Thursday Briefing: U.S. weekly jobless claims drop below 400,000

The Reuters Daily Briefing Thursday, June 3, 2021 by Linda Noakes Hello Here's what you need to know. Netanyahu battles for his political life, Bill Gates will build his next generation nuclear reactor in Wyoming, and a stark warning to investors from AMC's CEO Today's biggest stories A Brandon Motor Lodge displays a 'Help Wanted' sign in Brandon, Florida, U.S., June 1, 2021. REUTERS/Octavio Jones U.S. The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits dropped below 400,000 last week for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic started more than a year ago, pointing to a strengthening labor market despite a worker shortage that is limiting hiring. The leading Democratic contenders for New York City mayor, former presidential candidate Andrew Yang and Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, faced harsh attacks from each other and a half dozen rivals during a televised debate. A Florida man became the second person so far to plead guilty for his role in storming the Capitol, after he entered the Senate chamber clad in a Trump T-shirt and waving a red flag that said 'Trump 2020'. From free beer to free childcare, President Joe Biden touted new efforts to get 70 percent of U.S. adults at least one shot of vaccination against COVID-19 by July 4. The teetotaling president lauded an announcement by Anheuser-Busch to give a free beer to adults over the age of 21 if the goal is reached. Queen Elizabeth will meet Biden and First Lady Jill Biden at Windsor Castle at the conclusion of the G7 summit which begins in Britain next week, Buckingham Palace says. Britain is hosting world leaders in Cornwall, England, in what will be Biden's first overseas trip since he took office. Smoke rises from a fire onboard the MV X-Press Pearl vessel as it sinks while being towed into deep sea off the Colombo Harbour, in Sri Lanka, June 2, 2021 WORLD Sri Lanka is bracing for the possibility of an oil spill after a cargo ship laden with chemicals sank off its western coast, in what is already the country's worst ever man-made environmental disaster. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is fighting back against an agreement by his political opponents for a government of left-wing, centrist and right-wing parties aimed at unseating him. We explain who the new guard are and what went wrong for the man his supporters call 'King Bibi'. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged lawmakers to pass a law that would strip the oligarchs who have dominated the country for decades of power and political influence. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has drawn up a list of possible successors that includes his daughter Sara, boxing star Emmanuel 'Manny' Pacquiao and the son of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos when he ends his six-year term next year. BUSINESS China hailed the resumption of "normal discussions" with the United States on the trade and economic fronts, apparently keen to move beyond a trade war as it said both sides aimed to resolve issues pragmatically. Yuan bulls are putting pressure on Biden to figure out a way to walk back tariffs, says Breakingviews columnist Pete Sweeney. AMC Entertainment launched its second share issue in three days, while warning investors that after a week of stellar gains they risked losing their shirts if they backed the company at current prices. We look at how, with popcorn and tweets, AMC's CEO has ridden the retail investor wave. Think of an exclusive poker game where the minimum bet is close to $1 million. The stock-trading version, 'dark pools' that host blockbuster trades, are pulling in major money in Europe. Their rise has been swift. Bill Gates' advanced nuclear reactor company TerraPower and PacifiCorp have selected Wyoming to launch the first Natrium reactor project on the site of a retiring coal plant. Small advanced reactors, which run on different fuels than traditional reactors, are regarded by some as a critical carbon-free technology. Quote of the day "Argentina is a punk nation. Everything is today, there is no tomorrow. Everything is in the short term because there is no future" Alberto Fernandez Argentine president Argentina inflation soars as hazy future drives price hikes Video of the day Salt-harvesting helps make ends meet in Iraq In Iraq's south, vulnerable families resort to harvesting salt from natural salt ponds, despite the scorching summer heat and the low price it fetches. And finally… NASA’s Venus missions to probe divergent fate of Earth’s hothouse sister planet Scientists believe Venus may once have harbored seas of water potentially suitable for life, before unknown forces triggered its extreme greenhouse effect, vaporizing its oceans. More from Reuters COVID-19 Investigations Breakingviews Legal News Thanks for spending part of your day with us. Share your thoughts You are receiving this email because you signed up for newsletters from Reuters. No longer want to hear from us? Unsubscribe from The Reuters Daily Briefing. Terms, conditions, and privacy statement © 2021 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. 3 Times Square, New York, NY 10036