With the Treasury's deadline to avoid a default of August 2nd looming into view, the pace picked up in negotiations in Washington over raising the federal debt ceiling .

美国财政部避免支付违约的最后期限是8月2号，随着这一天的临近，华盛顿就提高联邦债务上限的谈判步伐也在加快。

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The Gracchi brothers set the pace in the 2nd century B.

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In the U.S., even though its stock market is at multi-year highs that might have one think its economy must be booming, the economy is just scraping along and slowing further, with GDP growing at just a 1.7% pace in the 2nd quarter, and corporations warning of still slower conditions ahead.

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Its GDP grew at a sickly 0.4% annualized rate in the 2nd quarter, down from its 4.4% pace in the 1st quarter, and significantly worse than forecasts that its growth would slow significantly, but only to 2.3%.

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