Balance of Power

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. With one week to go control of the Senate is still up for grabs. Democrats have 47 Senate seats and need a net gain of four to win a majority. That seemed like a longshot after devastating 2024 election losses, but is now more realistic with President Donald Trump’s poor approval rating weighing down Republican candidates. Democrats need to flip at least two seats in states that favored Trump by double digits in 2024. The last time Democrats won a net gain of four Senate seats was 2008. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Joe and Kailey speak with: Republican Congressman Rich McCormick of Georgia. Bloomberg Intelligence Senior US Policy Analyst Nathan Dean.…

Democratic nominee for Georgia governor Keisha Lance Bottoms says she is calling for a pause on new data center construction in the state while officials assess the industry’s impact. Speaking to Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz on Bloomberg Balance of Power, Bottoms says the pause could last six months or longer, citing questions about strain on the electric grid, costs to ratepayers and impacts on the water supply. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Democrats winning in the US midterm elections would likely means President Donald Trump turns up the pressure on his fellow Republicans to pass a reconciliation bill that increases the debt limit beyond the end of his administration -- combined with billions in funds earmarked for war in Middle East and aid to US farmers. Yet with a debt ceiling fight potentially coming in mid- to late 2027, we ascertain just a 30% chance of passage. Also on the Oct. 26 Bloomberg Intelligence Washington Policy Pulse, we discussed the latest from regulators on cryptocurrency rules, including a final stablecoin regulation that may spark further deposit flight from the banking sector. Finally, we updated clients on the latest on tariff negotiations among Canada, the US and Mexico. The Bloomberg Intelligence Financial Policy weekly call is designed to provide investors an opportunity to learn about the most recent relevant policy research, information regarding forthcoming political catalysts and other on-goings within…

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. A US Senate contest in the historically Republican state of Mississippi is drawing fresh attention in the final stretch of the midterm election cycle, with President Donald Trump holding a rally to boost the GOP candidate and control of the chamber hanging on the outcome of races in states the president won two years ago. Trump will headline a rally in the city of Corinth, eight days before the election, the Republican National Committee said in a statement last week. The move, in a state Trump won by more than 22 percentage points in 2024, comes with the president’s approval rating hitting record lows and Democrats needing to flip just four seats to retake the Senate. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key…

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. Barack Obama heads to the Mitten State tomorrow, and Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders follow up Sunday as they all try to squeeze out votes in a race that could blow a hole in Democrats’ hopes of winning the Senate. The attention from political heavy hitters — following recent appearances by JD Vance and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — tells you just how tight the Senate contest looks, and how much is at stake. If Republican Mike Rogers flips the seat and defeats Abdul El-Sayed (who just added another $1 million donation from Sanders), it would force Democrats to essentially run the table on every other top-tier race to win a majority. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this…

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. President Donald Trump’s plan to provide $8 billion to farmers to offset rising diesel costs is drawing skepticism from strategists and those in the agriculture community, who say the money offers only temporary relief as Republicans face pressure ahead of the midterm elections. Trump announced the funding Monday during a campaign stop in Kansas, where Sen. Roger Marshall (R) is facing a surprisingly competitive reelection bid, Bloomberg’s Ilena Peng, Ben Westcott, and Michael Hirtzer reported. The aid is intended to help farmers cover higher fuel costs and comes amid warning signs that farmers, a typically Republican constituency, might not turn out to vote on Nov. 3. But observers are doubtful Trump’s latest gambit will be a significant help to either farmers or Republicans, spelling potential trouble for the party in parts of the country where agriculture is the center of the…

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. Republican lawmakers, including some of the president’s strongest allies on Capitol Hill, blasted Donald Trump for waiving new tariffs and sanctions on Russia, prompting the president to defend himself against members of his own party. House Speaker Mike Johnson, in a rare sign of disagreement with Trump, said Sunday he asked for consultations with the White House, citing Russian President Vladimir Putin as someone who “cannot be trusted.” GOP critics said Trump’s decision trampled on the will of Congress, which overwhelmingly passed a sanctions law last month championed by the late Senator Lindsey Graham, and would aid Moscow’s war effort against Ukraine. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in…

