Articles by Focus Washington

The U.S. government will allot nearly 85% less Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines to states next week, data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed, Reuters writes. Only 785,500 J&J doses will be […]

Biden Plan Calls for $100 Billion in New EV Consumer Rebates

The Biden administration’s $174 billion proposal to boost electric vehicles calls for $100 billion in new consumer rebates and $15 billion to build 500,000 new electric vehicle charging stations, according to a Transportation Department email […]

Senator Manchin Opposes Reconciliation, Backs Filibuster

U.S. Democratic Senator Joe Manchin, a pivotal vote in the evenly divided Senate, said on Wednesday he was opposed to a process called reconciliation that makes it easier to pass bills without Republican support, a […]

White House, U.S. Companies Could Agree on 25% Tax Rate

President Joe Biden has championed raising the U.S. corporate tax rate to 28% from 21% as the main way to fund his $2 trillion infrastructure plan, but few people in Washington, including inside the White […]

President Biden to Pressure U.S. Companies Over Paying ‘Acceptable’ Level of Tax

President Joe Biden will sharpen arguments for his $2 trillion-plus new spending proposal in a speech on Wednesday, challenging those who oppose his plan and the taxes that would be raised to pay for it, […]

U.S. Launches Study on Allergic Reaction Risk in Moderna, Pfizer Vaccines

The U.S. National Institutes of Health said on Wednesday it had begun a mid-stage study to determine the risk of allergic reactions to COVID-19 vaccines made by Moderna Inc and Pfizer Inc, Reuters reported. Several […]

Battle for Yemen Desert City Now a Key to Iran, U.S. Tension

The battle for an ancient desert city in war-torn Yemen has become a key to understanding wider tensions now inflaming the Middle East and the challenges facing any efforts by President Joe Biden’s administration to […]

Amazon’s Bezos Says He Supports a Hike to Corporate Tax Rate

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on Tuesday voiced support for raising the corporate tax rate but stopped short of saying he supports President Joe Biden’s plan for the increase, CNBC informed. “We support the Biden Administration’s […]

Stock Futures Inch Higher after Major Averages Close Lower, S&P 500 Retreats from Record

U.S. stock index futures inched higher early Wednesday, after the major averages finished Tuesday’s session in the red, CNBC informed. Futures contracts tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 25 points, or 0.08%. S&P […]

White House Rules Out Involvement in ‘Vaccine Passports’

White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Tuesday ruled out the Biden administration playing any role in a “vaccine passport” system as Republican governors in particular balk at the concept, The Hill reported. “The government […]

Saudi Arabia’s Family Businesses Get Help to Join E-commerce Boom

The Saudi Social Development Bank (SDB) signed several cooperation agreements with technology companies to help family businesses join the country’s booming e-commerce sector, Arab News reported. The agreements, which were signed in Riyadh, will help […]

G20 Finance Leaders to Meet on Pandemic Measures

Finance officials from the Group of 20 major economies are poised to back a $650 billion boost in the IMF’s emergency reserves on Wednesday and extend a freeze on debt payments as part of an […]

protection against coronavirus infection

A Third of COVID Survivors Suffer Neurological or Mental Disorders

One in three COVID-19 survivors in a study of more than 230,000 mostly American patients were diagnosed with a brain or psychiatric disorder within six months, suggesting the pandemic could lead to a wave of […]

Prosecution Witnesses Say Chauvin Disregarded Training in Deadly Encounter With George Floyd

Prosecutors in Derek Chauvin’s murder trial presented a series of witnesses on Tuesday in a bid to show that the former Minneapolis police officer disregarded his training when he knelt on George Floyd’s neck for […]

California Gov prposed new $2.7 billion disaster responsee package to fight coronavirus

Newsom: California Plans To Lift Most COVID Restrictions June 15, Keep Mask Mandate

California Governor Gavin Newsom said that the state will reopen its economy by June 15 provided that coronavirus vaccine and hospitalization cases remain stable, CNBC reported. “With more than 20 million vaccines administered across the […]

