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☆ Black Men Rally for Kamala Harris, and Confront an Elephant in the Room
▼ + stars: | 2024-08-11 | by ( Zolan Kanno-Youngs | Erica L. Green | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A day after Vice President Kamala Harris announced that she intended to seek the Democratic presidential nomination, more than 40,000 Black men from across the country convened on a virtual fund-raising call to discuss what the moment required of them. For four hours, one Black man after another — prominent politicians, activists, entertainers — laid out the challenges ahead for Ms. Harris, including the racist and sexist attacks they expected from her opponents. But it was not long before the men confronted the elephant in the room. “Sometimes as Black men we get confused as to what strength is, and sometimes we think that standing behind a Black woman as a leader does not display strength as Black men,” said Kwame Raoul, the attorney general of Illinois. “I’m standing behind a Black woman to be president of the United States, and it doesn’t make me any less of a Black man,” he said.

Persons: Kamala Harris, —, Harris, ”, Kwame Raoul, “, Mr, Raoul, “ I’m Organizations: Democratic Locations: Illinois, United States

☆ As Republicans Attack Harris on Immigration, Here’s What Her Record Shows
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-31 | by ( Zolan Kanno-Youngs | Jazmine Ulloa | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

As they seek effective attack lines against Vice President Kamala Harris, Republicans are focusing on her role in the Biden administration’s border and immigration policies, seeking to blame her for the surge of migrants into the United States over the past several years. A review of her involvement in the issue shows a more nuanced record. But she did have a prominent role in trying to ensure that a record surge of global migration did not become worse. After the number of migrants crossing the southern border hit record levels at times during the administration’s first three years, crossings have now dropped to their lowest levels since Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris took office. Her early efforts at handling her role and the administration’s policies were widely panned, even by some Democrats, as clumsy and counterproductive, especially in displaying defensiveness over why she had not visited the border.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Biden, ”, Trump, Harris Organizations: Biden Locations: United States, U.S, Mexico

☆ Kamala Harris Is Known Abroad for a Personal Touch, and Tough Talk
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-27 | by ( Matina Stevis-Gridneff | Zolan Kanno-Youngs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Like most vice presidents, Kamala Harris was not given much runway on foreign policy. But in the role she did fill, Ms. Harris made an impression. Ms. Harris can be many things at once: warm but steely on occasion; authoritative but personable. She has represented the United States frequently during trips to Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas, and has met with more than 150 world leaders. In recent months, she has also become more directly involved in discussions with global leaders on the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Biden, Harris, Benjamin Netanyahu Organizations: Democratic Locations: United States, Europe, Asia, Africa, Americas, Ukraine, Israel, Washington, Gaza

On Today’s Episode:The Beginning of Biden’s Long Goodbye, by Peter BakerNetanyahu Delivers a Forceful Defense of Israel to Applause in Congress, by Annie Karni and David E. SangerThe Illicit Flow of Technology to Russia Goes Through This Hong Kong Address, by Aaron Krolik and Paul Mozur

Persons: Biden’s, Peter Baker Netanyahu, Annie Karni, David E, Aaron Krolik, Paul Mozur Organizations: Israel, Applause, Sanger, Technology, Hong Locations: Russia, Hong Kong

The director of the Secret Service, Kimberly A. Cheatle, resigned on Tuesday, after security failures surrounding the attempted assassination of former President Donald J. Trump and calls for her to step down from prominent Republican lawmakers. According to an email sent to Secret Service agents on Tuesday, Ms. Cheatle said that one of the Secret Service’s foremost duties is to protect the nation’s leaders and that the agency “fell short of that mission” in failing to secure a campaign rally from a gunman on July 13. “I do not want my calls for resignation to be a distraction from the great work each and every one of you do towards our vital mission,” Ms. Cheatle said in the email, which was reviewed by The New York Times. She said she was deeply committed to the agency but added that, “in light of recent events, it is with a heavy heart that I have made the difficult decision to step down as your director.”

