Page 27 - Us Government

Biden campaign's reset after debate looks a lot like business as usual

President Joe Biden's reset after his disastrous debate performance is looking more like a return to business as usual. Even as his campaign works to quell Democratic anxiety and reassure spooked donors, Biden has been putting the focus on presumptive Republican nominee Donald Trump as a threat to the nation, and trying to get back to doing the job of president. The president's schedule this week includes a briefing on extreme weather, a campaign reception, a Medal of Honor ceremony and the traditional July 4th White House barbecue. Then he's off for a weekend at his home in Wilmington, Delaware. Nothing out of the ordinary, it all telegraphed. But Vice President Kamala Harris, in a Sunday night fundraiser, gave a nod to what she called the elephant in the room. The debate, she allowed, wasn't Biden's finest hour. Still, "if we put aside the style points, there was a clear contrast, she argued, going on to call out Trump as a threat to our democracy and a liar. For all of the pub

Could Democrats replace Biden as their nominee? All you need to know

As President Joe Biden attempts to reassure supporters following his widely panned debate performance on Thursday, Democrats still worried about having him at the top of the ticket in November have few realistic options at their disposal, at least as far as party rules and historical precedent are concerned. Those fretting over Biden as the Democratic nominee have some alternative, albeit unlikely, scenarios to consider: One involves Biden stepping aside voluntarily, the other, and by far the least likely, involves an 11th-hour effort to defeat him at the convention by winning over pledged delegates he has won in the nominations contests, who are technically obligated to support him only by good conscience in the party's rules. Challenges to the presumptive nominee can occur, but there are significant hurdles, according to Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and an expert in the party's nominating process. It has been tried, and it usually fails, said Kamarc

Trump's lawyers seek to set aside New York verdict hours after SC ruling

Donald Trump's lawyers on Monday asked the New York judge who presided over his hush money trial to set aside his conviction and delay his sentencing scheduled for later this month. The letter to Judge Juan M Merchan cited the US Supreme Court's ruling earlier Monday and asked the judge to delay Trump's sentencing while he weighs the high court's decision and how it could influence the New York case, the people said. The people could not discuss details of the letter before it was made public and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. The Supreme Court on Monday ruled for the first time that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution. Trump was convicted on 34 counts of falsifying business records, arising from what prosecutors said was an attempt to cover up a hush money payment just before the 2016 presidential election. Merchan instituted a policy in the run-up to the trial requiring both sides to send him a one-page letter summarising their argume

US SC says Donald Trump has immunity for official acts, not private ones

Trump made his immunity claim to the trial judge in October, meaning the issue has been litigated for about nine months

Prominent US lawmakers assure Hindus against discrimination, Hinduphobia

Prominent American lawmakers have pledged their support to Indian Americans to fight against increasing Hinduphobia and discrimination against the minority Hindu community in the US. Organised by the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA), the 3rd National Hindu Advocacy Day attracted several Hindu students, researchers, and community leaders on June 28 to discuss the concerns faced by the Hindus living in the US. "We are here, and we are fighting," Congressman Shri Thanedar said in his address at the day-long advocacy here. "The voice you all have, the voice the Hindu community has in Congress," said Thanedar, a Democrat, who has introduced House Resolution 1131 (H.Res 1131), which condemns Hinduphobia and attacks on temples, while celebrating the contribution of the Hindu American community. He said that he would not tolerate Hinduphobia, discrimination, or other forms of hate. Congressman Rich McCormick welcomed the continued and growing engagement of the Hindu American

Hurricane Beryl nears Caribbean after strengthening into Category 4 storm

Hurricane Beryl closed in on the southeastern Caribbean late Sunday after strengthening into what experts called an "extremely dangerous Category 4 storm, and government officials pleaded with people to take shelter. The storm was expected to make landfall in the Windward Islands on Monday morning. Hurricane warnings were in effect for Barbados, St. Lucia, Grenada, Tobago and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. This is a very dangerous situation, warned the US National Hurricane Centre in Miami, saying Beryl was forecast to bring life-threatening winds and storm surge. Beryl was centred about 150 miles (240 kilometres) southeast of Barbados late Sunday. It had maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (215 kph) and was moving west at 20 mph (31 kph). It is a compact storm, with hurricane-force winds extending 30 miles (45 kilometres) from its centre. A tropical storm warning was in effect for Martinique and Trinidad. A tropical storm watch was issued for Dominica, Haiti's entire southern coas

From US to Japan, here's how strongest car unions deal with EV job losses

In South Korea, Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Corp.'s moves toward electrification are provoking similar anxieties in that country's highly active and organised labour movement

US elections: Biden allies reject calls for him dropping out of 2024 race

Joe Biden has not indicated that he plans to drop out of the race and, in fact, voiced just the opposite

US justice dept wants Boeing to plead guilty to fraud over fatal crashes

The US Justice Department plans to propose that Boeing plead guilty to fraud in connection with two deadly plane crashes involving its 737 Max jetliners, according to two people who heard prosecutors detail the offer Sunday. Boeing will have until the end of the coming week to accept or reject the offer, which includes the giant aerospace company agreeing to an independent monitor who would oversee its compliance with anti-fraud laws, they said. The Justice Department told families of some of the 346 people who died in the 2018 and 2019 crashes about the plea offer during a video meeting, according to Mark Lindquist, one of the lawyers representing families who are suing Boeing, and another person who heard the call with prosecutors. Prosecutors told the families that if Boeing rejects the plea offer, the Justice Department would seek a trial in the matter, they said. Boeing declined to comment. The meeting came weeks after prosecutors told a federal judge that the American aerosp

