Debt On It

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says the U.S. is on track to hit its debt ceiling by Thursday. The federal government has never defaulted on its debt, but House Republicans say they won’t lift the ceiling without spending cuts or other concessions. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy reinstated coveted committee assignments to far-right members of his party – including Reps Marjorie Taylor Greene and Paul Gosar. Both lawmakers were booted off their respective panels in the last Congress over controversial posts they made on social media. And in headlines: a jury was seated in a case brought by Tesla shareholders against Elon Musk, China’s population dropped for the first time in decades, and climate activist Greta Thunberg was briefly detained during a protest in Germany.