Persons: Kimberly A, Cheatle, Donald J, Trump, “, Ms, ” Organizations: Secret Service, The New York Times

☆ Harris Steps Into the Spotlight, Reintroducing Herself on Her Own Terms
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-22 | by ( Zolan Kanno-Youngs | Erica L. Green | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday made her first public appearance since President Biden dropped his re-election bid, praising Mr. Biden’s record as “unmatched in modern history” as she began an effort to reintroduce herself to Americans on her own terms. Speaking at an event honoring college athletes at the White House, Ms. Harris talked about her friendship with Mr. Biden’s son Beau Biden, who died of brain cancer in 2015, and commended the president’s “deep love of our country.”But she wasted no time in starting to build her new profile as the presumptive nominee and the new hope among Democrats for defeating former President Donald J. Trump. Ms. Harris raised $81 million in her first 24 hours as a presidential candidate, began an effort to engage delegates and scooped up key endorsements. In the three and a half months until Election Day, Ms. Harris still needs to define herself for the American people before Republicans do it for her. She also needs to quickly take over the campaign apparatus that Mr. Biden had spent more than a year building.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Biden, Mr, Harris, Biden’s, Beau Biden, Donald J, Trump Organizations: Monday, White

President Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris to lead the presidential ticket after ending his re-election campaign on Sunday, raising the chance that she could be the first Black woman to be president of the United States. Ms. Harris in many ways has been preparing for this moment for the past year as she emerged as one of the Biden campaign’s more aggressive voices on abortion rights and attacks on former President Donald J. Trump. Mr. Biden spoke to Ms. Harris on Sunday morning before he posted a letter online informing the world that he would be stepping down as the Democratic nominee. In another post less than a half-hour later, he endorsed Ms. Harris, who quickly issued a statement saying she intended to “earn and win this nomination.”But as the details of the nominating process remain unclear, there are many questions Ms. Harris and her team will face in the days ahead.

Persons: Biden, Kamala Harris, Harris, Donald J, Trump Organizations: Democratic Locations: United States

☆ Homeland Security Secretary Announces Panel on Trump Assassination Attempt
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-21 | by ( Hamed Aleaziz | Zolan Kanno-Youngs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The homeland security secretary, Alejandro N. Mayorkas, on Sunday announced the members of a panel to conduct an independent review into security failures after a gunman was able to wound former President Donald J. Trump last weekend at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa. The Secret Service, which answers to Mr. Mayorkas, is facing criticism for its decisions in planning security for the event, and Republican leaders have called for the agency’s director, Kimberly A. Cheatle, to resign. Mr. Mayorkas’s announcement on Sunday promised that the panel would get to the bottom of what went wrong and what changes the Secret Service should make to protect the country’s leaders. The panel — described by Mr. Mayorkas as bipartisan — that will be conducting the 45-day review will be made up of Janet Napolitano, a former homeland security secretary; Frances Townsend, a former homeland security adviser to President George W. Bush; Mark Filip, a former federal judge and a deputy attorney general under Mr. Bush; and David Mitchell, a former secretary of the Delaware Department of Public Safety and Homeland Security. Mr. Mayorkas said he could invite additional experts to join the panel in the coming days.

Persons: Alejandro N, Donald J, Kimberly A, ” Mr, Mayorkas, Janet Napolitano, Frances Townsend, George W . Bush, Mark Filip, Bush, David Mitchell Organizations: Sunday, Trump, Republican, Delaware Department of Public Safety, Homeland Security Locations: Butler, Pa

☆ Secret Service Says It Denied Earlier Trump Requests for More Federal Resources
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-20 | by ( Zolan Kanno-Youngs | Maggie Haberman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Secret Service acknowledged on Saturday that it had turned down requests for additional federal resources sought by former President Donald J. Trump’s security detail in the two years leading up to his attempted assassination last week, a reversal from earlier statements by the agency denying that such requests had been rebuffed. Almost immediately after a gunman shot at Mr. Trump from a nearby warehouse roof while he spoke at a rally in Butler, Pa., last weekend, the Secret Service faced accusations from Republicans and anonymous law enforcement officials that it had turned down requests for additional agents to secure Mr. Trump’s rallies. “There’s an untrue assertion that a member of the former president’s team requested additional resources and that those were rebuffed,” Anthony Guglielmi, a spokesman for the Secret Service, said last Sunday, the day after the shooting. Alejandro N. Mayorkas, the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Secret Service, said on Monday that the accusation was “a baseless and irresponsible statement and it is one that is unequivocally false.”

Persons: Donald J, Trump, “, ” Anthony Guglielmi, Alejandro N, ” Organizations: Secret, Department of Homeland Security Locations: Butler, Pa

In the days after President Biden’s disastrous debate performance, aides to Vice President Kamala Harris got word of an exchange that a staff member from the White House legislative affairs office had with a member of Congress about why Democrats should continue to support Mr. Biden’s re-election bid. Ms. Harris’s aides were concerned that in making the case for Mr. Biden, the legislative affairs office had denigrated her political strength and suggested that she would not be as strong a candidate against Donald J. Trump. The aides quickly reached out to Jeff Zients, the White House chief of staff, to alert him about the call. Their message was that it was fine for the administration’s surrogates to whip support for Mr. Biden — and that they were totally behind that effort — but that Mr. Biden’s team needed to be careful not to do it at the expense of degrading the vice president.

