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.”

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.”