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VIRGINIA BEACH, Virginia, Feb 28 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden said on Tuesday that his March 9 budget proposal to the U.S. Congress will include some higher taxes, including on billionaires, but will not violate his pledge not to raise rates on Americans making less than $400,000 a year. "On March the 9th, I'm going to lay down in detail every single thing, every tax that's out there that I'm proposing, and no one ... making less than $400,000 is going to pay a penny more in taxes," Biden told an audience in Virginia Beach, Virginia. I'm gonna raise some taxes," the Democratic president added, before suggesting that "billionaires" would be called upon to pay more. Biden, under pressure from Republicans who are threatening not to raise the U.S. debt limit unless he agrees to sharp spending cuts, has vowed to cut the deficit by $2 trillion over 10 years in the upcoming budget proposal. During the 2020 campaign, Biden pledged not to increase taxes on taxes on people making less than $400,000 a year.

[1/2] Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden addresses the International Association of Fire Fighters in Washington, U.S., March 12, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin LamarqueWASHINGTON, Feb 27 (Reuters) - U.S. first lady Jill Biden wants Americans to know that her husband, President Joe Biden, does plan to run for a second four-year term, and she's all for it - even as a formal declaration of his intentions has yet to be made. Cedric Richmond, a former Biden White House adviser, said Biden would announce "whenever he's ready" when asked if an announcement was coming in March or April. Some 71% of respondents, including 52% of Democrats, said they did not believe that Biden should run for re-election in 2024. Democratic strategist Bud Jackson said the issue of whether Biden should run again is a topic of great debate in Democratic circles.

The United States joined with G7 allies with plans to impose sanctions that will target 200 individuals and entities and a dozen Russian financial institutions. They planned to form an "Enforcement Coordination Mechanism," at first chaired by the United States, to counter Russian efforts to circumvent the sanctions. The sanctions are aimed at targets in Russia and "third-country actors" across Europe, Asia and the Middle East that are supporting Russia's war effort, the White House said in a fact sheet. "We will sanction additional actors tied to Russia's defense and technology industry, including those responsible for backfilling Russian stocks of sanctioned items or enabling Russian sanctions evasion," it said. Biden was also set to sign proclamations to raise tariffs on Russian products imported to the United States.

☆ DeSantis to host donors ahead of likely 2024 White House bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( James Oliphant | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The Republican race to take on Democratic President Joe Biden next year has gotten off to a largely quiet start. Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley joined Trump in the Republican field this month, but several other prospective candidates have yet to jump in. DeSantis is not expected to make any overt statements about a presidential campaign at his Palm Beach event. The source with knowledge about the gathering downplayed its significance, saying it will be similar to past policy forums DeSantis has convened. In remarks at an event in West Palm Beach on Monday, Trump labeled DeSantis his “enemy.”“I always say hit your enemy a little early," Trump said.

The same group came together last year hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine, imposing the first round of a series of sanctions. "The G7 has become an anchor of our strong and united response to Russia," White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters on Thursday. The leaders on Friday will discuss "how we continue supporting Ukraine" and ways to increase pressure on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine a year ago, she said. The sanctions will include Russian banks, technology and defense sectors, and will impact both people and companies involved in the conflict, according to Jean-Pierre. Reporting by Steve Holland and Jarrett Renshaw; Editing by Trevor Hunnicutt and Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

They are demanding steep spending cuts to tame the deficit at a time when the United States is pumping billions of dollars in military and other aid into Ukraine. For now, Republican leaders in Congress, who fiercely oppose Biden on most issues, support aid for Ukraine's defense, even calling for Washington to send more powerful weapons, more quickly. "Americans' support for Ukraine is reflected in strong bipartisan support Ukraine assistance has received in both houses of Congress," Watson said. A global Ipsos poll late last year found that majorities in NATO members including Canada, Great Britain, France, the Netherlands and Poland back continued military support to Ukraine. Only in Hungary and Italy did more oppose than support it, and those countries' leaders have fallen in line with European initiatives to support Ukraine.

Biden said the West was never plotting to attack Russia and the invasion was Putin's choice. "It is a big mistake," Biden said of Putin's decision before his session with eastern European allies known as the Bucharest Nine. We will defend literally every inch of NATO, every inch of NATO," he said. The Kremlin says it regards NATO, which could soon expand to include Sweden and Finland, as an existential threat to Russia. It said the leaders looked forward to further strengthening unity and collective defense at a NATO summit in Vilnius in July.

Hours before Biden spoke in Poland following a surprise visit to Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed that Moscow would achieve its objectives in Ukraine and accused the West of plotting to destroy Russia. Biden proclaimed "unwavering" support for Kyiv and a commitment to bolstering NATO's eastern flank facing Russia, while rejecting Moscow's contention that the West was plotting to attack Russia. "I can report: Kyiv stands strong, Kyiv stands proud, it stands tall and, most important, it stands free. "When President Putin ordered his tanks to roll into Ukraine, he thought we would roll over. Putin said Ukraine had sought to strike a facility deep inside Russia where it keeps nuclear bombers, a reference to the Engels air base.