Persons: Biden’s, Kamala Harris, Harris’s, Biden, Donald J, Trump, Jeff Zients, Biden — Organizations: White, White House

☆ Biden Returns to Campaigning, Hoping to Refocus on the Basics
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-16 | by ( Zolan Kanno-Youngs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden will intensify efforts on Tuesday to court Black and Latino voters, using a two-day swing through the crucial battleground state of Nevada to try to return to the campaign that might have been. As he resumes politicking after a pause following the assassination attempt on former President Donald J. Trump this weekend, the president plans to focus on core issues like the economy and lowering housing costs, an attempt to reset the conversation after an extraordinary three weeks that has also included a dismal debate performance and calls from panicked Democrats to withdraw from the race. The trip will also provide Mr. Biden an opportunity to try to draw attention away from Republicans, who polls show are making gains with Black and Hispanic voters and are holding their national convention in Wisconsin this week, as he sells his vision for a second term. On Tuesday, Mr. Biden is set to speak at the annual convention for the N.A.A.C.P., be interviewed by Black Entertainment Television and participate in an economic summit with Representative Steven Horsford of Nevada, the chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus. On Wednesday, he will speak before UnidosUS, a Hispanic civil rights and advocacy group.

Persons: Biden, Donald J, Steven Horsford Organizations: Trump, Black Entertainment Television, Congressional Black Caucus Locations: Nevada, Wisconsin

The building from which a gunman fired at former President Trump on Saturday was — at least in hindsight — an obvious security risk. Its rooftop offered an ideal sniper’s perch, with a close, elevated and unobstructed view of Mr. Trump. But when the Secret Service drew up plans for Saturday’s rally, it left that building outside its security perimeter. Instead, local law enforcement officials were given responsibility for that building, and no police officers were stationed on the roof itself. The building, used as a warehouse by equipment manufacturer AGR International, has become a focal point of myriad investigations into the shooting that nearly felled a former American president, one that Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas on Monday called a security failure.

Persons: Trump, Alejandro N, Mayorkas Organizations: Service, AGR, Homeland Locations: American

☆ Homeland Security Chief Calls Trump Shooting a Security ‘Failure’
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-15 | by ( Zolan Kanno-Youngs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas said on Monday that the attempted assassination of former President Donald J. Trump was a “failure” of security, as the Secret Service confronts scrutiny over its efforts to protect government officials. “An incident like this cannot happen,” Mr. Mayorkas told CNN, adding: “When I say something like this cannot happen, we are speaking of a failure.”The comments, from the head of the department that oversees the Secret Service, came after President Biden called for an “independent review” of the security planning for the Trump rally in Butler, Pa., where the shooting occurred on Saturday. The Secret Service is facing intense questions over the security perimeter at the rally, which did not include a warehouse roof where the would-be assassin fired shots at Mr. Trump. The gunman, a 20-year-old from Bethel Park, Pa., was killed.

Persons: Alejandro N, Mayorkas, Donald J, Trump, Mr, Biden Organizations: CNN, Trump Locations: Butler, Pa, Bethel Park

President Biden on Sunday called for an “independent review” of security measures before and after the attempted assassination of former President Donald J. Trump, while directing the Secret Service to review all of its security measures for the Republican National Convention this week. Mr. Biden’s directive, though brief and without specifics, is likely to increase the scrutiny of the decisions and possible failures of the agency charged first and foremost with protecting the lives of the country’s current and former leaders, and their families. Less than 24 hours after Mr. Trump was injured at a campaign rally in Butler, Pa., members of Congress were promising hearings and former law enforcement officials were questioning why the warehouse roof where the would-be assassin, Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pa., fired shots was not covered by the Secret Service’s security perimeter, despite being within the range of some guns. Mr. Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, was quickly whisked off the stage and pronounced fine, but a spectator was killed in the shooting and two others were critically wounded.

Persons: Biden, Donald J, Trump, Biden’s, Thomas Matthew Crooks Organizations: Service, Republican National Convention, Republican Locations: Butler, Pa, Bethel Park

☆ As Biden Points to His Past, Supporters Are More Worried About His Future
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-12 | by ( Zolan Kanno-Youngs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

As President Biden tries to save his candidacy, he is asking Americans to look to the past. “Look at what I’ve done in three and a half years,” Mr. Biden has declared over and over again since his disastrous debate performance in Atlanta two weeks ago. On Thursday night, as the president took questions from reporters in a nearly hourlong news conference, he pointed to his record. “Can you name me somebody,” he asked, “who’s gotten more major pieces of legislation passed in three and a half years?”But for many of Mr. Biden’s supporters, it’s not the last three years they’re worried about. Interviews with a range of Democratic voters, lawmakers, strategists and others — most of whom voted for Mr. Biden in 2020 — suggest that the president’s attempt to run on his record since the debate is falling flat.

