Transcript

2.12.26 · Washington Post

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Speaker 1: Welcome to the reading of Today's Washington Post for Thursday,
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February the twelfth of twenty twenty six. Your reader is
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Alis Stainer, with the reminder that radioize of service for
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those blinded with other disabilities making it difficult to hold
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or read printed material. And I'll start with today's front page.
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And there is a picture on the left hand side
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top above the fold of survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's abuse
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responding Wednesday after being asked who has been unable to
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meet with the Justice Department. And there are one, two, three, four, five,
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six people with their hands raised. One is a gentleman.
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On the far right above them are sitting people behind
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Pam Bondy, who is their attorney general. And she is
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sitting behind her name. She's got a notebook in front
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of her with some pages. And that is the main
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picture on the front page. The title of the article combative.
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Bondy lobs insults under questioning Democrats accuse her of botching
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Epstein files, heating Trump's whims, and to the right of
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that on the front in large capital bold letters, IRS
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improperly shared immigrant tax data with the DHS Agency only
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recently discovered the era thousands of taxpayers files inadvertently disclosed
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below that article on the right hand side, below the fold,
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Vance pursues trade deals in Russia's field. He is visits
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to Armenia and averaged Asajan illustrate transactional diplomacy. On the
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far left, below the combative bondy article Major Opera left
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Kennedy Centa after a forced face off artistic director went
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scorched earth after Trump's takeover put group's future in peril.
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And between the Kennedy Center article Advanced in the Russian
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sphere is a picture of gold medal and delayed satisfaction
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of US speed skating scar star Jordan Stoles, who is
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shown above in action Wednesday during the men's one hundred
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one thousand meter competition at Milano's speed Skating Stadium in Milan,
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and he set an Olympic record in winning his first
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gold medal, but he had to wait for competitor to
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take a second skate. And then the very bottom of
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the front page, she bounced a twenty five dollar check.
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In twenty fourteen, Ice tried to deport her irs improperly
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disclosed confidential immigrant tax dota to DHS Tax Agency only
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recently discovered the mistake and is working with other federal
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agencies on a response by Jacob Bogage, Jeff Stein, and
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Perry Stein. The Internal Revenue Service improperly shared confidential tax
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information of thousands of individuals with immigration enforcement officials, according
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to three people familiar with the situation, appearing to breach
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a legal firewall intended to protect taxpayer data. The erroneous
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disclosure was only recently discovered, the people said. The IRS
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is working with officials from this Treasury Department, Justice Department,
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and Department of Homeland Security on the administration's response. The
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IRS confirmed the Washington Post reporting in a court filing
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Wednesday afternoon. Dot A. Romo, the Tax agency's chief risk
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and Control officer, wrote in a sworn declaration that the
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IRS provided confidential taxpayer information even when DHS officials could
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not provide sufficient data to positively identify a specific individual.
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Federal law mandate strict protections of the identities of taxpayers,
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including the sharing of data within the federal government. Undocumented
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immigrants have for years paid taxes with assurances from the
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federal government doing so would not result in them being
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targeted by immigration enforcement, but in a controversial decision. Treasury,
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which oversees the IRS, in April agreed to provide DHS
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with the names and addresses of individuals the Trump administration
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believed to be in the country illegally pursuant to DHS requests.
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Federal courts have since blocked the data sharing arrangement, holding
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that it violates taxpayers' rights, though the government appealed those rulings.
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Before the agreement was struck down. DHS requested the addresses
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of one point two million individuals from the RS. The
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tax agency responded with data on forty seven thousand individuals,
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according to court records. When the IR has shared the
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addresses with DHS, it also inadvertently disclosed private and information
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for thousands of taxpayers erroneously, a mistake only recently discovered,
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said the people from MINA, who spoke on the condition
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of an indemnity for fear of retribution. Romo in her
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declaration did not state when the IRS learned of its era.
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She said the agency identified DHS on January twenty third
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to begin taking steps to prevent the disclosure or dissemination
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and to ensure appropriate disposal of any data provided to
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ICE or S based on incomplete or insufficient address information.
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She declined to state if the RS would inform people
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whose data was illegally disclosed to immigration officials, and said
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DHS and ICE had agreed to not inspect, view, use, copy, distribute,
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rely on, or otherwise act on any information that has
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been obtained from or disclosed BYRS. Because of the pending litigation,
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the affected individuals could be entitled to financial compensation for
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each time their information was improperly shared, and government officials
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can personally face stiff civil and criminal penalties for sharing
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confidential tax information. Charles little John, an IRS contractor, pleaded
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guilty in twenty twenty three to leaking the tax returns
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of President Donald Trump and other wealthy individuals. Little John
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was sentenced to five years in prison. Trump in January
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sued the IRS for ten billion dollars in damages related
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to the Little John leak. In a statement, a DHS
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spokesperson said that under the data sharing agreement, the government
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is finally doing what it should have all along. Information
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cheering across the agencies is essential to identify who is
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in their country, including violent criminals, determine what public safety
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and terror thereats may exist, so we can neutralize them,
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scrub these individuals from voter rolls, and identify out what
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public benefits these aliens are using at taxpayer expense. The
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spokesperson said, there is little evidence that undocumented immigrants have
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attempted to participate in US elections, nor is there a
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link between undocumented immigrants and higher levels of crime. With
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the high RS information, specifically, DHS plans to focus on
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enforcing long neglected criminal laws that apply to illegal aliens,
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the DHS spokesperson said. Treasury and Justice Department spokespeople declined
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to comment, citing agency policies not to comment on active litigation.
