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☆ Biden says he has no plans to contact Putin, prepared to talk about ending Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

"I have no immediate plans to contact Mr Putin," Biden said at a White House news conference after talks with French counterpart Emmanuel Macron. "I'm prepared to speak with Mr. Putin, if in fact there is an interest in him deciding he's looking for a way to end the war. Biden and Macron pledged their countries solidarity with Ukraine against Russia's war and vowed to work together to deal with the economic difficulties the conflict has brought. Biden put the onus on ending the war, which began with Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February, squarely on Putin. "There's one way for this war to end, the rational way: Putin could pull out of Ukraine, No.

☆ Biden, Macron resolve to hold Russia accountable for atrocities, war crimes in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, Dec 1 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden and French President Emanuel Macron pledged to hold Russia accountable for "widely documented atrocities and war crimes" in Ukraine, the two leaders said in a statement issued after their White House meeting. The leaders reiterated "their steadfast resolve to hold Russia to account for widely documented atrocities and war crimes, committed both by its regular armed forces and by its proxies, including mercenary entities," the statement said. Reporting by Steve Holland; Writing by Doina Chiacu, Editing by Franklin PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Pelosi said the House would vote separately on Wednesday on a proposal to give seven days of paid sick leave to railroad employees. There are no paid sick days under the tentative deal after unions asked for 15 and railroads settled on one personal day. "Guaranteeing 7 paid sick days to rail workers would cost the rail industry a grand total of $321 million a year – less than 2% of its profits," Sanders said. The railroads oppose giving their workers paid sick time because they would have to hire more staff. "I can’t in good conscience vote for a bill that doesn’t give rail workers the paid leave they deserve," Representative Jamaal Bowman, a Democrat, said on Twitter.

☆ U.S. deeply concerned about Whelan, American jailed in Russia -White House
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Doina Chiacu | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 30 (Reuters) - The United States is "deeply concerned" about detained American Paul Whelan in Russia, and has not been able to get information from Moscow on his whereabouts or condition, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said on Wednesday. U.S. diplomats in Moscow were working to get details on what was going on with Whelan, Kirby said. "But yes, we are deeply concerned about the lack of information and the lack of contact from Paul," he added. It's highly unusual," David Whelan said. When transferred to the prison's hospital in the past, his brother had always mentioned the move in his phone calls, David Whelan said.

He said Abu al-Hassan al-Hashemi al-Quraishi was killed while "fighting enemies of God", without elaborating. The spokesman urged Islamic State members in all countries to pledge allegiance to the new leader, adding that "he is one of the loyal sons of the (Islamic) state". The White House welcomed the news that Abu al-Hassan al-Hashemi al-Quraishi had been killed, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters. Islamic State announced Abu al-Hassan al-Hashemi al-Quraishi as its new leader in March after the death of predecessor Abu Ibrahim al-Hashemi al-Quraishi. Islamic State emerged from the chaos of the civil war in neighbouring Iraq and took over vast swathes of Iraq and Syria in 2014.

☆ NATO concerned about China's 'opaque' military buildup -Blinken
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken looks on during a news conference at the NATO foreign ministers' meeting in Bucharest, Romania, November 30, 2022. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov/File PhotoBUCHAREST, Nov 30 (Reuters) - NATO allies are concerned about China's rapid and opaque military buildup and its cooperation with Russia, and discussed concrete ways to address the challenges posed by Beijing on Wednesday, said U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. "The members of our alliance remain concerned by the PRC's (People's Republic of China) coercive policies, by its use of disinformation, by its rapid, opaque military buildup, including its cooperation with Russia," Blinken told a news conference after a two-day meeting of foreign ministers from the Western defense alliance. While NATO continues to be focused on maintaining unified support for Ukraine, members also want to boost the alliance's resilience by considering new challenges, including those posed by China, Blinken said. "But there's also a recognition that wherever possible, we have to find ways to cooperate on the really big issues."