☆ Biden, after trip to Ukraine, in Poland to meet NATO allies
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-21 | by ( Nandita Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Biden will meet Polish President Andrzej Duda to discuss collective efforts to support Ukraine and thank Poland for helping the United States and other countries facilitate deliveries of military and humanitarian assistance. In the evening, Biden will give a speech on how the United States has helped rally the world to support Ukraine as the war enters its second year with no end in sight. Before leaving Warsaw for Washington on Wednesday, Biden will meet leaders of the Bucharest Nine, the eastern flank NATO allies, to reaffirm unwavering support for their security. A year ago, Biden warned skeptical allies that a massive buildup of Russian troops along Ukraine's borders was the precursor to war. Since the beginning of the war, the United States has sent more than $24 billion in security assistance to help Ukraine.

☆ How Biden's surprise trip to Kyiv was kept secret - but not from Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] President Joe Biden arrives for a surprise visit with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Monday, Feb. 20, 2023, in Kyiv. After months of planning, Biden on Friday decided to go ahead with the trip, according to the White House. By then it was Sunday night, and Biden's train traveled in the dark with a heavy security presence on board. "It's good to be back in Kyiv," Biden said after stepping off the train. U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan, who accompanied the president, said U.S. officials did notify Russian officials that Biden would be traveling to Kyiv.

But U.S. and Canadian authorities also announced they had called off searches for three unidentified objects shot down over last weekend, without locating any debris. The last of the debris from the Chinese balloon, which was downed by a Sidewinder missile, is heading to an FBI laboratory in Virginia for analysis, the U.S. military's Northern Command said. Reuters was first to report the conclusion of the recovery efforts for the suspected Chinese spy balloon, which were halted on Thursday. Kirby said the United States had already learned a lot about the balloon by observing it as it flew over the United States. "We will maintain the perspective that we have in terms of what should be the relationship between China and the United States," she said.

☆ Biden, 80, to have closely watched physical exam
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the economy at the IBEW Local 26 in Lanham, Maryland, U.S., February 15, 2023. REUTERS/Evelyn HocksteinWASHINGTON, Feb 16 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden, 80, will undergo a closely watched physical examination on Thursday, ahead of an expected announcement that he is seeking a second four-year term. His last physical and colonoscopy, in November 2021, showed the president to be a "healthy, vigorous, 78-year-old male," his doctors said. At his last exam, Biden's White House physician, Kevin O'Connor, declared him fit for duty and able to execute his responsibilities. Biden told Judy Woodruff in a PBS interview last week that any Americans concerned about his age should "watch me" perform the duties of the presidency.

The decision, announced after financial markets closed, gives Biden a pair of trusted Washington insiders to steer economic policy as the risk of recession fades but inflation lingers. Big fights also loom with the Republican-controlled House of Representatives over raising the debt ceiling. The shakeup comes as the White House tries to tackle what officials view as a frustrating disconnect between relatively strong economic data and weak public sentiment. The White House has refused to discuss spending cuts without a debt ceiling vote first. Bernstein last week conceded that the White House's early description of inflation as "transitory" had missed the mark.

Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu and former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, among others. [1/7] Old welcome signs heralding the hometown of former South Carolina governor and former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley sit behind the town center in Bamberg, South Carolina, U.S. February 14, 2023. Haley will kick off the start of her 2024 presidential campaign in Charleston, South Carolina. "People don't understand, unless you were here, just what a demonstrative act of leadership that was," said Tom Davis, a Republican state senator who is backing Haley's presidential bid.

☆ Biden's China adviser Rosenberger leaving, unrelated to balloon -White House official
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Laura Rosenberger, a top adviser to President Joe Biden on China and Taiwan, is leaving soon as part of a long-planned departure that predated the incident involving China's high-altitude balloon, a White House official said on Wednesday. The official said Rosenberger would be succeeded by Sarah Beran, who will be moving to the White House from the State Department. Rush Doshi, currently serving as senior director for China and Taiwan at the National Security Council, will serve as her deputy. Reporting By Steve Holland Editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Biden plans speech on balloon, unidentified objects -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the speech was expected to be on Thursday. Biden has been under pressure from lawmakers to speak more extensively about the spate of flyovers by unidentified objects, which have baffled many Americans. The United States has said the Chinese balloon was used for surveillance purposes, while Beijing called it a weather balloon. He said the United States still had no firm grasp on the origin of the three objects. Biden has asked national security adviser Jake Sullivan to preside over a task force of related agencies to come up with a set of guidelines on how to address unidentified objects going forward.

☆ Biden plans speech on balloon, unidentified objects - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-15 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 15 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden plans on Thursday to make his most extensive remarks yet about a high-altitude Chinese balloon and three other objects that were shot down by U.S. fighter jets, two sources familiar with the discussions said on Wednesday. Biden has been under pressure from lawmakers to speak more extensively about the spate of flyovers by unidentified objects, which have baffled many Americans. The United States has said the Chinese balloon was used for surveillance purposes, while Beijing called it a weather balloon. He said the United States still had no firm grasp on the origin of the three objects. Biden has asked national security adviser Jake Sullivan to preside over a task force of related agencies to come up with guidelines on how to address unidentified objects in future.