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The Office of the Deputy Attorney General is monitoring the
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ongoing litigation, but the office is not making any decisions
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on the matter, according to a person familiar with the
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matter who was not authorized to comment publicly. When the
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mis began conversations with DHS OBADATA sharing shortly after Trump
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returned to the White House, senior IRS employees warned administration
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officials that the program was likely illegal and could sweep
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up misidentified people. The Post has reported. During early meetings
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on the project, one agency's staff asked to immigration authorities
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how many people with the same name may live in
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the same state, According to one of the people, illustrating
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how easy it would be for the Trump administration to
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inadvertently breach taxpayers privacy, including those who are not targets
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of gration investigations, the IRS's Privacy department was largely sidelined
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from the talks, two of the people said, and its
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SIET department took over implementing the data sharing. That team
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had largely been taken over by officials from Trump's US
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Doge Service, the White House's Efficiency Office, charged with shrinking
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the federal government. Treasury officials justified the data sharing agreement
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by arguing immigration enforcement was pursuing individuals who had violated
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criminal statues, though immigration violations are generally civil, not criminal.
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Under the arrangement, DHS would provide THERS with the name
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and address of a taxpayer. The IRS would then cross
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reference that information with its confidential databases and confirmed the
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taxpayer's last known. Immigration officials said the procedure was necessary
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because DHS lacked reliable information to locate individuals the Trump
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administration wanted to detain and deport. According to numerous IRS
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and DHS officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity
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because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the matter.
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This allegedly unauthorized viewing involves personal information that taxpayers provided
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to the IRS pursued to a promise that the RS
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would prioritize keeping the information confidential. Judge Colleen Kolarcatelli of
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the U. S. District Court for the District of Columbia
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wrote in a November or adding, a reasonable taxpayer would
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likely find it highly offensive to discover that the IRS
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now intends to share that information permis because it has
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replaced its promise of competentiality with a policy of disclosure.
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Next article, Paam Bondy lashes out as lawmakers press her
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on Epstein's cases against Trump foes. The Attorney General lobbied
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insults when lawmakers questioned her decisions and portarried the Justice
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Department as unfairly maligned by Democrats and Trump critics by
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Pierry Stein and Jeremy Roebuck. Attorney General Pambindy combatively defended
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her leadership at the Justice Department to host lawmakers on Wednesday,
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amid sharp criticism that she botched the release of the
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Epstein files and has wielded the nation's most powerful law
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enforcement agency to heed President Donald Trump's call to prosecute
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his political foes in exchange. After exchange, Bondi lobbed brash
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insults when Democratic lawmakers questioned her decisions and repeatedly portrayed
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the expansive Justice Department as unfairly maligned by Democrats and
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those who disliked Trump. In her opening remarks before the
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host Judiciary Committee, Bondi, highlighting her allegiance to the president,
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thanked Trump for his investment in fighting by crime and
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said the Justice Department is working to advance the President's priorities.
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The Attorney General blamed the Biden administration for politicizing the
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department and, echoing claims from conservative activists, said it is
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fighting against liberal activist judges working to stummy the president's agenda.
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America has never seen this level of coordinated judicial opposition
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to a presidential administration, Bondy said. Wednesday's hearing played at
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at a pivotable moment for the Justice Department, which in
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recent months has drawn criticism from Democrats and others over
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its handling of the congressionally compelled release of millions of
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documents from its investigation of sex offended Jeffrey Epstein, its
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deployment of thousands of agents across the country to assist
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in immigration enforcement, and its continued efforts to prosecute Trump's
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perceived political adversaries. The Attorney General did not buckle in
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her defense of the department and frequently attempted to shift
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attention to its efforts to reduce violent crime, a topic
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that earned her praise from Republicans. Bondy came armed with
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scripted insults for Democrats. I'm not going to get in
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the gutter with these people, Bondy repeatedly in response to
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pointed questions. She lashed out when the committee's top Democrat representative,
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Jamie Raskin, directed her to respond to the panel's inquiries.
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You don't tell me anything, you washed up, loser lawyer.
