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☆ IMF says US government shutdown is 'avoidable risk,' urges parties to reach consensus
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

An American Flag on the U.S. Capitol Building is seen in Washington, U.S., August 31, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin Wurm Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Sept 28 (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund on Thursday said a looming shutdown of the U.S. government posed an "avoidable risk" to the nation's economy, and urged parties to reach consensus on continued funding for the federal government. "We certainly are urging the parties to come together to reach a consensus and find a way forward," IMF spokesperson Julie Kozack told reporters at a regular briefing. "We do see a shutdown as an avoidable risk for the U.S. Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Mark PorterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kevin Wurm, Julie Kozack, Joe Biden, McCarthy, Kozack, Andrea Shalal, Mark Porter Organizations: U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, Monetary Fund, Democratic, House Republicans, Biden, United Auto Workers, Big Three Detroit, Thomson Locations: American, Washington , U.S, U.S

☆ Morning Bid: Shutdown, oil, auctions and China rankle
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Even before U.S. markets kick off on Monday, China's ongoing property bust threw another curve ball at stocks markets there. Country Garden (2007.HK) fell more than 7% as investors nervously watch out for its latest dollar bond coupon payment on Wednesday. Fed aside, there were multiple domestic issues to trouble the horizon - not least a government shutdown next weekend. U.S. 10-year Treasury yields nudged back close to 16-year highs above 4.5% set last week. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

Persons: Kevin Wurm, Mike Dolan, China Evergrande, Charles Wang Zhonghe, Kevin McCarthy, Morgan Stanley, Neel Kashkari, Christine Lagarde, Isabel Schnabel, Bernadette Baum Organizations: U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, HK, hawkish U.S, Federal, Republicans, Treasury, Dallas Fed, Chicago Fed, Minneapolis Federal, European Central Bank, ECB, Reuters Graphics, Thomson, Reuters Locations: Washington , U.S, U.S, Wall St, China, HK, hawkish, St, Washington, ., California

☆ US government shutdown: What is it and who would be affected?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Contracts awarded prior to the shutdown would continue, and the Pentagon could place new orders for supplies or services needed to protect national security. NATIONAL PARKS AND NATURAL RESOURCESIt's not clear how the United States' 63 national parks would be affected. They remained open during the 2018-2019 shutdown, through restrooms and information desks were closed and waste disposal was halted. WHITE HOUSEIn 2018-2019 shutdown, the White House furloughed 1,100 of 1,800 staff in the Executive Office of the President. Some offices, such as the National Security Council, continued at full strength, while others like the Office of Management and Budget were scaled back sharply.

Persons: Kevin Wurm, Lockheed Martin, Donald Trump, Pete Buttigieg, Pell, Andy Sullivan, Pete Schroeder, Howard Schneider, Moira Warburton, Scott Malone, Alistair Bell Organizations: U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Workers, Pentagon, Boeing, Lockheed, Raytheon, The, National Nuclear Security Administration, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Service, Border Patrol, Coast Guard, Federal Trade, AFFAIRS U.S, National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, National Oceanographic, Atmospheric Administration, NASA, Space, Disease Control, Prevention, Food and Drug Administration, Securities, Exchange, Commodities, Futures Trading, Federal Reserve, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Currency, Social Security Administration, Veterans Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Education Department, White, Small Business Administration, National Labor Relations, National Security Council, Management, U.S . Postal, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, United States

Current funding for most U.S. government programs except for the military and Social Security payments expires on Sept. 30. The government would continue to make payments on Treasury bonds and other forms of debt during a shutdown. A government shutdown would prevent the collection and release of key market data including gross domestic product, unemployment figures and inflation data, clouding the ability of central bankers to gauge the strength of the economy, Cantrill said. "The Fed – who has emphasized how data-dependent it currently is – would be flying blind" into the central bank's policy meeting in November, she said. Economists at Capital Economists, meanwhile, said in a note on Monday that the risk of a shutdown is rising but said they expect a quick resolution.

