Saturday, September 6, 2025. Annette’s Roundup for Democracy.
Bad news first.
US added just 22,000 jobs in August, continuing slowdown amid Trump tariffs
Latest report also contained more bad news – the US lost 13,000 jobs in June, according to the latest survey
The US jobs market stalled over the summer, adding just 22,000 jobs in August and continuing a slowdown in the labor market as businesses adjusted to disruptions caused by tariffs.
The latest jobs report also contained more bad news. The US lost 13,000 jobs in June, according to the latest survey, the first time it went into the negative since December 2020.
The unemployment rate for August inched up to 4.3%, the highest it’s been since 2021.
The healthcare sector added 31,000 last month but most other sectors were flat or lost jobs.
The latest jobs report also contained more bad news. The US lost 13,000 jobs in June, according to the latest survey, the first time it went into the negative since December 2020.
The US jobs market stalled over the summer, adding just 22,000 jobs in August and continuing a slowdown in the labor market as businesses adjusted to disruptions caused by tariffs.
The unemployment rate for August inched up to 4.3%, the highest it’s been since 2021.
The healthcare sector added 31,000 last month but most other sectors were flat or lost jobs.
Powell warned that while there are new jobs being added each month, “the downside risks to employment are rising. And if those materialize, they can do so quickly in the form of sharply higher layoffs and rising unemployment.” (The Guardian)
Trump's economic doom loop.
President Trump's attempt to rebrand the One Big Beautiful Bill Act can't mask a grim reality: His economic approval is collapsing, and the data underneath is only getting worse.
Why it matters: Trump is in danger of getting trapped in the same "vibecession" dynamic that doomed President Biden — only this time, the structural signals are flashing red and Trump's signature legislation is toxic.
Some Republicans already fear inflation could cost them dearly in the 2026 midterms, warning Trump has only a few months to reset his trajectory on voters' most important issue.
For a president whose credibility on the economy has always been his strongest asset, the prospect of the bottom falling out is uniquely dangerous.
State of play: Trump's approval rating on inflation and cost of living currently sits at -24, nearing Biden's lows during the peak of the 2022–23 price surge, according to averages by pollster G. Elliott Morris.
Trump's favorability on jobs and the economy overall is better, but still underwater at -13.
52% of U.S. adults say the economy is "getting worse," while only 24% say it's getting better and 20% say it's about the same, according to The Economist/YouGov polling.
Zoom in: Poll after poll shows Trump's Big Beautiful Bill — which extended his 2017 tax cuts while slashing Medicaid and other safety net programs — is the most unpopular major piece of legislation in years.
Trump campaign officials acknowledged the PR crisis in a closed-door briefing on Capitol Hill this week, where they urged Republicans to refer to it as the "Working Families Tax Cut Bill."
Democrats say no amount of rebranding can disguise the reality: The poorest 25% of households lose money under the law while the richest reap the benefits, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
The big picture: The bleak voter sentiment matches increasingly bleak fundamentals.
Inflation is creeping higher as Trump's trade war continues to reorder the global economy, with some analysts predicting drug shortages and an uncertain holiday season.
The labor market is softening: Layoffs are rising, and the number of unemployed workers now exceeds job openings for the first time since April 2021.
The housing market is on shaky footing, with interest rates relatively high and supply stagnant.
Manufacturing was supposed to be the biggest beneficiary of Trump's tariffs. Instead, economic activity has shrunk for six months running and now the sector is shedding jobs.
The other side: Trump officials maintain the economy is fundamentally strong — pointing to consumer spending, corporate investment and the booming stock market — and blame media coverage for skewing perceptions.
A nonpartisan analysis found the average American will receive a $3,752 federal tax cut in 2026 under the new law — though that's compared to a world without the bill, not today's tax rates.
The White House is also touting no tax on tips, $1,000 "Trump accounts" for newborns and other worker-friendly provisions as proof the legislation helps ordinary households.
Wall Street is not the economy, but the disconnect is stark: Even as Trump's poll numbers lag, the market is up more than 8% since he took office — a huge boost for the 62% of Americans who say they own stocks.
What they're saying: "President Trump's trade deals have unlocked unprecedented market access for American exports to economies that in total are worth over $32 trillion with 1.2 billion people," White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement.
"As these unprecedented trade deals and the Administration's pro-growth domestic agenda of deregulation and historic working-class tax cuts take effect, American businesses and families alike have the certainty that the best is yet to come."
Between the lines: With his economic agenda already through Congress, Trump has few levers left to pull — beyond pressuring the Federal Reserve to cut rates or a possible tariff rebate check to some Americans.
That could leave the battle over economic perception to messaging and marketing, with billions of dollars in political ad spending expected before the midterms.
If that's the case, Trump may wind up learning Biden's hard lesson: You can't convince voters the economy is strong when their lived experience tells them it's weak. (Axios)
Kennedy Center events have been practically empty since Trump took over. Stuttgart Ballet will face an Opera House that is just 4–19% full, with BodyTraffic at 12%.
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) September 5, 2025
Subscription revenue is down 50%.
Everything Trump touches dies. pic.twitter.com/KRMYsdCkl1
One more piece of bad news.
Trump is really screwing around with New York’s elections.
