Page 25 - White House

WH to announce first-ever federal office of gun violence prevention: Report

President Joe Biden is creating the first-ever federal office of gun violence prevention, according to two people familiar with the plans. The office will coordinate efforts across the federal government and will offer help and guidance to states struggling with increasing gun violence, while taking the lead on implementation of the bipartisan gun legislation signed into law last year. Biden tentatively plans to announce the new effort with an event Friday at the White House, said the people, who had direct knowledge of the plans and who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly. The office fulfils a key demand of gun safety activists who banded together as a coalition to endorse Biden for president in 2024, and is an effort by the White House to keep the issue front-and-centre as the president pushes for a ban on so-called "assault weapons" and urges Congress to act. "The creation of an Office of Gun Violence Preventi

We're all grateful to PM Modi for India's presidency of G20: White House

The US is grateful to India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the G20 presidency and President Joe Biden returned from the leaders' summit in Delhi feeling "very positive and optimistic", a senior White House official said. Biden "came away from the G20 feeling very positive and optimistic about the direction. I mean, there was an awful lot of great work done at the G20 and we're all grateful to Prime Minister Modi for his presidency, for India's presidency of it, but also for the way the agenda was executed," National Security Council (NSC) Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said at a press briefing in response to a question by PTI. "It was a very, very productive couple of days," Kirby said, referring to the G20 Leaders' Summit held in Delhi on September 9 and 10 under the Indian presidency of the grouping of the world's biggest economies. Kirby addressed reporters at the New York Foreign Press Center here Monday on US priorities for the high-level 78th session

Google's Sundar Pichai joins CEOs in White House meeting on immigration

President Joe Biden's administration has requested $600 million from Congress for housing, and said it will work with cities to facilitate work permits for eligible asylum seekers

China's Apple iPhone ban appears to be retaliation, says US White House

The situation grew more muddled Wednesday, when Beijing contradicted reports about iPhone restrictions while also raising concerns about security problems with the device

Biden WH strategy for impeachment inquiry: Dismiss. Compartmentalize. Scold

On Capitol Hill, House Republicans were all-in Wednesday on House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's announcement of an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. Down Pennsylvania Avenue, the president was holding forth at the White House on the importance of bipartisanship in fighting cancer and ignoring shouted questions about impeachment. It was a clear sign of Biden's broader reelection pitch: the idea that if he simply does his job and governs, Americans will see the results and reward him with four more years. Never mind all that pesky impeachment talk across town. Just an hour earlier, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre had dismissed the inquiry as a political stunt and deflected questions about the details to the White House Counsel's Office. House Republicans? We think they should work with us on legitimate issues things that actually matter to the American people," she said. The we're-all-better-than-this attitude is central to the White House strategy for counter

Biden's team says India has not allowed media questions after meet: Cong

The Congress on Friday alleged that US President Joe Biden's team has said that despite multiple requests India has not allowed media to ask questions of him and Prime Minister Narendra Modi after their bilateral meeting here. President Biden is in Delhi to attend the G20 Summit on September 9 and 10. "President Biden's team says despite multiple requests India has not allowed media to ask questions of him and Prime Minister Modi after their bilateral meeting," Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on X. "President Biden will now take questions in Vietnam on Sept 11th from the media accompanying him. Not surprising at all. This is how democracy is done Modi-style," Ramesh said. Soon after his arrival this evening, Biden held a bilateral meeting with PM Modi at his residence. Biden and many other dignitaries from across the world are in New Delhi for the G20 Summit. India currently holds the presidency of G20.

