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Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who is to appear in a federal court facing federal charges related to attempts to overturn his 2020 election defeat, arrives at Reagan Washington National Airport in nearby Arlington, Virginia, U.S., August 3, 2023. REUTERS/Amanda Andrade-RhoadesWASHINGTON, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Donald Trump said after his arraignment on charges of trying to overturn the 2020 election that it was a "very sad day for America." This was never supposed to happen in America," Trump said before boarding his plane to return to New Jersey after the court hearing. Trump himself has been accused of using government power for political gain. Reporting by Costas Pitas; writing by Eric Beech; Editing by Rami AyyubOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Donald Trump, Amanda Andrade, Rhoades WASHINGTON, Trump, Republican Trump's, Joe Biden, Costas Pitas, Eric Beech, Rami Ayyub Organizations: U.S, Reagan Washington National Airport, REUTERS, Former U.S, America, Republican, Democratic, Republicans, Thomson Locations: Arlington , Virginia, U.S, Former, America, New Jersey, Ukraine

☆ Tanya Chutkan, the judge assigned to Trump's latest indictment, ruled against him before, writing 'Presidents are not kings, and Plaintiff is not President.'
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Chris Panella | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

US District Judge Tanya Chutkan has been assigned to the 2020 election fraud case against Trump. Chutkan has gained a reputation for tough sentences against Jan. 6 Capitol rioters. She previously rejected Trump's request to block Jan. 6 records being released to a House committee. Then, in a now iconic line, Chutkan said: "Presidents are not kings, and Plaintiff is not President." Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/For The Washington Post via Getty ImagesChutkan also has a consistent record of throwing the book at convicted January 6, 2021, rioters, often more than other judges serving in DC's federal trial court.

Persons: Tanya Chutkan, Chutkan, Jan, Donald Trump's, she's, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Amanda Andrade, Rhoades, didn't Organizations: Trump, Capitol, Service, National Archives, Washington, Getty, Justice Department, Politico Locations: Wall, Silicon, Washington , DC

Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) listens during a Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., April 18, 2023. In addition to creating the regulatory commission, the proposed law would tighten antitrust law to forbid the companies from preferencing their own products over those of rivals. "This bipartisan bill would create a new tech regulator and makes clear that reining in Big Tech platforms is a top priority on both sides of the aisle," said Warren in a statement. Graham said the creation of the regulatory commission was "the first step in a long journey to protect American consumers from the massive power these companies currently wield." Amazon declined comment while Facebook and Google did not respond to a request for comment on the proposal.

Persons: Elizabeth Warren, Amanda Andrade, Rhoades, Lindsey Graham, Warren, Graham, Diane Bartz, Matthew Lewis Organizations: Banking, Housing, Urban Affairs, Capitol, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, Democrat, Republican, Facebook, Google, Big Tech, Federal Trade Commission, Digital Consumer Protection, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Big Tech, Washington

The update of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, which first became law in 2000, would raise the age of children protected by the measure from 12 and under to 16 and under. The AM radio bill and the ticket-pricing bill both had strong bipartisan support and both have companion measures in the House of Representatives. Fees on ticket prices have become an increasing issue. They can comprise 21% to 58% of ticket prices for some events, according to studies from the New York Attorney General's office and Government Accountability Office. The AM radio bill would direct the Transportation Department to issue regulations mandating AM radio in new vehicles without additional charge.

Persons: Amanda Andrade, Rhoades, Taylor Swift, that’s, David Shepardson, Diane Bartz, Leslie Adler Organizations: U.S . Capitol, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, U.S, Senate, Ticketmaster, New York Attorney, Transportation Department, BMW, Volkswagen, Ford, Lawmakers, National Association of Broadcasters, Alliance, Automotive Innovation, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S

