• Sat. Jun 10th, 2023

The threat of a US credit downgrade, the launch of summer season travel season

ByEditor

May 26, 2023

WASHINGTON (AP) — With a single of 3 significant rating agencies warning that America’s AAA credit is at threat, the stakes are developing in the standoff in Washington more than raising the nation’s debt limit. The rating agency Fitch has place the nation’s credit on “Rating Watch Unfavorable,” which amounts to a warning that it may possibly downgrade the U.S. credit as a outcome of the impasse. The government reached the $31.four trillion debt limit in January, and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has resorted to “extraordinary measures’’ due to the fact then to retain paying the bills. But Yellen has warned that Treasury will most likely run out of dollars to meet all its obligations as quickly as June 1, which is getting described as the “X-date.”

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Debt default ‘X-date’ calculations aim to figure out when the US may perhaps run quick of money

WASHINGTON (AP) — For all the concern more than when the government may possibly run out of dollars to cover all its bills, it turns out that no a single can be definitely certain specifically when the nation faces a possible default — the dreaded “X-date.” Calculating when the nation is going to run quick of money calls for monitoring significant fluctuations in money flowing into and out of the Treasury and factoring in the timing and size of major payments coming due, amongst other components. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has warned Congress that the government could default as early as June 1. But amid all the squabbling more than the debt, the X-date itself has turn out to be a topic of political rancor. ___

Businesses are getting it is not so basic to leave Russia. Some are quietly staying place

When Russia invaded Ukraine, corporations had been rapid to respond, some announcing they would get out of Russia promptly. Other people vowed to curtail sales and new investment. Billions of dollars’ worth of factories, power holdings and energy plants had been written off or place up for sale. Much more than a year later, it is clear: Leaving Russia is not as simple as the very first announcements may possibly have produced it appear. Increasingly, Russia has place hurdles in the way of corporations that want out, requiring approval by a government commission and in some situations from President Vladimir Putin himself, whilst imposing painful discounts and taxes on sale costs. They also threat operating afoul of Western sanctions and public opinion.

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Anticipate major crowds for the summer season travel season — and major costs, also

NEW YORK (AP) — The unofficial get started of the summer season travel season is right here, with airlines hoping to steer clear of the chaos of final year and travelers scrounging for techniques to save a couple of bucks on pricey airfares and hotel rooms. Some travelers say they will settle for fewer trips than they hoped to take, or they will drive as an alternative of fly. Other people are getting distinctive dollars-saving sacrifices. AAA predicts that 37 million Americans will drive at least 50 miles from residence this weekend, an raise of extra than two million from Memorial Day final year but nonetheless under pre-pandemic numbers in 2019. The Transportation Safety Administration expects to screen ten million travelers amongst Friday and Monday, a 14% raise more than the vacation in 2022 and slightly extra than in 2019.

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Twitter’s launch of DeSantis’ presidential bid underscores platform’s rightward shift beneath Musk

NEW YORK (AP) — Though shaky and skewered by critics, Twitter’s forum for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to announce his presidential run nonetheless underscored the platform’s unmistakable shift to the appropriate beneath new owner Elon Musk. He has promoted the platform as a haven for absolutely free expression, but it has been flooded with extremist views and hate speech due to the fact he purchased it. That is raising alarms that Twitter will turn out to be an open forum for conspiracy theories, fake content material and election misinformation as the nation heads toward the 2024 presidential election. Even though Democrats wince at the path Musk has taken Twitter, most are staying place, saying they do not want to cede such an vital space.

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Elon Musk desires to construct a digital town square. But his debut for DeSantis had a tech failure.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Elon Musk desires to turn Twitter into a “digital town square,” but his a great deal-publicized Twitter Spaces kickoff occasion, with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announcing his run for president, struggled with technical glitches and a close to half-hour delay Wednesday. The billionaire Twitter owner mentioned the issues had been due to “straining” servers due to the fact so several folks had been attempting to listen to the audio-only occasion. But even at their highest, the quantity of listeners listed topped out at about 420,000, far from the millions of viewers that televised presidential announcements attract.

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Debt ceiling talks teeter on the brink, as lawmakers leave town for weekend without the need of a deal

WASHINGTON (AP) — Each President Joe Biden and Property Speaker Kevin McCarthy are speaking hopefully of the likelihood of an agreement to raise the government’s debt limit and avert an economically chaotic federal default. But Property Republicans are pushing debt ceiling talks to the brink. As they prepare to leave town Thursday for a extended Memorial Day recess, it is a show of risky political bravado. They’re just days out from a potentially devastating debt default if Congress fails to act to raise the borrowing limit. Each sides are nonetheless meeting, and Biden mentioned he and McCarthy have been speaking as properly.

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Stock industry right now: AI frenzy pulls Wall Street larger regardless of DC debt woes

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street’s constructing frenzy about artificial intelligence helped yank the industry larger, even as worries worsen about political rancor in Washington. The S&ampP 500 rose .9% Thursday soon after chipmaker Nvidia gave a monster forecast for upcoming sales as it added benefits from the rush into AI. Since of its immense size, Nvidia is a single of the most influential stocks in the industry, and it helped push the Nasdaq up 1.7%. The Dow Jones Industrial Typical slipped .1%, and the majority of stocks fell. Treasury yields rallied soon after reports recommended the U.S. economy is in greater shape than feared.

___ The S&ampP 500 rose 36.04 points, or .9%, to four,151.28. The Dow Jones Industrial Typical fell 35.27 points, or .1%, to 32,764.65. The Nasdaq composite gained 213.93 points, or 1.7% to 12,698.09. The Russell 2000 index of smaller sized corporations lost 12.40 points, or .7%, to 1,754.60.

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