Trump WH official Navarro convicted of contempt for defying Jan. 6 subpoena

Trump White House official Peter Navarro was convicted Thursday of contempt of Congress charges filed after he was accused of refusing to cooperate with a congressional investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. The verdict came after a short trial for Navarro, who served as a White House trade adviser under President Donald Trump and later promoted the Republican's baseless claims of mass voter fraud in the 2020 election he lost. Navarro was the second Trump aide to face contempt of Congress charges after former White House adviser Steve Bannon. Bannon was convicted of two counts and was sentenced to four months behind bars, though he has been free pending appeal. Prosecutors said Navarro acted as if he were above the law when he defied a subpoena for documents and a deposition from the House Jan. 6 committee. He was charged with two misdemeanour counts of contempt of Congress, both punishable by up to a year behind bars. A defense attorney argued Navarro didn'

Top headlines: Delhi gears up for G20 Summit, Biden set to travel India

Business Standard brings you the top headlines at this hour

'Every country has right to...': WH official on India buying Russian oil

This remark came upon the query being asked about India buying oil from Russia could be one of the agenda of US President Joe Biden's discussion with Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Trump WH adviser acted above law in defying Jan 6 Committee: Prosecutors

A White House adviser to President Donald Trump acted as if he were "above the law when he refused to cooperate with a congressional investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, prosecutors argued at his trial Wednesday. Peter Navarro was charged with two counts of contempt of Congress, but his lawyer argued he didn't ignore the House Jan. 6 Committee. Instead, Navarro told members to contact Trump about what might be protected by executive privilege, the attorney said. A judge has found the privilege argument alone isn't a defense against the charges because Navarro couldn't show evidence that the former Republican president had invoked it. Both sides rested after committee staffers testified about sending the subpoena and Navarro's response. Closing arguments and jury deliberations are expected Thursday. Navarro, a senior trade adviser, was subpoenaed in February 2022 by the House panel investigating how and why a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capit

US President Biden all set to travel to India for G20 Summit: White House

US President Joe Biden is all set to visit India and is "very excited" about the important initiatives he will be championing at the G20 Summit in New Delhi, according to senior White House officials. Biden will follow the COVID-19 guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during his visit to India for the G20 Summit. First Lady Jill Biden, 72, tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday. President Biden, 80, was tested for the virus on Monday and Tuesday following his wife's positive test, but his results were negative. The White House said the president has tested negative twice and there is no change in his travel plans for India. After arriving in New Delhi on Friday evening, President Biden is likely to immediately get back to business by having his bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the same night. His meetings and interactions with Modi and other world leaders during and on the sidelines of the G20 Summit would be driven by the COVID-

US Prez Biden to focus on progress on climate at G20 Summit: White House

The key focus areas for President Joe Biden at the G20 Summit include delivering for developing nations, making progress on key issues like climate, technology and reshaping the multilateral development banks, the White House has said, expressing hope that the bloc will be able to make headway on those topics under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. On Thursday, President Biden will travel to New Delhi to attend the G20 Leaders' Summit. On Friday, President Biden will participate in a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Modi and on Saturday and Sunday, the President will participate in the official sessions of the G20 Summit. As Biden heads to the G20, he is committed to working with emerging market partners to deliver big things together, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said during a press briefing on Tuesday. "That's what we believe the world will see in New Delhi this weekend," he said. America's commitment to the G20 has not wavered, and it hopes the G20 Summi

Biden to follow CDC guidelines during his India visit for G20 Summit: US

US President Joe Biden will follow the COVID-19 guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during his visit to India for the G20 Summit and his trip to Vietnam, the White House has said. The announcement on Tuesday came after First Lady Jill Biden, 72, tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday. President Biden, 80, was tested for the virus on Monday and Tuesday following his wife's positive test, but his results were negative. The White House said the president has tested negative twice and there is no change in his travel plans for India and Vietnam later this week. Responding to questions from reporters, it said the president, however, is taking all the necessary precautions and following standard procedures as per the CDC guidelines. What I can tell you is that the president certainly is going to test on a regular cadence determined by his physician. Of course, all travellers, including the president, will test before travelling to India," White House Press

Don't expect Russia to flip its position on Ukraine war this year: US

"India signed on to the statement, most members it was as I recalled. Russia was the main objector to the proposition that so many of the other members of the G20 signed on to," Sullivan said

