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☆ U.S. announces additional $1.85 billion military aid for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Kanishka Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Dec 21 (Reuters) - The United States will provide $1.85 billion in additional military assistance for Ukraine, including a transfer of the Patriot Air Defense System, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday. The assistance includes a $1 billion drawdown to provide Ukraine with "expanded air defense and precision-strike capabilities" and $850 million in security assistance, Blinken said in a statement. Russia said last week that U.S. plans to supply Patriot missile defense systems to Ukraine were a "provocation" and a further expansion of U.S. military involvement in the Ukraine conflict. The Kremlin had said that if delivered, U.S. Patriot missile defense systems would be a legitimate target for Russian strikes against Ukraine. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, the United States has committed about $21.2 billion in military assistance to Kyiv.

☆ U.S. Supreme Court's Roberts temporarily blocks end to pandemic-era border restrictions
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Dec 19 (Reuters) - Chief U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Roberts on Monday at the request of Republican officials in 19 states temporarily blocked the Biden administration from later this week ending a pandemic-era policy of rapidly expelling migrants caught at the U.S.-Mexico border. The Republican officials led by the attorneys general in Arizona and Louisiana on Monday asked the Supreme Court to act after a federal appeals court on Friday declined to put on hold a judge's ruling last month that invalidated an emergency order known as Title 42. The policy is set to expire Wednesday. Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; Writing by Eric Beech; Editing by Caitlin WebberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Trump began his 2024 bid for the White House on Nov. 15, and is Republican voters' top choice, according to opinion polls. McCarthy was pressed for his thoughts on the Trump dinner by reporters at the White House, after talks with President Joe Biden. "I don't think anybody should be spending any time with Nick Fuentes," said McCarthy, currently the House minority leader. "His views are nowhere within the Republican Party or within this country itself." PENCE CALLS FOR APOLOGYTrump's former Vice President Mike Pence on Monday called for an apology from Trump for the meeting with Fuentes.

REUTERS/Aly Song/File PhotoNov 25 (Reuters) - The Biden administration has banned approvals of new telecommunications equipment from China's Huawei Technologies (HWT.UL) and ZTE (000063.SZ) because they pose "an unacceptable risk" to U.S. national security. "These new rules are an important part of our ongoing actions to protect the American people from national security threats involving telecommunications," FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement. ZTE, Dahua, Hytera and the Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The FCC said in June 2021 it was considering banning all equipment authorizations for all companies on the covered list. That came after a March 2021 designation of five Chinese companies on the so-called "covered list" as posing a threat to national security under a 2019 law aimed at protecting U.S. communications networks: Huawei, ZTE, Hytera Communications Corp Hikvision and Dahua.

☆ U.S. FCC bans equipment sales, imports from ZTE, Huawei over national security risk
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

[1/2] A person stands by a sign of Huawei during World Artificial Intelligence Conference, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Shanghai, China, September 1, 2022. REUTERS/Aly Song/File PhotoNov 25 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Communications Commission said on Friday it had adopted final rules banning the sale or importation of equipment deemed to pose a national security risk to the U.S. The action, as required under a 2021 law, would affect Huawei Technologies, ZTE Corp and Hytera Communications, among others, according to a statement from the FCC. Reporting by Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Editing by Caitlin WebberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Aldrich, 22, had been in a hospital from early Sunday morning until Tuesday, before being transferred to El Paso County Jail in Colorado Springs. [1/7] Anderson Lee Aldrich, 22, the suspect in the mass shooting that killed five people and wounded 17 at an LGBTQ nightclub appears showing facial injuries in police booking photographs released in Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S. November 23, 2022. Colorado Springs Police Department /Handout via REUTERS 1 2 3 4 5Defense lawyers declined to comment after the hearing. Police initially held Aldrich on arrest charges of five counts of first-degree murder and bias crimes stemming from the Saturday night killings. El Paso County District Attorney Michael Allen said after the hearing he expected to file formal criminal charges at the defendant's next court hearing, tentatively scheduled for Dec. 6.

☆ U.S. to extend student-loan payment pause during Supreme Court challenge
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Kanishka Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The Biden administration on Friday asked the Supreme Court to lift a lower court's order blocking his plan to cancel billions of dollars in student debt in a challenge brought by six Republican-led states. Biden said on Twitter the pause in student debt repayments would be extended while the case is pending, potentially until June 30. "I'm confident that our student debt relief plan is legal. The administration stopped taking applications for student debt relief after Pittman's decision. Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Caitlin Webber, Tim Ahmann and Cynthia OstermanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Twitter should convey how it is protecting Americans' online data: White House official
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 18 (Reuters) - A White House official said Friday that “this administration believes every company – including social media companies - should take all necessary steps to protect the safety of Americans’ online data." "Twitter should speak to how they are ensuring that happens," the official said. Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt in Washington, writing by Ismail Shakil; Editing by Caitlin WebberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/3] Taylor Swift poses on the red carpet for the 2022 MTV Europe Music Awards (EMAs) at the PSD Bank Dome in Duesseldorf, Germany, November 13, 2022. The company said it is working to shore up its technology "for the new bar that has been set by demand for the Taylor Swift's Eras Tour". Chaos around the Swift tour prompted calls for the U.S. government to break up the company. For those who did not get tickets to the Eras tour, Swift said her hope was to provide "more opportunities for us to all get together and sing these songs." She has promised hits from albums spanning her career on the Eras tour.

