Fed keeps policy rate outlook intact amid projected growth slowdown, temporary inflation jump
WASHINGTON-The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady on Wednesday, as expected, but U.S. central bank policymakers indicated they still anticipate reducing borrowing costs by half a percentage point by the end of this year in the context of slowing economic…
USDA to begin disbursing economic aid to farmers amid low prices
The U.S. Department of Agriculture will on Wednesday begin accepting applications from farmers affected by low commodity prices for economic aid passed by Congress last year, an agency official said on Tuesday. The stop-gap government funding package passed by Congress…
Trump, Putin agree to Russia-Ukraine energy infrastructure ceasefire for 30 days
WASHINGTON-Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed on Tuesday to a proposal by U.S. President Donald Trump that Russia and Ukraine cease attacking each other’s energy infrastructure for 30 days, the Kremlin said following a lengthy phone discussion between the leaders. The…
Exclusive-Gates warns White House he can’t fill shortfalls in US global health funding
LONDON-Bill Gates is personally lobbying Trump administration officials to keep funding health programs worldwide, from childhood vaccination to HIV treatment, and warning that his foundation cannot step in to fill gaps, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. The…
Japan’s Nomura ties up with regional bank Hyakujushi to boost wealth business
TOKYO -Nomura Holdings, Japan’s largest securities firm, said on Monday it has partnered with regional lender Hyakujushi Bank to boost its wealth management services. Hyakujushi Bank, based in Kagawa prefecture, will pass on some of its customer accounts, such as…
Hedge funds regain appetite for US stocks, feel full of Europe, Asia
NEW YORK -Global hedge funds started to add back U.S. equities to portfolios last week following a massive selloff in Wall Street’s major indexes, an early indication of optimism about the country. Goldman Sachs said in a separate note that…
Tighter credit, slower spending by better-off households may further cloud Fed outlook
WASHINGTON- Tumbling stock markets and signs of tightening credit may make the Federal Reserve’s job even more difficult this week as U.S. central bank policymakers try to weigh whether consumer spending will suffer as households take stock of the potential…
Measles cases rise to 279 in Texas, state health department says
The Texas health department reported 279 measles cases in the state on Tuesday, an increase of 20 cases from its previous count. Cases in Gaines county, the center of the outbreak, rose to 191 from 174, the Texas Department of…
Trump to release 80,000 pages on JFK assassination
WASHINGTON-President Donald Trump plans to release about 80,000 pages of material related to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy on Tuesday, seeking to honor his campaign promise to provide more transparency about the shock event in Texas. “It’s…
US homebuilding, manufacturing surge; tariffs cast pall over recovery
WASHINGTON – U.S. single-family homebuilding rebounded sharply in February amid a thaw in winter weather while production at factories surged, but rising prices for raw materials because of tariffs threaten the nascent housing market and manufacturing recovery. The reports on…
Alphabet to buy Wiz for $32 billion in its biggest deal to boost cloud security
Alphabet said on Tuesday it would buy Wiz for about $32 billion in its biggest deal ever, as the Google parent doubles down on cybersecurity to sharpen its edge in the cloud-computing race against Amazon.com and Microsoft. The blockbuster deal…
Doctor deported to Lebanon had photos ‘sympathetic’ to Hezbollah on phone, US says
BOSTON- U.S. authorities on Monday said they deported a Rhode Island doctor to Lebanon last week after discovering “sympathetic photos and videos” of the former longtime leader of Hezbollah and militants in her cell phone’s deleted items folder. Dr. Rasha…
Trump nixes $17.75 minimum wage for federal contractors adopted by Biden
President Donald Trump has rescinded an executive order issued by his Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, that required businesses that contract with the federal government to pay workers a minimum wage of $17.75 an hour. Trump, a Republican, late on Friday…
US Postal Service seeks DOGE’s help on retail leases, counterfeit postage
WASHINGTON-U.S. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said on Monday he had asked the government efficiency team led by Elon Musk for assistance with a number of issues, including a review of the agency’s retail center lease renewals and combating counterfeit postage….
