Headline News from The Associated Press
AP Headline News - Feb 27 2024 18:00 (EST)
AP News, I'm Ben Thomas, has a Biden called Congress's top four leaders to the White House today, pushing them to move fast on two matters, avoiding a government shutdown and passing emergency aid for Ukraine and Israel. Sagamagani has a report on averting a looming partial shutdown this weekend, and helping Ukraine after the meeting. "One of the most intense I've ever encountered in my many meetings in the Oval Office." Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says he, GOP counterpart Mitch McConnell, top house Democratic Kim Jeffries, and both the president and vice president made clear to House Speaker Mike Johnson Ukraine funding cannot wait. "We would in the likelihood lose the war." But Johnson never mentioned Ukraine aid to reporters afterward, insisting there's another priority. "Our border and making sure it's secure." The speaker has so far refused to bring the security aid up for a vote. Sagamagani, Washington. Joe Biden and Donald Trump are marching toward their party's presidential nominations, but today's Michigan primary could reveal some political perils. Trump's facing a persistent block of GOP voters who favor his lone remaining rival, Nikki Haley. Biden's running into voters upset with his handling of the war in Gaza. And with dominant victories, both campaigns will be looking at the margins for signs of weakness. The conference board says its Consumer Confidence Index has fallen this month amid rising concern over a possible recession. Meantime, stocks held near their record levels after a quiet day of trading on Wall Street. Cessoutel has the numbers. "The S&P 500 managed a gain of two-tenths per cent Tuesday. The Dow fell 96 points. It's also about two-tenths per cent. The Nasdaq composite rose four-tenths per cent. Of all company stocks rose more than the rest of the market. The yield on the ten-year treasury edged up to 4.31 percent," Cessoutel, New York. This is AP News. Small business owners are optimistic for growth in the coming year. AP's May Anderson has the small business monitor. It seems increasingly unlikely the U.S. economy is headed for a recession, but small businesses still face headwinds like higher costs and difficulty retaining qualified workers. Still, owners say they're optimistic as 2024 gets underway according to a new survey from American Express. 85 percent of all small businesses surveyed said they were satisfied with the success of their business, and 86 percent said they achieved their 2023 business goals. 50 percent of small businesses surveyed have plans to grow or expand their business in 2024, but only 28 percent said they plan on hiring more employees. 57 percent of all respondents said that providing flexible work options to employees was their top way to attract and retain employees in 2024. May I understand New York. Thank you, May. And I'm Ben Thomas, AP News. Thank you for listening. Thank you. [Music]