☆ Biden says Ukraine, COVID are priorities; Senate Democrats push for spending bill
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 29 (Reuters) - Top U.S. Democrats said on Tuesday that securing more funding for Ukraine and COVID-19 and passing a full-year spending bill are priorities before Republicans take control of the House of Representatives early next year. Later in the day, top Senate Democrats said passing a full-year spending bill, known as an omnibus, was vital for national security. A commonly floated alternative, known as a continuing resolution, or CR, would effectively freeze spending at current levels. Republicans are split on whether to support an omnibus spending bill or a CR, top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell told reporters. On Ukraine, House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, who attended the talks with Biden, gave a taste of what to expect if he takes over as House speaker as he hopes.

☆ Biden tells congressional leaders that Ukraine, COVID are priorities
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 29 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday said that securing funding for Ukraine and COVID-19 are his priorities before Republicans take control of the House of Representatives early next year. Biden held talks with Democratic and Republican leaders of the House of Representatives and the Senate on what can be done in the remaining weeks when Democrats still control both chambers. House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy, who attended the talks, gave Biden a taste of what to expect if he takes over as House speaker as he hopes. Biden said funding the government beyond Dec. 16 to avoid a shutdown are high on his list as well. Besides McCarthy and Pelosi, Biden was joined by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell.

WASHINGTON/LOS ANGELES, Nov 29 (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives plans to vote Wednesday to block a potential a U.S. rail strike after President Joe Biden warned of the dire economic consequences of a rail disruption that could happen as early as Dec. 9. U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said lawmakers will vote Wednesday to impose a tentative contract deal struck in September. At a White House meeting Tuesday with congressional leaders, the Democratic president was asked if he was confident he could avert a rail strike, and responded, "I am confident." Labor unions have criticized the railroads’ sick leave and attendance policies and the lack of paid sick days for short-term illness. There are no paid sick days under the tentative deal.

☆ Biden says Ukraine funding and COVID funding are legislative priorities
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 29 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden said aid to Ukraine and funding to continue the fight against COVID-19 are priorities as he convened a meeting with congressional leaders on Tuesday to discuss legislative actions for the remainder of the year. Reporting by Steve Holland; Writing by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Chizu NomiyamaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Biden requests $9.25 bln for COVID, $37.7 bln for Ukraine from Congress -officials
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 15 (Reuters) - The Biden administration is asking Congress for $9.25 billion to fight COVID-19 and an additional $37.7 billion to support Ukraine in its war with Russia as part of a supplemental funding request, U.S. officials said on Tuesday. The administration is also requesting $750 million to fight other infectious diseases and will be seeking additional money for natural disaster relief, the officials said. "The Congress has an opportunity and obligation to address three additional and critical funding needs that should earn bipartisan support: protecting the American people from COVID-19 and saving lives globally; supporting the people of Ukraine; and helping communities across the Nation recover from devastating natural disasters," White House budget director Shalanda Young said in letter to House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Reporting by Jeff Mason and Doina Chiacu; editing by Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstWASHINGTON, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Democrats in the U.S. Congress aim to pass bills protecting same-sex marriage, clarifying lawmakers' role in certifying presidential elections and raising the nation's debt ceiling when they return from the campaign trail on Monday. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen both signaled that addressing the nations' looming debt ceiling would be a priority during the session. Some Republicans have threatened to use the next hike in the $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, expected in the first quarter of 2023, as leverage to force concessions from Biden. Pelosi, who would lose her position as speaker if Republicans win a majority in the House, told ABC News on Sunday that the best way to address the debt ceiling was "to do it now." "We'll have to, again, lift the debt ceiling so that the full faith and credit of the United States is respected."

