Capitol Gains

Yahoo Finance
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Capitol Gains

Welcome to Yahoo Finance’s unique look at how US government policy will impact your bottom line. Our bottom line? It’s still the economy, stupid! We look at the big issues: from inflation, to taxation and everything in between. We’ve got team coverage from New York to Los Angeles, but we start at the heart of the action here in Washington DC.

  1. 3 DAYS AGO

    Why Trump’s tax cut bill is a bigger deal than DOGE budget cuts

    It was quite the week to be in Washington DC. The Department of Government Efficiency remains in focus as DOGE and Elon Musk continue cutting from the federal budget to help curb government spending. Meanwhile, President Trump’s $4.5 trillion tax cut bill made it through the House. Though the legislation still has a ways to go, we take a look at the bill, how it’s impacted by DOGE, and what it all means for your bottom line. On this week’s episode of Capitol Gains, anchor Madison Mills, Washington Correspondent Ben Werschkul, and Senior Columnist Rick Newman look at DOGE’s impact over the Federal government thus far while also breaking down Trump’s budget reform. “The real action here is with the tax cut bill. You could almost argue that DOGE is a bit of a sideshow,” Newman says. “The stakes with the tax cut bill are huge, literally in the trillions of dollars. The stakes with the Government Efficiency Commission, even though it’s getting minute-by-minute headlines, the stakes are actually pretty small.” Newman attributes the “small stakes” to the fact that firing government employees and cutting back on the federal budget will not actually move the needle to fix federal spending and the federal debt as much as Musk touts it will. The former House Ways and Means Committee Chair Kevin Brady also joins the show to provide further insight on tax policy in the United States and whether or not Congress is ok with the ways Elon Musk and DOGE have inserted themselves into the country’s spending process. “I think Congress sees this as pulling the curtain back on what Congress has been trying to get from the Executive Branch for an awful lot of time,” Brady explains. “It’s actually generating conversations in Congress about how you rightsize it the right way, keeping Congress's priorities in place… for looking for those programs that are either wasteful or really just no longer priorities for a government that is this big and growing bigger.” Watch more episodes of Capitol Gains here. Capitol Gains is Yahoo Finance’s unique look at how US government policy will impact your bottom line long after the Presidential election polls have closed. Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at yfpodcasts@yahooinc.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    25 min

  2. FEB 21

    Musk & DOGE budget cuts begin: Will they hit their target?

    Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency are in focus this week as DOGE claims it has already cut $55 billion in spending in the first month of the new Trump administration. Where are the areas DOGE is cutting and are they hitting their targets? We get into it. On this week’s episode of Capitol Gains, anchor Madison Mills, Washington Correspondent Ben Werschkul, and Senior Columnist Rick Newman break down the data and budget cut numbers coming from the Department of Government Efficiency and explain why they are likely not going to hit their savings goals. “Elon Musk originally said he wanted DOGE to come up with $1 trillion in annual savings. He backtracked a little bit. The target is now between $500 billion and $1 trillion [per year],” Newman explains. “You're never in a million years going to get that number by cutting DEI training. If you fired everybody in the federal workforce and nobody worked for the government, you still wouldn't come close to $500 billion. The only way to get that is [cutting funds from] Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, veterans benefits and defense.” Pangaea Policy Founder Terry Haines joins the show to provide further insight on DOGE, Trump’s future tax bill, and whether or not the commander in chief will uphold his tax cut promises to Americans. Watch more episodes of Capitol Gains here. Capitol Gains is Yahoo Finance’s unique look at how US government policy will impact your bottom line long after the Presidential election polls have closed. Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at yfpodcasts@yahooinc.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    24 min

