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The poll found that 76% of Americans said the two sides must reach a deal because a default would put added financial stress on families like theirs. That included 84% of self-described Democrats and 77% of self-described Republicans. Some 49% said Congress needs to quickly raise the debt ceiling without conditions to avert default, echoing Biden's position. But 51% of Americans said the debt ceiling should not be raised without substantial spending cuts - the position held by Republicans who hold a majority in the House of Representatives. That view was held by 69% of Republicans and 42% of Democrats, the poll found.

Indeed a third U.S. central banker speaking early in the day, Governor Michelle Bowman, signaled she feels further policy tightening may yet be appropriate, unless inflation drops more convincingly. The Fed has raised its benchmark interest rate five full percentage points over the past 14 months - the fastest pace of tightening in 40 years. Yes," Fed Governor Philip Jefferson said at a monetary policy conference at the Hoover Institution. That's notable from a policymaker who was among the first and most vocal to push for sharp rate hikes to fight inflation, back in mid-2021. But since then, he said, the Fed's rate hikes have helped bring down what had been a worrying rise in inflation expectations that, if left unchecked, could have sent actual inflation spiraling out of control.

The U.S. Department of Transportation did not specify how much cash it aims to require airlines to pay passengers for significant delays. But it asked carriers last year whether they would agree to pay at least $100 for delays of at least three hours caused by airlines. A July 2021 proposal to require airlines to refund consumers fees for baggage that is delayed, or onboard service like Wi-Fi that do not work, are still not finalized. The Transportation Department said it plans to write regulations that will require airlines to cover expenses such as meals and hotels if carriers are responsible for stranding passengers. In October, Reuters first reported major U.S. airlines opposed Transportation Department plans to update its dashboard to show whether carriers would voluntarily compensate passengers for lengthy delays within airlines' control.

☆ As earnings season winds down, investors turn to Tuesday's debt ceiling meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-06 | by ( Zev Fima | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +12 min

With only a small fraction of the S & P 500 left to report quarterly earnings, investors are now turning their focus to another major hurdle for the markets and economy: the debt ceiling crisis. Earlier this week, we looked back to debt limit crisis of 2011 for potential lessons. The protracted fight ultimately ended in an agreement in early August of that year, but it was a choppy summertime ride for investors. Within the portfolio, Wynn Resorts will report Tuesday, after the closing bell, and Disney will report on Wednesday, after the closing bell. Estee Lauder (EL) and Emerson Electric (EMR) reported earnings before the opening bell.

☆ Australia PM says 'frustrated' over continued detention of Julian Assange
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Leah MillisSYDNEY, May 5 (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Friday he was frustrated for not yet finding a diplomatic fix over the continued detention of Julian Assange and that he remained concerned about the mental health of the WikiLeaks' founder. "I know it's frustrating, I share the frustration," Albanese told ABC television from London where Assange is being held pending a U.S. extradition case. Assange spent seven years holed up in Ecuador's embassy in London after being offered refuge but was dragged out by British police in 2019. He has been staying in a prison in London while his extradition case was decided. Albanese has been advocating for the release of Assange, who faces a sentence of up to 175 years in a maximum security prison if extradited to the United States.

Traders had been betting that process would be relatively quick, allowing the Fed to reverse course and start easing the policy rate, now in the 5.00%-5.25%, as early as September. Friday's Labor Department report showing employers added 253,000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate fell to 3.4% put those expectations in doubt. "The Fed still has some work to do and the job market’s hot," said Ameriprise FInancial's chief market strategist Anthony Saglimbene. But by far the bigger bet is for the Fed to stand pat next month, and overall traders left bets on a September start to rate cuts intact. By December the Fed will have dropped its benchmark rate to about 4.2%, interest-rate futures prices suggest.

☆ Jury convicts Proud Boys members of seditious conspiracy in US Capitol attack
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Sarah N. Lynch | Thomson Reuters | Sarah N. Lynch Is The Lead Reporter For Reuters Covering The U.S. Justice Department Out Of Washington | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

In addition to Tarrio, Proud Boys members Ethan Nordean, Joseph Biggs and Zachary Rehl were convicted of seditious conspiracy under a Civil War-era law - a charge that can carry up to 20 years in prison. The trial of the Proud Boys members was the longest of any of those arising from the Capitol attack, with the 12-member jury in federal court in Washington hearing about 50 days of testimony since January. To mobilize, according to prosecutors, Tarrio, Rehl, Nordean and Biggs created what they called the Ministry of Self Defense, comprising about 65 Proud Boys members who exchanged encrypted messages. Defense lawyers told the jury their clients had no plans to attack the Capitol and had traveled to Washington merely to protest. The defense also sought to blame Trump, saying he was the one who urged protesters to descend on the Capitol.

