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The United States has in place a vaccine requirement for foreign air travellers that is not expected to be lifted before main draw action kicks off on March 9. Indian Wells tournament director Tommy Haas recently said that it would be a "disgrace" if Djokovic was not allowed to compete at Indian Wells and other tournaments in the United States this year. read moreHaas said Indian Wells organisers would do everything to help Djokovic's chances of playing. Even if Djokovic is unable to compete at Indian Wells there will still be plenty of talent on show. Spanish great Rafael Nadal, teenage world number two Carlos Alcaraz and defending champion Taylor Fritz were among those named on Wednesday's entry list.

☆ Marjorie Taylor Greene and other Republicans yell 'liar' as Biden accuses them of wanting to cut Medicare and Social Security
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green called Biden a "liar" after he accused the GOP of wanting to cut Medicare and Social Security. But McCarthy said cuts to Medicare and Social Security are "off the table." She was far from the only House Republican who was outraged at Biden's suggestion that the GOP would end Medicare or Social Security, massively popular federal programs. "Instead of making the wealthy pay their fair share, some Republicans, some Republicans, want Medicare and Social Security to sunset — I'm not saying it's a majority," Biden said before the boos grew louder. Potential cuts to Medicare and Social Security have surrounded negotiations to raise the debt ceiling.

☆ Why the law Biden is using to cancel student debt is 'highly strained,' according to a group formed by Obama lawyers aimed at protecting American democracy
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Protect Democracy, a group formed by Obama lawyers, filed an amicus brief to the Supreme Court on student debt. It said that Biden's usage of the HEROES Act of 2003 to cancel student debt is "highly strained." While there might be another route to cancel student debt, the group said this relief is an overuse of emergency powers. "It is important to recognize that both student debt and the pandemic have disproportionately harmed lower income and minority communities," the brief said. One regarded Biden's student debt relief, and the other was on Arizona v. Mayorkas.

☆ Betsy DeVos and former GOP lawmakers who helped construct versions of the legislation Biden is using to cancel student debt just told the Supreme Court his plan 'obviously violates' the law
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-05 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Both briefs criticized the legal path Biden used to cancel student debt, saying relief requires Congressional approval. The Supreme Court is hearing the two lawsuits challenging Biden's relief on February 28. After two conservative-backed lawsuits late last year paused the implementation of Biden's debt relief, the Supreme Court agreed to take up both of the cases on February 28. Per the brief, McKeon was the original author of the HEROES Act of 2001 in response to 9/11, and Kline authored the HEROES Act of 2003. So did former Rep. George Miller, a top Democratic lawmaker on the House education committee who helped construct the HEROES Act of 2003.

☆ Why Biden's plan to make monthly student-loan payments cheaper could end up sticking borrowers with the same repayment struggles they've had for decades
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-04 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

For years, income-driven repayment plans for student-loan borrowers were not working as intended. That's why Biden introduced a proposal to reform those plans and make monthly payments cheaper. Angel said they were advised by a customer service representative at a student-loan company to stay in school to defer the loan payments. But after so many years of failures with IDR plans, Chingos said he's concerned not much will change. According to NPR, three student-loan companies weren't tracking the payments borrowers were making under the plan, and low-income borrowers who were making $0 monthly payments were hurt the most.

☆ Factbox: High-altitude spy balloons: old concept, new applications
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Using high-altitude balloons for spying and other military missions is a practice that dates to the middle of the last century. No military targets were damaged, but several civilians were killed when one of the balloons crashed in an Oregon forest. * Just after World War 2, the U.S. military started exploring the use of high-altitude spy balloons, which led to a large-scale series of missions called Project Genetrix. * Such balloons typically operate at 80,000-120,000 feet (24,000-37,000m), well above where commercial air traffic flies - airliners almost never fly higher than 40,000 feet. * The U.S. military has tracked other spy balloons in recent years, including before President Joe Biden's administration, according to a senior U.S. defense official.

