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☆ Trump lawyers visit U.S. Justice Department amid documents probe
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Sarah N. Lynch | Thomson Reuters | Sarah N. Lynch Is The Lead Reporter For Reuters Covering The U.S. Justice Department Out Of Washington | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, June 5 (Reuters) - Three lawyers for former President Donald Trump left the U.S. Department of Justice Monday amid reports that federal prosecutors are wrapping up an investigation into whether he mishandled classified documents. The three lawyers - Lindsey Halligan, John Rowley and James Trusty - declined to answer questions as they left the building in Washington. It was not immediately clear what any potential meeting between the lawyers and the department may mean for Trump. Lawyers typically meet with Justice Department representatives before an indictment is handed down. Trump's lawyers last month sent the department a letter asking for a meeting with U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland.

Persons: Donald Trump, Lindsey Halligan, John Rowley, James, Trump, General Merrick Garland ., Garland, Jack Smith, Mike Pence, Department's, Sarah N, Lynch, Susan Heavey, Jacqueline Thomsen, Nathan Layne, Andy Sullivan, Howard Goller Organizations: U.S . Department of, Justice Department, White House, Trump, Lawyers, U.S, Department of Justice, Media, Capitol, White, Thomson Locations: Washington, Manhattan, Indiana, Georgia

☆ US ends probe of Pence documents with no charges
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, June 2 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Justice has closed its investigation into former Vice President Mike Pence without filing any charges related to classified documents found in his Indiana home, a department official said on Friday. The department notified Pence through a letter, the official added. Representatives for Pence, who served under former Republican President Donald Trump, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Pence's spokesman has said the former vice president has "fully cooperated" with the probe and Pence himself has publicly acknowledged what he called a mistake. A Justice Department special counsel, Jack Smith, is investigating Trump's handling of classified materials since leaving office in January 2021.

Persons: Mike Pence, Pence, Donald Trump, Pence's, Jack Smith, Joe Biden, Trump, Timothy Reid, Susan Heavey, Bill Berkrot Organizations: U.S . Department of Justice, National, NBC, CNN, Biden, Thomson Locations: Indiana, Trump's Florida

☆ Biden lauds U.S. job growth, says debt ceiling bill to also boost economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, June 2 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden said the bipartisan debt ceiling bill is expected to further boost the nation's economic outlook after data released earlier on Friday showed higher U.S. employment for May. "I look forward to signing the bipartisan budget agreement into law," Biden said in a statement released by the White House. Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Chizu NomiyamaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Susan Heavey, Chizu Organizations: White House, Thomson

☆ When to teach kids about money, according to the experts — and how to do it
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Sophie Kiderlin | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Knowing how and when to start teaching to kids about money and identifying what money skills they need can be tricky, but experts say it is crucial for their futures. MoMo ProductionsKnowing how and when to start teaching kids about money and identifying what skills they need can be tricky. Ultimately, boosting your kid's financial confidence is crucial, experts say. When to teach money skills to kidsIt's clear how important the conversation about money truly is. Wunder said six is the age where kids start being able to grasp some money concepts.

Persons: Susan Hirshman, Hirshman, Seth Wunder, Eric Landolt, Wunder, it's, Landolt Organizations: Schwab Wealth Advisory, CNBC, Employers, UBS Global Wealth Management

WASHINGTON, June 2 (Reuters) - CIA director William Burns visited China last month for talks with Chinese counterparts, two U.S. officials said on Friday as Washington seeks to boost communications with Beijing. Burns, a veteran U.S. diplomat before leading the CIA, has made dozens of sensitive overseas trips as head of the agency, including to hold talks with Russian counterparts, as well as the Taliban in Afghanistan. The CIA, which does not regularly announce such visits, declined to comment on the China trip. Ties between the world's two largest economies are strained over issues ranging from Taiwan and China's human rights record to military activity in the South China Sea. "That's why we're also ready to engage China without preconditions, helping ensure that competition is managed, and that competition does not veer into conflict," Sullivan said.