☆ After First Republic's rescue, economists predict further pain with a 'new era' of higher inflation
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Leah Millis | ReutersAfter the rescue of First Republic Bank by JPMorgan Chase over the weekend, leading economists predict a prolonged period of higher interest rates will expose further frailties in the banking sector, potentially compromising the capacity of central banks to rein in inflation. Almost 80% of chief economists surveyed said central banks face "a trade-off between managing inflation and maintaining financial sector stability," while a similar proportion expects central banks to struggle to reach their inflation targets. Yet several leading economists told a panel at the World Economic Forum Growth Summit in Geneva on Tuesday that higher inflation and greater financial instability are here to stay. That means inflation, the impulse of inflation will be higher." She added that it "defies logic" that as the industry tries to pivot rapidly to a higher interest rate environment, there won't be further casualties beyond SVB, Signature, Credit Suisse and First Republic.

☆ Biden nominates four more judges in D.C., Michigan, Pennsylvania, Connecticut
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] U.S. President Joe Biden hosts a reception to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, at the White House, in Washington, U.S., May 1, 2023. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File PhotoWASHINGTON, May 3 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden nominated another four federal judges on Wednesday, including two women of Asian descent who would be the first such U.S. judges on their court or in their state. The Senate, which Biden's fellow Democrats narrowly control, must approve the candidates, who were nominated to posts in Michigan, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Washington, D.C., according to a White House statement. Republicans had blocked Democrats' efforts to temporarily replace Feinstein on the committee, which approves federal judges before they go for a vote before the full Senate. So far, the Senate has confirmed 122 of Biden's nominees to lifetime posts on the federal courts, according to the White House.

[1/3] U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks during an event marking National Small Business Week, in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, U.S., May 1, 2023. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File PhotoWASHINGTON, May 2 (Reuters) - The chief executives of Alphabet Inc's Google (GOOGL.O), Microsoft (MSFT.O), OpenAI and Anthropic will meet with Vice President Kamala Harris and top White House officials to discuss key artificial intelligence (AI) issues on Thursday, said a White House official on Tuesday. Concerns about fast-growing AI technology include privacy violations, bias and worries it could proliferate scams and misinformation. In April, the Biden administration said it was seeking public comments on proposed accountability measures for AI systems, as concerns grow about its impact on national security and education. The meeting will emphasize the importance of driving innovation "with safeguards that mitigate risks and potential harms," the official said.

☆ Factbox: U.S. debt ceiling standoff: Platinum coins, the 14th Amendment could be paths out
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

14TH AMENDMENTSection Four of 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, adopted after the 1861-1865 Civil War, states that the "validity of the public debt of the United States ... shall not be questioned." Some experts have suggested that Biden could invoke this amendment to raise the debt ceiling on his own if Congress does not act. BYPASS REPUBLICAN LEADERSHIPDemocrats and rank-and-file Republican allies in the House could bypass McCarthy and force a vote on a "clean" debt ceiling increase, free of spending cuts or other conditions. GET RID OF ITCongress could vote to abolish the debt ceiling entirely, which would eliminate the need to vote on the issue periodically but also erode Congress's authority on fiscal matters. Attempts to abolish the debt ceiling have gotten no traction in Congress in recent years.

Charles’ coronation is expected to be shorter than his mother’s seven decades ago. The spot where King Charles will be crowned inside Westminster Abbey Dan Kitwood/Getty ImagesWhat happens during the coronation service? Which crown will King Charles use? How is King Charles making the ceremony more inclusive? Don’t missThe coronation of King Charles III brings pageantry, revelry, and new questions – is the monarchy relevant in the modern world?

☆ Take Five: Rate hike vs bank stress
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The Fed is expected to deliver another 25-basis point interest rate increase on Wednesday and signal a pause in its most aggressive rate-hiking cycle since the 1980s. Futures markets show investors pricing an nearly 90% chance of a rate increase. But confidence in a 25 bps rate hike has wavered in recent days after problems at lender First Republic reignited concerns over the U.S. banking sector. Yet, key inflation and bank lending data releases in the days ahead could sway that outcome. Tuesday's flash April inflation data is likely to confirm underlying price pressures - running above 5% - remains uncomfortably high.

