Bidens to visit Lewiston, Maine, after shooting left 18 dead

White House calls for “humanitarian pause” in Israel-Hamas fighting

The Biden administration is calling for brief pauses in airstrikes and fighting in the Israel-Hamas war for humanitarian purposes. The administration opposes a general ceasefire. But John Kirby with the National Security Council says President Biden supports a “humanitarian pause.” The goals, he said, are getting humanitarian aid into Gaza and getting people out.

74 more Americans evacuated from Gaza

The White House says 74 more U-S citizens have left the Gaza Strip as the nearly four-week old Israel-Hamas war rages on. The National Security Council’s John Kirby said those who evacuated were dual citizens. Kirby said that the administration hopes that additional U-S citizens will be able to leave Gaza in the coming hours and days, and the pace of Americans who want to leave will now move at an accelerated pace.

Secretary Blinken returns to Mideast amid Israel-Hamas war

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is returning to the Middle East amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. Before boarding a plane for Tel Aviv, Blinken said “these are challenging times.” As he did during a visit to the region last month, Blinken will stress U.S. support for Israel and try to prevent a wider Mideast war as he visits Israel and Jordan.

Plans taking shape for Biden-Xi meeting in California

Plans are taking shape for a meeting between President Biden and China’s Xi Jinping. A senior administration officials says Washington and Beijing have an agreement in principle for the two leaders to meet in San Francisco in mid-November. But important details still need to be hammered out. Separately, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the presidents are aiming to have a “constructive conversation” when they attend a global summit in California in a couple of weeks. But important details still need to be hammered out.

Muslim Americans threaten to stop supporting Biden over Gaza

President Biden’s re-election campaign could suffer because of his support for Israel. Muslim leaders in the U-S have issued an ultimatum to the president — secure an Israeli ceasefire in Gaza or lose donations and votes in the 2024 White House race. The National Muslim Democratic Council is pledging to mobilize Muslim voters against “any candidate who endorses the Israeli offensive against the Palestinian people.” The Council includes Democratic Party leaders from hotly contested states, such as Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Biden’s name will not appear on New Hampshire primary ballot

President Biden’s name will not appear on the ballot in next year’s New Hampshire primary. Nearly a year ago, the president announced that South Carolina would be the first voting state in the Democrats’ 2024 primary season. However, New Hampshire refused to give up its long-running position as the traditional leadoff primary state. So, Mr. Biden chose to stay off the ballot there. As a result, he will rely on a write-in campaign when New Hampshire voters go to the polls early next year.

U.S. does not support ceasefire in Gaza right now

The Biden administration does not support a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. Despite calls from the U-N, the pope, and others for a ceasefire in Gaza, the White House doesn’t believe a ceasefire is the “right answer right now.” However, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby says the U-S favors temporary humanitarian pauses for aid to be moved in.

U.S. denies Russia’s allegations about anti-Israel airport riot

The White House is denying Russian allegations that Western spy agencies were behind a weekend riot that targeted a flight from Israel. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby says “the West had nothing to do with” Sunday’s airport rampage and criticized Russia’s Vladimir Putin for not doing more to condemn the violence. Kirby called Putin’s allegation against the West “classic Russian rhetoric.”

New executive order creates AI safeguards

President Biden has signed an executive order creating Artificial Intelligence safeguards. The president said guardrails are needed to balance the needs of cutting-edge technology companies with national security and consumer rights. He said AI is driving change at “warp speed” and carries tremendous potential as well as perils. The executive order requires leading AI developers to share safety test results and other information with the government.

Biden applauds GM-UAW deal, potential end to strike

President Biden welcomes the potential end to six-week strike by Big Three autoworkers. Workers for Ford, Stellantis, and General Motors have agreed to tentative deals to end their work stoppage. President Biden applauded the news at the White House. The president was not a neutral observer during the strike. Last month he joined a picket line in Michigan, voicing support for union workers and organized labor.

Trump leads GOP rivals in Iowa, Haley moves up to 2nd: poll

Donald Trump continues to hold a sizable lead over his GOP presidential rivals in Iowa. With January’s first-in-the-nation caucuses less than three months away, Trump has a commanding lead in Iowa, according to the NBC News/Des Moines Register poll. Among likely Iowa caucus-goers, Trump has 43 percent support. Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis are tied for second at 16 percent. Haley jumped higher since the August poll, while DeSantis slipped. All the other GOP candidates are in single digits.

Democratic lawmaker challenges Biden in 2024 primary

President Biden has a new challenger in the race for the White House. Democratic Congressman Dean Phillips of Minnesota is running for president in 2024. Phillips has expressed concerns that Joe Biden might not get re-elected and he believes a competitive primary will strengthen his party and fend off a possible victory by Donald Trump.

