Page 21 - Joe Biden

Biden reassures Netanyahu of unwavering commitment to Israel's security

Iran launched 200 ballistic missiles at Israeli targets in at least two waves, on October 1, 2024, marking the largest attack during the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict

Biden condemns un-American lies on federal response as hurricane nears

President Joe Biden on Wednesday blasted his predecessor for spreading an onslaught of lies about how the federal government is handling the damage from Hurricane Helene as another hurricane, Milton, was on the verge of making landfall in Florida. Quite frankly, these lies are un-American, Biden said from the White House. Former President Trump has led this onslaught of lies. Biden said that Donald Trump and his allies have misrepresented the response and resources of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The president singled out Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R- Georgia, who claimed the federal government could control the weather. Asked why he believed his Republican opponents were not talking accurately about the government's response, Biden said, I don't know. I simply don't know. ... I use a phrase more than I did in my whole career, un-American. It's un-American. It's not who in the hell we are. The president talked about the potential damage from Hurricane Milton and ...

Biden speaks to Netanyahu on Israel's plans for retaliation against Iran

The Middle East has been on edge awaiting Israel's response to a missile attack last week that Tehran carried out in retaliation for Israel's military escalation in Lebanon

Gaza war: Biden called Israeli PM Netanyahu a 'liar'. Here's what we know

Despite knowing him for decades, US President Joe Biden's relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been rocky during their time in office

US adversaries targeting elections with disinformation: Intel officials

It's not just the presidential election: Foreign governments are targeting House and Senate races around the country in their effort to meddle with American democracy this election year, intelligence officials warned on Monday. Russia and China have launched influence operations designed to help or hurt candidates in specific congressional races. Without giving specifics about the number of affected races, an official from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said Monday that both countries have zeroed in on races where they believe they have a national security interest at stake. Other smaller nations may be trying their own influence operations, officials said. Cuba is almost certainly trying to boost candidates that the Cuban government believes would support their interests in America, according to a report on foreign election threats released on Monday, roughly a month out from the election. The warning from intelligence officials comes during a particularly tigh

Biden's appeal in Texas emergency abortion case declined by Supreme Court

A court order that says hospitals cannot federally be required to provide pregnancy terminations when they violate a Texas abortion ban will stay for now, the Supreme Court said on Monday. The decision is another setback for opponents of Texas' abortion ban, which for two years has withstood multiple legal challenges, including from women who had serious pregnancy complications and have been turned away by doctors. It left Texas as the only state where the Biden administration is unable to enforce its interpretation of a federal law in an effort to ensure women still have access to emergency abortions when their health or life is at risk. The justices did not detail their reasoning for keeping in place a lower court order, and there were no publicly noted dissents. Texas had asked the justices to leave the order in place while the Biden administration had asked the justices to throw it out. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton called the decision a major victory". The Biden ...

New analysis suggests debt could increase under Harris-Trump economic plans

No one is likely to be happy with the projected higher deficits laid out in a new analysis of Kamala Harris' and Donald Trump's economic plans. The analysis released Monday by the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget suggests a Harris presidency could increase the national debt over 10 years by $3.5 trillion. That's even though the vice president's campaign insists her proposed investments in the middle class and housing would be fully offset by higher taxes on corporations and the wealthy. Her campaign policy guide states that Harris is committed to fiscal responsibility - making investments that will support our economy, while paying for them and reducing the deficit at the same time. The same analysis says former President Trump's ideas could heap another $7.5 trillion onto the debt and possibly as much as $15.2 trillion. That's even though he suggests growth would be so strong under his watch that no one would need to worry about deficits. The 34-page report ..

US President Biden discourages Israel from attacking Iran's oil fields

Biden, addressing reporters at the White House, acknowledged that Israel would respond in some fashion, as Netanyahu vowed to do soon after Iran fired about 200 missiles

Don't know if Israel delaying peace deal to influence 2024 election: Biden

President Joe Biden had terse words for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday, and said he did not know whether the Israeli leader was holding up a Mideast peace deal in order to influence the outcome of the 2024 US presidential election. "No administration has helped Israel more than I have, none. None, none. And I think Bibi should remember that," he said, referring to the Israeli leader by his nickname. "And whether he is trying to influence the election, I do not know but I am not counting on that." Biden, in a rare appearance in the White House press briefing room, was responding to comments made by one of his allies, Senator Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who told CNN this week that he was concerned Netanyahu had little interest in a peace deal in part because of US politics. "I do not think you have to be a hopeless cynic to read some of Israel's actions, some of Prime Minister Netanyahu's actions, as connected to the American election," Murphy said. Biden and Netanyahu have l

Biden talks election, economy, and, Middle East in surprise news briefing

After 1,080 days as president, Joe Biden on Friday decided to pop in and take questions in the White House briefing room for the first time, striding in with a grin after a strong monthly jobs report and the temporary settlement of a strike by ports workers. The president has been less available than his recent predecessors to questions from White House press corps, making his surprise appearance welcome to the gathered reporters who waited as his press secretary's daily briefing was moved up 15 minutes, then delayed for nearly one hour. The president stepped through the press room's blue door in a dark gray suit and red tie and proceeded to make news in response to questions about comments on the 2024 presidential election, the latest jobs numbers and the escalating conflict in the Middle East. The 81-year old stepped aside from the Democratic nomination this summer, backing Vice President Kamala Harris instead. He acknowledged doubts about whether the November election would be ..

