Articles by Focus Washington

Existing vaccines for Covid-19 will be effective in fighting off infection from new strains of the coronavirus, a U.S. doctor told CNBC this week. His comments came after the U.K. on Saturday said it identified […]

U.S. Lawmakers Back $1.9 Billion to Replace Telecom Equipment From China’s Huawei, ZTE

U.S. lawmakers will back $1.9 billion to fund a program to remove telecom network equipment that the U.S. government says poses national security risks as part of a $900 billion COVID-19 relief bill, two sources […]

Stocks Falter, Sterling Skids as New COVID Strain Shuts UK

Asian stocks faltered and sterling slid on Monday as unease over a new coronavirus strain that was shutting much of the United Kingdom offset news that a deal had finally been struck on a long-awaited […]

U.S. Congress Reaches Deal on COVID-19 Aid Package, Plans Votes for Monday

U.S. congressional leaders reached agreement on Sunday on a $900 billion package to provide the first new aid in months to an economy and individuals battered by the surging coronavirus pandemic, with votes likely on […]

Rockets Fired at U.S. Embassy Land Inside Baghdad’s Green Zone, Damaging Compound

At least eight Katyusha rockets landed in Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone in an attack targeting the U.S. Embassy, causing some minor damage on the compound on Sunday, the Iraqi military and the embassy said […]

Biden Chief of Staff Says Hack Response Will Go Beyond ‘Just Sanctions’

The incoming White House chief of staff said on Sunday that President-elect Joe Biden’s response to the massive hacking campaign uncovered last week would go beyond sanctions, Reuters writes. Ron Klain said Biden was mapping […]

China Says Firmly Opposes U.S. Bill That Could Remove Chinese Firms From U.S. Exchanges

China said on Monday it firmly opposed U.S. President Trump signing a bill that would kick Chinese companies off U.S. stock exchanges unless they adhere to U.S. auditing standards, saying it contains discriminatory provisions against […]

Britain Insists EU Should Move in Brexit Trade Talks

Britain insisted on Sunday that the European Union should shift position to open the way for a breakthrough in post-Brexit trade talks, with health minister Matt Hancock saying on Sunday the bloc should drop its […]

Trump Downplays Impact of Massive Hacking, Questions Russia Involvement

President Donald Trump, in his first comments about a widespread data breach across the U.S. government, on Saturday downplayed the cyber espionage campaign and questioned whether Russia was to blame as alleged by his own […]

Joe Biden's social spending bill approved by House Dems

Biden Unveils Diverse Team Tasked With Ambitious Climate Agenda

President-elect Joe Biden introduced his climate and energy team on Saturday, a history-making group that will seek to advance an ambitious climate agenda that reverses many Trump administration policies, Reuters reported. Michael Regan would become […]

Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine Begins Rollout as U.S. Races to Broaden Injection Campaign

U.S. distribution of Moderna Inc’s COVID-19 vaccine began on Saturday, with more than 3,700 sites due to start receiving and administering shots as soon as Monday, vastly widening the rollout started last week by Pfizer […]

Congress Poised to Vote on COVID Aid Package After Fed Compromise

The U.S. Congress appeared poised to vote on Sunday on a $900 billion coronavirus aid package after senators struck a late-night compromise to clear one of the final hurdles, a dispute over Federal Reserve pandemic […]

Administration

Space Force to Remain as Trump Legacy

Joe Biden, the new president-elect, pledged to review a lot of President Donald Trump’s changes at the Pentagon, but the Space Force project is expected to live on, reported The Hill. Ever since Trump started […]

Trump Administration Accused of Neglect over COVID Response

President Trump and administration officials were accused this week of “dangerous criminal neglect” over their response to the COVID – 19 crisis, by Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.). Omar said that they deserve direct blame for […]

Trump Signs Bill That Could Kick Chinese Firms off U.S. Stock Exchanges

President Donald Trump on Friday signed legislation that would kick Chinese companies off U.S. stock exchanges unless they adhere to American auditing standards, the White House said, giving the Republican one more tool to threaten […]