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You're not even a lawyer, she said. Raskin, a lawmaker
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from Maryland, denounts Bondie for her handling of the Epstein files,
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the department's response to deadly shootings by federal personnel in Minneapolis,
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and her oversight of cases involving people whom Trump is
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publicly called to prosecute. Trump orders up prosecutions like pizza,
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and you deliver every time you replace real prosecutors with
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counterfeit stooges. Nothing in American history comes close to this
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complete corruption of the justice function and contamination of federal
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law enforcement, Raskin said. Just hours before Bondy address us
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the committee, the Department had sought to secure an indictment
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against six Democratic lawmakers who produced a video urging military
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service members not to follow illegal orders, but a federal
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grand jury in Washington refused to back those charges, a
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remarkable rebuke of the justice of the Department's efforts. You've
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turned the People's Department of Justice into Trump's instrument of revenge,
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Raskin said. The committee's Republicans, led by Chairman Jim Jordan
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of Ohio, largely praised Findy for the work of her
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first year in office. They credited her and FBI directed
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the cash Bettel with reducing violent crime across the country,
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a trend that began under the final years of the
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Biden administration and has continued under Trump. What a difference
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a year makes, Jordan said at the top of the proceedings,
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adding under Arny General Bondi, the DOJ has returned to
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its core missions upholding the rule of law. Going after
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the bad guys and keeping Americans safe. Tension erupted almost
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immediately as Democrats repeatedly pressed Bondie on the Justice Department's
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failure to fully redact the names and identifications of Epstein's
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victims from the files it released last month. More than
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a dozen of his victims were at the hearing, and,
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when prompted by a Democratic law maker, raised their hands
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to indicate that they had never spoken to representatives of
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Bondi's Justice Department. That was the picture I described earlier,
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as Representative Promila Jayapaul, Democratic Washington asked Bondi to apologize
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to the victims and the audience for her handling of
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the investigation. The Attorney General deflected, and as to our
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former Attorney General Merrick Garland, didn't apologize. I'm not going
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to get in the gut for her theatrics, Bondy said.
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She defended her career fighting for victims as a prosecutor.
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I'm deeply sorry for what any victim has been through,
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especially as a result of that monster. I want you
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to know that any accusation of criminal wrongdoing will be
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taken seriously and investigated, Bondy said. Bondy said that Epstein's associate,
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just Slaine Maxwell will die in prison. Maxwell's attorney said
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that the defendant, who was convicted in twenty twenty one
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on sex trafficking charges, is seeking clemency from the president.
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Bondy also said that she was unaware that Maxwell was
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being transferred to a minimum security prison camp until after
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the transfer occurred in August. The Justice Department has faced
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pushback over that move, with critics saying that it is
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an example of the Trump administration being lenient to people
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involved in the Epstein case. In an effort to pivot
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the conversation away from Epstein, Bondy said that instead of
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focusing on Maxwell, the lawmakers should be asking about Arena Zurutska,
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the twenty three year old Ukrainian refugee who was brutally
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killed by a homeless man with mental illness. While writing
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public transit in North Carolina. Bondy took heat from Representative
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Thomas Massey, Republican of Kentucky, a frequent Trump critic, who
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asked why more men with ties to Epstein weren't under investigation.
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Justice Department officials have said that the fowls do not
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contain information that would lead to other people being charged.
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She dodged Masse's question and said he was only focused
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on the Epstein fowls because Trump is named in them,
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accusing him of having trumped arrangement syndrome. Bondy likewise refused
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to engage in second guessing of the Justice Department's handling
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of the recent fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex
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Pritty by federal personnel amid the Trump administration's immigration enforcement
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crackdown in Minneapolis. She hinted the further investigations of Trump
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critics in the works. Asked by Republicans whether John Brennan,
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CIA directed during the Obama administration would soon be indicted
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as part of an investigation into the intelligence community's assessment
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of Russian efforts to interfere in the twenty sixteen presidential election,
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Bondy declined to confirm an investigation, then added, no one
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is above the law. Brennan's lawyer said in December they
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had been informed that he is the target of a
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criminal probe under way in Florida. He has denied any
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wrongdoing at every turn. Bonding never missed an opportunity to
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praise Trump for his leadership. That's why the day the
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other side sits here, they yell, cut me off. They
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want to yell, they want to ask a question, and
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don't want answers because they want to distract from all
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the great things that this president and this administration are doing,
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Bondy said when Representative Sidney Camlaga Drove, Democrat of California,
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cited a conspiracy theory that Trump had pushed about a
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federal investigation and asked Bondy whether she thinks the president
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is honest. The Attorney General U was fonded, of course,
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I do. He is commander in chief. Breakdown between Pentagon
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FAA led to flight stoppage. Officials say. An extraordinary ten
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day restriction on flights around Al Passo was issued late
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today and lifted hours later. And there's a picture of
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a Delta Airlines plane sitting at the El Paso International
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Airport on Wednesday with a big blue sky in the background.
