Articles by Focus Washington

President Joe Biden’s push for a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill took a step forward on Friday as a U.S. House of Representatives committee unveiled the legislation Democrats hope to pass by late next week, […]

Wall Street Closes Flat as Cyclicals Shine, Big Tech Falls

Stocks on Wall Street closed near break-even on Friday as investors sold technology shares that have rallied through the pandemic and rotated into cyclical stocks set to benefit from pent-up demand once the coronavirus pandemic […]

Texas Grid Failure Ignites Feud over Republican Oversight of the Energy Industry

The Texas grid failure that’s left millions struggling without power in freezing conditions has ignited a feud between Democrats and the GOP over Republicans’ decades-long oversight of the energy industry and prompted calls for a […]

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen Makes Push for Major Stimulus

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Thursday said a large stimulus package is still necessary to get the economy back to full strength, despite momentum suggesting that growth is off to a faster start than anticipated […]

After Blizzard of Criticism over Mexico Trip, Senator Ted Cruz Flies Back to Frozen Texas

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz flew into a storm of criticism on Thursday after leaving his home state of Texas in the grip of a deadly deep freeze, for a family holiday jaunt to the Mexican […]

Oil Drops as Investors Gauge Big Chill Impact on U.S. Refineries, OPEC+ Output Rise

Oil prices slid more than 1% on Friday, adding to overnight declines, on worries that refineries will take time to resume operations after the big freeze in the U.S. South, creating a gap in demand, […]

WhatsApp to Move Ahead with Privacy Update despite Backlash

Facebook Inc’s WhatsApp said on Thursday it will go ahead with its controversial privacy policy update but will allow users to read it at “their own pace” and will also display a banner providing additional […]

Joe Biden's social spending bill approved by House Dems

Biden to Debut at G7 with Vaccines, Economy and China in Focus

U.S. President Joe Biden will attend his first meeting with Group of Seven leaders on Friday to discuss plans to defeat the coronavirus, reopen the battered world economy and counter challenges posed by China, Reuters […]

Zarif: Iran Will Reverse Nuclear Actions When U.S. Lifts Sanctions

Iran will “immediately reverse” actions in respect of its nuclear programme when U.S. sanctions are lifted, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Friday, reiterating Tehran’s position on Washington’s offer to revive talks, Reuters reported. […]

Democrats Make Historic Push for Aid for Black Farmers

A long history of discrimination and mistreatment will be reconciled, as a pair of bills to help Black farmers to survive the coronavirus pandemic were put forth by several Democratic senators this week, according to […]

Pelosi Says 9/11-Style Commission to Investigate Capitol Breach is ‘Next Step’

A 9/11 style commission to investigate the attack on Capitol on January 6 is the “next step” after the Senate impeachment trial concluded, said speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Monday, reported The Hill. The impeachment […]

Capitol Asks White House to Allow Toxic Chemicals Rule to Proceed

In a letter written to the White House on Wednesday Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.) said that, with a recent executive order Biden’s administration has frozen a “significant” action on Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS) […]

White House Says Severe Winter Storm Likely Due to Climate Change

The White House on Thursday said a severe winter storm engulfing Texas and other states was the type of extreme weather event that climate change is triggering and proof that “we’re not adequately prepared for […]

Researchers Urge Delaying Pfizer Vaccine’s Second Dose as First Highly Effective

The second dose of Pfizer Inc’s COVID-19 vaccine could be delayed in order to cover all priority groups as the first one is highly protective, two Canada-based researchers said in a letter published in the […]

US and China will meet for the first time at a high level since Russia's attack on Ukraine as Biden tries to get Beijing's help with the war.

