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Washington CNN —Kim Kardashian will join Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House on Thursday for a roundtable to discuss pardons issued by President Joe Biden earlier this month, a White House official said Thursday. Kardashian previously met with former President Donald Trump at the White House as part of her advocacy for criminal justice reform. In 2019, she delivered remarks from the White House East Room on a new initiative aimed at helping former inmates get jobs out of prison. She met with Trump at the White House again in 2020. Axios first reported Kardashian’s visit to the White House.

Persons: Washington CNN — Kim Kardashian, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden, Kardashian, Donald Trump, Alice Marie Johnson, Axios, Biden, Rolling Stone, “, ” Biden, Harris, Steve Benjamin Organizations: Washington CNN, White, Trump, Rolling, Administration Locations: Ottoman Empire, Armenia, Azerbaijan

☆ Live updates: Israel-Hamas war, US funding for Israel, crisis in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

The US Senate has passed a $95 billion package that includes money for Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan. The new legislation includes sanctions on Iran, the seizure of frozen Russian sovereign assets and a measure that could lead to a nationwide ban of TikTok. The bill next goes to President Joe Biden, who said he would sign it into law on Wednesday. “This critical legislation will make our nation and world more secure as we support our friends who are defending themselves against terrorists like Hamas and tyrants like Putin,” Biden said. Here are the latest developments in the region:

Persons: Joe Biden, Putin, ” Biden Organizations: Senate Locations: Israel, Ukraine, Taiwan, Iran

☆ In 50-50 Georgia, unhappiness with the choices but urgency about voting
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( John King | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Yet she couldn’t bring herself to vote for Biden and didn’t vote that year. In the 2000 election, Democrat Al Gore received 70% in DeKalb; in 2020, Biden won 83%. Massachusetts native Kim Cavaliere, who moved to Georgia over 20 years ago, is pictured at her home in Dacula, Georgia. She’s still inclined to vote third-party again but is perhaps open to reconsidering if Georgia could settle a close race. It is rural, and reliably red – Trump won 71% of the county vote in 2020.

Persons: Christine Nguyen’s, Nguyen, ” Nguyen, ” Decatur, Donald Trump, Joe Biden, –, Trump, Biden, Christine Nguyen, she’s, “, Celia Gardner, Jan Gardner, ”, ” Jan Gardner, Celia, ” Celia Gardner, Democrat Al Gore, Gwinnett, George W, Bush, “ I’ve, Kim Cavaliere, Cavaliere, ” Cavaliere, Count Cavaliere, She’s, – Biden, …, ” Carey Fulks, John King, CNN Carey Fulks, Fulks, ” Fulks, ” Biden, – Trump, Matt Vrahiotes, ” Vrahiotes, it’s, Vrahiotes, Ron DeSantis, “ I’m, Trumper, who’s, “ Kennedy, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, ” Vrahioties, Atlanta’s Organizations: Georgia CNN, White, CNN, Trump, DOJ, Justice Department, CIA, Schools, Democrat, Biden, Gwinnett County, “ Democrat, Republican, Sweet, Florida Gov, GOP Locations: Decatur, Georgia, ”, DeKalb County, Atlanta, Decatur , Georgia, Israel, DeKalb, Dunwoody, Dunwoody , Georgia, Neat, White DeKalb, Gwinnett County, Massachusetts, Dacula , Georgia, Grove, Covid, Fulton County, Gwinnett, Acre, Alto, Hall County, Alto , Georgia, York

☆ Trump meets with foreign leaders looking to boost their relationships with GOP leader ahead of election
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Alayna Treene | Steve Contorno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

In recent weeks, Trump, seizing the role of both an erstwhile diplomat and ascending opposition party leader, has extended welcomes to a series of foreign leaders at his homes in Florida and New York. It’s not unusual for foreign leaders to meet with the leader of the party that doesn’t control the White House – especially one with a serious chance of becoming commander in chief. Biden and his top envoys have also met and spoken with opposition leaders, something that has been a longstanding practice for US officials. Last week, Trump met with Poland’s Duda at Trump Tower, where the two discussed NATO spending over dinner. Trump, both while president and during his 2024 campaign, has called on NATO countries to spend more on defense.

