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WASHINGTON, May 18 (Reuters) - Vice President Kamala Harris and top White House economic adviser Lael Brainard said on Thursday that a default on the U.S. debt of $31.4 trillion would throw the American economy into a recession. In a conference call for Democratic activists, Harris and Brainard urged them to contact lawmakers to express opposition to a debt default that could be less than two weeks away. "A debt default could trigger a recession," she said. Negotiators for the White House and congressional Republicans met again on Capitol Hill to discuss their search for common ground on lifting the $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, and plan to meet again on Friday, a White House official said. Brainard said the administration's goal, in its talks with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's team, is to work toward a reasonable, bipartisan budget agreement.

The White House has not ruled out the annual spending caps that Republicans say must accompany any increase in the nation's $31.4 trillion debt limit. Republicans, who control the House, have said they will not vote to raise the debt ceiling unless Democrats agree to sharp spending cuts. BUDGET TALKSBiden has insisted that Congress must increase the country's borrowing capacity without conditions, but the White House says it is also willing to discuss budget matters with House Republicans. House Republicans passed legislation in April that pairs a $1.5 trillion debt-ceiling hike with $4.8 trillion in spending cuts, largely achieved by cutting annual discretionary spending by 8% next year and capping growth in the years to come. The White House and Republicans may agree to ease permitting requirements for pipelines and other energy infrastructure - though that would require time to draft into legislation, said Brian Riedl, a fellow at the conservative Manhattan Institute.

The White House has not ruled out the annual spending caps that Republicans say must accompany any increase in the nation's $31.4 trillion debt limit. Republicans, who control the House, for their part, are not insisting on other conditions that the White House has deemed off limits, such as a repeal of the green-energy incentives in Biden's Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. Biden told reporters on Sunday that he thought both sides wanted to reach a deal. "I still think we're far apart," McCarthy told reporters. BUDGET TALKSBiden has insisted that Congress must increase the country's borrowing capacity without conditions, but the White House says it is also willing to discuss budget matters with House Republicans.

Biden told reporters on Sunday that he thought both sides wanted to reach a deal. Staff from the two camps met through the weekend for talks that White House officials described as constructive. Republicans say there is plenty of time. Biden has insisted that Congress must increase the country's borrowing capacity without conditions, but the White House says it is also willing to discuss budget matters with Republicans who control the House of Representatives. The longer the two sides take to reach a deal, the smaller it is likely to be, he said.

☆ Blue-collar workers could save the US from recession as the tech industry withers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Juliana Kaplan | Andy Kiersz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

After a pandemic-era tech jobs boom — and now bust — more and more Americans are returning to blue-collar work for better pay and more security. As AI stands poised to potentially remake white-collar work, blue-collar work may emerge even more resilient. The Biden administration has been devoted to turning that around, pouring billions into projects devoted to bringing manufacturing jobs back stateside. And another key to the puzzle is treating blue-collar work with respect, like any other work — including high-paying tech jobs. Are you thinking of taking the plunge into blue-collar work, or have you already?

If confirmed, Kugler, a Colombian-American, would be the first Latino to serve on the Fed board, marking the latest effort by Biden to improve the central bank’s diversity. Kugler, who is currently on leave from Georgetown University, previously worked in the Obama administration as the Labor Department’s chief economist. Getty Images/AlamyJefferson, who joined the Fed as a governor a year ago, has been tapped by Biden to the influential role of vice chair, serving as the No. He joined the Fed board in May 2022, after winning broad bipartisan support during his congressional confirmation process. He taught economics at Swarthmore College, Columbia University and the University of Virginia, and served as a high-ranking administrator at Davidson College.

☆ Fed Governor Philip Jefferson named as new vice chair to succeed Lael Brainard
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Federal Reserve Governor Philip Jefferson will be nominated by President Joe Biden to be vice chairman of the central bank's board, the White House announced Friday. As vice chair, he takes a position last occupied by Lael Brainard, who is now Biden's director of the National Economic Council. Before coming to the Fed, Jefferson was a professor of economics as well as vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty at Davidson College. The nomination was not unexpected; multiple media outlets had reported that Jefferson was Biden's likely choice as vice chair. If confirmed, Jefferson would be the second Black person to hold the vice chair position.