Some 80,000 pages of JFK files will be released Tuesday, Trump says
WASHINGTON- U.S. President Donald Trump, who has ordered the release of classified documents related to the 1963 assassination of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, said on Monday that his administration will make public around 80,000 pages of files related to…
Judge questions Trump’s deportation of Venezuelans as White House defends move
WASHINGTON- A U.S. judge on Monday ordered the Trump administration to explain whether it defied a court order by deporting hundreds of Venezuelans the White House says are violent criminals, a move officials defended but several legal experts said appeared…
Berkshire raises stakes in five Japanese trading houses to near 10%
TOKYO -Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway raised its holdings in five Japanese trading houses, regulatory filings showed on Monday, in the U.S. conglomerate’s latest investments in Japan’s top commodity firms that began nearly five years ago. Berkshire’s stake in Mitsui &…
Hedge funds regain appetite for US stocks, feel full of Europe, Asia
NEW YORK-Global hedge funds started to add back U.S. equities to portfolios last week following a massive selloff in Wall Street’s major indexes, an early indication of optimism about the country. Goldman Sachs said in a separate note that after…
US releases $57 million in financing to help reopen Michigan reactor
WASHINGTON -The U.S. Department of Energy said on Monday it has disbursed $57 million of an up to $1.52 billion loan guarantee for Holtec’s Palisades nuclear plant in Michigan, which the company hopes will be the first U.S. commercial reactor…
Large area of US under tornado watch, at least 34 people dead
Portions of West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania were under a new tornado watch issued on Sunday by the National Weather Service, as the death toll from storms rose to at least 34 people in six states since Friday. The storms…
US stocks rally as investors weigh economic data, Trump policies
NEW YORK -U.S. stocks gained for a second straight session on Monday as investors sought bargains after the Nasdaq and S&P 500’s four-week tumble and assessed the latest economic data to gauge the impact of the Trump administration’s policies. Retail…
US expels South Africa’s ambassador, calling him ‘race-baiting’ Trump hater
WASHINGTON/JOHANNESBURG-The U.S. has is expelling South Africa’s ambassador, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, calling the envoy a “race-baiting politician” who hates President Donald Trump. Ties have slumped since Trump cut U.S. financial aid to South Africa, citing disapproval of…
UK’s Starmer says ‘coalition of willing’ expanding preparations for post-truce Ukraine
LONDON -British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Saturday that Western allies other than the U.S. were stepping up preparations to support Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire with Russia, with defence chiefs set to firm up “robust plans”…
Tornadoes strike US South, killing 10 people amid rising risk
ATLANTA-At least 10 people were killed in Missouri as a series of tornadoes hit the U.S. Midwest and Southeast overnight, raking a path of destruction that was still being assessed early on Saturday, police said. Twenty-six tornadoes were reported but…
Trump poised to launch new round of layoffs despite setbacks in court
WASHINGTON-President Donald Trump’s administration gave no sign on Friday of diverting from its plan for a second wave of mass firings and budget cuts across the U.S. government after two federal court rulings ordered the reinstatement of thousands of workers….
Trump administration probes 45 universities on race policies
WASHINGTON- The U.S. Department of Education on Friday said its office for civil rights is investigating 45 universities, citing complaints that the schools engaged with a program that set eligibility based on race. Since Donald Trump returned to the presidency…
Trump targets law firm Paul Weiss in order restricting government access
WASHINGTON-U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday suspending security clearances for lawyers and other employees at New York law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, and restricting their access to federal buildings and officials. “Today, President…
Trump administration weighs travel ban on dozens of countries
WASHINGTON-The Trump administration is considering issuing sweeping travel restrictions for the citizens of dozens of countries as part of a new ban, according to sources familiar with the matter and an internal memo seen by Reuters. The memo lists a…
US Senate government spending bill advances toward passage
WASHINGTON- The U.S. Senate on Friday looked set to advance a bill that would prevent a partial government shutdown, after a sufficient number of minority Democrats joined with the majority Republicans in support. Voting continued.
Wall St ends sharply higher as selloff prompts dip-buying rally
NEW YORK -U.S. stocks rebounded on Friday as investors hunted for bargains at the end of a tumultuous week in which U.S. President Donald Trump’s escalating trade war fueled recession fears and doused risk appetite. A broad rally boosted all…