American Pulse Brief

Fed Chair Nomination Blockade

• 🔥 Sen. Tillis Defies White House: Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) refuses to advance a Senate vote on Federal Reserve...

• Defiant holdout: Sen. Tillis refuses full Senate vote on Kevin Warsh's Fed nomination.
• GOP tensions: Colleagues back his blockade effort, but he warns them against joining.
• Market stand: Blocking tied to market concerns in Banking Committee vote.

• Senate preps vote-a-rama on budget resolution blueprint for GOP-only reconciliation bill to fund ICE and Border Patrol.
• Amid DHS shutdown over two...

• Claremont scandal: Audit revealed $5M financial shortfall last August, spurring cuts and loans to avert closure.
• SB 586 push: Requires annual...

• Bipartisan passage: House unanimously approves H.R. 7386, co-sponsored by Reps. Dunn (R-FL) and McClellan (D-VA), sending FirstNet reauthorization...

Recurring cycle of aggression and restraint:

• Month into war: Frustrated Trump ramps up rhetoric with threats to bomb Iran back.
• Multiple past...

Republican Sen. Todd Young calls for banning congressional stock trading to restore eroding public trust:

• Insider edge: Lawmakers access nonpublic...

Rare bipartisan push: Senate's No. 2 Republican joined Democrats on Finance Committee to press Health Secretary RFK Jr. on vaccines.

• Discomfort evident: Rocking side-to-side and avoiding eye contact while thanking media.
• Genuine sadness: Eyes glanced downward, solemn expression,...

Stock Market Records

• 🔥 S&P 500 Hits New High: The S&P 500 rose 1.2% to close at 7,126.06, crossing the 7,100 mark for the first time.
• Nasdaq...

Broad participation evident as @LizAnnSonders charts sector/index performance yesterday, MTD/YTD and sectors' % stocks at period highs – key trend for index strength.

• Weekend scare: Trump allegedly sought nuclear strike on Iran in Saturday White House meeting; Joint Chiefs chair Gen. Caine overruled him.
• Tuesday...

New Hampshire reform targets welfare disputes: HB 348 heads to Gov. Ayotte, allowing towns to require residency proof for long-term services.

• Town...

Mixed signals in April Philly Fed Services data:

• Index rebounds to -16.5 from -23.9
• New orders soften sharply to -16.9 from -4.7
• Prices paid climb to +43.9 from +39.1
• Employment edges up to -4.7 from -11.3

Key wins from Capitol Hill lobbying:

• Sen. Booker signs on to Ukraine aid measure on the spot.
• Pledges to recruit pro-Ukraine GOP cosponsor for...

Deep-red Iowa delivers a midterm warning for Republicans: Dems Josh Turek and Zach Wahls now lead Rep. Ashley Hinson 46% in new Echelon poll, despite...

Election integrity clash intensifies pre-midterms:

• Civil rights groups, including ACLU, sue DOJ for illegally accessing millions of state voter...

NH Rep. Chris Pappas eyes Shaheen's Senate seat, zeroing in on affordability as top midterm priority:

• Housing: Boost supply via incentives, tax...

Q1 S&P earnings underway with 13.2% blended growth matching forecasts and up from last week.

• Record highs: S&P hits 7,126 (+1.2%), Nasdaq 24,468...

Fed's Warsh tells Senate no pressure from Trump to cut rates, prioritizing battle against 3.3% inflation as Congress-mandated goal. Key signal of Fed independence amid political noise.