  3. FEB 14

    What you need to know about Trump’s newest tariffs

    Tariffs are once again at the forefront of the news cycle this week. On Thursday, President Trump announced reciprocal tariffs against foreign trading partners, though it could take months to actually implement due to trade negotiations with the aforementioned nations. This all comes after the president signed an executive order imposing 25% blanket tariffs on steel and aluminum earlier this week. What does all this mean for the economy and your bottom line? We get into it. On this week’s episode of Capitol Gains, anchor Madison Mills, Washington Correspondent Ben Werschkul, and Senior Columnist Rick Newman talk about the latest tariff news, breaking down what the legislation means and how they will directly impact the American people. Tax Foundation Policy Analysis Director Garrett Watson joins the show to provide insight on the latest tariff news and look ahead to Trump’s future tax bills. The team also takes a look at DOGE following the latest press conference between President Trump and Elon Musk and the steps the government is taking to reduce the $36 trillion federal debt. Watch more episodes of Capitol Gains here. Capitol Gains is Yahoo Finance’s unique look at how US government policy will impact your bottom line long after the Presidential election polls have closed. Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at yfpodcasts@yahooinc.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    25 min

  4. FEB 7

    Trump’s tariffs: What’s likely to happen & what’s just noise

    We are just a few weeks into the new Trump administration, and the word still on everyone’s mind is tariffs. Earlier this week, President Trump delayed implementing 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico as the United States works through trade negotiations with both nations. The commander in chief also placed a 10% tariff on all imported goods coming from China, who retaliated with their own set of tariffs. Will these tariffs remain in place indefinitely? Is this the start of a trade war between two of the world’s largest global powers? We get into it. On this week’s episode of Capitol Gains, anchor Madison Mills, Washington Correspondent Ben Werschkul, and Senior Columnist Rick Newman cut through the flurry of tariff news and give you the latest you need to know that impacts your bottom line. Newman breaks down what’s likely to happen with tariffs and what are just ploys from the Trump administration. While Newman believes the 10% tariffs on Chinese imports are here to stay, he thinks there could be a change when it comes to Trump’s plans for 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico. “It would be a lot more pain for US consumers,” he says. “That’s a lot of food from Mexico. Just as Americans are trying to get over food inflation, it would [also] create chaos in the automotive industry with the supply chain.” Asia Society Policy Institute vice president Wendy Cutler also joins the show to discuss the China tariffs and why it’s so important for the United States to improve trade with other nations. Watch more episodes of Capitol Gains here. Capitol Gains is Yahoo Finance’s unique look at how US government policy will impact your bottom line long after the Presidential election polls have closed. Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at yfpodcasts@yahooinc.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    23 min

  5. JAN 31

    How seriously Americans should view Trump’s tariffs

    There has been a flurry of news coming out of the White House this week, between President Trump’s newest executive orders, his efforts to try and cut the federal budget, approaching tariff deadlines, and more. On this week’s episode of Capitol Gains, anchor Seana Smith, Washington Correspondent Ben Werschkul, and Senior Columnist Rick Newman cut through the noise and make sense of the latest news coming out of the Trump Administration that impacts your bottom line. The biggest story this week is Trump’s tariffs. While Trump’s initial plan was to sign executive actions on tariffs against Canada and Mexico on his first day in office, he delayed this to February 1. With this deadline swiftly approaching, there’s still lots of speculation swirling on the tariff front. Will Trump follow through with his plans to tax the aforementioned countries? What will the percentage be? While we wait for these plans to take shape, the Cap Gains team shared their insight. Newman believes Trump will avoid any major tariffs right off the bat. “Trump campaigned on a 60% tariff on all Chinese imports and he hasn’t talked about a 60% Chinese tariff since he’s been in office,” Newman says. “Now he’s talking about a 10% tariff, but that is not in place yet. So I think Trump is afraid to do major tariffs.” Werschkul feels differently. “I wouldn’t underestimate Trump’s real interest in doing tariffs,” Werschkul says. “He talks about paying for his whole agenda with them, so he’s very invested in making them happen.” Capital Economics Group Chief Economist Neil Shearing also joins the show to discuss the latest on Trump’s tariff front and how the world is perceiving the President’s threats on taxed imports. Watch more episodes of Capitol Gains here. Capitol Gains is Yahoo Finance’s unique look at how US government policy will impact your bottom line long after the Presidential election polls have closed. Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at yfpodcasts@yahooinc.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    25 min