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By Dan Lamouth, Noah Robertson, Ian Duncan, Victoria kraw and
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Kendra Nichols. The Federal Aviation Administration imposed extraordinary ten day
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flight restrictions on airspace around Al Paso late Tuesday, following
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a communications breakdown with the Pentagon and the Department of
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Homeland Security after a laser based counter drone weapon was
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temporarily transferred to and used by DHS personnel. Officials familiar
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with the MATTI said the restrictions were lifted hours later
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early Wednesday, amid growing outcry over the temporary closure of
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a US airport that serves a metropolitan area within the
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population of about nine hundred thousand people. The Trump administration
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did not acknowledge the apparent miscommunication, instead issuing a statement
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that Mexican cartel drones had breached US airspace and that
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the US military took action to disable them. Transportation Secretary
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Sean P. Duffy said on social media that the threat
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has been neutralized, but neither he nor the administration officials
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disclosed details about what happened or why such dramatic actions
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were needed. The administration said that the Pentagon and the
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FAA had determined there is no ongoing danger to commercial
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aviation after lifting the restrictions. It is believed that the
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laser system was launched by Customs and Border Protection personnel
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at something innocuous, probably a mylar balloon, said two US officials, who,
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like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity. Because of
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the sensitivity of the issue of my La balloon, the
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Pentagon temporarily transferred the laser system to counter drones flown
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by Mexican drug cartels across the US Vota, According to
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two people who spoke on the condition of anonymity, because
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of the sensitivity of the issue, Defense and FAA officials
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were to meet February twentieth to discuss safety issues around
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the weapons deployment, but the Pentagon in DHS wanted to
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move forward more quickly, prompting the FAA to put the
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flight restrictions in place. That date prompted the ten day
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airspace restrictions, one official said. Another official said the FAA
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did not know how long the Pentagon's counter drone operation
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would last, and it appears the agency is still gathering
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information from Defense officials. Use of the lab's system was
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temporarily transferred into the Department of Homeland Security with approval
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from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Three officials said Pentagon officials
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declined to release additional details, including when the drone incursions
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it referenced occurred, how many were there were, and whether
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they were observed. Tuesday night, a social media account for
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the Officer of Emil Michael, a Pentagon under secretary, posted
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a vague message after the restrictions were lifted, showing drones
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and a laser being fired with the ball eagle in
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the foreground. Defend the homeland. This is all in caps,
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the social media post read. The communications breakdown, reported earlier
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by CBS News, highlights the continued challenges for the US
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government encountering the proliferation of drones, including around major airports
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and military bases. It also marks another friction point in
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the Pentagon, where Hegseeth and his team have come under
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fire for more than a year for their willingness to
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upend long standing norms and withhold information from Congress of
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the US officials and the American public. The breakdown also
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underscores continued strains between the FAA and Defense officials that
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derive in part from Fallock to the January twenty twenty
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five collision between an Army Blackhawk helicopter and a commercial
26:38
jet at Reagan National Airport, killing sixty seven people. Two
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people familiar with the relationship said that has fuilled into
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other areas they assessed, including with the Pentagon withholding more
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information from the agency. Drone incursions from Mexico are not
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new and have been not been handled in such manna
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in the past. Steve Willoughby, a senior official with the
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Department of Homeland Security focused on the issue, told lawmakers
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in July that cartels use drone to both monitor US
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personnel and transport drugs. The El Paso area has been
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a point of emphasis for the Trump administration as it
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seeks to secure the southern border with Fort Bliss, an
27:28
army installation serving as a hub and active duty troops
27:33
deployed to a militarized area along the border. Bliss, home
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to more than twenty thousand US troops and tens of
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thousands more family members, is adjacent to El Paso International Airport.
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Defense officials have repeatedly described the border mission as a success,
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saying the number of illegal crossings is now close to zero.
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Administration officials have cited close integration between the US troops
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and customs and voter protection for the drop in crossings.
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Democrats on Wednesday raise questions over how such confusion could occur.
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The airspace closure over El Paso triggered immediate chaos and
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confusion and cannot be dismissed as a minor understanding, said
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Senator Jack Reid of Rhode Island, the top Democrat on
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the Senate Armed Services Committee. He added, a ten days
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shutdown of a major US air corridor is an extraordinary
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step that demands a clear and consistent explanation. He added
28:46
that the conflicting accoats coming from different parts of the
28:50
federal government only deep in public concern and raised serious
28:54
questions about coordination and decision making. The airspace disruption was unacceptable.
29:02
Representatives Rick Larson, Democrat of Washington and Andre Carson, Democrat
29:07
of Indiana said in a joint statement Wednesday. Larson, the
29:12
top Democrat on the host Transportation Committee, and Carson, the
29:17
top Democrat on its subcommittee for Aviation, commended the FAA
29:22
for taking swift action to protect travelers and ensure the
29:28
safety of US airspace. They called the restrictions chaotic outcome
29:35
that came after the White House forced language into a
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recent defense policy bill, the National Defense Authorization Act, that
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they say allows the Pentagon to act recklessly in the
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public airspace. Elected officials in El Paso said the FAA
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did not give advance notice to anyone in city government.
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Airport management or the city's congressional delegation. Representative Veronica Escobar,
30:04
Democrat of Texas who represents al Passo, said she learned
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to put the closure from a federal employee who tipped
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her off Tuesday night. She cast out on the administration's
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explanation Wednesday morning, saying drone incursions from Mexico have been
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a part of life on the VOTO for as long
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as drones existed. There was nothing extraordinary about any drone
30:28
incursion into the US that I'm aware of. There was
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nothing happening at Fort Bliss that would have impacted a
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ten day closure or even an immediate closure. Escobar said
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the FAA advisory covered airspace up to eighteen thousand feet
30:46
over the airport and the surrounding community and began at
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ten to three pm Tuesday local time. It did not
30:54
include Mexican airspace. A separate restriction was issued for part
30:59
of naboring Santa Teresa, New Mexico, and also has been rescinded.
31:06
The FAA restrictions issued in a notice to Airman or
31:11
not tam that is Capital n capital capital t capitol.
