything covered under the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement. "Uncertainty about the US' trade policy may keep investors guessing, with Trump's reciprocal tariffs for now set to come into effect in early-April as well," said Diana Iovanel, senior economist in the Global Markets team at Capital Economics. Trump's whiplash so far has pushed the three major U.S. stock indexes lower this week, with the S&P 500 posting its worst week since September. The Nasdaq fell into correction territory on Thursday, meaning it closed at least 10% off its all-time high. Tariffs and inflation Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent continues to say he doesn't believe tariffs will add much to inflation. In an interview before the jobs report, he said on CNBC that tariffs would lead to a 'one-time price adjustment' rather than long-term inflation. Bessent also said the administration was 'not getting much credit' for areas where costs have fallen since Trump's inauguration, such as oil prices and mortgage rates. He also acknowledged the economy may be weakening a bit, but that's an expected adjustment. 'Could we be seeing that this economy that we inherited starting to roll a bit? Sure," he said. "And look, there's going to be a natural adjustment as we move away from public spending to private spending." Corporate news Broadcom shares jumped 8.64% after the chipmaker reported a surge in AI revenue for last quarter. Earnings beat forecasts, too. Walgreens agreed to go private in a deal with private equity firm Sycamore Partners in a deal with an equity value of around $10 billion. Sycamore will pay $11.45 per share in cash for the drugstore chain and another possible $3 more per share in the future from sales of Walgreens' primary-care businesses, including Village Medical, Summit Health and CityMD. Walgreens shares rose 7.45%. Hewlett Packard Enterprise said it will cut about 5% of its global workforce and warned tariffs would weigh on its annual profit. Shares dropped to the lowest level in about a year and closed down 11.97%. Gap said sales were stronger than expected during the holiday quarter. The stock rallied 18.66%. Costco's quarterly revenue missed expectations, but growth in same-store sales was higher-than-expected. Shares fell 6.07%. Cryptocurrency Trump signed an executive order on Thursday to create a strategic bitcoin reserve funded exclusively with bitcoin seized in criminal and civil forfeiture cases, White House crypto and artificial intelligence czar David Sacks wrote in a post on X. The executive order also creates a U.S. digital asset stockpile of other confiscated crypto, managed by the Treasury Department. Bitcoin was last down 3.75% at $86,592.72, dropping back below the key, round level of $90,000. (This story was updated with new information.) Medora Lee is a money, markets, and personal finance reporter at USA TODAY. You can reach her at mjlee@ and subscribe to our free Daily Money newsletter for personal finance tips and business news every Monday through Friday.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Watch live: Fed chair Powell gives remarks on state of economy
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell will give an update on the state of the economy Friday afternoon — less than two months since President Trump returned to the Oval Office. The remarks, part of the U.S. Monetary Policy Forum at the University of Chicago, come after the Labor Department released the first jobs report of Trump's second term. The report shows that the U.S. added 151,000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate rose to 4.1 percent. The job market appears to be holding steady amid rising economic concerns and slumping consumer confidence. Powell is scheduled to speak at 12:30 p.m. EST. Watch the live video above. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
07-03-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Watch live: Fed chair Powell gives remarks on state of economy
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell will give an update on the state of the economy Friday afternoon — less than two months since President Trump returned to the Oval Office. The remarks, part of the U.S. Monetary Policy Forum at the University of Chicago, come after the Labor Department released the first jobs report of Trump's second term. The report shows that the U.S. added 151,000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate rose to 4.1 percent. The job market appears to be holding steady amid rising economic concerns and slumping consumer confidence. Powell is scheduled to speak at 12:30 p.m. EST. Watch the live video above.
