Ukraine hails gains in Bakhmut as Zelenskiy wins more weapons in Europe

By Dan Peleschuk and Kylie MacLellan KYIV/LONDON (Reuters) – Ukraine on Monday hailed its first substantial battlefield advances in six months as President Volodymyr Zelenskiy won pledges for new long-range drones in Britain to add to a haul of Western arms for a counteroffensive against Russian invaders. Since last week, the Ukrainian military has started…

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New Jersey senators seek to delay New York City congestion pricing plan

By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) – New Jersey’s two Democratic senators and the state’s governor said on Monday they are seeking to halt a plan by New York City to adopt a congestion pricing plan in Manhattan, which would be the country’s first. Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker urged U.S. Transportation (USDOT) Secretary Pete…

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G7 to show unity on China approach while recognizing individual ties -US officials

By Steve Holland and David Brunnstrom WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The G7 summit U.S. President Joe Biden attends in Japan this week will show leaders unified behind a common approach to dealing with China based on shared values, even while recognizing each country will manage its own relationship with Beijing, a senior U.S. administration official said…

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Food aid cuts still ‘red line’ in debt ceiling talks, says Senate farm committee chair

By Leah Douglas WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Expanding work requirements for the largest U.S. food assistance program is still a “red line” in negotiations over raising the country’s debt ceiling to avert a looming default, Senate Agriculture Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow said Monday in an interview with Reuters. Republicans, whose party control the House of Representatives,…

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US charges ex-Army employee at South Korean facility with bribery, fraud

NEW YORK (Reuters) – A former civilian employee at a U.S. Army facility in South Korea has been arrested on charges of receiving $400,000 in kickbacks from military contractors, federal prosecutors in Manhattan said on Monday. Young Beom Kim, 62, was responsible for overseeing construction contracts at the Army Garrison Yongsan-Casey from 2017 to 2021….

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AI in Washington’s crosshairs but consensus far from certain

By Diane Bartz and Jeffrey Dastin WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. lawmakers are grappling with what guardrails to put around burgeoning artificial intelligence, but months after ChatGPT got Washington’s attention, consensus is far from certain. Interviews with a U.S. senator, congressional staffers, AI companies and interest groups show there are a number of options under discussion. The…

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Former Silicon Valley Bank CEO says rate hikes, withdrawals sank firm

By Pete Schroeder and Hannah Lang WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Greg Becker, former CEO of failed lender Silicon Valley Bank, apologized in congressional testimony for its “devastating” collapse while citing rising interest rates and mounting withdrawal requests as key causes of its demise.  The bank was responsive to regulator concerns about its risk management and working to…

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Explainer-Biden’s budget vs. Republican debt ceiling bill on spending, deficits, taxes

By David Lawder WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Joe Biden’s administration and Republicans in the U.S. Congress are in talks to end their standoff over raising the $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, haggling over vastly different proposals that both claim to cut deficits by trillions of dollars. Democrat Biden’s full $6.8 trillion fiscal 2024 budget request doubles down…

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Republicans reject White House tax loophole proposal in debt talks -WaPo

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House last week gave Republican lawmakers a list of proposals to reduce the deficit by closing tax loopholes as part of debt ceiling talks, and each item was rejected by Republican negotiators, the Washington Post reported on Monday, citing three sources. Senior White House officials floated the tax plans on…

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