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If Democrats elect more senators and keep control of the House of Representatives, Biden said he will sign a law codifying Roe in January to protect abortion rights. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Tuesday Biden would support a carveout of the filibuster reform in order to codify abortion rights. Jean-Pierre did not say what happens to abortion rights if Democrats do not control the legislature. Some 20% of Democratic women cite the end of national abortion rights as their top issue for the midterms, compared with 22% who cite inflation. Biden and top White House officials this month announced new guidelines and grants to protect abortion and contraception rights.

WASHINGTON, Oct 18 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden, under renewed pressure over high inflation with mid-term elections approaching, said on Tuesday he will sign a law to codify abortion rights in January if Democrats control the legislature next year. If Democrats elect more senators and keep control of the House of Representatives, Biden said he will sign a law codifying Roe in January to protect abortion rights. Some 20% of Democratic women cite the end of national abortion rights as their top issue for the midterms, compared with 22% who cite inflation. Some 9% of Democratic men cited abortion as their top issue, compared with 19% who cite inflation. Biden and top White House officials this month announced new guidelines and grants to protect abortion and contraception rights.

"If we prevail in this race, it will make Utah the most influential state in the union, because nothing will get through the Senate without Utah's support," said McMullin. A former CIA operations officer, McMullin was a Republican until 2016, when Donald Trump won the party's nomination to run for president. But this year, Utah Democrats opted not to nominate a challenger to Lee, a two-term hard-line conservative, ceding the field to McMullin's challenge. Lee dismissed his rival on Monday night as "an opportunistic gadfly supported by the Democratic Party." "You've refused to talk about which party you'd join," Lee told McMullin.

☆ Zelenskiy: Using Iranian drones shows Russia is militarily bankrupt
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 18 (Reuters) - Russia's dependence on Iranian-made drones to attack Ukrainian targets exposes Russia as bankrupt both politically and militarily, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday. Using Iranian weaponry amounted to an acknowledgement of failure for Moscow, after decades of funding the Soviet and post-Soviet defence industry, he added. Ukraine says Russia's latest attacks on infrastructure have relied on Iranian-made Shahed-136 "kamikaze" drones. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterIran denies supplying unmanned aerial vehicles to Russia -- an assertion Washington says is untrue. The Kremlin on Tuesday said it had no information about whether or not Iranian "kamikaze" drones were used.

☆ Yellen cites 'significant' Ukraine financing needs in meeting with PM -Treasury
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( David Lawder | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Oct 18 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen held a virtual meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Tuesday and "acknowledged Ukraine’s significant financing needs next year," the Treasury said in a statement. The meeting came as Ukrainian officials and International Monetary Fund staff began talks in Vienna on the country's longer-term macroeconomic plans and fiscal needs. The board earlier this month approved Kyiv's request for $1.3 billion in emergency financing through a new facility to address urgent food shocks caused by Russia's war in Ukraine. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe U.S. Treasury said Yellen reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to support Ukraine and said that the Treasury was working swiftly to disburse $4.5 billion in recently approved budget support. "Secretary Yellen acknowledged Ukraine’s significant financing needs next year for critical government services and urgent recovery projects," the Treasury said, adding that Yellen also emphasized the need for "inclusive coordination across international partners to help Ukraine begin to rebuild and recover."

☆ Mexico president says he spoke with Walmart exec about lowering inflation on food products
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MEXICO CITY, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Tuesday that he met with Walmart International President and CEO Judith McKenna about "doing everything possible" to lower inflation on food products. It comes weeks after Mexican officials announced a deal with more than a dozen food makers and retailers, including Walmart, to halt rising food prices, with annual inflation in Latin America's second-largest economy hitting 8.76% in the first half of September. Data from the country's statistics agency showed food, beverage and tobacco prices rose 13.27% year-on-year. The company represents 25% of Mexico's retail sales, Lopez Obrador wrote on Twitter. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Anthony Esposito; Writing by Valentine Hilaire; Editing by Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Ukraine says they are Iranian-made Shahed-136 attack drones - loitering munitions that cruise towards their target before plummeting at velocity and detonating on impact. Kremlin on Tuesday denied its forces had used Iranian drones to attack Ukraine. The newspaper said the Iranian trainers are operating from a Russian military base in Crimea where many of the drones have been based since being delivered from Iran. It said the trainers are from the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, a part of Iran's military which Washington deems a terrorist organization. Two senior Iranian officials and two Iranian diplomats told Reuters that Iran has promised to provide Russia with surface to surface missiles, in addition to more drones.

