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It’s a deal no one in Washington claims to really like. But after weeks of negotiations, President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy have struck an agreement to raise the debt ceiling and avert a potentially devastating government default. The stakes are high for both men — and now each will have to persuade lawmakers in their parties to vote for it. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said last week that the United States could run out of cash to pay the bills and default on its obligations if the debt ceiling is not raised by June 5. The ultimate agreement, hammered out by Biden, McCarthy and a small group of their deputies, is a two-year budget deal that would essentially hold spending flat for 2024, while boosting it for defense and veterans, and capping increases at 1% for 2025. It would suspend the debt limit until January 2025, after the next presidential election. Republicans had insisted on reducing spending and had passed their own bill with much larger cuts last month. The package would also make policy tweaks, including by adding work requirements for some food aid recipients and streamlining an environmental law that Republicans say has made it harder to build energy projects. Takeaways from the deal, and from the negotiations that led up to it: McCARTHY’S DELICATE BALANCING ACT Ever since McCarthy won the House speakership on the 15th ballot in January, it was clear that the debt ceiling negotiations would be his first and perhaps biggest test. Known more for strategy than policy, McCarthy has had a challenge that seemed almost insurmountable, with a narrow majority and a sizable group of hard-right conservatives certain to oppose anything he negotiated with Biden. And he could still find himself in the middle of a crisis if too many in his caucus revolt when the House votes on the package this week. Through it all, the Californian has exhibited his typical laid-back vibe, projecting confidence about the bill and its success. He said Sunday that he will win a majority of Republicans on the bill and some Democrats. In a conference call on Saturday night, McCarthy said, more than 95 percent of the members in his conference “were overwhelmingly excited about what they see.” But some House Republicans were publicly slamming the deal, arguing it did too little to cut the deficit. Rep. Dan Bishop of North Carolina tweeted a vomit emoji, complaining that some Republicans on the call were praising the speaker for getting what he said is “almost zippo in exchange” for the debt-ceiling hike. BIDEN’S RELUCTANT COMPROMISE For months, Biden and his aides had a mantra: There would be no negotiation on the debt limit. But then he negotiated anyway. It’s not where Biden, a veteran of the nasty 2011 debt-limit battle that saw the nation’s credit rating downgraded for the first time in history, wanted to be. But it was a likely scenario — with a Republican-controlled House that had made it clear from the start that it would not raise the borrowing authority under a Democratic president without extracting spending curbs or other policy concessions. There was no way Biden, who is running for re-election next year, would want a historic default on his watch. Biden has continued to insist that he was negotiating on the budget, not the debt ceiling. But pushed by a reporter Sunday evening who noted that was precisely what Republicans were seeking in exchange for lifting the debt limit, the president seemed to break from his talking point. “Sure, yeah,” Biden said, chuckling slightly. “Can you think of an alternative?” Now he will have to sell it to House Democrats, who must vote for it in big enough numbers to make up for defecting Republicans. Many progressive members in the House have appeared skeptical of the deal, but they remained mostly quiet over the weekend as they waited for more details. But the deal won early praise from another key Democratic group. The New Democrat Coalition, which has roughly 100 members, praised Biden as having negotiated “a viable, bipartisan solution to end this crisis.” LONG-SOUGHT GOP POLICY Republicans were able to win some policy changes they have sought for years, however modest, including on food aid. The bill would raise the age limit for existing work requirements in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, also known as food stamps. It would also create a new agency to develop and streamline environmental reviews that Republicans have complained about for decades. The new work requirements for able-bodied SNAP recipients without dependents would phase in by 2025 and expire by 2030. And a provision pushed by Biden would take some vulnerable recipients — like veterans and the homeless — off work requirements entirely. But Republicans made clear that pushing more people to work in exchange for government benefits was a major victory for them, even if mostly symbolic. The bill also would amend the National Environmental Policy Act and designate “a single lead agency” to develop environmental reviews, in hopes of streamlining the process. Republicans had hoped for a much broader permitting package that would make it easier to build and develop energy projects. But Louisiana Rep. Garret Graves, a McCarthy ally who was one of the negotiators, said the bill brings “transformational changes into the permitting and environmental review process” for the first time in four decades. SENATE QUIET, WAITING TO CLOSE McCarthy has said the House will vote on the package Wednesday. If passed, it will then head to the Democratic-led Senate where leaders will have to get agreement from all 100 members to speed up the process and avert a default by next Monday. The White House briefed Democratic senators Sunday and McCarthy briefed Republicans. But most senators remained quiet on the deal as they waited for the full text and to see if McCarthy can navigate it through the House. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky cut themselves out of the negotiating process early on, saying it should be a negotiation between the White House and McCarthy. McConnell issued a statement supporting the legislation on Sunday but some in his caucus have criticized it. The two leaders will have to navigate any potential objections over the coming week as they seek to win full support to move quickly on the deal. “With Republicans like these, who needs Democrats?” tweeted Utah Sen. Mike Lee on Saturday, aligning himself with the House Republicans who say the deal is not conservative enough. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Trump's welcome of Scott into 2024 race shows his calculus: The more GOP rivals, the better for him Stock market today: Asian markets mostly higher after Biden-McCarthy deal on US debt What’s in the cliffhanger deal struck by Biden and McCarthy to raise the debt limit?

