Brennan Weiss

Arabs eye Iran nuclear deal with distrust, disapproval

The Iran nuclear deal is proving a difficult sell to Congress, but it may be a harder pitch to people across the Arab world who are increasingly suspicious of Tehran as a regional power.

August 5, 2015

Obama encourages minority entrepreneurship, investment at White House event

The U.S. is a world leader in cutting edge technology and innovation, but the White House says many women and minorities are not getting a fair shake in entrepreneurial enterprises.

August 4, 2015

U.S. poised to become leading exporter of natural gas

The U.S. is on the verge of becoming one of the world's largest suppliers of liquefied natural gas, but it still faces stiff competition from rivals in the $120 billion LNG export business, including Qatar, Australia and rising markets in East Africa.

August 3, 2015

China’s World War II parade: No-shows likely amid rising tensions with West, neighbors

In a region where many of the wounds from World War II are still raw, China's plans for a giant parade to celebrate the 70th anniversary of its victory are creating diplomatic and political dilemmas for the United States and its allies in the region.

August 2, 2015

Tobacco profits continue upward surge

Americans aren't lighting up like they used to, but tobacco companies aren't burning out just yet.

July 28, 2015

Smithsonian raises cash for Neil Armstrong’s spacesuit

Online donations to the National Air and Space Museum's crowdfunding campaign shot the moon in its first week, just like the spacesuit the museum is trying save.

July 27, 2015

Bill de Blasio blinks in Uber standoff

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio backed down Wednesday on a plan to cap the number of vehicles operated by the ride-hailing service Uber, amid backlash from supporters of the app that included fellow Democrat New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and several celebrities.

July 22, 2015

Iran, Saudi Arabia agree: Nuclear deal raises threat of Middle East conflict

Iran and Saudi Arabia don't see eye to eye on many issues, but analysts of both countries agreed Tuesday on one thing: The nuclear deal has not cleared up enormous uncertainty about the future of the region or ended the threat of military clashes.

July 21, 2015

Police close busy D.C. street over reports of a pressure cooker

Police have sealed off a block along one of Washington's main business thoroughfares over reports that a suspicious pressure cooker had been found in the area.

July 21, 2015

Smithsonian looks to crowdfunding to save Neil Armstrong’s suit

This could be one small step for a museum, one giant leap for museum shows: The Smithsonian Institution is teaming with the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter to preserve and present the spacesuit worn by Neil Armstrong when he stepped onto the moon.

July 20, 2015

Nigel Farage, British politician, asks U.S. to help U.K. leave European Union

Nigel Farage may be the Donald Trump of Great Britain -- minus the wealth and signature hairstyle. As leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), Mr. Farage shoots from the hip without apology or hesitation. He is calling for stricter immigration laws and cracking down on radical Islam, but most of all, he wants Britain to leave the European Union.

July 15, 2015

Hillary Clinton sideswipes Uber, spars with Jeb Bush, Rand Paul over ‘sharing economy’

Hillary Rodham Clinton has a problem with Uber. Jeb Bush and Rand Paul are hitting back, and one of the first economic debates of the presidential campaign season is suddenly in full swing.

July 14, 2015

China stock market crash: No worries about impact on U.S. economy — yet

China's stock market has plummeted more than 30 percent in recent weeks, but the communist nation's internal trading system remains isolated enough from the rest of the world that the Obama administration and others are confident that the turmoil won't have an immediate impact on the U.S. economy.

July 8, 2015

Jacob Lew, Treasury secretary, presses for deal as Greece talks climax

As political tensions ratcheted up across the Atlantic, Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew urged European negotiators to solve Greece's financial crisis, saying Athens' debt was unsustainable at current levels and the country needed at least some relief to keep from abandoning the euro altogether.

July 8, 2015

Jacob Lew presses Greece to solve crisis, restructure debt

Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew urged Greece on Wednesday to restructure its debt and make a deal with its creditors as negotiators in Brussels make a last-ditch effort on a deal before the country runs out of cash and possibly has to give up the euro.

July 8, 2015

Jacob Lew plays down threat to U.S. from China market panic

The ongoing turmoil in China's stock markets goes not pose an immediate threat to the U.S. economy, Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew said Wednesday, but cautioned it could slow the pace of market reforms in China in the long run if things do not stabilize.

July 8, 2015

Oreo Thins, slimmed-down variation of world’s top-selling cookie, targets ‘lapsed users’

It's the world's top-selling cookie, but even the mighty Oreo is not immune to the forces of political and dietary correctness.

July 6, 2015

Wearable technology struggles for consumer fit amid patent production boom

The technology behind wearable electronics finally may have arrived, but whether consumers will greet it with open wallets is another question.

July 2, 2015

Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac CEOs’ massive pay raises spark anger on Capitol Hill

Over the objections of the Obama administration and key lawmakers, the CEOs of bailed-out housing giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are getting massive pay raises, courtesy of the regulator appointed by President Obama himself.

July 1, 2015

Uber hits speedbumps abroad as regulators, taxi drivers turn hostile

For a growing number of countries around the world, the Ugly American these days comes with an Uber license.

June 30, 2015