☆ McCarthy, US House hardliners reach deal to allow votes
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., June 8, 2023. If we don't have that, there are going to be fights," Representative Ralph Norman told reporters after he and several other members of the House of Representatives met with McCarthy. "We had a very productive meeting tonight," McCarthy told reporters after the meeting. The House is scheduled to begin voting on delayed Republican bills on Tuesday, starting with a floor rule governing debate and votes on passage. But the hardliners are also looking to expand their influence over the House Republican agenda.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, Amanda Andrade, Rhoades, McCarthy, Ralph Norman, Joe Biden, Matt Gaetz, David Morgan, Andy Sullivan, Mary Milliken, Matthew Lewis Organizations: ., Capitol, REUTERS, Republican, Freedom Caucus, Congress, Democratic, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, WASHINGTON, Washington

☆ 'Livid' US House conservatives poised for next battle with McCarthy
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) speaks to reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., June 8, 2023. The House is scheduled this week to consider Republican messaging bills that were delayed by the standoff. McCarthy can afford to lose no more than four Republican votes on any measure that faces uniform opposition from Democrats. Norman and other conservatives want 12 appropriations bills that Congress will try to pass in coming months to contain deeper spending cuts included in a Republican debt ceiling bill that passed the House in April. But moderate Republicans warned that hardball tactics could backfire on conservatives if party infighting forces Republican leaders to rely on Democratic votes to move critical legislation.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, Amanda Andrade, Rhoades, Ralph Norman, McCarthy, We'll, Tom Emmer, Joe Biden, Norman, Don Bacon, David Morgan, Mary Milliken, Paul Simao Organizations: ., Capitol, REUTERS, U.S . House, Freedom Caucus, Reuters, Republicans, Republican, Democrats, Democratic, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, WASHINGTON, Washington

☆ Senators ask U.S. Justice Dept to probe Binance statements to Congress
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) attend a Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., April 18, 2023. REUTERS/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/File PhotoWASHINGTON, June 8 (Reuters) - The U.S. Department of Justice should investigate whether cryptocurrency exchange Binance made false statements to Congress in a written response to lawmakers this year, two Democratic U.S. senators said in a letter released on Thursday. U.S. financial regulators this week cracked down on the crypto industry with legal action against Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, and cryptocurrency platform Coinbase (COIN.O). Representatives for the Justice Department could not be immediately reached. Reporting by Susan Heavey and Manya Saini; editing by David Goodman and Jason NeelyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Chris Van Hollen, Elizabeth Warren, Amanda Andrade, Rhoades, Binance, Susan Heavey, Manya Saini, David Goodman, Jason Neely Organizations: U.S, Banking, Housing, Urban Affairs, Capitol, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, U.S . Department of Justice, Democratic U.S, Justice Department, SEC, Binance, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S

☆ 'Succession' is over, so now what?
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-03 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Viewers of “Succession” are mourning as the series came to a dramatic close after four seasons, leaving Sunday nights with an empty space to fill. If you loved “Succession,” here are just a few other shows you might enjoy. HBO Max“The Righteous Gemstones”(From left) Edi Patterson, Danny McBride and Adam Devine in "The Righteous Gemstones." “The Righteous Gemstones” is streaming on Max, which is owned on CNN’s parent company. Jeff Neumann/ShowtimeAnother drama similar to “Succession,” “Billions” will also give you your rich-people-behaving-badly fix.

Persons: Roy, HBO Max “, Patterson, Danny McBride, Adam Devine, Ryan Green, it’s, “, Paul Giamatti, Chuck Rhoades, Corey Stoll, Michael, Mike, Prince, Jeff Neumann, ”, Damian Lewis, Bobby Axelrod, Kevin Costner, Kevin Lynch, Dutton, … Sia, Christopher Polk, Sia, I’ve, ’ ”, Count, Maddie Ziegler, Marcelo Hernandez, Taylor Hawkins, Can’t, … Wanda Sykes, Wanda Sykes, I’m Organizations: CNN, HBO, Showtime, Justice Department, Paramount, Yellowstone, Paramount Network, Dolby Theatre, NBC, NBCU, Bank, Getty, Singer, “, Foo, Lollapalooza, Parque Bicentenario Cerrillos, Foo Fighters, Netflix Locations: Yellowstone, “, ”, Montana, Los Angeles , California, Lollapalooza Chile, Santiago , Chile, America

Sen. Peter Welch, Sen. Joni Ernst, and Sen. Mitt Romney. Mariam Zuhaib/AP; Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/Bonnie Cash/ReutersSenators from both parties on Thursday night defended their decision to support the debt ceiling deal, despite their concerns about the legislation. Sen. Peter Welch, a Democrat, noted that while he had some concerns about the deal, he planned to vote for it anyway. “I'd like to get rid of the debt ceiling, because this hostage-taking sort of approach is becoming institutionalized, very dangerous to the country. I think that Kevin McCarthy negotiated a good deal – for now,” the Iowa Republican said.