Biden will nominate longtime aide to become US ambassador to UNESCO

A longtime aide to President Joe Biden who is a senior adviser in Vice President Kamala Harris' office is Biden's choice to represent the United States at the United Nations agency devoted to education, science and culture. The U.S. recently rejoined the U.N. Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization after a five-year hiatus initiated by Biden's immediate predecessor in the White House, Donald Trump. The Democratic president's choice to become the U.S. permanent representative to the Paris-based UNESCO, with the rank of ambassador, is longtime aide Courtney O'Donnell, according to a White House official, who spoke Monday on the condition of anonymity to discuss the nomination before a formal announcement. O'Donnell currently wears two hats: She's a senior adviser in Harris' office and acting chief of staff for Harris' husband, second gentleman Doug Emhoff, and lends her expertise to a range of national and global issues, including gender equity and countering prejudice again

Joe Biden and The West Wing fantasy

If Biden is the last politician, we should presumably cling to him for as long as possible. Boomer hegemony as destiny: This is the future sketched for us by Foer's thin and yet telling book

President Biden hosts Costa Rican Prez Rodrigo Chaves at White House

President Joe Biden is hosting Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves at the White House Tuesday, following an agreement between the two nations on possible legal pathways for migrants. The two leaders are expected to discuss how the two nations can work together to strengthen economic ties through new jobs, advance democracy and promote orderly migration. The Central American nation has emerged as an immigration hotspot, as migrants increasingly travel through the dangerous Darien Gap from Colombia into Central America and north into Costa Rica. In June, Costa Rica and the U.S. agreed to open potential legal pathways to the United States for some of the Nicaraguan and Venezuelan migrants who are among the 240,000 asylum seekers in the Central American nation. Last year, Nicaraguans accounted for nine out of 10 applicants. The agreement was aimed at reducing the pressure on Costa Rica's overwhelmed asylum system and heading off asylum seekers who could give up on the slow process in

Top Russian official pitched N Korea on increasing sale of munitions: WH

The White House on Thursday said US intelligence officials have determined that Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu spoke last week to North Korean officials during a visit to Pyongyang about increasing the sale of munitions to Moscow for its war in Ukraine. Shoigu made the pitch during his visit to North Korea for events marking the 70th anniversary of the armistice that halted fighting in the 1950-53 Korean War, according to White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby. Russian President Vladimir Putin dispatched Shoigu to lead the Russian delegation for the commemoration. The Biden administration says Shoigu's pitch to tighten cooperation with North Korea underscored that the Kremlin has become reliant on the country, as well as Iran, for the arms it needs to fight its war against Ukraine. North Korea and Iran are largely isolated on the international stage for their nuclear programs and human rights records. This is yet another example of how desperate Mr. Putin

Joe Biden to welcome far-right Italian PM Meloni for White House talks

President Joe Biden is set for talks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Thursday, welcoming the far-right leader who has won praise from the U.S. administration for her strong backing of the U.S.-led effort to assist Ukraine as it tries to fend off the Russian invasion. The warm reception comes after initial trepidation in the Biden administration about Meloni, who rose to power last year as the head of Italy's most far-right government since the end of World War II. Biden administration concerns about her ideology have been eased by her support for Ukraine and her seeming openness to pull back from Italy's participation in China's infrastructure-building Belt and Road Initiative. Her visit comes as Italy prepares to take up the presidency next year of the Group of Seven industrialised nations. White House officials said that in addition to discussing Ukraine and China, the two leaders were expected to discuss migration from North Africa to Europe's southern shores. More

Russia preparing for attacks on civilian ships in Black Sea: White House

Days after Russia suspended participation in a wartime deal that allowed grain to flow from Ukraine to countries around the world, the White House on Wednesday warned that the Russian military is preparing for possible attacks on civilian shipping vessels in the Black Sea. Since leaving the Black Sea Grain Deal this week, Russia has already struck Ukraine's grain export ports in Odesa with missile and drone attacks. Some 60,000 tons of grain were destroyed in the attacks. "Our information indicates that Russia laid additional sea mines in the approaches to Ukrainian ports," White House National Security Council spokesman Adam Hodge said in a statement. "We believe that this is a coordinated effort to justify any attacks against civilian ships in the Black Sea and lay blame on Ukraine for these attacks." The Russian Defense Ministry has declared international waters in northwestern and southeastern parts of the Black Sea "temporarily dangerous" for shipping. That followed Ukraine's .