COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Reuters) – President Joe Biden tripped and fell after handing out the last diploma at a graduation ceremony at the U.S. Air Force Academy on Thursday. He was quickly helped up and walked back to his seat unassisted.

(Reporting by Steve Holland; Writing by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Tim Ahmann)

By John Kruzel

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday dealt another setback to organized labor by making it easier for employers to sue over strikes that cause property destruction in a ruling siding with a concrete business in Washington state that sued the union representing its truck drivers after a work stoppage.

The 8-1 decision overturned a lower court’s ruling that said the lawsuit filed by Glacier Northwest Inc, which sells and delivers ready-mix concrete, against a local affiliate of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters was preempted by a U.S. law called the National Labor Relations Act. Glacier Northwest is a unit of Japan-based Taiheiyo Cement Corp.

Glacier Northwest filed a lawsuit in Washington state court accusing the union of intentional property destruction during a 2017 strike.

A group of drivers went on strike while their mixing trucks were filled with concrete. Although the drivers kept their mixing drums rotating to delay the concrete from hardening and damaging the vehicles, the company was forced to discard the unused product at a financial loss.

The Washington state Supreme Court in 2021 ruled that the company’s claims were preempted by a statute called the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), saying the company’s loss of concrete was incidental to a strike that could be considered arguably protected under federal labor law.

Conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett, who wrote the ruling, said the union’s actions had not only destroyed the concrete but had also “posed a risk of foreseeable, aggravated and imminent harm to Glacier’s trucks.”

“Because the union took affirmative steps to endanger Glacier’s property rather than reasonable precautions to mitigate that risk, the NLRA does not arguably protect its conduct,” Barrett wrote.

Liberal Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, in a 27-page dissent, wrote that the ruling “is likely to cause considerable confusion among the lower courts” about how preemption under the National Labor Relations Act should apply in future cases and “risks erosion of the right to strike.”

The Supreme Court, with its 6-3 conservative majority, has leaned toward curbing the power of labor unions in rulings in recent years.

The justices in 2021 struck down a California agricultural regulation aimed at helping unions organize workers. The court in 2018 ruled that non-members cannot be forced, as they are in certain states, to pay fees to unions representing public employees such as police and teachers that negotiate collective bargaining agreements with employers.

Noel Francisco, the lawyer who represented Glacier Northwest in the case decided on Thursday, said the ruling “vindicates the longstanding principle that federal law does not shield labor unions from tort liability when they intentionally destroy an employer’s property.”

Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien said the Supreme Court had “again voted in favor of corporations over working people.”

“The ability to strike has been on the books for nearly 100 years,” O’Brien said, “and it’s no coincidence that this ruling is coming at a time when workers across the country are fed up and exercising their rights more and more.”

The union, Teamsters Local Union No. 174, had claimed the strike not only was arguably protected under federal labor law but the resulting loss of concrete did not satisfy the high bar to override federal preemption. While the Supreme Court has found that labor unions can be sued in state court for violent or threatening conduct, the union had argued, this narrow exception should not be expanded to permit property damage claims brought under state law.

President Joe Biden’s administration had urged the justices to reverse the lower court’s decision, allowing Glacier Northwest’s lawsuit to proceed.

(Reporting by John Kruzel in Washington; Editing by Will Dunham)

By Steve Holland

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden predicted on Thursday Sweden will join NATO “soon”, speaking at the U.S. Air Force Academy days after he hinted at a possible deal to overcome Turkey’s opposition to admitting the Nordic country to the alliance.

Biden, in a flag-waving commencement address in Colorado Springs, Colorado, warned graduates they will enter service in an increasingly unstable world, citing challenges from Russia and China.

On Monday, Biden spoke to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to congratulate him on his re-election. Biden told reporters Erdogan repeated Ankara’s desire to buy F-16 fighter jets from the United States, while Biden urged Ankara to drop its objection to Sweden’s joining NATO.

In his commencement speech, Biden said NATO is stronger in spite of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attempt to crack the alliance with his invasion of Ukraine. It is bolstered further, he said, by the recent admission of Finland, “and soon, Sweden.”

“It will happen, I promise you,” he said, but provided no details.

On Monday, Biden said he would speak to Erdogan again soon. NATO’s annual summit is in Vilnius, Lithuania, in July.

On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Turkey to immediately finalize Sweden’s accession to NATO, saying the country had already taken significant steps to address Ankara’s objections to its membership.

The White House has denied that Biden is pursuing a deal with Turkey to lift its opposition in exchange for F16s.