☆ Republicans should raise debt ceiling without conditions, says White House economist Ramamurti
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailRepublicans should raise debt ceiling without conditions, says White House economist RamamurtiBharat Ramamurti, deputy director at the White House's National Economic Council, joins 'Squawk on the Street' to discuss if the economy is near the end of the inflation pressures, the White House's estimates for shelter prices and what the Deputy Director expects from the economy.

Stalemate in Washington over raising the U.S. debt limit raises the risk of fresh turmoil for markets. Past debt ceiling fights have typically ended with a hastily arranged agreement in the final hours of negotiations, thus avoiding a default. "No," McCarthy said when asked by reporters if he would agree to align the debt ceiling with the budget process should Biden propose such an idea. Biden would agree to a separate discussion on the budget but not tied to the debt ceiling, the White House said. White House staff and aides to the congressional leaders quietly met on Friday to begin talking about the debt limit.

Leading AI developers, including Anthropic, Google, Hugging Face, NVIDIA Corp (NVDA.O), OpenAI, and Stability AI, will participate in a public evaluation of their AI systems. Shortly after Biden announced his reelection bid, the Republican National Committee produced a video featuring a dystopian future during a second Biden term, which was built entirely with AI imagery. Such political ads are expected to become more common as AI technology proliferates. In February, Biden signed an executive order directing federal agencies to eliminate bias in their AI use. The Biden administration has also released an AI Bill of Rights and a risk management framework.

☆ White House to meet Microsoft, Google CEOs on AI dangers
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Nandita Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/IllustrationWASHINGTON, May 4 (Reuters) - The White House will host CEOs of top artificial intelligence companies, including Alphabet Inc's Google (GOOGL.O) and Microsoft (MSFT.O), on Thursday to discuss risks and safeguards as the technology catches the attention of governments and lawmakers globally. Leading AI developers, including Anthropic, Google, Hugging Face, NVIDIA, OpenAI, and Stability AI, will participate in a public evaluation of their AI systems at the AI Village at DEFCON 31 - one of the largest hacker conventions in the world - and run on a platform created by Scale AI and Microsoft. Such political ads are expected to become more common as AI technology proliferates. In February, Biden signed an executive order directing federal agencies to eliminate bias in their use of AI. The Biden administration has also released an AI Bill of Rights and a risk management framework.

[1/3] U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks during an event marking National Small Business Week, in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, U.S., May 1, 2023. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File PhotoWASHINGTON, May 2 (Reuters) - The chief executives of Alphabet Inc's Google (GOOGL.O), Microsoft (MSFT.O), OpenAI and Anthropic will meet with Vice President Kamala Harris and top White House officials to discuss key artificial intelligence (AI) issues on Thursday, said a White House official on Tuesday. Concerns about fast-growing AI technology include privacy violations, bias and worries it could proliferate scams and misinformation. In April, the Biden administration said it was seeking public comments on proposed accountability measures for AI systems, as concerns grow about its impact on national security and education. The meeting will emphasize the importance of driving innovation "with safeguards that mitigate risks and potential harms," the official said.

☆ The First Republic deal has come at a crucial point for the markets and economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Michael M. Santiago | Getty ImagesJPMorgan Chase's takeover of First Republic likely ends the panic phase of the banking crisis, with the fallout left to come in a pivotal week for markets and the economy. Following an unsuccessful effort to keep First Republic open, the largest U.S. bank by deposits reached a deal to take over the 14th-largest financial institution. With financial services covering such a wide swath of activities in the $26.5 trillion U.S. economy, the failures of Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank and now First Republic Bank will reverberate. Stocks nudged higher Monday morning on hopes that the worst of a banking crisis that began in early March has drifted into the rear view. "Resolving FRC should end the 7-week post SVB bank crisis phase."

