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☆ Explainer: Biden vs. Trump: What is the difference between the two classified records cases?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Sarah N. Lynch | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Neither Trump nor Biden should have had any classified material in their possession. It is unlawful to knowingly or willfully remove or retain classified material. Failure to properly store and secure classified material poses risks to national security if it should fall into the wrong hands. The matter was referred to the Justice Department, which issued a grand jury subpoena last May seeking the return of all classified records. It is a crime only if the retention and removal of classified records is intentional.

The former mayor, who has served as Trump's personal attorney, did not respond to requests by Reuters for comment. A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The source said the subpoena sought, among other things, copies of any retainer agreements between Trump and Giuliani, or the Trump campaign and Giuliani, and records of payments and who made those payments. In December, a District of Columbia attorney ethics committee said Giuliani violated at least one attorney ethics rule in his work on a failed lawsuit by Trump challenging the 2020 election results. Reporting by Karen Freifeld; Writing by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Ross Colvin and Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The Republican wave that wasn't could dim Trump's White House hopes
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( James Oliphant | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

House Republican leaders have already threatened the nightmare scenario of a debt default to extract deep spending cuts to Democratic priorities. With control of House oversight committees, Republicans could also launch probes of President Joe Biden's administration ahead of the 2024 presidential election that could weaken or embarrass Biden. But in 2022, people's votes were also influenced by their views on a former occupant of the White House - Donald Trump. Trump's misfortunes may benefit Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who romped to a re-election victory that cemented his status as a Republican rising star. Democrats in Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin all won governor's races, likely limiting the ability of Republicans in those states to interfere with the presidential election.

☆ Analysis: Argentina's Vaca Muerta shale boom is running out of road
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-27 | by ( Eliana Raszewski | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

[1/4] Workers stand next to a drilling rig in Vaca Muerta shale oil and gas drilling, in the Patagonian province of Neuquen, Argentina November 3, 2022. It holds the world's second-largest shale gas reserves and the fourth-largest shale oil deposits. Reuters Graphics'ABOUT TO COLLAPSE'On the ground in the key Vaca Muerta shale town of Anelo the signs of strain are clear. Local and regional demand is not enough," said Ricardo Markous, president of Tecpetrol, which operates the huge Fortin de Piedra field in Vaca Muerta. There are currently around eight active fracking crews in Vaca Muerta compared to nearly 280 in the United States, Rystad said.

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said the storm's confirmed death toll climbed to 13 on Sunday, up from three reported overnight in the Buffalo region. The latest victims included some found in cars and some in snow banks, Poloncarz said, adding that the death tally would likely rise further. New York Governor Kathy Hochul called it an "epic, once-in-a-lifetime" weather disaster that ranked as the fiercest winter storm to hit the greater Buffalo area since a crippling 1977 blizzard that killed nearly 30 people. RESCUING THE RESCUERSThe latest blizzard came nearly six weeks after a record-setting but shorter-lived lake-effect storm struck western New York. [1/9] A snow plow is left stranded on the road following a winter storm that hit the Buffalo region on Main St. in Amherst, New York, U.S., December 25, 2022.

☆ Deadly blizzard, deemed worst in 45 years, paralyzes greater Buffalo, N.Y.
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Gabriella Borter | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] Vehicles are left stranded on the road following a winter storm that hit the Buffalo region in Amherst, New York, U.S., December 25, 2022. The greater Buffalo region, lying at the edge of Lake Erie near the Canadian border was one of the hardest-hit places. The governor called it an "epic, once-in-a-lifetime" weather disaster that ranked as the fiercest winter storm to hit Buffalo, New York state's second-largest city, since a crippling 1977 blizzard that killed nearly 30 people. The latest blizzard, which initially overwhelmed emergency crews, came nearly six weeks after a record-setting but shorter-lived lake-effect storm struck western New York. He said one electrical substation knocked offline was sealed off by an 18-foot-tall mound of snow, and utility crews found the entire facility frozen inside.

[1/6] Hoak's restaurant is covered in ice from the spray of Lake Erie waves during a winter storm that hit the Buffalo region in Hamburg, New York, U.S. December 24, 2022. Twenty-eight people have died so far in weather-related incidents across the country, according to an NBC News tally. The Buffalo airport had recorded 43 inches (109 cm) of snow as of 7 a.m ET (1200 GMT) on Sunday, Otto said. "Another one to two feet in general before Monday morning in the Buffalo area is expected," Otto said. "I guess you can say in some ways, the worst of it is over but there's still some pretty significant snowfall that's ongoing around the Buffalo region today."

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."

☆ Exclusive: US says Russia's Wagner Group bought North Korean weapons for Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-22 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"We can confirm that North Korea has completed an initial arms delivery to Wagner, which paid for the equipment. Last month, North Korea delivered infantry rockets and missiles into Russia for use by Wagner," the official said, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity. The Biden administration on Wednesday unveiled new curbs on technology exports to the Wagner Group in a bid to further choke off supplies to the contractor. The Wagner Group, staffed by veterans of the Russian armed forces, has fought in Libya, Syria, the Central African Republic and Mali, among other countries. "It is apparent that Wagner is emerging as a rival power center to the Russian military and other Russian ministries," the official said.