Persons: Sen, Peter Welch, Joni Ernst, Mitt Romney, Mariam Zuhaib, Amanda Andrade, Rhoades, Bonnie Cash, “, Welch, Biden, ” Sen, Kevin McCarthy, “ It’s Organizations: Reuters, White, Iowa Republican, Republican Locations: Vermont

☆ Fact Check-Derogatory chant digitally added to video of Biden at graduation
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

(Warning: this article contains profanity that some readers may find offensive)A clip of U.S. President Joe Biden attending his granddaughter Maisy Biden’s May 15 graduation at the University of Pennsylvania is circulating with altered audio of anti-Biden chants. A tweet sharing the altered clip has been viewed 1.1 million times at the time of writing (here). The crowd in the edited clip can be heard chanting “fuck Joe Biden.” However, no such chant can be heard in the original raw pool video available to media outlets, including Reuters, and a Reuters witness present at the scene heard no such chanting. Similar clips of the raw video lacking the added chant can be viewed on Twitter, where they were published by the Voice of America’s Chinese-language account (here) and by RNC Research, a Twitter handle that describes itself as “managed by the Republican National Committee” (here) (here). Anti-Biden chants have been digitally added to raw footage of President Joe Biden attending his granddaughter’s graduation at the University of Pennsylvania.

☆ 33 Democrats urge ban on investor-state dispute provisions in all US trade deals
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Amanda Andrade-RhoadesWASHINGTON, May 3 (Reuters) - Democratic U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday urged the U.S. Trade Representative and State Department to eliminate investor-state dispute settlement provisions from current and future trade deals and to intervene on behalf of Honduras against a U.S. company's nearly $11 billion claim against the country. In a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Trade Representative Katherine Tai seen by Reuters, 33 lawmakers said that investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) systems in trade deals constitute a "problematic corporate handout" that violates countries' sovereignty and democracy rights. The Democrats signing the letter said the case could require impoverished Honduras to pay billions of taxpayer dollars to a company that has "weaponized" the dispute settlement provisions. The dispute settlement provisions had been a way to protect U.S. firms from abrupt changes in trading partners' government policies by providing recourse through arbitration. The letter cited Georgetown University research tallying $27.8 billion in ISDS settlement orders against Latin American governments, with Argentina, Venezuela, Peru, Mexico and Ecuador the worst hit.

☆ Mario Gabelli ranks these old media stocks among the best trades he’s ever made. Here's why
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A simple focus on what is now a well-known phenomenon helped Mario Gabelli execute what he calls some of the best trades in his decades-long career. One of those companies, Chris-Craft, was eventually bought by News Corp. for $5.5 billion in the early 2000s. It was an investment on which Gabelli said he made at least 10 times his original stake. The other money-making trade, on the now defunct Lin Broadcasting, was one Gabelli said he made a "significant amount of money" on. "It basically became EBITDA minus capex, and that notion has gotten pretty far along in the last 40 years," he said.

☆ The cost of investing has been falling. Here's what investors should know
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Pia Singh | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

High fees can take a bite out of your portfolio returns, but the good news is that it's becoming cheaper to invest. Financial services firms charge clients a fee to invest their funds, typically withdrawn from their investment assets. Increased competition, notably in the ETF market and between direct-sold mutual funds, has also contributed to lower investment costs, Hauptman said. "It's important for investors to not just look at one piece of the investing puzzle to the extent that they're getting products and services," Hauptman said. Watch for other costs: If you're investing through a brokerage account, keep an eye out for transaction fees, which can be very painful for the most active investors.