Persons: Biden, ” Mr, ”, “ who’s, Biden’s, it’s Organizations: Democratic, Mr Locations: Atlanta

☆ Five Takeaways From Biden’s News Conference
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-11 | by ( Zolan Kanno-Youngs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden on Thursday answered questions from reporters about foreign policy, whether he is up to defeating former President Donald J. Trump and why he is resisting calls from Democrats to end his candidacy, as he sought to recover from a crisis of confidence that has engulfed his campaign. With a growing number of Democratic lawmakers, donors and elected officials urging Mr. Biden to drop out of the race after a disastrous debate performance last month, the closing news conference of a NATO summit in Washington became a high-stakes chance for the president to quiet concerns about his candidacy. The results were mixed. Mr. Biden stumbled early but remained defiant in the face of questions about his fitness to continue his campaign. He struggled to articulate a cohesive case for his candidacy, even as he gave a forceful defense of his record and showed a strong command over foreign policy.

Persons: Biden, Donald J, Mr Organizations: Trump, Democratic, NATO Locations: Washington

☆ Harris Sharpens Her Attacks on Trump
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-10 | by ( Zolan Kanno-Youngs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Vice President Kamala Harris stepped up her attacks on former President Donald J. Trump on Wednesday as she said in Dallas that Mr. Trump would round up his political enemies, deport peaceful protesters and terminate the Constitution in a second term. Ms. Harris has been harshly critical of Mr. Trump in the past, but at campaign events in the last two days, as an increasing number of Democrats question whether President Biden has the ability to beat Mr. Trump in November and the acuity to serve another four years, she has been far more explicit about the dangers she sees in a Trump second term. Ms. Harris has emerged as a top replacement for Mr. Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket should he drop out of the race. In Dallas, Ms. Harris tried to attach Mr. Trump to Project 2025, a policy and staffing blueprint assembled by dozens of conservative groups for the next Republican administration. Among the platform proposals include replacing many federal civil servant jobs with political appointees who would be loyal to the president.

Persons: Kamala Harris, Donald J, Trump, Donald Trump, he’ll, ” Ms, Harris, Biden Organizations: Department of Justice, United, Constitution, Trump, Democratic, Republican Locations: Dallas

☆ Biden Says He Has Not Had a Cognitive Test and Doesn’t Need One
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( Zolan Kanno-Youngs | More About Zolan Kanno-Youngs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The White House has said Mr. Biden was suffering from a cold on the night of the debate. “Have you had the specific cognitive tests, and have you had a neurologist, a specialist, do an examination?” Mr. Stephanopoulos asked Mr. Biden. No one said I had to,” Mr. Biden said. “They said I’m good.”Mr. Biden added that like every president, a White House doctor does travel with him. After the debate, Mr. Biden said his doctor looked at him and said, “you’re exhausted.”Mr. Biden also did not commit to taking a cognitive test in the future to assure voters.

Persons: Biden, Mr, Trump, “, Stephanopoulos, ” Mr, Kevin O’Connor, “ you’re, ” Organizations: Mr

On Today’s Episode:Biden’s Lapses Are Said to Be Increasingly Common and Worrisome, by Peter Baker, David E. Sanger, Zolan Kanno-Youngs and Katie RogersDemocrats Go Public With Panic About Biden Amid Fears of an Electoral Debacle, by Catie Edmondson, Kellen Browning and Nicholas NehamasJudge Delays Trump’s Sentencing Until Sept. 18 After Immunity Claim, by Ben Protess, William K. Rashbaum, Kate Christobek and Wesley Parnell

Persons: Said, Peter Baker, David E, Sanger, Zolan Kanno, Katie Rogers, Biden, Catie Edmondson, Kellen Browning, Nicholas Nehamas, Ben Protess, William K, Rashbaum, Kate Christobek, Wesley Parnell Organizations: Go

☆ Biden’s Strategy: Help Immigrants in the U.S., but Stop Others From Arriving
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( Zolan Kanno-Youngs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

There are hundreds of thousands of immigrants in the United States who have been living in the country illegally for years, working and making a living, starting families and sending their children to school. President Biden says they can stay. And then there are the more recent arrivals, who have crossed the U.S.-Mexico border in record numbers, seeking protection from poverty and persecution. Mr. Biden has taken two major actions on immigration this month, expanding legal protections for undocumented spouses of American citizens while also sealing the border to most people seeking asylum in the United States. Taken together, the decisions put Mr. Biden’s approach to one of the most polarizing issues of the 2024 campaign into sharp focus: He will help immigrants who are already here, but try to keep the border shut to those trying to get in.

