Jim Puzzanghera
The Boston Globe
Washington, DC, United States
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Past articles by Jim:
The US added a stunning 517,000 jobs in January, but that number may not be as good as it seems
The job growth almost doubled December’s gains, but some economists said lingering pandemic distortions likely led to a vast overstatement of the labor market's strength. → Read More
Odds of a ‘soft landing’ in inflation fight are rising, but a debt limit stalemate could crash the economy
President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy are scheduled to meet Wednesday to discuss a looming financial crisis with the $31.4 trillion debt limit. → Read More
The $1 trillion coin and the other (unrealistic) ways to avoid raising the debt limit
The desperate search for an escape hatch in the partisan standoff highlights the increasing fear that the Treasury is headed for its first-ever default in the next few months. → Read More
Kevin McCarthy, Ben Affleck, and the debt limit: how the 2011 showdown informs the latest fight
This time around, McCarthy moves to center stage as House speaker, a job he narrowly won by promising far-right lawmakers he would not agree to a debt limit increase unless it was paired with significant fiscal reforms. → Read More
Biden no longer flying so high, after classified documents are found in his garage
The Washington veteran elected on a promise of competent experience had criticized former president Donald Trump for being “totally irresponsible” in his handling of classified documents. → Read More
Even as inflation eases, here’s why the Fed is risking a recession
Here’s why lowering still-high inflation is so important to the Fed that they’re risking a recession to try to bring it back down to normal. → Read More
‘There isn’t any House’: Speaker drama ripples throughout basic congressional function
House Democrats have no plans to help Republicans out of their messy internal feud over who will be the next speaker of the House. → Read More
A ‘rapidly growing death spiral.’ How our $31.3 trillion national debt is getting even more expensive.
Like a consumer grappling with a massive credit card balance, the federal government is paying more just for the interest on the national debt. Government projections show those interest costs tripling from $399 billion this year to $1.19 trillion in 2032. → Read More
Richard Neal’s long quest for Trump’s tax returns is finished. Now, they’ll soon be public.
With just two weeks remaining before Republicans take control of the House, Richard Neal and his Democratic colleagues voted Tuesday night to release the Donald Trump's returns. → Read More
Days away from dissolving, Jan. 6 Committee goes for long-reaching impact
The committee's detailed referral of criminal charges against Donald Trump was a way for its 18-month investigation to ensure its work outlives the committee itself. → Read More
Federal Reserve sees rates rising higher than its previous forecast
Central bank officials boosted their benchmark rate by a half point on Wednesday after four straight increases of three-quarters of a point. → Read More
Walsh helped avoid a rail strike, but now must mend Biden administration relations with angry unions
Martin Walsh, who had been a union leader before becoming mayor of Boston, has been in the middle of the Biden administration’s scramble to keep the trains running, while also trying to retain the support of organized labor that is crucial to the Democratic Party. → Read More
Senate votes to protect same-sex marriage, with crucial backing from some Republicans who helped install conservatives on Supreme Court
Fears that some judges would upend the right helped fuel passage of the legislation, with 12 Republican senators joining all Democrats. → Read More
House Republicans don’t really have a plan to lower inflation, but economists say that could be a good thing
The broader stalemate caused by divided government in Washington should help the inflation fight, economists said. It would keep politicians out of the battle, leaving the task to Federal Reserve officials who have the best tool — interest rate hikes — to bring down prices in the short term. → Read More
With better-than-expected midterms, Biden once again defies the odds
When all the votes are counted, the president will have had the best first-term midterm performance in 20 years, and very possibly the best for a Democrat since John F. Kennedy. → Read More
Inside the Supreme Court during affirmative action arguments, time was a key factor
A pivotal question the court considered was how far the nation’s higher education system has come in achieving racial diversity, how much further it needs to go, and how long that might take. → Read More
Court temporarily halts Biden’s student loan cancellation plan as nearly 22 million people so far have applied
Advocates praised the simpleness of the student loan cancellation form in the week after Biden announced the application was live. Still, some have concerns that everyone eligible will receive relief. → Read More
Inflation jumped faster than expected in September, dashing hopes it has peaked
The disheartening report from the Labor Department signaled there’s no end in sight to the pain of fast-rising prices and the aggressive steps by the Federal Reserve seeking to force them down. → Read More
Federal money to replace Cape Cod bridges has yet to arrive, but lawmakers maintain confidence
The project failed to receive any funding in the first round of grants awarded in September by the US Department of Transportation. → Read More
What will happen to gas prices this fall? The answer could shape the midterms.
The party’s political outlook has improved significantly in recent weeks in part because prices at the pump have steadily eased from their record highs of more than $5 a gallon in June. → Read More