White House, GOP blame each other over border crisis

President Biden and House Republicans are blaming each other over the southern border immigration crisis. Even as White House and Senate negotiators try to reach a bipartisan immigration deal, House Republicans are demanding tougher immigration policies. Speaker Mike Johnson and dozens of GOP members traveled to the border in Texas last week, where they blamed President Biden for the thousands of daily illegal crossings. White House officials called it a political stunt and blamed lawmakers for not approving more funding for border security.

U.S. claims Russia is using NKorean weapons in Ukraine war

The United States says Russia is using North Korean weapons in its war with Ukraine. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby says Russia recently fired ballistic missiles into Ukraine that were provided by North Korea. Kirby calls North Korea’s missile support for Russia’s war effort “a significant and concerning escalation.”

Wisconsin’s Dem Gov: Trump should remain on ballot

Wisconsin’s Democratic governor says Donald Trump should remain on the ballot in his state. Governor Tony Evers opposes efforts to keep Trump off the ballot in his battleground state. He says anyone who thinks the former president should be disqualified “can vote against him.” The Wisconsin governor also offers some advice to President Biden’s re-election campaign. He tells the AP that Joe Biden must be a frequent visitor to the state and focus on issues that matter to the middle class, not just the argument about preserving democracy.

Biden says “we nearly lost America” during 2021 Capitol assault

President Biden says “we nearly lost America” during the U-S Capitol riot three years ago. The president marked the third anniversary of the January 6th violence with a speech on Friday. He said it was a dark day for the country. He said Trump rioters who stormed the Capitol building were “insurrectionists, not patriots.” And he warned that “democracy is on the ballot” in this year’s election.

Trump campaigns in Iowa on third anniversary of 1/6 riot

Former President Trump is campaigning in Iowa on the third anniversary of the U-S Capitol riot.
Three years ago, Donald Trump was in the White House fighting to overturn the 2020 election results. Today, he’s holding two campaign rallies in Iowa in his bid to win back the White House. Trump has not ignored the events of January 6th, 2021. In fact, he has described those imprisoned for overrunning the Capitol building as “great patriots” and, at some campaign rallies, he has played a recording of “The Star-Spangled Banner” sung by jailed rioters.

Supreme Court to decide Trump presidential ballot case

The Supreme Court will decide whether Donald Trump can be kept off the 2024 presidential ballot. The justices agreed to take a Colorado case, inserting themselves in the presidential campaign. The move came after Colorado’s Supreme Court ruled that Trump should not be on the Republican primary ballot, declaring him ineligible for his role in the January 6th riot three years ago. With arguments to be heard next month, the nation’s highest court will consider for the first time the meaning and reach of the Constitution’s “insurrection” clause.

In campaign speech, Biden warns Trump is threat to democracy

In his first campaign speech of the year, President Biden warned that Donald Trump poses a grave threat to democracy. Speaking near Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, the president portrayed Trump as a danger to America’s core principles. His campaign speech came one day before the third anniversary of the January 6th Capitol riot — and he criticized Trump’s role in fomenting rioters and calling them patriots. The president said the future of American democracy is on the ballot in November and it’s what the campaign is “all about.”

Biden administration bypasses Congress to sell arms to Israel

Senate Democrats are unhappy with President Biden’s bypassing of Congress to sell emergency weapons to Israel. The president’s request of 14 billion dollars in aid to Israel is stalled on Capitol Hill, but the Biden administration went around Congress twice last month to help arm the Jewish state. Secretary of State Blinken made an emergency determination that allowed for the 148-million dollar sale of equipment to Israel. Such determinations are rare, but not unprecedented. Several top Senate Democrats are slamming the White House for keeping Congress out of the process.

Iowa is the focus for GOP candidates as 2024 primary season arrives

Iowa is the focus of most Republican presidential candidates as the 2024 primary season gets ready to kick off.  Ron DeSantis spent the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day campaigning in Iowa. And the Florida governor has an unrelenting schedule ahead of him this week, with the Iowa caucuses just under two weeks away. And he’s not the only one. Former President Trump plans his own blitz over the final two weeks, including in deeply conservative northwest Iowa. Nikki Haley made stops in eastern Iowa late last week, while Vivek Ramaswamy also has stormed the state.

2024 presidential primary season kicks off in two weeks

The 2024 presidential primary season kicks off in two weeks. First up on the election year calendar — the Iowa caucuses. No one has more riding on Iowa than Ron DeSantis, who has placed a premium on the kickoff state. He has devoted a lot of time campaigning there — including during the week between Christmas and New Year’s. DeSantis has the backing of Iowa’s governor and the state’s top evangelical Christian leader. But Donald Trump continues to hold a large advantage in Iowa polls.

Chief Justice urges caution urges as AI reshapes legal field

The Chief Justice of the United States is expressing caution about the use of artificial intelligence in the federal courts. In his year-end report, Chief Justice John Roberts urged “caution and humility” as the evolving technology transforms how judges and lawyers go about their work. He said AI represents a mixed blessing for the legal field. Roberts predicted that “human judges will be around for a while,” but also that “judicial work – particularly at the trial level – will be significantly affected by AI.”

North Korea issues military warning to U.S. and South Korea

North Korea’s leader is putting the United States on notice. Kim Jong Un said his North Korean military should “thoroughly annihilate” the U-S and South Korea if provoked. According to state media, he also vowed to boost national defense to cope with what he called an unprecedented U.S.-led confrontation. North Korea has increased its warlike rhetoric in recent months in response to an expansion of U.S.-South Korean military drills.