Reuters
07-03-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Fed's Williams: Data points to stable inflation expectations
NEW YORK, March 7 (Reuters) - Federal Reserve Bank of New York President John Williams said on Friday that so far there's no evidence that inflation expectations are starting to run into any form of trouble. Based on recent data, 'there is no sign of inflation expectations becoming unmoored at any forecast horizon relative to the pre-pandemic period,' Williams said in the text of remarks to be presented at the U.S. Monetary Policy Forum in New York. Williams, who spoke earlier this week in comments that highlighted no near-term need to change the current setting of monetary policy in an environment where trade tariffs may add to future inflation, did not comment on the monetary policy and economic outlook. His comments came in reference to a paper presented at the conference. Looking at the data, 'a striking feature of these expectations is that they have fully returned to levels that prevailed between mid-2013 and mid-2016, before inflation expectations drifted downward during the extended low inflation experience prior to the pandemic.' Fed officials believe the projected path of inflation exerts a strong influence on where current levels of price pressures stand. Some recent data has been pointing to a rise in expected inflation amid the Trump administration's efforts to impose huge tariffs -- those are import taxes that will largely be paid by Americans -- that most economists expect will push inflation higher. That said, expected inflation tracked by the New York Fed has thus far been muted. Get a look at the day ahead in U.S. and global markets with the Morning Bid U.S. newsletter. Sign up here.
Politico
07-03-2025
- Business
- Politico
Is the honeymoon over?
Presented by The U.S. Chamber of Commerce With help from Eli Okun, Garrett Ross and Bethany Irvine Happy Friday. This is Zack Stanton. Thanks for reading. Get in touch. First up: A note from chief Playbook correspondent Eugene Daniels on his final day at POLITICO … 'For four years, I've had the honor of being on the Playbook team — working an insane schedule on a product that continues to both drive the news cycle and explain it to hundreds of thousands of people every single day. It has been exhausting, exhilarating and worth every single second. 'To the Playbook team: You are some of the most talented people I have ever met. I will miss being in the trenches with you. Take care of each other. Please keep my birthday on the list. 'To Playbook's readers: Thank you. It's been a privilege to write for you and be a part of your mornings. You all have such a hunger for insight and a deep understanding of politics, Washington and the powerful people in it that it challenges all of us as journalists to push ourselves to tell you something you didn't already know. It's been the joy of a lifetime to do that for all of these years. 'We live in a time of tremendous consequence for our country, and trying to help you all navigate it has stretched my imagination and capabilities more than I ever thought possible. I'll take all of those lessons with me on this next professional journey. Thank you for embracing me. I'll see you soon.' Keep reading for Eugene's final scoop for POLITICO — one on Kamala Harris' political future. DRIVING THE DAY TODAY: 8:30 a.m.: The February jobs report and unemployment rate are released. … 12:30 p.m.: Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell gives a speech on the economic outlook at the 2025 U.S. Monetary Policy Forum. … 2:30 p.m.: President Donald Trump signs executive orders. … 3 p.m.: Trump speaks at the White House's cryptocurrency summit, following his executive order yesterday to create a national strategic reserve of Bitcoin. … 5 p.m.: Trump leaves the White House. … 7:50 p.m.: Trump arrives at Mar-a-Lago. HONEYMOONS NEVER LAST FOREVER. Both President Trump and Elon Musk have been around enough to know that. The question is what comes after: A relationship built on shared goals and something deeper than fleeting passions, or a creeping realization that absent the momentum of the new and exciting, there's not much to keep the couple together. Nearly seven weeks into the presidency, the political marriage of Trump and Musk may well be facing such a moment of truth. The honeymoon phase is over. But the signs of what comes next suggest a partnership that could be far more sustainable than many observers once assumed. DOGE on a leash: In what is likely the most consequential scoop of the last 24 hours, my POLITICO colleagues Dasha Burns and Kyle Cheney report that the president convened a Cabinet meeting to tell his department heads, effectively: You are in charge of your departments; Musk is not. What Trump said: 'According to two administration officials, Trump told top members of his administration that Musk was empowered to make recommendations to the departments but not to issue unilateral decisions on staffing and policy,' Dasha and Kyle write. 