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. The Trump administration announced $8 billion in aid for farmers to help offset rising fuel costs, a major burden for growers during the harvest. The move is the administration’s latest attempt to ease financial burdens on growers — traditionally a strong Republican voting base — ahead of midterm elections. The White House earlier this month also eased limits restricting the use of a tax-exempt variety of diesel. The Harvest Fuel Relief program will “provide relief during temporary market disruptions and increased input costs,” the US Department of Agriculture said in a statement late Monday. The one-time payments will cover a portion of modeled losses for farmers during the 2026 crop year, according to the agency. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including…

With the US midterm election weeks away, investors across the world are beginning to ask what it means for portfolios, sectors and companies. Last week, Bloomberg Intelligence analysts Nathan Dean and Elliott Stein toured Europe meeting with clients and investors to discuss the implications of the midterms. On the Oct. 19 edition of the Bloomberg Intelligence Washington Policy Pulse, Nathan Dean discussed BI's key sectors to watch after the midterms, what it means for Democrats to take the House of Representatives and what President Donald Trump may do in return. The Bloomberg Intelligence Financial Policy weekly call is designed to provide investors an opportunity to learn about the most recent relevant policy research, information regarding forthcoming political catalysts and other on-goings within Washington DC. The call is open to all and is held every Monday at 10:00 a.m. EST. You can register for the call here: https://bloomberg.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__PqCkwY-S2m3hbQqvVC1_Q#/registration See…

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Donald Trump of trying to pressure Kyiv into surrendering to Russia, escalating a weeklong row with the US president. In an interview with Bloomberg in Kyiv, Zelenskyy also offered a new proposal to accede to Trump’s request to stop targeting Russian refineries, which was aimed at combating high diesel prices, in exchange for deliveries of more Patriot air-defense missiles. “Now, we have dangerous days ahead of the elections,” Zelenskyy said on Sunday, referring to the Nov. 3 midterms in the US. “My latest model was: We don’t target Russian diesel, you give us missiles for Patriot systems to protect our facilities. But they just want us to stop attacking diesel. And if we strike that, they will disconnect us from something.” Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest…

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. Katie Zacharia will no longer serve as President Donald Trump’s press secretary after spending less than a week on the job, thrusting the White House’s communications operation back into a state of chaos. Zacharia was out of the role as of Friday, according to people familiar with the matter who requested anonymity to describe the decision before it was made public. A White House official said Zacharia is transitioning out of the job. It’s unclear if she would take another position in the White House or in Trump’s orbit. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Joe and Kailey speak with: Bloomberg Washington Correspondent Tyler Kendall. Atlantic Council…

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. The super political action committee tied to House Speaker Mike Johnson said it raised $94.4 million in the third quarter and entered October with $155.2 million in cash on hand as it shifts money to more competitive races before next month’s midterm elections. The Congressional Leadership Fund and an allied nonprofit called American Action Network have raised $370 million so far in the two-year election cycle, a record for the groups, the PAC said Thursday. Republican super PACs and party committees have enjoyed a wide fundraising edge, building a $1.1 billion war chest in their party committees and main super PACs by the end of the second quarter, triple the amount Democrats held. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential…

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. US consumer prices advanced in September at the fastest pace in five months and a gauge of underlying price pressures rose by more than expected, keeping the squeeze on household budgets ahead of November’s midterm elections. The consumer price index rose 0.6% from a month earlier, driven by a surge in fuel costs, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data out Wednesday. A key measure of underlying price pressures, which excludes food and energy, was up 0.3%. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Joe and Kailey speak with: Bloomberg News White House Reporter and Washington Correspondent Jeff Mason. University of Arizona Professor Samara Klar. Stonecourt…

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. The White House said it has asked US Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle to resign from her post following allegations of unethical conduct. President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters on Tuesday, indicated that she would be leaving. “I didn’t speak to her, no — but she will not be there. I didn’t like what I read,” Trump said. White House Press Secretary Katie Zacharia told reporters earlier she had been asked to resign. Guilfoyle, a Trump appointee, came under scrutiny in a series of reports by the Wall Street Journal alleging she solicited or accepted money, travel and other benefits from private individuals while using — or offering to use — her access to US officials and her diplomatic position to advance their interests. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol…