Persons: Donald Trump, hasn’t, Trump, Andrzej Duda, David Cameron, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Taro Aso, It’s, Sen, Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, Biden, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Antony Blinken, Keir Starmer, Joe Biden, “ They’re, he’s, “, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, ” Biden, ”, Kim Jong Un, ” Trump, Brian Hughes, Viktor Orban, Putin, Javier Milei, Orban, Viktor Orbán, Orbán, Aso, Fumio Kishida, Kishida, Lindsey Graham, Salman, King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Poland’s Duda, Duda, meanwhile, Cameron, Karen Pierce, Cameron’s, Pierce didn’t, Queen Elizabeth II Organizations: CNN, Air Force, British, Saudi Crown, Middle East, Republican, UK Labour Party, US State Department, Biden, Trump, NATO, Conservative Political, Japanese, White, Liberal Democratic Party, Saudi, New York Times, South Carolina Republican, Hamas, The New York Times, Trump Tower, Republicans, Democrats, UK Locations: House, huddling, Florida, New York, Lago, Manhattan, Japan, China, North Korea, Berlin, United Kingdom, Israel, Poland, Belarus, Munich, Europe, America, Ukraine, Korean, United States, Palm, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, American, Russia, British, Washington

☆ Inside the White House’s monthslong push for Ukraine aid
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-24 | by ( Arlette Saenz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Sullivan followed up four days later with a call to Johnson to highlight the measures in place to track aid in Ukraine. They spoke often with Johnson’s staff, including meetings at the White House and on Capitol Hill. Meanwhile, White House chief of staff Jeff Zients, Ricchetti and Goff spoke with Schumer and Jeffries and their staff almost daily to strategize on how to push Ukraine aid forward. Biden and Johnson spoke by phone the next day as the speaker briefed him on his plan to move the aid package forward. “We discussed the contents of the next US military aid package,” Zelensky said.

Persons: Mike Johnson, Joe Biden, Johnson –, speakership, Biden, Johnson, Vladimir Putin, Jake Sullivan, Shalanda Young, Sullivan, Taiwan –, Hamas, Putin, ” Biden, Hakeem Jeffries, Chuck Schumer, Mitch McConnell, “, ”, Steve Ricchetti, Richetti, Shuwanza Goff, Ricchetti, Goff, Jeff Zients, Schumer, Jeffries, Young, McConnell, Michael McCaul, Intelligence Michael Turner, Bill Burns, Ukraine Bridget Brink, Chip Roy, Texas, Ralph Norman of, Biden’s, Anita Dunn, Jon, Lloyd Austin, Volodymyr Zelensky, Zelensky, National Intelligence Avril Haines, Donald Trump’s, Burns, ” Zelensky Organizations: Washington CNN, Ukraine, White House, GOP, Management, Senate, Biden, Russia, House Democratic, White, Capitol, House Foreign, Intelligence, CIA, Republican, The Defense Department, House Republicans, National Intelligence, Democratic, CNN Locations: Ukraine, Europe, Russia, Israel, Taiwan, Ricchetti, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Washington ,, Johnson’s

☆ NABTU: Biden scores major union backing as its leaders attack Trump
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-23 | by ( Edward-Isaac Dovere | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Joe Biden landed a major union endorsement Wednesday from North America’s Building Trades Unions, whose leaders say the president has his infrastructure bill largely to thank for it. The backing from NABTU, which has 3 million members nationwide, is more enthusiastic than its 2020 backing of Biden. That’s raised questions about the political future of the next generation of union members. It’s “almost like the perfect leader was sent at the perfect time for working people,” NABTU President Sean McGarvey told CNN about Biden in an interview announcing the endorsement. Biden appeared at the union’s conference in Washington on Wednesday to officially get the nod – which union leaders also want to be seen as a stark rebuff of Trump, who eagerly solicited support from union members and leaders during his time in office, but, their leaders say, didn’t deliver.

