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The plan is intended to add enough supply to prevent oil price spikes that could hurt consumers and businesses, while also assuring the nation's drillers the government will swoop into the market as a buyer if prices plunge too low. Earlier this year, Biden decided to sell 180 million barrels out of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to combat a potential supply crisis brought about by sanctions on oil-rich Russia following its February invasion of Ukraine. Those will be put up for bidding for delivery in December, a senior administration official said, and extra oil could also be made available if needed. They have called on the administration to take the option off the table, a move officials are unwilling to do. "We are keeping all tools on the table, you know, anything that could potentially help ensure stable domestic supply," the official said.

The trip includes stops in California on Friday and Oregon on Saturday as Biden positions his party as a champion of consumers and lower healthcare costs at a time that inflation ranks among voters' top concerns. Most forecasts show Democrats with a slight advantage in the Senate and Republicans with a larger advantage in the House. Biden alleged that Republicans will repeal the prescription drug price caps and take away Medicare's ability to negotiate drug prices if they take control. Biden was introduced by Representative Katie Porter, who has grilled bank and drug company executives on their profits in widely viewed Congressional hearings. Healthcare costs were partly to blame in the most recent month, along with food and rent.

☆ Saudi Arabia pushed other OPEC nations into oil cut, White House claims
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Flames are seen at the production facility of Saudi Aramco's Shaybah oilfield in the Empty Quarter, Saudi Arabia May 22, 2018. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia pushed other OPEC+ nations into an output cut last week, the White House claimed on Thursday, part of an escalating war of words between the two countries. "More than one" OPEC member disagreed with Saudi Arabia's push to cut production and felt coerced into the vote, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters. Of those cuts, experts expect an actual production cut of about half that level. The production cut is the latest sign of deteriorating U.S.-Saudi relations since Biden took office.

☆ Biden's national security plan aims at China, Russia
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. President Joe Biden attends a meeting of the Reproductive Healthcare Access Task Force in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, U.S., October 4, 2022. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Oct 12 (Reuters) - The White House rolled out a long-delayed national security strategy on Wednesday that seeks to contain China's rise while reemphasizing the importance of working with allies to tackle challenges confronting democratic nations. The 48-page document, which was delayed by the Ukraine crisis, includes no major shifts in thinking and introduces no major new doctrines for Biden's foreign policy. Even after the Russian invasion, China represents the most consequential challenge to the global order, it states. Sullivan said the Ukraine crisis did delay but did not "fundamentally alter" Biden's approach to foreign policy.

Gig company stocks were hammered by the news, with Uber (UBER.N), Lyft (LYFT.O) and DoorDash (DASH.N) all falling at least 10%. The proposal would require that workers be considered employees, entitled to more benefits and legal protections than contractors, when they are "economically dependent" on a company. Millions of Americans are working "gig" jobs and this labor has become vital to some transportation, restaurant, construction, health care and other industries. "Misclassification deprives workers of their federal labor protections, including their right to be paid their full, legally earned wages," Walsh said. Seth Harris, President Joe Biden's former top labor adviser, said the rule will not directly impact how courts determine whether workers are employees or independent contractors.

☆ U.S. government back and forth on 'gig' workers, contractors
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A DOL proposal in September 2020 made it easier for companies to classify workers as independent contractors if they operated an independent business and had opportunities for profit or loss. BIDEN ADMINISTRATIONThe administration of Democrat Joe Biden blocked the Trump rule in May 2021. A U.S. district judge in Texas in March 2022 blocked the Biden administration withdrawal and ordered the Trump rule to take effect. In June 2022, the DOL said it would develop a proposed rule on determining employee or independent contractor status. It held forums in June to hear from workers and companies.

Gig company stocks were hammered on the news, with Uber (UBER.N), Lyft (LYFT.O) and DoorDash (DASH.N) all falling at least 10%. Employees can cost companies up to 30% more than independent contractors, studies suggest. U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh in a statement said businesses often misclassify vulnerable workers as independent contractors. Those groups have said that any broad rule would hurt workers who want to remain independent and have flexibility. Worker advocacy groups have said that companies are increasingly misclassifying employees as independent contractors, depriving workers of fair pay and benefits to pad their profits.

☆ 'Where's Jackie?' Biden seeks lawmaker Walorski who died in August
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Biden thanked other conference organizers, then asked: "Jackie are you here? Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterBiden moved past the issue without any correction. After Walorski's death, the White House issued a statement from Biden that said he and his wife Jill were "shocked and saddened" by her sudden accident. Biden was “acknowledging her incredible work,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said when asked about the incident later, adding that Biden had already planned to welcome the congresswoman's family to the White House for a bill signing on Friday. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Jarrett Renshaw and Leah Douglas; Writing by Heather Timmons Editing by Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Analysis: Gaffe or insight? Deciphering Biden's unguarded answers
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Trevor Hunnicutt | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks to reporters as he departs for Boston from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, U.S., September 12, 2022. U.S. President Joe Biden's tendency to ad-lib in impromptu press situations is often referred to in Washington as his "gaffe" problem. After Biden spoke on defending Taiwan in a CBS News "60 Minutes" interview this month, officials quickly said that U.S. policy towards Taiwan is unchanged. His apparent willingness to commit U.S. forces to a battle in Taiwan clears up a long-standing disconnect in U.S. policy towards Taiwan. While Biden's off-the-cuff remarks sometimes reveal deeper truths about his policy or opinions, other times they are simply misleading.

