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[1/2] The U.S. Capitol is seen as Congress continues work on passing a $1.66 trillion government funding bill in Washington, U.S., December 21, 2022. REUTERS/Kevin LamarqueWASHINGTON, Dec 22 (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives on Friday will vote on a $1.66 trillion government funding bill that provides more money for Ukraine's defense, restricts the Chinese-owned TikTok app and reforms presidential election certification, a top Democrat said. 2 House Democrat Steny Hoyer said the lower chamber would not take up the legislation until Friday morning as it performed some final legislative actions to pass it. "As soon as we get the document ... we will proceed as quickly as possible," he said on the House floor. House Republicans wanted to delay negotiations on the full-year legislation until early next year, after they take the majority.

Pelé's loved ones rushed to his bedside in Brazil on Wednesday, as the cancer-stricken soccer icon's condition appeared to worsen. Kely Nascimento, one of his daughters, said Pelé will stay in the hospital during Christmas with his family. Pelé is the sport's most famous player, having led Brazil to World Cup titles in 1958, 1962 and 1970. France fell in penalties to Argentina in the World Cup final Sunday in Qatar as Les Bleus fell just short of winning back-to-back titles, a feat not accomplished since Pelé's 1962 side. Pelé scored 77 goals for his national team, a high career mark that was recently tied by Neymar at this recently concluded World Cup.

Congress, currently controlled by Biden's Democrats, is expected to approve $44.9 billion more this week in a bill funding the federal government. Zelenskiy stressed as he began his speech that he was addressing both Democrats and Republicans. "No more blank checks to Ukraine," Republican Representative Andy Biggs wrote on Twitter hours before Zelenskiy's visit to Washington. Biggs, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, has emerged as the main challenger to House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy in the House speakership election, slated for Jan. 3. Gaetz said nothing had changed his opposition to Ukraine aid and, when asked if there was anything compelling in the speech, said, "I loved the fashion choices."

☆ Brazil’s Incoming President Lula da Silva Wins Approval to Spend Big
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Samantha Pearson | Luciana Magalhaes | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Brazil’s President-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has vowed to boost spending on social welfare spending when he takes office in the new year. SÃO PAULO—Brazil’s Congress suspended the government’s spending cap to allow incoming President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to raise expenditures on social welfare and public works, prompting concerns in financial markets about the fiscal health and long-term growth of Latin America’s biggest economy. The constitutional amendment, backed by 65% of members of Congress in a final vote Wednesday, allows Mr. da Silva, who takes office on Jan. 1, to spend an extra $28 billion in 2023 outside of the country’s spending cap, sidestepping a fiscal anchor designed to keep free-spending governments in check.

☆ A judge ordered an airline to pay for therapy for a plus-size passenger who was stopped from taking her economy seat, reports say
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Qatar Airways was ordered to pay nearly $3,700 to cover psychotherapy fees for a passenger. Plus-size model Juliana Nehme said she was blocked from flying because she was too big for economy. A Qatar spokesperson told Insider at the time that Nehme had been "extremely rude and aggressive." A court in Sao Paolo, Brazil has now ordered the airline to pay for psychotherapy for Nehme following the incident, Mail Online reported. Qatar Airways did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider.

☆ Brazil's incoming finance chief Haddad names ministry officials
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SAO PAULO, Dec 22 (Reuters) - Brazil's incoming Finance Minister Fernando Haddad on Thursday announced a fresh batch of officials to lead the economic team of President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's government. In a press conference, Haddad said Rogerio Ceron, his finance secretary when he himself served as Sao Paulo's mayor, would lead Brazil's Treasury. Ceron recently headed Sao Paulo Parcerias, a city government-linked agency involved in projects related to concessions, privatization and public-private partnerships. Haddad also confirmed Marcos Barbosa Pinto as the finance ministry's new secretary for economic reforms, Guilherme Mello as economic policy secretariat, and Robinson Barreirinhas as secretary of the federal revenue service. Haddad said the "quartet" he presented on Thursday would boost the finance ministry's efficiency and find solutions to the country's problems.