DENVER & MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep 6, 2023--

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Lyon head coach Fabio Grosso suffered “serious” facial injuries after the French club’s team bus came under attack from fans throwing projectives before Sunday’s match at Marseille. The league fixture on Sunday evening was called off after the attack on the Lyon bus, which shattered windows as it arrved at Stade Velodrome. Footage on social media appeared to show that stones had been thrown and Grosso and his assistant Raffaele Longo were injured by falling shards of glass. French football’s governing body took the decision to abandon the Ligue 1 fixture after an emergency meeting. Grosso, the former Italy international and World Cup window, was pictured on a stretcher with a bloodied face after the attack. The governing body, Ligue de Football Professionnel, said in a statement: “During the crisis unit meeting following the incidents that occurred outside the Stade Velodrome on the route of its bus, Olympique Lyonnais made known its opposition to taking part in the match given the circumstances.” OL issued a statement strongly condemning the attack, adding that they had initially looked for the match to go ahead, before realising the conditions of Grosso and Longo were "much more serious than expected" and due to the "mental state of the players". The club said: "This Sunday evening, at the entrance to the Velodrome stadium, several individuals violently attacked the Olympique Lyonnais bus, as well as its staff and players. "Six buses of Olympique Lyonnais supporters were also targeted. If in the past, attacks of this type had already taken place, which Olympique Lyonnais has always regretted, this Sunday, October 29, a new step towards the worst was taken. "In fact, several secure windows were broken by heavy projectiles of unknown nature. These same projectiles penetrated the interior of the bus. "Coach Fabio Grosso and his assistant Raffaele Longo were directly hit and seriously injured in the face during this attack. Present with them on the bus, the players and staff were also deeply affected by the violence of this attack, which Olympique Lyonnais strongly condemns. "Initially, as indicated by the OL representative at the start of the crisis meeting, driven by their courage, the coach and the players wanted the meeting to be able to take place. "Subsequently, the OL representative was informed of the physical condition of Fabio Grosso and his assistant Raffaele Longo, much more serious than expected, but also of the negative medical opinions and the mental state of the players. She then announced a change in the situation, indicating the impossibility of playing the match." OL said it was "clearly impossible" for the match to take place, adding that they planned to "file a complaint in the coming days" before calling on the authorities to take action. They concluded: "Finally, Olympique Lyonnais regrets that this type of situation occurs every year in Marseille and invites the authorities to take stock of the seriousness and repetition of this type of incident before an even more serious tragedy occurs." Marseille issued a statement of their own, criticising the perpetrators and wishing 45-year-old Italian Grosso well. "Olympique de Marseille deplores the unacceptable incidents which took place this evening around the Stade Velodrome, against the professional team bus as well as Olympique Lyonnais supporter buses," the OM statement read. "The club wishes a speedy recovery to Lyon coach Fabio Grosso and strongly condemns this violent behaviour which has no place in the world of football and in society. "Due to a handful of mindless people, the game planned for this evening was spoiled and deprived 65,000 supporters of attending a football match. "The club complies with the decision taken by the LFP and remains at its disposal so that the match which was scheduled for this Sunday, October 29, takes place as quickly as possible and under the best possible conditions at the Stade Velodrome." Marseille have a recent history of incidents involving their stadium or supporters, including fans storming the training ground and setting a fire, enforcing a match being postponed in 2021. The Metropolitan Police arrested five people a year ago, “believed to be away supporters,” when Marseille played a Champions League game at Tottenham. And one Marseille fan faced an attempted murder charge over firing a flare into Eintracht Frankfurt fans at a game, seriously injuring one visiting supporter. Lyon manager Grosso scored the winning penalty kick for Italy in the shootout victory over France in the 2006 World Cup final. Both clubs have been under pressure lately. Despite replacing Marcelino with Gennaro Gattuso as coach in September, Marseille remain showing poor form with one win and three losses in their last four league games. Lyon are the only team still winless in the league. Replacing Laurent Blanc with Grosso as coach in September hasn’t paid off for Lyon, as they sit in last place. Includes reporting from PA Read More Lyon manager injured after team bus attacked en route to Marseille match How Wales fared at World Cup and what the future holds for Warren Gatland’s men Major military search begins after kidnapping of Luis Diaz’s father Major military search begins after kidnapping of Luis Diaz’s father On this day in 2008: David Beckham heads to Milan to boost England hopes Mauricio Pochettino insists Chelsea must rebuild trust with supporters

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