Nov 28, 2017

Fed nominee doesn't signal big changes

Axios

Photo: Carolyn Kaster / AP

Donald Trump's pick to be the new chairman of the Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, made his first appearance before Congress today, where according to Bloomberg, he pledged to stay the course. Takeaways:

  • Expect the Fed to raise rates again in December
  • Unemployment could fall below 4%
  • Banks are due for some regulatory relief
  • Powell's testimony was "middle of the road, don't rock the economy's boat," Chris Rupkey, chief financial economist at MUFG said

Bottom line: Bloomberg says Powell "should have smooth sailing to confirmation."

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Trump calls to fill up more places with oil

President Trump is calling on the Energy Department to find more places to store oil, in the wake of rock-bottom prices and an ensuing economic collapse of the sector itself.

Driving the news: Trump’s comments came Friday during a televised portion of a meeting he hosted with industry CEOs to discuss ways to help the sector. It’s reeling from a historic drop-off in demand with the world shutting down to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

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Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

  1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 4:30 p.m. ET: 1,083,084 — Total deaths: 58,243 — Total recoveries: 225,422 — Map.
  2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 4:30 p.m. ET: 266,671 — Total deaths: 6,921 — Total recoveries: 9,445 — Map.
  3. 2020 latest: Wisconsin governor calls for last-minute primary election delay.
  4. Oil latest: The amount of gasoline American drivers are consuming dropped to levels not seen in more than 25 years, government data shows.
  5. Business updates: America's small business bailout is off to a bad start.
  6. U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt: Senators call for independent investigation into firing of Navy captain.
  7. What should I do? Answers about the virus from Axios experts — What to know about social distancing — Q&A: Minimizing your coronavirus risk.
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Subscribe to Mike Allen's Axios AM to follow our coronavirus coverage each morning from your inbox.

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America's small business bailout is off to a bad start

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Websites have crashed, phones are jammed and confusion reigns as businesses rushed at today's kickoff to get their chunk of the $350 billion Paycheck Protection Program.

Why it matters: This is a race to save jobs in the present and the future, and to ensure that as many workers as possible keep their benefits and paychecks during the coronavirus lockdown.

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