Persons: Kevin Wurm, PIMCO, Libby Cantrill, Goldman Sachs, Kevin McCarthy, Cantrill, There's, David Randall, Ira Iosebashvili, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Capitol, REUTERS, Federal Reserve, Republicans, Social, Goldman, . House, Capital Economists, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, shutdowns, New York, London

☆ Top US House Democrat sees Republican 'civil war' as shutdown looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

House Republicans are in the middle of a civil war," Jeffries told ABC's "This Week" program, adding that the result has been "chaos, dysfunction and extremism" in Congress. The House last week postponed a vote on beginning debate on the defense appropriations bill due to opposition from the hardliners. McCarthy also said he wants to make sure there is no shutdown on Oct. 1, saying: "A shutdown would only give strength to the Democrats." 4 House Republican, told the "Fox News Sunday" program that she was optimistic about moving forward on appropriations after closed-door discussions. Democratic former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that a shutdown would risk harming the most vulnerable members of society who depend on government assistance.

Persons: Kevin Wurm, Kevin McCarthy, Hakeem Jeffries, Joe Biden, Jeffries, ABC's, McCarthy, Biden, who's, Elise Stefanik, Nancy Mace, McCarthy's, Mace, Nancy Pelosi, Pelosi, David Morgan, Hannah Lang, Scott Malone, Will Dunham Organizations: U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, Republican, House Democrat, Republicans, Democratic, Senate, Democrat, Fox News, Department of Defense, Fox, MSNBC, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, United States

[1/2] Former U.S. President Donald Trump and Special Counsel Jack Smith are seen in a combination of file photos in Washington, U.S., in 2023. "This demonstrates the need to protect potential jurors from fear of threats and harassment that stem from the defendant’s (Trump's) disparaging and inflammatory public statements," prosecutors wrote. Prosecutors want Trump restricted from giving statements about "the identity, testimony, or credibility of prospective witnesses." "This is nothing more than blatant election interference because President Trump is by far the leading candidate in this race," a Trump spokesperson said in a statement. Chutkan previously warned Trump against making statements that could threaten witnesses or taint the jury pool.

Persons: Donald Trump, Jack Smith, Tasos Katopodis, Kevin Wurm, Smith, Tanya Chutkan, Trump, Chutkan, Kanishka Singh, Eric Beech, David Ljunggren, Sarah N Lynch, Caitlin Webber, Dan Whitcomb, Scott Malone, Alistair Bell Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, D.C, Prosecutors, Trump, Republican, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Washington, Maine, California

People visit the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, U.S., August 31, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin Wurm/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Sept 14 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden's administration on Thursday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to put on hold an order restricting the government's ability to encourage social media companies to remove content it considers misleading, including about the COVID-19 pandemic. The Justice Department asked the justices to stay a lower court's decision finding that federal officials had likely violated the free speech protections of the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment by coercing social media platforms into censoring certain posts. Reporting by John Kruzel; Editing by Will DunhamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kevin Wurm, Joe Biden's, John Kruzel, Will Dunham Organizations: U.S, Supreme, REUTERS, Rights, Justice Department, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S

☆ Conservatives hope Supreme Court defangs US consumer watchdog
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( John Kruzel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

But the watchdog's future may be in peril thanks to a case now before the U.S. Supreme Court. Pro-business conservatives and their Republican allies believe the court fight has brought them closer than ever to dismantling the CFPB. Congress, then controlled by Democrats, authorized the agency to supervise certain financial institutions' compliance with federal consumer laws, backed by the threat of lawsuits and fines. Circuit Court of Appeals last October ruled that the agency's funding structure violated the Constitution. Biden's administration told the Supreme Court that the CFPB's funding structure approved by Congress - with a fixed amount going to the agency annually - was effectively "a standing, capped lump-sum appropriation."