'The president's message represents the first significant move to narrow Musk's mandate. According to Trump's new guidance, DOGE and its staff should play an advisory role — but Cabinet secretaries should make final decisions on personnel, policy and the pacing of implementation.' The next phase: In a Truth Social post yesterday, Trump wrote that from now on, federal workforce cuts will be done by 'the 'scalpel' rather than the 'hatchet.'' There's more to this story: I asked Dasha, POLITICO's indefatigable White House bureau chief, to tell us what Playbook readers need to know about these latest turns in the Trump-Musk relationship. Here's what she wrote in … The questions ahead: 'After six weeks of DOGE days filled with chaos and confusion, the president called this meeting to give some clarity. But his directive also raises questions. How do Cabinet secretaries handle accepting or rejecting recommendations from Musk? How much leeway will they have (or feel they have) to tell him to take a hike?' The end isn't near: 'There is no indication from my sources or from Trump's comments Thursday that Musk is going anywhere anytime soon. He still has the president's ear, and continues to receive his praise.' This was Trump's idea: 'The intervention-style meeting was President Trump's 'idea and his orchestration,' one of the sources familiar told me. Said another: 'The president felt it was important for everyone to know it's coming directly from him.' It's why Trump decided to bring everyone together behind closed doors.' What was behind it? 'The move could be part of a legal play, given the mounting lawsuits plaguing DOGE and the administration. But given the avalanche of litigation Trump has already faced, it's just as likely that politics are the motive. He's been receiving frustrated calls from agency heads and lawmakers. He wants people to feel heard. And DOGE has been triggering alarm bells every day since the inauguration.' (More on that in a moment.) One last thing: 'Exactly how much does this change things functionally? Musk's MO has been 'move fast and break things,' so I imagine we'll see one way or another pretty soon,' Dasha concludes. A few things we're wondering: How will Musk handle a Cabinet secretary spurning his wishes? Will he target them with pressure campaigns on X? Given the affinity MAGA supporters have for him, will Musk essentially do to Trump's Cabinet what Trump has done to Republicans for the last decade: presenting his preferences as an all-or-nothing loyalty test and demanding their obeisance? What worries Hill Republicans: Military veterans have been disproportionately affected by the massive slashes to the federal workforce, leading GOP lawmakers to unleash 'a rare tide of public pushback,' POLITICO's Meredith Lee Hill and Jordain Carney report. Of particular concern: The potential for 80,000 more firings at the roughly 480,000-person Department of Veterans Affairs. That could present a major political liability, especially as the VA cancels hundreds of contracts that could damage safety at VA clinics and hospitals, NBC's Gretchen Morgenson and Laura Strickler report. Already, the VA's crisis hotline for struggling veterans is facing problems, with some responders warning of a 'lapse in the mission,' per CNN's Sunlen Serfaty. Musk's response: Musk, seemingly aware of the dawning political realities DOGE presents for Republicans on the Hill, is doing a bit of constituent work of his own. He gave his cellphone number to senators — but not to House members — 'and his team is setting up a dedicated phone line the lawmakers can call if they have further questions, complaints or suggestions about his work, and about jobs and agencies that should be spared,' AP's Lisa Mascaro and Chris Megerian report. If the Trump-Musk honeymoon is over, what now? There are a few ways to parse it. The somewhat facile observation here is that both men have been married three times and neither has a history of long-lasting meaningful personal partnerships. But there's another way to see it: Both men have been in successful and decades-long marriages to their own careers, which they've pursued with a single-minded devotion. Right now, their career goals are in alignment. But if DOGE continues to present political liabilities for Republicans on the Hill, it's not a leap to imagine things falling apart. (Thought bubble: If Republicans lose the House in 2026, what are the chances Trump blames it on Musk?) Here, something Trump himself once said might be instructive: 'I always felt that if you have to work at a relationship, that the relationship is not going to work.' THE DOGEPILE: Setting aside the political complexities of their alliance, the news about the real-life reverberations of the Trump-Musk sledgehammer