Wall Street indexes end sharply higher on optimism about debt ceiling

By Noel Randewich and Shristi Achar A (Reuters) – U.S. stocks finished sharply higher on Friday as talks on raising the U.S. debt ceiling progressed, while chip stocks surged for a second straight day on optimism about artificial intelligence. After several rounds of talks, U.S. President Joe Biden and top congressional Republican Kevin McCarthy appeared…

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Texas attorney general lashes out at impeachment against him

By Brad Brooks and Daniel Trotta LUBBOCK, Texas (Reuters) – Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton lashed out on Friday against his critics trying to impeach him, saying that removing him from office would be a gift for President Joe Biden and his Democratic agenda. Paxton, a conservative firebrand and ally of former President Donald…

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US Trade Rep Tai exchanges objections with China’s commerce minister in Detroit meeting

By David Lawder DETROIT (Reuters) -U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai raised complaints about China’s state-led economic policies during a meeting on Friday with Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, who objected to U.S. tariffs and trade policies, their offices said. But statements from the U.S. Trade Representative’s office and China’s Commerce Ministry both emphasized the need…

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Mexican officials find 175 migrants in truck near southern border

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexican authorities found 175 migrants, mostly from Guatemala, crowded into a truck trailer in the southern state of Chiapas, the National Migration Institute (INM) said on Friday, in the latest mass human smuggling incident to be detected in the country. Immigration agents heard yells and banging coming from inside the vehicle…

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Treasury’s Yellen says June 5 is last date for debt ceiling to be raised

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Friday set a deadline for raising the federal debt limit, saying the government would default if Congress does not increase the $31.4 trillion debt ceiling by June 5. Yellen had previously said a default could potentially happen as early as June 1, but is now characterizing June…

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EU to send human rights envoy to Cuba, but will not ‘impose’ demands

By Dave Sherwood HAVANA (Reuters) – The European Union will send a special human rights envoy to Cuba this year to discuss the aftermath of anti-government protests in July 2021, but the EU’s top diplomat said it will not “impose” demands on the Communist-run Caribbean nation. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, on a visit…

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