31:18
A not as to Airmen had stated that agency considers
31:24
the air Area National Defense Airspace, and that pilots who
31:29
do not adhere to the procedure may be intercepted, detained,
31:33
and interviewed by law enforcement. The US Army's Joint Task
31:39
for Southern Border referred inquiries to the FAA, which did
31:43
not respond to a request for comment. Al Paso is
31:48
a city of abate six hundred and eighty thousand on
31:51
the Mexican border next to Siadid Juarez. The airport, which
31:56
described itself as the gateway to the West Texas, Southern
32:00
New Mexico, and Northern Mexico, is run as a department
32:05
of the city and serviced nearly three point five million
32:09
passengers from January to November last year, mainly through Southwest American,
32:15
United Frontier, and Delta airlines. Airlines fly to major hubs
32:20
including Atlanta, Houston, Denver, Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Atlanta. In
32:28
rebuke House votes to roll back Trump's tariffs on Canada,
32:35
the President could veto the message if it reaches his desk,
32:39
but the action underscores some Republicans frustrations with his trade policies.
32:45
By Billy begin and David J. Lynch, six Republicans joined
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Wednesday night with Democrats in the House in voting to
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and President Donald Trump stepped up tariffs on Canada, rebuking
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the President in the first of what could be several
33:03
Congressional challenges to his trade policies. The measure is largely
33:09
symbolic and is not likely to succeed in overturning tariffs
33:13
on the major US trading partner, because Trump could veto
33:17
the resolution. If it clears the Senate as well, it
33:21
would require a two thirds majority vote in both chambers
33:25
to override his veto. But the action showcases the long
33:30
standing frustration some Congressional Republicans have with Trump's controversial trade policies,
33:37
and it's the latest evidence of the difficulties Host Speaker
33:42
Mike Johnson, Republican of Louisiana, is having managing his razathin majority.
33:49
Representative Don Bacon of Nebraska, one of the Republicans who
33:54
voted in support of the measure, said Congress has a
33:57
responsibility to speak out on tear tariffs. We cannot and
34:02
should not outsource our responsibilities. They can, wrote in a
34:08
post on x adding, as an old fashioned conservative, I
34:13
know tariffs are attacks on American consumers. I know some disagree,
34:18
but this debate and the vote should occur in the House.
34:23
The resolution from Representative Gregory W. Meeks, Democrat of New
34:28
York within the national emergency underpinning Trump's tariffs on Canada,
34:33
which are first announced in February twenty twenty five. Wednesday
34:38
was the first time that the House has considered a
34:40
challenge to Trump's tariffs. The Republican controlled chamber had used
34:45
procedural moves to premptibly muzzle opposition to the administration's trade
34:51
policy since March. We should have a vote. The Constitution
34:57
says Article one ars belonged to the United States Congress.
35:03
It's standing up for what our jobs are. Meek said
35:07
after the vote, adding that these tariffs are hurting the
35:11
American people. The latest prohibition on voting on legislation to
35:16
challenge Trump's tariffs expired at the end of January, and
35:20
Johnson attempted to renew it through July as part of
35:24
a procedural vote Tuesday night. The host rejected that attempt,
35:29
opening the controversial policy of the reversals for the first
35:33
time in nearly a year. Sixty percent of Americans disapprove
35:38
of Trump's increased tariffs, while thirty seven percent say they approve,
35:43
according to a February survey from the Pew Research Symum.
35:48
The White House did not respond to a request for
35:50
comment on the House's action, but the administration has argued
35:55
that the tariffs are necessary to rebalance trade deficits and
35:59
in centivized US based manufacturing, though manufacturing employment has declined
36:05
since April. Trump, in a post on Truth Social And
36:09
Wednesday evening, threatened to back primary challenges to Republicans who
36:13
voted to end his tariffs. Tariffs or caps have given
36:19
us great national security because the mere mention of the
36:23
word has countries agreeing to our strongest wishes, Trump wrote,
36:28
three has Republicans Bacon Thomas Massey of Kentucky and Kevin
36:33
Kylee of California voted with all of the chambers Democrats
36:38
to block the prohibition Tuesday. The Senate has previously voted
36:43
to Indian administration's tariffs on multiple occasions, but those efforts
36:48
couldn't move forward under the House's ban on considering such measures.
36:54
Most Canadian products that do not qualify for terror free
36:57
treatment under the US Mexico Canada Agreement U s MCA,
37:03
which Trump signed in his first term, a subject to
37:06
a thirty five percent tariff. Trump imposed the tariffs that
37:10
the host disapproved Wednesday in response to what he described
37:15
as Canada's failure to prevent the flow of illicit opioids
37:19
and other drugs into the United States. But the president's
37:23
broader objective with his tariff campaign is boosting domestic manufacturing
37:28
production and hiring. The results so far are mixed. Factory
37:33
output is up about two point five percent since Trump
37:37
returned to the White House, but it remains below levels
37:40
reached under President Joe Biden. The number of factory jobs
37:45
increased in January for the first time in more than
37:48
a year, but the five thousand person increased it little
37:51
to offset the earlier manufacturing shrinkage that defined the president's
37:56
America First ambitions. Manufacturing now employees three hundred and thirteen
38:03
thousand fewer Americans than it did three years ago, at
38:07
the bid near a peak of twelve point nine million
38:10
in early twenty twenty three. Since April, when Trump declared
38:15
a national emergency over the trade deficit and imposed its
38:19
historic import taxes, seventy two thousand factory positions have vanished.