approach to remaking government abounds … On food safety: A freeze on federal credit cards at the FDA has seriously slowed the Human Foods Program's work to keep the food supply safe, Consumer Reports' Lauren Kirchner writes. Staffers warn that without a change soon, all food testing could stop — and they likely won't be ready to handle an outbreak. On natural disasters: DOGE seeks to close volcano monitoring buildings in Alaska and Hawaii, per NOTUS' Anna Kramer. On intel agencies: 'Across the vast network of U.S. spy agencies, from the CIA's human operatives to the National Security Agency's codebreakers, job cuts and the frequently conflicting instructions to the workforce have deeply unsettled tens of thousands of intelligence personnel who are usually known for their stoicism, disdain for partisan politics and focus on the critical missions at hand,' write WaPo's Warren Strobel and Ellen Nakashima. 'Some former officials say they haven't seen such turmoil in decades, if ever.' On foreign aid: Foreign aid programs that lost money have been sent a new questionnaire asking if they align with Trump's values, the NYT reports. … The funding freeze is making it impossible for many faith-based charities to do their work — or even stay afloat, per WaPo. … Tens of millions of dollars in outstanding foreign aid must be paid by the end of Monday, a federal district court judge ruled yesterday, per WaPo. But 'the fate of hundreds of millions more in spending for lifesaving food and medicine has yet to be resolved.' The latest court cases: NLRB Chair Gwynne Wilcox must be reinstated, a federal district court judge ruled, slamming Trump's effort to remove her as an 'illegal act' and 'power grab,' per POLITICO. … Hampton Dellinger, the ousted head of the Office of Special Counsel, dropped his legal challenge to his firing by Trump, per NBC News. Extremely hardcore: DOGE workers have 'set up at least four separate rooms on the 6th floor' of the General Services Administration's office building 'for sleeping, complete with beds from IKEA, lamps and dressers,' POLITICO's Hannah Northey and Danny Nguyen scooped. Ethics experts said the arrangement could break agency rules. 'The agency is also considering spending about $25,000 to install a washer and dryer on the building's 6th floor, according to a Feb. 25 invoice obtained by POLITICO.' (Seems expensive.) IT'S THE ECONOMY, STUPID JOBS DAY: The February jobs report will come out this morning, but don't expect to see much impact yet from Trump's tariffs or mass firings of federal workers. Those are likelier to show up next month. Economists predict that the country will have added 160,000 jobs, picking up from a January marred by California wildfires and cold weather, and that the unemployment rate will remain at 4 percent, Bloomberg's Augusta Saraiva previews.. Trade wars: In the latest trade policy whiplash, Trump yesterday granted Canada and Mexico significant exemptions on many tariffs for another month. Nonetheless, the 25 percent levies remain in place for some goods, and businesses may have to do complicated work to figure out which, WSJ's Chao Deng reports. Stocks flashing red: By the end of the day, the chaos had left stock markets down by 1.8 percent. The Nasdaq confirmed that it's now in a correction, largely due to trade uncertainty, per Reuters, and the S&P 500 is heading for its worst week in two years. Early signs are that stocks may rise again today, though. The headline from NYT's David Sanger summed it up: 'Tariffs by Whim Keep Allies Off Balance, but Do the Same to Markets.' Not backing down: Ontario Premier Doug Ford still plans to slap 25 percent tariffs on electricity exports to the U.S. on Monday, per POLITICO's Catherine Morehouse. Inflation nation: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent laid out a defense of Trump's protectionism in a speech yesterday. 'Access to cheap goods is not the essence of the American dream,' he said, per POLITICO's Sam Sutton. IN THE WILDERNESS FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: At a pre-Oscars party last weekend, Kamala Harris was asked by another partygoer when she would make a decision about jumping into the California governor's race. She gave a definitive answer: by the end of the summer, Eugene and Chris Cadelago report this morning. The waiting game: For months, California Dems have waited for any sign that the former VP is closing in on a decision about whether to run to succeed termed-out Gov. Gavin Newsom, or instead make another bid for the White House. Freezing the field: For now, the mere prospect of Harris running for the state's top job has sent several would-be candidates looking for other offices. State AG Rob Bonta will seek reelection, telling POLITICO he won't run for governor in part because Harris is likely to clear the field if she runs. 2028 watch: Newsom's public opposition yesterday to transgender girls and women playing in female sports rattled through the Democratic Party as an early jolt to the 2028 presidential primary, POLITICO's Liz Crampton, Shia Kapos, Nick Wu, Holly Otterbein and Elena Schneider report. LGBTQ+ groups reacted angrily, and no other potential presidential contender immediately agreed with Newsom. 