Biden met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in November with that goal in mind and both leaders pledged more frequent communications. He has also sidelined some of his "wolf warrior" diplomats whose strident rhetoric alienated many of China's trade partners. Despite such pragmatic rhetoric, China's actions - especially its military activity around Taiwan and in the South China Sea - have not moderated, analysts said. Washington hopes for incremental progress on more specific but vital matters such as securing China's cooperation on fentanyl, global health, climate change and the cases of U.S. citizens detained there. That ... is more than deeply frustrating," said another source familiar with the administration's thinking, adding that China has rebuffed Washington's "very specific" proposals.

☆ Longer-range rockets included in $2 bln U.S. pledge for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Mike Stone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

USAI stands for Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI). Friday's aid pledge opens the door to many more deliveries of the Ground Launched Small Diameter Bombs (GLSDB). When the new rockets arrive, it will mark the first time Ukraine has seen its rocket range grow exponentially since U.S. furnished HIMARS in late-June 2022. HIMARS have a 77 km (48 mile) range and were instrumental in Ukraine's counter offensive against Russian forces, which invaded on Feb. 24, 2022. Reuters was first to report on a Boeing Co (BA.N) proposal to field GLSDB for Ukraine in November.

☆ Over half of the House GOP and nearly all Senate Republicans signed briefs urging the Supreme Court to block Biden's student-loan forgiveness
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

On Friday, 128 of the 222 House Republicans signed onto an amicus brief urging the Supreme Court to block student-debt relief. They both argued that Biden doesn't have the authority to cancel student debt using the HEROES Act of 2003. On Friday, 128 House Republicans signed onto an amicus curiae brief urging the nation's highest court to block Biden's plan to forgive up to $20,000 in student debt for federal borrowers. That's just over half of the GOP composition in the House, with 222 Republicans holding a slim majority in that chamber. Both of the briefs argued that the HEROES Act does not allow for broad loan forgiveness, which a series of other conservative groups reiterated in their own briefs filed to the Supreme Court this week.

Still, its shares fell more than 5% to $111.79 on weaker oil prices on the day and a fourth-quarter profit miss. It also anticipates it will invest about $2 billion in Sempra's Port Arthur LNG facility, of which ConocoPhillips has a 30% stake. "ConocoPhillips finished 2022 on a solid note with production volumes exceeding consensus forecasts by 1.5%," said Third Bridge analyst Peter McNally. First quarter production is expected between 1.72 million and 1.76 million boepd, with full-year output of between 1.76 million to 1.8 million boepd, representing growth of 1% to 4%. On an adjusted basis, the company posted quarterly profit of $2.71 per share, missing expectations of $2.81, according to Refinitiv data.

☆ U.S. government backs smaller version of Conoco Alaska drilling project
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Nichola Groom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 1 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden's administration said on Wednesday it would support a scaled-back version of ConocoPhillips' (COP.N) planned $6 billion Willow oil and gas drilling project in Alaska but has not yet made a final decision on the contentious proposal. Alaska officials and ConocoPhillips backed that option in letters submitted to the agency in recent months. In a statement, ConocoPhillips said the design represented "a viable path forward" for Willow and said it was ready to begin construction "immediately" upon approval. The company said the project would deliver up to $17 billion in revenue for federal and state governments and local Alaska communities. A final decision will be made no sooner than 30 days after the review's publication, the department said.

☆ A conservative group blocked student-loan forgiveness because 2 borrowers wanted more relief than they qualified for. Here's why it thinks no one else should get to benefit from Biden's plan.
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

One of the cases involves two student-loan borrowers who sued because they didn't qualify for the full $20,000 amount of relief. "Extra breathing room for millions of Americans is on hold because of lawsuits brought by opponents of this Administration's student debt relief plan," the White House wrote on Twitter this week. Here are some standouts from the Job Creators Network's argument on why Biden's student-loan forgiveness should be blocked. The debt-relief plan demonstrates "gross over-inclusiveness"Leading up to the announcement of Biden's debt relief, many advocates and Democratic lawmakers were urging him to make the relief as expansive as possible, without any thresholds. "There was a national emergency that impacted millions of student borrowers," the official said.

☆ Americans could save $9 billion a year through Biden's new proposal that would slash credit card late fees
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The CFPB proposed a rule to crack down on credit card late fees, saving consumers up to $9 billion a year. This follows Biden's announcement last year of a plan to crack down on junk fees. On Wednesday, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) proposed a new rule to limit credit card late fees that the agency estimates cost Americans $12 billion each year. "Today's proposed rule seeks to save families billions of dollars and ensure the credit card market is fair and competitive." The CFPB's proposal on credit card late fees are part of the rulemaking process which includes a public comment period, and an exact implementation date has not yet been set.