Persons: William Burns, Burns, Joe Biden's, Antony Blinken, Janet Yellen, Gina Raimondo, Biden, Lloyd Austin, National Defense Li Shangfu, Li, Jake Sullivan, Sullivan, we're, Wang Yi, Michael Martina, Jonathan Landay, David Brunnstrom, Susan Heavey, Tim Ahmann, Alistair Bell, Matthew Lewis, Don Durfee Organizations: CIA, Washington, Reuters, Financial Times, Russian, Blinken, U.S . Defense, China's, National Defense, Pentagon, White House, People's, Arms Control, Thomson Locations: China, Beijing, Washington, Afghanistan, U.S, Taiwan, South China, . U.S, Singapore, Austin, People's Republic of China, Vienna

WASHINGTON, June 2 (Reuters) - A Georgia-based probe into whether former Republican President Donald Trump and others illegally sought to overturn his loss in the state's 2020 presidential election has expanded into activities outside of Georgia, the Washington Post reported on Friday. As part of the probe into Trump and his allies efforts, Willis's office has sought information from Simpatico Software Systems and Berkeley Research Group about their actions in Georgia and other U.S. states, the Post said. The companies declined to comment to the Post as did Willis' office and representatives for Trump. The Department of Justice is also investigating Trump's role in efforts to overturn his 2020 loss to Democrat Joe Biden. A number of individuals under investigation in the Fulton County probe have accepted immunity deals, court records showed last month.

Persons: Donald Trump, Fulton, Willis, Racketeer, Democrat Joe Biden, Joseph Ax, Susan Heavey, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Republican, Washington Post, Post, Democrat, Trump, Simpatico Software Systems, Berkeley Research Group, Justice, Thomson Locations: Georgia, United States, U.S, Fulton County, Fulton

☆ Trump critic Chris Christie to announce White House bid next week
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Joseph Ax | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] U.S. Republican presidential candidate and New Jersey governor Chris Christie speaks during the Heritage Action for America presidential candidate forum in Greenville, South Carolina on September 18, 2015. Christie has played the role of attack dog before: in a memorable debate appearance shortly before he ended his 2016 campaign, Christie mocked U.S. Three days after Trump's surprise victory, Christie was fired as the head of Trump's White House transition team. Since the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters, Christie has jabbed at Trump on numerous occasions. Christie was also a candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination but was beaten by eventual nominee Mitt Romney.

Persons: Chris Christie, Chris Keane PRINCETON, Donald Trump's, Christie, Axios, Trump's, Trump, Bill Palatucci, Marco Rubio, Ron DeSantis, Tim Scott, Nikki Haley, Mike Pence, Chris Sununu, Joe Biden, Washington, Charles Kushner, Jared Kushner, Jean Carroll, Mitt Romney, Susan Heavey, Joseph Ax, Nathan Layne, Katharine Jackson, Andrew Heavens, Chizu Nomiyama, Daniel Wallis Organizations: U.S, Republican, New, America, REUTERS, Former New Jersey, Trump, Reuters, Saint Anselm College, New Jersey Republican, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Democratic, Capitol, Republicans, Thomson Locations: New Jersey, Greenville , South Carolina, Chris Keane PRINCETON , New Jersey, New Hampshire, Florida, U.S, New York City

☆ Former NJ governor Chris Christie to launch bid for president -source
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Joseph Ax | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Christie, 60, enters the race as a decided underdog, six years after his 2016 presidential campaign failed to gain traction amid a crowded field that included Trump. In March, Christie told Axios he would not vote for Trump in 2024 even if the former president was the Republican nominee. He has played the role of attack dog before: in a memorable presidential debate appearance shortly before he ended his 2016 campaign, Christie mocked U.S. He and Trump exchanged plenty of barbs during the early stages of the 2016 campaign. Christie was also a candidate for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination but was beaten by eventual nominee Mitt Romney.