Boeing in talks with US justice dept to resolve charges over safety lapses

The settlement could be announced as soon as next week and is expected to include imposing a corporate monitor on the world's second-largest planemaker

How Julian Assange, US prosecutors arrived at plea deal to end his case

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is back in Australia as a free man, having resolved through a plea deal a U.S. Justice Department case charging him with obtaining and publishing government secrets on his secret-spilling website. It was a stunning resolution to a polarizing drama that landed at the intersection of press freedom and national security, spanned three presidential administrations and played out across multiple continents. Here are some things to know: The negotiations The plea deal was the culmination of a lengthy negotiation process that accelerated in recent months and featured numerous proposals and counterproposals. About a year and a half ago, a lawyer for Assange made a presentation to federal prosecutors in Virginia that included a bold request: that they drop the case. That was untenable to the Justice Department, but months later prosecutors asked whether Assange would be open to resolving the case through a guilty plea. The Assange team was open to explorin

Here's what the Democrats need to do to replace Joe Biden as nominee

If Biden doesn't step aside, forcing him out would be a Herculean undertaking for Democrats

2024 Debate: Kamala Harris shines as a possible replacement for Biden

Tasked with the very hard job of spinning a disastrous debate performance and selling the Democratic brand, Harris met the moment

General accused of leading failed coup wanted to take over: Bolivian prez

Bolivian President Luis Arce said Friday a former general had intended to take over the government and become president in a failed coup, and he denied that the Andean nation was experiencing an economic crisis. In an interview with The Associated Press, the embattled leader denied once again that Wednesday's attack on the government palace was a self-coup designed to garner him political points. I didn't escape, I stayed to defend democracy," Arce said. About ongoing political spats with his one-time ally Evo Morales, Arce said we've been politically attacked by Morales, underscoring a legislative boycott which has hamstrung the government in taking on economic turmoil. Arce washed his hands of claims by family members of the 21 detained by the government who were innocent of attempting a coup, and that they were tricked by the ex-military General Juan Jose Ziga. It's a problem of those who were involved, it's not the government's problem, Arce told the AP.

Trump's references to 'Black jobs', 'Hispanic jobs' stir Democratic anger

Donald Trump warned during his debate with Joe Biden and again at a Friday rally that migrants were taking Black jobs and Hispanic jobs from Americans, angering critics who called it a racist and insulting attempt to expand his appeal beyond his white conservative base. While President Joe Biden's halting debate performance on Thursday night stirred widespread concerns among fellow Democrats about his readiness, Trump also repeatedly made false claims and repeated conspiracy theories that he's long promoted during his campaign. Trump suggested without evidence that Democrats want migrants to displace Americans as voters, and he described the state of the nation under Biden as worse than during the deadly 2017 neo-Nazi march in Charlottesville, Virginia. Trump has often downplayed the racist overtones of the march, once saying there were fine people on both sides." Trump's depiction of a country on the brink, under siege from unfettered migration and beset by racial strife and econom

President Biden concedes missteps, vows to press on despite calls to quit

Trump attempted to harness momentum following the debate with his own rally in Virginia, ridiculing Biden's debate performance

Shares of Trump Media volatile after first US presidential debate, slip 10%

Trump Media fell more than 10% Friday after the first U.S. presidential debate, demonstrating another of the wild swings that have made its stock one of the more volatile on Wall Street. Shares in the owner of social networking site Truth Social jumped 5% at the opening bell and then sank through much of the day. The shares still finished the week with a gain of over 18%. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump clashed Thursday evening on topics including abortion, immigration and the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. Biden's performance was largely seen as uneven, particularly early on. He tried repeatedly to confront Trump, who countered Biden's criticism by leaning into falsehoods about the economy, illegal immigration and his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection. In political futures markets, where investors can put money on the political fates of candidates, Biden's odds of remaining the Democratic party's nominee slid 29% after the debate. Citi analysts said

Prez Biden concedes debate fumbles but declares he will defend democracy

President Joe Biden forcefully tried on Friday to quell Democratic anxieties over his unsteady showing in his debate with former President Donald Trump, as elected members of his party closed ranks around him in an effort to shut down talk of replacing him atop the ticket. Biden's halting delivery and meandering comments, particularly early in the debate, fuelled concerns from even members of his own party that at age 81 he's not up for the task of leading the country for another four years. Even before the debate, Biden's age had been a liability with voters, and Thursday night's faceoff appeared to reinforce the public's deep-seated concerns before perhaps the largest audience he will garner before ballots are cast. Biden appeared to acknowledge the criticism during a rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, saying I don't debate as well as I used to." But he added, I know how to do this job. I know how to get things done. Speaking for 18 minutes, Biden repeatedly appeared far more ...

China 'killing us as a country' under Biden administration, says Trump

Trump brushed aside claims his policies would raise US inflation, and cause pain for American consumers

As Covid-19 ticks up, US advisers recommend a fall vaccination campaign

With fresh COVID-19 cases bubbling up in some parts of the country, health officials are setting course for a fall vaccination campaign. An influential government advisory panel on Thursday recommended new shots for all Americans this fall. The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must endorse the recommendation. Officials acknowledged the need for vaccinations is not as dire as it was only a few years ago. Most Americans have some degree of immunity from being infected, from past vaccinations or both. COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations last month were at about their lowest point since the pandemic first hit the United States in 2020. But immunity wanes, new coronavirus variants keep emerging and there are still hundreds of COVID-19-associated deaths and thousands of hospitalizations reported each week. What's more, health officials have reported upticks this month in COVID-19-associated emergency room visits and hospitalizations, and a pronounced increase i