REUTERS/Leah MillisWASHINGTON, April 27 (Reuters) - As Iran's oil exports rise despite U.S. sanctions over its nuclear program, senators from both parties urged President Joe Biden to enable a federal government agency to seize Iranian oil and gas shipments. Senators Joni Ernst, a Republican, and Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, said in a letter to Biden that the Department of Homeland Security's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) office has not been able to seize an Iranian oil shipment for more than a year. Iran says its nuclear program is for civilian purposes while the United States suspects Tehran wants to develop a nuclear bomb by enriching uranium. Iran's oil exports have reached their highest level since the reimposition of U.S. sanctions in 2018, Iranian oil minister Javad Owji said last month. Last year the U.S. tried to confiscate a cargo of Iranian oil around Greece, which prompted Tehran to seize two Greek tankers in the Gulf.

REUTERS/Leah MillisWASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) - Incumbent President Joe Biden entered the 2024 election race on Tuesday with something he didn't have two-and-a-half years ago: a record in the White House. Critics also say that increased federal spending under Biden, including $750 million on climate change and tax breaks, also drove inflation higher. Biden may have worse cards in 2024, with unemployment likely to rise as growth slows, interest rates remaining high and inflation holding above pre-pandemic levels. Biden also dismissed the sentences of thousands of people with federal offenses for simple marijuana possession, a disproportionately non-white group. The Biden administration also has faced scrutiny over its handling of record numbers of unaccompanied children crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally.

☆ President Biden Announces 2024 Re-Election Bid, Setting Up Potential Trump Rematch
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Catherine Lucey | Ken Thomas | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Photo: Leah Millis/ReutersWASHINGTON—President Biden opened his 2024 re-election campaign by casting Republicans as a danger to democracy and abortion rights, while the GOP countered that the presidential contest would pivot on the faltering economy and Mr. Biden’s age. Mr. Biden formally launched his bid for a second term Tuesday with a video announcement, a declaration that puts him on the path to a potential rematch with the man he beat in 2020—former President Donald Trump. The 2024 campaign will play out in an era of political polarization, with both parties fighting over a small number of battleground states and the narrow slice of the electorate that isn’t firmly in one camp or the other.

☆ Voters say neither Biden nor Trump should run in 2024 - Reuters/Ipsos
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Jason Lange | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Just 41% of poll respondents - including 74% of Democrats and 10% of Republicans - approved of his performance as president. Sixty-one percent of registered Democrats in the poll said he was too old to work in government. By comparison, only 35% of registered Republicans said Trump, 76, was too old. In a hypothetical one-on-one contest, Biden led Trump 43% to 38% among registered voters, a lead for the Democrat that was just outside the poll's 4 percentage point credibility interval for registered voters. The Reuters/Ipsos poll gathered responses from 1,005 adults across the United States, including 445 self-described Democrats and 361 Republicans.

☆ 'L Word' TV show cast visit White House to mark Lesbian Visibility Week
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre hugs co-creator of the Showtime's TV show The L Word Ilene Chaiken as cast member Leisha Hailey speaks about LGBTQIA rights to draw attention to Lesbian Visibility Week during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 25, 2023. REUTERS/Leah MillisWASHINGTON, April 25 (Reuters) - The cast of American TV show "The L Word: Generation Q" visited the White House Tuesday to mark Lesbian Visibility Week, touting the role the long-running show has played for gay women and girls across the country. Shows like "The L Word" that tell LGBTQ stories help "save precious lives," she said, adding the show made her feel less alone as she grew up. Ilene Chaiken, who created "The L Word" in 2004, said she was delighted the show had lived on and was now speaking to a new generation. We're here today at the White House, and we won't be erased," she said.

If he wins, he will face off against Biden again in the November 2024 election. The poll showed that a majority of registered voters don't want either Biden or Trump to run again. U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks at North America's Building Trades Unions Legislative Conference at the Washington Hilton, in Washington, April 25, 2023. Biden ran a mostly virtual campaign to defeat Trump in the 2020 election as COVID raged. After losing to Biden in 2020, Trump refused to concede defeat, falsely claiming that there had been widespread electoral fraud.