The 80-year-old president, who is seeking re-election in 2024, stood, apparently unfazed by the thin air throughout the presentation of more than 900 diplomas, shook hands and gave sharp salutes to the blue-uniformed graduates. The Air Force Academy stands at 7,258 feet (2,212.3 meters) above sea level.

Biden made clear the United States would not back down from the challenge posed by China amid deep strains in the relationship.

“The United States does not seek conflict or confrontation with China. China and the United States should be able to work together where we can to solve some global challenges, like climate,” he said.

“But we are prepared for vigorous competition,” he said, adding the United States would stand up for its interests and that of its partners.

The president emphasized U.S. support for Ukraine in the war with Russia.

“The American people’s support for Ukraine will not waiver,” Biden said.

(Reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by Caitlin Webber, Heather Timmons and David Gregorio)

By Steve Holland

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden predicted on Thursday Sweden will join NATO “soon”, speaking at the U.S. Air Force Academy days after he hinted at a possible deal to overcome Turkey’s opposition to admitting the Nordic country to the alliance.

Biden, in a flag-waving commencement address in Colorado Springs, Colorado, warned graduates they will enter service in an increasingly unstable world, citing challenges from Russia and China.

On Monday, Biden spoke to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to congratulate him on his re-election. Biden told reporters Erdogan repeated Ankara’s desire to buy F-16 fighter jets from the United States, while Biden urged Ankara to drop its objection to Sweden’s joining NATO.

In his commencement speech, Biden said NATO is stronger in spite of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s attempt to crack the alliance with his invasion of Ukraine. It is bolstered further, he said, by the recent admission of Finland, “and soon, Sweden.”

“It will happen, I promise you,” he said, but provided no details.

On Monday, Biden said he would speak to Erdogan again soon. NATO’s annual summit is in Vilnius, Lithuania, in July.

On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Turkey to immediately finalize Sweden’s accession to NATO, saying the country had already taken significant steps to address Ankara’s objections to its membership.

The White House has denied that Biden is pursuing a deal with Turkey to lift its opposition in exchange for F16s.

The 80-year-old president, who is seeking re-election in 2024, stood, apparently unfazed by the thin air throughout the presentation of more than 900 diplomas, shook hands and gave sharp salutes to the blue-uniformed graduates. The Air Force Academy stands at 7,258 feet (2,212.3 meters) above sea level.

Biden made clear the United States would not back down from the challenge posed by China amid deep strains in the relationship.

“The United States does not seek conflict or confrontation with China. China and the United States should be able to work together where we can to solve some global challenges, like climate,” he said.

“But we are prepared for vigorous competition,” he said, adding the United States would stand up for its interests and that of its partners.

The president emphasized U.S. support for Ukraine in the war with Russia.

“The American people’s support for Ukraine will not waiver,” Biden said.

(Reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by Caitlin Webber, Heather Timmons and David Gregorio)

By Julie Steenhuysen

(Reuters) -The U.S. Medicare health plan said on Thursday it would limit reimbursement for Eisai Co Ltd and Biogen Inc’s Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi to patients whose doctors participate in a health agency database should the drug win full approval, a move advocates say will hinder its use.

The decision marks the first time that Medicare has required data-collection through a so-called registry for the intended use of a drug that has been deemed safe and effective by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Leqembi received accelerated approval from the FDA in January, based on limited evidence suggesting it would slow cognitive decline in early Alzheimer’s patients. A panel of FDA advisers will discuss whether Leqembi should receive traditional approval next week, and a decision could come by early July.

Medicare, the government health plan for Americans 65 and over, currently pays for Leqembi only if patients are enrolled in a clinical trial. The agency said the registry requirement would broaden access to the drug.

It would require doctors to submit evidence on how the drug works in routine practice, and collect information in an “easy-to-use” portal maintained by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) upon traditional approval.

The CMS decision would apply to all Alzheimer’s treatments that reduce a protein called beta amyloid from the brain, including Eli Lilly and Co’s donanemab, which recently reported positive results from its late-stage trial.

“Until CMS announces the registry design and details, it is difficult to understand how a registry will impact patient access to Leqembi,” Eisai said in a statement. Historically, such programs have limited access to patients in underserved communities, the company added.

Lilly called on CMS to revise its decision and urged the agency to provide full Medicare coverage for FDA-approved Alzheimer’s medicines, saying the move would set a precedent for all new medicines.

“We strongly believe that mandating patient enrollment in registries will continue to pose unnecessary barriers and contradicts CMS’ promise of broad coverage to all Medicare beneficiaries,” a Lilly spokesman said in a statement.