Persons: Chris Christie, Donald Trump's, Christie, Axios, Trump's, Trump, Mike Pence, Ron DeSantis, Marco Rubio, Washington, Charles Kushner, Jared Kushner, Jean Carroll, Mitt Romney, Susan Heavey, Joseph Ax, Nathan Layne, Katharine Jackson, Andrew Heavens Organizations: PRINCETON, Former New Jersey, Trump, Reuters, Saint Anselm College, Republican, Democratic, U.S, Capitol, Republicans, Thomson Locations: New Jersey, New Hampshire, Florida, New York City

☆ US special counsel probes Trump firing of then-top cybersecurity official, New York Times reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, May 31 (Reuters) - A U.S. special counsel investigating former President Donald Trump and efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss are examining his firing of a cybersecurity official whose office said the vote was secure, the New York Times said on Wednesday. Special Counsel Jack Smith, who is also probing Trump's handling of classified documents, has subpoenaed former Trump White House staff as well as Christopher Krebs, who oversaw the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency under Trump, the Times said, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter. Representatives for Krebs and Trump could not immediately be reached for comment. In the state of Georgia, a county prosecutor also is probing alleged interference in the state's 2020 election with charging decisions expected by Sept. 1. Trump also faces several other legal threats, including Smith's probe into classified documents found at Trump's personal residence in Florida after the former president left the White House in early 2021.

Persons: Donald Trump, Jack Smith, Christopher Krebs, Trump, Krebs, Joe Biden's, Smith, Susan Heavey, Howard Goller Organizations: U.S, New York Times, Trump White House, Infrastructure Security Agency, Trump, Times, Department of Homeland Security, Republican, Capitol, House, Department of Justice, White, Thomson Locations: Georgia, Florida, York

☆ Fresh round of debt ceiling talks kick off as US default worries grow
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A failure to lift the debt ceiling would trigger a default that would shake financial markets and drive interest rates higher on everything from car payments to credit cards. Any deal to raise the $31.4 trillion debt limit must pass both chambers of Congress before Biden could sign it into law. A plan passed by the House last month would cut a wide swath of government spending by 8% next year. Biden has said he would consider spending cuts alongside tax adjustments but that Republicans' latest offer was "unacceptable." McCarthy told reporters debt ceiling talks have not included discussions about tax cuts passed under former President Donald Trump, a Republican.

WASHINGTON, May 21 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Sunday said June 1 remains a "hard deadline" for raising the federal debt limit, with the odds quite low that the government will collect enough revenue to bridge to June 15, when more tax receipts are due. Yellen, speaking on NBC's "Meet the Press" program, said there would be hard choices to make about payments to Americans if Congress failed to raise the $31.4 trillion debt ceiling before Treasury ran out of cash and was forced to default. So I think that that's a hard deadline," she said. U.S. President Joe Biden on Sunday called Republicans' latest offers in talks on lifting the government's debt ceiling "unacceptable," but said he would be willing to cut spending together with tax adjustments to reach a deal. Reporting by Andrea Shalal and Susan Heavey; Editing by Lisa ShumakerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Lamond, who supervised the Intelligence Branch of the police department's Homeland Security Bureau, also made false and misleading statements to federal law enforcement agents about his communications with Tarrio, the Justice Department said. According to the indictment, Lamond and Tarrio had been in regular contact since 2019. Lamond wrote, "Hey brother, sad, sad news today. Tarrio pleaded guilty to charges in the Black Lives banner case and in 2021 was sentenced to five months in prison. A jury in a separate case this month convicted Tarrio and other members of the Proud Boys of seditious conspiracy involving the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters.

May 19 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden informed G7 leaders on Friday that Washington supports a joint effort with allies to train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 fighter jets, a senior administration official said, a key endorsement as Kyiv seeks to boost its air power against Russia's invading forces. Training on the U.S.-made jets will take place in Europe and will require months to complete, the official said. U.S. officials have estimated the most expeditious time needed for training and delivery of F-16s at 18 months. The U.S. hopes to begin the training, which will be conducted on fourth-generation fighters including F-16s, in the coming weeks, the official added. Ukraine, which does not possess any Western-designed jets, says the F-16s are far more effective than the Soviet-era fighters it currently has.

