Dollar touches 7-month low as Fed rate rise expectations slide

The dollar touched a seven-month low on Wednesday, reversing a trend that dominated much of 2022 as lower expectations of sharp Federal Reserve rate rises eased pressure on global markets. The fall in the US currency, one of the steepest since the aftermath of the global financial crisis, came as US retail figures showed a 1.1 per cent year-on-year drop in sales in December — … Continue reading Dollar touches 7-month low as Fed rate rise expectations slide

US Treasury buys time for Biden and GOP on debt limit deal

The U.S. government bumped up against its debt limit Thursday, prompting the Treasury Department to take “extraordinary” accounting steps to avoid default — as friction between President Joe Biden and House Republicans raised concern about whether the U.S. can sidestep an economic crisis. The Treasury Department said in a letter to congressional leaders it had started taking “extraordinary measures” as the government had run up … Continue reading US Treasury buys time for Biden and GOP on debt limit deal

Another North Carolina power substation damaged by apparent gunfire

Another power substation in North Carolina has been damaged because of apparent gunfire, energy officials said Tuesday. The damage occurred at a power substation in Thomasville, about an hour away from Moore County, where just weeks ago two other substations were attacked by gunfire.  EnergyUnited said that company officials learned of an “equipment issue” at the Pleasant Hill Substation on Tuesday morning, at which time … Continue reading Another North Carolina power substation damaged by apparent gunfire

Davos elites see a major risk ahead for markets with looming U.S. debt standoff

The finance and tech CEOs gathering at the World Economic Forum this week expressed measured optimism about the economy in 2023 — but at least one major risk looms for markets, they said. The resilient U.S. economy, a mild European winter and China’s reopening have given investors and forecasters hope that a severe recession can be avoided, Citigroup The U.S. economy has slowed since the … Continue reading Davos elites see a major risk ahead for markets with looming U.S. debt standoff

Ukraine helicopter crash kills interior minister, others

A helicopter carrying Ukraine’s interior minister crashed into a kindergarten in a foggy residential suburb of Kyiv on Wednesday, killing him and about a dozen other people, including a child on the ground, authorities said. Interior Minister Denys Monastyrskyi, who oversaw the country’s police and emergency services, is the most senior official killed since Russia invaded nearly 11 months ago. His death, along with the … Continue reading Ukraine helicopter crash kills interior minister, others

Putin could be ready to announce a second mobilization drive

Russian President Vladimir Putin could be ready to announce another mobilization round, as Russia looks to bolster its armed forces in Ukraine, analysts believe. “Putin may announce a second mobilization wave to expand his army in the coming days— possibly as early as January 18,” analysts at the Institute for the Study of War said Tuesday. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov announced Tuesday that Putin will … Continue reading Putin could be ready to announce a second mobilization drive

Biden and McCarthy Square Off Over the Debt Ceiling

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) called on Democrats to begin talks immediately on raising the debt ceiling, a critical requirement that Republicans plan to use as leverage in their effort to slash federal spending. “I would like to sit down with all the leaders and especially the president and start having discussions,” McCarthy said Tuesday at the Capitol. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned last week … Continue reading Biden and McCarthy Square Off Over the Debt Ceiling

Kissinger Sheds Resistance to Ukraine Joining NATO

Former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger said Ukraine joining NATO could be an “appropriate outcome” of Russia’s invasion, while reiterating his call for a negotiated solution to the conflict.  “The idea of a neutral Ukraine under these conditions is no longer meaningful,” Kissinger, 99, told the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland on Tuesday. Kissinger, long an opponent of Ukraine’s membership of … Continue reading Kissinger Sheds Resistance to Ukraine Joining NATO

Justice Department Considered but Rejected Role in Biden Documents Search

The Justice Department considered having FBI agents monitor a search by President Biden’s lawyers for classified documents at his homes but decided against it, both to avoid complicating later stages of the investigation and because Mr. Biden’s attorneys had quickly turned over a first batch and were cooperating, according to people familiar with the matter.  After Mr. Biden’s lawyers discovered documents marked as classified dating … Continue reading Justice Department Considered but Rejected Role in Biden Documents Search

Russia to Boost Troops in West, Expanding Army to 1.5 Million People

Russia will create new commands near Europe as it expands its military to 1.5 million people amid deepening tensions with the US and its allies over the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine. New structures in the regions around Moscow, St. Petersburg and Karelia on the border with Finland will be created under the program, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told commanders Tuesday, saying the major changes will … Continue reading Russia to Boost Troops in West, Expanding Army to 1.5 Million People

Far-right group on trial over Macron assassination plot

Thirteen people said to be affiliated with the extreme right-wing group ‘Les Barjols’ (‘The Crazies’), which allegedly conspired to kill French President Emmanuel Macron, were put on trial in a Paris court on Tuesday. The defendants – 11 men and two women between the ages of 22 and 66 – have been charged with conspiring to commit an act of terrorism, which carries a maximum sentence … Continue reading Far-right group on trial over Macron assassination plot

Russia says Britain’s tanks ‘will burn’ in Ukraine

The Kremlin said on Monday that tanks Britain plans to send to Ukraine “will burn”, warning the West that supplying a new round of more advanced weapons to Ukraine would not change the outcome of the war. Since President Vladimir Putin ordered troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, the United States and its allies have given tens of billions of dollars’ worth of weaponry including … Continue reading Russia says Britain’s tanks ‘will burn’ in Ukraine