☆ Millions of student-loan borrowers could find out in the next 2 months if they will get Biden's debt relief. Here's what's at stake — beyond a reduction to balances.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Ayelet Sheffey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The Supreme Court is expected to issue a decision on Biden's student-debt relief by the end of June. They could have debt relief right now if it weren't for these lawsuits." And it looks like the Education Department is planning for those payments to resume with or without relief. The implementation of targeted debt relief reformsThe Education Department has some other things in the works, aside from broad student-debt relief. Share your student debt story with this reporter at asheffey@insider.com.

☆ Tel Aviv Stock Exchange picks economist Kandel as new chair
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

JERUSALEM, May 1 (Reuters) - The Tel Aviv Stock Exchange has appointed veteran Israeli economist and former advisor to the prime minister, Eugene Kandel, as its new chairperson, the bourse said on Monday in a regulatory filing. The appointment still requires shareholder approval. Kandel previously served as chair of Israel's National Economic Council and as an economic adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as CEO of Start-Up Nation Central a group connecting international business and government leaders with Israeli technologies. Reporting by Ari Rabinovitch Editing by Steven ScheerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ White House Considers Two Key Nominations at the Fed
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Jeanna Smialek | Jim Tankersley | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON — President Biden is closing in on two nominations for the Federal Reserve’s Board of Governors that would give the Fed its first Latina board member and its second ever Black vice chair, according to several people familiar with the process. Mr. Biden is close to nominating Adriana Kugler, an economist with Colombian heritage who is the U.S. executive director of the World Bank, to the Fed’s only remaining open governor position. In a corresponding move, he is likely to elevate Philip Jefferson, an economist who was confirmed overwhelmingly to the board when Mr. Biden nominated him to an open governor position, to be the board’s vice chair. A White House spokesman declined to comment on Monday. If confirmed by the Senate, Ms. Kugler would fill a governor position recently vacated by Lael Brainard, who became director of the White House National Economic Council in February.

☆ Susan Rice to step down as Biden's domestic policy chief
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Carol E. Lee | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Susan Rice speaks on December 11, 2020, after being nominated to be Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council by US President-elect Joe Biden (R), in Wilmington, Delaware. President Joe Biden's domestic policy adviser, Susan Rice, is stepping down from her post next month, multiple current and former senior administration officials told NBC News. White House chief of staff Jeff Zients said Rice, who served as national security adviser during the Obama administration, has been critical to driving Biden's agenda and has taken the Domestic Policy Council "to new heights." Rice, who was on Biden's short list for vice president, entered the job without a domestic policy background, having served in foreign policy roles during the Obama and Clinton administrations. Deputy White House chief of staff Jen O'Malley Dillon echoed Klain's praise in a written statement.

☆ Fed Governor Bowman casts doubt on the need for a U.S. digital dollar
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Federal Reserve Governor Michelle Bowman expressed skepticism over the possibility of a digital U.S. dollar, noting Tuesday the multiple risks such a system could impose. For the past few years, Fed officials have been studying whether to join a handful of other central banks to implement its own type of cryptocurrency. However, she said an interest-bearing Fed digital dollar could provide harmful competition for banks, limiting their ability to lend. Like other Fed officials, Bowman said the looming implementation of the FedNow payments system also will address many of the needs cited by central bank digital currency promoters. Perhaps the CBDC's biggest Fed advocate has since left the central bank: Former Governor Lael Brainard is now director of the National Economic Council.

☆ Stock futures are flat as investors digest the latest round of earnings: Live updates
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Brian Evans | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Following a strong December jobs report, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 350 points at the open on Friday morning. Stock futures were flat Tuesday night as traders weighed the latest round of earnings. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 28 points, or 0.08%, while S&P 500 futures slipped 0.07%. Still, markets have to contend with looming macroeconomic headwinds after the broader field of companies report quarterly results. In the week ahead, electric vehicle giant Tesla will report quarterly results after the closing bell on Wednesday.