☆ From sunglasses to milking machines, US halts more exports to Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Karen Freifeld | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"You can't even ship contact lenses or sunglasses now," said Washington lawyer Kevin Wolf, a former Commerce official, as he reviewed the new rules. Wolf said "it would be simpler to describe the items that are not controlled for export to Russia." The targeted companies include aircraft repair and parts production plants, gunpowder, tractor and automobile factories, shipyards and engineering centers in Russia. The U.S. and a coalition of 37 other countries have imposed unprecedented export controls on Russia since its assault on Ukraine in February 2022. Last week, U.S. authorities arrested two Russian men living in Florida for allegedly sending U.S. airplane parts and components to Russian airlines in violation of export controls.

G7 leaders are gathering in Hiroshima on Friday with the invasion of Ukraine, now in its second year, high on the agenda. The U.S. has spearheaded tough sanctions on Russian companies, banks and individuals, and the coming announcement is designed to reaffirm world powers' resolve to support Ukraine and squeeze Moscow. "Our commitment to continue tightening the screws on Russia remains as strong as it was last year," the official said. The United States and its allies, including the European Union and Britain, have continued to ratchet up sanctions and export-control pressure on Russia since the invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022. Thousands of targets hit with sanctions by Washington so far have included Russian President Vladimir Putin, the financial sector and oligarchs.

☆ G7 leaders reckon with Ukraine, haunted by Hiroshima nuclear legacy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Trevor Hunnicutt | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

HIROSHIMA, Japan, May 19 (Reuters) - Leaders of the world's advanced democracies start their Group of Seven (G7) summit on Friday in Hiroshima with a sombre remembrance of the costs of war as they grapple with the conflict in Ukraine. Moscow has said it is ready to use its nuclear arsenal to defend its "territorial integrity" if necessary. As part of the efforts, each of the G7 members will be unveiling new sanctions, according to the U.S. official. G7 finance leaders warned in Japan last weekend of mounting economic uncertainty, in a subdued end to a meeting overshadowed in part by concerns about the U.S. debt stalemate. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is expected to address the G7 leaders, though he may do so by video rather than in person.

WASHINGTON, May 17 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden and top U.S. congressional Republican Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday underscored their determination to reach a deal soon to raise the federal government's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling and avoid an economically catastrophic default. Asked by reporters at the Capitol whether it's possible to reach a debt ceiling deal by the time Biden returns from Asia on Sunday, McCarthy replied, "It's doable." On Tuesday, Biden and McCarthy met for about an hour at the White House with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries. Biden plans a news conference in Hiroshima on Sunday before leaving to return to Washington, a White House official said. WORK REQUIREMENTSNegotiations are continuing over the longevity of any deal, work requirements for aid programs for the poor, including food subsidies, and spending caps.

WASHINGTON, May 17 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden and top U.S. congressional Republican Kevin McCarthy said on Wednesday they aimed to reach a deal by Sunday to raise the federal government's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling and avoid an economically catastrophic default. "We're going to come together because there's no alternative," Biden told reporters at the White House. Asked by reporters at the Capitol whether it's possible to reach a debt ceiling deal by the time Biden returns from a trip to Asia on Sunday, McCarthy replied, "It's doable. On Tuesday, Biden and McCarthy met for about an hour at the White House with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries. Asked on CNN if Biden wanted the debt limit agreement to last through 2025, White House spokesperson Karinne Jean-Pierre declined to answer.

"I think at the end of the day, we do not have a debt default," the Republican congressman said in an interview with CNBC. Financial markets appeared to be buoyed by Tuesday's discussions as McCarthy joined McConnell and the White House in pledging the U.S. would not fail to pay its debt obligations. WORK REQUIREMENTSNegotiations are continuing over the longevity of any deal, work requirements for aid programs for the poor, including food subsidies, and spending caps. Asked on CNN if Biden wanted the debt limit agreement to last through 2025, Jean-Pierre declined to answer. She also did not give details on negotiations over expanding work requirements for the two programs that provide food and cash aid to low-income families, which Republicans want to see included as part of a deal.