Biden calls for two-state Mideast solution after current war

President Biden says there must be a “path toward peace” once the Israel-Hamas crisis is over.  Even as Israel responds to the brutal October 7 Hamas attacks, President Biden is looking long-term and expressing hope for a two-state solution with independent states for the Israelis and Palestinians. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby acknowledges the goal is not new and is a difficult one. But he says the hope is that it’s not impossible.

Boeing loses hundreds of millions of dollars on Air Force One contract

Boeing continues to lose millions of dollars on its contract to build two new Air Force One planes. The aircraft maker recently reported a 482-million dollar loss on its contract with the Air Force to build two new presidential jets because of higher estimated manufacturing costs. Five years ago, Boeing agreed to a fixed-price contract to build two new planes to serve as Air Force One and replace the current fleet, which is 31 years old. According to the Air Force, the first new presidential plane is expected to start flying in 2027– several years behind schedule.

Former VP Mike Pence ends White House campaign

Former Vice President Mike Pence has ended his 2024 presidential bid. After struggling to raise money and gain traction in the polls, Pence announced the suspension of his White House campaign effective immediately. Speaking at the Republican Jewish Coalition conference in Las Vegas, the former vice president said he arrived at the decision “after much prayer and deliberation.” Pence had hoped his devout Christian faith and traditional conservative values would especially resonate with Iowa voters, who will cast the first ballots early next year. But even in Iowa, Pence struggled.

Gallup: Biden’s support among Democrats is dropping

More and more Democrats are losing faith in President Biden. The latest Gallup poll shows the president’s job approval rating among Democrats dropping 11 percentage points in just the last month. Only 75 percent of Democrats approve of Joe Biden’s performance — the worst reading of his presidency from his own party. He’s also lost ground among independents. Overall, the president’s approval rating is at his personal low in the Gallup research at 37 percent.

Biden voices support for Philippines amid rising Indo-Pacific tensions

President Biden is reaffirming American support for the Philippines amid rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific. Wednesday’s state visit by the Australian prime minister was seen by the White House as deepening an alliance that’s increasingly viewed as a critical counterweight to China’s influence in the Pacific. During talks, Mr. Biden raised the potential for conflict and made it clear that the Philippines can count on the U-S. A few days ago in the South China Sea, Chinese ships blocked and collided with two Philippine vessels.

Donald Trump, daughter Ivanka set to testify Nov. 6 in civil fraud trial

Former President Trump is set to testify a week from Monday in the civil business fraud case against him. The upcoming schedule in Trump’s civil fraud trial has been released and the former president will testify on November 6th. He’ll be following testimony from his three eldest children. It was already expected that the ex-president and sons Donald Jr. and Eric would testify, but the judge ruled that daughter Ivanka also must take the stand. The suit alleges that Trump overstated his wealth for years on financial statements. He denies any wrongdoing.

Biden meets with China’s top diplomat at White House

President Biden has met with China’s top diplomat in Washington. The president met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who was at the White House for a meeting with the national security adviser. The White House said Biden “emphasized that both the United States and China need to manage competition in the relationship responsibly and maintain open lines of communication.” Friday’s conversation is seen as a precursor to a potential sit-down with Chinese President Xi Jinping next month.

Rep. Phillips enters Democratic presidential race against Biden

A Democratic congressman has entered the 2024 presidential race. Joe Biden has a new challenger in the 2024 presidential primary. Dean Phillips is a Democratic congressman from Minnesota who likes President Biden, but fears he might lose next year. He told CBS “it’s time to pass the torch.” The 54-year-old Phillips said a majority of Democrats have concerns about Joe Biden’s age and that the White House contest “is an election about the future.”

Biden meets with new House Speaker to discuss Israel, Ukraine aid

President Biden has met with the newly elected Speaker of the House. On his first full day on the job, Speaker Mike Johnson came here to the White House for a meeting with President Biden and the Democratic House leader. They discussed the president’s request for nearly 106-billion dollars for Israel, Ukraine, and other national security needs. Until now, Johnson and the president had no relationship. After returning to the Capitol, Johnson said “it was a productive meeting” and told reporters he enjoyed his visit with the president.

White House defends view about Israel-Hamas war casualties

The White House is defending its view about civilian casualties in the Israel-Hamas war.  President Biden and other White House officials said this week that the deaths of innocent people is “the price of war.” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby pushed back when asked if that is insensitive and harsh, saying “what’s harsh is the way Hamas is using people as human shields.” Kirby said war is bloody and messy, but that Israel has a right to self defense and to fight Hamas.

Biden prays for shooting victims, renews push for gun restrictions

President Biden is mourning the loss of life in the Maine mass shooting and renewing his call for tougher gun laws. In a written statement, the president denounced “another senseless and tragic mass shooting,” saying he and the first lady were praying for the families of the victims. He said gun violence in America “is not normal and we cannot accept it.” The president urged Republican lawmakers in Congress to work with the administration and Democrats to pass a ban on military-style rifles, among other gun restrictions