☆ U.N. General Assembly calls for Russia to make reparations in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Daphne Psaledakis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Nov 14 (Reuters) - The United Nations General Assembly on Monday called for Russia to be held accountable for its conduct in Ukraine, voting to approve a resolution recognizing that Russia must be responsible for making reparations to the country. General Assembly resolutions are nonbinding, but they carry political weight. Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.N. Sergiy Kyslytsya told the General Assembly before the vote that Russia has targeted everything from factories to residential buildings and hospitals. Fourteen countries voted against the resolution on Monday, including Russia, China and Iran, while 73 abstained, including Brazil, India and South Africa. In March, 141 members of the General Assembly voted to denounce Russia's invasion, and 143 in October voted to condemn Moscow's attempted annexation of parts of Ukraine.

☆ U.S. imposes sanctions on military procurement network aiding Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The U.S. Treasury also designated family members of Russian oligarch Suleiman Kerimov, as well as individuals that it said worked as financial facilitators in Suleiman's network. The U.S. Treasury blacklisted Milandr, a Russian microelectronics company that Washington says is part of Moscow's military research and development structure. The U.S. Treasury has sanctioned major military industrial firms in Russia and the Commerce Department has cut off exports of American-made components and U.S. technologies that have been used in some of Russia's military hardware. Russia has managed to procure drones from Iran that have been used to attack cities and power infrastructure in Ukraine. Iranian military entities and industries are already under heavy U.S. sanctions over Tehran's nuclear development program.

Either Democrats or Republicans can capture a Senate majority by sweeping the contests in both states. A split, however, would transform a Dec. 6 runoff Senate election in Georgia into a proxy battle for the chamber, which among other powers holds sway over President Joe Biden's judicial appointments. The Republican House leader, Kevin McCarthy, has already announced his intention to run for speaker if Republicans take over, an outcome he described as inevitable on Wednesday. The outcome of the Arizona and Nevada Senate races, where Democratic incumbents were trying to fend off Republican challengers, may not be known for days yet. Even a narrow Republican House majority would be able to demand concessions in exchange for votes on key issue such as raising the nation's borrowing limit.

[1/11] The sun rises over the U.S. Capitol, as control of Congress remained unclear following the 2022 U.S. midterm elections in Washington, U.S., November 9, 2022. The fate of the Senate, meanwhile, rests with a trio of fiercely contested states. (Live election results from around the country are here)Though Republicans remained favored to take over the House, their performance on Tuesday was seen as underwhelming. A Republican Senate would hold sway over Biden's judicial appointments, including any potential Supreme Court vacancies. VOTE-COUNTING CHUGGING ALONGAs ballots were tallied, Democrats expressed cautious optimism about both the Nevada and Arizona Senate races.

[1/11] The sun rises over the U.S. Capitol, as control of Congress remained unclear following the 2022 U.S. midterm elections in Washington, U.S., November 9, 2022. Either party can win a majority by sweeping the races in Nevada and Arizona, where counting late-arriving ballots is expected to last several more days. (Live election results from around the country are here)Though Republicans remained favored to take over the House, their performance on Tuesday was seen as underwhelming. A Republican Senate would hold sway over Biden's judicial appointments, including any potential Supreme Court vacancies. VOTE-COUNTING CHUGGING ALONGAs ballots were tallied, Democrats expressed cautious optimism about both the Nevada and Arizona Senate races.

[1/11] The sun rises over the U.S. Capitol, as control of Congress remained unclear following the 2022 U.S. midterm elections in Washington, U.S., November 9, 2022. "Women in America made their voices heard, man," President Joe Biden said at a political event in Washington. At the political event, Biden noted that many so-called "election deniers" had accepted their own losses. A White House official said Biden spoke by phone with Republican House leader Kevin McCarthy, who announced on Wednesday his intention to run for speaker of the House if Republicans control the chamber. Republicans are expected to demand spending cuts in exchange for raising the nation's borrowing limit next year, a showdown that could spook financial markets.

☆ U.S. Senate up for grabs as Republicans move toward House majority
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Joseph Ax | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

(Live election results from around the country are here.) But Democrats were able to avoid the major defeat that Republicans had anticipated and were holding on in the close Senate battles in Nevada and Arizona. Even a slim House majority would allow Republicans to shape the rest of Biden's term, blocking priorities such as abortion rights and launching investigations into his administration and family. A White House official said Biden spoke by phone with Republican House leader Kevin McCarthy, who announced earlier in the day his intention to run for speaker of the House if Republicans control the chamber. Control of the Senate, meanwhile, would give Republicans the power to block Biden's nominees for judicial and administrative posts.