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. President Donald Trump’s deal with Moscow on its diesel exports and his praise for Vladimir Putin are just the latest in a string of Russia-related news that has sparked public criticisms from Republicans weeks ahead of a midterm election that increasingly favors Democrats. Trump has said he is working with the Russian president to release the country’s diesel supplies into global markets, upending years of sanctions in a bid to ease fuel prices before the Nov. 3 elections. The move has prompted European officials to warn that increasing Russia’s diesel sales will boost Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Joe and Kailey speak…

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. President Donald Trump is establishing a committee to investigate mortgage fraud allegations against Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook and is forcing her to appear at a White House hearing to defend herself, a dramatic escalation in his efforts to oust her from her role. The White House shared a memorandum dated Wednesday from Trump to establish the committee. “As President, it is my job to ensure the laws are faithfully executed, including by firing subordinates who cannot be trusted to tell the truth and follow the law,” Trump said in the memo. He said the committee would investigate whether there is “cause” for Cook’s removal following a Supreme Court decision in June that allowed her to remain in her role while she fought an earlier attempt to fire her. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the…

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. President Donald Trump said the US would not attack Iran ahead of November’s midterm elections, citing what he said were “productive discussions” with the Islamic Republic. “We will not be attacking Iran at any time prior to the Midterm Elections to be held in the United States on November 3rd,” Trump said in a social media post Thursday. The president’s comments amounted to an unusual blending of US national security issues and domestic politics. And his decision to lay off new strikes comes despite Iran ramping up attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, Tehran-backed militants in Yemen attacking energy facilities in Saudi Arabia and the president’s decision to move US bombers from a base in the United Kingdom because of possible Iran-linked threats. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the…

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. Texas Governor Greg Abbott is planning to skip a political rally in San Antonio headlined by President Donald Trump, declining a chance to appear with the country’s highest-profile Republican as his reelection bid faces a surprisingly strong challenge from Democrat Gina Hinojosa. Abbott, a longtime Trump ally and GOP stalwart, will instead hold campaign events in Jasper, a city of about 7,500 near the Louisiana border, and College Station, where he will appear at a barbecue described by its organizers as having a maximum capacity of 250. The barbecue will start around the same time as the Trump rally. “I already have events scheduled that day and will not be able to make it,” Abbott told reporters Monday. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations…

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. Republicans are bolstering US Senator Darline Graham’s campaign for a full term amid increasing concern that the race in South Carolina, traditionally a conservative stronghold, is tightening ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Some in the party are worried that the state of the contest, for a seat that her late brother Lindsey Graham held for more than two decades, is in jeopardy, according to people familiar with the situation. The Senate Leadership Fund, a Republican super PAC, is shifting $5 million to the race to support Graham, according to another person familiar with the matter. Two people who asked not to be identified downplayed the move — reported earlier by Axios — as more of a precautionary measure, meant to ensure Republicans are not taking South Carolina for granted. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest…

A look at the final actions of the Senate -- including releasing a bipartisan energy permitting bill -- as well as looking at regulatory rulemakings geared towards enhancing institutional adoption of the crypto sector led Bloomberg Intelligence's Washington Policy Pulse on Oct. 5. The energy bill aims to speed up permitting reviews for new infrastructure projects, including making data centers pay for their transmission costs, will likely see a vote in the forthcoming lame-duck period in November. We also looked at the SEC's most recent proposals related to accredited investor and crypto custody and how the SEC plans to finalize them in 2027. The accredited investor proposal probably won't lead to a material increase in new growth for alternative asset managers. Finally, we previewed a Trump action on farm aid, which we think will be tied to cutting diesel costs. Yet we caution most federal actions over lowering the price of diesel are limited in scope. The Bloomberg Intelligence Financial Policy weekly call…

