William S. Sessions, former FBI director, dies at 90: media

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – William S. Sessions, an FBI chief under three U.S. presidents who won praise for bringing more diversity to the agency but who was fired after being investigated for ethical lapses, died Friday aged 90, U.S. media reported. The cause was... More »

Russia’s space chief complains about American jokes

MOSCOW (Reuters) – Americans should show more respect for Russia’s space program after relying on it for nine years as the only way to send U.S. astronauts into orbit, the head of Russia’s space agency said. The United States launched the first astronauts from... More »

Georgia Democrats vote on Senate challenger as five U.S. states hold primaries

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Georgia Democrats will try to pick their challenger to Republican Senator David Perdue on Tuesday when voters in five U.S. states choose candidates for the White House and Congress as the nation navigates a trio of politically charged cr... More »

Trump’s troop cut in Germany blindsided senior U.S. officials

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Donald Trump’s decision to cut U.S. troop levels in Germany blindsided a number of senior national security officials, according to five sources familiar with the matter, and the Pentagon had yet to receive a formal order to ca... More »

Thousands pay tribute to George Floyd as pressure mounts for U.S. police reform

HOUSTON (Reuters) – Thousands of mourners braved sweltering Texas heat on Monday to view the casket of George Floyd, whose death after a police officer knelt on his neck ignited worldwide protests against racism and calls for reforms of U.S. law enforcement. A... More »

IBM exits facial recognition business, calls for police reform

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – International Business Machines Corp (IBM.N) disclosed Monday it will no longer offer facial recognition or analysis software in a letter to Congress calling for new efforts to pursue justice and racial equity, new Chief Executive Office... More »

U.S. Democrats pledge transformative change with police reform bill

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. congressional Democrats unveiled sweeping legislation on Monday to combat police violence and racial injustice through transformative change, two weeks after George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis police custody led to nationwide prote... More »

Factbox: What’s in Democrats’ police reform and racial justice bill?

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Congressional Democrats on Monday introduced a sweeping bill intended to address longstanding complaints about racial injustice in U.S. policing, following two weeks of protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custod... More »

Trump insists no police defunding amid U.S.-wide clamor for reforms

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Donald Trump on Monday pledged to maintain funding for police departments in the United States amid growing calls for sweeping cuts to law enforcement budgets as protesters clamored for an end to police brutality following the ... More »

Biden’s ‘compassion’ meant world to Floyd family: lawyer

(Reuters) – Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden showed compassion that “meant the world” to George Floyd’s family on Monday, according to a lawyer for relatives of the black man who died in police custody. Biden met with Floyd’s relatives in Houston fo... More »

‘Black Lives Matter’ giant yellow mural painted on street near White House

(Reuters) – A massive “Black Lives Matter” mural was painted in yellow letters on a street near the White House on Friday, ahead of expected large demonstrations on Saturday to protest racism and police brutality in the United States. The huge mural occupies t... More »

Column: What COVID-19 is teaching us about how to reform Medicare

CHICAGO (Reuters) – The COVID-19 pandemic has put a bright spotlight on weaknesses in many of the systems designed to protect Americans from risks. But with older people more susceptible to serious illness and death from the virus, the problems in our Medicare... More »

U.S. bank regulator finalizes new community lending rule

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A U.S. banking regulator announced on Wednesday it had finalized work on a long-running effort to change community lending standards for banks. The new rule from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) is an update to require... More »

Trump signs deal with company in effort shift drug manufacturing to U.S.: New York Times

(Reuters) – The United States will announce on Tuesday that it has signed a $354 million contract with a company to make generic medicines and pharmaceutical ingredients in the country needed to treat COVID-19, the New York Times reported late on Monday. The m... More »

Powell, Mnuchin to face Senate grilling on U.S. coronavirus response

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. government’s handling of its massive economic response to the coronavirus pandemic will come under scrutiny on Tuesday as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell testify before the Senate Bankin... More »

Obama, Biden not targeted in U.S. review of Russia probe, Barr says

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Attorney General William Barr said on Monday he does not expect a Justice Department review of the FBI’s handling of 2016 election interference to lead to criminal investigation of former President Barack Obama or former Vice Presid... More »

Trump says he is surprised Attorney General Barr not looking at Obama in probe

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he was surprised that Attorney General William Barr opted not to look at former President Barack Obama in a Justice Department review of the FBI’s handling of 2016 Russia probe. “I’m a little su... More »

