At least 20 American citizens “unaccounted for” in Israel

Biden pledges U.S. solidarity with Israel after attacks

Biden condemns “sheer evil” of Hamas attacks in Israel

President Biden is condemning the “pure, unadulterated evil” unleashed by Hamas militants in Israel.
The president denounced the weekend terrorist assault, calling the carnage “an atrocity on an appalling scale.” He said the number of American citizens killed was at least 14. Mr. Biden declared that Israel has a “duty to respond” to the attacks and the U-S “has Israel’s back.”

Biden interviewed over 2 days in classified documents probe

President Biden has been interviewed as part of an independent investigation into his handling of classified documents. A spokesman in the White House counsel’s office said the interview was voluntary and took place at the White House on Sunday and Monday. The interview comes several months after classified documents and other material were found in Mr. Biden’s private office in Washington and his Wilmington, Delaware, residence. Spokesperson Ian Sams said in a statement that the president is cooperating with the investigation. He referred questions to the Justice Department.

RFK Jr. drops Democratic presidential bid to run as Independent

Robert F. Kennedy Jr has dropped his Democratic Party bid for president and will run as an independent. Speaking in Philadelphia, Kennedy said there is a “rising tide of discontent” in the country and said he wants to make a “new Declaration of Independence” — from corporations, the media, and the two major political parties. Kennedy is a member of one of the most famous Democratic families in politics, but has better favorability ratings among Republicans than Democrats. His long-shot bid for the White House could pull voters away from both President Biden and former President Trump. GC, Wash.

9 Americans killed in the weekend Hamas attacks on Israel

At least nine Americans are among the dead in the Hamas attack against Israel. The State Department confirms that the death toll of American citizens is at least nine, and says an undetermined number of American citizens remain missing and unaccounted for. Spokesman Matthew Miller says the United States is in touch with families “and providing all appropriate consular assistance.”

Airlines halt flights in and out of Israel after a massive attack by Hamas

Major airlines have suspended flights in and out of Israel after the nation declared war following a massive attack by Hamas. American Airlines, United Airlines, and Delta Air Lines suspended service to Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion airport as the State Department issued travel advisories for the region citing potential for terrorism and civil unrest. Airlines in Europe and Asia also put flights on hold amid the hostilities.

United States offers “unwavering” support to Israel after attack

President Biden is voicing “rock solid” support for Israel after the Hamas attack. The president made it clear over the weekend that the U-S stands by the Jewish state and that Israel has a right to defend itself. He also warned other Israeli adversaries against exploiting the assault to seek advantage. Mr. Biden spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu on both Saturday and Sunday as a range of U-S officials spoke with their Israeli counterparts.

Biden blames press for public’s negative view of economy

President Biden is blaming the news media for the public’s negative view of the economy. The president believes his economic policies are working, even though Americans continue to give him low marks for his handling of the economy. On Friday, Mr. Biden blamed the press for focusing on negative news. However, many Americans continue to point to inflation and high interest rates as problematic.

Biden forced to change immigration policies

President Biden is being forced to change his administration’s immigration policies. After promising to stop building a wall along the U-S-Mexico border, the president is defending his administration’s decision to allow for construction of roughly 20 miles of additional border wall in Texas. He said he had no choice but to use the congressionally-approved Trump-era funding for the barrier to stop illegal migration from Mexico. The U-S also will resume deporting Venezuelan migrants. The president has been hammered on immigration by not only Republicans, but Democratic leaders in major cities where migrants are arriving.

Trump’s civil fraud trial to resume after he lost bid to postpone

Former President Trump’s civil fraud trial will continue this week after he lost a bid to postpone it.  Trump wanted to halt the trial while he fights a pretrial ruling that could strip him of control of such assets as Trump Tower. An appeals judge rebuffed the request for a pause, but agreed that control over the holdings will stay as-is for now. The trial will resume on Tuesday with the former president’s longtime finance chief on the witness stand. Trump has denied wrongdoing, arguing that some of his assets are worth far more than what’s listed on the statements.

U.S. vows “rock solid” support for Israel after attack by Hamas

President Biden says the United States “stands with the people of Israel” in the face of deadly attacks. In a brief White House appearance, the president condemned the assault carried out by Hamas terrorists. And he said he reassured Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu of America’s support for the Jewish state. The president also called the king of Jordan, as the secretaries of state and defense touched base with their Israeli counterparts.