38:26
Administration officials insist that the economy this year will surge.
38:31
Trump has said that the tariffs are the key to
38:33
has promised golden Age, saying they will encourage new investment
38:38
in manufacturing and provide the federal government with more revenue.
38:43
Importers have paid more than one hundred and thirty three
38:46
billion dollars in Trump's emergency tariffs, including two point four
38:50
billion on products from Canada, according to US Customs and
38:54
Border Protection. The President claims that foreigners paid these costs,
39:00
and Treasury Secretary Scott Present claims that overseas manufacturers are
39:06
absorbing tariff costs to maintain their foothold in the U
39:10
S market. Most independent assessments disagree, finding that American companies
39:17
and consumers are paying the price. Higher tariffs directly increased
39:22
the cost of imported goods, raising prices for US consumers
39:26
and businesses, The Congressional Budget Office said Wednesday in its
39:31
latest assessment of the U S economy, Americans are paying
39:36
ninety five percent of the tariffs, while foreign companies swallow
39:40
the remainder. The Independent Budget Office said. The CBO analysis
39:47
echoed the findings of a December study by economists at
39:51
Harvard University and the University of Chicago, which concluded that
39:56
ninety four percent of the tariffs imposed last year were
40:00
passed on to US importers. Another article, US employers added
40:08
one hundred and thirty thousand jobs in January, the strongest
40:13
gain in months. The unemployment rate ticked down to four
40:17
point three percent, a slight improvement, while large revisions slashed
40:23
job gains from twenty twenty four and twenty twenty five.
40:27
By Lauren Keaorti Girling, US employers added one hundred and
40:33
thirty thousand jobs in January as a sluggish labor market
40:38
showed new signs of bigger early in the year. The
40:42
unemployment rate tickdown to four point three percent. Wednesday's report
40:49
from the Labor Department features January data as well as
40:53
revisions to pass employment gains. January's gains beat economists forecast
41:00
that employers picked up about fifty five thousand jobs week.
41:05
Seasonal hiring during the holidays may have offered a boost
41:08
due to fewer jobs cut at the start of the year.
41:12
In September, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released preliminary revisions
41:18
that showed the labor market was significantly weaker during the
41:21
period of April twenty four to March twenty twenty five
41:25
than initial report showed. On Wednesday, the agency released final
41:30
revisions in line with those initial estimates. Those revisions reveal
41:36
a much darker picture of the labor market over the
41:39
past two years than previously reported. New estimates showed that
41:44
the US economy grew by one hundred and eighty one
41:47
thousand jobs in all of twenty twenty five, or roughly
41:50
fifteen thousand jobs per month. That's a significant decrease from
41:55
the previous estimate of five hundred and eighty four thousand,
42:00
forty nine thousand jobs per month. Some economists caution against
42:05
reading too much into revisions, which reflect how the labor
42:09
market performed many months ago, during a period when the
42:13
unemployment rate was steadily rising. The January report offered a
42:18
variety of reasons for optimism. Job gains picked up in
42:22
a few industries that languished last year. The unemployment rate
42:26
fell sharply for black workers and teenagers, both demographic groups
42:32
seen as bellweathers for the broader economy. Healthcare continued to
42:38
lead unemployment continued to lead employment growth, adding eighty two
42:43
thousand jobs, fueled by the aging demographics of the population.
42:49
Social assistance payrolls rolls by forty two thousand positions, and
42:55
the construction industry grew by thirty three thousand jobs. Professional
43:00
and business services, which includes many white collar positions, added
43:05
thirty four thousand jobs. Manufacturing payrolls grew by five thousand positions.
43:11
Following an extended streak of job losses last year. The
43:16
Trump administration has promised a resurgence of the US in
43:20
the US manufacturing sector that has yet to materialize. Meanwhile,
43:26
the federal government lost thirty four thousand positions, shrinking its
43:30
rapid contraction amid the Trump administration's campaign to shrink the
43:35
civil service. Financial activities shed twenty two thousand jobs, and
43:41
transportation in warehousing shrank by eleven thousand positions. Wage growth,
43:47
amidst solid, remained solid in January. Over the past twelve months,
43:53
hourly average hourly pay has increased by three point seven
43:58
percent two thirty six seven dollars and seventeen cents an hour,
44:03
beating inflation. Today's report is a tale of two time periods.
44:08
Twenty twenty five and twenty twenty four were much slower
44:12
than originally reported, said Daniel Chaw, chief economist at careers
44:17
site glass Door. He added that there is optimism leading
44:22
into twenty twenty six as we've seen some improvements with
44:26
the latest data. President Donald Trump moved quickly to trumpet
44:30
the report all caps great job numbers far greater than expected,
44:37
he posted on social media, while reiterating his call for
44:41
lower interest rates. But the strong report is likely to
44:45
give the Federal Reserve reason to keep interest rates steady
44:49
as signs of labor market weakness speed. Delayed inflation data
44:53
is scheduled to come out Friday. The S and P
44:57
five hundred in dal Jones average industrial average rallied early
45:02
Wednesday before retreating mid morning. As the rosy jobs report
45:06
also diminished the case for imminent interest rate cuts. It's
45:11
too early to declare a rebound in the labor market,
45:14
economists said, as job growth remains limited to a few sectors.