U.S. officials to discuss border surge with Mexico’s president

A high-level U.S. delegation will travel to Mexico City this week to address the surge of migrants seeking entry into the United States. Secretary of State Blinken is leading the delegation in an effort to try and hammer out new agreements to control the migration surge at the U-S-Mexico border. Blinken and other senior Biden administration officials will hold talks with Mexico’s president, however Mexico’s ability to assist the U.S. may be limited. The government halted a program to repatriate and transfer migrants inside Mexico due to a lack of funds.

Bidens send Christmas greetings to U.S. troops

President Biden made a series of Christmas Day calls to members of the U-S armed forces. The president and first lady took a break from their family Christmas celebration to call units from each branch of the U-S military to wish them Merry Christmas, and thank them and their families for their service and sacrifice. According to the White House, the Bidens called troops stationed in Senegal, Djibouti, Hawaii, the Mediterranean, Qatar, and Michigan.

U.S. says it’s working hard to win release of Americans held in Russia

The United States says it’s working hard to win the release of Americans being held in Russia. This coming week marks five years of captivity in Russia for Paul Whelan. He recently said he feels abandoned by the U-S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the White House is committed to bringing him home. Kirby said the administration is also working to win the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. The U-S says both men are being wrongfully detained.

The White House has weighed in on standardizing electric vehicle chargers

The White House has weighed in on standardizing electric vehicle chargers

VERBATIM:

Tesla, the leader in the EV market, operates the largest network of fast-chargers. And many of its Supercharger stations are in prime locations. But Tesla’s charging standard has long been in conflict with the connector used by most other automakers. The White House supports last week’s announcement to standardize Tesla’s charging plugs for all EVs in the U-S. By next year, Ford, GM, and others say they plan to provide adapters to customers so they can plug into the Tesla network. GC Wash.

White House working to win release of Americans held in Russia

The United States says it’s working hard to win the release of Americans being held in Russia. This coming week marks five years of captivity in Russia for Paul Whelan. He recently said he feels abandoned by the U-S. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the White House is committed to bringing him home. Kirby said the administration is also working to win the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. The U-S says both men are being wrongfully detained.

White House “very concerned” about hostage Whelan’s safety

The White House is “very concerned” about the physical safety of American hostage Paul Whelan in Russia. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said reports that Whelan feels under physical threat are “troubling.” Whelan was arrested on spying charges five years ago. Charges he denies. The U-S says Whelan is being wrongfully detained and that Moscow recently rejected a serious proposal to bring the former U-S Marine home.

U.S. officials to meet with Mexico’s president about border crisis

Senior U-S officials will travel soon to Mexico to discuss the migration crisis at the southern border. President Biden is sending the secretaries of State and Homeland Security, and the White House homeland security adviser to meet with Mexico’s president and staff in the coming days. The announcement came after the two presidents spoke. In recent weeks, an estimated 10-thousand people have been crossing illegally into the U.S. every day.

US, China senior military leaders speak for first time in over a year

American and Chinese senior military leaders have spoken for the first time in a year-and-a-half. Gen. CQ Brown, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke with his Chinese counterpart in a video call Thursday. It was the first senior military communications between the U.S. and China since August 2022, when Beijing suspended all such contacts after former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. The Biden administration is working to thaw relations with Beijing and views military communications as critical to avoiding any missteps.

Biden say Trump supported insurrection, but declines comment on Colorado legal case

President Biden says it’s “self-evident” that Donald Trump is an insurrectionist for trying to overturn his 2020 election loss. After the Colorado Supreme Court cited the Constitution’s insurrection clause in kicking the former president off the primary ballot, President Biden told reporters that “there’s no question” Trump supported an insurrection. He said the former president “seems to be doubling down on it.” But Mr. Biden stopped short of commenting on the legal case. “Whether the 14th Amendment applies or not,” he said, “we’ll let the court make that decision,.” GC, Wash.

Colorado Supreme Court bars Trump from state’s presidential primary

Donald Trump has been disqualified from Colorado’s presidential primary because of his role in the January 6th, 2021, Capitol riot. The Colorado Supreme Court’s decision is the first of its kind — using the 14th Amendment to bar a presidential candidate. By a 4-3 vote, the court said Trump is disqualified from holding the office of president. The majority wrote: “We do not reach these conclusions lightly.” A spokesman for the Trump campaign described the lawsuit as “un-American” and expressed confidence that the U-S Supreme Court will “quickly rule” in favor of the former president.

U.S. leads multi-nation effort to counter Red Sea attacks

The United States is leading a multi-nation effort to counter attacks in the Red Sea. In response to Houthi rebel attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, the U-S and a host of other nations have created a new force to protect the ships. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby called it an important new initiative, given the seriousness of the attacks.

White House getting squeezed from both sides in border talks

President Biden is getting squeezed from both sides in negotiations over the southern border. The White House is getting an earful from both Republicans and Democrats as the Biden administration tries to secure emergency aid for Ukraine. Republicans, who have insisted on immigration changes in order to approve more money for Ukraine, are criticizing the president daily about increased border crossings. But the administration also is drawing outrage from Democrats and immigrant advocates who are unhappy the White House is considering a revival of Trump-like policies.