The White House said Biden will hold talks on Monday with Xi, China's president, on the sidelines of a Group of 20 nations summit in Indonesia, their first face-to-face meeting since Biden became president in January 2021. China is Washington's main strategic rival and the world's second largest economy after the United States. The United States is looking to have stable relations with Beijing despite tensions over Taiwan, the South China Sea, trade and a host of other issues. Washington believes China and Russia have leverage to persuade North Korea not to resume nuclear bomb testing. "This is an area where China and the United States have had a history of working together ... there is a track record of being able to work together.

☆ Republicans close in on U.S. House majority, Senate still up for grabs
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Joseph Ax | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A split would mean the Senate majority would come down to a runoff election in Georgia for the second time in two years. Even a slim House majority would allow Republicans to shape the rest of Biden's term, blocking priorities such as abortion rights and launching investigations into his administration and family. A White House official said Biden spoke by phone with Republican House leader Kevin McCarthy, who announced earlier in the day his intention to run for speaker of the House if Republicans control the chamber. Control of the Senate, meanwhile, would give Republicans the power to block Biden's nominees for judicial and administrative posts. MIXED RESULTSThe party in power historically suffers heavy casualties in a president's first midterm election, and Biden has struggled with low approval ratings.

House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy had hoped to celebrate a resounding victory that would propel him into the top job of speaker. But Republican hopes for a "red wave" of victories faded as Democrats showed surprising resilience in several key races. Pelosi said in a statement, "It is clear that House Democratic members and candidates are strongly outperforming expectations around the country." [1/9] Supporters cheer U.S. House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) at a House Republicans' party held late on the night of the 2022 U.S. midterm elections in Washington, U.S., November 9, 2022. The Georgia Senate race could end up in a Dec. 6 runoff, possibly with Senate control at stake.

By early Wednesday, Republicans had flipped six Democratic House seats, Edison Research projected, one more than the minimum they need to take over the chamber. But Republican hopes for a "red wave" of victories faded as Democrats showed surprising resilience in several key races. Pelosi said in a statement, "It is clear that House Democratic members and candidates are strongly outperforming expectations around the country." But television host and heart surgeon Mehmet Oz failed to win his Pennsylvania Senate race. In Pennsylvania, Republican gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano, who sought to overturn the state's election results after Trump lost, was defeated by Democrat Josh Shapiro.

In the House of Representatives, Republicans remained favored to win a majority that would allow them to halt Biden's legislative agenda. By early Wednesday, the party had flipped six Democratic House seats, Edison Research projected, one more than the minimum they need to take over the chamber. But Republican hopes for a "red wave" of victories faded as Democrats showed surprising resilience in several key races. The Democratic speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, said in a statement, "It is clear that House Democratic members and candidates are strongly outperforming expectations around the country." Voter anger over the Supreme Court's June decision to overturn the nationwide right to abortion helped Democrats to curb their losses.

SummarySummary Companies Key House, Senate races still too close to callRepublican-controlled Congress would stymie Biden agendaPHOENIX, Ariz./BIRMINGHAM, Mich., Nov 8 (Reuters) - Control of Congress was up for grabs after Tuesday's U.S. midterm elections with many of the most competitive races uncalled, leaving it unclear whether Republicans would seize control from President Joe Biden's Democrats. In the House of Representatives, Republicans had been favored to win a majority that would allow them to halt Biden's legislative agenda. By early Wednesday, the party had flipped four Democratic House seats, Edison Research projected, one short of the number they need to take over the chamber. The Georgia Senate race could end up in a Dec. 6 runoff, possibly with Senate control at stake. Democrats currently control the 50-50 Senate with Vice President Kamala Harris able to break any ties.

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