White House: Americans Age 16 and up Eligible for Vaccine by April 19

President Joe Biden will announce on Tuesday that the target to make COVID-19 vaccines available to everyone age 16 and older will be moved up by nearly two weeks, the White House said, as the […]

U.S. Job Openings Jump to Two-Year High in Boost to Labor Market

U.S. job openings rose to a two-year high in February while hiring picked up as strengthening domestic demand amid increased COVID-19 vaccinations and additional pandemic aid from the government boost companies’ needs for more workers, […]

Global Powers, Iran, U.S. Launch Indirect Talks to Revive Nuclear Deal

European intermediaries began shuttling between Iranian and U.S. officials in Vienna on Tuesday as they sought to bring both countries back into full compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal that Washington abandoned three years ago, […]

‘Stay Out of Politics,’ Republican Leader McConnell Tells U.S. CEOs, Warns of ‘Consequences’

U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell lashed out at corporate America on Monday, warning CEOs to stay out of the debate over a new voting law in Georgia that has been criticized as restricting votes […]

North Korea Drops Out of Tokyo Olympics Citing COVID-19, Dashing South Korea Hopes

North Korea will not join the Tokyo Olympics this year due to coronavirus concerns, the country’s sports ministry said on Tuesday, dashing South Korean hopes the Games could be a catalyst to revive stalled peace […]

Vaccinating Adults Appears to Protect Children around Them

The following is a roundup of some of the latest scientific studies on the novel coronavirus and efforts to find treatments and vaccines for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus, Reuters reports. New data […]

Stocks Scale Fresh Peak as U.S. and China Lead Recovery

Stocks hovered near a record high on Tuesday, supported by strong economic data from China and the United States, while currency and bond markets paused for breath after a month of rapid gains in the […]

U.S. Senate Parliamentarian Says Democrats Can Use Reconciliation to Pass More Bills

The U.S. Senate parliamentarian ruled on Monday that Democrats may use a procedural tool known as reconciliation to pass more legislation this year, a spokesman for Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said, which could clear the […]

Yellen Says Global Minimum Tax Needed, Too Soon to Declare Victory over Pandemic

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said on Monday that she is working with G20 countries to agree on a global corporate minimum tax rate to end a “30-year race to the bottom on corporate tax […]

Biden Says Higher Corporate Taxes Won’t Harm U.S. Economy

President Joe Biden on Monday defended his proposal to increase corporate taxes to help pay for a big boost in U.S. infrastructure spending, saying he is not at all worried the tax hike would harm […]

U.S. Companies Face Boycott Threats, Mounting Pressure to Take Sides in America’s Voting Rights Battle

U.S. corporations face growing pressure and threats of boycotts to publicly oppose Republican-backed election legislation in Georgia and other states that critics say harm the voting rights of Black Americans, CNBC reported. The opposition intensified […]

Kerry Says Biden’s Ambitious Climate Plan Is ‘Not a Counter to China’

No single country can solve the climate crisis — and the American pursuit of greater research and development on climate change is not a counter to China, the Biden administration’s climate envoy John Kerry told […]

The footage showing Derek Chauvin kneeling on the restrained Floyd's neck for over eight minutes while the officers were making the arrest sparked worldwide anger and the greatest popular uprising witnessed in the United States in decades.

Senior Officer Says Chauvin Used ‘Totally Unnecessary’ Force on George Floyd

A Minneapolis homicide investigator testified on Friday that Derek Chauvin used “totally unnecessary” deadly force when kneeling on George Floyd’s neck during an arrest last May that sparked global protests against police brutality, Reuters reported. […]

Dollar Looks for Next Catalyst as Economic Data Keep Bulls in Control

The dollar was largely steady on Monday as investors soaked up last week’s strong U.S. employment report and looked ahead to data on the U.S. services sector for affirmation of a solid economic rebound from […]

U.S. Puts J&J in Charge of Plant That Botched COVID Vaccine, Removes AstraZeneca

The United States has put Johnson and Johnson in charge of a plant that ruined 15 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine and has stopped British drugmaker AstraZeneca Plc from using the facility, a senior […]