☆ EXCLUSIVE Argentina central bank, hopeful on inflation, set to break tightening cycle -sources
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Jorge Otaola | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BUENOS AIRES, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Argentina's central bank is set to hold the benchmark interest rate steady at 75%, which would snap a tightening cycle since the start of the year, two sources said, with the entity hopeful that monthly inflation will slow in the months ahead. A second source with direct knowledge of discussions said the benchmark rate would for now remain unchanged. Argentina's monthly inflation in September came in at 6.2%, the official statistics agency said late on Friday, undershooting forecasts of a 6.7% rise and down from a peak of 7.4% in July. The bank has six directors who make key decisions, along with the president and two vice presidents. The benchmark rate had been 38% at the end of last year.

☆ U.S. Senate Democrats cite insufficient election workers ahead of midterms
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Moira Warburton | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Oct 14 (Reuters) - A group of U.S. Senate Democrats sounded the alarm over a lack of election workers ahead of the Nov. 8 midterm voting, citing threats and harassment as hurdles to recruiting crucial staff. In an Oct. 6 letter to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, 13 Senate Democrats and two independents aligned with Democrats called for the federal agency to step up efforts to support states in recruiting workers needed to run next month's midterm elections. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register"Recruitment efforts have been further hampered by the increase in threats and harassment targeting election workers," the letter stated. Threats against poll workers have sharply increased since the lead up to the 2020 election, when former President Donald Trump began making unfounded claims about massive election fraud. Reuters documented more than 850 threats and hostile messages to election workers and officials nationwide in a series of investigative reports.

☆ Musk says SpaceX cannot fund Ukraine's vital Starlink internet indefinitely
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

WASHINGTON, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Elon Musk said on Friday his rocket company SpaceX cannot indefinitely fund its Starlink internet service in Ukraine, which has helped the country's civilians and military stay online during the war with Russia. Musk's comment on Twitter came after a media report that SpaceX had asked the Pentagon to pay for the donations of Starlink. Musk activated Starlink, satellite broadband service, in Ukraine in late February after internet services were disrupted because of Russia's invasion. On Friday, an advisor to the Ukrainian president said Kyiv will find a solution to keep the Starlink internet service working in Ukraine. Musk, responding to a post referring to the fate of the Starlink service and the ambassador's remark, said:"We’re just following his recommendation."

☆ Microsoft says Ukraine, Poland targetted with novel ransomware attack
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Zeba Siddiqui | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct 14 (Reuters) - A newly discovered hacking group has attacked transportation and logistics companies in Ukraine and Poland with a novel kind of ransomware, Microsoft said in a blog post on Friday. The Russian Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment, and neither did the cybersecurity agencies of Ukraine or Poland. Victims of the new ransomware, named "Prestige," overlap with those of another data-shredding cyberattack that involved the "FoxLoad," or "HermeticWiper" malware, Microsoft said. That attack hit hundreds of computers in Ukraine, Lithuania, and Latvia at the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. "The enterprise-wide deployment of ransomware is not common in Ukraine, and this activity was not connected to any of the 94 currently active ransomware activity groups that Microsoft tracks," the researchers said.

- Nov. 7, 2020 text message from Rhodes to a group of Oath Keepers. - Nov. 7, 2020 in a text message from Rhodes to a group of Oath Keepers. - Jan. 7, 2021 Facebook message from Thomas Caldwell to Donovan Crowl, an Oath Keeper charged in a separate criminal case. - Stewart Rhodes in a December 2020 text discussing logistics ahead of Jan. 6 with a group of Oath Keepers. Prepare your mind, body, spirit," Stewart Rhodes, in a Nov. 5, 2020 text to a group of Oath Keepers.