"I suggested, instead of making threats about the debt ceiling, which would be catastrophic, let's just lay out our budgets," Biden said. "Here's the bottom line: I'm simply not going to let the nation default on its debt for the first time in history," he added. The White House is due to release its budget on March 9. Congress raised the debt ceiling three times during Republican Donald Trump's four years in the White House, but it has often imposed conditions on the increase. The White House has said Biden will discuss federal spending cuts with Republicans, but only after the debt ceiling is lifted, while McCarthy has said Republicans will only lift the ceiling if Biden agrees to spending cuts.

☆ Biden to name Fed's Lael Brainard as top economic adviser - source
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Feb 13 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to name Federal Reserve Vice Chair Lael Brainard to the White House's top economic policy position as early as Tuesday, a source familiar with the matter said on Monday. Brainard would replace White House National Economic Council (NEC) Director Brian Deese, who has announced his resignation. In addition Biden confidant Jared Bernstein is expected to replace Cecilia Rouse as chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, the source said. The White House declined to comment. "Under normal circumstances I would have thought that her advice to Biden would be very pro stimulus," he said.

☆ Mystery aerial objects may have benign purpose-White House
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

FBI/Handout via ReutersWASHINGTON, Feb 14 (Reuters) - The U.S. intelligence community is considering the possibility that three mysterious unidentified objects shot down by U.S. fighter jets were tied to a commercial or otherwise benign purpose, the White House said on Tuesday. John Kirby, the White House national security spokesperson, told reporters that the United States still had no firm grasp on the origin of the three objects. He said there was no indication that the trio of objects were tied to China's spy balloon program. A U.S. fighter jet on Feb. 4 shot down a high-altitude Chinese balloon off the coast of South Carolina after it transited the United States. Kirby confirmed that the fighter jet that shot down the object over Lake Huron missed with an initial missile and it landed in the lake.

☆ Zelenskiy urges speedy help from allies as Russia pounds Ukraine's east
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( Pavel Polityuk | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Much of Russia's artillery fire was focused on Bakhmut, a bombed-out city in Donetsk province and a principal target for President Vladimir Putin. Zelenskiy said Russia was in a hurry to achieve as much as it could with its latest push before Ukraine and its allies could gather strength. Speed saves people's lives, speed brings back security, and I thank all our partners who realize that speed is important." Russian forces had made incremental progress in their assault on Bahkmut, White House spokesperson John Kirby said. Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin said Russian forces would not be able to capture the town anytime soon.

The Chinese balloon, which Beijing denies was a spy vessel, spent a week flying over the United States and Canada before President Joe Biden ordered it shot on Feb. 4. China says the balloon shot down on Feb. 4 was a civilian weather-monitoring aircraft. It has accused Washington of sending its own balloons into Chinese airspace, an allegation Beijing reiterated on Tuesday. 'COMMERCIAL OR BENIGN PURPOSE'The U.S. military said on Monday it had recovered critical electronics from the suspected Chinese spy balloon as well as large sections of the vessel itself. But it has not yet recovered debris from the most recent three objects shot down, with tough weather conditions making recovery operations difficult.

Feb 14 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to name Federal Reserve Vice Chair Lael Brainard as his top economic policy adviser as early as Tuesday, a source familiar with the matter said, as the 2024 elections approach. Brainard, an experienced fiscal and monetary affairs official, would replace White House National Economic Council (NEC) Director Brian Deese, who has announced his resignation. In addition, Biden confidant Jared Bernstein is expected to replace Cecilia Rouse as chair of the Council of Economic Advisers, the source said. The White House declined to comment. Biden's overhaul of his top economic team comes as the Fed is still trying to glide inflation down without causing a recession.

☆ Haley announces 2024 Republican presidential bid, marks Trump's first challenger
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 14 (Reuters) - Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley is challenging her one-time boss for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, according to a video she released on Tuesday. "I'm Nikki Haley and I'm running for president," Trump's former United Nations ambassador said in the video, first reported by Axios. Reporting by Steve Holland and Susan Heavey; Editing by Doina ChiacuOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Biden's Super Bowl: Home alone, with ice cream and guacamole
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 9 (Reuters) - With first lady Jill Biden attending the big game, President Joe Biden says he plans to watch this coming Sunday's Super Bowl at home on television, with a bowl of ice cream. The first lady's beloved Philadelphia Eagles play the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl in Glendale, Arizona, and she is planning to attend with her grandson. The Super Bowl, played every year since 1967, decides who is the best team in the U.S.'s National Football League, and draws tens of millions of viewers. When the interviewer suggested he have some guacamole to eat during the game, Biden said "exactly right," and added:"Ice cream. A little chocolate chip ice cream afterwards."

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