Lawmakers in three states consider abortion bans at 12 weeks or less

By Julia Harte (Reuters) – South Carolina’s state House on Tuesday began a days-long debate over a bill to ban most abortions after six weeks of pregnancy, while state lawmakers in North Carolina and Nebraska took up separate legislation to restrict abortion in those states. In North Carolina, the Republican-controlled state legislature voted to override…

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Biden, McCarthy hopeful on debt ceiling deal, US president cuts Asia trip short

By Nandita Bose and David Morgan WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Democratic President Joe Biden and top congressional Republican Kevin McCarthy edged closer to a deal to avoid a looming U.S. debt default Tuesday, as the threat of an economic nightmare prompted Biden to cut short an Asia trip this week. After an hour of talks, McCarthy, the…

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Wall Street closes lower after Home Depot outlook, US retail sales

By Chuck Mikolajczak NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. stock indexes closed lower on Tuesday after a disappointing forecast from Home Depot and U.S. retail sales data for April pointed to softer consumer spending, while uncertainty about interest rates and debt limit negotiations weighed on sentiment. Home Depot declined 2.15% as one of the biggest drag…

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US lawmakers, Biden aides invoke China competition in debt fight

By Patricia Zengerle, Idrees Ali and Michael Martina WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Three of U.S. President Joe Biden’s top aides warned on Tuesday that budget cuts would undermine the country’s ability to compete militarily, diplomatically and economically with China, a rare joint appearance in Congress underscoring Washington’s focus on competing with the Asian power. Secretary of State…

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Massachusetts US attorney to resign amid Justice Dept ethics probe

By Sarah N. Lynch WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Rachael Rollins will resign her post by Friday, her lawyer said on Tuesday, after the prosecutor became the subject of a wide-ranging ethics investigation by the Justice Department inspector general’s office. Rollins, the first Black woman to serve as the top federal prosecutor in Massachusetts, is…

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OpenAI chief concerned about AI being used to compromise elections

By Diane Bartz, Zeba Siddiqui and Jeffrey Dastin WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The CEO of OpenAI, the startup behind ChatGPT, told a Senate panel on Tuesday the use of artificial intelligence to interfere with election integrity is a “significant area of concern”, adding that it needs regulation. “I am nervous about it,” CEO Sam Altman said about…

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U.S. charges Apple ex-employee for trying to steal technology, fleeing to China

By Sarah N. Lynch, David Shepardson and Karen Freifeld WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States on Tuesday announced charges in five cases involving alleged efforts to steal technology to benefit China, Russia and Iran including a former Apple Inc engineer accused of targeting the company’s technology on autonomous systems, including self-driving cars, and then fleeing…

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