☆ Consumer prices in Brazil down for the third month on lower fuel costs
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Prices are displayed at a market in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, September 2, 2021. The benchmark IPCA index (BRCPI=ECI) fell 0.29% last month, IBGE said, a smaller drop than the 0.34% forecast by economists polled by Reuters and slowing down from the 0.36% fall seen in the previous month. The transportation sector once again led consumer prices down in Brazil in September, posting a 1.98% drop, while food and beverage prices fell for the first time since November 2021, IBGE said. Reuters GraphicsIn the 12 months through September, inflation reached 7.17%, down from 8.73% in the previous month though slightly above the 7.1% forecast. "But with some goods and services inflation still rising, and the headline rate far above target, a shift towards interest rate cuts remains a long way off," he added.

☆ U.N. publicly rejects Russia's call for secret vote on Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The General Assembly decided, with 107 votes in favor, that it would hold a public vote - and not a secret ballot - on a draft resolution that would condemn Russia's "illegal so-called referenda" and the "attempted illegal annexation." Only 13 countries on Monday opposed holding a public vote on the draft resolution, another 39 countries abstained and the remaining countries did not vote. Russia had argued that a secret ballot was needed because Western lobbying meant that "it may be very difficult if positions are expressed publicly." The draft resolution to be voted on later this week calls on states not to recognize Russia's move and reaffirms the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. At the Security Council Russia vetoed a draft resolution that opposed a referendum on the status of Crimea and urged countries not to recognize it.

☆ Blackouts after Russian strikes deepen Ukraine's concerns before winter
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

KYIV, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Russian missile strikes on Ukraine's power network caused blackouts in many parts of the country on Monday, deepening fears of outages this winter and prompting Kyiv to halt electricity exports. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterLong queues formed at petrol stations in some areas. He warned civilians that "you need to be prepared for the consequences of such shelling, up to rolling blackouts." GRIM WINTER AHEADWith no end in sight to the war, Ukrainian authorities had already been warning of Russian attacks on critical infrastructure and preparing for a grim winter. The war has wrought huge damage to the energy network, and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine is in "cold shutdown" after being occupied by Russian forces.

☆ Biden condemns Russian missile strikes, says U.S. will continue to impose costs
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Oct 10 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden condemned Monday's widespread Russian missile attacks in Ukraine, saying they targeted civilians and served no military purpose, and vowed that the United States and its allies will continue to impose costs on Moscow. "The United States strongly condemns Russia’s missile strikes today across Ukraine, including in Kyiv. These attacks killed and injured civilians and destroyed targets with no military purpose," Biden said in a statement. "They once again demonstrate the utter brutality of Mr. Putin’s illegal war on the Ukrainian people," Biden said in a statement." "These attacks only further reinforce our commitment to stand with the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes," Biden said.

☆ Biden vows air defense systems for Ukraine after missile attack
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Oct 10 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden pledged to Ukraine President Volodomyr Zelenskiy on Monday that the United States will provide Ukraine with advanced air systems after a devastating missile barrage from Russia. Biden spoke by phone with Zelenskiy to give assurances about continued U.S. support and to condemn the "senseless attacks" from Russia that hit civilian targets. "President Biden pledged to continue providing Ukraine with the support needed to defend itself, including advanced air defense systems," a White House statement on the phone call said. Biden also told Zelenskiy the United States and its allies and partners would continue imposing costs on Russia, "holding Russia accountable for its war crimes and atrocities, and providing Ukraine with security, economic, and humanitarian assistance," the White House said. The United States has provided more than $16.8 billion worth of U.S. security assistance since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 and imposed a wide-ranging array of economic sanctions on Moscow over its actions in Ukraine.

WASHINGTON, Oct 6 (Reuters) - A production cut by the OPEC+ oil cartel is reigniting U.S. voters' No. The move late in the campaign season unsettled a growing consensus that Biden's Democrats could stem their losses in the U.S. House of Representatives -- though they are still expected to lose their narrow majority. Republicans have hammered Democrats all year over inflation, which has reached four-decade highs as gasoline prices surged with Russia's March invasion of Ukraine. Moscow is also a member of OPEC+ and played a role in the cartel's decision this week to cut output. Forecasters do not expect gasoline prices to surge back to summertime highs.

