Articles by Focus Washington

Investors concerned about demand for U.S. Treasury debt will be watching Wednesday’s 10-year auction for clues to where yields in the recently volatile market may be headed, Reuters informed. The U.S. Treasury Department has increased […]

U.S. House Approves Expanded Protections for Labor Union Organizing

The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday narrowly approved legislation to expand protections for labor union organizing and collective bargaining, at a time when workers at an Amazon.com facility in Alabama are deciding whether to […]

South Korean Hospitals Extract Extra COVID Vaccine Doses from Vials

In a handful of South Korean hospitals, designated nurses are using specially designed syringes to squeeze extra doses of coronavirus vaccine out of each vial in a bid to stretch the still limited number of […]

Biden’s $1.9 Trillion COVID-19 Package Clears Procedural Vote in U.S. House

The U.S. House of Representatives voted on Tuesday to advance President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill, clearing the way for the measure to be considered on Wednesday, when it is expected to pass, […]

US admin discusses raising the debt ceiling

Dollar Edges up as U.S. Yields Stabilize

The U.S. dollar rose on Wednesday, clawing back some of its losses sustained overnight, as U.S. yields found a floor following their drop from one-year highs, Reuters reported. Riskier currencies including the Australian and New […]

Saudi Arabia Warns Attacks on Oil Targets Threaten Global Economy

Saudi authorities said on Tuesday that terrorist attacks on oil installations in the Kingdom are attacks on the global economy, Arab News reported. During the weekly cabinet meeting, chaired by King Salman, ministers reviewed the […]

Russia Slows Twitter’s Speed Over Failure To Remove Banned Content

Russia’s state communications watchdog said on Wednesday it was restricting the use of Twitter by slowing down its speed, accusing the social media platform of repeatedly failing to remove banned content from its site, Reuters […]

Biden to Sign Coronavirus Relief Bill on his 50th Day of Presidency

Wednesday is the 50th day mark of President Biden’s presidency, and he is on the verge of his first big legislative accomplishment as the House moves to pass his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill, informed […]

Republican Donations Surge Despite Corporate Boycott After Capitol Riots

Right after the deadly insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, dozens of U.S. companies announced they would halt political donations to the 147 Republican lawmakers who voted to overturn Donald Trump’s presidential election loss. Two months […]

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.

Jury Selection Begins in Trial of Ex-Cop in Floyd’s Death

Jury selection in the trial of a former Minneapolis police officer charged in George Floyd’s death began Tuesday with the first potential juror excused after she revealed during questioning that she thought the way the […]

House Prepares to Pass $1.9 Trillion COVID Relief Bill, and Biden Is Expected to Sign It This Week

The House plans to pass Democrats’ $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill this week and get fresh aid to Americans starting this month, CNBC reported. The chamber aims to approve the rescue package in time for […]

Nasdaq Futures Jump 2.5% as Bond Yields Retreat, Dow Futures Gain 170 Points

Stock futures jumped in early trading Tuesday after bond yields declined, causing investors to buy the dip in beaten-up technology shares, CNBC reports. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures rose 179 points, or 0.6%. S&P 500 […]

U.S. Says Visa Applicants Denied Due to Trump ‘Muslim Ban’ Can Reapply

Most U.S. visa applicants who were denied because of former President Donald Trump’s travel ban on 13 mostly Muslim-majority and African countries can seek new decisions or submit new applications, the State Department said on […]

Bitcoin Mania Triggers Fundraising Rush by Chinese Players

Bitcoin mania has fuelled a surge in fundraising by Chinese companies seeking to expand their cryptocurrency operations or move into the red-hot sector, Reuters reported. From large listed companies tapping public markets to smaller players […]

Michelle Obama to Be Inducted into U.S. National Women’s Hall of Fame

Former U.S. first lady Michelle Obama will be inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame along with eight other women including former PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi, soccer icon Mia Hamm and NASA mathematician Katherine […]

U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Case over ‘Qualified Immunity’ for Police

