Hello, I’m Major Garrett in Washington. Welcome to The Takeout.
Voices from Pennsylvania
My colleague Nancy Cordes listened to shoppers at a grocery store in Northeastern Pennsylvania, near where President Trump held a rally. Shoppers described rising food prices and changes in shopping habits. Navy retiree Lori Kerrigan said peppers jumped to $4.99 from about $1.90 and she’s substituting items and using a whiteboard to track affordable purchases. Retired teacher Anne Marie Hadley said promises to bring prices down haven’t been kept and gave the economy a D. Paul Naughton, an environmental services technician, said his investments were doing well and gave his personal situation a B. Radiology scheduler Julie Carden said her grocery bill had doubled and blamed tariffs.
Federal Reserve reaction
MarketWatch’s Kelly O’Grady explained the Fed cut the federal funds rate by a quarter point as widely expected. The Fed’s projections were brighter than the press release alone suggested: it raised growth projections and lowered inflation forecasts, aiming to get inflation closer to the 2% target. Chair Jerome Powell said the Fed is “well positioned” to let the economy evolve; the Fed projects only one cut next year, so markets are weighing optimism and caution. The Fed still needs more current data to set a clear path.
White House report: tanker seized off Venezuela
At the White House, reporters heard President Trump say U.S. forces seized a very large oil tanker off Venezuela, calling it “the largest one ever seized,” and suggested more details would come. He declined to say why it was seized or where it was headed, telling reporters, “follow the tanker.” Attorney General Pam Bondi posted video showing helicopters boarding a tanker and U.S. personnel taking control; the White House and Pentagon had not provided full independent confirmation at the time.
Replacing Fed Chair and interest-rate views
President Trump met with potential Fed candidates including Kevin Warsh. He said he wants the U.S. to have the lowest interest rates in the world and seeks a Fed chair more aggressive on rates than Jerome Powell—someone focused on keeping U.S. rates low globally.
Obamacare tax credits, GAO report, and Senator Roger Marshall
The deadline to extend enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits is approaching. A recent GAO report found vulnerabilities and potential fraud in the system that paid out $124 billion last year; it cited cases of payouts tied to deceased individuals or fictitious applicants. Kansas Republican Senator Roger Marshall called fraud elimination essential. He supports a plan to put patients in charge by moving subsidy dollars into health savings accounts and increasing price transparency to drive costs down. He acknowledged there aren’t enough votes yet to pass his plan but said momentum is growing. Marshall argued the enhanced credits expire Dec. 31 and that premiums will rise if Congress does not act; the House has worked on transparency and price-tag legislation for years. On vaccine scheduling, Marshall defended doctors’ role and said hepatitis B need not be given at day one for a healthy newborn, preferring to assess risks.
Miami elects new mayor
In Miami, Democrat Eileen Higgins beat the Trump-endorsed candidate Emilio Gonzalez by a wide margin. Higgins emphasized affordable housing and criticized recent immigration enforcement as “inhumane and cruel,” saying many immigrant families fear raids that separate relatives. She argued local voters wanted governance that worked for residents rather than theatrics or corruption and stressed her track record building thousands of affordable housing units at the county level. On President Trump’s proposed presidential library in Miami, she called for compensation to the community for any public land used, saying funds could serve education and housing needs.
Marjorie Taylor Greene interview
Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene discussed her repeated public split with former President Trump and defended her criticism of GOP leadership and strategy. She said people feel affordability is a serious issue and criticized Trump’s “A plus plus plus” grade for the economy, noting higher electric and grocery bills. Greene predicted Republicans could lose the 2026 midterms and blamed messaging and candidate selection, though she still supports an “America First” economic populist agenda. She also criticized Speaker Mike Johnson for failing to generate consensus.
Erika Kirk town hall preview
CBS News will air a town hall with Erika Kirk, the widow of Charlie Kirk, focusing on the impact of his death, online dehumanization, and the response of people who justified his murder. The program will air Saturday at 8:00 PM Eastern, moderated by CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss. The discussion touches on the release of Charlie Kirk’s final book, Stop In the Name of God—Why Honoring the Sabbath Will Transform Your Life.
Primary-calendar discussion: North Carolina push
A conversation explored a proposal for North Carolina to lead the Democratic primary calendar in 2028. Supporters argue North Carolina is fast-growing, diverse, and a battleground state with frequent competitiveness in presidential, Senate, and gubernatorial races, making it a strong barometer for general-election viability. They emphasized the South’s population share—roughly one in three Americans—and North Carolina’s diversity (military bases, HBCUs) as reasons to include it early. Opponents note New Hampshire has a law to go first, and Michigan and others also seek prominence. Republican and Democratic advisers agreed shifting early states could broaden candidate testing beyond Iowa and New Hampshire.
Paul Finebaum: why he didn’t run for Senate in Alabama, and college-football views
Paul Finebaum, the college football commentator, explained he considered a Republican Senate run in Alabama but ultimately decided against it. He said political operatives pressured him to run a primary campaign focused on culture-war themes—running “against woke Disney” because ESPN is owned by Disney—which he found morally incompatible with his prior role and relationships. Finebaum said he couldn’t “burn down” institutions that gave him opportunities. He also said the politicos’ recommended path would have required rhetoric and tactics he was unwilling to adopt. Separately, Finebaum criticized Notre Dame’s public complaints about being left out of the College Football Playoff, noting Notre Dame is not in a conference in football and that its best wins later in the season weren’t as strong as claimed; he called the athletic director’s reaction “scorched earth” rhetoric that couldn’t be backed up.
Closing
That’s The Takeout. We try to listen, provide context, and ask the questions you want answered. The Daily Report follows.