Near Collision at JFK Airport Between Delta, American Planes Under Investigation

U.S. aviation-safety officials are investigating how two planes came close to a collision on a runway at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Friday night.  Delta Air Lines Inc. Flight 1943 was headed down the runway for takeoff when air-traffic controllers noticed another plane crossing in the departing jetliner’s path, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration said Saturday. Delta’s Boeing Co. 737 came to … Continue reading Near Collision at JFK Airport Between Delta, American Planes Under Investigation

Central-Bank Digital Currencies Are Coming—Whether Countries Are Ready or Not

“Central-bank digital currency” doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. But you might want to get used to saying it. These so-called CBDCs, or digital versions of dollars, yuan, euros, yen or any other currency, are coming, say those who study them. And depending on how they are designed and rolled out, their impact on the banking system could be profound. One hundred and fourteen countries … Continue reading Central-Bank Digital Currencies Are Coming—Whether Countries Are Ready or Not

Scientists redirect lightning strikes using a weather-controlling super laser

Scientists in France have created a way to divert lightning strikes using a weather-controlling super laser. Researchers with the Polytechnic Institute of Paris guided the strikes from thunderclouds to places where they don’t cause damage. The team says the new technique could save power stations, airports, launchpads, and other buildings from disaster. The system creates a virtual lightning rod, metal conductors that intercept flashes and … Continue reading Scientists redirect lightning strikes using a weather-controlling super laser

Man wearing Jesus Saves t-shirt at Mall of America ordered to take it off or leave

A man wearing a ‘Jesus Saves’ T-shirt was ordered to remove the clothing or leave the Mall of America last weekend in a video that has gone viral on social media.  A security guard at the nation’s most famous shopping center in Minnesota can be heard telling the man: ‘If you want to shop here you need to take off that shirt’.  Another clip shows … Continue reading Man wearing Jesus Saves t-shirt at Mall of America ordered to take it off or leave

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee Introduces Bill Criminalizing ‘Conspiracy to Commit White Supremacy

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) introduced a House Bill criminalizing “conspiracy to commit white supremacy,” which includes criticism of non-white people which influences an individual to commit a hate crime.  The legislation, H.R.61 “Leading Against White Supremacy Act of 2023,” introduced last Monday by Democratic congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas, seeks to “prevent and prosecute white supremacy inspired hate crime and conspiracy to commit … Continue reading Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee Introduces Bill Criminalizing ‘Conspiracy to Commit White Supremacy

Davos Confronts a New World Order

The World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, finds itself navigating troubled waters. Long the affluent symbol of a globalizing world where the assumption was that more trade would bring more freedom, it now confronts international fracture, ascendant nationalism and growing protectionism under the shadow of war in Europe and sharp tensions between the United States and China. The post-Cold War era, dominated by the idea … Continue reading Davos Confronts a New World Order

More classified documents found at Biden’s home by lawyers

Lawyers for President Joe Biden found more classified documents at his home in Wilmington, Delaware, than previously known, the White House acknowledged Saturday. White House lawyer Richard Sauber said in a statement that a total of six pages of classified documents were found during a search of Biden’s private library. The White House had said previously that only a single page was found there. The … Continue reading More classified documents found at Biden’s home by lawyers

South Korean President Says Country Could Develop Nuclear Weapons

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol said the country could develop its own nuclear weapons or ask the U.S. to redeploy them on the Korean Peninsula if the threat from North Korea grows, in the first time a leader of the country has explicitly raised the prospect in decades. The prospect of South Korea, a nonnuclear state, acquiring its own weapons threatens to destabilize nuclear disarmament … Continue reading South Korean President Says Country Could Develop Nuclear Weapons

New UFO report shows hundreds more incidents than previously thought

The U.S. intelligence community said Thursday that the number of UFO reports involving U.S. military personnel is increasing, “enabling a greater awareness of the airspace and increased opportunity to resolve” what is actually being reported, roughly half of the new incidents reported in the report had terrestrial explanations The increase in reporting is being partially attributed to the continuing effort to destigmatize the reporting of … Continue reading New UFO report shows hundreds more incidents than previously thought

Special counsel named to probe classified records found at Biden’s private home and office

Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday appointed former federal prosecutor Robert Hur as special counsel to investigate the discovery of classified government records at the private home and office of President Joe Biden. Garland’s announcement, which cited “extraordinary circumstances,” came hours after Biden and his lawyer said that a second batch of classified documents recently had been found in a garage in the president’s private … Continue reading Special counsel named to probe classified records found at Biden’s private home and office

Biden aides find second batch of classified documents at new location

Aides to President Joe Biden have discovered at least one additional batch of classified documents in a location separate from the Washington office he used after leaving the Obama administration, according to a person familiar with the matter. Since November, after the discovery of documents with classified markings in his former office, Biden aides have been searching for any additional classified materials that might be … Continue reading Biden aides find second batch of classified documents at new location

House Republicans to vote on bill abolishing IRS, eliminating income tax

Republicans in the House of Representatives will vote on a bill that would abolish the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), eliminate the national income tax, and replace it with a national consumption tax. Fox News Digital has learned that the House will be voting on Georgia Republican Rep. Buddy Carter’s reintroduced Fair Tax Act that aims to reel in the IRS and remove the national income … Continue reading House Republicans to vote on bill abolishing IRS, eliminating income tax

Ukrainians to start training on Patriot missiles in US as soon as next week, officials say

Ukrainian troops are set to begin training on the Patriot missile system in the United States as soon as next week, two US officials familiar with the matter tell CNN. The training program will take place at Fort Sill in Oklahoma, where the US conducts its own training on operating and maintaining the advanced air defense system. Fort Sill is one of the Army’s four … Continue reading Ukrainians to start training on Patriot missiles in US as soon as next week, officials say