US prepares $8 billion in arms aid packages for Zelenskiy visit, sources say

By Mike Stone, Patricia Zengerle and Phil Stewart WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The United States plans to announce more than $8 billion worth of military assistance for Ukraine on Thursday during Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s visit to Washington, two U.S. officials said on Wednesday. President Joe Biden’s administration has been engaged in urgent discussions with Congress to…

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Six weeks from Election Day, in-person US voting begins in some states

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Americans began casting their first in-person votes on Friday in a presidential election six weeks away that both Republican and Democratic leaders call the most important in generations. The stakes are high: Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and other party leaders have described Republican nominee Donald Trump as a threat…

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US Congress nears agreement on extending expiring Ukraine aid, sources say

By Patricia Zengerle and Mike Stone WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Pro-Ukraine U.S. congressional leaders and President Joe Biden’s administration are near an agreement to seek a one-year extension of $6 billion in military aid for Ukraine that is due to expire this month, according to two sources familiar with the matter. There is bipartisan support for…

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US single-family homebuilding surges, rising supply a near-term constraint

By Lucia Mutikani WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. single-family homebuilding rebounded sharply in August, but a moderate increase in building permits suggested that the momentum was unlikely to be sustained against the backdrop of rising supply of new homes on the market. The jump in single-family housing starts reported by the U.S. Commerce Department on Wednesday…

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Climate-related ‘one-two punch’ seen driving Los Angeles wildfires

By Andrew Hay (Reuters) – Wildfires around Los Angeles have burned rapidly in the past week after vegetation growth and record heat blamed on climate change, and Southern California blazes could get worse once seasonal winds start, according to climate scientists. Three blazes in mountains around the second-largest U.S. city have destroyed more than 230…

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