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(What’s Left of) Our Economy: New Official Data Shows First U.S. Manufacturing Jobs Gain in More Than a Year
Is this competence or optics?

Three big manufacturing takeaways from today’s surprisingly good official U.S. jobs report (for January):

First, U.S.-based industry added 5,000 jobs on net – its first monthly increase since November, 2024.

Second, revisions were negative.  December’s initial estimate of 8,000 manufacturing jobs lost month-on-month was unchanged, but November’s downwardly revised figure of 2,000 was boosted all the way up to a 10,000 drop – the worst since an identical sequential plunge last August – and October’s downwardly revised 9,000 decrease remained unchanged.

Third, due to the annual benchmark revision released today by the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistic (BLS), the manufacturing jobs record compiled so far by the tariff-heavy second Trump administration looks even better than that of its predecessor than it had before these latest numbers came out.

Not that manufacturing’s employment performance under Trump 2.0 has been anything to brag about.  But as of the previous jobs report, between last February (the first full month of President Trump’s second term) through December, manufacturing payrolls were down by 71,000.  During the same period during the pre-tariff-y Biden administration in 2024, such job loss totaled 93,000 – and that with massive subsidies for green manufacturing.

Yet the benchmark revision cut the number of manufacturing jobs created between March, 2024 and March, 2025 by 98,000 – a mainly Biden administration period.  As a result, the manufacturing jobs decline during the first eleven months of Trump 2.0 was downgraded from 71,000 to 81,000.  But the reduction during the final eleven Biden months was upgraded all the way from 93,000 to 179,000.  

In other words, although the Trump 2.0 performance looks a little worse, the comparable Biden performance was nearly twice as bad, and so far has been more than twice as bad as that of the second Trump administration.

A story at least as good from a Trump-ian and tariff-y standpoint can be told by the figures since President Trump began imposing huge tariffs (since then somewhat reduced) on “Liberation Day” last April.

Even before today’s benchmark revision, between April and December, 2025, the Trump manufacturing jobs record (72,000 lost) was better than that recorded during the same Biden stretch in 2024 stretch (87,000 lost).

But the revision widens the gap tremendously.  Between this April (“Liberation Day” month) and December, domestic industry’s employment fell by the same 72,000 (because the revision only went up to the previous month).  During the same pre-tariff period in 2024 under President Biden, however, that manufacturing job loss soared to 160,000 – nearly doubling.

Among the broadest industry groups tracked by BLS, the biggest jobs winners in January were:

>the very big transportation equipment cluster, which generated 4,800 net new jobs.  The gain was the third straight and the increase the biggest since last July’s 6,300;

>nonmetallic mineral product manufacturing industry, which increased payrolls by 1,700 for its best monthly result since last September’s 2,000;

>electrical equipment, appliance, and components makers, who added 1,400 …

Netanyahu signs Israel onto Board of Peace in meeting with Marco Rubio
This feels like a quiet policy shift.

Despite months of opposition to key points of President Donald Trump‘s international Board of Peace, Israel has officially joined the club.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed Israel’s agreement with the international body on Wednesday during a meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The pair posed for a photo with the documents formalizing Israel’s place in the international body.

The signing took place at Blair House, the White House’s official guest residence, ahead of Netanyahu’s meeting with Trump later in the day.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks next to Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Prime Minister’s Office in Jerusalem, Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025. (Ronen Zvulun/Pool Photo via AP)

Israeli participation on the board was not a given due to fierce opposition to the proposed body in the Knesset, with right-wing members saying Turkey and Qatar’s participation would undermine Israeli interests in the reconstruction of Gaza.

“Trump has figured out your operating mechanism,” Opposition leader Yair Lapid told Netanyahu last month. “If he invites you to a party, with a few nice words and a big hug in front of the cameras, he can fold you on the most vital security interests of the State of Israel.”

Netanyahu voiced skepticism toward Trump’s board just last month, when he said the structure of the body’s “executive board” was “not coordinated with Israel and runs contrary to its policy.”

The prime minister’s position could have softened after seeing a draft resolution outlining the powers of the board’s various bodies, which Israeli media said offered Turkey and Qatar far less power than previously believed.

Netanyahu announced his intention to join the board on Jan. 21.

However, not everyone is excited for the Board of Peace. On the same day that Netanyahu formalized Israeli participation at Blair House, Poland declined to join.

“Taking into account certain national doubts regarding the shape of the board, under these circumstances, Poland will not join the work of the Board of Peace, but we will analyze it,” Polish President Donald Tusk announced on Wednesday.

President Donald Trump, center, holds up a signed Board of Peace charter during the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Netanyahu and Trump are expected to discuss the future of U.S.-Israeli cooperation on military support and security during their meeting on Wednesday, as …

ICE director flips script on Swalwell after Dem lawmaker demanded his resignation
Every delay has consequences.

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons refused to resign under pressure from Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., who offered him the ultimatum to do so, or "side with the killers."
The heated exchange during Tuesday’s House Homeland Security Committee hearing isn’t the first time Swalwell has confronted ICE over its mass deportation operations. He previously co-authored the "ICE OUT Act" with fellow committee member Rep. Daniel Goldman, D-N.Y., which would strip qualified immunity from federal immigration agents.
Near the close of his questioning, Swalwell told Lyons that continuing to lead ICE is a "choice" and highlighted his preceding decorated military and law enforcement career.
"You are what I would call ‘otherwise employable’. I think most people would agree this is not the only job that you can get. But since you've been on this job, women have been dragged by their hair through streets. A 6-year-old child battling stage-four cancer has been deported. And it turns out he was a U.S. citizen," Swalwell claimed.
DEM LAWMAKER COMPARES ICE AGENTS TO NAZIS AND GESTAPO DURING FIERY HOUSE HEARING ON ENFORCEMENT
The Alameda lawmaker, who is also running for governor, said people are fleeing ICE "through the fields where they work" and that "disgraceful" statements from DHS brass should convince Lyons to find a new job.
"Will you stand with the kids who you're supposed to protect, or will you side with the killers bringing terror to our streets? Mr. Lyons, will you resign from ICE?" Swalwell asked, as a poster of a child appeared behind him.
Lyons replied, "No sir, I won’t," and then took issue with the poster Swalwell’s staff had produced.
SWALWELL VOWS TO MAKE ICE AGENTS 'UN-HIRABLE' IN CALIFORNIA STATE GOVERNMENT POSITIONS
"That child that you're showing right there, the men and women of ICE took care of him when his father abandoned him and ran from law enforcement," Lyons said, referencing the case of Adrian A.C. Arias, an Ecuadorian national targeted by ICE.
Arias "abandoned" his 5-year-old child to flee authorities, leading Democrats and some in the press to claim that DHS had targeted the child, who went into their custody.
"For the child’s safety, one of our ICE officers remained with the child while the other officers apprehended Conejo Arias," a DHS official said of the situation. "ICE did not target a child."
TIM WALZ ACCUSES TRUMP OF 'ORGANIZED BRUTALITY' IN IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN, SAYS ICE TACTICS ARE 'UN-AMERICAN'
Swalwell also pressed Lyons on comments made at a Border Security Expo suggesting immigration enforcement and deportation operations be as …

Trump to host ‘Clean Beautiful Coal’ event, calls it America’s most reliable energy
Is this competence or optics?

President Donald Trump is hosting an event at the White House Wednesday to tout how "Clean Beautiful Coal," he says, is America’s most reliable and affordable energy source.
The president will be joined by Energy Secretary Chris Wright, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin and Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum for Wednesday’s event, which is set to begin at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time in the White House’s East Room.
The White House told Fox News Digital Tuesday that a number of governors and members of Congress were also invited to attend the event. 
"Beautiful, clean coal is critical to ensuring American families and businesses have the energy they need, while simultaneously driving down electricity costs across the country," White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers told Fox News Digital. "President Trump’s commonsense approach is unleashing America’s most reliable and affordable energy source, saving thousands of good-paying jobs, and turning the page on Joe Biden’s energy crisis." 
TRUMP ADMIN TO REPEAL OBAMA-ERA GREENHOUSE GAS FINDING IN LARGE-SCALE DEREGULATION
The event is set to highlight how coal is a "reliable and affordable energy source that keeps the lights on during times of peak demand," the White House said.
The president is set to sign the "Strengthen the United States National Defense with America’s Beautiful Clean Coal Power Generation Fleet" executive order Wednesday during the event — a new initiative for the Department of War to purchase electricity from coal-powered plants.
That order directs Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to enter into power purchasing agreements with coal-fired power plants to ensure that the Department of War has reliable power to strengthen the U.S. grid.
Also during the event, the president will announce that the Department of Energy will award funds to five coal plants to recommission and upgrade facilities in West Virginia, Ohio, North Carolina and Kentucky. 
A White House official told Fox News Digital that will be the first of "many more announcements" related to awarding funds to coal plants across the nation.
DEMS ACCUSE EPA OF TRYING TO KILL GREENHOUSE GAS REPORTING PROGRAM THAT AIDS CAP-AND-TRADE
"Since the President has returned to office his relentless support for the coal industry has been felt," a White House official told Fox News Digital. "Coal production is up, new mines have been (opened), existing mines are being expanded, coal plants are continuing to run, and NEDC is working with a few companies to help build new coal generation units — which hasn’t happened since …

Nadler mocked after appearing to doze off during Bondi hearing opening statements
This is performative politics again.

Rep. Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., was seen with his eyes closed during portions of a key House Judiciary Committee hearing featuring Pam Bondi, leading observers to pan him for sleeping as the attorney general was testifying.
Nadler, a 78-year-old 17-term congressman, was seen with his eyes shut as Bondi gave her opening statement as part of her first appearance before the panel since taking the helm of the DOJ.
The committee's Republican-led X account shared a video of Nadler with sleeping emojis and observed that Nadler also appeared to doze off as Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., the top Democrat on the committee, gave his opening remarks.
BONDI HEARING DEVOLVES INTO CHAOS OF SHOUTS AS AG ACCUSES DEMOCRATS OF ‘THEATRICS’
"Don't worry, @RepNadler. We are tired of listening to @RepRaskin complain about President Trump too!" the committee Republicans wrote.
Another social media user shared a separate video of Nadler appearing with his eyes closed.
Nadler "falls asleep during @AGPamBondi opening statement at today’s DOJ hearing. Gets awaken by staffer #TermLimits," the user wrote.
The conservative Townhall posted a similar image of Nadler "caught sleeping" during the hearing.
MASSIE, KHANNA TO VISIT DOJ TO REVIEW UNREDACTED EPSTEIN FILES
Nadler was alert when it came time for him to question Bondi, using the moment to spar with her over the DOJ's efforts to comply with a law that required the department to release all unclassified material related to Jeffrey Epstein's sex trafficking cases.
Gun rights activist Andrew Pollack wrote on X that "sleeping during the House Judiciary Committee speaks volumes about how seriously he actually takes the Epstein victims."
Nadler, who previously served as the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, announced in September that he would retire from Congress after more than three decades in office.
Nadler's office did not respond to a request for comment.

Trump Religious Liberty Commission boots member after contentious antisemitism hearing
Who benefits from this decision?

President Donald Trump's White House Religious Liberty Commission ousted Catholic activist Carrie Prejean Boller from its membership on Wednesday, after her controversial performance at a hearing on antisemitism this week.
Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who chairs the commission, announced Boller's removal on Wednesday, arguing she had attempted to "hijack" Tuesday's public hearing for a "political agenda." Boller was combative during the hearing and defended commentator Candace Owens, who has been accused of antisemitism over a number of controversial remarks, among others.
"Carrie Prejean Boller has been removed from President Trump’s Religious Liberty Commission," Patrick wrote in a statement on X. "No member of the Commission has the right to hijack a hearing for their own personal and political agenda on any issue. This is clearly, without question, what happened Monday in our hearing on antisemitism in America. This was my decision."
Prior to her forced removal, Boller issued a series of statements refusing to resign her position on Tuesday and Wednesday.
GABBARD SLAMS DEMOCRATS' 'HOSTILITY TOWARDS GOD,' CONDEMNS ANTI-ICE AGITATORS WHO STORMED CHURCH
"I will never bend the knee to the state of Israel. Ever," Boller, a former Miss California, posted on X. "Christians have been manipulated into believing that God blesses bombing, starvation, and mass killing. That is the opposite of Christ, who came to stand with the suffering and confront power. I reject that lie completely."
CHABAD OFFICIAL SPEAKS OUT AFTER CAR-RAMMING OF JEWISH CENTER, AS NYPD PROBES MOTIVE
Boller got into a heated exchange with Shabbos Kestenbaum, a former Harvard student who sued the university over its response to antisemitism, who testified at the hearing. After Kestenbaum spoke about antisemitism, Boller steered the hearing towards Israel, asking Kestenbaum if he would "condemn what Israel has done in Gaza." While Kestenbaum was ready to respond, Chairman Patrick brought that line of questioning to a halt and said, "This can be another discussion on another day."
Owens came to Boller's defense after Patrick announced her dismissal on Wednesday, claiming the White House commission was pushing a "performative Zionist" message "meant to neuter the Christian faith."
MAMDANI PLEDGED TO FIGHT FOR ALL BUT SCRAPPED ORDER JEWISH STUDENTS SAY PROTECTED THEM
"Carrie didn’t hijack anything," Owens wrote. "Carrie spoke truth, as a Catholic, and Christians, the Truth cannot be defeated. Zionists are naturally hostile to Catholics because we refuse to bend the knee to revisionist history and …

Moore urges Maryland Senate to vote on redistricting plan: ‘Do not let the democratic process die in the Free State’
Same show, different day.

Gov. Wes Moore (D-MD) on Wednesday called on the state Senate to put forward the congressional map he favors during his State of the State speech.

Moore addressed the redistricting battle before the joint state legislature while standing next to Democratic state Senate President Bill Ferguson, who has been leading the charge against Democrats’ redistricting push in the state. The Maryland House passed the Democrats’ newly proposed legislative map, which would favor blue candidates in all eight districts, but the Senate has yet to advance the map because of Ferguson’s staunch opposition.

“I know there’s disagreement right now between the House and the Senate. So my ask is simple: Do not let the democratic process die in the free state. Debate it, discuss it, make adjustments if necessary. And put it to a vote,” Moore said.

The dynamic of Moore standing next to Ferguson was awkward, but Moore addressed the tension in his speech.

“Now, I know there’s been some discussion about a very principled disagreement that I have with the Senate President on redistricting. We diverge on this particular issue, but we both care about the future of our state. We both care about the future of our people, and we are going to continue to work together on the issues that we care about most, because our people are counting on us,” he said.

Ferguson has stood against his fellow Maryland Democrats’ desire to participate in the national redistricting wars by redrawing their own map since last year. Ferguson wrote to the state’s upper chamber in October, striking down Democrats’ redistricting push, citing legal risks, the tight timeline before the midterm elections, and the political risks of tampering with the state’s existing map.

Ferguson has pointed to an instance in 2022 when the state’s Supreme Court struck down a similar map that would have drawn out Maryland’s only Republican House member, Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD). Ferguson wrote in his October letter that, “any redrawing of the current map could reopen the ability for someone to challenge the current map and give the court the opportunity to strike it down, or even worse, redraw the map itself.”

Ferguson has continued to maintain his stance against the redistricting effort, despite pushback from his party, in the wake of the House passing the bill. He said he would rather devote his energy toward the state’s budget deficit and the economy.

“The world is uncertain, the world is crazy, and we have a limited amount of …

Hardline conservatives double down to save the SAVE Act
What's the endgame here?

Senate Republicans face long odds in advancing voter ID legislation, but they’re not backing down.
Huddled behind closed doors on Tuesday, GOP lawmakers attempted to chart a path forward on the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act, a revamped version of election integrity legislation that has long gathered dust in Congress.
A trio of hardliner conservatives — Sens. Mike Lee of Utah, Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Rick Scott of Florida — have championed the legislation and demanded that it be considered in the upper chamber.
MURKOWSKI BREAKS WITH GOP ON VOTER ID, SAYS PUSH ‘IS NOT HOW WE BUILD TRUST’
Lee gave what lawmakers who attended the meeting described as an impassioned plea to move ahead with the bill, which would require voters to show identification, mandate in-person proof of citizenship when registering and direct states to remove non-citizens from voter rolls.
"Nothing in the Senate's an easy move," Lee said after the meeting. "This one's certainly not. But if we want to do this, this is how we have to go about it."
Indeed, Senate Democrats won’t support the legislation. That means the 60-vote filibuster threshold is, for now, an impossible barrier to breach.
REPUBLICANS, TRUMP RUN INTO SENATE ROADBLOCK ON VOTER ID BILL
Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., told Fox News Digital that Republicans would continue to press the voter ID issue as common sense, given how prevalent identification is across several aspects of daily life.
"To get on an airplane you need a photo ID. You want to buy a beer at a football game? You need a photo ID. Go to the library, you need a photo ID for just about everything," Barrasso said. "And now you see Democrats are demanding photo IDs to go to any meetings that they have, and we just saw that in Georgia."
But Democratic resistance and moderate GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski's rejection of the legislation leave two options, which Lee and others pitched to their colleagues — nuke the filibuster or turn to the standing, or talking, filibuster.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., immediately threw cold water on the former.
SCHUMER NUKES GOP PUSH FOR 'JIM CROW-ERA' VOTER ID LAWS IN TRUMP-BACKED SHUTDOWN PACKAGE
"It's not just me not being willing to do it. There aren't anywhere close to the votes — not even close — to nuking the filibuster," Thune said. "And so that idea is something, although it continues to be put out there, is something that doesn't have a future."
"So is there another way of getting there? We'll see," he continued.
In lieu of nuking the filibuster, which Trump has asked …

Mike Tyson in the 'fight of my life' as he partners with Trump admin in health initiative to tackle obesity
Is this competence or optics?

Legendary boxer Mike Tyson found himself in a new arena on Wednesday as he stood with Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, partnering with the Trump administration to fight obesity.
"I had a sister that died at 25 from obesity. And where I come from, Brownsville, Brooklyn, is the most violent, poverty-stricken neighborhood in the city of New York and ultra-processed food was just the norm," Tyson said. "We didn't have much money, but we had food stamps, and food stamps can buy you the candy, the sugar and all that soda and all that rotten stuff."
FOODS THAT AMERICANS WERE TOLD TO AVOID FOR DECADES ARE BACK UNDER TRUMP'S NEW NUTRITION RULES
Kennedy and Rollins were providing updates on the rollout of the government's new dietary guidelines, which were unveiled in January. During the event on Wednesday, several speakers, including Tyson, spoke about the dangers of ultra-processed food and the need to get Americans to shift their diets toward real food.
"We were able to reduce hundreds of pages of dietary guidelines... to about six pages, but it's just three words: Eat real food," Kennedy said to the crowd as he closed the event. "I ask you all to start doing that today if you're not already doing it."
PEOPLE LOST WEIGHT WHILE EATING SIGNIFICANTLY MORE FOOD — HERE'S THE SECRET
Tyson said that when he went to work with a trainer in upstate New York, he was given the tools to keep his health in check. While he admits that he can "fool around" and get "lazy," leading to gaining 20-40 pounds, he says the tools he learned have allowed him to lose weight fast.
"This is the biggest fight of my life," Tyson added. "I want to be a hero in this particular field because it affects my life."
The event comes just days after the airing of an ad during the Super Bowl in which Tyson speaks about the importance of tackling the U.S.'s reliance on processed food. In the ad, Tyson also speaks about his sister, Denise, who died at the age of 25 from an obesity-linked heart attack.
The legendary boxer posted the video on his Facebook page, and said it was "the most important fight of my life."
"The most important fight of my life isn’t in the ring. I’m not fighting for a belt. I’m fighting for our health. Processed foods are killing us. We have been lied to, and we need to eat real food again," Tyson wrote.
Kennedy's focus, even during his own 2024 presidential campaign, has been the rise of chronic illness in the U.S., which he believes is linked to an increased consumption of ultra-processed foods. The …

Republican lawmaker's early retirement rumors send shockwaves through House GOP
This is performative politics again.

Rumors of one House GOP lawmaker's potential early retirement are sending shockwaves through Republicans' razor-thin majority in Congress.
Fox News Digital was told on Wednesday that lawmakers believe Rep. Neal Dunn, R-Fla., is considering not serving out the remainder of his term in the House of Representatives before his planned retirement at the end of 2026, and that he was discussing the matter with House leadership.
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., deferred to Dunn when asked about his plans but said he urged the Florida Republican to stay in Congress.
REPUBLICANS TRY TO QUASH CONCERNS OF MORE EXITS FOLLOWING MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE'S SURPRISE RESIGNATION
"He is a beloved member of Congress and a great man. And, you know, he's informed us he's not going to run for re-election. And what he does from here forward, I'm not sure," Johnson told reporters.
"You need to ask him about it. But I've encouraged him to stay and be part of this, and I think he wants to do that. And so you have to ask him all the circumstances."
Dunn told reporters he had "no comment" on the matter that same day, according to CNN.
Another Republican departure before the March special election to fill the seat abruptly vacated by former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., would see the House margin fall to 217 to 214.
JOHNSON WARNS HOUSE REPUBLICANS TO ‘STAY HEALTHY’ AS GOP MAJORITY SHRINKS TO THE EDGE
It would mean that Johnson would be dealing with a one-seat margin of error likely until August, when California Gov. Gavin Newsom has scheduled the special election to replace late Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Calif.
Dunn announced last month that he would not seek re-election after serving in Congress for nearly a decade.
A crowded primary election is forming in his wake, a scramble that could be accelerated by Dunn's possible early retirement.
Special primary elections in Florida generally take place 120 to 130 days after an early departure from the House of Representatives, with a general election likely 70 to 80 days after that. 
Fox News Digital was told that House lawmakers are conversing with Gov. Ron DeSantis' office about the timing of a possible special election for Dunn, and whether Florida election law would allow for him to remain in office until after a primary election concludes.
But Fox News Digital was also told that lawmakers do not believe it's likely that Dunn will leave his seat early if that possibility does not pan out.
Both Dunn and DeSantis' offices did not immediately respond to a request for comment.