Persons: Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Kevin Wurm, Wells, Joe Biden's, Ellen Harnick, Barack Obama, Mick Mulvaney, Donald Trump, Mulvaney, John Kruzel, Douglas Gillison, Will Dunham, Scott Malone Organizations: U.S, Supreme, REUTERS, Rights, Consumer Financial, Bureau, Fifth Third Bank, U.S . Federal, Congress, Center for Responsible, Republican, Democrats, Republicans, Republican U.S, Community Financial Services Association of America, Consumer Service Alliance of Texas, Circuit, Trump, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office, Federal Reserve, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, New Orleans

☆ US Senate races ahead of House on spending bills, aims to avoid gov't shutdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Richard Cowan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Democrats and Republicans in the Senate Appropriations Committee have backed the 12 separate spending bills that would finance most government operations for fiscal 2024, while their House Appropriations Committee has been producing bills with only Republican support. Some hardline House Republicans have dismissed the risks of a government shutdown, saying it could be a cudgel for achieving deeper spending cuts to address the $31.4 trillion national debt. 'A PRETTY BIG MESS'Top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell has voted for every one of the 12 fiscal 2024 bills advanced by the Senate Appropriations Committee, as have nearly all of his fellow committee Republicans. Meanwhile, as some hardline House Republicans push for defense spending cuts instead of a buildup, there is pushback within their 222-member caucus. He was referring to a special House-Senate negotiating team that likely would be tasked with ironing out differences between House and Senate defense appropriations bills.

Persons: Kevin Wurm, Joe Biden's, Biden, Republican Kevin McCarthy, Chuck Schumer, McCarthy, Andrew Bates, William Hoagland, Senate Republican Mitch McConnell, McConnell, Tom Cole, we'll, Richard Cowan, Trevor Hunnicutt, Scott Malone, William Maclean Organizations: U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, Democrats, Senate, Republicans, Democratic, Republican, White, Center, Senate Republican, House Republicans, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, U.S, Ukraine, Kentucky

☆ Congress returns with the clock ticking to avert government shutdown, fund U.S. disaster response
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-05 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Kevin Wurm | ReutersA deeply divided Congress returned Tuesday from a monthlong summer vacation with the clock ticking to pass spending legislation to avoid a government shutdown and boost U.S. emergency response funding following multiple natural disasters. The U.S. government will shut down at midnight on Sept. 30 if Congress fails to pass spending legislation. While the Senate is back in session Tuesday, the House will not return to work until Sept. 12, leaving nearly three weeks to pass funding before the deadline. McCarthy came out publicly in support of a continuing resolution to keep the government running during an interview with Fox News last month. Bank of America analysts in a note Tuesday put the chances of shutdown as a flip of the coin given the conditions conservative Republicans are putting on funding legislation.

Persons: Kevin Wurm, Chuck Schumer, Kevin McCarthy, McCarthy, Biden, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Joe Biden Organizations: U.S, Capitol, Reuters, Republican, Fox News, cajole, GOP, Caucus, Bank of America, Republicans, UBS, Hurricane Idalia, FEMA Locations: Washington, U.S, Maui, Hawaii, Hurricane, Florida

REUTERS/Kevin Wurm/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWASHINGTON, Aug 31 (Reuters) - The White House on Thursday said it was working with Congress to hammer out a short-term funding measure to avoid an Oct. 1 partial federal government shutdown while longer-term spending talks continue. "OMB is providing Congress with technical assistance needed to avoid severe disruptions to government services in the first quarter of the fiscal year." With only weeks to go before the deadline, the Republican-led House of Representatives has approved only one of those 12 bills. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer this month said he and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy had agreed on a stopgap measure. In its statement, OMB urged Congress to include emergency supplemental funding in any continuing resolution.