'If that's what he thinks is going to win him the presidential election, if he actually did say that in that way, then I'm really disappointed,' Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), who has a trans daughter, said last night at a Harvard Institute of Politics event. But but but: Some moderates were relieved at a blue-state governor distancing himself from a politically unpopular position, making it easier for other Dems to do so. 'As someone who has never been a culture warrior and has primarily talked about the economic issues throughout my career, I think the main takeaway is that any time you're hit, you have to respond,' Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.) told POLITICO's Rachael Bade for this week's episode of 'Playbook Deep Dive,' referencing the Dem response to Trump's infamous 'Kamala is for they/them' ad. Listen to their conversation on Apple Podcasts or Spotify The emerging Dem line: Axios' Stephen Neukam and Hans Nichols report that Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) is leading an effort to get Senate Democrats all on the same message here: saying the issue should be left to states, while acknowledging both fairness concerns and the importance of not bullying trans girls. Dems' other struggle this week: In the wake of several Democrats disrupting Trump's congressional address, a 'very unhappy' House Dem leadership had a 'come to Jesus' meeting with a dozen of those lawmakers yesterday, Axios' Andrew Solender and Hans Nichols report. And after several Democrats sang alongside Rep. Al Green (D-Texas) as he was formally censured yesterday for his outburst, Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) said he'll introduce resolutions to have them booted from their committees, per Axios. BEST OF THE REST RETURN OF THE TRAVEL BANS: Trump may again completely block people from several countries from coming to the U.S. as soon as next week, with Reuters' Jonathan Landay, Ted Hesson and Humeyra Pamuk reporting that Afghanistan and Pakistan may be on the list. NYT's Charlie Savage and Edward Wong report that countries may be divided into 'red,' 'orange' and 'yellow' lists, with the red group — total ban — adding Afghanistan alongside many of the countries Trump blocked in his first term. UKRAINE LATEST: Special envoy Steve Witkoff, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and national security adviser Mike Waltz plan to meet with Ukrainian officials next week in Saudi Arabia to start talking about a cease-fire framework, POLITICO's Eli Stokols, Gigi Ewing and Amanda Friedman report. Meanwhile, the U.S. and Ukraine still haven't signed their natural resources deal because Washington wants to link it to Kyiv committing to a quick path toward ending the war, Bloomberg's Alex Wickham, Alberto Nardelli and Jenny Leonard report. With friends like these: Trump confirmed that he seeks to undermine a fundamental aspect of NATO — collective self-defense — saying the U.S. would only come to the aid of alliance members that spend a higher percentage of their budget on defense, per Gigi. European leaders agreed yesterday to beef up military spending and work together if they can't depend on the U.S., per the AP. But Bloomberg has a reality check: If Russia actually did attack NATO and the U.S. stayed away, Europe could fend off Moscow only 'for weeks at best.' GETTING CLOSER: Lori Chavez-DeRemer's nomination as Labor secretary moved forward on a 66-30 procedural vote, indicating that the Republican former congresswoman's unusually labor-friendly stances may not derail her confirmation, per POLITICO's Nick Niedzwiadek. … The Senate Banking Committee sent ahead Jonathan McKernan's nomination as CFPB director in a 13-11 vote, per Roll Call. DEMOCRACY WATCH: A remarkable chilling effect has settled over parts of Washington, out of fear of retribution from the Trump administration and allies, NYT's Elisabeth Bumiller reports: 'People on both sides of the aisle who would normally be part of the public dialogue about the big issues of the day say they are intimidated by the prospect of online attacks from Mr. Trump and Elon Musk, concerned about harm to their companies and frightened for the safety of their families.' To that end: Trump signed an executive order seeking to punish Perkins Coie for its connections to the Steele dossier and Hillary Clinton campaign, barring it from most work with the federal government, WaPo's Perry Stein and Michael Birnbaum report. First Amendment files: Georgetown Law School Dean William Treanor slapped down acting