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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Chris Stein (now) and Joanna Walters (earlier)

US debt ceiling talks hit bump as White House says ‘real differences’ remain – as it happened

Ron DeSantis Donald Trump Joe Biden United States Republican Florida Tim Scott Republican Party
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris hold debt limit talks with Kevin McCarthy and other congressional leaders on 16 May.
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris hold debt limit talks with Kevin McCarthy and other congressional leaders on 16 May. Photograph: Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters

Closing summary

Talks between negotiators appointed by Joe Biden and House speaker Kevin McCarthy over raising the debt ceiling suddenly veered off course, with Republicans saying the discussions are “not productive” and the White House acknowledging “real differences” between the two sides. There is still time for a deal to be reached, but not a lot of it: the best estimate of when the US government will run out of cash and potentially default on its bond payments and other obligations remains 1 June.

Here’s a look back at the day’s news:

  • Just before the impasse became public, Donald Trump said the GOP should take a hardline position in the debt limit talks.

  • A top House Democrat threatened to stop the reauthorization of a foreign spying program after reports emerged that the FBI queried its database for information about the January 6 insurrection and Black Lives Matter protests.

  • Tim Scott filed paperwork to officially launch his presidential bid, but the Republican senator from South Carolina is only expected to make the run public in a Monday speech.

  • Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg is reportedly pressuring ex-Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg to testify against the former president.

  • Biden’s decision to cancel his trip to Australia may prove very costly for some in the White House press corps.

After reports emerged that the FBI broke its own rules by using a repository of foreign intelligence to search for information about the January 6 insurrection and the protests following George Floyd’s death, a top Democrat is threatening not to support the reauthorization of a contentious surveillance program.

At issue is section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows US authorities to surveil the communications of foreigners outside the country and expires at the end of the year unless renewed. The information is not meant to be used for domestic purposes, but according to a court order released today the FBI did just that.

The Biden administration says it supports reauthorizing section 702, but it looks like it will have to win over skeptics in its own party. Here’s what the top Democrat on the House judiciary committee Jerry Nadler had to say about today’s revelations:

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