Persons: Kevin Wurm, Chuck Schumer, Kevin McCarthy, Mitch McConnell, Andrea Shalal, Richard Cowan, Susan Heavey, Chizu Nomiyama, Andrea Ricci, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, Rights, Management, Budget, OMB, Washington Post, Republican, Senate, Wednesday, Russia, House Republicans, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Kentucky, United States

☆ Blinken to meet Japan, S.Korea foreign ministers virtually on Monday
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks to media with El Salvador's Foreign Minister Alexandra Hill at the State Department in Washington, U.S., August 7, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin Wurm/File PhotoTOKYO, Aug 14 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will hold a virtual meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin on Monday, the U.S. State Department said. Leaders of the three nations are due to meet on Aug. 18 at the U.S. presidential retreat at Camp David, Maryland, according to Japanese media. Reporting by Rocky Swift; Editing by Muralikumar AnantharamanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Antony Blinken, Alexandra Hill, Kevin Wurm, Yoshimasa Hayashi, Jin, Rocky Swift, Muralikumar Organizations: El Salvador's, State Department, REUTERS, Japanese, South Korean Foreign, U.S . State Department, U.S, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Camp David, Maryland

Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, departs federal court after a plea hearing on two misdemeanor charges of willfully failing to pay income taxes in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S. July 26, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin WurmAug 12 (Reuters) - The appointment on Friday of a special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden ensures that the criminal probe of the president’s son will cast a long shadow over his father’s reelection campaign. Hunter Biden in July pleaded not guilty to charges of failing to pay more than $100,000 in taxes owed on over $1.5 million in income in 2017 and 2018. Half of Americans believe Hunter Biden received preferential treatment from prosecutors who tried to reach a plea deal, a Reuters/Ipsos poll in June found before the plea deal fell apart. But most Americans said the Hunter Biden plea deal did not affect their likelihood of voting for Biden next year, the poll found.

Persons: Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, Kevin Wurm, David Weiss, Biden, Bill, Clinton, Hillary, Monica Lewinsky, Weiss, Republican Donald Trump, Kevin McCarthy, Hunter, Jarrett Renshaw, Nandita Bose, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: REUTERS, Delaware U.S, Republican, Reuters, Biden, Thomson Locations: Wilmington , Delaware, U.S, Delaware, Ukraine, China

Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, departs federal court after a plea hearing on two misdemeanor charges of willfully failing to pay income taxes in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S. July 26, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin WurmAug 12 (Reuters) - The appointment on Friday of a special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden helped ensure that the criminal probe of the president’s son will cast a long shadow over his father’s reelection campaign. Hunter Biden in July pleaded not guilty to charges of failing to pay more than $100,000 in taxes owed on over $1.5 million in income in 2017 and 2018. Half of Americans believe Hunter Biden received preferential treatment from prosecutors who tried to reach a plea deal, a Reuters/Ipsos poll in June found before the plea deal fell apart. But most Americans said the Hunter Biden plea deal did not affect their likelihood of voting for Biden next year, the poll found.

☆ Gun laws or second amendment is a 'false choice,' Harris says in Chicago
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Bianca Flowers | Thomson Reuters | Bianca Flowers Is An Award-Winning Multimedia Journalist Based In Chicago Where She Reports On The Backbone Of The U.S. Labor Market. She Covers Agriculture | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Harris, who has embraced a more combative role as President Joe Biden's re-election campaign kicks into gear, took a swipe at Republicans who have blocked Democrats' proposed gun safety laws, saying such changes are no threat to Americans' constitutional gun rights. Gun rights groups have fought any legislative attempt to curb those rights, calling them an infringement on the Constitution, even as most Americans say they favor stronger gun laws. Harris was speaking at Everytown's "Gun Sense University" in Chicago, an annual event where activists and survivors of gun violence, many of them members of the 10 million-strong "Moms Demand Action" group, gather for training and political organizing. On Thursday, four major gun safety groups, including Everytown, endorsed Biden's 2024 re-election bid, which unlocks donations by the interest groups' political action groups. Makayla Jordan, a 19-year-old member of Students Demand Action, said mass shootings are just one part of the country's "everyday" gun violence epidemic.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Oyun, Kevin Wurm, Harris, Joe Biden's, Biden, Biden's, Michael Bloomberg, Makayla Jordan, Bianca Flowers, Trevor Hunnicutt, Heather Timmons, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: Mongolia’s, White, REUTERS, Everytown, Safety, United, New, New York City, Democratic, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Chicago, United States, New York