President Biden 'in discussion' on possible strikes on Iran oil faciitlites

Oil prices rose following Biden's suggestion that US and Israeli officials were considering a possible Israeli strike on Iranian oil facilities

Biden declines public negotiation on Israel's stance on Iranian oil sites

Biden earlier in the day contributed to a surge in global oil prices when he said Washington was discussing strikes on Iran's oil facilities

Sees progress in port labour dispute: Biden as strike enters third day

The strike, the biggest of its kind in nearly half a century, has blocked unloading of container ships from Maine to Texas, threatening shortages of everything from bananas to auto parts

How Donald Trump credits an immigration chart for saving his life

Ever since the assassination attempt at his rally in Pennsylvania, Donald Trump has professed a unique fondness for a bar chart he credits for saving his life. Trump was addressing the crowd in Butler about illegal immigration and reviewing a chart that detailed U.S.-Mexico border crossings during his administration and President Joe Biden's term. He had his head turned to the right to review the graphic on a projection screen when the gunfire began. One bullet nicked his right ear, coming millimeters from maiming or killing him. He has said having his head turned probably saved my life, adding at times that he loves the chart more than I even love the police and saying he will sleep with that chart for the rest of my life. He has made it a recurring campaign prop and is likely to show it again when he returns to Butler on Saturday. The chart helps the Republican presidential nominee connect an iconic moment from his 2024 campaign to his signature issue since he entered politics. It

Harris surveys Hurricane havoc; gives meals, consoles families in Georgia

Vice-President Kamala Harris handed out meals, embraced a shaken family and surveyed Hurricane Helene's "extraordinary" path of destruction through Georgia on Wednesday as she left the campaign trail to pledge federal help and personally take in scenes of toppled trees, damaged homes and lives upended. She visited Augusta, where power lines stretched along the sidewalk and utility poles lay cracked and broken. The vice-president spoke from a lectern erected in front of a house with a fallen tree teetering on its roof, acknowledging those who had died in the disaster while also trying to project a tone of unity and hope for communities now facing long and expensive rebuilds. Harris and President Joe Biden, who visited the Carolinas on Wednesday, were seeking to demonstrate commitment and competence in helping devastated communities after Republican former president Donald Trump's false claims about their administration's response. Harris said she wanted to "personally take a look at

UN ponders how to calm conflict as Israel battles militants on 2 fronts

The United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting Wednesday to address the spiraling conflict in the Middle East. Iran's ambassador to the UN said his country launched nearly 200 missiles at Israel on Tuesday as a deterrent to further Israeli violence, while his Israeli counterpart called the barrage an "unprecedented act of aggression". Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed late on Tuesday to retaliate, and an Iranian commander threatened wider strikes on infrastructure if Israel did so. US President Biden said Wednesday that he would not support an Israeli attack targeting Iran's nuclear programme. Israel further ruffled feathers on Wednesday when its foreign minister declared the UN secretary-general "persona non-grata" in the country, doubling down on decades of accusations of antisemitism against the organisation. Israel was meanwhile battling militants on two fronts, pursuing a ground incursion into Lebanon against Hezbollah and conducting strikes in Gaz

Biden won't support strike on Iran nuclear sites as Israel weighs payback

President Joe Biden said Wednesday he will not support an Israeli strike on sites related to Tehran's nuclear programme in response to Iran's missile attack on Israel. The answer is no, Biden told reporters when asked if he would support such retaliation after Iran fired about 180 missiles at Israel on Tuesday. Biden's comments came after he and fellow Group of Seven leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United Kingdom spoke by telephone about coordinating new sanctions against Iran. The White House said in a statement that the leaders unequivocally condemned Iran's attack against Israel and that Biden reaffirmed America's full solidarity and support to Israel and its people. Biden added that there are things that have to be done in response to the Iranian barrage. He said he expected sanctions from the G7 nations to be announced soon. We will be discussing with the Israelis what they are going to do, Biden told reporters before heading to the Carolinas to see

After pressing for Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire, US shifts its message

The Iranian missile attack on Israel appears to have been defeated and ineffective, US President Joe Biden said, hours after Tehran fired nearly 200 missiles at Israel. The Israeli military reportedly said there were no news of injuries from the attack. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Biden said, "At my direction, the United States military actively supported the defence of Israel. We are still assessing the impact but, based on what we know, the attack appears to have been defeated and ineffective and this is a testament to Israeli military capability (It is) also a testament to intensive planning (between) the United States and Israel to anticipate and defend against a brazen attack." "Make no mistake, the United States is fully supportive of Israel. And I just spent the morning and part of the afternoon in the situation room, meeting with my whole national security team The national security team, as I said, is in constant contact with Israeli officials and ...

White House sides with union as dockworker strike enters second day

More than 38 container vessels were already backed up at US ports by Tuesday, compared with just three on Sunday before the strike, according to Everstream Analytics

Japan's new PM Ishiba vows to push a strong defence under Japan-US alliance

Japan's new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba pledged to stick to the vital Japan-US alliance while calling for it to be more equitable after he took office on Tuesday, vowing to tackle a slow economy and regain public trust before an upcoming election. Shigeru Ishiba replaced Fumio Kishida, who stepped down to pave the way for a fresh leader after scandals dogged his government. In a show of Japan's respect to its most important ally, the US, Ishiba spoke by telephone with President Joe Biden early on Wednesday and told reporters he reassured Biden of his plan to further strengthen the Japan-US alliance that Biden and Kishida have significantly elevated. His new Cabinet emphasises defence and a majority of its members, including Ishiba himself, are unaffiliated with factions led and controlled by Liberal Democratic Party heavyweights, and none is from the late Shinzo Abe's faction that has been linked to damaging misconduct. Speaking to reporters at the prime minister's office for the