Persons: CNN — Joe Biden, Biden, Donald Trump, That’s, It’s, ”, Sean McGarvey, Trump, NABTU, ” Biden, “, ” “, Joe Biden, Elizabeth Frantz, Biden’s, McGarvey, ” McGarvey, it’s, Trump’s, Sean, “ Donald Trump, ” Brent Booker, Booker, ” Booker, didn’t, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, “ Biden, he’s, Mitch Landrieu, ” Landrieu, CNN’s Michael Williams Organizations: CNN, Unions, Teamsters, Republican, Democratic, Biden, Trump, Covid, North, Washington Hilton, ’ International Union of Locations: America’s, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, NABTU, Washington, Washington ,, Chicago, ’ International Union of North America

☆ Can Biden make Trump seem like Mitt Romney?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-22 | by ( Jess Bidgood | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden made a populist case for re-election during his swing through Pennsylvania over three days last week, laying out plans on tariffs and taxes and seeking to burnish his working-class bona fides as a son of Scranton. But he also used the trip to sharpen the story he tells about former President Donald Trump, depicting him as a creature of rarefied playgrounds like Mar-a-Lago and a pawn of the billionaires who frequent them. “He learned the very best way to get rich is to inherit it,” Biden said in Scranton. “He learned that telling people, ‘You’re fired,’ was something to laugh about.”Twelve years ago, Democrats including then-Vice President Biden relentlessly pilloried a different wealthy Republican as an elitist: Mitt Romney, who was once a Massachusetts governor and chief executive of Bain Capital who won the Republican presidential nomination during a burst of national anger over Wall Street excess. — and slammed him for his free-market views on the auto industry bailout and the foreclosure crisis.

Persons: Biden, Donald Trump, “, ” Biden, ‘ You’re, ’, Mitt Romney Organizations: Republican, Bain Capital Locations: Pennsylvania, Scranton, “, Massachusetts

☆ Fact check: Biden makes false and misleading claims during Pennsylvania campaign swing
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-19 | by ( Daniel Dale | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

Washington CNN —President Joe Biden spent three days this week campaigning in the critical swing state of Pennsylvania. (The White House corrected the official transcript of Biden’s speech to make clear Biden should have said 2025 instead of 2024.) In other words, there will clearly still be some big and profitable corporations paying no federal income tax despite the existence of the new Biden tax. The center found that the top 0.1% of households paid an average effective federal tax rate of about 30.3% in 2020, including an average income tax rate of 24.3%. “The deficit is a trillion dollars lower, roughly, than when President Biden took office.

Persons: Joe Biden, Ambrose Finnegan, Biden, Jill Biden, PolitiFact, they’ll, it’s, “, Tami Luhby, —, ’ They’ve, Fuxian Yi, Yi, “ It’s, Derek Scissors, Trump, ” Biden, Biden’s “, Matthew Gardner, ” Howard Gleckman, Gleckman, Emmanuel Saez, Gabriel Zucman “, ”, I’ve, Donald Trump, ” Marc Goldwein, Goldwein, he’s, Afghanistan Biden, Biden’s, Finnegan, Finnegan “, Donald Judd, spokespeople, Andrew Bates Organizations: Washington CNN, Defense, Medicare, China, University of Wisconsin, Madison, American Enterprise Institute, CNN, Taxation, Economic, US, Biden, White, Urban, Brookings Tax, Urban Institute, University of California, Tax, Center, Trump, Federal Budget, Washington Post, Defense Department, Defense POW Locations: Pennsylvania, China, Iraq, Afghanistan, Scranton, Pittsburgh, America, Berkeley, “, New Guinea, ” New Guinea

☆ Time’s 100 Most Influential People: Five icons you should know from the 2024 list
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Leah Asmelash | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

TIME released its list of the 100 Most Influential People for 2024 on Wednesday. The annual list, which asks cultural and political icons to highlight the changemakers of the past year, features dozens of athletes, entertainers, artists and politicians. Beninese music legend Angélique Kidjo wrote about Nigerian artist Burna Boy, who in turn wrote about rapper 21 Savage. Shawn Fain, UAW PresidentPresident Joe Biden wrote about Shawn Fain, president of the United Auto Workers, for TIME. Mohammed Abed/AFP/Getty ImagesAt just 25 years of age, Motaz Azaiza is the youngest person on this year’s TIME list.