New York’s corrupt mayor, Eric Adams’ withdrawal from the mayoral contest, by arrangement with the scumbag Trump, could end Zohran Mamdani’s chance to win a fair election in New York.
Stay tuned.
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Good news next.
New York Gov. Hochul to sign executive order allowing pharmacies to administer COVID shots.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Thursday that she will sign an executive order allowing pharmacists to prescribe and administer COVID-19 vaccines, saying it will allow New Yorkers to make “their own healthcare decisions.”
The announcement comes after Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. faced a grilling before the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers.
“In the wake of relentless uncertainty and political attacks on science coming out of Washington, Governor Hochul is taking action to protect New Yorkers. She will sign an Executive Order allowing pharmacists to prescribe and administer COVID-19 vaccines, so families who want protection can get it quickly, safely, and close to home,” a statement from a spokesperson of Governor Hochul said. “This temporary order will ensure seamless access while the Governor works with the Legislature on a long-term solution to safeguard access to preventive care and vaccines.”
On Thursday during his hearing, Kennedy claimed that anyone can get COVID-19 vaccines at their pharmacy for free, however, pharmacies are being selective due to the limbo of federal regulations.
The FDA has approved the updated shots for only older and high-risk Americans, and the CDC vaccine panel is set to meet to discuss potential recommendations in a few weeks.
Amid the regulatory uncertainty, some pharmacies have said that access to the shots may vary state-by-state and may require a prescription.
“By signing this EO, Governor Hochul is making it clear that when Washington Republicans play politics with public health, New Yorkers will still be able make their own health care decisions and get the care they need from trusted providers in their community,” Governor Hochul’s spokesperson said.
Kennedy’s hearing, which lasted nearly three hours, was often contentious as he was grilled on everything from vaccine availability to his staffing shakeups at the CDC. Several Republicans on the panel expressed concern on vaccines, while Democrats accused Kennedy of breaking pledges he made during his confirmation hearing back in January.(ABC News)
It’s US Open weekend.
First, get ready to boo if you are attending the men’s final on Sunday.
Not at the players whoever they may be.
Donald Trump plans to attend the US Open’s Men’s Final.
President Donald Trump is expected to attend the U.S. Open men’s final on Sunday, his first appearance at the tournament since 2015, according to a White House official.
The official, responding to a query about the plans from The Athletic, spoke on condition of anonymity and was not authorized to be named publicly.
A USTA spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment.
Trump, who was booed by fans during his last appearance at Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, last attended the Grand Slam tournament for a quarterfinal between Serena and Venus Williams during his first presidential campaign.
Sep 8, 2015; New York, NY, USA; Donald Trump on day nine of the 2015 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. (Robert Deutsch/USA Today Sports). A long-time attendee of the tournament, Trump's reception was notably hostile during his 2015 visit, and he did not attend the US Open again for nearly a decade.
Before his first term, Trump was a regular at Arthur Ashe Stadium. He had a suite that he relinquished in 2017, the year he took office.
The men’s final, scheduled for Sunday at 2 p.m. ET, will be contested between the winners of the semifinal matchups, which are scheduled for Friday. Carlos Alcaraz faces Novak Djokovic in one semifinal while Jannik Sinner plays Felix Auger-Aliassime in the other.
Since his election in November, Trump has attended and influenced several high-profile sporting events and has regularly made public appearances with athletes and sports leaders. His first major public appearance outside his Mar-a-Lago residence after he clinched his second term was at a UFC fight in New York, where he brought incoming members of his administration and sat with LIV Golf chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan and the billionaire Elon Musk.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino attended his inauguration, and Trump attended the final of the FIFA Club World Cup in June, where he presented the trophy to Chelsea, the champion of the tournament from the Premier League. This December, Trump will be front and center with Infantino again at the World Cup draw. It will be held in Washington, D.C., at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, an institution that Trump has sought to reshape in terms of its programming.
Trump’s long friendship with Dana White, the chief executive of UFC, has led to plans for a mixed martial arts card at the White House on July 4 next year, as the United States marks its 250th anniversary.
Trump also attended Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, where he left the game between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs at halftime. (The Athletic)
Women's Singles Championship 4 pm today. ESPN.
#1 in the world. Aryna Sabalenka from Belarus. Defending champion.
Versus
American Amanda Anisimova. Wimbledon Finalist who lost 6-0,6-0 to Iga Swiatek defeated Swiatek in the quarter-finals of the 2025 US Open 6-4,6-3.
Anisimova reached her second straight Grand Slam final with a 6-7(4), 7-6(3), 6-3 victory in the semi-final match against Naomi Osaka in the 2025 US Open.
One more thing.
Class.
I am so sad for the passing of her Royal Highness, the Duchess of Kent though I had the privilege of calling Katherine. What she did for me personally was an amazing thing. RIP and thank you so very much for all the good you have done. pic.twitter.com/hBPLJwmk3V
— Martina Navratilova (@Martina) September 5, 2025
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Men’s Singles Championship 2 pm Sunday. ESPN.
#1 player in the world Jannik Sinner, the first Italian ever to hold the top ranking. He is 24 years old.
versus
Former #1 in the world, the Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz. At age 19, Alcaraz became the youngest athlete in history to reach the top spot in the men’s rankings. He is 22.
Alcaraz in June 2024 when he won Wimbledon.
See you on Tuesday. Enjoy the sweetness of the end of summer.