☆ Rideshare, retailers brace for tough U.S. independent contractor rule
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Nandita Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Broadly defining independent contractors as employees would also force companies to pay benefits, such as overtime pay and health benefits, that would hurt their bottom line. Employers can save about 30 percent by skipping payroll taxes and unemployment and benefit costs, workers' groups estimate. The meetings at the White House were one-sided, with officials at OIRA letting groups speak and not participating or asking follow-up questions, several employer sources said. A White House official said that listening without comment is part of the standard rulemaking process at OIRA. WORKERS WARN OF GROWING PAINGig Workers Rising, RideShare Workers United, Mobile Workers Alliance, We Drive Progress also met White House officials to broaden the definition of employee further, according to records and sources.

Claver-Carone denied in an interview with Reuters on Monday that he ever had an intimate relationship with the staffer and said he was planning legal action against the bank. Cuban-American Claver-Carone was nominated for a five-year term then-President Donald Trump and took office in October 2020. He is planning legal action against the bank, he told Reuters. Claver-Carone told Reuters he did so because the phone contained confidential texts from world leadersHe said he felt let down by the U.S. government. "I've never felt so betrayed by my country," Claver-Carone told Reuters, saying he had never been told by the bank's legal counsel what to expect from the investigative process.

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks at the Global Fund’s Seventh Replenishment Conference in New York, U.S., September 21, 2022. While former president Donald Trump has long been considered the Republican frontrunner in 2024, recent polls show DeSantis higher in Florida. There’s no way we are going to escape the elephant in the room,” a senior Democratic official said of DeSantis. "I think he's great. I think he's doing a great job.

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks to the Democratic National Committee (DNC) Winter Meeting in Washington, U.S., March 10, 2022. At a Democratic National Committee rally, Biden suggested the two extra Democrats would allow the Democratic-controlled Senate to remove a legislative roadblock known as the filibuster that requires a 60-vote majority to overcome. Democrats hold a bare majority in the Senate now, and two Democratic senators, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema, have opposed ending the filibuster. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterBiden's remark suggests he would support a vote to end the filibuster, which can be decided by a simple majority. Biden exhorted women voters to help elect Democrats.

If Meloni wins, Sunday's election will hand Italy its most right-wing government since World War Two. German magazine Stern plastered its front page with a picture of Meloni under the banner: "the most dangerous woman in Europe". Macron has privately told EU officials he is concerned about a Meloni victory, according to sources aware of the conversations. rome-born meloni has a history of euroscepticism and shares Orban's anti-immigration views and the promotion of traditional family values. "This kind of 'sky is falling' narrative out there about the Italian election doesn't square with our expectations," one U.S. official said.

☆ Georgia county validates thousands of voters challenged by Trump allies
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-22 | by ( Daniel Trotta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A polling station is pictured during the primary election in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. May 24, 2022. REUTERS/Dustin Chambers/File PhotoSept 21 (Reuters) - A Georgia county has validated 15,000 to 20,000 registered voters whose status was challenged ahead of the Nov. 8 midterm election, officials said on Wednesday, leaving another 16,000 pending cases to resolve, according to the group leading the challenge. Supported by prominent allies of the former president, VoterGA has contested 37,000 voter registrations in the county of about 562,000 active voters. Trump's claims have been rejected by multiple courts, state reviews and members of his former administration. The American Project announced in August it would sponsor lawsuits related to claims about the 2020 election in Georgia, including several involving VoterGA and Favorito.

David Malpass, president of the World Bank Group, arrives for a meeting with Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (not in picture) at Kishida's official residence in Tokyo, Japan September 13, 2022. The president of the United States, the largest World Bank shareholder, traditionally nominates World Bank presidents, subject to confirmation by the bank's board. Asked for comment on Malpass' Tuesday remarks, a spokesperson for Canadian Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland said that the World Bank plays a crucial role in driving climate change action. "(The) World Bank leadership must fully stand behind this global initiative," the spokesperson, Adrienne Vaupshas, said. U.S. lawmaker Maxine Waters, head of the House of Representatives' financial services committee, said Malpass' comments call into question the World Bank's commitment to addressing climate change.

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterFILE PHOTO - U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas arrives with his wife, Ginni Thomas, for a State Dinner for Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison at the White House in Washington, U.S. September 20, 2019. REUTERS/Erin ScottSept 21 (Reuters) - The U.S. congressional panel probing the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol reached an agreement to interview Virginia "Ginni" Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, in the coming weeks, her lawyer told Reuters on Wednesday. The Washington Post has previously reported the committee obtained emails between Ginni Thomas and attorney John Eastman, who advised Donald Trump that then-Vice President Mike Pence could thwart formal congressional certification of Trump's 2020 election loss. "I can confirm that Ginni Thomas has agreed to participate in a voluntary interview with the Committee," Mark Paoletta, an attorney for Thomas, said in an email, confirming an earlier CNN report. A lawyer for Thomas has said previously Thomas had no role in the Jan. 6 attack and never discussed election litigation strategy with Eastman.

REUTERS/Jonathan ErnstWASHINGTON, Sept 20 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden will try to rally the world against Russia's invasion of Ukraine in a speech to the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday, saying Moscow's war against its neighbor violates the tenets of the U.N. charter that established the post-World War Two body. Biden departs on Tuesday to join the conclave of world leaders in New York. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterBut he said Biden will urge all nations to see that Russia's war against Ukraine is a violation of the U.N.'s 1945 charter signed by the countries that fought the Axis Powers in World War Two. The Ukraine war was necessary because expansion of the U.S.-led Western military alliance NATO represented an existential threat to Russia, Putin has said. read moreSullivan said every country should make a case against Russia's war.

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