Democrats are in terrible shape. Republicans control all three branches of government in Washington, 34 of 50 governorships, and 68 of the 99 state legislatures. As they plot a comeback, Democrats have one obvious asset: the reckless presidency of Donald Trump. That’s not enough to close such a huge gap. And the battles that have started to rage inside the …

Bloomberg US stocks edged higher, the dollar struggled and gold rose as investors weighed the damage from Tropical Storm Harvey. European stocks started the week on the back foot following Friday’s euro surge, but managed to pare a drop. Gasoline surged to the highest in two years and oil declined as flooding from Harvey inundated refining centers along the Texas …

DUBAI / Reuters Banks helped nudge stock markets in the Gulf higher on Monday with Saudi Arabian lenders, which may benefit from a potential upgrade of the kingdom by index compiler FTSE at the end of next month, outperforming. Egypt firmed on buying by foreign funds. Late next month FTSE will announce its decision on whether to include Saudi Arabia …