Thomas Shelter

Thomas Shelter has been a keen follower of US politics for over two decades. His reporting for Congress.net primarily focuses on legislation, party politics, and business news.

Sen. Kennedy Warns GOP That Dismissing Americans’ Cost-Of-Living Pain Will Backfire In Midterms

Louisiana Republican Senator John Kennedy is urging his party to confront economic realities head-on as midterm elections draw closer and voter frustration with inflation mounts. Kennedy made the remarks Sunday on NBC News’s “Meet the Press,” speaking directly with host Kristen Welker about the political landscape facing Republicans in the upcoming elections. “I will bet…

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RTX (NYSE: RTX) vs. General Dynamics (NYSE: GD): Which Defense Dividend Stock Wins The Next Decade?

Both RTX and General Dynamics have pulled back sharply in recent weeks, even as Pentagon spending projections reached historic levels. RTX is down 8.02% over the past month, while General Dynamics has fallen 9.33% during the same period, creating a fresh entry point for investors evaluating both names. The Pentagon’s FY2027 budget request calls for…

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Corporate Profit Optimism Hits Record Highs As Third-Quarter Earnings Season Gets Underway

As third-quarter earnings season kicks off, American corporations are expressing optimism about their bottom lines at levels never before recorded. The bullish sentiment marks a notable moment in corporate history, with more companies than ever signaling confidence in their future profitability. Earnings season serves as a critical window into the health of the broader economy,…

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White House Economic Adviser Kevin Hassett Dismisses Negative Economy Polls As Partisan Trickery

Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council, is pushing back hard against recent polling that shows widespread American pessimism about the economy. Hassett made the remarks Sunday during an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union,” hosted by Jake Tapper, offering a pointed rebuttal to the survey data. “Ahead of an election cycle, the…

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BA, RTX, And LHX Lock In Billion-Dollar Defense Wins As ONDS Rolls Out Long-Range Counter-Drone System

U.S. defense stocks grabbed headlines this week as Washington pushed aggressively to rebuild missile stockpiles, expand production, and modernize the military with artificial intelligence. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the creation of an Autonomous Warfare Command, known as AutoWarCom, to speed up the military’s adoption of drones, robotics, and AI systems. “The pace of war…

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House Democrats Target Supersized Majority To Strengthen Hakeem Jeffries’ Path To Speaker

Democrats are making a serious push to build a large enough House majority to neutralize potential rebellions from both progressive and moderate factions within the party. The strategy is designed to give Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries maximum leverage if he assumes the speaker’s gavel, reducing his dependence on any single bloc of lawmakers. “Another five-or-so-seat…

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Wall Street Upgrades Airbnb (ABNB) And HPE While Nike (NKE) And Northrop Grumman (NOC) Face Downgrades

KeyBanc upgraded Airbnb (ABNB) to Overweight from Sector Weight, assigning a $191 price target as analysts grow more confident in the company’s long-term trajectory. The firm told investors that Airbnb’s core growth “appears to be increasingly durable and product-led” while its hotels bookings business is emerging as a “credible second growth engine.” Daiwa upgraded Hewlett…

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RTX Corp. (RTX) Scores $6.3 Billion Munitions Boost As Record Backlog Tests Delivery Capacity

RTX Corp. (NYSE: RTX) stands to benefit significantly from a sweeping defense appropriations agreement that allocates more than $6.3 billion for 13 critical munitions programs. The FY2026 defense spending package also provides conditional multiyear procurement authority for eight of those programs, giving major contractors like RTX a more stable production planning horizon. RTX has expanded…

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