In April, Lilly said it believed Medicare would back down from its registry requirement as more evidence emerged showing that clearing amyloid brain plaques can help patients.

Such “coverage with evidence development” requirements are rare and historically used by Medicare to evaluate medical devices rather than drugs.

“We continue to believe that registry as a condition of coverage is an unnecessary barrier,” the Alzheimer’s Association said in a statement. The group said it supports collecting information on how such treatments work, but not as a requirement for coverage of an FDA-approved drug.

Biogen’s shares were 2.6% higher, while Eli Lilly was up 1.3%.

Duke University economist Dr. Mark McClellan, who has served both as FDA commissioner and a CMS administrator, said it appears CMS is trying to make the registry less cumbersome, but that it must provide more details. “That needs to happen pretty quickly.”

To receive Medicare coverage, people will need to be diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment or early dementia caused by Alzheimer’s and have a qualified physician participating in a registry.

William Blair analyst Myles Minter did not see the registry requirement significantly limiting patient access. “We believe that registries at specialist centers where Leqembi is likely to be initially administered will not be a substantial hurdle.”

A CMS spokeswoman said the initial registry will be administrated by the agency should Leqembi gain full approval and was hopeful other organizations would create additional registries to collect data.

(Additional reporting by Manas Mishra and Leroy D’souza in Bengaluru; Editing by Bill Berkrot)

By Richard Cowan, David Morgan and Moira Warburton

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Senate will stay in session until it passes a bill to lift the government’s $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, Democratic Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Thursday, as some members pushed him to allow amendment votes that risks delaying the process.

The chamber has just four days left to pass the measure — which would suspend the debt limit through Jan. 1, 2025 — and send it to President Joe Biden to sign, averting a catastrophic default.

“We will keep working until the job is done,” Schumer said in a floor speech.

Schumer and his Republican counterpart Minority Leader Mitch McConnell vowed to do all they could to speed along the bill negotiated by Biden and Republican House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy, which would suspend the debt limit, essentially temporarily removing it, in exchange for a cap on spending.

It remained to be seen whether any members of their respective caucuses, particularly hardline Republicans angry the bill did not include deeper spending cuts, would use the Senate’s arcane rules to try to slow down its passage.

Some members were pushing Schumer to allow some votes on amendments to the bill, in exchange for allowing the overall package to pass more quickly. That is a common maneuver in the Senate but one that is not without risk, as if any of the amendments were to succeed, the bill would have to go back to the House.

There is little time for that as the Treasury Department warned it will be unable to pay all its bills on June 5 if Congress fails to act.

‘TIME IS A LUXURY’

The Republican-controlled House passed the bill on Wednesday evening in a 314-117 vote. McCarthy lost the support of dozens of his fellow Republicans.

“Time is a luxury the Senate does not have,” Schumer said on Thursday. “Any needless delay or any last-minute holdups would be an unnecessary and even dangerous risk.”

Biden’s Democrats control the Senate by a thin 51-49 margin. The chamber’s rules require 60 votes to advance most legislation, meaning at least nine Republican votes are needed to pass most bills, including the debt ceiling deal.

Typically on important, contentious bills such as this one, the two Senate leaders find a way to allow just a couple rebelling senators from each party to offer amendments under fast-track procedures, knowing they will lack the votes for passage.

Republicans are considering several amendments on defense-related issues alone, most of which would have a 50-vote threshold, said Senator John Thune, the chamber’s No. 2 Republican.

A 50-vote threshold, rather than the chamber’s usual 60, could increase the odds that the Senate might alter the House bill, requiring it to return to the House for yet another vote before heading to Biden’s desk.

“There’ll be several on defense,” said Thune.

One of the Republican senators pushing for amendments, said he believed there was still a path for a full floor vote on Thursday.

“They’re trying to do it today,” said the senator, Mike Lee, whose amendment if passed would prevent the White House opting out of a requirement in the bill to offset new spending with cuts elsewhere.

“I want all of my colleagues who want an amendment vote – Republican or Democrat – to get a vote,” Lee said.

The bill was cobbled together over weeks of intensive negotiations between surrogates for Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy. The main argument was over spending for the next couple years on “discretionary” programs, such as housing, education and medical research that Republicans wanted to cut deeply while seeking increases in funding for the military, veterans and possibly border security.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates would save $1.5 trillion over 10 years. That is below the $4.8 trillion in savings that Republicans aimed for in a bill they passed through the House in April, and also below the $3 trillion in deficit that Biden’s proposed budget would have reduced the deficit over that time through new taxes.