☆ Premarket stocks: Inflation just reached an inflection point
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

According to some experts, inflation rates have reached an inflection point and painful interest rate hikes could soon ease. Some economists believe that this level — around 5% — is the point at which inflation is no longer considered an emergency issue. That means the Federal Reserve could feel less pressure to quickly stabilize prices through aggressive, economically painful interest rate hikes. “The Fed … will insist that their job is done when inflation hits 2%,” Ball told Before the Bell on Wednesday. The US Treasury, Federal Reserve and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation all intervened to ensure bank customers could access all their money and to attempt to stave off future bank runs.

☆ White House is monitoring credit availability, says NEC's Bharat Ramamurti
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWhite House is monitoring credit availability, says NEC's Bharat RamamurtiBharat Ramamurti, National Economic Council deputy director, joins 'Squawk on the Street' to discuss how much progress the deputy director sees from the recent CPI report, the White House's ability to refill the SPR and more.

☆ Brainard: US banking system is ‘sound’ and ‘stable’
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Minneapolis CNN —The broader US banking system remains sound and stable, but the two regional banks that failed were “poorly managed” and “took unacceptable risks,” White House economic adviser Lael Brainard told CNN’s Poppy Harlow in an interview Wednesday at Semafor’s World Economy Summit in Washington, DC. “The banking system, it’s very sound, it’s stable; the core of the banking system has a great deal of capital that was put in place in the wake of the 2008-2009 global financial crisis,” said Brainard, director of the White House National Economic Council. They failed, and the president took strong actions along with the Secretary of the Treasury and the banking regulators,” she said. “Those actions reassured Americans their deposits are safe, the banking system is sound; but it was also important to the president that the executives of those failed banks were held accountable and, very important, that taxpayer money not be at risk,” she continued. “When those strong safeguards were put in place [through Dodd-Frank], it materially strengthened the banking banking system,” she said.

☆ Premarket stocks: How big of a problem is greedflation?
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“Executives at SVB and Signature [Bank] took wild risks and must be held accountable for exploding their banks,” Warren said. Republican Senators say the Fed’s focus on climate change led to banking turmoilRepublican Senators repeatedly insinuated on Tuesday that the recent US banking turmoil came as a result of the Federal Reserve’s focus on climate change. In his opening statement, Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, the ranking member of the banking committee, called the Fed’s focus on climate change a waste of time. It’s what our supervisors do all the time.”In an interview with Montana Public Radio in 2014, Daines said that “the jury’s still out” on whether climate change is real. The public reasonably expects supervisors to require that banks understand, and appropriately manage, their material risks, including the financial risks of climate change.”

The index of top European banks (.SX7P) was down 1% in early trading, with German banking giants Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) and Commerzbank (CBKG.DE) both falling 0.8%. The rescue of Credit Suisse, which followed the collapses of California-based Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) (SIVB.O) and New York-based Signature Bank (SBNY.O) ignited broader concerns about investors' exposure to a fragile banking sector. The decision to prioritise shareholders over Additional Tier 1 (AT1) bondholders rattled the $275 billion AT1 bond market and some Credit Suisse AT1 bondholders are seeking legal advice. "The AT1 instruments issued by Credit Suisse contractually provide that they will be completely written down in a 'viability event', in particular if extraordinary government support is granted," FINMA said. However, some watchers think the banking system is more vulnerable to rumour and rapid moves in an era of widespread social media use, posing a challenge for regulators trying to tamp down instability.

Morgan Stanley analyst Manan Gosalia, in a report earlier this week, set a target price of $54 for First Republic shares in a best-case scenario. "I have not considered or discussed anything having to do with blanket insurance or guarantees of deposits," she said. The Morgan Stanley report considered that a potential extension of FDIC insurance could bring a majority of First Republic's customers back. Even if it clinches a cash infusion, the lender will probably need to take losses on securities in its so-called held-to-maturity portfolio, the Morgan Stanley analysts wrote. In the worst-case scenario, First Republic's shares would sink to just $1, Morgan Stanley analysts estimated.

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