Cutting China off from the U.S. Would Cost America Hundreds of Billions of Dollars, Report Says

The U.S. economy could lose more than $1 trillion worth of production and long-term global competitiveness if the White House pursues a sharp separation with China, according to a report released Wednesday by the U.S. Chamber of […]

Ethereum Soars to Record High as Bitcoin Rally Continues

Ether, the world’s second-largest digital currency, hit a record high on Thursday, driven up by the continuing rally in bitcoin, CNBC informed. The price of ether hit $1,918.52 during morning trade in Asia but has […]

Stocks Claw Higher as Hot Oil Fuels Inflation Gyrations

World stocks were battling to avoid a second day of declines on Thursday as hints of rising inflation led by a one-year high in oil prices and the strongest copper prices in nearly a decade […]

Biden Discusses COVID Relief and Infrastructure With Top Labor Leaders

President Joe Biden told 10 top union leaders on Wednesday that his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan and a separate measure to modernize U.S. infrastructure would boost the U.S. economy and create millions of good-paying […]

New York Attorney General Sues Amazon Over COVID-19 Shortfalls

New York Attorney General Letitia James sued Amazon.com Inc on Tuesday over its handling of worker safety issues around the COVID-19 pandemic at two warehouses, just days after the retailer filed its own lawsuit seeking […]

Hedge Funds, Robinhood Face Grilling by Congress Over GameStop Reddit Rally

Wall Street hedge fund managers, the chief executives of Robinhood and Reddit, and a YouTube streamer known as Roaring Kitty face a grilling on Thursday afternoon from U.S. lawmakers over the Reddit rally in shares […]

Facebook ‘Unfriends’ Australia as News Pages Go Dark in Test for Global Publishing

Australians woke to empty Facebook news feeds on Thursday, after the social media giant blocked all media content in a surprise escalation of a dispute with the government, which could be a test for the […]

White House Says Would Support a Study of Slavery Reparations

White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters on Wednesday the Biden administration would support a study on whether descendants of enslaved people in the United States should receive reparations, Reuters reported. Reparations have been used […]

Biden Administration Won’t Rule Out Retaliation for Rocket Attack in Iraq

The Biden administration on Tuesday would not rule out potential retaliation against those behind Monday’s deadly rocket attack in Iraq, CNBC informed. The attack in the city of Irbil in the Kurdistan region killed one […]

McConnel Keeps Quiet over 'Sour Relationship' with Trump

Trump Lashes Out at McConnell in Deepening Feud between Top Republicans

Former President Donald Trump lashed out at Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday, signaling a growing feud between the two most senior Republican voices after the party lost the White House and control of […]

Japan Begins COVID-19 Vaccination in ‘First Major Step’ to Halt Pandemic

Japan launched its COVID-19 inoculation drive on Wednesday, administering the Pfizer-BionTech vaccine to Tokyo hospital workers, as Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga attempts to beat the odds and host the Olympics this summer, Reuters informed. Workers […]

U.S. Ship Sails in South China Sea by China-Claimed Islands

A U.S. Navy warship sailed by islands claimed by China in the South China Sea on Wednesday in a freedom of navigation operation, marking the latest move by Washington to challenge Beijing’s territorial claims in […]

Big Tech’s Democratic Critics Discuss Ways to Strike Back With White House

Congressional Democrats have begun discussions with the White House on ways to crack down on Big Tech including making social media companies accountable for the spread of disinformation on matters such as the U.S. Capitol […]

Trump, Giuliani Accused in Lawsuit of Conspiring to Incite Capitol Riot

A Democratic congressman, in a lawsuit filed on Tuesday, accused former President Donald Trump, his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani and two right-wing groups of conspiring to incite last month’s deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol, […]

Millions Endure Record Cold Without Power

A winter storm that left millions without power in record-breaking cold weather claimed more lives, including three people found dead after a tornado hit a seaside town in North Carolina and four family members who […]

protection against coronavirus infection

COVID-19 Bill Would Scale up Ability To Spot Virus Mutations

U.S. scientists would gain vastly expanded capabilities to identify potentially deadlier mutations of the coronavirus under COVID-19 relief legislation advancing in Congress, The Associated Press reported. The U.S. now maps only the genetic makeup of […]