Senate Democrats blocked movement on an economic stimulus package, citing ‘serious issues’ with the bill. That injected fresh uncertainty over whether and when lawmakers will reach a bipartisan deal to deliver relief amid the pandemic.
There is pressure to take action: Canada said it won’t be sending teams to the Olympics this summer, and asked for the games to be postponed by one year.
The US dollar, meanwhile, pulled higher against some Asian currencies. It jumped 2.7% against the Korean won and was up 0.4% against the Australian dollar. It also climbed more than 1% versus the New Zealand dollar.
The greenback fell slightly against the Japanese yen, a traditional safe-haven currency.
US oil prices rebounded a little following a nearly 30% plunge last week. WTI crude futures were up 1.5% to trade at $22.76 a barrel.