☆ Biden to continue debt talks later this week amid G7, White House says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, May 17 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden will continue to hold talks with congressional leaders on the nation's debt limit later this week and will meet with them again after the G7 summit, a White House spokeswoman said on Wednesday following an hourlong meeting at the White House on Tuesday. Karine Jean-Pierre, in an interview on MSNBC, said Biden would speak with top lawmakers by telephone during his trip to the Group of Seven gathering in Japan as negotiations over the U.S. debt ceiling continue. Biden called his meeting Tuesday with House Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy productive. The president, a Democrat, on Tuesday postponed plans to visit Papua New Guinea and Australia, cutting short his Asia trip so he can return to Washington. Reporting by Susan Heavey; Editing by Andrew HeavensOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ House Democrats filing 'discharge petition' on debt limit in case needed, Jeffries says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, May 17 (Reuters) - U.S. House Democrats will file a so-called discharge petition on Wednesday as a means to raise the nation's debt limit in case it comes necessary, U.S. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said. A discharge petition is a way to circumvent regular House procedures in a relatively quick manner to force a vote. Jeffries said in a statement he is hopeful a bipartisan agreement can still be reached, as congressional leaders continue talks with the White House. Reporting by Richard Cowan and Susan Heavey; Editing by Doina ChiacuOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

WASHINGTON, May 15 (Reuters) - The U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary on Monday dismissed the idea of minting a platinum coin as a way to avoid a U.S. default, saying the only workable solution was for Congress to raise the federal debt ceiling. Asked in a National Public Radio interview about the possibility of minting a $1 trillion platinum coin to circumvent the debt ceiling, Adeyemo said "creative, inventive" ideas have been floated in the past but are not workable. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen also has rejected the idea of a platinum coin to skirt the debt ceiling and fund government expenses. The debt ceiling standoff was already having an impact on the U.S. economy, Adeyemo said, hurting the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment surveys "because the American people are starting to worry about whether the government is going to pay the bills." He repeated a Moody's Analytics estimate that a default would cost the U.S. around 8 million jobs and lead to recession.

☆ The Daughter Who Got the Government to Cancel Her Mother’s Debt
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( Ron Lieber | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

After that, Susan went to her second job working with autistic toddlers, while her daughter was in after-school care. The debt repayment process had kicked in while she was raising Arianna, as did the confusion that so many borrowers have faced over the years. There are different types of loans and various interest rates for each of them. There are a bunch of ways you can repay them, a variety of ways to consolidate them and several ways to have the loans canceled. An employee at one of the four entities that had serviced her loans suggested consolidating her debt so she could make just one payment each month.

The women were found in Belgium, The Netherlands, or Germany but might have come from other countries, she said. Her body was discovered in 1991 in a rainwater well in the town of Holsbeek, some 40 km (25 miles) from Brussels. The operation focuses on female victims as "women are disproportionately affected by gender-based violence, such as sexual assault, human trafficking, and domestic abuse", Hitchin explained. Hitchin said that Interpol's global network will reach a wider public and might lead to someone recognising their loved one or a friend or a colleague. Reporting by Clement Rossignol, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Editing by William MacleanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Biden to host India's Modi with human rights in mind -White House
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, May 10 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden will host Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an official state visit on June 22, the White House said on Wednesday, as Washington works to deepen ties with the world's largest democracy. Asked about human rights concerns in India, Jean-Pierre defended the visit, telling reporters that Biden believes "this is an important relationship that we need to continue and build on as it relates to human rights." During a February visit to Washington by India's national security adviser, Ajit Doval, the United States and India launched a partnership to deepen ties on military equipment, semiconductors and artificial intelligence. Washington has been pushing New Delhi to do more to punish Russia for the Ukraine invasion. While the United States has focused on "contributions toward coalition defense," he wrote, "New Delhi sees things differently.

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