Former U.S. President Donald Trump and Special Counsel Jack Smith are seen in a combination of file photos in Washington, U.S., in 2023. REUTERS/Tasos Katopodis, Kevin Wurm/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Aug 9 (Reuters) - The U.S. special counsel investigating Donald Trump obtained a search warrant for the former president's Twitter account in January and the company delayed complying, according to a U.S. appeals court opinion on Wednesday. The ruling said that Twitter had raised First Amendment concerns about a nondisclosure order issued over the warrant, as the company wanted to notify Trump about it. Prosecutors will often ask judges that targets of subpoenas issued in criminal probes not be notified in order to protect their investigations, a practice the appeals court cited in Wednesday's ruling. Reporting by Jacqueline Thomsen and Kanishka Singh in Washington; editing by Grant McCoolOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Donald Trump, Jack Smith, Tasos Katopodis, Kevin Wurm, Trump, Smith, Democrat Joe Biden, Jacqueline Thomsen, Kanishka Singh, Grant McCool Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, Twitter, Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit, Trump, Department, Prosecutors, Capitol, Republican Trump, Democrat, Republican, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, U.S, Washington

☆ VP Harris promises a 'raise' for US workers on federal projects
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( Jarrett Renshaw | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Vice President Kamala Harris celebrated the new labor reforms at a Philadelphia union hall, calling the administration unapologetically pro-union. "When union wages go up, everyone's wages go up. The Davis-Bacon Act of 1931 tasks the government with establishing wage floors - known as prevailing wages - that apply to construction projects funded by the federal government. Today, it applies to more than one million construction workers on $200 billion of such projects, the administration said. Trade groups have long criticized the prevailing wage requirements, saying they discourage small businesses from seeking federal contracts.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Kevin Wurm, Biden, Joe Biden, Davis, handout, Ben Brubeck, Jarrett Renshaw, Trevor Hunnicutt, Alistair Bell Organizations: Eastern, Jobs, REUTERS, U.S, Democratic Party, Labor Department, Trade, Biden, Builders, Contractors, Trump, Edison Research, Thomson Locations: Rewild, Washington , U.S, Philadelphia, America, Pennsylvania

☆ Florida's DeSantis replaces elected Democratic prosecutor
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Republican presidential candidate, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, delivers remarks at the annual Christians United for Israel Summit (CUFI), at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., July 17, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin Wurm/File PhotoAug 9 (Reuters) - Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Wednesday suspended a county prosecutor after accusing her of being soft on crime, making her the second elected Democratic law-enforcement official to be removed by the Republican presidential hopeful. "Worrell’s practices and policies have too often allowed violent criminals to escape the full consequences of their criminal conduct," DeSantis said in a statement. Worrell is not the first Florida prosecutor whom DeSantis has dismissed. DeSantis' office sent a letter in April to Worrell's office demanding that she hand over the criminal and judicial record of a suspect accused of killing three people, including a 9-year-old.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Kevin Wurm, DeSantis, Monique Worrell, Andrew Bain, Worrell, Miriam Krinsky, Andrew Warren, Donald Trump, Brendan O'Brien, Andy Sullivan Organizations: Florida, United, Israel Summit, Crystal Gateway Marriott, REUTERS, Democratic, Republican, Thomson Locations: Arlington , Virginia, U.S, Florida, Orange, Osceola, Hillsborough County, Chicago

