American employers added 339,000 jobs last month, according to data released today — a surprisingly strong showing. The notable increase from the previous month reaffirmed the job market’s vigor despite a swirl of economic headwinds.
One takeaway from the latest report was, as my colleague Ben Casselman put it, that “the recession keeps being postponed.”
For more than a year, economists have warned that rising interest rates and economic uncertainty would lead to a sharp drop in consumer demand and an increase in unemployment. But even as the growth of the U.S. economy slowed a bit, the overall picture has remained rosier than expected.
Still, many forecasters expect a recession to begin by the end of the year.
Today’s report complicates the picture for the Federal Reserve, which had signaled that it could hold interest rates steady at its upcoming meeting. The new data could make that choice harder.
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The U.S. averts a default
President Biden is expected to sign a bill tomorrow to suspend the debt ceiling, just two days before the Treasury said the U.S. would no longer be able to pay its bills. Tonight, Biden will deliver a rare Oval Office address at 7 p.m. to discuss the debt limit.
The negotiations that led to the debt deal, which appears to have averted a potentially devastating default, proved yet again that the big drivers of future deficits — especially Social Security and Medicare, but also the military — are all off the table in a divided Washington.
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Blinken called Russia’s war a “strategic failure”
Speaking from the capital of Finland — NATO’s newest member and a country bordering Russia — Secretary of State Antony Blinken described how the war in Ukraine has in many ways weakened Russia. Blinken drew a contrast between Russia’s hobbled economy and the growing size and unity of NATO, which President Vladimir Putin has described as a grave threat.
Blinken also said that strengthening Ukraine’s defenses against Russia was a “prerequisite” for diplomacy to end the war. Short-term cease-fires, he said, may just play to Moscow’s military advantage.
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Lawyers couldn’t find a secret document Trump discussed
Federal prosecutors investigating Donald Trump’s handling of classified material obtained in recent months a recording of the former president discussing what appeared to be a sensitive document on military options for confronting Iran. Soon after, the prosecutors issued a subpoena seeking the return of all records that resembled the document mentioned.
But Trump’s legal team informed the Justice Department that it was unable to find any such records in his possession. It is unclear whether prosecutors have been able to track the documents, or whether the material remains at large. Another possibility is that Trump incorrectly described it on the recording.
More top news
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Washington: Mike Pence will not face charges in a federal inquiry into his retention of classified materials, people familiar with the situation said.
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India: Two trains derailed in the eastern state of Odisha, with news reports saying as many as 50 people were killed and hundreds more were injured.
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New York: About 10 percent of offers to the city’s elite public high schools went to Black and Latino students even though they make up more than two-thirds of the student population.
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Recovery: Thousands of residents of Guam remained without power, water and cellphone service more than a week after the island was pummeled by a typhoon.
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Serbia: Two recent mass shootings prompted the government to tighten rules on gun ownership, but few Serbians are willing to give up their weapons.
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Iran: Narges Mohammadi, the country’s most prominent human rights activist, is serving a 10-year sentence. Even in prison, she is pushing for change.
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Blizzard: Five months after a storm killed 31 residents of Buffalo, a report cited multiple failures in the city’s response to the blinding snowfall.
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Soccer: Saudi Arabia is offering some of the highest salaries in sports history to lure top soccer players to its national league.
EVENING WIND DOWN
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Are you ready for the summer?
For many of us, it’s the best time of the year. Whether it’s trips to the beach, games in the yard, hikes in the forest or vacations by a lake, summer means spending time outdoors. But what if, during your mountain hike, you spot a bear?
We built a quiz to test your preparedness for potential summer dangers, including sunburn, heatstroke, tick bites and even bear encounters. See how well you do.
Dinner table topics
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Peak pork: Charcuterie has become a staple in many New York restaurants. The trend is partly an indulgent response to the lifting of pandemic restrictions.
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Tina Turner’s legacy: The singer’s honesty about her abusive relationship with her ex-husband resonated with many women. She helped change the conversation about domestic violence.
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The next Coachella? An ambitious new arts festival in New Jersey, the North to Shore Festival, will take place in venues from Atlantic City to Asbury Park to Newark throughout the month.
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Facebook founder: Mark Zuckerberg is — weirdly — completely shredded. Amid a tough run for Meta, the boss seems to be getting out some aggression with military-style workouts and Brazilian jujitsu.
WHAT TO DO THIS WEEKEND
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Yes, it’s OK to finish at the back of the pack
Probably no one embraces running at a slow pace more than Martinus Evans. When a bystander taunted him for his speed during the 2018 New York City Marathon — which he finished in just over eight hours, or six hours behind the winner — he was inspired to start a movement.