U.S. Attorney for D.C. Ed Martin's threat that its diversity practices are 'unacceptable,' per AP's Michael Kunzelman. Treanor said the government can't tell the (private Catholic) school what to teach. SHUTDOWN SHOWDOWN: Speaker Mike Johnson said he hopes to hold a vote Tuesday on a continuing resolution to keep the government open and hold current funding levels for the rest of the fiscal year, per Reuters. Notably, the stopgap is expected to include some narrow health care measures to prevent pay cuts for doctors treating patients on Medicare and extend telehealth provisions for people with Medicare, POLITICO's Ben Leonard reports. MIDDLE EAST LATEST: Witkoff said the U.S. and Israel may take joint action against Hamas if it doesn't release all the remaining hostages, per the WSJ. Meanwhile, Rubio is launching a 'Catch and Revoke' review with AI of tens of thousands of foreign students' social media profiles to look for support of Hamas — and cancel visas in those cases, Axios' Marc Caputo scooped. The State Department has already done so for the first such student, who's now slated to be removed from the U.S., Fox News' Louis Casiano and Bill Melugin report. 2026 WATCH: Former Maine Gov. Paul LePage is considering challenging Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine), the Bangor Daily News' Michael Shepherd reports. TIKTOK ON THE CLOCK: Trump said he'll 'probably' keep extending TikTok's reprieve from a federal ban if it's not sold by next month, per Bloomberg. NOT ON THE CLOCK: Trump indicated yesterday that he wasn't inclined to make changes to daylight saving time, given divided public opinion. More from The Hill WHAT PETE HEGSETH IS UP TO: 'War heroes and military firsts are among 26,000 images flagged for removal in Pentagon's DEI purge,' by AP's Tara Copp, Lolita Baldor and Kevin Vineys: 'In some cases, photos seemed to be flagged for removal simply because their file included the word 'gay,' including service members with that last name and an image of the B-29 aircraft Enola Gay.' FUN ONE: What's it really like to be a member of Congress? To kick off POLITICO Magazine's 'Congress Issue,' 25 of them spilled to several of our colleagues about daily life, coping mechanisms, what they love and hate most about the institution, sex, drinking, dementia and more. Among the quotes that jumped out to us: Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.): 'There's no question that somewhere between six and a dozen of my colleagues are at a point where … they don't have the faculties to do their job.' Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.) on whether Congress is really like the scandalous 'House of Cards': 'Absolutely. We're human beings, right? We're all sinners … Don't act like your shit doesn't stink.' Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.): 'I'd bring back the powdered wigs.' Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.): 'I think it's appropriate to talk about expanding the size of the House.' Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.): 'I feel like there's so much time wasted on pointless political theater.' THE WEEKEND AHEAD TV TONIGHT — PBS' 'Washington Week,' guest-moderated by Franklin Foer: Dan Balz, Eugene Daniels, Michelle Price and Kayla Tausche. SUNDAY SO FAR … Fox News 'Sunday Morning Futures': President Donald Trump. CBS 'Face the Nation': DHS Secretary Kristi Noem … Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.) and Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.) … Canadian Ambassador Kirsten Hillman … Fiona Hill. NBC 'Meet the Press': Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick … Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) … Steve Kornacki. Panel: Courtney Kube, Jonathan Martin, Symone Sanders Townsend and Marc Short. MSNBC 'The Weekend': Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) … David Miliband … Judge Susan Crawford. NewsNation 'The Hill Sunday': Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) … Rep. Ami Bera (D-Calif.) … Gene Sperling and David Stockman. Panel: Andrew Desiderio and Tia Mitchell. ABC 'This Week': Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.). Panel: Donna Brazile, Reince Priebus, Sarah Isgur and Faiz Shakir. CNN 'State of the Union': Panel: Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas), Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.), Ashley Allison and Brenda Gianiny. TALK OF THE TOWN JD Vance told a reporter that he's seen — and enjoyed — the memes of his photos. William F. Buckley is getting an official USPS stamp. Rosa DeLauro clapped back at criticisms of her appearance: 'I love my self-expression, and no anonymous troll hiding behind a cartoon picture is changing that.' Diego de la Vega, a Dreamer who was deputy comms director for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's campaign, has self-deported to Colombia. Phil Goff, New Zealand's