45:19
Shall the Glassdow economist also noted that seasonal abnormalities could
45:25
be muddling the January data. We should always be a
45:28
little bit humble with data around the endings start of
45:32
the year because there are seasonal factors. Jeffrey Roach, the
45:38
chief economist for lp L Financio, wrote in an analysis
45:43
note the economy has an anemic demand for workers. This
45:48
year may be more of the same, with average monthly
45:51
payroll gains expected to hover around fifty thousand. Economists say
45:56
that payroll growth of about fifty thousand positions per month
46:01
could be enough to keep the unemployment rate steady. That's
46:04
because the Trump administration's immigration enforcement actions have resaped the
46:09
labor market, and fewer jobs are needed to keep the
46:12
unemployment rates steady compared with previous years. Some economists are
46:18
confident that the labor market is stabilizing as a broader
46:22
economy continues to grow, including from hefty tax cuts and
46:27
tax returns expected to unleasure a new wave of consumers
46:31
spending in twenty twenty six, Still many unemployed Americans in
46:37
search of work of finding themselves out of luck. The
46:41
hiring rate is near its lowest level in over a
46:44
decade outside of the pandemic, according to a separate labor
46:48
report released last week. The share of workers quitting their
46:53
jobs remains low. According to that same report, the sharp
46:57
reversal from the years following the pandemic, when workers job
47:01
hopped on mass employers shed some one hundred and eight
47:06
thousand plus positions last month, the highest for any January
47:11
since two thousand and nine, according to the firm Challenger,
47:15
Gray and Christmas. After getting her daughter into day care
47:19
in January, Amber Martinez, twenty nine, who has been out
47:24
of the workforce since twenty twenty three, began throwing her
47:28
name in for dozens of remote and in person jobs.
47:32
But the labor market has totally changed since three years ago,
47:36
when it took her about a week to find work,
47:38
said Martinez, who lives in North Carolina. She has applied
47:42
to about sixty jobs in three weeks and has been
47:46
rejected from jobs nearly identical to the one she previously worked.
47:50
In property management. Martinez is hoping for enough income to
47:54
put her daughter's childcare bill of about eighteen hundred dollars
47:58
a month. Doctors bills for her diabetes then went up
48:02
from fifteen dollars to sixty dollars per visit this year.
48:07
I'm pretty much spending my resume anywhere that seems feasible.
48:13
Property management, commercial and residential, some tech companies, automotive. I'm
48:19
not getting any callbacks, Martinez said. GOP tax law fuels
48:27
steeper deficits, partly buffered by Trump's tariff revenue. The non
48:33
partisan Congressional Budget Office said the Republican tax law is
48:38
expected to increase deficits by four point seven trillion dollars
48:43
over the next deficit decade by Riley began, President Donald
48:49
Trump's tariffs are projected to temporarily help constrain federal deficits
48:54
despite the massive cost of Republicans tax and spending law.
48:59
According to to new estimates by the non partisan Congressional
49:03
Budget Office, the One Big Beautiful Bill extended and expanded
49:10
sweeping income tax cuts, increased the standard deduction, implemented new
49:16
tax cuts for businesses, and poured more money into defense
49:20
and immigration enforcement. That law is expected to increase federal
49:25
deficits by four point seven trillion dollars over the next
49:29
ten years, the CBO reported in its annual budget projection
49:34
released Wednesday, including interest costs and impacts on the economy.
49:39
The Trump administration's mass deportation efforts have also increased projected
49:44
deficits slightly by zero point five trillion dollars because immigrants
49:50
leaving the country reduces the labor force, but those costs
49:55
have been partially offset by Trump's tariffs on imports from
49:58
other countries, which reduced projected deficits by three trillion dollars,
50:04
including their effects on the economy. The CBO also reported
50:09
that inflation will be higher over the next three years
50:12
than previously expected because of tariffs, and that tariffs will
50:17
continue to weigh on growth by raising the cost of
50:21
imported goods, reducing investment from abroad, and lowering the efficiency
50:27
of the US economy. CBO estimated that US debt will
50:32
arise every year over the next decade, going from one
50:35
hundred and one percent of GDP this year to more
50:39
than one hundred and twenty percent of GDP by twenty
50:42
thirty six, the highest percentage in the nation's history. The
50:46
report noted that the large and growing national debt could
50:50
have several consequences, including rising borrowing costs that could slow investment,
50:56
rising interest costs, eroded confidence in the US dollar as
51:01
the international reserve currency, and increased risk of a financial crisis.
51:06
Real GDP is expected to grow slightly in twenty twenty
51:10
six as Republican tax laws provisions begin to outweigh drag
51:16
from higher tariffs and lowered immigration, and as AI increases productivity.
51:22
CBO reported, though growth will probably be slow to a
51:25
poultry one point eight percent in twenty twenty seven. It's
51:30
unclear how much longer Trump's tariffs will continue to affect
51:33
the economy and bring in revenue because the Supreme Court
51:37
is considering a request that could block many of the tariffs.
