U.S. says sending cluster munitions to Ukraine is worth risk

White House presses Russia for release of detained journalist

FiveThirtyEight: Biden’s popularity at historically low level

President Biden’s popularity at this point in his term is historically low. As he runs for reelection, Joe Biden is facing the worst job approval rating of nearly every president since Harry Truman. A FiveThirtyEight-dot-com comprehensive poll analysis shows Biden with a 40-percent approval. That is slightly lower than Donald Trump’s rating at the same point during his administration, and sharply lower than both President Bushes. In fact, Biden trails every president –both Democratic and Republican– dating back to the 1940’s except for one — Jimmy Carter.

GOP candidates react to Trump’s threatened debate boycott

GOP presidential candidates are reacting to the possibility that Donald Trump might skip the first primary debate next month. Trump campaign officials say the former president has yet to make a final decision on his plans. But he has indicated both publicly and privately that he’s not inclined to participate in the Milwaukee debate. Chris Christie criticized the threatened boycott, telling CNN that Trump “owes it to the Republican Party and the voters … to stand up and defend his record.” In a Fox News interview, Ron DeSantis said he planned to participate in the debate “regardless” of Trump’s decision and called the debate “an important part of the process.”

Biden heads to Europe for 3-nation trip, including NATO summit

President Biden heads to Europe this weekend [SUN] for a three-country trip. The president will begin his travels in Britain for meetings with King Charles the Third and Prime Minister Sunak. He then goes to Lithuania for the main focus of the overseas trip — the annual NATO summit. Topping the agenda will be bolstering international support for Ukraine in its war against Russia. Mr. Biden will also stop in Finland to mark that country’s recent membership in the NATO alliance.

U.S. in talks with Russia about detained reporter

The U-S has been in contact with Russian officials to press for the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. It’s been 100 days since Gershkovich was arrested and imprisoned on espionage charges. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan says the U-S is focused on winning the release of detained Americans. Sullivan said there have been U-S-Russian talks, but doesn’t want to give “false hope.” He said those discussions have not yet produced a clear pathway to a resolution.

U.S. to send controversial cluster munitions to Ukraine

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter mark 77 years of marriage

Former President Jimmy Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, are celebrating their 77th wedding anniversary.
At 77 years, the Carters hold the record as the longest-married first couple ever. This year comes with both of them facing significant health challenges. The 39th president is 98 and has been in home hospice care since February. The former first lady is 95 and has dementia. The Carter family hasn’t offered details of their conditions, but has said they both have enjoyed time with each other and family members, along with occasional visits from close friends.

Biden to crack down on “junk” health insurance plans

President Biden will roll out a new set of initiatives aimed at reducing health care costs. The initiatives include a crackdown on scam insurance plans, new guidance to prevent surprise medical bills, and an effort to reduce medical debt tied to credit cards. The Biden administration plans to limit what it calls “junk” insurance plans, such as short-term policies that can deny basic coverage as people transition between employers.

Trump aide pleads not guilty in classified documents arraignment

Donald Trump’s valet has entered a not guilty plea in the classified documents case. Walt Nauta was charged alongside the former president in a 38-count indictment alleging the mishandling of classified documents. The special counsel’s indictment accuses Nauta of conspiring with Trump to conceal records that the former president had taken with him from the White House. Specifically, he’s accused of moving boxes of documents bearing classification markings in an effort to hide them. Nauta has hired a Florida-based lawyer to represent him.

Powder found in White House’s West Wing lobby was cocaine

Laboratory tests confirm that a white powder found in the White House was cocaine. Officials found the powder in a small plastic envelope in a lobby area of the White House’s West Wing on Sunday. Its discovery prompted a brief evacuation. Sources say an analysis of the powder confirms it was cocaine. The West Wing lobby is a heavily trafficked area where many official visitors and staffers enter, and it’s open to staff-led tours on the weekends and evenings. The U.S. Secret Service is taking the lead on the investigation, consulting visitor logs and security footage.