Persons: Alex Rodriguez, Patrick Mahomes, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Raquel Willis, Elliot Page, Angélique Kidjo, Burna Boy, Taraji P, Henson, Coleman Domingo, Shawn Fain, Joe Biden, Tom Williams, ” Fain, Biden, “, —, Fain, ” Biden, Motaz Azaiza, Yasmeen Serhan, Mohammed Abed, Azaiza, Instagram, ” Serhan, CNN —, ” Azaiza, ” Jenni Hermoso, Jenni Hermoso, Mana Shim, Fran Santiago, Luis Rubiales, Hermoso’s, Rubiales, Hermoso, “ Hermoso, ” Shim, Sakshi Malik, Nisha Pahuja, Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, Manish Rajput, Malik, Singh, ” Malik, Bhushan Sharan Singh’s, ”, Yulia Navalnaya, Russia’s, Alexei Navalny, Kamala Harris, Monika Skolimowska, Alexey Navalny, Putin, “ Putin, Navalnaya, “ Navalnaya, ” Harris Organizations: CNN, TIME, United Auto Workers, UAW, Toyota, Honda, Hyundai, Getty, “, UEFA Women's Nations League, UEFA, Spanish Women’s National Team, FIFA, Wrestling Federation of India, India Today, Delhi Locations: Dua Lipa, Gaza, AFP, Palestinian, Spanish, American, Indian, Rio ., Europe, Berlin, Paris, Hague, ”, Russian, Russia

☆ Biden calls for a tripling of tariffs on Chinese steel as he makes economic pitch in Pittsburgh
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Betsy Klein | Michael Williams | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —President Joe Biden called on his administration to ratchet up pressure on the Chinese steel industry as he brings his economic competition pitch to Pittsburgh, the heart of the American steel industry, on Wednesday, part of a three-day campaign trail swing through battleground Pennsylvania. The trip comes after Biden last month publicly opposed a controversial $14 billion deal for Japan’s Nippon Steel to purchase US Steel. President Biden will not impose ineffective, across-the-board tariffs that would increase costs and harm hundreds of thousands of jobs,” the official said. The United Steelworkers, a key union representing workers in the steel industry, endorsed Biden’s reelection campaign last month. Trump made tariffs against China a central feature of his global economic strategy, and Biden has largely maintained them, despite external criticism.

Persons: Joe Biden, ” Biden, Biden, Donald Trump, Katherine Tai, “, Tai, Lael Brainard, ” Brainard, “ They’re, ” , ”, Biden’s, he’s, Trump, Xi Jinping, Lloyd Austin, CNN’s Chris Isidore, Arlette Saenz, Kevin Liptak Organizations: CNN, United Steelworkers, United States Trade, National Economic, of, Japan’s Nippon Steel, US Steel . US Steel, Justice Department, Foreign Investment, US Steel, ”, American, steelworkers, Biden, Trump Locations: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, China, America, Scranton, Philadelphia, New York City, United States, American

☆ Biden tells Netanyahu US will not support counter-strike against Iran
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Mj Lee | Kevin Liptak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

In a conversation with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu late Saturday, Biden sought to frame Israel’s successful interception of the Iranian onslaught as a major victory — with the suggestion that further Israeli response was unnecessary. Biden told the Israeli prime minister in his phone call that he should consider Saturday a win because Iran’s attacks had been largely unsuccessful and demonstrated Israel’s superior military capability, a senior administration official said. Even as American officials stressed to their counterparts that the final decision on how to respond to Iran is up to Israel, Biden has sought to prevent a wider escalation of the conflict. In this handout photo, released early Sunday local time, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu talks on the phone with US President Joe Biden. “I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks — sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel,” Biden said in a statement following his conversation with Netanyahu.