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. President Donald Trump is preparing to ease limits restricting the use of a tax-exempt variety of diesel, his latest bid to pare costs for the essential fuel ahead of the November midterm elections. The Trump administration is expected to unveil the plan targeting so-called red dyed diesel on Monday, according to people familiar with the matter, who asked not to be named before a public announcement. The plan effectively would allow more widespread use of red or dyed diesel, which is generally available for off-road purposes, such as in farm and construction equipment. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Joe and Kailey speak with: Bloomberg Washington…

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. President Donald Trump predicted that Democrats would impeach him for a third time if they retake control of Congress, seeking to boost voter enthusiasm for Republican candidates amid broad public dissatisfaction with his leadership. Trump spoke Thursday during a campaign swing through Texas and Oklahoma, states which he carried handily in his three presidential campaigns but are now home to competitive Senate and gubernatorial races, highlighting the GOP’s peril in the November midterm elections. The president plans to hold a rally Friday in Alabama, another deep-red state. “Pretend I’m running, please, because I am on the ballot. And if we don’t win, they’ll end up impeaching me,” the president said during a rally in the Oklahoma city of Durant. “They’re going to ruin our nation if they’re allowed to get back into office.” Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey…

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. Donald Trump is embarking on a travel blitz aimed at shoring up struggling Republicans in states he won two years ago, as the president’s mood darkens about his party’s prospects in the November midterm elections. In the coming days, Trump plans to appear in Texas, Oklahoma, Ohio and Nebraska, GOP strongholds where a visit could deliver a jolt of energy to his base. But the choice of destinations points to a cold reality for Trump: a presidential appearance on behalf of office-seekers in competitive states might hurt more than it helps. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Joe and Kailey speak with: Bloomberg Washington Correspondent Tyler Kendall. Bloomberg…

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. The Federal Reserve’s internal watchdog found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing in the central bank’s renovation of its Washington headquarters, a $2.4 billion project that became a flashpoint between the Fed and the Trump administration as the president pushed for lower interest rates last year. The findings came in a report released Wednesday by the Office of Inspector General that identified a series of missteps that led to surging costs for the renovation from an initially budgeted $1.3 billion in 2020. “At no point during our evaluation did we find reasonable grounds to believe that a violation of federal criminal law had occurred requiring a referral to the US Attorney General in accordance with the Inspector General Act,” the OIG said. “Further, while our report outlines deficiencies in the management of the renovation project, resulting in our recommended corrective actions…

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. President Donald Trump shot down the idea of new federal regulations on artificial intelligence after meeting at the White House with top industry executives amid growing global concerns over threats posed by the technology. Speaking Tuesday after a luncheon with nearly two dozen Silicon Valley leaders, including Anthropic PBC Chief Executive Officer Dario Amodei and Nvidia Corp. CEO Jensen Huang, Trump said existing laws would be enough to safeguard Americans from AI’s potential risks. “There’s a belief that there should be tremendous self-regulation, and we automatically have regulation with the Department of Justice, the FBI, all of that, but the self-regulation is very important,” the president told reporters in a brief appearance with his guests. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White…

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. Global anxiety over artificial intelligence risks has intensified following fresh disclosures about a far wider range of breaches by advanced AI models, setting the stage for a high-stakes meeting between Anthropic PBC Chief Executive Officer Dario Amodei and President Donald Trump. Amodei and Trump met on Sunday night, according to a White House official, bringing together two men at opposite ends of the AI safety debate. The meeting marked their first private sit-down after months of rocky relations between the Anthropic chief and the administration over safety-related issues involving the company’s AI tools. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Joe and…

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. President Donald Trump said he would meet again with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in November, following what he said was a successful summit in Washington. “We will be meeting again in November, in China, and then at the G20 in December, in Miami, Florida. Much has been, and will be, accomplished,” Trump said in a social media post Friday. Trump’s comments followed a summit in Washington with Xi that was seemingly light on concrete policy outcomes. Earlier Friday, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said the US would announce agreements with China on trade in non-sensitive goods, which could be made public as soon as Monday. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this…