Biden hosts Sweden’s PM in show of NATO solidarity

President Biden is hosting Sweden’s prime minister at the White House as the United States presses for the Nordic nation’s entry into NATO. This afternoon’s White House meeting comes a week before the NATO summit in Lithuania. The two leaders are expected to discuss their growing security cooperation and reaffirm their view Sweden should join NATO as soon as possible. Officials also say that Russia’s war in Ukraine and matters involving China will be on the agenda.

Judge restricts Biden admin contact with social media companies

Stoltenberg to continue leading NATO for another year

NATO has extended the mandate of Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg for another year. Stoltenberg’s term was due to expire last year but was prolonged after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. President Biden and his NATO counterparts were planning to name a successor when they hold their annual summit in Lithuania next week, but no agreement had been found on a new candidate. The world’s biggest security organization must decide who should be appointed by consensus. Stoltenberg is a former prime minister of Norway and has been the NATO chief since 2014.

U.S. Ambassador visits detained Wall St. Journal reporter in Russia

America’s ambassador to Russia met with detained Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich this week. Monday’s visit to Gershkovich by U-S Ambassador Lynne Tracey was the first such visit since April. The reporter is behind bars in Russia on espionage charges. Last week a Moscow court upheld a ruling to keep him in custody until the end of August. Gershkovich and his employer denied the allegations, and the U-S government declared him to be wrongfully detained.

Massive wait times for U.S. passports to be processed

Biden’s hydrogen fuel plan runs into a water shortage

Trump might skip the first GOP presidential debate

Biden, Trump sharply divided over Supreme Court

The top two presidential front runners hold polar opposite views on the current Supreme Court. It’s not surprising that President Biden and former President Trump don’t agree on much. But they offer starkly different reactions to the high court’s major rulings. After justices struck down affirmative action in college admissions, the president said “this is not a normal court.” He also continues to criticize the overturning of Roe v. Wade. However, Trump is claiming victory after these decisions, reminding voters that his three appointees gave the Supreme Court its conservative majority.

After court rejection, Biden offers alternative student debt plan

President Biden is proposing a new student debt relief initiative after the Supreme Court blocked his original plan. The president is offering an alternative student debt plan that will work under the authority of the Higher Education Act. The new program would begin loan repayments, but provide a safety net. He said the plan would take longer but provide relief to millions of borrowers.

Biden blasts Supreme Court rejection of loan forgiveness plan

President Biden is blasting the Supreme Court’s rejection of his student loan forgiveness plan. Reacting to the 6-3 decision, the president said he thinks the high court made a mistake. The conservative majority ruled that he overstepped his executive authority by trying to cancel 400-billion dollars in student debt. Mr. Biden denied that he over promised. He announced a new plan that will remove the threat of default if borrowers miss payments.

Supreme Court blocks Biden’s student debt forgiveness plan

The Supreme Court has struck down President Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan. In a 6-3 decision, the high court blocked the president’s plan to cancel up to 20-thousand dollars in student loan debt for millions of borrowers. The conservative majority ruled that Mr. Biden overstepped his executive authority in trying to erase an estimated 400-billion dollars in student debt. The high court held that the administration needs Congress’ endorsement before undertaking such a costly program.

White House anxiously awaits high court’s student loan ruling

The Biden administration is anxiously awaiting the Supreme Court’s ruling on its student loan forgiveness plan. The White House argues that the president is acting within the law to forgive an estimated 400-billion dollars in student debt. But opponents say it’s a misuse of executive authority. Debt forgiveness is a major priority for Mr. Biden and he awaits a decision from a high court that he has labeled “not normal.” Conservatives on the bench expressed skepticism during oral arguments in the student loan case, but the high court has handed down some surprising rulings.

Biden ‘strongly disagrees’ with Supreme Court’s affirmative action ruling

President Biden opposes the Supreme Court’s landmark decision striking down affirmative action in college admissions. The president is not pleased with the high court’s ruling. He said the justices “walked away from decades of precedent” and that race-based discrimination continues to exist in this country. Mr. Biden said colleges “should not abandon their commitment to ensure student bodies of diverse backgrounds and experience that reflect all of America.”