Speaker Johnson: No Ukraine Aid Without Border Deal
House Speaker Mike Johnson said he will push for tighter border security during his meeting with President Joe Biden on Wednesday, signaling that legislation to send more aid to Ukraine is not possible without a deal. “Before we even talk about Ukraine, I’m going to tell the president what I was telling all of you […]
Court Reverses Order; Texas’ Floating Barrier Can Stay for Now
A federal appeals court on Wednesday reversed an order requiring Texas to move a floating barrier on the Rio Grande that drew backlash from Mexico — the latest development in legal battles between the Biden administration and Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott over control of migration at the border. In December, a divided panel of […]
SCOTUS Hears Case on Power of Federal Agencies
The Supreme Court’s conservative majority on Wednesday signaled that it might greatly reduce the power of federal agencies. The court heard arguments on the Chevron doctrine, which, if overturned, would curtail the influence of federal agencies in areas such as healthcare, environmental regulation, and finance. The doctrine is named after the Supreme Court’s 1984 ruling in Chevron v. Natural […]
Houthis Brush Off US Terrorist Designation
The United States, along with its coalition partners, designated the Yemeni movement Ansar Allah, commonly known as the Houthis, a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” (SDGT) organization. But a senior Houthi official said the U.S. decision will not deter ongoing attacks in crucial maritime routes. “This decision will not affect our decision, and we will continue to stand […]
Wall Street Slips as Hopes Dim for Imminent Rate Cut
Wall Street slipped again after a stronger-than-expected report on the U.S. economy weakened hopes that easier interest rates would arrive soon. The S&P 500 fell 0.6% Wednesday, its second straight drop. The Dow fell 0.3%, and the Nasdaq composite lost 0.6%. Rising yields in the bond market again put downward pressure on stocks. Yields climbed […]
Democrats Target Dean Phillips for Scrubbing DEI
Rep. Dean Phillips, who is challenging President Joe Biden for the Democrat nomination, came under fire from fellow congressional Democrats after scrubbing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) language from his campaign website, Politico reported. The Minnesota Democrat removed the language after hedge fund investor Bill Ackman — a leading DEI opponent and one of the candidate’s top financial […]
Retail Sales Up 0.6% on Strong Holiday Sales Season
Americans stepped up their spending even more than expected in December, closing out the holiday season and the year on an upbeat tone. Retail sales rose 0.6% in December compared with November’s 0.3% increase, according to the Commerce Department. Sales at stores selling general merchandise rose 1.3%, while sellers of clothing and accessories saw business […]
Yellen: US Economic Growth ‘Vindicates’ Biden’s Stimulus Spending
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is pushing back against Republican criticism of the Democrats’ big coronavirus pandemic response package and making an election year pitch that the current state of the U.S. “vindicates” the steps taken in 2021 to “get our economy back on track.” With falling inflation, unemployment at 3.7% and the U.S. apparently defying […]
China’s Population Drops for a Second Straight Year as Deaths Jump
China’s population fell by 2 million people in 2023 in its second consecutive annual decrease, as births dropped for the seventh consecutive year and deaths jumped following the end of COVID-19 restrictions, the government said Wednesday. The number of deaths rose by 690,000 to 11.1 million, more than double the previous year’s increase. Demographers said the […]
Coalition Forces Strike Yemen, but Houthis Seem Undeterred
Coalition Forces Strike Yemen, but Houthis Seem Undeterred