Persons: Biden, Biden’s Locations: United States, Mexico

President Biden on Tuesday announced sweeping new protections for hundreds of thousands of immigrants who have been living in the United States illegally for years but are married to American citizens. Under the new policy, some 500,000 undocumented spouses will be shielded from deportation and given a pathway to citizenship and the ability to work legally in the United States. Mr. Biden will celebrate the program during a White House ceremony on Tuesday marking the 12-year anniversary of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, which protects people who came to the United States as children from deportation. The decision comes as Mr. Biden tries to strike a balance on one of the most dominant political issues in 2024. Aware that many Americans want tougher policies on the border, Mr. Biden just two weeks ago announced a crackdown that suspended longtime guarantees that give anyone who steps onto U.S. soil the right to seek asylum here.

Persons: Biden Locations: United States

☆ Biden to Give Legal Protections to Undocumented Spouses of U.S. Citizens
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Zolan Kanno-Youngs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden on Tuesday will announce sweeping new protections for hundreds of thousands of immigrants who have been living in the United States illegally for years but are married to American citizens, officials familiar with the plan said. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a policy that had not been formally announced. Under the policy, undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens will be shielded from deportation, provided work permits and given a pathway to citizenship. Officials briefed on the conversations said it could affect up to 500,000 undocumented spouses, although the exact scale of the program remained unclear. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Persons: Biden Organizations: White Locations: United States

☆ Biden Proposes Dropping Medical Debt From Credit Reports
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Zolan Kanno-Youngs | Sarah Kliff | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Biden administration on Tuesday proposed removing medical debt from the credit reports of more than 15 million Americans, making it easier for millions to qualify for car, home and small-business loans. The proposed rule, which will go through a public comment period, would not take effect immediately. It would forbid health care providers to share medical debt with loan providers and prohibit those providers from factoring in medical information when it came to granting loans. Vice President Kamala Harris said the move would improve “the financial health and well-being of millions of Americans.”“One of the most significant consequences of carrying medical debt is the harm it does to a person’s credit score,” Ms. Harris said. “Medical debt makes it more difficult for millions of Americans to be approved for a car loan, a home loan or a small-business loan, all of which in turn makes it more difficult to just get by, much less get ahead.

Persons: Biden, Kamala Harris, ”, ” Ms, Harris Organizations: “

The Biden administration is considering a proposal to protect undocumented spouses of U.S. citizens from deportation and allow them to work in the country legally, according to four officials with knowledge of the discussions. Any such program could also provide some spouses an easier route to obtain U.S. citizenship. The proposal comes as President Biden has moved to address political liabilities in his immigration policy in recent days. Last week, he moved to bar asylum for migrants crossing into the United States as part of an effort to toughen border enforcement, eliciting criticism from members of his own party. And now, a move to protect undocumented immigrants in the United States could help Mr. Biden address some of the fierce resistance that order elicited and shore up support among immigrant advocates, Latino voters and his progressive base.

Persons: Biden Locations: United States

☆ Biden Expected to Sign Executive Order Restricting Asylum
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-03 | by ( Hamed Aleaziz | Zolan Kanno-Youngs | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

President Biden is expected to sign an executive order on Tuesday allowing him to temporarily seal the U.S. border with Mexico to migrants when crossings surge, a move that would suspend longtime protections for asylum seekers in the United States. Mr. Biden’s senior aides have briefed members of Congress in recent days on the forthcoming action and told them to expect the president to sign the order alongside mayors from South Texas, according to several people familiar with the plans. “I’ve been briefed on the pending executive order,” said Representative Henry Cuellar, Democrat of Texas who previously criticized Mr. Biden for not bolstering enforcement at the border earlier in his presidency. “I certainly support it because I’ve been advocating for these measures for years. While the order is yet to be released, I am supportive of the details provided to me thus far.”The order would represent the single most restrictive border policy instituted by Mr. Biden, or any modern Democrat, and echoes a 2018 effort by President Donald J. Trump to block migration that was assailed by Democrats and blocked by federal courts.

Persons: Biden, Biden’s, “ I’ve, ”, Henry Cuellar, Mr, “, I’ve, Donald J, Trump Organizations: Mr Locations: Mexico, United States, South Texas, Texas

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