Trump fired watchdog who was probing Saudi arms sales, Democrats say

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Donald Trump may have fired State Department Inspector General Steve Linick because he was investigating U.S. military sales to Saudi Arabia, Democratic lawmakers said on Monday, although Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he ... More »

Trump says Pompeo requested he fire State Department inspector general

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday defended his decision to fire the State Department’s inspector general, saying Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asked him to do so and dismissing suggestions that Pompeo faced a probe by the ousted off... More »

Democrat Biden says he would kill Keystone XL pipeline

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Joe Biden’s campaign said on Monday that if elected president, the presumptive Democratic nominee would rescind the permit for Keystone XL pipeline, which effectively would doom the long-troubled project. In doing so, Biden would reverse... More »

Senator Rubio chosen as acting Intelligence Committee chairman

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Senator Marco Rubio will serve as acting chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Monday, after Senator Richard Burr announced he would step aside from the position duri... More »

Wisconsin lawsuit seeks absentee ballot forms, other poll changes amid coronavirus concerns

(Reuters) – Advocacy groups sued Wisconsin election officials on Monday, seeking to force the state to send every voter an absentee ballot request form, hire more poll workers and launch a public education effort to ensure voters understand their options ahead... More »

As Biden crafts U.S. coronavirus response proposals, Warren has his ear

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Presumptive Democratic U.S. presidential nominee Joe Biden has been speaking regularly with former rival Elizabeth Warren on public health and economic relief ideas as he crafts more ambitious proposals aimed at helping Americans through... More »

Pompeo says intent to fire State Dept. IG was not retaliation: Washington Post

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said his recommendation to President Donald Trump that the inspector general of the State Department be fired was not an act of retaliation as he was unaware of any investigations the employee was carr... More »

‘Star Trek, not Star Wars:’ NASA releases basic principles for moon exploration pact

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – NASA on Friday set the stage for a global debate over the basic principles governing how humans will live and work on the moon, as it released the main tenets of an international pact for moon exploration called the Artemis Accords. The ... More »

Trump ‘not interested’ in reopening U.S.-China trade deal after report of Beijing discontent

BEIJING/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he opposed renegotiating the U.S.-China “Phase 1” trade deal after a Chinese state-run newspaper reported some government advisers in Beijing were urging fresh talks and possibly invalid... More »

China announces new tariff waivers for some U.S. imports

BEIJING (Reuters) – China announced on Tuesday a new list of 79 U.S. products eligible for waivers from retaliatory tariffs imposed at the height of the bilateral trade war, amid continued pressure on Beijing to boost imports from the United States. China’s fi... More »

Tesla’s Musk says ready for arrest as he reopens California plant against local order

(Reuters) – Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) Chief Executive Elon Musk on Monday said production was resuming at the automaker’s sole U.S. vehicle factory, in California, defying an order to stay closed and saying if anyone had to be arrested it should be him. The move come... More »

Trump and Republicans narrowly top Biden in April fundraising

(Reuters) – President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign and the Republican National Committee said on Monday they jointly raised $61.7 million in April, just beating the month’s haul for presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his party. A ... More »

Trump campaign, political party raised $61.7 million in April: campaign

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The campaign for U.S. President Donald Trump’s re-election, the Republican National Committee and their authorized joint fundraising committees raised $61.7 million in April, in what the campaign said on Monday was a record for the month... More »

As 2020 presidential contest looms, U.S. Supreme Court mulls power of ‘electors’

(Reuters) – Bret Chiafalo had his bags packed in the weeks following the 2016 U.S. presidential election. If somehow his gambit worked and Donald Trump were blocked from officially being declared the winner, the information technology specialist from Washingto... More »

Trump wades into Pennsylvania coronavirus plan, governor pushes back

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Donald Trump accused Democrats of moving to reopen U.S. states from coronavirus lockdown measures too slowly for political advantage on Monday, as Pennsylvania’s governor hit back against Republicans pushing a faster timetable.... More »

Senate to reconsider expired surveillance tools

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Senate will make a renewed attempt this week to extend parts of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said on Monday, two months after the divisive government surveillance tools... More »

Pence says he would welcome Trump ex-adviser Flynn’s return: Axios

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday said he would welcome Michael Flynn’s return to the Trump administration after the U.S. Justice Department’s controversial move last week to drop criminal charges against the president’s former na... More »