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday sidestepped a chance to review the scope of a legal defense called qualified immunity that increasingly has been used to shield police accused of excessive force, turning away an […]

protection against coronavirus infection

Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine Neutralizes Brazil Variant in Lab Study

The COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE was able to neutralize a new variant of the coronavirus spreading rapidly in Brazil, according to a laboratory study published in the New England Journal of […]

U.S. ‘Alarmed’ by Frequency of Attacks on Saudi after Houthis Target Oil Heartland

The United States on Monday expressed alarm at “genuine security threats” to Saudi Arabia from Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis and elsewhere in the region after attacks on the heart of the Saudi oil industry, and it […]

Noosphere Venture to Support Space Foundation’s Annual International Student Art Contest

In the next three years, Noosphere Ventures will support Space Foundation’s annual International Student Art Contest. Beginning its second decade, the contest invites students from around the world to electronically submit their original artwork in […]

Futures Slip after Senate Passes $1.9 Trillion COVID Relief Bill

U.S. futures fell early Monday morning as a new stimulus package from Washington headed toward final passage this week, CNBC reported. Futures contracts tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average erased earlier gains of more […]

U.S. Hits Record Daily COVID Vaccinations but Health Officials Warn against Loosening Restrictions

The United States administered a record number of Covid-19 vaccines over the weekend as public health officials call on state leaders to keep social distancing measures in place in order to avoid a new surge […]

Pope Francis Ends Epic Iraq Tour Where He Preached Peace

Pope Francis ended his historic tour of Iraq on Monday, departing by plane from Baghdad after visiting conflict-torn cities, meeting Muslim and Christian leaders and preaching peace and coexistence over war, Reuters informed. Francis waved […]

Japan COVID-19 Inoculations off to Slow Start Due to Vaccine, Syringe Shortages

Japan’s COVID-19 inoculation campaign is moving at a glacial pace, hampered by a lack of supply and a shortage of specialty syringes that underscore the enormous challenge it faces in its aim to vaccinate every […]

World Shares Ease as Yields and Oil Ring Inflation Alarm

World shares dipped on Monday as the U.S. Senate’s passage of a $1.9 trillion stimulus bill put fresh pressure on Treasuries and tech stocks with lofty valuations, raising inflation jitters, Reuters reported. These concerns overshadowed […]

U.S. House Set to Vote on Bills to Expand Gun Background Checks

The U.S. House of Representatives is set to vote on Wednesday on a pair of bills to expand background checks before gun purchases, two years after a similar House effort failed to make it through […]

Houthis Attack Saudi Oil Heartland with Drones, Missiles

Yemen’s Houthi forces fired drones and missiles at the heart of Saudi Arabia’s oil industry on Sunday, including a Saudi Aramco facility at Ras Tanura vital to petroleum exports, in what Riyadh called a failed […]

Russia Rebukes Facebook for Blocking Some Media Posts

Russia accused Facebook on Monday of violating citizens’ rights by blocking some media outlets’ content in the latest standoff between a government and Big Tech, Reuters informed. Communications watchdog Roskomnadzor at the weekend threatened Facebook […]

March 7, 2021 Focus Washington

Biden Pressing Congress to restore Voting Rights Act

President Joe Biden, in remarks prepared for the Martin & Coretta Scott King Unity Breakfast on Sunday, is calling on Congress to restore parts of the Voting Rights Act struck down by the Supreme Court in […]

March 7, 2021 Focus Washington

US, South Korea Scaling Back Military Drills

Military officials said on Sunday that the U.S. and South Korea will scale back their annual joint drills this month, citing a combination of the coronavirus pandemic and ongoing diplomatic overtures to North Korea, The […]

March 7, 2021 Focus Washington

Marathon Fight to Pass U.S. Pandemic Relief Tests Democrats’ Majority

The battle to pass a COVID-19 relief bill demonstrated how hard things will be for U.S. President Joe Biden’s Democrats in Congress, facing opposition from right and left as they try to score big wins […]