☆ US war game on Taiwan shows need for 'decisive action' to boost arms
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Michael Martina | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"We are well within the window of maximum danger for a Chinese Communist Party invasion of Taiwan, and yesterday's war game stressed the need to take action to deter CCP aggression and arm Taiwan to the teeth before any crisis begins," Gallagher said in a statement. The U.S. must clear a $19 billion weapons backlog to Taiwan, conduct enhanced joint military training and reinforce the U.S. military in the region, he said. Anxiety about a possible conflict over Taiwan, the self-ruled island that China claims as its own, has become a rare bipartisan issue in Washington. The U.S. is Taiwan's most important arms supplier but the island has complained of delayed weapons deliveries. Taiwan's de facto embassy in Washington did not respond immediately to a request for comment on the war game.

☆ US Senate Republicans go after Biden's labor nominee for stance on Uber, Lyft, others
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Nandita Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Julie Su speaks at a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing on her nomination to be Labor Secretary, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., April 20, 2023. She needs at least 50 votes in a Senate where Democrats have a slim 51-49 majority. Industry groups that represent companies employing gig labor have launched an aggressive campaign to oppose her nomination. Cassidy also accused her of eliminating independent contracting during her tenure as Biden's deputy secretary of labor. It is not a given that all Senate Democrats will support Su.

☆ Republican-led ban on transgender student athletes passes US House, moves to Senate
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Katharine Jackson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The House passed the measure by 219-203 but it has little chance of passing the Democratic-controlled Senate. "There's a reason why there's men and women's sports," McCarthy told reporters on the grounds of the Capitol, where he held a news conference with three female athletes who had competed with transgender athletes and lost. The White House on Monday said the bill would effectively deny access to sports for transgender students, even at the elementary school level. Twenty-one U.S. states already have transgender school sports bans in place, according to the Human Rights Campaign LGBTQ advocacy group. The Biden administration has proposed prohibiting schools from banning transgender athletes from playing on teams consistent with their gender identities, with exceptions possible for the highest levels of competition.

Failure to raise the debt ceiling would lead to default that would shake the U.S. and world economies. McCarthy said the package would lower spending by $4.5 trillion over the coming 10 years. Biden reiterated his position that Congress should raise the $31.4 trillion debt limit without conditions, as it did three times under his Republican predecessor, Donald Trump. POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCESThe nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget praised McCarthy's plan as a "realistic and extremely welcome first step." A lengthy 2011 standoff over the debt ceiling led to a first-ever downgrade of the federal government's credit rating, which rattled markets and raised borrowing costs.

☆ Republican McCarthy eyes $1.5 trln lift of US debt ceiling, spending cuts
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Richard Cowan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

McCarthy said they would serve as the basis for negotiations between the two parties over raising the $31.4 trillion debt limit in the coming months. The White House reiterated its position that Congress should raise the $31.4 trillion debt limit without conditions, as it did three times under Biden's Republican predecessor, Donald Trump. At an appearance outside Washington, Biden said Republicans were threatening to push the United States into a historic default that would shake the world economy. McCarthy leads a fractious caucus that includes a sizeable contingent of hardline members who want sharp spending cuts and dismiss the risks of failure to act on the debt ceiling. So far House Republicans have not produced a budget plan of their own, a move that Biden contends would be a necessary starting point for negotiations on spending.

☆ Republican McCarthy to unveil plan to lift US debt ceiling by $1.5 trln -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Richard Cowan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/File PhotoWASHINGTON, April 19 (Reuters) - U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Wednesday plans to unveil a plan to raise the nation's debt ceiling by $1.5 trillion, two sources said, as Republicans dig in on a standoff with Democrats over the government's borrowing limit. A source who was briefed on McCarthy's proposal but not allowed to speak publicly, said the speaker would propose a $1.5 trillion increase in the limit. McCarthy leads a fractious caucus that holds a narrow 222-213 majority, including a sizeable contingent of hardline members who want sharp spending cuts and dismiss the risks of failure to act on the debt ceiling. Even if McCarthy's proposal were to pass the House, it would be unlikely to find support in the Democratic-controlled Senate. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office last month laid out a range of options to address the debt, which showed that higher tax collections would have significantly more impact than spending cuts.