top envoy to the U.K., was ousted over comments about Donald Trump. Trump has inquired about potentially moving the Declaration of Independence into the Oval Office, The Atlantic's Ashley Parker and Michael Scherer report. PLAYBOOK METRO SECTION: In addition to Bradley Bondi, Ed Martin deputy Alicia Long is mounting a bid for a top role at the D.C. Bar Association, NBC's Allan Smith and Ryan Reilly report. AND THE AWARD GOES TO: The Toner Prizes for Excellence in Political Reporting were announced for a series from Reuters' Peter Eisler, Ned Parker, Aram Roston and Joseph Tanfani on Trump's 'politics of menace' and a series from NJ Advance Media's Spencer Kent and Riley Yates on far-right politics in New Jersey. Our POLITICO colleagues Jessie Blaeser, Kelsey Tamborrino, Benjamin Storrow, Zack Colman, David Ferris, Timothy Cama and Christine Mui received the honorable mention for their 'Biden's Billions' coverage. Read all the work here, including other finalists OUT AND ABOUT — SPOTTED at Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's keynote address yesterday at a sold-out edition of the Economic Club of New York's signature luncheon series: Larry Kudlow, Bob Steel, Gregg Lemkau, Dina Powell McCormick, Tony Sayegh, John Catsimatidis, Steve Schwarzman, Jason Miller, Monica Crowley, Jon Huntsman, Charlie Glazer, Ken Mehlman, Annmarie Hordern, Miranda Devine, Mario Gabelli, Mark Gallogly, Jerry Speyer, Ed Cox, Lynn Martin, Ben Smith, Raheem Kassam, Wayne Berman, John Carney, Byron Trott, Bill Rudin, Brad Bailey, Ravenel Curry, Barbara Van Allen, Ron Sylvestri and Brad Jacobs. — Elissa Dodge and Philippa Levenberg celebrated Sable Strategy's two-year anniversary and recognition on Inc. Magazine's Best in Business list. SPOTTED: Karen Hanretty, Kara Hauck, Lara Aulestia, Tetiana Anderson, Jennifer Baskerville, Sarah Smith, Nathalie Zenni, Angel Riley, Anne Forristal Luke, Laura Cilmi, Audrae Erickson and Jessie Niewold. MEDIA MOVE — Reed Galen is joining 24sight News on Substack to write 'This Land,' a regular column 'on the people of America, reported from the ground, across the nation, in a John Steinbeck style.' He is a co-founder of the Lincoln Project. TRANSITIONS — Brien Lorenze is the new executive director of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. He most recently was a senior adviser in the Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. … Kate Constantini is now comms director for House Foreign Affairs Chair Brian Mast (R-Fla.). She previously was director of comms at With Honor. … Preston Maddock is now a senior director at Amplifire Strategies. He previously was a senior director at Wavelength Strategy, and is a DSCC and Sherrod Brown alum. … … Margaret Boatner will be VP of national security policy at the Aerospace Industries Association. She most recently was deputy assistant secretary of the Army for strategy and acquisition reform. … Max Castroparedes has launched Pax American Strategies, an advisory firm that provides political intelligence and strategic advice to asset managers, merchant banks, political campaigns and sovereign wealth funds. He is a Trump DHS and Foundation for the Defense of Democracies alum. … Kevin Vernimb is now a marketing director at Rokk Solutions. He previously was manager of brand marketing at Marriott International. ENGAGED — Alex Levine, an incoming associate at Sidley Austin and a law student at Georgetown, proposed to Sara Zakaria, a comms specialist at NeighborWorks America and an Amy Klobuchar alum, surrounded by family in Dublin on Sunday. The couple met through a mutual friend. Pic WEDDING — J. Baylor Myers, VP of corporate development at BitGo and a Trump Treasury alum, and Dakota Char-Lee, a paralegal in San Francisco, got married Feb. 22 in Columbus, Ohio. They met at Oasis Restaurant in Pleasanton, California, in 2022. Pic … Another pic HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Rep. Juan Vargas (D-Calif.) … Guy Benson (4-0) … former Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar … Kristan King Nevins … Josh Holly … Mike Watson … Noreen Nielsen … Focal Point Strategy Group's Ryan Thomas … Savannah Behrmann … Carol Danko … Elad Strohmayer … Alan Neuhauser … Matt Higginson … former Reps. Brian Baird (D-Wash.) and Jason Altmire (D-Pa.) … Anne Farris Rosen … Myron Belkind … Nate Evans … Matt Handverger … NBC's Matt Glassman … Mark Schuermann … Anthony Bellotti … Sam Markstein of the Republican Jewish Coalition … American Conservation Coalition's Zack Abnet … Jordan Colvin … Gretchen Opper … Raymond Rodriguez … Joe Fadness of Michael Best Strategies … SKDK's Jacob Long … Eliza VanZoeren … BCW's Katie Nerantzis Did someone forward this email to you? Sign up here. Send Playbookers tips to playbook@ or text us at 202-556-3307. Playbook couldn't happen without our deputy editor Zack Stanton and Playbook Daily Briefing producer Callan Tansill-Suddath.