Persons: Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden, John Kirby, ” Kirby, CNN’s Jake Tapper, Lloyd Austin, Yoav Gallant, “, Israel, ” Biden, Netanyahu, Kirby, Israel —, ”, Tapper, Gallant, Hossein, CNN’s Catherine Nicholls, Tamar Michaelis Organizations: CNN, White House, Union . ”, Seven, Sunday, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Locations: Israel, Iran, “ State, Gaza, Tehran

☆ News organizations post open letter urging Biden and Trump to debate ahead of 2024 election
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Hadas Gold | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A dozen of the nation’s biggest news organizations posted an open letter Sunday, urging President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump to participate in televised debates ahead of the 2024 election. C-SPAN joins other major news organizations to urge the presumptive presidential nominees to publicly commit to participate in general election debates prior to November's election. Biden has not publicly committed to debating Trump, although he has not ruled it out. The Commission on Presidential Debates has scheduled three presidential debates for September and October in Texas, Virginia and Utah. Biden responded to Trump’s calls for earlier debates in February, telling reporters: “If I were him, I’d want him to debate me, too.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, ”, Biden, Trump, ” Biden, ” Trump, Susie Wiles, Chris LaCivita, I’d, He’s, Trump’s Organizations: CNN, ABC News, Associated Press, CBS News, SPAN, Fox News, NBC, Univision, NPR, PBS, USA, Republican National, Republican Party, Trump Locations: Texas , Virginia, Utah

☆ How Israel and allied defenses intercepted more than 300 Iranian missiles and drones
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Israel’s military said Sunday that “99%” of projectiles fired by Iran were intercepted by Israel and its partners, with only “a small number” of ballistic missiles reaching Israel. In total, around 170 drones, more than 30 cruise missiles and more than 120 ballistic missiles were launched at Israel by Iran overnight Saturday, the military said. US officials said more than 70 drones and three ballistic missiles were intercepted by US Navy ships and military aircraft, without giving details of exactly what defenses were used to bring down the projectiles. The Iron Dome is the bottom layer of Israel’s missile defense, according to the country’s Missile Defense Organization (IMDO). The ballistic missiles that did reach Israel fell on the Netavim Air Base in southern Israel, Israel’s military spokesman said, adding that they caused only light structural damage.

Persons: Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu, ”, John Bolton, CNN’s Oren Liebermann, Biden, ” Biden, Menahem Kahana, Israel’s Rafael, CNN’s Irene Nasser, Eugenia Yosef, Benjamin Brown Organizations: CNN, Saturday, Israeli, Israel, US Navy, Aegis, Pentagon, Royal Air Force, Defense, US, country’s Missile Defense Organization, Getty, Defense System, Raytheon, Missile, Center for International, Strategic Studies, CSIS, Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance, Netavim, Base, Israeli Air Force Locations: Iran, Israel, Britain, Israeli, France, Gaza, Sderot, AFP, United States, Iraq, Yemen

☆ White House says it’s very concerned by China’s actions in the South China Sea ahead of key trilateral meeting
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Samantha Waldenberg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Washington CNN —The White House is very concerned by China’s actions in the South China Sea, a senior administration official said, as President Joe Biden prepares to draw two Asian allies closer at a historic meeting on Thursday. Japan and the Philippines both have separate territorial disputes with China, in the former’s case the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea and in the latter’s areas of the South China Sea. Meanwhile, China claims the shoal, which is in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, as its sovereign territory, as it does much of the South China Sea, in defiance of an international arbitration ruling. CNN has previously reported that the three leaders will hold private discussions on the South China Sea. A senior administration official also said that on Thursday the White House will be announcing a new infrastructure project in the Philippines.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Fumio Kishida, Thomas, Kishida, Marcos, Rodrigo Duterte, “ We’re, ” Biden, Australia –, ”, Brad Lendon, Arlette Saenz, Kayla Tausche Organizations: Washington CNN, Japanese, East China, China Coast Guard, CNN, American, White, Clark Air Base, Subic Naval Base, Coast Guard Locations: South China, Japan, Philippines, China, East, Philippine, Palawan, Taiwan, South, North Korea, Russia, Kishida, Ukraine, Manila, Asia, Pacific, United States, Beijing, India, US, Australia

☆ Wall Street wants answers from big banks about the economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

New York CNN —Big banks kick off earnings season Friday. “Earnings season just became significantly more important,” said JJ Kinahan, chief executive of IG North America, in a Wednesday note. On one hand, lofty rates could help pad banks’ net interest income, since they can charge a higher borrowing rate for loans and mortgages. Inflation has been a bane on Biden’s presidency, with voters consistently giving him low marks for his handling of the economy. Fed Chair Jerome Powell has said that policymakers want to see more evidence that inflation is headed toward their 2% goal.