WASHINGTON, Dec 22 (Reuters) - A pair of bills granting the U.S. Justice Department additional tools to go after Russian oligarchs and alleged war criminals appeared poised to become law, after a last-minute push by a bipartisan group of lawmakers this week. One bill, which broadens the Justice Department's jurisdiction to prosecute war crimes, passed in the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday after winning Senate approval on Wednesday. Known as the Justice for Victims of War Crimes Act, the bill allows the Justice Department to bring war crimes charges against people in the United States, regardless of where the alleged crime occurred. Current statute only allows for prosecution when an alleged war crime occurs in the United States or when the victim or offender is a U.S. national. Another bill, which will allow the Justice Department to transfer oligarchs' forfeited assets in some situations to Ukraine, passed in the Senate as an amendment to Congress' annual funding bill.

[1/2] The U.S. Capitol is seen as Congress continues work on passing a $1.66 trillion government funding bill in Washington, U.S., December 21, 2022. REUTERS/Kevin LamarqueWASHINGTON, Dec 22 (Reuters) - A $1.66 trillion U.S. government spending bill, delayed by weeks of policy disagreements over immigration and overall levels of funding, was inching toward passage in the Senate on Thursday following a deal on amendments that would be allowed. "The omnibus contains nothing to secure the border, and in fact contains language undermining border security," Lee wrote on Twitter, referring to the spending bill. "Without an up-or-down vote on Title 42, every Senate Republican should oppose." House Republicans wanted to delay negotiations on the full-year vote until early next year, after they take the majority.

☆ Brazil's Lula announces new set of cabinet members with VP as minister
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

SAO PAULO, Dec 22 (Reuters) - Brazilian President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday announced a new set of future cabinet members ahead of his Jan. 1 inauguration, including Vice President-elect Geraldo Alckmin as minister of development, industry and trade. Lula also said economist Esther Dweck would lead the newly created Management Ministry, while business-friendly congressman Alexandre Padilha was appointed institutional affairs minister. Reporting by Gabriel AraujoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The Senate voted 70-25 to proceed to debate of the bill, with some Republican senators hoping to offer amendments. A handful of conservative Senate Republicans on Tuesday said they objected to the bill, but would not try to stop its passage. Top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell said most of his caucus supports it: "We're moving toward completing the business for the year. And I think in a highly productive way from the point of view of the vast majority of Senate Republicans." Among the most significant add-ons to the spending bill is the bipartisan Electoral Count Act, which overhauls and clarifies Congress' certification process for presidential elections.

For startup founders and venture capitalists, the office holiday party is a December tradition. For many venture capitalists and the startup founders they invest in, December is synonymous with two things: end-of-year paperwork and office holiday parties. But this year, holiday parties in startup-land look a little different. "Align those goals with your holiday party, and you can do something powerful and cost-effective," she said. "You should maybe cut some travel, maybe you don't have a big holiday party, but that's all drop in the bucket compared to head count," he said.

"No more blank checks to Ukraine," Republican Representative Andy Biggs wrote on Twitter hours before Zelenskiy's visit to Washington. Biggs, a member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, has emerged as the main challenger to House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy in the House speakership election, slated for Jan. 3. Many House Republicans insist that they do support Ukraine. "I hope all House Republicans will attend the Zelenskiy address this evening. And when they do, they should listen to President Zelenskiy describe the horror his people have endured at the hands of (Russian President) Vladimir Putin," Schumer said.

WASHINGTON, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Conservative Republicans in the U.S. Senate on Tuesday expressed outrage at a $1.66 trillion government funding bill, but signaled that they did not intend to significantly delay the measure, which could lead to a weekend partial government shutdown. Fellow Republican Senator Mike Braun said the group will intensify its budget reform efforts next year, when Republicans take control of the House of Representatives. Top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell said most of his caucus supports it: "We're moving toward completing the business for the year. And I think in a highly productive way from the point of view of the vast majority of Senate Republicans." Among the most significant add-ons to the spending bill is the bipartisan Electoral Count Act, which overhauls and clarifies Congress' certification process for presidential elections.

