Articles by Focus Washington

U.S. stock futures were higher Monday morning ahead of the first trading session of 2021 following a volatile year, CNBC reports. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures were up 99 points. S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 […]

Pence Welcomes GOP Effort to Delay Certification of Biden Victory

Vice President Mike Pence has welcomed a bid by 11 GOP senators and senators-elect to delay the certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s victory over President Donald Trump in the Electoral College during a formal joint […]

Afghan Rivals to Resume Talks as Civilian Killings Sow Suspicion

Afghan government representatives and Taliban officials are due to resume their power-sharing talks, officials said on Monday, although battlefield clashes and targeted killings risk undermining efforts to end the war, Reuters informed. The talks began […]

Kenosha Preparing for Protests When Charging Decision Comes on Jacob Blake’s Shooting

The city of Kenosha, Wisconsin, is making preparations for demonstrations when a charging decision comes over the police shooting of Jacob Blake, authorities said on Sunday, Reuters informed. Kenosha saw civil unrest and large demonstrations […]

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.

China Telco Shares Hit by NYSE Delisting Announcement

Shares in China’s three biggest telecoms companies fell as much as 5% in Hong Kong on Monday, the first trading session since the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) said it would delist the firms in […]

Georgia Election Guardian Raffensperger Faces Heat as Trump Contests Defeat

Georgia’s Republican secretary of state, Brad Raffensperger, cemented his status as an unlikely hero for U.S. Democrats following a fresh clash in which he rejected President Donald Trump’s claims that his election defeat was the […]

Pelosi Re-Elected as U.S. House Speaker Amid Political Uncertainty

Nancy Pelosi was narrowly re-elected speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives on Sunday, as a new Congress took office amid political uncertainty, with Senate control undecided and a Republican fight looming over presidential election […]

U.S. May Cut Some Moderna Vaccine Doses in Half to Speed Rollout, Official Says

The U.S. government is considering giving some people half the dose of Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine in order to speed vaccinations, a federal official said on Sunday, Reuters reported. Moncef Slaoui, head of Operation Warp Speed, […]

Bitcoin Rallies Above $30,000 for First Time

Digital currency Bitcoin extended its record-smashing rally on Saturday, beginning the year with a surge over $30,000 for the first time, with ever more traders and investors betting that it is on its way to […]

China Senior Diplomat Says U.S. Relations at ‘New Crossroads’

China’s relationship with the United States has reached a “new crossroads” and could get back on the right track following a period of “unprecedented difficulty”, senior diplomat Wang Yi said in official comments published on […]

Tesla 2020 Deliveries Beat Estimates, but Fall Just Short of Musk’s Target

Tesla Inc on Saturday reported better-than-expected 2020 vehicle deliveries, driven by a steady rise in electric vehicle adoption, but narrowly missed its ambitious full-year goal during a punishing year for the global auto industry, Reuters […]

U.S. Senator Cruz Leads Long-Shot Republican Bid to Overturn Biden’s Victory

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz on Saturday said he will spearhead a drive by nearly a dozen Republican senators to challenge President-elect Joe Biden’s victory when Electoral College results are tallied in Congress on Jan. 6 […]

Iran’s Foreign Minister Urges Trump to Avoid Israel ‘Trap’ to Provoke War

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif urged U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday not to be “trapped” by an alleged Israeli plan to provoke a war through attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq, Reuters reported. […]

Defying Trump, US Senate Overrides Defense Bill Veto

Outgoing President Donald Trump suffered a stinging rebuke in the US Senate on Friday when fellow Republicans joined Democrats to override a presidential veto for the first time in his tenure, pushing through a defense […]

Alarming Number of US Health Care Workers Are Refusing COVID-19 Vaccine

U.S. health care workers are first in line to receive the COVID-19 vaccine — but an alarming number across the country are refusing to do so, New York Post says. Earlier this week, Ohio Gov. […]