Persons: ”, JJ Kinahan, JPMorgan, Wells, You’ll, Carol Schleif, Wall, Jamie Dimon, “, Alicia Wallace, Friday’s, Joe Biden, ” Biden, Bryan Mena, Jerome Powell, Powell Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Dow Jones, Nasdaq, IG North America, JPMorgan Chase, BlackRock, Citigroup, PNC Financial Services, BMO Family Office, Federal Reserve, Wall, Traders, Bureau of Labor Statistics, —, Federal, Fed Locations: New York, Wells Fargo, pare

☆ How Trump’s tariff plans could kill jobs and worsen inflation
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-11 | by ( Matt Egan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Trump has floated a 10% across-the-board tariff on imports, a 60% tariff on imports from China and a 100% tariff on foreign cars – including from Mexico. Trump’s proposals, if enacted, could easily set off a new trade war with China and potentially other nations, too. Some economists are warning Trump’s trade agenda and the ensuing retaliation from trading partners would hurt the US economy by worsening inflation, killing jobs, depressing growth and spooking investors. It’s hard to say exactly because there is a lot of uncertainty over how much of Trump’s proposed agenda would actually be enacted. That’s because tariffs tax imports when they come ashore, adding costs for US distributors, retailers and, ultimately consumers.

Persons: he’s, Donald Trump, Trump, ” Alex Durante, Trump’s, ”, Mark Zandi, Goldman Sachs, ” Goldman Sachs, Jan Hatzius, ” Goldman, Janet Yellen, Joe Biden’s, Karoline Leavitt, ” “, ” Leavitt, “, Biden, “ Donald Trump, ” Biden, James Singer, Biden’s, That’s, Durante, Joe Brusuelas, don’t, ” Brusuelas, Brusuelas, Liz, Maury Obstfeld, Obstfeld, Obama, ” Durante Organizations: New, New York CNN —, Tax Foundation, CNN, Trump, China, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve, RSM, Target, Walmart, Peterson Institute for International Economics, International Monetary Fund, US International Trade Commission, “, Obama Locations: New York, China, Mexico, Beijing, United States

☆ Live updates: Israel-Hamas war, Rafah offensive, Gaza during Eid al-Fitr
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-10 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: 1 min

A boy stands by the rubble of a collapsed building in Rafah, Gaza, on April 9. AFP/Getty ImagesPresident Joe Biden offered one of his sharpest rebukes of Israel’s handling of the war in Gaza, describing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s approach to the conflict as a “mistake” and calling for a halt to the fighting. “Well, I will tell you, I think what he’s doing is a mistake. I don’t agree with his approach,” Biden told Univision in an interview. Biden's comments add to mounting US criticism of Israel's war in Gaza.

Persons: Joe Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, ”, ” Biden, Biden Organizations: AFP, Getty, Univision, CNN Locations: Rafah, Gaza

☆ Biden administration officials believe Netanyahu’s claim a Rafah invasion date has been set is bluster
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Mj Lee | Alex Marquardt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The Biden administration is dismissing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s pronouncement that a date has been set for a ground offensive into Rafah as bluster that is in no small part fueled by the Israeli prime minister’s tenuous political standing at home, senior administration officials told CNN. Privately, multiple senior administration officials chalked up Netanyahu’s pronouncement – which was followed Tuesday by a declaration that that“no force in the world” will stop Israeli troops from entering Rafah – to bravado. Israeli officials argue that four Hamas battalions remain in Rafah that must be taken out. Israeli officials did not provide comprehensive answers to the questions in the meeting, the sources said. Hamas would rebuild from the remaining battalions there, the officials told their US counterparts.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, Benjamin Netanyahu’s, Netanyahu’s, Israel, chalked, Netanyahu, Antony Blinken, ”, Joe Biden’s, Jake Sullivan, Defense Lloyd Austin, Yoav Gallant, Austin, –, ” Biden, Ron Dermer, Tzachi Hanegbi, Blinken, CNN’s Natasha Bertrand, Oren Liebermann Organizations: CNN, Israeli, Biden, Defense, “, Israel Defense Forces, US Locations: Rafah, Gaza, Israel, Washington

