06 Market

Speaker Johnson Pushes Back Against Media Narrative on Government Shutdown › American Greatness– amgreatness.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is pushing back against the legacy media narrative blaming the Trump administration for the current government shutdown, putting the responsibility on Democratic leaders in Congress.

Johnson told CNN’s Kaitlin Collins that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) decision to refuse to pass a short-term stopgap measure to fund the U.S. government for the next 7 weeks is a “very reckless decision.”

The Speaker emphasized that the House had done its job by send a clean continuing resolution (CR) to the Senate so that appropriators in Congress from both parties could continue to do their work on reconciling 12 separate appropriations bills.

Russia on the brink as insider fears ‘economic collapse’ | World | News– www.express.co.uk
Source Link
Excerpt:

Russia is teetering on the edge of economic collapse as a result of systematic Ukrainian strikes on oil refineries, a Russian propagandist has warned. Meanwhile, the leader of the puppet regime installed by Vladimir Putin in Crimea has said fuel can no longer be sold in quantities of more than 30 litres per person as ordinary people feel the pinch.

In a video clip posted on X, Maksim Kalashnikov, a propagandist, admitted the attacks are no longer sporadic but a systematic campaign aimed at shattering Russia‘s economy. He said: “The war is now waged not for the complete destruction of the Russian Federation, of course, but its collapse,” highlighting a 17% disruption in refining capacity. The fuel crisis was deepening, with the voices of those advocating rationed consumption growing louder, Kalashnikov explained.

He added: “I can state that the situation is deteriorating,” underscoring the severity.

Kalashnikov added: “Ukraine‘s strategy, targeting critical infrastructure like the Druzhba pipeline and Blue Stream, exploits Russia‘s vulnerability, pushing the nation towards an unprecedented economic crisis.

JUST IN: Trump Administration Threatens MASS LAYOFFS If Government Shuts Down– wltreport.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

This could be very big…

Ahead of a possible government shutdown on October 1st, the White House Office of Management and Budget has instructed federal agencies to prepare for mass layoffs.

Thousands of federal employees — specifically in agencies that lack funding and don’t align with President Trump’s goals — could permanently lose their jobs if the shutdown happens.

Here are the details:

Visualizing the Data Behind America's H-1B Visa Program

Visualizing the Data Behind America's H-1B Visa Program

Trump’s H-1B visa fee sparks chaos and confusion among Chinese talents in the U.S.– www.cnbc.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

A Chinese student wearing a New York marathon t-shirt walks at Beijing Foreign Studies University in Beijing on May 29, 2025.

Anger and confusion gripped Chinese professionals in the U.S. after White House leader Donald Trump slapped hefty fees on new work visas, deepening anxiety among those seeking to build careers stateside.

Last Friday, the Trump administration said that it would ask companies to pay $100,000 for new H-1B visa applicants. A slew of tech firms and banks including Microsoft, JPMorgan and Amazon responded to the announcements by advising employees holding the H-1B visas to stay in the country.

The White House has now clarified that the new rule only applies to new H-1B applicants, not to current visa holders or to those seeking to renew their permits.

While the U.S. government may cash in on a windfall from the visa fee hike in the near term, the new policy will almost certainly deter Chinese students from pursuing a degree or career in the U.S., said Xinbo Wu, director of Fudan University’s Center for American Studies in Shanghai.

India was the largest beneficiary of H-1B visas last year, accounting for 71% of approved visa holders, with China as a distant second at 11.7%, according to the U.S. homeland security data.

Return of the Cypress: Iran's Foreign Policy Ambitions in Central ...

Return of the Cypress: Iran's Foreign Policy Ambitions in Central ...

Trump, Eye On Central Asia, Clinches $12B In Deals With Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan– www.rferl.org
Source Link
Excerpt:

US President Donald Trump has clinched $12 billion in trade deals with Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan amid a push to deepen economic ties with the strategic Central Asian region.