Federal Judge Dismisses Election Lawsuit against Pence

A federal judge on Friday dismissed a lawsuit led by President Trump’s allies in Congress that aimed to pressure Vice President Mike Pence to overturn the results of the election, dealing a blow to lawmakers’ […]

Nancy Pelosi’s San Francisco Home Vandalized with Graffiti and a Pig’s Head

Vandals left fake blood and a pig’s head in front of the garage of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s (D-California) San Francisco home, Huffpost writes. A message sprayed on the door demanded $2,000, apparently referring to […]

Virginia State Sen. Ben Chafin Dead from COVID-19 Complications

Virginia state Sen. Ben Chafin died Friday from COVID-19 complications, New York Post reports. Chafin’s office confirmed his death in a news release obtained by WJHL, saying the 60-year-old lawmaker had been hospitalized for the […]

Post-Brexit Trade Deal Begins, Ushering in a New Era for the UK-EU Relationship

A new chapter has begun in the history of Britain’s relationship with the rest of Europe, CNBC writes. Britain officially left the European Union last January after 47 years of membership in the now-27 member […]

U.S. Airline 2020 Losses Expected to Top $35 Billion in Dismal COVID Pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic has been brutal for U.S. airlines and significant relief isn’t expected until the second half of 2021, CNBC informed. U.S. carriers’ 2020 net losses likely topped $35 billion, according to analyst estimates […]

Defying Trump, Republican-Led U.S. Senate Presses Ahead to Override His Veto

President Donald Trump’s fellow Republicans in the U.S. Senate are expected to take steps toward overriding his veto of a major defense bill in a rare New Year’s Day session on Friday and hand him […]

BioNTech Founders Warn of Vaccine Supply Gaps

BioNTech is working flat out with partner Pfizer to boost production of their COVID-19 vaccine, its founders said, warning there would be gaps in supply until other vaccines were rolled out, Reuters writes. The German […]

NYSE Starts Process of Delisting 3 Chinese Telco Companies

The New York Stock Exchange is starting the process of delisting securities of three Chinese telecom companies, after President Donald Trump last month barred U.S. investments in Chinese firms Washington says are owned or controlled […]

U.S. Vaccinations in 2020 Fall Far Short of Target of 20 Million People

Only about 2.8 million Americans had received a COVID-19 vaccine going into the last day of December, putting the United States far short of the government’s target to vaccinate 20 million people this month, Reuters […]

SolarWinds Hackers Accessed Microsoft Source Code, the Company Says

The hacking group behind the SolarWinds compromise was able to break into Microsoft Corp and access some of its source code, Microsoft said on Thursday, something experts said sent a worrying signal about the spies’ […]

Trump Extends Immigration Bans Despite Opposition From U.S. Business Groups

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday extended a pair of immigration bans that block many “green card” applicants and temporary foreign workers from entering the country, measures he says are needed to protect U.S. workers […]

In Dueling New Year Messages, Trump Reflects While Biden Looks Ahead

President Donald Trump in a New Year’s Eve message reflected on his accomplishments in office, calling them “historic victories,” while his successor, President-elect Joe Biden, struck an upbeat tone in looking ahead to 2021, Reuters […]

Iran’s Foreign Minister Says Trump Trying to Fabricate Pretext to Attack Iran

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Thursday accused U.S. President Donald Trump of attempting to fabricate a pretext to attack Iran, and said Tehran would defend itself forcefully, Reuters reported. Separately, a military adviser […]

December 31, 2020 Focus Washington

New York City Wants to Vaccinate 1 Million Residents Against COVID in January

New York City officials want to inoculate 1 million residents against Covid-19 in January, saying the federal government and drugmakers need to speed up the production and distribution of the vaccine, CNBC writes. Mayor Bill […]

December 31, 2020 Focus Washington

U.S. Weekly Jobless Claims Fall for Second Straight Week

The number of Americans filing first-time claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell for a second straight week last week but remain elevated more than nine months into the health and economic crisis triggered by the […]