White House considers more coronavirus aid as jobs picture worsens

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House has begun informal talks with Republicans and Democrats in Congress about what to include in another round of coronavirus relief legislation, officials said on Sunday, while predicting further U.S. jobs losses in the comi... More »

Trump may help offset states’ coronavirus costs: Hassett

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Donald Trump may be open to further federal funding to help U.S. states recover funds spent battling the novel coronavirus, White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said on Sunday as Congress weighs another possible economic ... More »

In leaked call, Obama describes Trump handling of virus as chaotic

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Former President Barack Obama described President Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic as “chaotic” in a conference call with former members of his administration, a source said on Saturday. Obama has largely kept out of t... More »

As Trump returns to the road, some Democrats want to bust Biden out of his basement

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – While President Donald Trump traveled to the battleground state of Arizona this week, his Democratic opponent for the White House, Joe Biden, campaigned from his basement as he has done throughout the coronavirus pandemic. Those optics h... More »

U.S. factory orders post record drop- orders, inventories shrinking

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – New orders for U.S.-made goods suffered a record decline in March and could sink further as disruptions from the novel coronavirus fracture supply chains and depress exports. The report from the Commerce Department on Monday was the late... More »

Masked and standing apart, the world creeps out of lockdown

ROME/WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Italy and the United States were among a slew of countries easing lockdown restrictions on Monday to resurrect economies, but officials cautioned against moving too swiftly as global deaths from the coronavirus neared a quarter of a... More »

Trump says up to 100,000 Americans may die from coronavirus

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he now believes as many as 100,000 Americans could die in the coronavirus pandemic, after the death toll passed his earlier estimates, but said he was confident a vaccine would be developed by t... More »

U.S. Treasury’s Mnuchin says Trump eyeing restaurant tax changes, travel boost

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Monday said bipartisan discussions are underway over whether more U.S. government relief funding is needed amid the nation’s novel coronavirus outbreak, but that President Donald Trump is focused on t... More »

Phoning it in: Pandemic forces Supreme Court to hear cases in a new way

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Oral arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court are typically a formal affair, dictated by adherence to tradition by an institution historically resistant to altering its ways. Come Monday, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, all that chang... More »

White House blocks Fauci from testifying to Congress on coronavirus response

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Top U.S. health official Anthony Fauci will not testify next week to a congressional committee examining the Trump administration’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, the White House said on Friday, calling it “counterproductive” to h... More »

Coronavirus scrambles 2020 expectations for Trump in must-win Florida

TAMPA, Fla. (Reuters) – Before the coronavirus pandemic, Desi Marinov considered herself “apolitical.” The Fort Lauderdale, Florida, flight attendant didn’t even bother to vote in the 2016 presidential election. Losing her job due to lockdowns to curb the spre... More »

Special Report: How a corporate PR machine is trying to kill a Wall Street tax

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – As Democratic presidential hopefuls descended on New Hampshire prior to the state’s Feb. 11 primary, John Tackeff was busy. The 27-year-old attended candidate events across the state to raise concerns about a proposed tax on Wall Street ... More »

Trump to nominate retired general to be U.S. ambassador to Ukraine

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Donald Trump intends to nominate Keith Dayton to be the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, the White House said on Friday, a year after Trump removed the previous envoy. Dayton, a retired Army lieutenant general, currently serves as t... More »

Democrat Joe Biden denies alleged sexual assault, requests release of Senate records

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden on Friday asked the Senate to find any documents tied to an allegation he sexually assaulted a former aide in 1993, after personally denying the accusation publicly for the first time... More »

U.S. Republicans push for coronavirus lawsuit immunity for business

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The top Republicans in the U.S. Congress displayed a united front on Friday in their drive for coronavirus-related liability protections for businesses, saying such measures will be crucial to talks about future relief legislation. Senat... More »

Trump says will address national debt if re-elected: interview

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday he would like to address the ballooning national debt if he wins re-election in November, but did not provide details on how he would do so. Asked if he had a debt reduction plan, Trump told con... More »

U.S. Treasury currency report on trade partners delayed, Taiwan central bank sources say

TAIPEI (Reuters) – The U.S. Treasury’s latest semi-annual report on trade practices of its major trading partners which was due this month has been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic, two sources with direct knowledge at Taiwan’s central bank told Reuters... More »

Fight over next coronavirus aid bill kicks into high gear in U.S. Congress

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – After passing $3 trillion of coronavirus relief in a rare run of bipartisanship, Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. Congress girded for a new battle over federal assistance to states and local governments grappling with the deadly out... More »

