‘Very, Very Bad’: Former US Government Economist Makes Bleakest Trump Prediction

It “seems almost unavoidable at this point” that the United States is “headed for a deep, deep recession” thanks to the Trump administration’s massive government job cuts and pullback from official contracts, a former Obama-era Department of Labor economist has warned.

Jesse Rothstein, a professor of public policy and economics at the University of California, Berkeley, predicted on BlueSky this week that the employment report for March 2025 will show “bigger job losses than any month ever outside of a few in 2008-9 and 2020.” (I.e. — when America was hit by the 2008 financial crash and then, later, by the coronavirus pandemic).

It seems almost unavoidable at this point that we are headed for a deep, deep recession. Just based on 200K+ federal firings & pullback of contracts, the March employment report (to be released April 4) seems certain to show bigger job losses than any month ever outside of a few in 2008-9 and 2020.

Jesse Rothstein (@jrothst.bsky.social) 2025-02-19T01:37:08.298Z

Rothstein also envisioned “enormous private market uncertainty” that would make companies reluctant to hire.

It’s “going to be very, very bad,” he said he feared.

President Donald Trump has tasked billionaire Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, with slashing public spending via the non-official Department of Government Efficiency.

The current total number of federal jobs that have been cut is not clear.

But Rothstein estimated it to be more than 200,000.

The gutting of government is just one Trump policy that economists have warned could plunge America into a new financial crisis.

Others include Trump’s imposition of tariffs on imports and his vow to deport millions of undocumented immigrants.

Nobel laureate economist Joseph Stiglitz earlier this week said the tariffs could cause stagflation — or stagnant economic growth, high inflation and rising unemployment. The US is becoming “a scary place to invest” amid the ripping up of government contracts, he added.

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Ted Lasso Toppled As Apple TV+’s Most-Watched Original Show

Ted Lasso has officially been dethroned as the jewel in Apple TV+’s crown.

Until this week, the Emmy-winning comedy had been the most-watched original show on Apple’s streaming service.

However, it’s now been bested by the return of Severance.

Earlier this week, Deadline reported that Severance had become the platform’s most-watched show ever, following its season two premiere last month.

Reacting to the news on X, executive producer and director Ben Stiller said: “Thank you everyone who waited for season 2 and those who have just discovered the show.

“Your incredible connection and dedication to the characters and details has been so wonderful to share. We all appreciate it so much.”

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Thank you everyone who waited for season 2 and those who have just discovered the show. Your incredible connection and dedication to the characters and details has been so wonderful to share. We all appreciate it so much. #severance https://t.co/XJppWmBINH

— Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) February 19, 2025

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Thank you everyone who waited for season 2 and those who have just discovered the show. Your incredible connection and dedication to the characters and details has been so wonderful to share. We all appreciate it so much. #severance https://t.co/XJppWmBINH

— Ben Stiller (@BenStiller) February 19, 2025

Apple’s head of programming Matt Cherniss also enthused: “We have long admired Ben’s extraordinary gift for original and immersive storytelling, and with he and Dan at the helm, Severance has proven to be an extraordinary success and a cultural phenomenon.

“The series has become an obsession for audiences all over the world and we can’t wait for people to continue to experience all the masterful twists and turns as the rest of the season unfolds.”

Although Ted Lasso came to an end in 2023, it may still have time to claim its record back.

Over the summer, reports claimed that Ted Lasso could be making a comeback, after several of its cast members’ contracts were renewed.

While this remains unconfirmed by Apple, supporting actor Nick Mohammad fuelled the rumours last month, when he revealed he was postponing several live shows due to scheduling issues, while making several subtle nods to Ted Lasso.

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