☆ TV networks prepare letter to Biden and Trump campaigns urging them to commit to 2024 election debates
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Hadas Gold | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Five of the major US television networks have banded together to draft a letter urging President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump to commit to participating in televised debates ahead of the 2024 election. Frank Fahrenkopf, co-chair for the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, told CNN he has not yet seen the letter. Biden has not publicly committed to debating Trump, although he has not ruled it out. Trump has posted on social media that he will debate “anytime, anywhere anyplace” despite the Republican National Committee voting unanimously in 2022 to withdraw from the Commission on Presidential Debates. “If there is one thing Americans can agree on during this polarized time, it is that the stakes of this election are exceptionally high,” the TV networks stated in the letter.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, “, Frank Fahrenkopf, Biden, Trump, ” Biden, Trump’s, ” Organizations: CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox News, The New York Times, Republican National, Republican Party, Trump

☆ The stock market is shrinking and Jamie Dimon is worried
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Jamie Dimon, one of the world’s most influential business leaders, is worried. The PE boom: The shrinking public market has private equity to blame — funds that pool money from investors to acquire or invest in companies. When a PE fund buys a public company, it takes that company private. The number of private companies in the US backed by PE firms has grown from 1,900 to 11,200 over the last two decades, according to JPMorgan data. Dimon’s company, of course, makes a huge amount of money from taking companies public, so he’s not exactly an impartial observer.

Persons: Jamie Dimon, ”, Matthew Kennedy, Dimon, “, it’s, Russell, Lewis, Glass Lewis, Wells, aren’t, Matt Egan, Donald Trump’s, That’s, Reddit, —, Read, Biden, Joe Biden’s, Sam Fossum, Anna Cooban, ” Biden Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, JPMorgan Chase, JPMorgan, Renaissance, PE, ” Companies, Companies, Harvard Law, Corporate, Institutional, Services, Deutsche Börse, Peloton Capital, CNN, ISS, Social, Trump Media & Technology Group, Trump, Trump Media, Twitter, White, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Locations: New York, United States, America, German, Arizona, ”

☆ Biden says Trump constitutes biggest threat to US democracy
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-09 | by ( Kevin Liptak | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Washington CNN —President Joe Biden said in an interview aired Tuesday that his predecessor Donald Trump represents the biggest threat to democracy in the United States, citing Trump’s actions during the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot and his calls to release from prison those involved in the attack. Asked what constitutes “the primary threat to freedom and democracy at home,” Biden answered bluntly: “Donald Trump.”“Donald Trump talks, uses phrases like you’re gonna – eviscerate the Constitution, he’s going to be a dictator on day one. Biden has sought to make issues of democracy central to his reelection campaign as he draws a contrast with Trump. Both Trump and Biden have used the events on January 6 to make their case to voters. Trump has been indicted on felony charges for working to overturn the results of the 2020 election ahead of the January 6 riot.

Persons: Joe Biden, Donald Trump, ” Biden, ” “ Donald Trump, –, he’s, they’re, It’s, you’ve, “, Biden, Trump, Trump’s, He’s, ”, “ Trump Organizations: Washington CNN, Capitol, Univision, White, Trump, Office, Biden Locations: United States

☆ Biden to give Taiwan’s TSMC $6.6 billion to ramp up US chip production
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-08 | by ( Sam Fossum | Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Washington, DC/London CNN —The US government plans to give $6.6 billion to the world’s biggest manufacturer of semiconductor chips to help it build three factories in Arizona as part of President Joe Biden’s efforts to secure the supply of advanced chips. “America invented these chips, but over time, we went from producing nearly 40% of the world’s capacity to close to 10%, and none of the most advanced chips,” Biden said in a statement. The company’s total $65 billion investment represents the largest foreign direct investment in Arizona’s history, the White House said. Securing supply chainsThe US government has emphasized the need to bring more chip production onshore to limit potential supply disruptions. Taiwan is also in a vulnerable position: Supply chain experts and US officials worry that US-China trade tensions and potential military aggression against the island by Beijing could disrupt its vital chip-making industry.