White House considering replacing HHS chief Azar: reports

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Donald Trump’s administration is considering replacing its secretary of Health and Human Services, Alex Azar, because of early missteps in the handling of the coronavirus pandemic, the Wall Street Journal and Politico reported ... More »

Deutsche Bank refuses to give U.S. senators information on recent Trump dealings

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Deutsche Bank (DBKGn.DE) has declined a request by prominent U.S. senators to provide information about the German lender’s recent business dealings with U.S. President Donald Trump and his family, according to a letter this week seen by ... More »

As U.S. coronavirus death toll tops 51,000, handful of states move toward reopening

ATLANTA (Reuters) – With the U.S. coronavirus death toll topping 51,000 and nearly one in six workers out of a job, Georgia, Oklahoma and several other states took tentative steps at reopening businesses on Friday, despite disapproval from President Donald Tru... More »

Coronavirus came to New York from Europe, not China – governor

(Reuters) – New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Friday pointed to research showing that strains of the novel coronavirus entered his state from Europe, not China, and said that travel bans enacted by U.S. President Donald Trump were too late to halt its spread. ... More »

Democrats urge U.S. to provide at least $5 billion in loans to bus industry

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Two senior U.S. House Democrats on Friday asked the U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve to direct at least $5 billion in loans to struggling intercity bus companies because of the coronavirus pandemic. House Ways and Means Committee Chairm... More »

Trump says he will suspend all immigration into U.S. over coronavirus

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Donald Trump said on Monday he will suspend all immigration into the United States temporarily through an executive order in response to the coronavirus outbreak and to protect American jobs. The move, which the Republican pres... More »

As protesters decry U.S. coronavirus lockdown, officials urge caution

HARRISBURG, Pa. (Reuters) – The U.S. debate over restrictions for fighting the coronavirus intensified on Monday, as protesters labeled mandatory lockdowns as “tyranny,” while medical workers and health experts cautioned that lifting them too soon risked unlea... More »

Biden raises over three times as much money as Trump in March

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. presidential candidate Joe Biden raised more than three times as much money for his campaign than President Donald Trump managed in March, a potential sign of voter enthusiasm for the Democratic challenger. Biden’s campaign... More »

U.S. President Trump’s re-election campaign raises $13.6 million in March

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump raised $13.6 million in March for his re-election campaign, ending the month with $98.5 million in cash, according to a disclosure filed on Monday with the Federal Election Committee. The haul during March mar... More »

U.S. Supreme Court requires unanimous jury verdicts for serious crimes

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Monday that the constitutional guarantee of trial by jury requires a unanimous verdict for serious crimes, siding with a Louisiana man convicted of murder and paving the way for potentially hundreds of def... More »

Biden’s campaign steps up fundraising, gathers $46.7 million in March

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) – Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden raised $46.7 million in March for his presidential campaign, his largest one-month haul yet despite a national health crisis that has disrupted fundraising and hit the finances of donors. The... More »

Senate moves toward possible Tuesday coronavirus vote, Pelosi sees deal ‘on principles’

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Congress on Monday inched toward a $450 billion deal to help small businesses and hospitals hurt by the coronavirus pandemic, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi saying negotiators had come to terms on the ‘principles’ of the packag... More »

U.S.’ Pelosi: negotiators agreed ‘principles’ of next coronavirus aid package

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Monday Republican and Democratic negotiators have come to terms on the “principles” of the next coronavirus relief package, which is expected to focus on more aid for small businesses and be taken ... More »

New York governor says ‘don’t need protests to convince anyone’ of anxiety over lockdowns

(Reuters) – New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Monday he understood why some people were protesting against the lockdowns imposed to stem the coronavirus outbreak, but said restrictions must be lifted in a way that prevented further outbreaks. He spoke aft... More »

Trump says he is working with governors on coronavirus testing, Cuomo to visit White House

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he was working with state governors to make sure they had the resources needed to ramp up coronavirus testing and added that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo would visit the White House to discuss... More »

Trump hopes for deal in U.S. Congress on small business program, vote possible in Senate Tuesday

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he hoped negotiators in Congress would reach a deal to provide more aid for small businesses hurt by the coronavirus pandemic, with a vote possible in the Senate on Tuesday. “We hope to have an ... More »

