Factbox-2024 US presidential election: who is in, who is out and who is still thinking about it

By Ross Colvin (Reuters) -Republican U.S. Senator Tim Scott on Friday entered the 2024 presidential race, joining Donald Trump in the growing list of Republicans seeking to unseat Democratic President Joe Biden. Here is a list of declared candidates and other potential 2024 hopefuls in both the Democratic and Republican parties. TIM SCOTT The only…

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Republican states to be hit hardest by proposed cuts in US debt ceiling fight

By Andy Sullivan LAKE CHARLES, La. (Reuters) -In Washington, Republican U.S. Representative Clay Higgins has been a vocal advocate for spending cuts. Back home in Louisiana, it’s a different story. The cowboy-hat wearing conservative regularly highlights federal funding for hospitals, bridges and ports in his district, while voting against the spending bills that include them…

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Factbox-U.S. state abortion legislation to watch in 2023

By Gabriella Borter and Sharon Bernstein (Reuters) – State legislatures are wrestling with how much to restrict or expand abortion access after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year. Here is a snapshot of pending and passed legislation seeking to restrict or protect access in 2023. RESTRICTIONS FLORIDA: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis…

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Senate confirms Biden court pick despite Manchin opposition

By Jacqueline Thomsen (Reuters) -The U.S. Senate on Thursday confirmed President Joe Biden’s nominee to the 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, overcoming rare Democratic opposition from Senator Joe Manchin. Nancy Abudu, a lawyer for the nonprofit Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) legal advocacy group, was confirmed on a 49-47 vote. She will be the…

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Biden appeals court nominee Delaney asks to withdraw after bipartisan opposition

By Jacqueline Thomsen (Reuters) -Former New Hampshire Attorney General Michael Delaney on Thursday asked U.S. President Joe Biden to withdraw his nomination to the 1st Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals amid opposition from both Democrats and Republicans, according to a letter seen by Reuters. In the letter to Biden, Delaney said he believes “it is…

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Greeks head to polls, no party seen winning clear majority

By Renee Maltezou ATHENS (Reuters) – Greece heads for what is likely to be an inconclusive parliamentary election on Sunday, paving the way for wrangling between parties to forge a ruling coalition in a deeply divided political landscape. Opinion polls show Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ conservative New Democracy ahead of Alexis Tsipras’ left-wing Syriza party,…

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Turkish banks restrict credit access amid pre-runoff uncertainty

By Nevzat Devranoglu and Ebru Tuncay ANKARA (Reuters) – Turkish banks have restricted access to some individual loans and postponed decisions on extending corporate loans following new regulations introduced since Sunday’s inconclusive presidential vote and ahead of a May 28 runoff, bankers said. Some banks have raised monthly mortgage loan rates above 3% and car…

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Turkey’s net FX reserves hit 21-year low of $2.3 billion before vote

ANKARA (Reuters) – The Turkish central bank’s net international reserves dropped some $4.45 billion to a 21-year low of $2.33 billion in the week to May 12, as forex demand surged ahead of elections, official data showed on Thursday. The bank’s total gross reserves plunged $9 billion in the same week to $105.13 billion, the…

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