Biden condemns “horrific” Hamas attack against Israel

President Biden is denouncing the deadly terrorist attacks. Declaring that there is no justification for terrorism, the president offered America’s “unwavering support” to Israel. Mr. Biden, who has been in contact with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, said “Israel has the right to defend itself and its people.” He spoke of the “appalling images” from the assault and said he and the first lady were grieving the loss of innocent life.

Iowa Dems announce plan for leadoff caucus with delayed results

Second Biden dog removed from White House for biting

President Biden’s dog has been removed from the White House complex after another biting incident. The First Lady’s office said this week that Commander is “not presently on the White House campus.” The two-year-old German shepherd has been involved in about a dozen known biting incidents involving White House staff and U.S. Secret Service officers. The White House did not say where the dog was sent.
Commander is the second Biden dog that behaved aggressively and had to be sent away.

Biden meeting with China’s Xi next month is “possibility”

A meeting between President Biden and Chinese President Xi could be in the works. The president could potentially meet with Xi Jinping on the sidelines of next month’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco. He said it’s a “possibility.” U-S relations with Beijing have been strained in recent years and the two leaders have not spoken since their meeting last November at the G-20 summit in Indonesia.

Biden touts addition of 336k jobs in September

President Biden says the latest jobs numbers amount to “good news” for the economy. The president is touting the creation of 336-thousand jobs in September, which was a surprisingly strong number. Asked why most Americans don’t feel good about the economy, the president blamed the press for emphasizing bad news.

Trump endorses Ohio Rep. Jordan for House Speaker

Former President Trump is weighing in on the race for Speaker of the House. After flirting with the idea of serving as interim House speaker himself, Trump is officially backing Ohio Congressman Jim Jordan to succeed Kevin McCarthy. In a social media post, the former president described Jordan as a “star” and offered his “complete and total endorsement.” Jordan, who is a longtime Trump defender, is one of two leading candidates maneuvering for speaker along with Louisiana Congressman Steve Scalise.

White House hopes for quick election of new House speaker

The White House is hoping for a quick election of a new speaker of the House of Representatives.
Without addressing the messy, internal politics facing House Republicans, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said President Biden “hopes the House will quickly elect a Speaker.” Once that happens, she said, “he looks forward to working together with them.”

Hunter Biden pleads not guilty to 3 federal firearms charges

Hunter Biden has pleaded not guilty in Delaware to three federal firearms charges. The president’s son appeared in a Wilmington courtroom where his attorney entered the not guilty plea. Hunter Biden has been charged with lying about his drug use when filling out a form to buy a gun. He could face up to 25 years in prison if convicted. Over the summer, an earlier deal imploded, resulting in the appointment of a special counsel, and setting the case on a track toward a possible trial in 2024 while his father runs for reelection.

Biden confers with U.S. allies about continued Ukraine aid

President Biden has spoken with U-S allies about continued support for Ukraine. The White House says the president convened a call with 10 allies and partners to coordinate future support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia. The call came after Mr. Biden signed legislation over the weekend that kept the government funded, but dropped his request for billions of dollars in aid for Ukraine. He’s trying to reassure allies of continued U-S assistance, as he urges Congress to negotiate a new aid package.

Trump campaign wants RNC to cancel upcoming debates

The Trump campaign wants the third Republican presidential debate to be canceled. Trump campaign senior advisers are calling on Republican party officials to “immediately cancel the upcoming debate in Miami,” even though the former president is not planning to participate. The advisers said the GOP should “end all future debates” so the party can focus on and prevent “Democrats’ efforts to steal the 2024 election.” The statement came on the same day an angry Donald Trump showed up for the start of a New York City trial in a fraud lawsuit.

Trump seethes through start of fraud trial in NY lawsuit

Former President Trump was fuming mad at the start of a non-jury fraud trial in New York. Trump spent part of Monday in court, where he and his company are accused of deceiving banks and others by lying about his wealth in financial statements. Outside the courtroom, the ex-president called the New York attorney general a “racist,” said the judge was “rogue,” and blamed the Justice Department for orchestrating the legal action against him. The judge already has ruled that Trump committed fraud in his business dealings.

Democrats displeased with “Bidenomics” campaign branding

Democrats are increasingly unhappy with the Biden campaign’s focus on the economy. According to reports by Politico and Axios, some of President Biden’s Democratic allies are displeased with the campaign’s promotion of “Bidenomics.” They’re concerned because most Americans have a dim view of the economy and give the president low marks. One former Biden White House staffer told Axios he “never understood why you would brand an economy in your name when the economy hasn’t fully recovered yet.” GC, Wash.