By David Lawder WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The Internal Revenue Service said on Tuesday it would launch a free, government-provided direct tax filing option next year, which could lead to the full-scale launch of an IRS filing system that would compete with private tax preparers. The IRS said in an exploratory report to Congress that 72% of…
By Gleb Garanich and Sergiy Karazy KYIV (Reuters) -Ukraine said on Tuesday it had shot down six Russian Kinzhal missiles in a single night, thwarting a weapon Moscow has touted as a next-generation hypersonic missile that was all but unstoppable. When asked about the Ukrainian claim, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu dismissed it, the RIA…
SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australian wages grew at the fastest annual pace in a decade last quarter, although quarterly gains missed forecasts, in a result that offers some temporary solace for policymakers who worry a price-wage spiral may lead to more rate hikes. Figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics on Wednesday showed its wage price index…
By Blake Brittain (Reuters) – British singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran on Tuesday defeated a second copyright lawsuit in federal court in Manhattan over similarities between his hit “Thinking Out Loud” and Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On.” U.S. District Judge Louis Stanton dismissed the case brought by Structured Asset Sales LLC, ruling that the parts of…
By Jacqueline Thomsen and Blake Brittain (Reuters) – A U.S. federal appeals judge facing a competency investigation has been unable to complete simple tasks independently and threatened a staffer with arrest, according to witness reports included in an order from her court on Tuesday. An investigative committee of the U.S. Federal Circuit Court of Appeals…
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…
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…
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…
By Joseph Ax (Reuters) -Republican voters in Kentucky on Tuesday chose Daniel Cameron, the state’s popular conservative attorney general, to challenge Democratic Governor Andy Beshear, setting up one of the most closely watched elections of the year, according to an early call of the race by the Associated Press. Cameron, who is Black and has…
By Steve Holland and David Brunnstrom WASHINGTON (Reuters) -An unfolding crisis over the U.S. debt ceiling prompted President Joe Biden on Tuesday to postpone plans to visit Papua New Guinea and Australia, cutting short an upcoming Asia trip so he can return to Washington. Biden will still leave on Wednesday en route to Hiroshima, Japan,…