The agency did not respond to requests for comment on its record monitoring animal research experiments nationally. The USDA inspector general has published at least three reports since 2014 critical of the agency’s lax oversight, though its criticism dates back to the 1990s. Neuralink says on its website that it champions animal welfare and tries to reduce animal testing where possible. Two academic studies conducted in 2009 and 2012 found that animal research committees approved between 98% and 99% of experiments proposed by researchers. Envigo was made to sign the consent decree giving up the beagles only after the USDA inspector general and the Justice Department investigated and found evidence of inhumane treatment.

☆ Warnock-Walker runoff in Georgia key to Democrats in U.S. Senate, 2024
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Nathan Layne | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/6] Local residents wait in line to cast their ballot during the runoff U.S. Senate election between Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock and his Republican challenger Herschel Walker in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S., December 6, 2022. On a wider scale, a Warnock victory could solidify Georgia as more of a battleground for Democrats in presidential elections. Turnout was steady, with wait times averaging one minute across the state, said Gabe Sterling, a state election official. The truth is my opponent could still win this election," Warnock told a crowd in Norcross, Georgia, on Tuesday. This is the third Senate runoff in two years in the divided state - and the second for Warnock, who first won the seat in a runoff in January 2021.

☆ Georgia Senate runoff pits Democrat Warnock against Trump-backed Walker
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Nathan Layne | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/6] Local residents wait in line to cast their ballot during the runoff U.S. Senate election between Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock and his Republican challenger Herschel Walker in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S., December 6, 2022. "We had historic turnout during the early vote voting period. The truth is my opponent could still win this election," Warnock told a crowd in Norcross, Georgia on Tuesday. Guri Ben-Hashal, 60, who works in real estate, said his vote for Warnock was actually a vote against Walker. This is the third Senate runoff in two years in the closely divided state - and the second for Warnock, who first won the seat in a runoff in January 2021.

☆ U.S. Republican hardliner Biggs to challenge McCarthy for House speaker
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Evelyn HocksteinWASHINGTON, Dec 6 (Reuters) - A hardline Republican U.S. lawmaker on Tuesday announced he will challenge House of Representatives party chief Kevin McCarthy for the House speakership, a prospect that could lead to party turmoil when the Republican-led chamber convenes in January. But both his allies and those of McCarthy, 57, of California, have pledged to hold multiple votes until a new speaker is chosen. Biggs, who mounted a failed bid for the House Republican speaker nomination last month, said he had decided to oppose McCarthy to "break the establishment." There was no immediate comment from McCarthy, who was nominated for the speakership over Biggs last month by 188 of his fellow Republicans. Republicans won a single-digit House majority in this year's midterm elections, a slim margin that would allow just a handful of Republican opponents to block McCarthy from becoming speaker.

Small-scale copper miners are now challenging Big Copper for territorial control of rich deposits of the red metal. In Peru, artisanal mining permits have doubled to 80,000 since 2020, government records show. Peru's leftist administration presented a new framework for artisanal mining last week that declared artisanal mining is "as important" as big mining. "Where we have concessions we can't have (artisanal mining permits)," Rojas said. The number of valid artisanal mining permits in Tapairihua has fallen from 100 to 32 since May, according to government records.

☆ Germans spending less as soaring power, food costs gnaw finances
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Mathis Richtmann | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

REUTERS/Thomas PeterSummary Germans consuming less as inflation bitesMore worried about personal finances than FrenchState support arriving, but will it work? But this year he took the dish off the menu because rising costs all along the supply chain would have doubled its price compared to last year. That would be beyond the budgets of Germans looking to cut back on non-essentials amid a cost of living crisis fuelled by rising energy prices. At some point in 2023, he and hundreds of thousands of others will receive a bill for his 2022 heating to recover additional costs from rising prices. Discount retailer Primark said in November it was looking to reduce its presence in Germany as it grappled with weak sales and rising costs.

He is the founder and leader of the Oath Keepers, which U.S. officials have described as an anti-government group. According to the indictment, Rhodes began encouraging his Oath Keepers followers in November 2020 to "oppose by force the lawful transfer of presidential power." Caldwell has denied he was a member of the Oath Keepers, but prosecutors have said he has strong ties to the group. KENNETH HARRELSONHarrelson, 41, of Titusville, Florida, helped Meggs organize the Florida Oath Keepers and was part of the militia group that stormed into the Capitol building, according to the indictment. JESSICA WATKINSWatkins, 40, of Woodstock, Ohio, led the Ohio team of Oath Keepers at the Capitol on Jan. 6, according to the indictment.

☆ Analysis: Trump is still Trump and that could be a problem for him in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( James Oliphant | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

His potential rivals, notably Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, have been sparking enthusiasm among Republican voters and, just as importantly, raising money from enthusiastic donors. In a series of Republican Party primaries this year, Trump played the role of kingmaker, largely succeeding in his efforts to boost like-minded candidates. As Florida’s governor, DeSantis has fought against abortion rights, social media companies and the teaching of race and gender in the classroom. To some Republicans, DeSantis at age 44 looks more like their party’s future than Trump does. Add to the mix Pence and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who may appeal more to establishment-minded Republicans than Trump does.

