Agreement on debt ceiling reached
President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy reached an agreement in principle on Saturday to raise the country’s debt ceiling and cut public spending, capping a rollercoaster round of negotiations that has brought the country on the brink of default and economic disaster. The deal now faces an unclear prospect in Congress, where progressive Democrats and hardline Republicans have both criticized the deal’s components. 🔎 Here’s a look at what’s in the deal – and what’s not.
🇺🇸 Biden honors fallen soldiers
“Never forget the price that was paid to protect our democracy,” President Joe Biden implored during a Memorial Day speech full of reflections and tributes at Arlington National Cemetery after laying a wreath on the tomb of the unknown soldier. The president, as he has done in recent years, noted the death of his own son, Beau Biden, an Iraq war veteran who died of brain cancer in 2015. “He didn’t perish. on the battlefield. It was cancer that stole it from us,” Biden said. “As it has for many of you. The pain of his loss is with us every day but (is) particularly keen on Memorial Day.” Biden said Americans had a responsibility to “make sure the sacrifice was not in vain.”
Texas House impeaches Attorney General Ken Paxton
The Texas GOP-led House of Representatives on Saturday impeached state Attorney General Ken Paxton on articles including bribery and breach of public trust — a sudden and historic rebuke from a fellow Republican who became a star of the conservative legal movement despite years of scandal and alleged crimes. The move is a stark downfall for one of the GOP’s most prominent legal fighters and triggers Paxton’s immediate suspension from office pending the outcome of a state Senate trial. Republican Governor Greg Abbott remained silent.
Really fast
Boston Celtics on the precipice of historic NBA comeback
In 150 tries, no NBA team has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series. The Boston Celtics will have a chance to be first on Monday night after Derrick White’s return on Saturday forced a decisive Game 7 (8:30 p.m. ET, TNT) in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat. White grabbed a rebound near the edge on a missed 3-point attempt from Marcus Smart and made the winning field goal. Trailing 3-0 a week ago, the Celtics avoided elimination for the fifth straight game since leading Philadelphia 3-2 in the conference semifinals. The winner faces Denver in the NBA Finals.
Turkey’s Erdogan wins another term and could rule until 2029
Turkey’s all-powerful leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan won the second round of the presidential election on Sunday, a victory that means he can extend his rule into a third decade. The vote between Erdogan and his challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu came after neither candidate received at least 50% support from Turkish voters in the May 14 election. The vote resonates beyond the borders of the NATO ally. Erdogan helped broker a grain deal between warring Russia and Ukraine and blocked Sweden from joining NATO. But he also eroded Turkey’s democratic institutions, aggressively consolidating his own power.👉 Learn more.
Josef Newgarden wins the first Indy 500
Two-time IndyCar champion Josef Newgarden prevailed in a one-lap shootout with defending winner Marcus Ericsson on Sunday after late-lap incidents triggered multiple red flags at the race’s 107th running iconic at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Newgarden, who won his 27th career IndyCar race, had never finished better than third in 11 previous attempts at The Brickyard. 🏁 Learn more.
kyiv absorbs ‘most massive’ drone attack of war
At least one person has been killed after Kiev was subjected to the ‘most massive’ drone attack since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine 15 months ago, a five-hour bombardment so that the ancient city was preparing to celebrate the anniversary of its founding on Sunday. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said preliminary information indicated Kyiv’s air defenses shot down more than 40 drones. Ukraine said Saturday night also broke records for Shahed drone attacks across the country. The attacks come against the backdrop of Russia’s ambassador to the UK, Andrei Kelin, warning of an escalation in Ukraine. 👉 Here is the latest.
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This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Contributor: Associated Press.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Debt ceiling deal, Paxton impeached, Indy 500: The biggest news of the weekend