☆ Return of pet projects in U.S. Congress crowds out funding for others
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Andy Sullivan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

A view shows the city of Glen Ullin, U.S., in this undated photo. Sept 29 (Reuters) - Glen Ullin, North Dakota, was first in line for money to replace its leaky water pipes before Washington cut funding by one-third this spring. The reason: Congress is yet again diverting money to pet projects known as "earmarks. That wasn't an option in North Dakota, whose congressional delegation did not submit any earmark requests this year or last. Glen Ullin probably won't qualify for infrastructure dollars because those are distributed using different criteria, officials say.

☆ The long, winding road to Volkswagen's Porsche IPO
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

October - Porsche SE says it holds stock and options that give it control of 74% of Volkswagen's votes and announces plans for a "domination" agreement. 2012July - Volkswagen agrees to buy the remaining 50.1% stake in Porsche AG from Porsche SE for about 4.5 billion euros. Porsche AG, the carmaker, is now fully owned by Volkswagen AG, while Porsche SE, which is controlled by the Porsche and Piech families, is Volkswagen's largest shareholder and holds a majority of voting rights. 2022February - Volkswagen and Porsche SE say they are examining a possible initial public offering of Porsche AG, under a proposed structure that would give Porsche SE a blocking minority in the eponymous carmaker. On Sept. 29, shares in Porsche AG start trading on the Frankfurt stock exchange at 84 euros apiece, above the issue price of 82.5 euros.

☆ '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.

☆ Iran president says Amini's death is 'tragic incident', but 'chaos' unacceptable
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Parisa Hafezi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Amini's death two weeks ago has sparked anti-government protests across Iran, with protesters often calling for the end of the Islamic clerical establishment's more than four decades in power. "We all are saddened by this tragic incident ... (However)Chaos is unacceptable," Raisi said in an interview with state TV, while protests continued around the country. Raisi, who had ordered an investigation into Amini's death, said "forensics will present report on her death in the coming days". Raisi backed Iran's security forces, saying "they sacrifice their lives to secure the country". Iran has blamed Kurdish dissidents for the unrest as well as what it called "thugs" linked to "foreign enemies."

☆ Slovak parliament approves NATO membership for Finland, Sweden
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Sept 27 (Reuters) - Slovakia's parliament on Tuesday ratified the entry of Finland and Sweden to NATO, becoming one of the last countries to back the military alliance's expansion. Finland and Sweden sought to join NATO this year in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In the 150-seat parliament, 126 lawmakers supported Finland's entry, and 124 voted in favor of Sweden's membership bid. Hungary's parliament has the motion on Finland and Sweden's NATO membership on its agenda, but no date is set as lawmakers return after a summer recess. Russia, which calls its actions in Ukraine "a special military operation", sees the entry of Finland and Sweden as a destabilising move.

☆ Prosecutor leading probe into missing Mexican students resigns
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY, Sept 27 (Reuters) - The prosecutor leading the investigation into the abduction and suspected murder of 43 Mexican student teachers in 2014 has resigned over disagreements about the process, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Tuesday. Omar Gomez was appointed to the head the probe into the disappearances of the Ayotzinapa college student teachers in 2019 not long after Lopez Obrador came to power. "He's going to leave his post ... because he disagreed with the procedures that were followed," Lopez Obrador told a news conference following media reports about Gomez's departure. Officials say the students were then murdered, but very few of their remains have been conclusively identified. Earlier this week, Lopez Obrador - who has promised to clear up the case before leaving office in 2024 - confirmed that prosecutors had canceled 21 of the 83 arrest warrants recently issued against former public and military officials.

☆ U.S. state legislative races carry high stakes for abortion access
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Joseph Ax | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Both the Republican State Legislative Committee (RSLC) and the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee (DLCC), which support legislative candidates, reported a record pace of fundraising in the first half of the year. A Democratic-aligned group, the States Project, said it would spend a massive $60 million on state legislative races this cycle. Democratic candidates have sought to ensure voters understand the connection between legislative races and abortion access after decades of federal protection. The state Supreme Court this year ruled the state constitution does not protect abortion rights, reversing its own ruling from four years earlier after several new appointees joined the court. She reeled off a list of steps the Democratic majority has taken to expand abortion rights.

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