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. Donald Trump and Xi Jinping addressed their intense competition over artificial intelligence on Thursday during a summit aimed at keeping ties between the world’s largest economies on track. How the leaders are handling AI is one of the key questions looming over the state visit, with the US president arguing for unfettered development to keep his nation’s edge. China, meanwhile, has criticized American export controls on semiconductors and other inputs that it argues constrains its companies. Trump said the two men would discuss issues related to security, technology and AI. “If we focus on our common interests, I’m confident there is much we can achieve throughout history,” he said during remarks in the Grand Foyer of the White House. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and…

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. Xi Jinping and Donald Trump will sit down this week to hash out a plethora of thorny issues from trade to Taiwan. One thing both sides agree on: neither can afford to tap the brakes on AI. While Silicon Valley debates the possibility of artificial intelligence wiping out humanity, Washington and Beijing appear more worried about global technological supremacy. The two countries have signaled no intention to slow down AI development — a debate that flared anew after Anthropic PBC co-founder Dario Amodei warned of the dangers of unbridled progress in a 3,800-word communique. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Joe and Kailey speak with: Senator Mark Kelly…

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. President Donald Trump said US officials had a “very good” meeting with Iranian envoys in New York, reviving fragile hopes for a new diplomatic off-ramp hours after he again threatened to annihilate the country. Trump said the three-hour meeting — held on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting — was “very productive” and that another was being planned for the near future. Iran has yet to comment on the meeting or say who attended. Trump later said his special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had participated in the meeting. The pair had led negotiations with Iran that preceded the US and Israeli military campaign that began in late February and has roiled the Middle East, as well as global energy markets. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill,…

A preview of the meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping led Bloomberg Intelligence's Washington Policy Pulse for Sept. 21. Topics that could be discussed at the summit include artificial intelligence regulations, tariffs, the conflict with Iran and the likelihood of Chinese automobiles in the the US market. We also discussed the future of AI regulations in the US, where legislation and regulatory views seem to differ, allowing states to take their place. We also reviewed a speech from the Fed Vice Chair for Supervision on the future of rulemakings related for stress testing and bank capital. The Bloomberg Intelligence Financial Policy weekly call is designed to provide investors an opportunity to learn about the most recent relevant policy research, information regarding forthcoming political catalysts and other on-goings within Washington DC. The call is open to all and is held every Monday at 10:00 a.m. EST. You can register for the call here:…

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. US and Chinese officials offered upbeat assessments of their talks on artificial intelligence, trade and investment, signaling a mutual desire to steady ties ahead of this week’s summit between leaders Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. China’s top trade negotiator, Li Chenggang, said the talks were held in a “good atmosphere” as he left JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s headquarters in New York on Sunday, while US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent lauded “very successful” discussions. China’s official Xinhua News Agency called the exchange “candid, in-depth and constructive.” Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Joe and Kailey speak with: Bloomberg Washington Correspondent…

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said artificial intelligence systems will face a slew of new safety and security standards as he pushes for leading companies to develop an AI “kill switch.” Newsom cited recent incidents at major AI labs OpenAI and Anthropic that have led researchers to sound alarms on the potential catastrophic consequences of the unchecked development of the technology. Newsom, a likely presidential contender for 2028, particularly blamed Congress and President Donald Trump for inaction on the issue. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Joe and Kailey speak with: Bloomberg Washington Correspondent Tyler Kendall. Emerald AI CEO Varun Sivaram.…

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. President Donald Trump visited North Carolina in his first campaign stop since the GOP’s Dallas midterm convention, seeking to boost Republican Senate candidate Michael Whatley, who is trailing Democrat Roy Cooper in the polls. The race in North Carolina could be critical to determining which party controls the Senate, and the president’s rally at an airfield in Gastonia, outside Charlotte, offered a sign of the deep concern within GOP ranks over their prospects for holding onto the chamber. “A vote for Roy Cooper is a vote to give control of the US Senate,” Trump said Wednesday, casting the race as having stakes far beyond the state. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On…