  6. JAN 24

    Trump's first week: Tariffs, tech, & immigration

    We are deep into the first week of the new Trump administration, and the president has made a big push to tackle issues like tariffs, tech, and immigration. President Trump has signed a number of executive orders this week impacting immigration in the United States, spoke to global leaders and corporate executives at The World Economic Forum, and is maintaining his stance on imposing tariffs on Canada. How will this all impact the market and your bottom line? We get into it. On this week’s special episode of Capitol Gains, anchors Madison Mills, Julie Hyman, and Washington Correspondent Ben Werschkul break down everything you need to know about Trump’s first few days back in the White House and how the market is already beginning to react to his policies. The Capitol Gains team also takes a look at President Trump’s comments from The World Economic Forum on tariffs and how investors should be reacting to what was said. Plus, Wharton School Professor Zeke Hernandez joins the show to discuss immigration in the United States and how President Trump’s executive orders on the subject will affect the economy moving forward. Watch more episodes of Capitol Gains here. Capitol Gains is Yahoo Finance’s unique look at how US government policy will impact your bottom line long after the Presidential election polls have closed. Thoughts? Questions? Fan mail? Email us at yfpodcasts@yahooinc.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    26 min

  7. JAN 21

    Trump 2.0: A closer look at the president’s new agenda

    Donald Trump is officially President of the United States once again. On Monday, the commander in chief was sworn. During his inaugural address, he immediately set forth his plans for the nation. In the speech, Trump touched upon his plans for inflation, immigration, tariffs, and energy, just to name a few. Following the ceremony, the president signed a number of executive orders to help follow through with the aforementioned plans. On today's special episode of Capitol Gains, anchors Madison Mills, Rachelle Akuffo, and Washington Correspondent Ben Werschkul break down everything you need to know about Trump’s first day back in office as President of the United States. Plus, Veda Partners Director of Economic Policy, Henrietta Treyz joins the show to discuss the economic outlook for the nation as we move forward under this new administration. Watch more episodes of Capitol Gains here. Capitol Gains is Yahoo Finance’s unique look at how US government policy will impact your bottom line long after the Presidential election polls have closed. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    26 min

  8. JAN 17

    What to expect when Trump re-enters the White House next week

    The United States is only a few days away from having President-elect Donald Trump re-enter the White House and the world is beginning to prepare for what is in store following his inauguration. What is going to happen to the stock market? Will the government or DOGE be able to finally fix the federal debt? What about tariffs and immigration? We get into it. On this week’s episode of Capitol Gains, anchor Rachelle Akuffo, Washington Correspondent Ben Werschkul, and Senior Columnist Rick Newman break down the current state of the market and the ways in which it is starting to become more volatile as Inauguration Day approaches. They also take a look at Scott Bessent’s 3-3-3 plan following his Senate confirmation hearing to become Treasury Secretary and whether or not his plan is a viable strategy. Later on, Bipartisan Policy Center Executive Director of Economic Policy Shai Akabas joins the show to discuss the debt crisis and what the future of policymaking could look like under the new administration. Watch more episodes of Capitol Gains here. Capitol Gains is Yahoo Finance’s unique look at how US government policy will impact your bottom line long after the Presidential election polls have closed. This post was written by Lauren Pokedoff Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    26 min
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About

Welcome to Yahoo Finance’s unique look at how US government policy will impact your bottom line. Our bottom line? It’s still the economy, stupid! We look at the big issues: from inflation, to taxation and everything in between. We’ve got team coverage from New York to Los Angeles, but we start at the heart of the action here in Washington DC.

Information

  • Channel
    Yahoo Finance
  • Creator
    Yahoo Finance
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    34
  • Copyright
    © Yahoo Finance LLC

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