WASHINGTON, Dec 20 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate planned to take its first vote on a $1.66 trillion government funding bill on Tuesday, as lawmakers scrambled to pass the measure and avert a possible partial government shutdown beginning on Saturday. The total funding proposed by the sweeping bill, is up from the approximately $1.5 trillion the previous year. It also includes funding to prepare for and respond to potential nuclear and radiological incidents in Ukraine. On the non-defense side of the ledger, the bill's negotiators have set funding at $800 billion, a $68 billion increase over the previous year. This was the second year in a row Congress included funding for hundreds of largely unrelated projects requested by individual lawmakers.

WASHINGTON, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Congress were moving forward with a $1.66 trillion government funding bill, scrambling to pass a measure, which includes record military spending, before temporary funding runs out on Friday. The total funding proposed by the sweeping bill, released early on Tuesday, is up from the approximately $1.5 trillion the previous year. This money would be on top of the record $858 billion in military spending for the year, which is up from last year's $740 billion and also exceeds Biden's request. On the non-defense side of the ledger, the bill's negotiators have set funding at $800 billion, a $68 billion increase over the previous year. This was the second year in a row Congress included funding for hundreds of largely unrelated projects requested by individual lawmakers.

WASHINGTON, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Democrats and Republicans in the U.S. Congress were moving forward with a $1.66 trillion government funding bill, scrambling to pass the measure, which includes record military spending, before temporary funding runs out at the end of the week. The total funding proposed by the bill is up from the approximately $1.5 trillion appropriated the previous year. Democrats and Republicans alike had aimed to tuck as many legislative wish-list items as possible into the "omnibus" bill funding the government through the end of this fiscal year on Sept. 30, 2023, without derailing the whole package. Negotiators worked through the weekend to put the finishing touches on the bill, which still could be amended by the full House or Senate. Among the most significant add-ons is the bipartisan Electoral Count Act, which overhauls and clarifies Congress' certification process for presidential elections.

☆ Lula, Putin talk on 'strategic' Brazil-Russia relations
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

SAO PAULO, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Brazilian President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Tuesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had congratulated him on his recent election win and talked of stronger relations between the two countries. Putin said earlier this year he had "good relations" with both Lula and far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro, who made an official trip to Moscow in February, just days before the start of the war in Ukraine. "Putin congratulated me on my election victory and wished me a good administration and the strengthening of relations between our countries," the leftist leader tweeted. "Brazil is back, seeking dialogue with everyone and committed to the search for a world without hunger and with peace," Lula added. In a separate statement, the Kremlin said both men had expressed confidence that the countries' "strategic partnership...will develop successfully, including within the BRICS framework".

☆ A top McDonald's security exec said the CEO repeatedly undermined him — and even barred him from riding with him on the corporate jet — in a new racial-discrimination lawsuit
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( Nancy Luna | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Michael Peaster, a Black McDonald's security executive, is suing the chain and its CEO. Yet according to a racial-discrimination lawsuit that Peaster filed this month, the CEO ignored the 35-year McDonald's veteran for the better part of a year. "It was retaliatory against Michael Peaster based on his respectful but legitimate contradiction of Kempczinski on the subject of race." A representative for Peaster told Insider via email: "Michael Peaster had the same job since 2010. In January 2020, two Black McDonald's executives, Vicki Guster-Hines and Domineca Neal, filed a discrimination lawsuit against McDonald's.

