This year has had its fair share of political tension and technological advancements, but 2018 could have even more in store. "The World in 2018," an annual publication from The Economist, predicts 2018 will be a "nerve jangling" year. Daniel Franklin, Executive Editor of The Economist, and Editor of "The World in 2018," stopped by to discuss the 12 global themes for 2018.
Franklin says we will see more open versus closed world views. While President Donald Trump focuses on his "America first" agenda, France's President Emmanuel Macron is promoting a new kind of pro-globalization plan.
The Economist also sees sports competing with politics in the South Korea Winter Olympics, and the World Cup in Russia. South Korea will put on the Winter Olympics in the shadow of the North's nuclear threats. Franklin also discusses how the World Cup takes center stage in Russia at a sensitive time in the country's relationship with the West.
A legislative package to end the government shutdown appears on track. A handful of Senate Democrats joined with Republicans to advance the bill after what's become a deepening disruption of federal programs and services. But hurdles remain. Senators are hopeful they can pass the package as soon as Monday and send it to the House. What’s in and out of the bipartisan deal has drawn criticism and leaves few senators fully satisfied. The legislation includes funding for SNAP food aid and other programs while ensuring backpay for furloughed federal workers. But it fails to fund expiring health care subsidies Democrats have been fighting for, pushing that debate off for a vote next month.
Sabrina Siddiqui, National Politics Reporter at The Wall Street Journal, joins to break down the SNAP funding delays and the human cost of the ongoing shutdown.
Arguments at the Supreme Court have concluded for the day as the justices consider President Donald Trump's sweeping unilateral tariffs in a trillion-dollar test of executive power.
President Donald Trump said he has decided to lower his combined tariff rates on imports of Chinese goods to 47% after talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on curbing fentanyl trafficking.
The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate Wednesday for a second time this year as it seeks to shore up economic growth and hiring even as inflation stays elevated. The move comes amid a fraught time for the central bank, with hiring sluggish and yet inflation stuck above the Fed’s 2% target. Compounding its challenges, the central bank is navigating without much of the economic data it typically relies on from the government. The Fed has signaled it may reduce its key rate again in December but the data drought raises the uncertainty around its next moves. Fed Chair Jerome Powell told reporters that there were “strongly differing views” at the central bank's policy meeting about to proceed going forward.