☆ Crab cakes, beef and banana splits: Biden's South Korea state dinner menu unveiled
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Jeff Mason | Thomson Reuters | Jeff Mason Is A White House Correspondent For Reuters. He Has Covered The Presidencies Of Barack Obama | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, April 24 (Reuters) - Guests at President Joe Biden's and first lady Jill Biden's state dinner with their South Korean counterparts will feast on Maryland crab cakes and braised beef short ribs followed by banana splits for dessert, the White House said on Monday. The meal itself will kick off with crab cakes along with cabbage, kohlrabi, fennel and cucumber slaw. "We hope to showcase the harmony of our cultures and our people intertwined," at the dinner, she said. The first lady worked with Chef Edward Lee, author of "Smoke & Pickles" and "Buttermilk Graffiti," along with the White House chefs to design the menu. "The first person I called was my mother," Lee said, noting she had immigrated to the United States from Korea.

[1/2] U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Gary Gensler testifies before a House Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee hearing on President Biden's budget request for the Securities and Exchange Commission, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., March 29, 2023. Many in the industry have said existing securities regulations are inappropriate and the sector needs fresh rules. Some DeFi platforms may fall under the proposed definition, but others may already be considered exchanges by the existing one, SEC officials said this week. "Make no mistake: many crypto trading platforms already come under the current definition of an exchange," SEC Chair Gary Gensler said in prepared remarks published on Friday. Most crypto trading platforms meet that definition, regardless of whether they call themselves decentralized, Gensler said.

☆ US SEC sees DeFi platforms as exchanges, seeks more public feedback
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Chris Prentice | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Gary Gensler testifies before a House Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee hearing on President Biden's budget request for the Securities and Exchange Commission, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., March 29, 2023. The SEC voted 3-2 to take additional comments from the public after crypto firms criticized the plan as vague and aimed at roping in decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms. Some DeFi platforms may fall under the proposed definition, but others may already be considered exchanges by the existing one, SEC officials said this week. "Make no mistake: many crypto trading platforms already come under the current definition of an exchange," SEC Chair Gary Gensler said in prepared remarks published on Friday. Most crypto trading platforms meet that definition, regardless of whether they call themselves decentralized, Gensler said.

[1/2] The sun sets on the U.S. Supreme Court building after a stormy day in Washington, U.S., November 11, 2022. REUTERS/Leah MillisApril 14 (Reuters) - New court-imposed restrictions on the abortion pill mifepristone could cut off access to the drug entirely for months, the Biden administration and the drug's distributor, Danco Laboratories, said in petitions asking the U.S. Supreme Court to lift the curbs. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday will require a new approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and new labeling, they said. Danco, whose sole product is the abortion pill, said that if the Supreme Court does not act, it may have to halt its operations. Some Democratic-led states have said that they have taken steps to stockpile mifepristone in case it becomes unavailable.

☆ Biden seeks expanded health insurance access for DACA participants
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Leah MillisWASHINGTON, April 13 (Reuters) - The Biden administration is seeking to allow immigrants illegally brought to the United States as children greater access to health insurance through federal programs, the White House said on Thursday. The proposal would allow participants in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, to access to health insurance under Medicaid and Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchanges, it said. I've worked hard to get more Americans health insurance than ever before," President Joe Biden said on Twitter, adding the move would give "Dreamers the same opportunities." About 580,000 people were enrolled as of last year in the Obama-era 2012 DACA program, which grants protection from deportation and work permits. Eight U.S. states have already expanded state insurance access to health coverage regardless of immigration status, according to data from the healthcare policy organization Kaiser Family Foundation.

[1/2] U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) is asked questions by a journalist as he walks to the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, U.S., January 25, 2023. REUTERS/Leah MillisNEW YORK, April 11 (Reuters) - Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg on Tuesday sued Republican U.S. Representative Jim Jordan to stop what Bragg called an "unconstitutional attack" on the ongoing criminal prosecution of former President Donald Trump in New York. The lawsuit aims to block a subpoena of Mark Pomerantz, a former prosecutor who had led the Manhattan district attorney's investigation of Trump. The subpoena, issued last week by the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee, which Jordan chairs, seeks Pomerantz's appearance before the committee for a deposition. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York and Kanishka Singh in Washington; editing by Doina Chiacu and Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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