An analysis, which the Defense Dept. said was not yet a formal review, will help address whether to rebuild strike-battered bases, said people familiar with the matter.

The Pentagon is evaluating its military footprint in the Middle East in an early sign of the Iran war's potential to transform the U.S. presence in the region, according to eight people, including officials and others familiar with the matter.

(Continue Reading – Washington Post)

A deal between the U.S. and Canada to stave off new tariffs on Canadian goods is now on President Donald Trump’s desk, according to three people familiar with the discussions who were granted anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks.

Now it’s up to Trump whether the 50 percent duty goes into effect, as scheduled, at midnight.

U.S. and Canadian officials have been in wall-to-wall talks for several days, with the administration pressing Canada to drop retaliatory measures it took against Trump’s tariffs last year — including provincial bans on U.S. liquor and tariffs on U.S. automobiles — and Ottawa looking to lower U.S. duties on autos, among other goods. The potential deal taking shape also includes Canadian concessions on its tariff-rate quota on dairy — an issue that has frequently come up in Trump’s missives against Canadian trade policy, according to two of the three people.

(Continue Reading – POLITICO)

The nearly $40 trillion national debt may seem removed from Americans’ everyday lives, but its consequences are increasingly tangible. A new report from The Conference Board shows how rising debt and deficits can drive up borrowing costs, constrain economic opportunity, and weaken financial security for Americans at every stage of life.

The report, How the National Debt Affects All Generations of Americans, models five fiscal scenarios and translates their economic effects into real-world consequences for 1) a student financing college, 2) a family buying a home, 3) a future retiree relying on Social Security, and 4) a small business owner seeking to expand.

The analysis finds that reducing deficits can lower borrowing costs and improve the nation’s fiscal trajectory, while higher deficits and financial shocks can significantly increase the cost of student loans, mortgages, and business financing. The report also underscores the looming insolvency of the Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds and calls for bipartisan action to put the nation’s finances on a more sustainable path.

(Continue Reading – Conference Board)