U.S. to Halt Work at Two Consulates in Russia After COVID-19 Drawdown

The United States is halting work at two consulates in Russia, the State Department said, citing safety and security issues at the facilities where operations had been curtailed over COVID-19, Reuters writes. Secretary of State […]

Tesla Shares Jump to Record High Ahead of S&P 500 Debut

Tesla’s shares rose to a record high on Friday in a frantic day of trading as investors geared up for the electric carmaker’s much anticipated entrance into the benchmark S&P 500 index, Reuters reported. The […]

U.S. Authorizes Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine, Elderly Next in Line for Shots

Moderna’s coronavirus vaccine on Friday became the second to receive emergency use authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, welcome news to a nation with a staggering COVID-19 death toll of over 307,000 […]

Congress Works Through the Weekend to Finalize COVID Aid Package

Democratic and Republican lawmakers in Washington were working through the weekend to complete a $900 billion coronavirus aid bill for American individuals and businesses struggling from the economic fallout of pandemic lockdowns, Reuters informed. It […]

SolarWinds Hackers Broke Into U.S. Cable Firm and Arizona County, Web Records Show

Suspected Russian hackers accessed the systems of a U.S. internet provider and a county government in Arizona as part of a sprawling cyber-espionage campaign disclosed this week, according to an analysis of publicly-available web records, […]

U.S. Supreme Court Throws Out Challenge to Trump Census Immigrant Plan

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday threw out a lawsuit seeking to block President Donald Trump’s plan to exclude immigrants living illegally in the United States from the population count used to allocate congressional districts […]

Over 1.1 Million Ballots Cast in Early Voting for Georgia U.S. Senate Runoffs

More than 1.1 million Georgians have voted in twin U.S. Senate runoff elections that will determine which party controls that chamber of Congress, and with it the fate of much of Democratic President-elect Joe Biden’s […]

Russia’s Putin Says He Hasn’t Had COVID Vaccine Yet Because He’s Too Old

Russia’s President Vladimir Putin called on the public to get the coronavirus vaccine but said he himself hasn’t gotten it yet, CNBC reported. Speaking at his annual December press conference Thursday, Putin encouraged Russians to […]

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.

Biden’s Pick for Top U.S. Trade Official Will Continue Tough Line on China, Says Ex-Trump Official

U.S. President-elect Joe Biden’s pick for his incoming administration’s top trade official will likely carry on a tough line against China, according to former Trump trade negotiator Clete Willems, CNBC informed. Biden last week named […]

As Pandemic Rages Across U.S., Congress Scrambles to Reach Relief Deal

As the coronavirus pandemic roared to new record highs across the United States, it lit a fire in the U.S. Congress, where Republicans and Democrats were scrambling to pass a new round of aid after […]

Tesla to See Unprecedented Trade Ahead of S&P 500 Debut

Tesla’s grand entrance into the S&P 500 is expected to be preceded by a huge trade, with an unprecedented $80 billion of the electric car maker’s stock changing hands by the end of the session […]

Record-Breaking Storm Unleashes Travel Havoc on U.S. Northeast

A winter storm piled record-breaking amounts of snow onto parts of the U.S. Northeast on Thursday and wreaked havoc throughout the region, killing at least four people in traffic crashes and hobbling travel, Reuters writes. […]

Trump Hunkers Down at the White House and Avoids Talk of Future

Hunkered down in what one former White House official called the “presidential man cave” of the Oval Office, President Donald Trump does not want to talk about what lies ahead once he leaves office next […]

U.S. FDA Advisory Panel Sets Stage for Moderna Vaccine Authorization

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will “rapidly” work towards granting emergency approval of Moderna Inc’s COVID-19 vaccine candidate, FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn said on Thursday, Reuters informed. A panel of outside advisers to […]

Microsoft Says It Found Malicious Software in Its Systems

Microsoft Corp said on Thursday it found malicious software in its systems related to a massive hacking campaign disclosed by U.S. officials this week, adding a top technology target to a growing list of attacked […]