The last time the United States came this close to default was in 2011. That standoff hammered financial markets, led to the first-ever downgrade of the government’s credit rating and pushed up the nation’s borrowing costs.`

(Reporting by Richard Cowan and David Morgan; Editing by Scott Malone and Alistair Bell)

COLORADO SPRINGS (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden warned graduates of the Air Force Academy on Thursday that they will face an increasingly unstable world, with challenges from China to Russia to climate change, while pledging that American support for Ukraine would not waiver.

“The world needs you,” Biden told the graduates in Colorado Springs.

Biden praised the strength and unity of the NATO alliance and vowed that Sweden, in addition to Finland, would be joining the military group.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday urged Turkey to immediately finalize Sweden’s accession to NATO, saying the Nordic country had already taken significant steps to address Ankara’s objections to its membership.

“It will happen, I promise you,” Biden said.

The president emphasized U.S. support for Ukraine in the war with Russia.

“The American people’s support for Ukraine will not waiver,” Biden said.

Biden noted other challenges facing the United States, including China.

“The United States does not seek conflict or confrontation with China. China and the United States should be able to work together where we can to solve some global challenges, like climate,” he said.

“But we are prepared for vigorous competition,” he said, adding the United States would stand up for its interests and that of its partners.

(Reporting by Steve Holland; Writing by Heather Timmons, Editing by Caitlin Webber and David Gregorio)

(Reuters) -“That ’70s Show” actor Danny Masterson was convicted on Wednesday of raping two women at his Hollywood Hills home.

A jury deadlocked on another charge that Masterson raped a third woman between 2001 and 2003, said Greg Risling, a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office.

Masterson, 47, got his breakout role as an adolescent rebel in the 1998 to 2006 television comedy series “That ’70s Show.”

The actor had pleaded not guilty to the rape charges.

Defense attorney Philip Cohen had urged jurors to acquit his client. According to City News Service, Cohen questioned the credibility of the alleged victims and said their stories had been tweaked over the years.

The case drew attention in part because Masterson met the women through the Church of Scientology, and two of the accusers said the organization discouraged them from contacting law enforcement.

The Church of Scientology has rejected that claim and said Masterson’s religion should not have been an issue in the case.

“The church has no policy prohibiting or discouraging members from reporting criminal conduct of anyone, Scientologists or not, to law enforcement,” the organization said in a statement.

(Reporting by Lisa Richwine; Editing by Stephen Coates and Richard Chang)

COLORADO SPRINGS (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden warned graduates of the Air Force Academy on Thursday that they will face an increasingly unstable world, with challenges from China to Russia to climate change, while pledging that American support for Ukraine would not waiver.

“The world needs you,” Biden told the graduates in Colorado Springs.

Biden praised the strength and unity of the NATO alliance and vowed that Sweden, in addition to Finland, would be joining the military group.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday urged Turkey to immediately finalize Sweden’s accession to NATO, saying the Nordic country had already taken significant steps to address Ankara’s objections to its membership.

“It will happen, I promise you,” Biden said.

The president emphasized U.S. support for Ukraine in the war with Russia.

“The American people’s support for Ukraine will not waiver,” Biden said.

Biden noted other challenges facing the United States, including China.

“The United States does not seek conflict or confrontation with China. China and the United States should be able to work together where we can to solve some global challenges, like climate,” he said.

“But we are prepared for vigorous competition,” he said, adding the United States would stand up for its interests and that of its partners.

(Reporting by Steve Holland; Writing by Heather Timmons, Editing by Caitlin Webber and David Gregorio)

COLORADO SPRINGS (Reuters) -U.S. President Joe Biden warned graduates of the Air Force Academy on Thursday that they will face an increasingly unstable world, with challenges from China to Russia to climate change, while pledging that American support for Ukraine would not waiver.

“The world needs you,” Biden told the graduates in Colorado Springs.

Biden praised the strength and unity of the NATO alliance and vowed that Sweden, in addition to Finland, would be joining the military group.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday urged Turkey to immediately finalize Sweden’s accession to NATO, saying the Nordic country had already taken significant steps to address Ankara’s objections to its membership.

“It will happen, I promise you,” Biden said.

The president emphasized U.S. support for Ukraine in the war with Russia.

“The American people’s support for Ukraine will not waiver,” Biden said.

Biden noted other challenges facing the United States, including China.

“The United States does not seek conflict or confrontation with China. China and the United States should be able to work together where we can to solve some global challenges, like climate,” he said.

“But we are prepared for vigorous competition,” he said, adding the United States would stand up for its interests and that of its partners.

(Reporting by Steve Holland; Writing by Heather Timmons, Editing by Caitlin Webber and David Gregorio)