☆ U.S. House Republicans tangle over debt limit, spending cut plans
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Richard Cowan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Sometime this summer, the Treasury Department will be unable to manage its debt under the current $31.4 trillion limit on borrowing, according to the Biden administration and the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office. "Don't bother with partisan wish lists and unrealistic proposals that will never solve this debt default crisis," Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a Democrat, warned House Republicans in a speech to the Senate. But Mace said McCarthy showed rank-and-file Republicans a series of options, projected onto a screen, that included the possibilities of a $1 trillion or $2 trillion debt limit increase with various time frames attached. Perry said referring to a debt limit hike. Hern did not respond directly when asked whether House Republicans would pare back funding for some federal law enforcement, such as the FBI, as former President Donald Trump has urged.

☆ A Biden Bait-and-Switch on Electric Vehicles
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., asks questions during a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government hearing to examine proposed budget estimates and justification for the 2024 fiscal year at the Capitol in Washington on Wednesday, March 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades)We interrupt the latest Donald Trump melodrama for a word from Biden Administration regulators. While the world isn’t watching, and certainly the press corps isn’t, regulators on Friday announced they are essentially rewriting last year’s Inflation Reduction Act so more electric vehicles will qualify for subsidies. In return for his vote, West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin insisted on numerous conditions for the IRA’s $7,500 EV tax credit. He wanted to encourage more U.S. manufacturing and ensure subsidies don’t go to the affluent.

☆ One year after the first rate hike, the Fed stands at policy crossroads
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Jeff Cox | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

"That being said, given the fact the Fed has tightened as aggressively as they have, the economy is still very good." But recent days have shown the Fed has another problem on its hands besides inflation. watch nowBecause prices fall when rates go up, the Fed hikes have cut into the market value of those fixed income holdings. Rate hike expected"If you're waiting for inflation to go back to 2% and that's what's caused you to raise rates, you're making a mistake," said Joseph LaVorgna, chief economist at SMBC Nikko Securities. Since the rate increases started, depositors have pulled $464 billion from banks, according to Fed data.

While ostensibly focused on monetary policy, the questions tend to range across issues, and the sessions this week - the first since Republicans took control of the House after midterm elections - may be particularly wide in scope. Powell's last monetary policy report to Congress was in June, early in what became the most aggressive cycle of Fed rate increases since the 1980s. Fed rate hikes "are designed to harm the labor market. Despite some high-profile layoff announcements, weekly new jobless claims have remained below 200,000 for seven consecutive weeks, comparable to pre-pandemic levels. That ongoing strength has posed perhaps the key question for Powell to answer: Whether the impact of monetary policy is just delayed and on the way, or whether the current economy needs even tighter monetary policy, with all the risks that entails.

[1/2] U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell speaks to David Rubenstein (not pictured) during a meeting of The Economic Club of Washington, at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 7, 2023. REUTERS/Amanda Andrade-Rhoades/File PhotoMarch 7 (Reuters) - A look at the day ahead in Asian markets from Jamie McGeever. Arguably the main event in Asia will be the expected quarter point rate hike from the RBA, which would take the cash rate up to 3.60%. Tuesday's focus rests squarely on the first of two Congressional appearances this week from Powell. On the Asian data front, China's FX reserves for February could cast a light on whether Beijing is starting to reduce its huge holdings of dollar-denominated assets amid the sharp rise in U.S.-Chinese tensions.

☆ Amazon and Other Tech Firms’ Dwindling Demand Upends Office Market
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-04 | by ( Konrad Putzier | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Photo: Amanda Andrade-Rhoades for The Wall Street JournalThe site of Amazon’s second headquarters in Arlington, Va., where the company has halted the start of construction on a second phase. Amazon .com Inc.’s decision to delay building part of its Virginia office campus is the latest sign that fading demand from technology companies is becoming a problem for the commercial real-estate sector. Tech giants like Amazon, Alphabet Inc. and Microsoft Corp. for years drove demand for office space, helping prop up building values in cities like New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

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