☆ The first hour of a GOP-led House committee's meeting was a food fight over saying the Pledge of Allegiance
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Oma Seddiq | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Republicans and Democrats fell into a heated debate over reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. "I would oppose it simply on the grounds that, as members know, we pledge allegiance everyday on the floor," said Rep. Jerry Nadler of New York, the highest-ranking Democrat on the panel. "And I don't know why we should pledge allegiance twice in the same day to show how patriotic we are." Gaetz shot back, claiming that Cicilline's proposal would disqualify several Democrats from saying the Pledge of Allegiance since they had objected to results in previous elections. The back-and-forth dragged on, prompting a seemingly exasperated GOP Rep. Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey, who supported Gaetz's amendment, to acknowledge at one point: "Come on.

☆ The CEO of a major student-loan lender says he doesn't support broad debt relief and that borrowers 'that are capable of paying need to be put back into payment'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-01 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

SoFi CEO Anthony Noto told Yahoo Finance he doesn't support broad plans to cancel student debt. The student-loan payment pause is set to end 60 days after June 30, or 60 days after the lawsuits blocking the relief are resolved. He's not a fan of broad proposals like President Joe Biden's plan to cancel up to $20,000 in student debt for federal borrowers making less than $125,000. But those... that are capable of paying need to be put back into payment, and they shouldn't have their loans forgiven either." Noto had previously expressed his belief that the student-loan payment pause should not continue for all borrowers.

☆ Marathon Petroleum tops profit estimates on high demand, tight supplies
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Arunima Kumar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] A Marathon Petroleum banner covers an Andeavor sign outside the El Paso refinery following a closed $23 billion deal after the Ohio-based Marathon bought the Texas-based company, forming one of the largest global refiners in El Paso, Texas, U.S., October 1, 2018. REUTERS/Julio-Cesar Chavez/File PhotoJan 31 (Reuters) - Marathon Petroleum Corp (MPC.N) on Tuesday beat Wall Street expectations for quarterly profit as its margins soared amid tight supplies and high demand for refined products. The top U.S. refiner also approved an additional $5 billion in stock repurchase, while rival Phillips 66 (PSX.N) raised its quarterly dividend by 5% to 97 cents per share. Meanwhile, realized refining margins for rival Phillips 66 jumped 65% to $19.73 per barrel in the October to December quarter. Phillips 66 reported an adjusted income of $4 per share, missing analysts' expectations of $4.35 per share.

☆ Exxon smashes Western oil majors' earnings record with $56 billion profit for 2022
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Exxon Mobil posted a $56 billion profit for 2022, the company said on Tuesday, taking home about $6.3 million per hour last year, and setting not only a company record but a historic high for the Western oil industry. The scale has renewed criticism of the oil industry and sparked calls for more countries to levy windfall profit taxes on the companies. "So that came really from a combination of strong markets, strong throughput, strong production, and really good cost control." Windfall profit taxes are "unlawful and bad policy," countered Mikells. Its results come ahead of what are expected to be strong earnings from Shell on Thursday and from BP and TotalEnergies next week.

[1/2] A car rides on an empty road near a frontline, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine January 29, 2023. In Paris after meeting Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov, French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu said "there was no taboo" about supplying Kyiv with fighter planes. Russian forces on Tuesday made no headway in attempts to advance on Avdiivka, the second focal point of Russian attacks in Donetsk region, Kyiv's military general staff said. Russian forces also tried to advance near Lyman, a town further north in Donetsk region that was recaptured by Ukrainian forces in October, the military said. Russia was reaching further west in Donetsk by firing on the town of Vuhledar and a half dozen other towns and villages, the Ukraine military said.

☆ Biden's student-loan forgiveness plan will still be legal even after the pandemic national emergency ends, the White House says
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The White House announced it's ending the COVID-19 national emergency declaration in May. Biden's student-debt relief plan uses the HEROES Act, which allows relief in connection with a national emergency. But the White House said the legality of the debt relief will still stand. "There was a national emergency that impacted millions of student borrowers," the official continued. Still, Biden's administration has long maintained that this debt relief plan is intended to remedy the economic consequences of the pandemic, which can last far longer than an emergency declaration.

