Balance of Power

Bloomberg
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Oct 7, 2025 • 42min

Trump Threatens No Back Pay for Shutdown’s Furloughed Workers

Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF.President Donald Trump opened the door to blocking back pay for certain federal workers when the government reopens, a move that would heighten legal scrutiny of the administration’s maneuvers during the shutdown.“It really depends on who you’re talking about, but for the most part, we’re going to take care of our people,” he told reporters at the White House. “There are some people that really don’t deserve to be taken care of and we’ll take care of them in a different way.”The White House’s Budget Office led by Russell Vought has drafted a memo that says the workers aren’t guaranteed compensation during the shutdown, a posture that raises the stakes in the confrontation with Democrats nearly a week after agencies and departments suspended non-essential operations.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 speaks with: Bloomberg Washington Correspondent Tyler Kendall. Republican Congressman Mike Bost of Illinois, Chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee. Stonecourt Capital Partner Rick Davis and Harvard Kennedy School's Ash Center Visiting Democracy Fellow Jeanne Sheehan Zaino. Bloomberg Capitol Influence Team Lead Megan Scully. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Oct 6, 2025 • 43min

Government Shutdown Enters Second Week

Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF.The White House tightened its pressure on congressional Democrats as a US government shutdown lurched into a second week, saying it would soon trigger federal worker layoffs without specifying when those could begin.President Donald Trump spoke with top congressional Republicans Monday and administration officials are working with agency heads on layoff plans, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.“If this shutdown continues, layoffs are going to be unfortunate consequence of that,” Leavitt said Monday, declining to give a timeline for when the White House would announce layoffs.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 speaks with: Bloomberg Congressional Reporter Erik Wasson. Republican Congressman Nicole Malliotakis of New York. Stonecourt Capital Partner Rick Davis and Harvard Kennedy School's Ash Center Visiting Democracy Fellow Jeanne Sheehan Zaino. Wilson Center Global Fellow David Hale. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Oct 6, 2025 • 29min

Weekly Washington Policy Pulse: October 6, 2025

With the US government still shut -- and a re-opening unlikely this week amid continued brinkmanship -- questions about the market, sector and economic effects will be at top of market participant minds. On October 6, analysts from Bloomberg Intelligence, Bloomberg Economics and BloombergNEF hosted a client call to discuss paths for Congress to reopen the government, the fate of Obamacare subsidies and the economic fallout should the shutdown persist.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 D.C. 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#/registrationSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Oct 4, 2025 • 17min

Special Coverage: Hamas Agrees To Release Israeli Hostages

Hamas agreed to release the last of the hostages from its 2023 attack on Israel but said the rest of a US peace plan would be subject to negotiation, a stance that offered uncertain hopes for an end to the conflict in Gaza. President Donald Trump responded favorably to the Hamas statement even though the group failed to address other key elements of his 20-point proposal that Israel has also demanded, including that it disarm. He called on Israel to stop its bombing campaign and said discussions were underway on “details to be worked out,” suggesting that he was willing to give Hamas some leeway. “I believe they are ready for a lasting PEACE,” Trump said of Hamas in a social media post. “Israel must immediately stop the bombing of Gaza, so that we can get the Hostages out safely and quickly!” In a subsequent video post, Trump thanked the Muslim-majority nations he credited with assisting in the negotiations and pledged that “everybody will be treated fairly” in ongoing talks. “This is a big day,” Trump said. “We’ll see how it all turns out — we have to get the final word down in concrete.” For instant reaction and analysis, Bloomberg Balance of Power host Joe Mathieu speaks with: - Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York- Bloomberg News State Department and Foreign Policy Reporter Eric Martin- Former Deputy Secretary of State Wendy ShermanSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Oct 3, 2025 • 42min

Shutdown Drags On as Senators Leave Washington

Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF.Senate Democrats on Friday rejected a Republican spending bill in a vote that will almost certainly push the US government shutdown into next week as the party stands firm in the face of President Donald Trump’s threats to fire thousands of federal workers and extract political revenge.  With the two sides locked in a standoff that raises the prospects of lengthy furloughs and a prolonged disruption in government services, senators left Washington for the weekend. Across the Capitol, Speaker Mike Johnson indicated that House lawmakers, who have been home in their districts, may not return as planned next week if the Senate remains deadlocked.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 speaks with: Bloomberg Washington Deputy Bureau Chief Laura Davison. Republican Senator Todd Young of Indiana. Bluestack Strategies Founder Maura Gillespie. Former Republican Congressman Patrick McHenry. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Oct 2, 2025 • 42min