☆ Brazil's Lula talks to Putin, says he seeks 'dialogue with everyone'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

SAO PAULO, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Brazilian President-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Tuesday he has spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin, noting that Putin wished him a good administration and said he hoped that relations between the two countries would be strengthened. "Brazil is back, seeking dialogue with everyone and committed to the search for a world without hunger and with peace," Lula, who will take office from incumbent Jair Bolsonaro on Jan. 1, said in a Twitter post. Reporting by Gabriel Araujo; Editing by Steven GrattanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

REUTERS/Jesus HernandezEL TOCUYO, Venezuela, Dec 20 (Reuters) - Julio Perez, a 38-year-old auto mechanic, sold his car and tools to make the dangerous journey from Venezuela to the United States. But like many migrants in the two months since the United States changed its immigration policy, he opted to board a plane back to Venezuela. Sandoval trekked through muddy pathways and waste-high rivers, only to find out the news of the Title 42 policy after emerging. "To be told this news was really, really awful after everything I experienced there in the jungle," Sandoval said. Like Sandoval, Perez - who says he would never attempt to cross the Darien again - is still haunted by his journey of broken dreams.

Dec 19 (Reuters) - U.S.-based manufacturer Honeywell International Inc (HON.O) on Monday said it has agreed to pay about $200 million to settle criminal and civil corruption investigations in the United States and Brazil. Those bribes involved Monaco-based oil consultancy Unaoil, which has previously been charged by global authorities over a 17-year scheme to pay bribes to officials in nine countries. About $160 million of the total amount Honeywell said it will pay will go to pay U.S. civil and criminal penalties. Later on Monday, Brazil's government confirmed Honeywell's statement by saying the company would pay about 638 million reais ($120 million) to settle the case, with around 70% destined for Petrobras. Honeywell agreed to pay another $81 million civil penalty to resolve the SEC's charges, though almost half is expected to be offset by payments made to Brazilian authorities, the SEC said.

WASHINGTON, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Negotiations in the U.S. Senate to narrow sentencing disparities between crack and powder cocaine have stalled, two sources said on Monday, in what could prove a blow for criminal justice reform advocates. Earlier in December, Reuters reported Senate negotiators reached a tentative deal to narrow the sentencing disparity between the two substances and planned to tuck the measure into a year-end bill funding the government. Separately, bipartisan negotiators have encountered unexpected opposition from top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell, one of the people said. In 1986, Congress passed a law to establish mandatory minimum sentences for drug trafficking offenses, which treated crack and powder cocaine offenses using a 100-to-1 ratio. Under that formula, a person convicted for selling 5 grams of crack cocaine was treated the same as someone who sold 500 grams of powder cocaine.

WASHINGTON, Dec 16 (Reuters) - The Democratic Party's three top campaign groups are preparing to return over $1.1 million they have received from imprisoned cryptocurrency tycoon Sam Bankman-Fried, they said on Friday. In a statement, the Democratic National Committee said it was setting aside $815,000 in funds received from Bankman-Fried in light of "potential campaign finance violations" made by the billionaire. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee said it was setting aside $103,000, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which oversees the party's campaign arm for the House of Representatives, said it would set aside $250,000. Bankman-Fried said his pro-Republican outlays have not been disclosed to the public, an area of campaign finance known as "dark money." The Washington Post first reported on the campaign groups' decision to set aside the funds.

MONTREAL/BOGOTA Dec 16 (Reuters) - Latin America is drawing early investment for jet fuel produced from materials like forest residues and palm oil as emission-conscious airlines scour emerging markets for less-polluting fuel to power flights, industry executives say. While most sustainable aviation fuel, or SAF, is produced in the United States, Europe, and Singapore, Latin America is emerging as a budding market. "Latin America right now is really a hot spot for Honeywell." Producing and distributing SAF in regions with faster-growing traffic like Latin America is key to meeting industry targets, said Landon Loomis, Latin America president for U.S. planemaker Boeing (BA.N). And Vibra Energia (VBBR3.SA) is working with Brasil BioFuels (BBF) to produce palm oil-based jet fuel in 2025.

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