Trump, a Republican, has accused the Justice Department of engaging in a partisan witch hunt. NEW YORK CRIMINAL PROBEThe Trump Organization is on trial on New York tax fraud charges, in a criminal case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg. Committee vice chair Liz Cheney, a Republican, has said the committee could make referrals to the Justice Department seeking criminal charges against Trump. Only the Justice Department can decide whether to charge Trump with federal crimes. Legal experts said Trump may have violated at least three Georgia criminal election laws: conspiracy to commit election fraud, criminal solicitation to commit election fraud and intentional interference with performance of election duties.

After learning about its Russian roots from Reuters, it removed Pushwoosh software from seven public-facing apps, citing security concerns. The U.S. Army said it had removed an app containing Pushwoosh code in March because of the same concerns. Pushwoosh code has been embedded into almost 8,000 apps in the Google and Apple app stores, according to Appfigures, an app intelligence website. "We haven't found any clear sign of deceptive or malicious intent in Pushwoosh's activity, which certainly doesn't diminish the risk of having app data leaking to Russia," he added. The CDC apps that contained Pushwoosh code included the agency's main app and others set up to share information on a wide range of health concerns.

Control of the Senate - and the shape of President Joe Biden's next two years in office - will now hinge on contests in Nevada and Georgia. Democrats needed one more seat for control, since Vice President Kamala Harris can cast the tie-breaking vote. Political analysts anticipate a rush of campaign funds into Georgia as Republicans and Democrats gear up for the final battle of the 2022 midterm elections. In the fight for control of the House of Representatives, Republicans were inching closer to becoming the majority and ending four years of rule by Democrats. The Republican House leader, Kevin McCarthy, has already announced his intention to run for speaker if Republicans take over, an outcome he has described as inevitable.

[1/11] The sun rises over the U.S. Capitol, as control of Congress remained unclear following the 2022 U.S. midterm elections in Washington, U.S., November 9, 2022. The fate of the Senate, meanwhile, rests with a trio of fiercely contested states. (Live election results from around the country are here)Though Republicans remained favored to take over the House, their performance on Tuesday was seen as underwhelming. A Republican Senate would hold sway over Biden's judicial appointments, including any potential Supreme Court vacancies. VOTE-COUNTING CHUGGING ALONGAs ballots were tallied, Democrats expressed cautious optimism about both the Nevada and Arizona Senate races.

[1/11] The sun rises over the U.S. Capitol, as control of Congress remained unclear following the 2022 U.S. midterm elections in Washington, U.S., November 9, 2022. Either party can win a majority by sweeping the races in Nevada and Arizona, where counting late-arriving ballots is expected to last several more days. (Live election results from around the country are here)Though Republicans remained favored to take over the House, their performance on Tuesday was seen as underwhelming. A Republican Senate would hold sway over Biden's judicial appointments, including any potential Supreme Court vacancies. VOTE-COUNTING CHUGGING ALONGAs ballots were tallied, Democrats expressed cautious optimism about both the Nevada and Arizona Senate races.

[1/11] The sun rises over the U.S. Capitol, as control of Congress remained unclear following the 2022 U.S. midterm elections in Washington, U.S., November 9, 2022. "Women in America made their voices heard, man," President Joe Biden said at a political event in Washington. At the political event, Biden noted that many so-called "election deniers" had accepted their own losses. A White House official said Biden spoke by phone with Republican House leader Kevin McCarthy, who announced on Wednesday his intention to run for speaker of the House if Republicans control the chamber. Republicans are expected to demand spending cuts in exchange for raising the nation's borrowing limit next year, a showdown that could spook financial markets.

☆ Election denier loses race in Michigan; Arizona and Nevada not yet called
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/2] Republican candidate for Michigan Secretary of State Kristina Karamo campaigns in Clinton Township, Michigan, U.S. November 4, 2022. Democratic President Joe Biden narrowly won Michigan, Arizona and Nevada in 2020 and Trump and his allies have falsely claimed that the results were fraudulent. As of Wednesday, States Action United said 13 election deniers had won a statewide role in election administration in 9 states, while 24 election deniers had lost races in 17 states. The races in Michigan, Arizona and Nevada are particularly important because they are key battleground states. Ahead of Tuesday's elections, Biden accused Trump of inspiring Republican election denier candidates and warned voters: "Democracy is on the ballot for all of us."

☆ Analysis: Four takeaways from the U.S. midterm elections
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( James Oliphant | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/5] Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is showered with confetti as he celebrates onstage with his wife Casey and family during his 2022 U.S. midterm elections night party in Tampa, Florida, November 8, 2022. Oz, the TV physician who was Trump's hand-picked candidate for the race, had questioned his fitness for office. During Fetterman's campaign, he made much of visiting the state's rural regions with talk of creating working-class jobs. Meanwhile, a race in the state’s 10th district, situated even closer to Washington, ended with incumbent Democrat Jennifer Wexton keeping her seat. The win moved Republicans closer to the five seats they needed to take over the House.

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