Trump Eyes Firing Thousands of Federal Workers Over Shutdown

Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. President Donald Trump is weighing slashing “thousands” of federal jobs ahead of a meeting with his budget director, Russell Vought, as the White House looks to ratchet up pressure on Democrats to end a government shutdown that has entered its second day.“It’s likely going to be in the thousands,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Thursday, saying that the “entire team at the White House” was working to identify possible cuts.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, Bloomberg's Tyler Kendall is in for Kailey. Joe and Tyler speak with: Bloomberg Congressional Reporter Erik Wasson. Democratic Congressman Joe Morelle of New York. Stonecourt Capital Partner Rick Davis and Third Way Senior Fellow Caitlin Legacki. Republican Congressman Bryan Steil of Wisconsin. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Oct 1, 2025 • 44min

US Government Shutdown Begins

Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF.The slow-rolling government shutdown that everyone saw coming is here. What’s harder to foresee is how Republicans and Democrats get out of it quickly.Parts of the federal government were slated to begin closing down this morning after lawmakers failed to agree on a spending bill last night. Unlike in past shutdowns, each side, at least for now, sees advantages in playing this brawl out.Republicans, after taking the blame for shutdowns in 2013 and 2018, are eager to turn the tables and blame Democrats for undercutting services millions rely on. And they don’t want to give in to policy demands on what has traditionally been a bipartisan process, funding the basics to keep the lights on.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, Bloomberg's Tyler Kendall is in for Kailey. Joe and Tyler speak with: Bloomberg Government Congress Reporter Jack Fitzpatrick. Republican Senator Ted Budd of North Carolina. Democratic Congressman Glenn Ivey of Maryland. Republican Congresswoman Lisa McClain of Michigan. Retired Two-Star Marine Corps Major General Arnold Punaro. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Sep 30, 2025 • 42min

US Heads Towards Government Shutdown

Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF.President Donald Trump threatened mass firings of federal workers as the US hurtles toward a shutdown with Democrats and Republicans at an impasse over funding the government.“We may do a lot and that’s only because of the Democrats,” Trump said in response to a question about the number of government employees who could be dismissed during a shutdown. The White House last week directed agencies to draw up plans for widespread firings if the government closed down. So far, no agencies have explicitly called for terminations in their shutdown plans. With just hours to go until a midnight deadline, the deadlock over spending threatens to paralyze many US government operations for the first time in nearly seven years, causing the suspension of services for Americans and paychecks for federal workers. As many as 750,000 federal workers could be temporarily furloughed, even if Trump doesn’t proceed with permanent dismissals, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated.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, Bloomberg's Tyler Kendall is in for Kailey. Joe and Tyler speak with: Republican Congressman Mike Lawler of New York. Bloomberg Washington Deputy Bureau Chief Laura Davison. Stonecourt Capital Partner Rick Davis and Harvard Kennedy School's Ash Center Visiting Democracy Fellow Jeanne Sheehan Zaino. Democratic Congresswoman Suzan DelBene of Washington. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Sep 29, 2025 • 30min

Trump Meets with Netanyahu to End Gaza War

President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said they had agreed to a 20-point plan designed to end the war in Gaza, though the prospects for peace remained unclear without the direct involvement of Hamas.Trump said the framework had the support of other leaders from the Middle East and Muslim majority nations during a press conference Monday alongside Netanyahu, suggesting it could lay the ground for a broader peace in the region. Still, the proposal — which mandates Hamas have no role in the future of Gaza — must be accepted by the militant group, which would need to agree to substantial concessions. Hamas, which sparked the war with an Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel said ahead of the Trump-Netanyahu meeting that it had not yet seen the plan and would need to study the proposal. Watch Joe and Kailey LIVE every day on YouTube: http://bit.ly/3vTiACF. Bloomberg Washington Correspondents Joe Mathieu and Tyler Kendall 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 speaks with: Bloomberg News Israeli Report Dan Williams Rep. Dusty Johnson on the looming government shutdown Stonecourt Capital Partner Rick Davis and Harvard Kennedy School's Ash Center Visiting Democracy Fellow Jeanne Sheehan Zain See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Sep 29, 2025 • 14min

Weekly Washington Policy Pulse: September 29, 2025

A discussion of why and why not the US government will shutdown on October 1 -- and the implications for markets -- led Bloomberg Intelligence's Sept. 29 Washington Policy Pulse. We continue to note one of the most important impacts for market participants will be a potential lack of government data -- such as Bureau of Labor Statistics employment reports. We also discussed President Donald Trump's recent tariff announcements -- including a 100% tariff on films made outside the US. We have previously ascertained that such a tariff is on weak legal grounds. Finally, we discussed recent developments in the crypto space, impacting firms like Robinhood, Coinbase and Bullish.  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 D.C. 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#/registrationSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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