Uzbekistan agreed to buy 22 787 airplanes from Chicago-based Boeing for more than $8 billion, Trump said in a September 22 post on Truth Social.

“We will continue to work together on many more items!” Trump said in the post.

Meanwhile, Kazakhstan signed an agreement to buy 300 US locomotives as well as other rail equipment from Pennsylvania-based Wabtec Corporation for $4.2 billion. The US Commerce Department described it as the largest rail deal in U.S. history.

“This landmark deal advances US manufacturing jobs and accelerates growth, opportunity, and connectivity in America and Central Asia,” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said during a signing ceremony in New York with Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev.

Trump earlier in the day spoke by phone with Toqaev, who is in the United States to attend the UN General Assembly.

Trump is seeking to strengthen trade and investment ties with resource-rich Central Asia as he focuses on ending US dependence on China for critical minerals, including rare earths.

Democrats risk shutdown blame game with government funding hardball– www.washingtonexaminer.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

But it’s a risky calculation, given Senate Democrats are using filibuster leverage to block a largely “clean” stopgap spending measure unless enhanced Obamacare subsidies set to expire are extended. It’s an annual scenario where one party invokes leverage over must-pass legislation, but only this time, the usual party roles are reversed.

Democrats are betting that Americans will blame President Donald Trump and Republicans. Although Republicans control both chambers of Congress, they still require bipartisanship to overcome the 60-vote Senate threshold to pass a short-term funding bill. Unless more funding is approved, the federal government will shut down on Oct. 1.

“They who run the Legislative Branch usually get blamed in the eyes of voters when something goes awry or there’s a shutdown of any kind,” said Jon Reinish, a Democratic strategist and former aide to Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), who now chairs Senate Democrats’ campaign arm.

“What matters is if there is a shutdown and all of a sudden your benefit checks stop coming,” Reinish added.

But there’s also a recent precedent suggesting that the party that supports extraneous policy riders is typically seen as responsible for shutdowns and emerges on the losing political end without significant wins. Republicans were bruised from the longest shutdown in U.S. history, which occurred in Trump’s first term and lasted 35 days, after the president failed to get any additional money to construct more of the U.S.-Mexico border wall in 2018 when Republicans controlled Congress.

Major advance: Stanford researchers use AI to design viruses; warn of dangers if technology misused– timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

A research team in California has used artificial intelligence to design viral genomes, which were later built and tested in a laboratory. Some of these AI-created viruses successfully infected bacteria, demonstrating that generative AI models can produce functional genetic material.Researchers at Stanford University and the Arc Institute in Palo Alto described the achievement as “the first generative design of complete genomes.” Jef Boeke, a biologist at NYU Langone Health, called it a major step toward AI-designed life forms, according to Newsweek citing MIT Technology Review.Boeke noted that the viruses displayed new genes, shortened genes and even different gene arrangements compared to natural versions.The team used their AI system, called Evo, a large language model similar to ChatGPT to design 302 complete genomes.

India, Morocco Ink Defence Pact; Agree On Expanding Cooperation In Maritime Security, Counter-Terrorism– www.ndtvprofit.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

“India’s ties with Morocco are growing remarkably over the years. We discussed ways to deepen collaboration in key areas, including counter-terrorism efforts, maritime security, cyber defence and capacity building,” Singh added.

The MoU provides for a robust institutional framework to the growing partnership and paves the way for collaboration in defence industry, joint exercises, military training and capacity building.

The defence ministry said the discussions between Singh and Loudiyi reflected the shared resolve to further strengthen the longstanding friendship between India and Morocco.

To give momentum to these initiatives, Singh announced the opening of a new defence wing at the Embassy of India in Rabat.

Five key takeaways as Donald Trump hosts UK Prime Minister Keir ...

Five key takeaways as Donald Trump hosts UK Prime Minister Keir ...

Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland regarding the Technology Prosperity Deal – GOV.UK
Source Link
Excerpt:

Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland regarding the Technology Prosperity Deal

The Government of the United States of America and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (hereinafter referred to as the “Participants”),

Expressing mutual interest in science and technology capabilities and standards to usher in the next Golden Age of Innovation to fortify freedom and prosperity for generations to come;

Affirming the common desire to enhance cooperation in science and technology matters that support initiatives of mutual interest that produce tangible benefits to their citizens;

Recognizing the complementarity of the work of the Participants and their track record of joint research and innovation partnerships, their status as most trusted security and defense partners, their pro-innovation legal and regulatory regimes, their deep-rooted expertise in disruptive technologies, and the benefits of closer strategic cooperation; and

Welcoming a longstanding partnership to deliver on their joint objectives to maintain and strengthen their strategic leadership in science and technology, leveraging shared values, complementary capabilities, and coordinated policy approaches to address global challenges.

Have reached the following understandings:

I. Purpose

The purpose of this Memorandum of Understanding (hereinafter “MOU”) is to enable collaboration towards joint opportunities of mutual interest in strategic science and technology disciplines, including artificial intelligence (AI), civil nuclear, fusion, and quantum technologies….

Google faces unprecedented order to hand over search data to rivals– www.techspot.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

A federal court ruling that forces Google to share parts of its closely guarded search data with rivals has set up a rare test of antitrust enforcement in the digital economy – and sparked serious concerns about the security of personal data. The key question is whether this redistribution will…

Macron Says Europe’s Russian Energy Imports Are ‘Marginal’ Issue– financialpost.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

(Bloomberg) — French President Emmanuel Macron called the European Union’s remaining energy imports from Russia “very marginal,” challenging Donald Trump’s calls for the bloc to reduce its dependence if it wants the US to step up pressure on Moscow to end the war in Ukraine.

Trump used ‘golden share’ to block U.S. Steel’s production halt plan: WSJ– japantoday.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

The U.S. government blocked United States Steel Corp’s plan to shut down production at a plant in the Midwest, resorting to its new authority over the company, which has been acquired by Nippon Steel Corp, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

As part of the $14.1 billion takeover deal of the iconic yet struggling American steelmaker by the Japanese company that was finalized in June, the U.S. government was granted a “golden share” that gives it veto power over key management decisions.

According to the newspaper, U.S. Steel notified workers in Granite City in the state of Illinois two weeks ago that plant operations would cease in November. Nippon Steel said it would continue to pay the mill’s nearly 800 employees despite the closure.

But U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick reportedly called U.S. Steel CEO David Burritt and told him that the administration would not allow operations to cease, and President Donald Trump would invoke the “golden share” authority over plant operations.

U.S. Steel therefore reversed its plan and said that Granite City Works will continue rolling steel slabs into sheet steel, according to the WSJ.

U.S. Steel told Kyodo News that the company is “pleased to have found a solution to continue slab consumption at Granite City,” noting that its goal was to “maintain flexibility.”

An official of Nippon Steel declined to comment on the production halt plan and the involvement of the U.S. government.

“We are not in a feud with the U.S. administration,” the official said.

Apple steps up war of words with European regulators– www.bbc.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

“Bureaucrats in Brussels” are unfairly challenging Apple’s closed ecosystem and denying users the “magical, innovative experience” that makes the firm unique, Apple said.

“We have a serious threat to that in Europe,” executive Greg Joswiak said in advance of the recent launch of its newest products and features.

The so-called walled garden that combines Apple’s products and software ensures a safe and high quality experience for users, it says, but EU regulators counter that it unfairly shuts out rivals.

The two sides have had years of rows, culminating in a €500m (£430m; $586m) fine handed down in April by the EU, which accuses the tech giant of anti-competitive behaviour on its App Store.

As part of the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which came into force in 2022 and began to apply in 2024, the EU targets several major tech companies.

In Apple’s case, the DMA requires it in part to ensure that devices, such as headphones, made by other brands will work with iPhones.