☆ U.S. readies $2 billion-plus Ukraine aid package with longer-range weapons -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Mike Stone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The aid is expected to be announced as soon as this week, the officials said. It is also expected to include support equipment for Patriot air defense systems, precision-guided munitions and Javelin anti-tank weapons, they added. At the time it was expected GLSDB could be in Ukraine by spring. That aid was expected to include mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles (MRAPs), guided multiple launch rocket systems (GMLRS) and ammunition. The U.S. has sent approximately $27.2 billion worth of security assistance to Ukraine since Russia's February 2022 invasion.

☆ U.S. says Russia violating New START nuclear arms control treaty
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Humeyra Pamuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Delegates from Russia attend the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty review conference in New York City, New York, U.S., August 1, 2022. REUTERS/David 'Dee' Delgado/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Jan 31 (Reuters) - The United States on Tuesday accused Russia of violating the New START Treaty, the last major pillar of post-Cold War nuclear arms control between the two countries, saying Moscow was refusing to allow inspection activities on its territory. The two countries, which during the Cold War were constrained by a tangle of arms control agreements, still account together for about 90% of the world's nuclear warheads. "The New START Treaty remains in the national security interests of the United States," the spokesperson said. Asked if Moscow could envisage there being no nuclear arms control treaty after 2026, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told the RIA state new agency: "This is quite a possible scenario."

☆ Exxon smashes Western oil majors' earnings record with $59 billion profit
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Sabrina Valle | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The scale has renewed criticism of the oil industry and sparked calls for more countries to levy windfall profit taxes on the companies. "So that came really from a combination of strong markets, strong throughput, strong production, and really good cost control." Exxon said it incurred a $1.3 billion hit to its fourth quarter earnings from a European Union windfall tax that began in the final quarter and from asset impairments. Slapping new taxes on oil earnings "has the opposite effect of what you are trying to achieve," she said, adding it would discourage new oil and gas production. Adjusted fourth quarter per share profit was $3.09 per share, below the $3.32 per share forecast by Zacks Financial.

Biden noted that 2,200 trains ride through it daily, making it the busiest tunnel in the United States. "Folks talk about how badly the Baltimore tunnel needs an upgrade. Trains that travel through the tunnel now at 30 miles per hour will travel at 110 mph when renovations are through, Biden said. In Washington, Biden faces a colder reality as Republicans, now in control of the House of Representatives, threaten to block his economic agenda, bog down his programs in investigations and prevent the raising of the debt ceiling to force spending cuts. Biden plans a similar event on Tuesday in New York related to that city's Hudson Tunnel project.

☆ U.S. to end COVID-19 emergency declarations on May 11
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 30 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden's administration on Monday said it will end COVID-19 emergency declarations on May 11, nearly three years after the United States imposed sweeping pandemic measures to curb the spread of the illness. The COVID-19 national emergency and public health emergency (PHE) were put in place in 2020 by then-President Donald Trump. Biden has repeatedly extended the measures, which allow millions of Americans to receive free tests, vaccines and treatments. The government has been paying for COVID-19 vaccines, some tests and certain treatments under the PHE declaration. COVID-19 cases are declining in the United States, though more than 500 people continue to die each day from the disease, government data showed.

☆ Blinken discusses Mideast tensions with Egypt's Sisi on first leg of tour
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-30 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry (not pictured) in Cairo, Egypt January 30, 2023. After arriving in Cairo on Sunday, Blinken met four activists to discuss the human rights situation in Egypt, said Hossam Bahgat, one of those who took part in the meeting. U.S. President Joe Biden's administration has withheld some military aid, citing a failure to meet human rights conditions, though advocacy groups have pushed for more to be held back. "He was already well aware of the magnitude of Egypt's human rights crisis and that many more new political prisoners are detained than those the regime claims to be pardoning," Bahgat told Reuters after meeting Blinken. "I think the Biden administration now accepts that two years of engaging Sisi on human rights have not led to much improvement."

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