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.”

Georgia elections official interviewed in Trump 2020 probe

Georgia’s secretary of state spoke to federal prosecutors in the 2020 election investigation of Donald Trump. Brad Raffensberger met with prosecutors from special counsel Jack Smith’s office. In a January 2021 phone call, Trump told the top elections official in Georgia to “find” the 11-thousand votes necessary to reverse Joe Biden’s narrow presidential election win in the state. In addition to the special counsel’s probe, a separate investigation in Atlanta is looking into efforts by Trump and his allies to overturn his loss in Georgia.

Biden using CPAP machine to deal with sleep apnea

President Biden has begun using a CPAP machine to deal with sleep apnea. A spokesman says the president has dealt with sleep apnea since 2008 and has disclosed that history in his medical reports. White House officials say Mr. Biden had begun using the CPAP machine in recent weeks to improve his sleep quality. CPAP stands for “continuous positive airway pressure” and the machine uses air pressure delivered through a face mask to keep airways open while you sleep. The president was seen this week with marks on his face indicating he had been wearing some type of wide strap.

Biden touts “Bidenomics” despite low approval for economy

President Biden has kicked off a new effort to convince voters that the economy is flourishing. During a Chicago speech, the president emphasized “Bidenomics.” He argued that so-called “trickle down” economics have failed, and boasted about low unemployment, job growth, and infrastructure investment on his watch. But a new AP NORC poll finds that just 34% of U-S adults approve of the president’s economic leadership.

Biden says Putin “absolutely” weakened after armed revolt

President Biden says Russia’s Vladimir Putin has been weakened by the attempted armed revolt. The president was asked if the weekend uprising by the Wagner mercenary group in Russia has weakened Putin’s power. “Absolutely.” He said Russia is losing the war in Ukraine and Putin is viewed as a pariah around the world. Responding to media reports that Vagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin planned to capture Russian military leaders, Mr. Biden said, “that remains to be seen.”

Biden to kick off “Bidenomics” campaign, but voters have their doubts

President Biden is launching a new effort to tout the economy, which could be a tough sell for the American people. The president will use a speech in Chicago to kickstart a new messaging campaign about what he sees as economic successes. The White House calls it “Bidenomics.” But with inflation still stubbornly high, the president continues to receive low marks from the public for his handling of the economy.

Nikki Haley faults Biden and Trump over handling of China

Former U-N Ambassador Nikki Haley faults both Donald Trump and Joe Biden for their handling of China. Haley is critical of President Biden when it comes to dealing with threats she said China poses to America’s economic, domestic, and military security. But the 2024 candidate also faults Trump for being too friendly to China during his time in office. Speaking in the nation’s capital, Haley said Trump was “almost singularly focused” on the U.S.-China trade relationship, but ultimately did “too little about the rest of the Chinese threat” and showed “moral weakness toward Beijing.

US: no indication Russia plans to use nuclear weapons

The United States is watching to see if Russia’s nuclear posture changes following an armed rebellion over the weekend. Russia has the world’s largest nuclear arsenal and any political instability there is a cause for concern. John Kirby with the White House National Security Council says they’ve seen no indication that Moscow plans to use nuclear weapons inside Ukraine. And Kirby says the U-S has seen nothing to change its “strategic posture.”

U.S. focused on Ukraine war amid Russian chaos

The United States says its focus remains on the war in Ukraine, not internal Russian affairs. Amid the political chaos that played out over the weekend in Moscow, the White House says Russia remains a lethal threat. President Biden says it’s too early to know how the armed rebellion in Russia will play out, but he says Ukraine has the solid backing of the U-S and the West.

Biden pledges high-speech internet access to all by 2030

The Biden administration is pledging high-speed internet access to every household by 2030. Vowing not to leave anyone behind, the president announced more than 40-billion dollars would be distributed across the country to deliver high-speed internet in places where there’s either no service, or service is too slow. He said thanks to the infrastructure law, more than 35-thousand projects are already funded or underway to lay cable that provides internet access.

Biden: U.S., allies not involved in uprising against Putin

President Biden says the West was not responsible for a brief weekend revolt in Russia. The president says he held a video call with key American allies over the weekend as Moscow faced an internal political crisis. “We made clear we were not involved, we had nothing to do with this.” Putin faced an open rebellion from the leader of a Russian mercenary force. Mr. Biden also spoke to Ukraine’s president, pledging continued support for his country as it fights off a Russian invasion.

Mixed results for Biden in new 2024 poll

A new poll offers mixed results for President Biden. A survey by NBC News shows the president leading Donald Trump by 4 percent in a head-to-head match-up, while Mr. Biden is tied with Ron DeSantis. The president’s job approval remains in the low 40’s and 74 percent of Americans say the country is on the wrong track. The poll also shows that two-thirds of registered voters have major or moderate concerns about Joe Biden “not having the necessary mental and physical health to be president.”

