US House to weigh bill allowing older pilots, other aviation reforms

By David Shepardson WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote next week on legislation to raise the mandatory commercial pilot retirement age to 67 from 65 and make other aviation reforms, Republican House leaders said Friday. The House bill, approved 63-0 by the Transportation Committee in June, would reauthorize Federal…

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Oilfield firm SLB halts all shipments to Russia

(Reuters) – Top oilfield services firm SLB on Friday said it is halting shipments of products and technology into Russia from all its operations over an expansion of Western sanctions. SLB, the world’s largest oil service and equipment provider, was one of the few providers to continue working the country’s oil sector following Russia’s invasion…

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US senators push China investments tracker in defense bill as White House finalizes order

By Karen Freifeld and Andrea Shalal (Reuters) – Two U.S. senators are pursuing a legislative plan to track U.S. investments in China, as the White House works to complete long-awaited action that would also restrict investment in certain, highly targeted sectors. The Outbound Investment Transparency Act, filed late on Thursday as an amendment to a…

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Biden forgives $39 billion in US student debt using program tweak

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration will cancel $39 billion in student debt for more than 804,000 borrowers, the Education Department said on Friday, describing the relief as the result of a “fix” to income-driven repayment (IDR) plans. Borrowers will be eligible for forgiveness if they have made either 20 or 25 years of…

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Factbox-Hottest spots in U.S. as heat wave blankets Southwest

(Reuters) – More than 100 million Americans are facing a prolonged spell of sweltering weather into next week, with the National Weather Forecast issuing heat advisories for cities and towns countrywide. In many places in the Southwest, where hot summers are the norm, extreme temperatures that could break records are predicted. Here are Saturday’s NWS…

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Factbox-Food and beverage products that mention aspartame on their labels

(Reuters) – Aspartame, one of the world’s most popular sweeteners, has been deemed a “possible carcinogen” by two groups linked to the World Health Organization, though it remains safe for consumption at already-agreed levels. The sugar substitute, used in products from diet sodas to sugar-free yoghurts and cough drops, is a combination of two amino…

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Wall St holds gains after cooler inflation, mixed earnings

By Lawrence Delevingne (Reuters) -Wall Street stocks mostly held on to their previous gains on Friday, while the dollar stayed near 15-month lows, after U.S. inflation data this week unleashed a wave of investor optimism that the U.S. Federal Reserve was nearing the end of its rate-hiking cycle. Data showed on Wednesday U.S. consumer prices…

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Court blocks curbs on US government contact with social media companies for now

By Brendan Pierson (Reuters) -A U.S. appeals court on Friday temporarily blocked a lower court order that had sharply limited certain Biden administration officials’ and agencies’ contacts with social media companies. The ruling from the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals means that the administration is not bound, for now, by a July…

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