Ex-Trump campaign aide Gates asks to serve sentence at home over coronavirus fears

(Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump’s former deputy campaign chairman Rick Gates has asked to serve his remaining 45-day “intermittent” prison sentence from his home over fears of contracting the coronavirus, a court filing showed. Gates is urging a modifi... More »

FCC approves Ligado plan to deploy mobile broadband network

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The five-member Federal Communications Commission voted unanimously to approve an order to allow Ligado Networks[MOSAV.UL] to deploy a low-power nationwide 5G network despite objections from the U.S. Defense Department, other federal age... More »

Coronavirus relief deal for U.S. small businesses may come Monday, Trump says

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Democrats and Republicans are near agreement on extra money to help small businesses hurt by the coronavirus pandemic and could seal a deal as early as Monday, President Donald Trump said on Sunday. Trump told his daily White House ... More »

Kept home by COVID-19, U.S. politics goes virtual with digital dance parties and avatars

(Reuters) – When stay-at-home orders sparked by the coronavirus forced him to find new ways to reach young voters ahead of the November U.S. election, Felix Clarke turned to an online computer game. The New Hampshire college student logged in to Minecraft, dre... More »

Column: Dropping Medicare age to 60? No more than a start in the right direction

CHICAGO (Reuters) – In what now seems like a galaxy far, far away, Republican lawmakers routinely talked up the idea of raising the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 67. In fact, we were in that galaxy just three years ago. A higher Medicare age was an awful... More »

Your questions on the lockdown and U.S. small business, answered

NEW YORK (Reuters) – After closing their doors to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, many small businesses face an uncertain future following government-ordered lockdowns. As part of our weekly #AskReuters Twitter chat series, Reuters gathered a group of s... More »

OPEC, Russia approve biggest-ever oil cut to support prices amid coronavirus pandemic

BAKU/DUBAI/LONDON (Reuters) – OPEC and allies led by Russia agreed on Sunday to a record cut in output to prop up oil prices amid the coronavirus pandemic in an unprecedented deal with fellow oil nations, including the United States, that could curb global oil... More »

Oil agreement could support stocks, providing a floor

(Reuters) – An agreement by oil-producing nations on Sunday to cut output by a record amount may sustain a recent bounce in stocks, although stay-at-home restrictions and closures tied to the coronavirus pandemic still weigh on the global economy. OPEC and all... More »

Trump likes virus briefings, some advisers worry he likes them too much

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Cooped up in the White House, President Donald Trump sees the coronavirus briefings as his main outlet of the day, a reminder for Americans that he is in charge of managing the greatest crisis of a lifetime. Plus, the ratings are good. S... More »

Congressional Republicans nix Democratic bid for broader coronavirus relief

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The two top Republicans in the U.S. Congress vowed on Saturday to oppose Democrats’ demands to match a $250 billion proposal to aid small businesses during the coronavirus pandemic with the same amount for hospitals and state and local g... More »

Mnuchin, Congress leaders to hold new talks on next coronavirus aid bill

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and congressional leaders will hold bipartisan negotiations on a new coronavirus-response bill with the goal of reaching a deal by early next week, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said on Fri... More »

Trump to unveil council to re-open the country after coronavirus pandemic

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Friday that he will soon be announcing a second coronavirus task force, creating a council to focus on re-opening the country after the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic passes. “We will be announcing tha... More »

U.S. Treasury followed proper procedures in rejecting Trump tax return request: inspector general

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Treasury Department followed proper procedures in denying the U.S. House of Representatives access to President Donald Trump’s tax returns, the inspector general’s office said in a letter released on Friday. House Ways and Means... More »

Lawmakers look to reaffirm U.S. commitment to global health, amid coronavirus

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republican and Democratic U.S. senators will introduce legislation on Friday seeking to reaffirm the country’s commitment to global health amid the coronavirus crisis, including reestablishing a panel – similar to one disbanded by Presid... More »

U.S. Congress leaders, Mnuchin aim for deal on next coronavirus response bill

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Congressional leaders and U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin will hold bipartisan negotiations on the contents of a new coronavirus response bill with the goal of reaching a deal by early next week, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Sch... More »

Biden courts Sanders voters with student loan, healthcare policies

(Reuters) – Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden on Thursday proposed expanding access to Medicare and forgiving some student debt in new overtures to supporters of onetime rival Bernie Sanders. Biden, who became Democrats’ presumptive nominee when Sand... More »