☆ U.S. Treasury's Yellen says crypto markets need better oversight
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 16 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Wednesday that crypto markets need more robust oversight, days after cryptocurrency exchange FTX collapsed. "The recent failure of a major cryptocurrency exchange and the unfortunate impact that has resulted for holders and investors of crypto assets demonstrate the need for more effective oversight of cryptocurrency markets," Yellen said in a statement, without directly naming FTX. Treasury and other regulators had identified risks in crypto markets over the past year including "comingling of customer assets, lack of transparency, and conflicts of interest," which were "at the center of the crypto market stresses observed over the past week," Yellen said. Consumer protections should be rigorously enforced in crypto markets and the federal government and Congress need to move quickly to fill any regulatory gaps, Yellen said. While the damage has mostly been contained within crypto markets, its links to the traditional financial system "could raise broader financial stability concerns," she said.

☆ U.S. Treasury's Yellen: more effective oversight needed for crypto markets
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, Nov 16 (Reuters) - The recent failure of a major cryptocurrency exchange and its impact on holders and investors of crypto assets demonstrate the need for more effective oversight of crypto markets, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Wednesday. Treasury and othe regulators identified risks in crypto markets over the past year and some of them were "at the center of the crypto market stresses observed over the past week," Yellen said in a statement, without directly naming collapsed crypto exchange FTX. "The federal government, including Congress, also needs to move quickly to fill the regulatory gaps the Biden administration has identified," Yellen added. Reporting by Katharine Jackson and Ismail Shakil; Editing by Caitlin WebberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

[1/3] U.S. Joint Chiefs Chair Army General Mark Milley speaks during a news briefing after participating a virtual Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, U.S., November 16, 2022. REUTERS/Tom BrennerWASHINGTON, Nov 16 (Reuters) - The top U.S. general on Wednesday said Ukraine's chances of any near-term, outright military victory were not high, cautioning that Russia still had significant combat power inside Ukraine despite suffering battlefield setbacks since its invasion in February. Ukraine has vowed to keep the pressure on Russian forces until it reclaims control of all occupied territory. "The probability of a Ukrainian military victory - defined as kicking the Russians out of all of Ukraine to include what they claim as Crimea - the probability of that happening anytime soon is not high, militarily," Milley told a news conference at the Pentagon. Ukraine is not going to back down," Milley said, adding that Ukraine was free, "and they want to remain free."

☆ Biden to suggest oil and gas companies pay U.S. windfall tax
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Oct 31 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday will call on oil and gas companies to use their record profits to lower costs for Americans and increase production, or pay a higher tax rate, as he battles high pump prices with elections coming in a week. A White House official said Biden will again call on oil and gas companies to "invest their record profits in lowering costs for American families and increasing production." "And if they don’t, he will call on Congress to consider requiring oil companies to pay tax penalties and face other restrictions," the official said. Whether Democrats or Republicans take control of Congress, passing a law taxing energy companies for excess profits would likely be difficult, energy experts believe. The White House for months has been considering congressional proposals that could tax oil and gas producers' profits as consumers struggling with higher energy prices.

☆ Biden, 'outraged' by oil company profits, to hit issue again in White House remarks
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Oct 31 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden, who has expressed outrage at oil companies making record profits while Americans pay high fuel prices, will make a statement on the issue at the White House on Monday, the White House said. Biden will speak at 4:30 p.m. (2030 GMT) in response "to reports over recent days of major oil companies making record-setting profits even as they refuse to help lower prices at the pump for the American people," the White House said in a statement. During a Democratic fundraiser in Philadelphia, he suggested additional actions were coming, but White House officials have declined to provide details. Biden said six of the largest oil companies made $70 billion in profit during the last quarter, with some doubling their earnings. The price of gasoline and overall high inflation are a political stumbling block for Democratic congressional candidates in the upcoming midterm elections.

☆ North Korea demands the U.S., South Korea halt joint military drills
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Oct 31 (Reuters) - North Korea on Monday demanded that the United States and South Korea stop large-scale military exercises, calling them a provocation that may draw "more powerful follow-up measures" from Pyongyang. The United States and South Korea began one of their largest combined military air drills on Monday, with hundreds of warplanes from both sides staging mock attacks 24 hours a day for the better part of a week. read moreThe foreign ministry statement said North Korea was "ready to take all necessary measures for defending its sovereignty, people's security and territorial integrity from outside military threats." North Korea condemns the joint drills as a rehearsal for invasion and proof of hostile policies by Washington and Seoul. read moreAsked if the United States would eventually recognize North Korea as such, Price replied: "That is not our policy.

