Macroeconomics

SBA Expands Manufacturing Grants as Broader Program Funding Cuts

A recent CRS report on the SBA's Manufacturing in America E2G Grant Initiative (MAGI) exposes a growing tension between Congress and the current...

Government Operations

Federal Water Infrastructure Funding Faces Steep Proposed Cuts

A recent CRS report on federal water infrastructure programs examines the Trump Administration's proposed budget cuts and their collision with decades of...

Macroeconomics

Lebanon Crisis Tests U.S. Strategy as Israel Maintains Occupation

A recent CRS report on Lebanon examines U.S. policy as the country faces its most severe crisis in decades, following renewed fighting between Israel and...

Macroeconomics

Congressional Report Warns Hormuz Crisis Puts Global Energy Supplies at Risk

A recent Congressional Research Service report examines the escalating crisis over control of the Strait of Hormuz following U.S. and Israeli military...

Commerce

Molson Coors Lobbies on Tariffs, Trade, Commodities

Molson Coors Beverage Co. USA LLC disclosed lobbying activities across four primary issue areas: Beverage Industry, Commodities, Trucking/Shipping, and...

Macroeconomics

FDIC's Systemic Risk Exception Tool for Bank Crises Questioned

A Congressional Research Service report on the FDIC's systemic risk exception has laid bare a central tension in how the government responds to banking...

Legislation

OBBBA Abandons Technology-Neutral Inflation Reduction Act

The Inflation Reduction Act fundamentally rewrote how the federal government incentivizes clean energy. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act moved away from the...

Macroeconomics

Medicare Insolvency Deadline Nears as Trust Fund Faces 2033 Shortfall

The program's Hospital Insurance trust fund will exhaust its reserves in 2033, leaving the federal government unable to pay the full cost of hospital care...

Commerce

Procter & Gamble Scales Back In-House Lobbying Team

Procter & Gamble is scaling back its internal lobbying operation even as the consumer goods giant continues aggressive efforts to influence Washington...

Macroeconomics

Toyota Motor North America Lobbies on Tax Policy

Toyota Motor North America spent nearly $2 million on federal lobbying in the second quarter of 2026, focusing on tax policy and financial regulation. The...

Macroeconomics

U.S.-UK Trade Deal Faces Critical Implementation Gaps

The Trump administration faces a narrowing window to stabilize its trade relationship with Britain as a new government takes the helm in London, according...

Congress

Fed Chair Warsh Faces First Hearing Amid Independence Concerns

Why it matters: Kevin Warsh appeared before the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee on July 15, 2026, for his first semiannual monetary...

Macroeconomics

Warm Winters Left Out of Disaster Aid for Small Businesses

A Government Accountability Office report released this week exposes a significant gap in federal disaster assistance for businesses hit by climate-driven...

Macroeconomics

House Panel Examines AI's Impact on Main Street

Why it matters: Nearly three quarters of small businesses are using artificial intelligence in some form, but many lack the knowledge, resources, and...

Macroeconomics

Five Witnesses Speak Before Small Business Committee

The House Small Business Committee held a hearing on the contributions of small businesses to the American economy on July 1, 2026, bringing together five...

Government Operations

Federal Reserve's Inflation Control Strategy Under Scrutiny

The Federal Reserve is facing a critical moment on inflation that will shape the economic outlook for the rest of 2026. With price pressures remaining...

Follow the Money

Watchdog Flags Accountability Gaps in Disaster Spending

The federal government spent more than $2.1 billion over a decade on disaster recovery projects, yet officials cannot tell whether any of it actually...