51:42
The estimated efficit for twenty twenty six is eight percent
51:46
greater than it was in the last annual projection released
51:50
in January twenty twenty five. According to the CBO, the
51:54
cumulative deficit over the next ten years is expected to
51:58
be six percent greater than last Jeous estimates, though the
52:01
projection assumes policy will remain unchanged. Host Budget Committee Chairman
52:08
Jody Errington, Republican of Texas, disputed the findings in a
52:13
statement Wednesday, arguing that Republicans have made meaningful strides to
52:19
restore our nation's physical health. I take great exception with
52:24
CBO's confoundingly low assumptions for economic growth, Arrington said. Democrats
52:33
toted the reporter's evidence that Trump's tariff policy isn't working
52:38
and highlighted the sweeping cost of the GOP tax law.
52:44
Republicans have forfeited any right to lecture anyone about deficits,
52:50
said Representative Brendan Boyle. Pennsylvania, the top Democrat on the
52:55
host's budget committee, adding that tariffs op rate as a
53:01
national sales tax on American families, and Republicans should stop
53:06
enabling this economic sabotage and start standing up for people
53:11
they represent. In the last article, Milan by Les Carpenter,
53:18
the first of the for gold medals, American speed skated
53:22
Jordan Stoltz hopes to earn it. This Olympics had been
53:26
won early Wednesday evening, the scoreboard at the corner of
53:30
the Milano speed Skating Stadium said he had an Olympic
53:33
record in the one thousand meters with the time of
53:37
one ozh six point twenty eight, beating his Dutch rival
53:41
Jennings Debot by a fraction of a second. It was
53:45
time to celebrate, and in the stand Snoop Dogg wore
53:48
a US jacket and held a flag. Except it wasn't
53:52
time to celebrate. Race officials set another skater from the Netherlands,
53:58
Yop Weynemars, had been illegally cut off by China's Unlan
54:03
when they had raced a few minutes earlier, and now
54:06
Winnemars was going to race again alone as soon as
54:10
he could be found, so Stoltes's first gold medal would
54:15
have to wait fifteen more minutes. With nothing else to do,
54:18
he sat on the curb in the middle of the track,
54:20
so oval and weeded. In front of him sat thousands
54:24
of fans, almost all wearing the orange of the Netherlands.
54:28
On the scoreboard above, images played of a half dressed
54:31
win Mars walking down a hallway behind the stands. I
54:35
didn't think he would beat Matan, Stoltz later said, Winnamar's
54:40
would not. When he finally put on his skating suit,
54:45
tied on his skates, and stretched and skated his race
54:48
without anyone next to him, he was tired and finished
54:52
in fifth place. After all, it was the second one
54:56
thousand meter race he had skated Wednesday. What meant Stolts
55:00
could at last cut loose. For Stolts, that meant standing up,
55:04
letting someone put a flag on his shoulders and slowly
55:08
skating a lap holding the flag above his head. Snoop
55:12
Dogg stood too and waved a flag himself. Standing behind
55:17
besides Snoop Dogg was Eric Heiden, the sixty seven year
55:22
old former speed skating star who is the only American
55:26
speed skater to win more than two gold medals in
55:29
the Olympics, with five at the nineteen eighty Lake Classic Games.
55:35
It all made for a strange moment of jubilation. If
55:39
Stoltz thought any of this weird, he wouldn't say. Stoltz
55:44
doesn't say much. He's the kind of speed skater who
55:47
lets his skating do most of the talking, racing faster
55:51
than anyone else. In fact, the latest sound Stolts made
55:55
Wednesday came more than halfway through his race against a
55:58
boat who would in the silver medal. At the time,
56:02
Debo was running ahead, having what he would later call
56:05
high hopes of beating Stolts, but with only two hundred
56:09
meters left in the race, he heard a noise he
56:11
has come to dread, the turning of Stoltz's blades coming
56:15
up behind him. You hear his gates coming, and it's
56:20
pretty creepy as well. I'm used to it now, But
56:24
that feeling when you know he is coming, it's not
56:28
a nice feeling, of course, Deboo said. At that point,
56:32
Deboo knew he would lose, like he often loses this race.
56:36
Stoltz has won nearly every one thousand meter race he's
56:40
been in since early in the twenty twenty three to
56:43
twenty four season. Since then, he's been a skating robot,
56:47
methodically turning past helpless competitors. I knew that last lap
56:53
was my strong point, so I knew there was a chance,
56:55
so I just tried as hard as I could. Stoltz
56:59
said he was just better today. Taboo said, now comes
57:04
the hard part, winning three more races. Stolts will raise
57:08
Saturday and the five hundred meters, the fifteen hundred meters
57:12
February nineteenth, and the mass start on February twenty first,
57:18
this was the first one. You have lots more to come.
57:22
Someone started to ask sults, I hope, so he said, smiling,
57:26
there's a little bit less pressure now that I got
57:28
one gold medal. This one gold medal is huge enough, right,
57:33
I mean it would be super nice. Would it be
57:36
super nice to have two? Three? Right? Well, I'm just
57:40
having one means a lot. And with that I end
57:43
today's reading of the Washington Post for Thursday, the twelfth
57:47
of February of twenty twenty six. Please continue listening to
57:52
Radio I through it today. It is going to be
57:55
another sunny day. The ice and snow are basically gone
57:59
from Yarding Street. I hope the same for you. Take care,
58:04
i'll be back Saturdays. Bye.