By Howard Schneider WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The gain of 339,000 U.S. payroll jobs in May was a blockbuster number, nearly double what was normal before the pandemic and seeming confirmation that key parts of the economy motor along despite aggressive Federal Reserve interest rate increases. But details beneath the headline number may, if sustained, point…
(Reuters) – Russian mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, who has been arguing with top military brass for months, on Friday escalated the feud by accusing pro-Moscow forces of trying to blow up his men. Prigozhin’s Wagner Group troops have largely pulled back from the eastern Ukrainian town of Bakhmut, most of which they captured last month…
By Lucia Mutikani WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. job growth accelerated in May, but a surge in the unemployment rate to a seven-month high of 3.7% suggested that labor market conditions were easing, which could give the Federal Reserve cover to skip an interest rate hike this month. The increase in the unemployment rate from a…
(Reuters) – Fort Bragg, the U.S. Army base in North Carolina that is among the world’s largest military installations, was formally renamed Fort Liberty on Friday, part of a broader effort to rechristen bases named for Confederate officers. Last year, a commission created by Congress recommended new names for nine bases that honored Confederate officers,…
By Davide Barbuscia NEW YORK (Reuters) -While a U.S. default on its debt has been averted, the possibility of another credit rating downgrade remains, as 11th-hour debt ceiling negotiations have become an almost regular feature in recent U.S. history. The U.S. Senate on Thursday passed bipartisan legislation backed by President Joe Biden that lifts the…
By Jonathan Landay and Arshad Mohammed WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States does not need more nuclear weapons to deter the combined forces of Russia and China because of its advanced military capabilities, U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Friday. Sullivan also said Washington will abide by the limits on strategic nuclear weapons…
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A Georgia-based probe into whether former Republican President Donald Trump and others illegally sought to overturn his loss in the state’s 2020 presidential election has expanded into activities outside of Georgia, the Washington Post reported on Friday. Fulton County’s prosecutor has broadened the two-year-long investigation to include Trump’s campaign “hiring two firms…
By Arshad Mohammed WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States said on Friday it imposed sanctions on Iranian technology company Arvan Cloud, two employees and an affiliated Emirati firm for helping Tehran censor the internet in Iran as part of the government’s attempts to crush domestic protests. Arvan Cloud has a close relationship with Iran’s intelligence…
By Pavel Polityuk KYIV (Reuters) – Ukraine fended off 36 Russian air attacks in and around the capital overnight while pro-Kyiv Russian fighters said they were battling Russian forces for a second day inside Russia, trading blame with Moscow for the deaths of two civilians. Russia has launched about 20 waves of attacks on Kyiv…
By Nathan Layne LACONIA, New Hampshire (Reuters) -As Florida Governor Ron DeSantis took his presidential pitch to Iowa and New Hampshire this week, it was his wife’s presence and message that stood out to some Republican voters as a potential asset for his 2024 campaign. Casey DeSantis, a former TV broadcaster who has been credited…