U.S. Congress in talks on coronavirus small business aid after partisan clash

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A partisan skirmish in the U.S. Senate cut short a Republican effort to speed $250 billion in new assistance to small businesses on Friday, forcing Republicans and Democrats to negotiate over how best to help independent firms reeling fr... More »

Sanders quits U.S. presidential race, setting up Biden battle with Trump

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Bernie Sanders, a democratic socialist whose progressive agenda pushed the Democratic Party sharply to the left, ended his White House campaign on Wednesday, clearing the way for a Nov. 3 election battle between former Vice President Joe... More »

As Germany reels from coronavirus, some officials debate impact on banks

FRANKFURT (Reuters) – As Germany rolls out a 750 billion-euro economic stimulus package, officials and experts are discussing whether German lenders, including Deutsche Bank AG and Commerzbank AG, will be able to weather the economic fallout of coronavirus wit... More »

Citing coronavirus, Wisconsin mayors urge postponement of Tuesday’s election

(Reuters) – Nine Wisconsin mayors, including those representing the state’s five largest cities, on Sunday urged the state’s top public health official to postpone Tuesday’s primary election due to the coronavirus pandemic. The mayors of Milwaukee, Madison, Gr... More »

‘He’s a total disgrace’: Trump defends firing U.S. intel watchdog

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President Donald Trump on Saturday defended his decision to fire the top watchdog of the U.S. Intelligence Community, saying Michael Atkinson did “a terrible job” in handling the whistleblower complaint that triggered an impeachment prob... More »

Outgoing U.S. intel watchdog fired by Trump says he acted appropriately

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Michael Atkinson, the outgoing top watchdog of the U.S. Intelligence Community, on Sunday said he was fired by President Donald Trump for acting impartially in his handling of the whistleblower complaint that triggered an impeachment pro... More »

Biden says coronavirus may force Democrats to hold ‘virtual’ presidential convention

(Reuters) – Former Vice President Joe Biden, the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination, said on Sunday the party may be forced to host a “virtual” nominating convention in August due to concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. The Democratic ... More »

Fed’s Bullard says another coronavirus economic relief bill may not be needed

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A top official at the U.S. Federal Reserve said on Sunday the $2.3 trillion economic relief bill approved by Congress was appropriately sized and that a further relief effort may not be needed if support efforts are well executed. “I fel... More »

Democrats say Trump pick for coronavirus recovery watchdog is not independent enough

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump’s pick for the new watchdog overseeing $2.3 trillion in coronavirus-related fiscal spending is not independent enough to do the job, congressional Democrats said on Saturday. The White House said late on Frida... More »

Trump says will ask Congress for more small business funds if money runs out

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Saturday he would ask Congress for more money to make loans to small businesses struggling with the economic fallout from the coronavirus outbreak if the original $349 billion allocated in a fiscal sti... More »

Trump fires intelligence official involved in his impeachment probe

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump notified Congress on Friday that he is firing the inspector general of the U.S. intelligence community who was involved in triggering an impeachment probe of the president last year. In a letter to key lawmake... More »

Supreme Court postpones April oral arguments over coronavirus

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday postponed oral arguments scheduled for April as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and is considering alternative options for handling the various outstanding cases. The court, which already had delayed... More »

Three VOIP companies may lose providers if coronavirus robocalls continue, U.S. agencies say

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Three voice over internet providers may lose access to the U.S. telecom network if they do not stop allowing their service to be used by robocallers touting coronavirus and other scams, the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communicat... More »

Brent crude rises above $33 on hopes of oil output deal

LONDON (Reuters) – Benchmark Brent crude oil futures climbed to as high as $34.91 a barrel on Friday on rising hopes of a new global deal to cut global crude supply. Brent crude LCOc1 futures were up 12.9%, or $3.9, at $33.83 a barrel by 1321 GMT. Brent soared... More »

Do social distancing better, White House doctor tells Americans. Trump objects

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Dr. Deborah Birx, the coordinator of the White House task force on the coronavirus, had a message for Americans on Thursday: do better at social distancing. President Donald Trump didn’t like the message. At what has become a daily brief... More »

Biden: Trump administration showed ‘poor judgment’ in removing warship commander

(Reuters) – Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden said on Thursday that the Trump administration showed “poor judgment” in relieving the commander of an aircraft carrier who sought stronger measures to control a coronavirus outbreak onboard. “Donald Trum... More »

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