Federal Reserve interest rate hikes likely to continue

Federal student loan freeze is coming to an end

India’s PM in Washington for White House state visit

President Biden welcomes India’s prime minister for a state visit. The two leaders are expected to announce agreements on defense cooperation and sales, and investments in technology in India. A U-S official says Washington wants India to be a strategic counterweight to China. Despite the cooperation, the U-S has ongoing concerns about human rights in India. Those concerns will be raised, but the national security adviser says the president won’t “lecture” his guest.

China calls Biden’s “dictator” comment “extremely absurd”

President Biden is coming under fire for comments about China’s president. During a West Coast fundraiser this week, President Biden referred to Chinese leader Xi Jinping as a dictator. The comment wasn’t received well in Beijing, where the Foreign Ministry spokesperson described the words as “extremely absurd and irresponsible.” He went on to say the remarks “violate diplomatic protocol” and “were a blatant political provocation.” The clash of words comes shortly after Secretary of State Blinken wrapped up a rare visit to China trying to ease tensions between the two countries.

Biden talks AI with tech experts in San Francisco

President Biden has been discussing artificial intelligence with technology leaders. The president met with a group of tech experts in San Francisco as he and his administration try to figure out how to regulate the emergent field of AI. He said the technology offers much promise, but also poses challenges. Last month, the president brought together tech CEOs at the White House to discuss the risks and benefits of AI.

Hunter Biden facing federal income tax and weapons charges

Hunter Biden, the son of President Biden, has reached a plea deal on income tax and weapon charges. After a five-year investigation by the Justice Department, Hunter Biden has been charged with failing to pay federal income tax and illegally possessing a weapon. According to a filing in federal court in Delaware, the president’s son will plead guilty to a misdemeanor on tax offenses and reach an agreement on firearm and drug charges. Those charges are separate from Hunter Biden’s business dealings which are being investigated by congressional Republicans.

Trump says documents boxes contained personal clothing

Former President Trump was asked about classified documents during a Fox News interview. Trump explained that he didn’t return boxes of classified material to the government because they were interspersed with his personal belongings. He told Fox News’ Bret Baier that he’s been “very busy” and still needed to sort through the boxes, which he said contained “golf shirts, clothing, pants, [and] shoes.” The former president also insisted that all of the documents were unclassified.

U.S. and China agress to stabilize relations during Blinken’s visit

Secretary of State Blinken has wrapped up his two-day trip to Beijing. Blinken met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and says they agreed to “stabilize” U.S.-China ties. But Beijing is not ready to resume military-to-military contacts, something the U.S. considers crucial. The two countries have yet to resolve their most important disagreements, yet both leaders pointed to progress in the talks. Blinken’s trip marked the highest-level U.S. visit to China in five years.

Analysts: Biden’s inflation and climate bill to add to deficit

A new analysis shows President Biden’s inflation and climate bill won’t cut the deficit as expected. The president and most Democrats touted last summer’s Inflation Reduction Act as necessary to reduce the nation’s budget deficit. But the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton Business School has scrutinized the law and says the opposite will happen. The analysis concludes that instead of reducing the debt, it will add to it. The Biden administration doesn’t completely accept that scenario, but a White House official acknowledged that reductions to the deficit could take longer than estimated.

Dems’ primary plan could cost Biden Iowa and New Hampshire

President Biden’s decision to shuffle the Democratic primary calendar could backfire. As he runs for reelection, the president is in danger of not winning the Iowa caucuses and the New Hampshire primary. Late last year, he announced that South Carolina would be the first voting state in the Democrats’ 2024 primary season. But officials in the traditional first-to-vote states don’t like the plan and are threatening to go first. As Axios points out, that sets up a scenario in which Robert F. Kennedy Jr. or another Democrat could win Iowa and New Hampshire and embarrass the president.

White House pushes for surveillance law renewal

The Biden administration is pushing Congress to renew a federal surveillance law. Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act expires at the end of this year and the White House is making the case for it to be renewed by lawmakers. Administration officials say surveillance programs authorized by Section 702 have helped them catch fentanyl smugglers and the hackers who temporarily shut down a key fuel pipeline two years ago. However, both Democratic and Republican lawmakers are expressing reservations, citing concerns about protecting Americans’ privacy from warrantless searches.

$930 million in grants announced to expand U.S. internet access

New infrastructure grants have been announced to expand internet access across the country. The Commerce Department unveiled 930-million dollars in grants to shore up connections in remote parts of Alaska, rural Texas, and dozens of other places with significant gaps in internet connectivity. Funding comes from the bipartisan infrastructure law. The White House says the expansion will be good for individual households, as well as “essential institutions like hospitals, schools, libraries, and major businesses.” The newly announced grants are intended to trigger the laying of 12-thousand miles of new fiber through 35 states and Puerto Rico.