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. US midterm elections were already shaping up to be a key risk for AI-related stocks amid a backlash against data centers. But with a growing number of lawmakers from both parties sounding the alarm on the need for AI safety regulations, the stakes have only gotten higher. Optimism about AI has powered the stock-market rally for the better part of four years amid soaring spending on computing infrastructure. That trade, however, is on shaky ground after Anthropic PBC and OpenAI both pledged to slow development of their most advanced models following a series of warnings from within the industry about its ability to control the technology. The Philadelphia Stock Exchange Semiconductor Index, better known as the SOX, tumbled nearly 6% on Monday, its worst day in more than two months. Former President Barack Obama called for AI policy to be “at the center of our public debate,” in a…

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. President Donald Trump’s opposition to guardrails on artificial intelligence puts him at odds with a growing number of lawmakers from both parties, with AI safety fears adding to voters’ misgivings about the technology heading into the midterm elections. In a rapid-fire series of social media posts, Trump on Monday belittled a push led by Anthropic PBC and OpenAI to slow work on cutting-edge systems, invoking bombastic language to dismiss existential fears about AI as “a hoax.” Later in the day, he made an impromptu call to Nvidia Corp. Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang, who was onstage at a technology conference and put their conversation on speakerphone. “The robots will not be taking over. AI will not be taking over the rest of the world,” Trump told Huang, who was a featured guest at the All-In summit in Los Angeles. “We have to do things, and we have to do them prudently, but…

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. President Donald Trump attacked Anthropic PBC Chief Executive Officer Dario Amodei for urging a slowdown in artificial intelligence development, intensifying his opposition to new guardrails for the technology. In a Monday social media post, Trump blamed a “SICK conspiracy” for voter backlash on AI data centers and increased concern about frontier models, adding that “the only one that is happy about it is China.” “The only control or ‘guardrails’ that AI needs is a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT, and the U.S.A. has that, in spades!” Trump posted. “We are leading China, and all others, and will continue to do so. Conspiracy Theorists, Treasonists, Traitors, and Leakers, BEWARE!” Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential…

Bloomberg News' Ottawa Bureau Chief Brian Platt sits down with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney ahead of the country's first national investment summit in Toronto. Carney says he thinks it’s still possible for the US and Canada to reach a “mutually advantageous” deal that would reduce trade barriers. He notes that Canada is "ready to sit down and negotiate that and move it forward". Carney adds that he welcomed President Trump’s comments over the weekend that he believed the countries could reach an agreement fairly soon. He also discusses the need to strengthen AI guardrails and more. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. Anthropic says its artificial intelligence model Claude has been misused in attempts to develop a wide range of military applications, including kamikaze drone swarms, missile navigation systems and research tied to potential biological weapons.Users from countries including Iran, Russia, China and Yemen are among those flagged for misusing the AI company’s frontier models in the past year, according to a report by Anthropic’s threat intelligence team on Thursday. None of the cases involved Anthropic’s most advanced models, Fable and Mythos. Guest hosts Christina Ruffini and David Gura deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, David and Christina speak with: Mike Shepard, Bloomberg Senior Editor for Technology and Strategic…

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this special edition of Balance of Power, Kailey Leinz hosts from our Dallas bureau to speak with several key figures in Texas for the first of its kind midterm convention for the Republican party, headlined by two primetime speeches from President Donald Trump. During his speech on opening night, President Donald Trump floated a dividend for American voters if his party wins the upcoming November midterm elections, promising a $5,000 payment to each US citizen adult if Republicans keep control of the House and Senate. On this edition, Kailey speaks with: Josh Wingrove, Bloomberg News Senior White House Reporter and Washington…

US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins says she is not running for Texas governor or a Senate seat for now. “That is a ‘no’ right now for sure,” Rollins said while speaking to Bloomberg Television from the Republican midterm convention in Dallas. She is attending the event in her personal capacity. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this special edition of Balance of Power, Kailey Leinz hosts from our Dallas bureau to speak with several key figures in Texas for the first of its kind midterm convention for the Republican party, headlined by two primetime speeches from President Donald Trump. Kailey speaks with: Brooke Rollins, US Secretary of Agriculture Ray Washburne, Co-Chair of the RNC Midterm Convention along with Bloomberg Texas bureau chief Julie Fine Wendy Davis, former Texas state senator (D) and 2014 Texas Democratic gubernatorial nominee along with Bloomberg Texas bureau chief Julie Fine Matt Angle, Founder/Director of the Lone Star Project and Democratic…

