Your guide to how Washington shapes business and the economy
 | FRI, DEC 10, 2021 | | | Good morning,
Hundreds of billions of dollars in Covid relief funds remain unspent. The U.S. is trying to keep Russia from invading Ukraine, again. And President Biden's approval rating on the economy is in bad shape, according to a new CNBC poll. Here are some of the stories we are following at CNBC Politics: - Sitting on a pile of Covid cash: The federal government has spent most of the $4.5 trillion in Covid relief funds that Congress has approved. But there are still hundreds of billions of dollars left to dole out, and it could take years to do so.
CNBC Politics Reporter Jacob Pramuk and Data Journalist Nate Rattner write: "More money is available for education than any other category. Agencies obligated some $263 billion for elementary, secondary and vocational education, and nearly $60 billion has been spent to date, the data show. The more than $200 billion in total education funding remains on the table in part because schools have until 2025 to spend it. Congress set aside the cash largely to help restart in-person learning, but schools across the country have reopened their doors while using only a fraction of the funding."
- Ukraine tension: Biden spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin this week. The main topic was the increasing tension along the Ukraine border, where Russian troops have been gathering. The situation has given the world flashbacks to 2014, when Moscow seized Crimea. The Biden administration has sought to discourage Putin with threats of severe economic consequences. Yet, the president also said the U.S. military wouldn't act unilaterally to defend Ukraine from an invasion.
CNBC National Security Reporter Amanda Macias writes: "Even as the Kremlin has dismissed suggestions that Moscow was preparing for an attack on Ukraine, Putin told Biden on the call that Ukraine's bid to join NATO must be denied in return for assurances that Russian troops would not strike. Biden didn't accept Putin's 'red lines' on Ukraine during their high-stakes video call Tuesday."
- Biden support languishes: Since the summer, Biden's approval numbers have been brutal, and they don't bode well for Democrats with the midterm congressional elections just under a year away. The worst news for Biden out of the latest CNBC All-America Survey, however, is his rating on the economy: 37% of respondents approve, while 56% disapprove. The latest inflation reading, released today, isn't much help, either: the consumer price index grew at its fastest pace in nearly 40 years last month.
CNBC Senior Economics Reporter Steve Liesman writes: "Inflation has now firmly eclipsed the coronavirus as the No. 1 concern for the country, with those two issues followed by immigration, crime and climate change. But Democrats have lost ground on the issues. Regardless of what respondents believe to be the top issue facing the country — inflation, coronavirus, and even climate change — their preference has shifted towards Republican control of Congress." Thanks for reading CNBC Politics. Have a great weekend. Thoughts? Tips? Email us at CNBCPolitics@nbcuni.com. Have friends or colleagues who might like this newsletter? They can sign up here. |
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar