Support for President Joe Biden among small business owners fell sharply in the fourth quarter, especially among independents, a survey released Tuesday showed . Just 34 percent of small business owners say they approve of the way Joe Biden is handling his job as president, down from 40 percent in the previous quarter and 43 percent at the start of the year, according to the latest CNBC|Momentive Small Business Survey. Small business owners tend to be Republicans learning, so its no surprise that Biden is more disapproved than approved. What makes the fourth-quarter polling results so startling is that virtually all of the decline in support for Biden came from independents. Just nine percent of Republican small business owners say they approve of Biden, while 89 percent of Democrats do. Those figures are nearly unchanged from previous surveys. Among independents, however, support for Biden fell from 51 percent to just 33 percent. Fifty-nine percent of independents say … [Read more...]

Republicans are looking to make further gains with female voters, particularly in the suburbs, in next year’s midterm elections after a strong showing in Virginia suggested they had made inroads with the group. Suburban women proved to be a major asset to Democrats in the 2018 and 2020 midterms, giving them control of the House, Senate and presidency. ADVERTISEMENT But Republican Glenn Youngkin Glenn Youngkin Activists preparing for midterms with abortion as a key issue Northam announces final steps in clearing, ceding area where Lee monument stood Judges uphold GOP win for Virginia state House seat, cementing party control of chamber MORE ’s inroads with female voters helped him, in part, to become the first Republican to win a statewide election in Virginia since 2009. Exit polling shows that white women in particular swung back to Republicans in the commonwealth last month. Republicans say they hope to employ Youngkin’s disciplined strategy of … [Read more...]

Presented by Uber Welcome to The Hill’s Morning Report. It is Tuesday! We get you up to speed on the most important developments in politics and policy, plus trends to watch. Alexis Simendinger and Al Weaver are the co-creators. Readers can find us on Twitter @asimendinger and @alweaver22. Please recommend the Morning Report to friends and let us know what you think. CLICK HERE to subscribe! Total U.S. coronavirus deaths each morning this week : Monday, 788,364; Tuesday, 789,745. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio Bill de Blasio Overnight Health Care — Biden touts drug price push New York mayor announces vaccine mandate for private-sector employers These are the states where the omicron variant has been identified MORE (D) may be leaving office in a matter of weeks, but he isn’t leaving quietly. On Monday, he announced a wide-ranging vaccine mandate for all private employers effective days after … [Read more...]

Presented by Facebook To view past editions of The Hill's 12:30 Report, click here: https://bit.ly/30ARS1U To receive The Hill's 12:30 Report in your inbox, please sign up here: http://bit.ly/2UoupvN --> A midday take on what's happening in politics and how to have a sense of humor about it.* *Ha. Haha. Hahah. Sniff. Haha. Sniff. Ha--breaks down crying hysterically. IN CONGRESS Chuck Schumer Chuck Schumer Build Back Better Is bad for the states Dole to lie in state in Capitol Rotunda Biden points to drug prices in call for Senate social spending vote MORE ’s confidence is ~truly~ unmatched: via GIPHY Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer Chuck Schumer Build Back Better Is bad for the states Dole to lie in state in Capitol Rotunda Biden points to drug prices in call for Senate social spending vote MORE (D-N.Y.) sent a letter to colleagues this morning, reiterating his goal of passing … [Read more...]

The productivity of U.S. workers in the third quarter of 2021 dropped at a rate of 5.2 percent, the Department of Labor said Tuesday. Output rose 1.8 percent in the July through September period while the number of hours worked rose 7,4 percent. The figures are seasonally adjusted and annualized. From the third quarter of 2020 to the third quarter of 2021, nonfarm business sector labor productivity fell 0.6 percent. This four-quarter rate is the largest decline since the fourth quarter of 1993, when the measure also declined by the same amount. Economists had forecast productivity would decline by 4.9 percent, an improvement from the preliminary reading of five percent. Unit labor costs soared at an annual rate of 9.6 percent in the third quarter of 2021, reflecting a 3.9-percent increase in hourly compensation and the decline in productivity. Unit labor costs increased 6.3 percent over the last four quarters. That was more than expected. Analysts polled by Econoday had … [Read more...]

0 Community Corner Consumers preparing to enter the frenzied holiday shopping environment should bring an ample supply of patience with them. Delaware Valley Journal , News Partner Posted Reply By Rick Woelfel, Delaware Valley Journal December 1, 2021 Consumers preparing to enter the frenzied holiday shopping environment should bring an ample supply of patience with them, whether they're shopping online or in-person, or whether they're searching for that ideal gift or looking to secure ingredients for their family's traditional holiday meal. Supply chains stressed to or beyond their limits have led to retailers with depleted shelves barren of merchandise while online retailers struggle to get their products to customers. What strategies can shoppers use to cope with the present circumstances? Brad Wilson resides in Drexel Hill. He orders his groceries online and points out that availability tends to run in cycles. … [Read more...]