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Trump signs budget deal; federal government to reopen
President Donald Trump on Friday signed a $400 billion budget deal that sharply boosts spending and swells the federal deficit, ending a brief federal government shutdown.
Shutdown delays tax filing season by 10 days
WASHINGTON — Taxpayers eager to get refunds will have to wait an extra 10 days to file their federal tax returns. The Internal Revenue Service said Wednesday the government shutdown has forced it to delay tax filing season until Jan. 31. It had been slated to start Jan. 21. The IRS says the 16-day shutdown […]
Fed: U.S. growth stays moderate during shutdown
WASHINGTON — A Federal Reserve survey released Wednesday found that the U.S. economy held steady during the 16-day partial government shutdown, growing moderately in most regions from October through late November. The Fed said seven of its 12 banking districts described growth as moderate. Four — Philadelphia, Chicago, Kansas City and San Francisco — said […]
Service-sector index indicates little effect from shutdown
WASHINGTON — Activity at U.S. service firms accelerated in October behind a jump in sales and more hiring, suggesting businesses largely shrugged off the partial government shutdown. The Institute for Supply Management said Tuesday that its service-sector index rose to 55.4 in October, up from 54.4 in September. Any reading above 50 indicates expansion. The […]
ADP: US companies add just 130K jobs in October
WASHINGTON — A private survey shows U.S. businesses added just 130,000 jobs in October, as the 16-day partial government shutdown slowed an already-weak job market. Payroll processor ADP also said Wednesday that companies created just 145,000 jobs in September, far below the 166,000 it had reported earlier this month. The job market had been weakening […]
Beyond car sales, retail spending shows strength in September
WASHINGTON — A sharp drop in auto sales caused largely by a calendar quirk lowered U.S. retail spending in September. But Americans spent more on most other goods, showing some confidence in the economy before much of the government shut down. Overall retail sales dipped 0.1 percent, the Commerce Department said Tuesday. That was the […]
Shutdown affects consumer confidence, dropping October measure
WASHINGTON — Americans’ confidence in the economy fell this month to the lowest level since April, as many worried about the impact of a 16-day partial government shutdown. The decline could weigh on spending and economic growth. The Conference Board said Tuesday that its index of consumer confidence dropped to 71.2 in October, down from […]
Lockheed’s 3Q results survive defense cuts
The nation’s largest defense contractor had a better third quarter than expected, as federal budget cuts brought less severe consequences than were forecasted.
Employer uncertainty means hiring will continue slow movement
WASHINGTON — The uncertainty and weakness that hung over the U.S. job market in September before the government shut down aren’t going away. Employers will likely remain slow to hire as long as the economy struggles to accelerate, consumers limit their spending and Congress keeps putting off a resolution to a budget fight that will […]
Shutdown ends, but angst for contractors remains
McLEAN, Va. — Federal employees are back to work, but the possibility of another government shutdown looms, creating angst for the web of contractors who work in the Washington area and beyond. Nailing down the scattershot effect on that group is difficult, but one thing is clear: While furloughed federal employees had their back pay […]
D.C. no help to retailers already skittish about holidays
NEW YORK — Will Washington be the Grinch who stole Christmas? After weeks of bickering between Congress and the White House, President Barack Obama on Wednesday signed into law a plan that ended a partial 16-day government shutdown and suspended the nation’s debt limit until early next year. But the measure, which comes just weeks […]
Maryland delegation votes 7-1 to end shutdown
ANNAPOLIS — The only member of Maryland’s congressional delegation to vote against raising the nation’s borrowing limit says he couldn’t support the measure because it doesn’t do anything to reduce the budget deficit this year or deficits in future years. Rep. Andy Harris is the only Republican in the state’s congressional delegation. He also says […]
