Joseph Zeballos-Roig

Washington, D.C., United States

Economic Policy Reporter at Freelance

Articles

Trump gets MAGA backup in his war against Fed's Jerome Powell

1 week ago | qz.com | Joseph Zeballos-Roig

President Donald Trump's extraordinary offensive against Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is drawing back-up from another administration official. Suggested ReadingBill Pulte, director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, pushed for Powell's resignation in a Fox Business interview on Friday. It follows an identical string of attacks from Pulte against the central bank chief on social media.
Interest rate cuts should happen July

1 week ago | qz.com | Joseph Zeballos-Roig

A top Federal Reserve official said Friday he believes the central bank should move ahead with an interest rate cut next month. Suggested Reading"I think we’re in the position that we could do this as early as July,” Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said in a CNBC interview. “That would be my view, whether the committee would go along with it or not.”Waller added he doesn't expect inflation that might stem from tariffs will reach a significant level or linger for a prolonged period.
CFPB avoids GOP defunding in Trump bill

1 week ago | qz.com | Joseph Zeballos-Roig

A top Senate official decided that Republicans can't defund the Consumer Financial Protection bureau and other regulators in President Donald Trump's megabill, according to Democrats on the Senate Banking Committee.
Social Security faces benefit cuts within a decade: report

1 week ago | qz.com | Joseph Zeballos-Roig

The Social Security trust fund will run out of federal cash in 2033 and prompt a benefit cut without Congress stepping in to fortify the program, per a new trustees' report released Wednesday. Suggested ReadingThe trustees warned that Social Security's depletion date moved up two years from last year's report, which predicted it would run out in 2035.
Trump says he can't get Fed Chair Jerome Powell to lower interest rates

1 week ago | qz.com | Joseph Zeballos-Roig

President Donald Trump is still fed up with the Federal Reserve for not bending to his longstanding and extraordinary pressure campaign. Suggested ReadingAhead of the central bank's latest decision on interest rates, Trump on Wednesday renewed his barrage of attacks against Fed Chair Jerome Powell. He insulted Powell and toyed with the idea of installing himself as Fed Chair. He also said that if he were in the position, he would lower interest rates by 2.5 percentage points.
The Senate approves crypto bill in a big victory for digital assets

1 week ago | qz.com | Joseph Zeballos-Roig

The Senate approved a big cryptocurrency bill in a 68-30 vote on Tuesday, with 18 Democrats joining most GOP senators to hand a victory to a digital asset sector that's long craved legitimacy through federal regulation. Suggested ReadingThe bill, known as the "GENIUS Act," would establish consumer protections and impose guardrails on stablecoins, a digital asset that's pegged to the U.S. dollar. Stablecoins are designed to be less volatile than Bitcoin, a token that swings wildly in price.
Trump flirts with socialism in actions on Walmart, U.S. Steel

1 week ago | qz.com | Joseph Zeballos-Roig

President Donald Trump has tried to strong-arm pharmaceutical companies into lowering drug prices by executive order. He has publicly warned Walmart not to raise prices in response to his tariffs, while privately sending automakers the same message. His administration has signaled that farmers could get bailed out from any market damage caused by his push to remake the world’s trade order. And last week, the president touted what amounts to quasi-nationalization of steel manufacturing.
Senate GOP releases Trump tax bill: 5 takeaways

1 week ago | qz.com | Joseph Zeballos-Roig

Senate Republicans released their tax portion of President Trump’s megabill on Tuesday afternoon, kicking off what’s expected to be an intense period of negotiations to send the final version of the measure through the House and onto the White House. The 549-page bill would extend the bulk of the GOP’s 2017 signature tax cuts, financed with steep cuts to safety net programs like Medicaid and clean energy tax credits.
Republicans stick to July 4 deadline to pass Trump megabill

1 week ago | qz.com | Joseph Zeballos-Roig

Republicans are projecting confidence that they'll be able to wrap up work within the next three weeks on sweeping legislation containing most of President Donald Trump's domestic policy agenda Suggested Reading"It will get done. We need to get it done," Senate Majority Leader John Thune said in a Fox News Sunday interview. "We will roll into the Fourth of July recess, if necessary, in order to get this on the president's desk."The sentiment was echoed by Sen.
Trump's $5 Million Fast Pass Toward U.S. Citizenship Has Gone Live

2 weeks ago | southfloridareporter.com | Joseph Zeballos-Roig

He has said it would provide permanent residency status, similar to a green card. "Wealthy people will be coming into our country by buying this card," Trump said in February. "They'll be wealthy and they'll be successful and they'll be spending a lot of money and paying a lot of taxes and employing a lot of people.