Republican presidential candidate, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, delivers remarks at the annual Christians United for Israel Summit (CUFI), at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., July 17, 2023. "Governor DeSantis has to change the dynamics," Eberhart said. DeSantis faces a crucial moment on Aug. 23 in Milwaukee at the first Republican debate of the 2024 campaign. "This is par for the course for DeSantis' campaigns," Ayres said. Republican Senator John McCain, for instance, fired almost all of his senior campaign staff in June 2007 before staging a comeback and ultimately clinching the 2008 Republican nomination.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Kevin Wurm, Donald Trump, Generra Peck, James Uthmeier, Andrew Romeo, Dan Eberhart, Peck, Uthmeier, DeSantis, Eberhart, Joe Biden, Trump's, Wilbur Ross, Romeo, Robert Bigelow, Bigelow, Trump, David Polyansky, Whit Ayres, Ayres, John McCain, Gram Slattery, Alexandra Ulmer, Tim Reid, Ross Colvin, Will Dunham Organizations: Florida, United, Israel Summit, Crystal Gateway Marriott, REUTERS, Republican U.S, Republican, Democratic, Reuters, Trump, Thomson Locations: Arlington , Virginia, U.S, Florida, Milwaukee, Washington, San Francisco, Los Angeles

☆ VP Harris to celebrate new rules boosting wages, protections on federal projects
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Jarrett Renshaw | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Vice President Kamala Harris will visit Philadelphia on Tuesday to celebrate the new labor reforms at a union hall. "The rules are more important than ever to ensure fair wages for workers and ensuring good wages for them," a senior administration official said. The Davis-Bacon Act, first established in 1931, tasks the federal government with establishing wage floors - known as prevailing wages - that apply to construction projects partially or fully funded by the federal government. It applies to more than one million construction workers on $200 billion of such projects, the administration said. Trade groups have long criticized the prevailing wage requirements under the Davis-Bacon Act, saying they are burdensome and discourage small businesses from seeking federal contracts.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Kevin Wurm, Biden, Harris, Joe Biden, Davis, Bacon, Ronald Regan, Jarrett Renshaw, Bernadette Baum Organizations: Eastern, Jobs, REUTERS, Philadelphia, Labor Department, Bacon, Trade, The Labor Department, Thomson Locations: Rewild, Washington , U.S

☆ Factbox: DeSantis 2024 campaign's missteps and blunders
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( Tim Reid | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

UKRAINE WAR A "TERRITORIAL DISPUTE"In March, even before he had officially launched his campaign, DeSantis called Russia's invasion of Ukraine a "territorial dispute" and claimed the war was not a "vital" U.S. interest. Last week, Robert Bigelow, DeSantis' biggest donor, told Reuters he will not donate more money unless DeSantis moderates his policy positions. Tim Scott, a fellow Republican White House rival who is Black, decried Florida's new standards, describing slavery as "devastating" for Black families. EXTREME VIDEOS THAT EVEN SOME REPUBLICANS COULD NOT STOMACHIn June and July the DeSantis campaign shared videos that were condemned as anti-gay rights and racist, even by some fellow Republicans. On the campaign trail, some of DeSantis' off-the-cuff comments have come off as strange or dissonant.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Kevin Wurm, DeSantis, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, overshadowing, Robert Bigelow, Bigelow, Tim Scott, Christian Bale, Tim Reid, Ross Colvin, Alistair Bell Organizations: Florida, United, Israel Summit, Crystal Gateway Marriott, REUTERS, Republican, White, TWITTER, Twitter, Trump . Political, Reuters, Republican White House, Republicans, Trump, Thomson Locations: Arlington , Virginia, U.S, Florida, UKRAINE, Ukraine, Germany

Republican presidential candidate, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, delivers remarks at the annual Christians United for Israel Summit (CUFI), at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., July 17, 2023. "Governor DeSantis has to change the dynamics," Eberhart said. DeSantis faces a crucial moment on Aug. 23 in Milwaukee at the first Republican debate of the 2024 campaign. It is unclear what direction Uthmeier will take the DeSantis campaign as its new manager. "This is par for the course for DeSantis' campaigns," Ayres said.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Kevin Wurm, Donald Trump, Generra Peck, James Uthmeier, Andrew Romeo, Robert Bigelow, Bigelow, Peck, Joe Biden, Trump, DeSantis, Romeo, David Polyansky, Dan Eberhart, Uthmeier, Eberhart, Wilbur Ross, Whit Ayres, Ayres, Gram Slattery, Alexandra Ulmer, Tim Reid, Scott Malone, Will Dunham Organizations: Florida, United, Israel Summit, Crystal Gateway Marriott, REUTERS, Republican U.S, Reuters, Republican, Democratic, Trump, Thomson Locations: Arlington , Virginia, U.S, Florida, Milwaukee, Washington, San Francisco, Los Angeles