Persons: Joe Biden’s, ” Biden, Mark Liu, Gina Raimondo, Biden, “, Juliana Liu Organizations: London CNN, White, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, US Locations: Washington, DC, Arizona, ”, America, Taiwan, China, Beijing, United States of America, Hong Kong

CNN —Former President Donald Trump said Monday that abortion rights should be left to the states, offering his clearest stance yet on one of the most delicate and contentious issues in American politics. In this case, the law of the state,” Trump said in a video posted to his Truth Social account. Trump told reporters last week that he would be making a “statement” on abortion when pressed about Florida’s six-week abortion ban, which is set to become law after a recent state Supreme Court ruling. That includes Trump’s home state of Florida, where a six-week abortion ban will take effect in a matter of weeks. Trump in his statement Monday acknowledged that voters will ultimately decide the fate of abortion access in some states.

Persons: Donald Trump, ” Trump, Trump, “, Roe, Wade, Court’s Dobbs, Susan B, Anthony Pro, Trump’s, Dobbs, Marjorie Dannenfelser, Carolina Sen, Lindsey Graham, ”, –, Mike Pence, “ Lindsey, Marjorie, “ Donald Trump, Joe Biden, ” Biden, Alayna Treene, Nikki Carvajal, Alison Main Organizations: CNN, GOP, Press, Supreme, Republican Locations: Carolina, America, Texas, Florida

☆ March jobs report comes in hot: The US economy added 303,000 positions last month
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Alicia Wallace | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Instead, on Friday, yet another jobs report defied expectations. “Today’s jobs report raises the possibility that rather than slowing down, job growth might be holding steady,” Nick Bunker, Indeed Hiring Lab’s economic research director for North America, said in a statement. Last month’s job growth was driven by industries such as health care (+72,300 jobs); government (+71,000 jobs); leisure and hospitality (+49,000 jobs); and construction (+39,000 jobs). President Joe Biden touted March’s jobs report Friday. With today’s report of 303,000 new jobs in March, we have passed the milestone of 15 million jobs created since I took office.

Persons: Nick Bunker, Joe Biden, “, ” Biden, —, Greg Daco, ”, ” Daco, we’ve, Erica Groshen, ” Brett House, Daco, Price Organizations: New, New York CNN, of Labor Statistics, Federal Reserve, North, ”, CNN Business, Cornell University, CNN, Brookings Institution, Congressional, Columbia Business School, Fed, Labor Locations: New York, North America, EY, United States

☆ A Situation Room scramble, daily calls and political intrigue: Inside the White House response to the Key Bridge collapse
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Kayla Tausche | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

ET, overnight staffers in the White House Situation Room began frantically reaching out to senior officials to notify them of the collision – and collapse – of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge. Jen Daskal, the deputy homeland security adviser, began preparing a briefing for President Joe Biden. Two Oval Office meetings were convened as staff at various levels began trickling into the White House. Seven barges and nine tugboats have deployed to the area, according to Tom Perez, the White House director of intergovernmental affairs. In another case – that of Moore and Perez – the two have already opposed each other on the ballot.

Persons: Pete Buttigieg, Dali, Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key, Buttigieg, ” Buttigieg, Wes Moore, Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, Jeff Zients –, Jen Daskal, Joe Biden, “, ”, Johnny Olszewski – Biden, ” Olszewski, Biden, “ I’ve, ” Biden, –, Tom Perez, ” Perez, Perez, “ It’s, we’ve, Natalie Quillian, Moore, Perez –, that’s, ” CNN’s Donald Judd Organizations: Baltimore CNN —, US Coast Guard, CNN, Maryland Gov, Baltimore Mayor, White House, Baltimore, Coast Guard, Department of Transportation, Maryland, White, Administration, Democratic Locations: Wyoming, Montana, Maryland, Baltimore County, Washington, Delaware, Baltimore, Patapsco, synchrony, Federal, White, United States

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