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Joe and Kailey speak with: Bloomberg White House Correspondent Kate Sullivan. Atlantic Council Senior Fellow Melinda Haring. Harvard Kennedy School Ash Center Visiting Democracy Fellow Jeanne Sheehan Zaino and Echo Canyon Consulting CEO Jon Seaton. Bloomberg Texas Bureau Chief Julie Fine. Democratic US Senate Candidate for Michigan Abdul El-Sayed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. US job growth surged in August and the unemployment rate held steady, suggesting the labor market has more momentum than previously thought. Nonfarm payrolls increased 162,000 last month and July’s job losses were revised away, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics data out Friday. The August increase topped all estimates in a Bloomberg survey. The unemployment rate remained at 4.1%. The report indicates the labor market is powering through uncertainty from the Iran war and pressure from inflation. Federal Reserve officials will likely read it as bolstering the argument for raising interest rates, though next week’s consumer price data will prove key to the central bank’s decision later this month. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with…

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. The US and Iran have intensified tit-for-tat military strikes in recent days, remaining locked between ceasefire and all-out war as the White House struggles to end the six-month conflict. “Very clearly militarily, we are stalled,” Republican Representative Pat Harrigan of North Carolina, who sits on the House Armed Services Committee, said in an interview on Wednesday. “There’s no question about that.” The latest back and forth has seen Iran hit merchant vessels, spurring the US to strike Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps sites that were used for targeting ships in the Strait of Hormuz. That led to Iran firing missiles and drones on US bases in the region, including in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with…

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures in politics and policy. On this edition, Joe and Kailey speak with: Bloomberg White House Correspondent Skylar Woodhouse. Republican Congressman Jodey Arrington of Texas, Chairman of the House Budget Committee. US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. Bloomberg Economics Economic Statecraft Lead Chris Kennedy. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick lauds the benefits of artificial intelligence. Speaking with Bloomberg Balance of Power co-host Joe Mathieu at the G20 Innovation Ministerial in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, Lutnick also says Anthropic has settled differences with the Trump administration and discusses the state of US-Canada trade negotiations. Listen to the full conversation, as heard live on Bloomberg TV and Radio. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright discusses details of Venezuelan oil production and exports, deals signed with Chevron, ENI, and GE Vernova, and offers an update on the Strait of Hormuz. He speaks with Tyler Kendall in Caracas, Venezuela. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Insight & analysis on the White House and Capitol Hill. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. The US launched a fresh wave of strikes against targets in Iran and the Islamic Republic said it retaliated, as the back-and-forth of fighting between the two escalated. President Donald Trump said the US strikes were in retaliation for Iran trying to put mines in the Strait of Hormuz and for an earlier attack on a military base in Jordan. He warned of more attacks to come if Tehran responded. Within hours, Iran said its forces had launched a “decisive operation” against US bases in the region, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said the new fighting “only tightened the lock on the Strait of Hormuz,” IRIB reported. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Kailey Leinz deliver insight and analysis on the latest headlines from the White House and Capitol Hill, including conversations with influential lawmakers and key figures…

With the House of Representatives returning to Washington after August recess, the likelihood of a government shutdown -- only 20% in our view -- led Bloomberg Intelligence's Aug. 31 Washington Policy Pulse. The House will most likely embrace a Senate deal that extends the government funding until Dec. 11 before leaving town to further campaign ahead of the midterm elections. A potential vote on a separate measure on a Russian sanctions package will likely be pushed back until after the election. We also discussed President Donald Trump's announcement of a deal in Venezuela to have the US take a stake in Venezuela's oil fields. Analysis from BI's energy team suggest that while Chevron may embrace the deal, ConocoPhillips and ExxonMobil may be more hesitant. We also previewed a forthcoming meeting with energy executives at the White House on Sept. 2. The Bloomberg Intelligence Financial Policy weekly call is designed to provide investors an opportunity to learn about the most recent relevant policy research,…