☆ White House pushes US agencies to 'aggressively' boost in-person work
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-05 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Kevin Wurm/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Aug 5 (Reuters) - The White House wants federal agencies to "aggressively" execute a shift to more in-person work starting next month, saying it is crucial to delivering government services. Zients said "your agencies will be implementing increases in the amount of in-person work for your team. The Federal Aviation Administration and Transportation Department said last month they expect teleworking government employees to boost in-person work. Some Republican lawmakers have pressed federal agencies to require more government workers to return to offices. In February, the House passed legislation to mandate federal agencies reinstate 2019 pre-pandemic telework policies.

Persons: Donald Trump, Kevin Wurm, Jeff Zients, Zients, Axios, Pete Buttigieg, USDOT, David Shepardson, David Gregorio Our Organizations: U.S Capitol, U.S, REUTERS, White House, White, Reuters, Office of Management, Biden, Federal Aviation Administration, Transportation Department, FAA, Transportation, Republican, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S

REUTERS/Kevin Wurm/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Aug 4 (Reuters) - U.S. and Mongolian officials this week discussed "creative ways" to ensure the landlocked country, dependent on goodwill from its neighbors China and Russia, could get critical minerals onto the world market, a U.S. State Department official said on Friday. A U.S. State Department official briefing reporters said the national carrier MIAT Mongolian Airlines would be able to fly direct to an as-yet-undecided U.S. airport by next year. The two sides also discussed how to follow up on a memorandum of understanding signed in June by the State Department and Mongolia's ministry of mining and heavy industry. "We certainly are eager to help the Mongolians find creative solutions by which it can help take more control over mining, exploring, extracting and producing critical minerals and rare earth elements." Asked about how to ensure that Mongolia could exporting such commodities without hindrance, the official said it was in a "tough geopolitical situation", being landlocked.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Oyun, Kevin Wurm, Erdene, Antony Blinken, we've, Joe Biden's, David Brunnstrom, Simon Lewis, Kevin Liffey Organizations: U.S, Mongolia's, White, REUTERS, U.S . State Department, Reuters, MIAT Mongolian Airlines, State Department, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, China, Russia, U.S, Washington, Mongolia, United States

☆ Exclusive: Mongolia, US to sign 'Open Skies' deal ahead of talks -Harris, PM
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Trevor Hunnicutt | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

REUTERS/Kevin WurmAug 2 (Reuters) - The United States and Mongolia will sign an "Open Skies" civil aviation agreement, Vice President Kamala Harris and Mongolian Prime Minister L. Oyun-Erdene said on Wednesday at the start of discussions focused on Russia, China and economic development. Washington has Open Skies civil aviation agreements with more than 130 countries. The Open Skies deal between the U.S. and Mongolia will build on a memorandum of understanding for an air transport agreement reached in January. Mongolia's national carrier, MIAT Mongolian Airlines, flies to Europe and Asia but not the United States at present. Although passenger demand may not merit nonstop flights between the Mongolian capital, Ulaanbaatar, and the U.S., the Open Skies deal would also provide easier options for cargo flights between the nations.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Oyun, Kevin Wurm, Erdene, Biden, Harris, Joe Biden, Tesla, Elon Musk, Antony Blinken, Trevor Hunnicutt, Andrea Shalal, Jamie Freed, Jonathan Oatis, Leslie Adler Organizations: U.S, Mongolia's, White, REUTERS, Mongolian, China, MIAT, MIAT Mongolian Airlines, SpaceX, Biden, Google, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, United States, Mongolia, Russia, China, Washington, Ukraine, Japan, South Korea, . Washington, MIAT Mongolian, Europe, Asia, Ulaanbaatar, U.S, Birmingham , Alabama

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