Trump signs coronavirus relief and spending bill December 28, 2020 US President Donald Trump has signed into law a $2.3 trillion (£1.7 trillion) coronavirus aid and spending package, averting a partial government shutdown. The outgoing president plunged the government into chaos after refusing to sign the stimulus bill, which was approved by Congress last week. Trump criticised “wasteful spending” and called for payouts to struggling [...]
The tragedy of America’s foreign policy establishment December 25, 2020 Anthony Blinken was a cut above the rest personally. Well-educated, good-looking, quietly ironical (and quite funny), absorbed in the work at hand, and keenly intelligent, Tony seemed to be in it for the Republic, rather than himself — a rarity in a town built on often unearned self-promotion. Read more: Joe Biden could favour Ireland [...]
Trump pardons prison pals in final weeks of office December 24, 2020 Donald Trump has pardoned a number of people close to him and his family as one of his final acts as President of the United States. Trump has pardoned his former campaign manager Paul Manafort, ex-adviser Roger Stone and the father of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Manafort and Stone were both convicted of crimes relating [...]
Trump brands stimulus deal a disgrace as months of work hang in balance December 23, 2020 US President Donald Trump threw a sizable spanner into the works of a $900bn stimulus deal last night, branding it a disgrace and threatening to veto the whole accord. Amongst the outgoing President’s complaints were that the stimulus bill was part of a package to keep Government funded until Septemver, including arts institutions and the [...]
Mike Pence receives Covid vaccine on live TV to build public confidence December 18, 2020 U.S. Vice President Mike Pence received his Covid vaccine live on television as the White House tries to build public confidence in the vaccine's safety.
Trump announces vaccine rollout ‘in less than 24 hours’ December 12, 2020 The first Americans will be vaccinated against coronavirus in the next 24 hours, President Donald Trump has announced, as the US last night authorised the Pfizer/Biontech vaccine for emergency use. In a video message posted on Twitter, Trump said the first doses of the “medical miracle” drug would be “free [of charge] for all Americans”. [...]
Antony Blinken and the tragedy of America’s foreign policy establishment November 30, 2020 I was recently speaking to an DC-insider friend of mine about the appointment of Antony Blinken as America’s next secretary of state. My old colleague — a veteran of my seminal struggles with the neo-conservatives around the time of the Iraq War, a passionate Republican Never-Trumper and card-carrying member of the Washington establishment — summed [...]
Before the bell: Calm day expected as US celebrates Thanksgiving November 26, 2020 Equity markets were relatively quiet yesterday as some dealers banked their profits from the ground that was gained earlier in the week. “The mood in the markets was assisted by the growing feeling that there will be a smooth had over of power from President Trump to President-elect, Joe Biden,” David Madden, market analyst at [...]
Before the bell: Quiet start for Europe as all eyes are on US data November 25, 2020 It was another bullish day for global stock markets yesterday as sentiment was lifted by the vaccine hopes as well as the prospect of President Trump departing from his role in January in a calm and measured manner. The update on Monday from AstraZeneca-Oxford University that its potential Covid-19 vaccine has made great progress in [...]
Investor sentiment in City upbeat as Trump hints at orderly transfer of power November 24, 2020 Despite the lacklustre start to this week’s trading, investor sentiment in the City and beyond is certainly becoming much less pessimistic. This renewed push appears to have come about as a result of overnight events in the US, where Joe Biden is starting the transition process to a new US administration next year. “President Trump [...]