Commerce secretary nominee Howard Lutnick said Wednesday he supports continuing the department's Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA).
Why it matters: His stance potentially contrasts with the White House's moves to drive diversity, equity and inclusion programs out of the federal government.
Last week, President Trump said he will "demand" that the Federal Reserve cut interest rates. Fed chair Jerome Powell declined to comment on the request Wednesday.
Why it matters: The Fed is set to face new pressure from the Trump administration, as it holds rates steady while the president pushes for them to come down.
Why it matters: The Fed is halting rate cuts as inflation looks more persistent, with some officials worried Trump's economic agenda might further ignite price pressures.
President Trump's pick to lead the Commerce Department, Howard Lutnick, on Wednesday said he would support imposing blanket tariffs on a country-by-country basis.
Why it matters: If confirmed, Lutnick will be at the center of executing Trump's go-to geopolitical tool — but how exactly the administration should do so highlights a divide among its economic officials.
The central economic policy goal for President Trump and congressional Republicans this year is to extend and build upon their 2017 tax reform. It won't be easy.
The big picture: To succeed, the president and congressional leadership must manage an exquisitely complicated set of economic and political trade-offs, while maintaining lockstep unity in a Republican party with the narrowest of majorities.
Trump Media and Technology Group, the parent company of Truth Social, announced a plan to expand into financial services — including customized investment vehicles geared toward conservatives.
Why it matters: Shares in TMTG, which is majority owned by President Trump, jumped more than 11% Wednesday on the news.
Government employees who accept the president's offer to resign and get paid through the end of September are not expected to keep working, a senior White House official confirmed to Axios Wednesday morning.
Why it matters: Federal workers have been confused since the offer went out Tuesday afternoon.
Frontier Group has revived its efforts to merge with rival Spirit Airlines, which rejected the offer and said it's prepared to exit bankruptcy later this quarter.
Why it matters: This highlights the fragile economics of budget air travel, and also a broader belief that the Trump administration will be easier on antitrust than was its predecessor.
A Trump administration freeze on grants and other federal funding paralyzed state Medicaid agencies and some health providers for most of Tuesday until a federal judge in D.C. issued a temporary injunction.
Why it matters: With hundreds of billions of dollars at stake, health care providers and officials are still sorting through conflicting memos as significant portions of their federal assistance sit in limbo.
A potential constitutional crisis erupted Tuesday over the Trump administration's surprise federal funding freeze, jolting Democrats into action after months of strategic paralysis.
Why it matters: For the first time since President Trump won the election, the so-called Resistance is showing signs of life.
The White House issued a memo Tuesday offering to pay federal workers who don't want to return to the office through Sept. 30, as long as they resign by Feb. 6.
Why it matters: The action, first reported by Axios, marks an acceleration in President Trump's already unprecedented purge of the federal workforce.