☆ 'Complex threat environment' ahead of midterm elections, top cybersecurity official says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-30 | by ( Tyler Clifford | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Oct 30 (Reuters) - Election officials in the United States have been alerted to safe-proof their voting systems and be vigilant about political violence amid a "very complex threat environment," top U.S. cybersecurity official Jen Easterly said on Sunday in the wake of an attack on the husband of a leading Democratic lawmaker last week. The attack has ignited fears about political violence at a time when crime has become a leading issue this election season. Last week the NYPD called for "elevated vigilance" ahead of the midterm elections in an internal bulletin. The department warned that extremists could target political events and polling sites, putting poll workers and political candidates at risk. Reporting by Tyler Clifford; Additional reporting by Ted Hesson; Editing by Caitlin Webber and Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Biden says he doesn't think Putin will use a tactical nuclear weapon
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, Oct 11 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden told CNN during an interview broadcast on Tuesday that he did not think Russian President Vladimir Putin would use a tactical nuclear weapon in the war with Ukraine. Biden, asked by CNN anchor Jake Tapper how realistic he believed it would be for Putin to use a tactical nuclear weapon, responded: "Well, I don’t think he will." Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Caitlin WebberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ If there is a recession, it will be "very slight," Biden says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Oct 11 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden said in an interview released on Tuesday that he did not think there would be a recession, but that if it happened it would only be "very slight." "I don’t think there will be a recession," he told CNN. "If it is, it’ll be a very slight recession. That is, we’ll move down slightly." Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Costas Pitas in Los Angeles; Editing by Caitlin Webber in WashingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.S. fines 16 Wall Street firms $1.8 bln for talking deals, trades on personal apps
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( Michelle Price | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Sept 27 (Reuters) - U.S. regulators on Tuesday fined 16 financial firms, including Barclays (BARC.L), Bank of America , Citigroup , Credit Suisse (CSGN.S), Goldman Sachs , Morgan Stanley and UBS (UBSG.S), a combined $1.8 billion after staff discussed deals and trades on their personal devices and apps. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe institutions did not preserve the majority of those personal chats, violating federal rules which require broker-dealers and other financial institutions to preserve business communications. The failings occurred across all 16 firms and involved employees at multiple levels, including senior and junior investment bankers and traders, the SEC said. In one example cited by her office, Bank of America staff used WhatsApp, with one trader writing: "We use WhatsApp all the time but we delete convos regularly." The head of a trading desk routinely directed traders to delete messages on personal devices and to use Signal, including during the CFTC's probe.

☆ U.S. fines 16 Wall Street firms $1.1 billion over record-keeping failures
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Sept 27 (Reuters) - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Tuesday fined 16 financial firms, including Barclays (BARC.L), Bank of America , Citigroup , Credit Suisse (CSGN.S), Goldman Sachs , Morgan Stanley and UBS, a combined $1.1 billion over failing to maintain and preserve electronic communications. The sweeping industry probe, which was first reported by Reuters last year and had since been disclosed by multiple lenders, is a landmark case for the agency, regulatory experts said. "The firms admitted the facts...acknowledged that their conduct violated recordkeeping provisions of the federal securities laws... and have begun implementing improvements to their compliance policies and procedures to settle these matters," the SEC said. That likely impeded the SEC's ability to gather evidence in other, unrelated investigations, the agency said. The failings occurred across all 16 firms and involved employees at multiple levels of authority, including supervisors and senior executives, the SEC said.

REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Sept 26 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden's executive actions cancelling some student loan debt will cost about $400 billion, about a quarter of funds owed, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) said on Monday. As of June 30, 43 million borrowers held $1.6 trillion in federal student loans. The U.S. government in March 2020 temporarily suspended interest and payments on federal student loans at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The extension of that pause from September through Dec. 31 will increase outstanding student loan costs by a further $20 billion, CBO said. After accounting for those suspensions, CBO estimates that the cost of student loans will increase by about an additional $400 billion.

☆ Biden to make remarks Tuesday on election transparency bill
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. President Joe Biden exits the polling station after voting in the Delaware primary, in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S., September 13, 2022. REUTERS/Kevin LamarqueWASHINGTON, Sept 20 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden will deliver remarks on Tuesday about a bill that would require super PACs and certain other groups to disclose donors who contributed $10,000 or more during an election cycle. The bill is slated for a Senate vote this week, top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer said Monday, as Democrats seek to boost election transparency ahead of the November midterms after failing to pass more ambitious voting rights legislation earlier this year. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterThe measure, known as the DISCLOSE Act, was initially included in Democrats' voting rights bill that sought to counteract voting restrictions in Republican-led states. Proponents of the state measures said they were necessary to counter fraud, which Republican former President Donald Trump has falsely claimed led to his 2020 election defeat.

An American flag waves outside the U.S. Department of Justice Building in Washington, U.S., December 15, 2020. REUTERS/Al Drago/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Sept 19 (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department on Monday laid out the list of topics prosecutors hope to discuss at a Tuesday hearing in Brooklyn, New York, before Judge Raymond Dearie, who was appointed last week as special master to review all of the records the FBI seized from former President Donald Trump's Florida estate. The proposed agenda is mostly logistical in nature, including a recommendation to hire a third-party vendor to scan documents. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Sarah N. Lynch, Eric Beech; Editing by Caitlin WebberOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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