By WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration next week will release more policies it believes are needed to tackle climate change and is urging China to toughen one of its targets on greenhouse gas emissions, his top climate advisers said on Saturday.Slideshow Gina McCarthy, the White House’s national climate adviser, did not say what policies would be released. A memo seen by Reuters on Thursday showed Biden will unveil a second round of executive orders as soon as Jan. 27 that include an omnibus order to combat climate change domestically and elevate the issue as a...…By WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration next week will release more policies it believes are needed to tackle climate change and is urging China to toughen one of its targets on greenhouse gas emissions, his top climate advisers said on Saturday.Slideshow Gina McCarthy, the White House’s national climate adviser, did not say what policies would be released. A memo seen by Reuters on Thursday showed Biden will unveil a second round of executive orders as soon as Jan. 27 that include an omnibus order to combat climate change domestically and elevate the issue as a...WW…

By WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Thousands marched to the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on Saturday to commemorate the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and protest President Donald Trump’s rush to push through Amy Coney Barrett as her replacement.The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled an Oct. 22 vote on the nomination of Barrett, a conservative appellate judge, over objections from Democrats that the confirmation process comes too close to the Nov. 3 presidential election.More than 26 million Americans have already cast their ballots for who they want to sit in the White House for...…By WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Thousands marched to the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on Saturday to commemorate the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and protest President Donald Trump’s rush to push through Amy Coney Barrett as her replacement.The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee has scheduled an Oct. 22 vote on the nomination of Barrett, a conservative appellate judge, over objections from Democrats that the confirmation process comes too close to the Nov. 3 presidential election.More than 26 million Americans have already cast their ballots for who they want to sit in the White House for...WW…

By , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump will not take the dramatic step for now of seeking control of the National Guard, his national security adviser said on Sunday as protests flared in U.S. cities after the death of an unarmed black man in Minneapolis in police custody last week.“We’re not going to federalize the Guard at this time. But, if necessary, we have further military assets that can be deployed,” Robert O’Brien told reporters at the White House. “We’ll do whatever the governors or mayors need to keep control of their cities.”Civil unrest has swelled following...…By , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump will not take the dramatic step for now of seeking control of the National Guard, his national security adviser said on Sunday as protests flared in U.S. cities after the death of an unarmed black man in Minneapolis in police custody last week.“We’re not going to federalize the Guard at this time. But, if necessary, we have further military assets that can be deployed,” Robert O’Brien told reporters at the White House. “We’ll do whatever the governors or mayors need to keep control of their cities.”Civil unrest has swelled following...WW…

By WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Wednesday released details of a tax hike proposal that would replace subsidies for fossil fuel companies with incentives for production of clean energy in President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan.Linked to the $2.3 trillion infrastructure package, it is part of wider plan that includes boosting the corporate income tax rate from 21% to 28%.A Treasury Department office estimated that eliminating subsidies for fossil fuel companies would boost government tax receipts by more than $35 billion in the coming decade.The “Made In...…By WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Wednesday released details of a tax hike proposal that would replace subsidies for fossil fuel companies with incentives for production of clean energy in President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan.Linked to the $2.3 trillion infrastructure package, it is part of wider plan that includes boosting the corporate income tax rate from 21% to 28%.A Treasury Department office estimated that eliminating subsidies for fossil fuel companies would boost government tax receipts by more than $35 billion in the coming decade.The “Made In...WW…

Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comWASHINGTON, April 9 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden asked Congress to sharply hike spending on climate change, cancer and underperforming schools, but his first budget wishlist on Friday drew howls of bipartisan concern over military spending.The $1.5 trillion budget, reflecting an 8% increase in base funding from this year, marks a sharp contrast with the goals of Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump.It would spread billions of dollars more across areas ranging from public transit, poor schools, toxic site clean-ups, foreign aid and...…Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comWASHINGTON, April 9 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden asked Congress to sharply hike spending on climate change, cancer and underperforming schools, but his first budget wishlist on Friday drew howls of bipartisan concern over military spending.The $1.5 trillion budget, reflecting an 8% increase in base funding from this year, marks a sharp contrast with the goals of Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump.It would spread billions of dollars more across areas ranging from public transit, poor schools, toxic site clean-ups, foreign aid and...WW…

By WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. federal energy regulators said on Monday they will examine threats that climate change and extreme weather events pose to the country’s electric reliability in the wake of last week’s deadly Texas freeze that left millions of people without power.Slideshow “The effects of climate change are already apparent,” Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Richard Glick said in a statement.“We must do everything we can within our statutory authority to ensure that the electric grid is capable of keeping the lights (on) in the face of extreme weather.”FERC, which...…By WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. federal energy regulators said on Monday they will examine threats that climate change and extreme weather events pose to the country’s electric reliability in the wake of last week’s deadly Texas freeze that left millions of people without power.Slideshow “The effects of climate change are already apparent,” Federal Energy Regulatory Commission Chairman Richard Glick said in a statement.“We must do everything we can within our statutory authority to ensure that the electric grid is capable of keeping the lights (on) in the face of extreme weather.”FERC, which...WW…

By , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has sold more than a million barrels of Iranian fuel seized under its sanctions program last year, a Department of Justice official said, as another ship with intercepted Iranian crude oil sails to a U.S. port.The seizures are part of Washington’s tough economic sanctions on Tehran imposed over its nuclear program and the U.S. designation of a number of Iranian groups as terrorists, continuing decades of rancor between the two nations. Iran rejects U.S. accusations of wrongdoing.In a new approach last year, the administration of former U.S....…By , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States has sold more than a million barrels of Iranian fuel seized under its sanctions program last year, a Department of Justice official said, as another ship with intercepted Iranian crude oil sails to a U.S. port.The seizures are part of Washington’s tough economic sanctions on Tehran imposed over its nuclear program and the U.S. designation of a number of Iranian groups as terrorists, continuing decades of rancor between the two nations. Iran rejects U.S. accusations of wrongdoing.In a new approach last year, the administration of former U.S....WW…

By , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department this month told European companies which it suspects are helping to build Russia’s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline that they face a risk of sanctions, a spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday, as the outgoing Trump administration prepares a final round of punitive measures against the project.The State Department reached out to companies after Jan. 1, alerting them to the new sanctions risk after the Senate overrode a Trump veto of a massive defense bill that contained punitive measures on the pipeline, the spokesperson said.Reuters reported...…By , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department this month told European companies which it suspects are helping to build Russia’s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline that they face a risk of sanctions, a spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday, as the outgoing Trump administration prepares a final round of punitive measures against the project.The State Department reached out to companies after Jan. 1, alerting them to the new sanctions risk after the Senate overrode a Trump veto of a massive defense bill that contained punitive measures on the pipeline, the spokesperson said.Reuters reported...WW…

By , WASHINGTON (Reuters) -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 – a largely symbolic move that has virtually no chance of preventing Biden from taking office.Cruz’s effort is in defiance of Senate Republican leaders, who have argued that the Senate’s role in certifying the election is largely ceremonial and had been looking to avoid an extended debate on the floor about the outcome.In a statement, Cruz, the U.S....…By , WASHINGTON (Reuters) -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 – a largely symbolic move that has virtually no chance of preventing Biden from taking office.Cruz’s effort is in defiance of Senate Republican leaders, who have argued that the Senate’s role in certifying the election is largely ceremonial and had been looking to avoid an extended debate on the floor about the outcome.In a statement, Cruz, the U.S....WW…

By , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors filed a lawsuit to seize the gasoline aboard four tankers that Iran is trying to ship to Venezuela, the latest attempt by the Trump administration to increase economic pressure on the two U.S. foes.The government of Venezuela’s socialist President Nicolas Maduro has flaunted the fuel supply to show it remains unbowed by U.S. pressure. Washington has been pressing for Maduro’s ouster with diplomatic and punitive measures, including sanctions on state oil company PDVSA [PDVSA.UL].The lawsuit, filed late on Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for...…By , WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors filed a lawsuit to seize the gasoline aboard four tankers that Iran is trying to ship to Venezuela, the latest attempt by the Trump administration to increase economic pressure on the two U.S. foes.The government of Venezuela’s socialist President Nicolas Maduro has flaunted the fuel supply to show it remains unbowed by U.S. pressure. Washington has been pressing for Maduro’s ouster with diplomatic and punitive measures, including sanctions on state oil company PDVSA [PDVSA.UL].The lawsuit, filed late on Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for...WW…