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☆ Alejandro Mayorkas Faces GOP Investigations, Liberal Anger Over Southern Border
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-03 | by ( Tarini Parti | Michelle Hackman | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

DHS chief Alejandro Mayorkas has been under fire for what some say isn’t enough action on curbing illegal border crossings. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is emerging as the Biden administration’s biggest target for House Republicans, who seek to make him the first cabinet secretary impeached in more than a century. His GOP critics—and some centrist Democrats—say the secretary hasn’t done nearly enough to curb record illegal crossings at the southern border and prepare for the coming end of Title 42, the pandemic-era measure that allows the government to rapidly turn away migrants seeking asylum. Mr. Mayorkas is also drawing criticism from other factions of his own party, who say he hasn’t made a clean break from former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.

☆ Ron Klain says Putin using a nuclear weapon is 'not impossible to imagine' and Biden is preparing for the possibility, book
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-20 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Biden is preparing in case Putin decides to use nuclear weapons, his chief of staff said in October. Biden is "'very focused on being prepared in case Putin does it, and trying to figure out what we can do to deter him,'" Ron Klain said. White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain told author Chris Whipple, in an October interview, that the prospect isn't outside the realm of possibility. "Those who try to blackmail us with nuclear weapons should know that the prevailing winds can turn in their direction," Putin said at the time. "People argue that we should not escalate and should be wary of doing things that further provoke Putin," Johnson said.

☆ Classified Documents Saga Overshadows White House Push to Tout Biden Record
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-14 | by ( Tarini Parti | Andrew Restuccia | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—President Biden kicked off the new year touting his legislative record, declining inflation, and an uptick in his approval ratings while White House staff reveled in the contrast with the tumult of House Republicans’ speaker election. With this week’s revelations of the discovery of classified documents at Mr. Biden’s affiliated think tank and personal garage, the White House finds itself grappling with a political and legal setback that could shadow the president for months.

WASHINGTON—Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday named Robert Hur, a former U.S. attorney during the Trump administration, as special counsel to examine why classified documents were found at President Biden’s home and office, intensifying scrutiny of Mr. Biden’s actions after he left the vice presidency in 2017. The appointment came after Mr. Biden’s lawyer said aides found classified records, likely dating from Mr. Biden’s time as vice president, at his Wilmington, Del., garage and at an office he used at a Washington-based think tank that bears his name. It heightens political pressure on the White House and sets up the unusual prospect of three concurrent Justice Department special counsels, two of whom are investigating the actions of the president or his chief rival for office. Lawmakers from both parties in Congress have also demanded details on the discovery of the documents.

☆ Additional Classified Documents Found at Biden’s Delaware Home
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Tarini Parti | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—President Biden’s aides found an additional batch of a small number of classified records after searching his residences in Wilmington and Rehoboth Beach, Del., Richard Sauber, Mr. Biden’s lawyer, said in a statement Thursday. “All but one of these documents were found in storage space in the President’s Wilmington residence garage,” Mr. Sauber said. “One document consisting of one page was discovered among stored materials in an adjacent room. No documents were found in the Rehoboth Beach residence.”

☆ Biden, López Obrador, Trudeau Reach Deals on Chips, Climate, Immigration
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Tarini Parti | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, with his his wife Beatriz Gutiérrez, welcomed Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife Sophie Grégoire Trudeau on Monday in Mexico City. MEXICO CITY—President Biden, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau are expected to announce commitments from the three countries on Tuesday to build the semiconductor industry in the region, hit their climate goals and tackle the surge in migration, according to the White House. The three leaders are meeting in Mexico City this week for the North American Leaders’ Summit, where they agreed to organize a semiconductor forum with industry representatives and government officials in early 2023 and coordinate on figuring out their semiconductor supply chain needs and investments.

☆ Biden Summit With López Obrador, Trudeau Focuses on Migration, Supply Chains
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Tarini Parti | Anthony Harrup | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

MEXICO CITY—President Biden focused on immigration, security and supply-chain problems when he met with his Mexican counterpart on Monday for the North American Leaders’ Summit—issues on which the two countries have had some differing views. He and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador were joined by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for dinner Monday night, before all three meet on Tuesday. The countries have been working through trade disputes over implementation of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

☆ Biden Summit With López Obrador, Trudeau to Focus on Migration, Supply Chains
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( Tarini Parti | Anthony Harrup | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

MEXICO CITY—President Biden is expected to focus on immigration, security and supply-chain problems when he meets with his Mexican counterpart on Monday for the North American Leaders’ Summit—issues on which the two countries have had some differing views. He and Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador will be joined by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for dinner that night, before all three meet on Tuesday. The countries have been working through trade disputes over implementation of their joint U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.

☆ Biden Administration Leans on Trump-Era Policies to Combat Migrant Wave
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Michelle Hackman | Tarini Parti | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—President Biden announced his administration’s broadest effort yet to deter migrants seeking asylum at the southern border, expanding its use of several Trump-era border control measures the president had previously decried. Beginning on Thursday, the administration will use a pandemic-era border measure known as Title 42 to rapidly expel migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela, the countries that have posed the greatest challenge to the administration in the past year. The administration is taking the step even as the Supreme Court prepares to hear oral arguments in the case and the administration has argued that the measure is no longer justified on public-health grounds and must end.

☆ Biden Administration Expands Title 42 Migrant Expulsions to More Countries
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Michelle Hackman | Tarini Parti | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

The Biden administration is expanding its use of a pandemic-era border measure known as Title 42 to begin rapidly expelling migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela, while opening a new legal path for up to 30,000 migrants from those countries to enter the U.S. a month. The new policy represents the broadest effort yet that the Biden administration has undertaken to deter migrants seeking asylum from crossing the border illegally. It also relies on an expanded use of Title 42 as a border-control measure, even while the administration is arguing in court that the measure is no longer justified on public-health grounds and must end. The Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments on Title 42 in February.

☆ Biden Plans to Visit U.S.-Mexico Border
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Tarini Parti | Annie Linskey | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—President Biden said Wednesday that he intends to visit the U.S.-Mexico border during his trip to Mexico City next week. “We’re working out the details now,” Mr. Biden said.

☆ Biden Considers Visit to U.S.-Mexico Border
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Tarini Parti | Annie Linskey | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—The White House is strongly considering adding a visit to the U.S.-Mexico border to President Biden’s trip to Mexico City next week, according to people familiar with the discussions. Mr. Biden is expected to meet Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Mexico City for the North American Leaders’ Summit on Jan. 9-10. A final decision hasn’t yet been made on whether Mr. Biden would make what would be his first visit to the border as president as part of the trip, the people said. One of the people said there would be no new policy announcement at the event if it occurs.

☆ President Joe Biden Issues Six Pardons, Most for Drug Cases
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Tarini Parti | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Most of the pardons issued by President Biden were in drug-related cases. President Biden pardoned six people who have served their sentences and since worked to improve their communities, the White House said. Four of the six had committed drug-related offenses. The pardons Friday came after Mr. Biden said in October he would pardon all prior federal offenses of simple possession of marijuana and called on federal regulators to review how the drug is classified.

☆ Biden, House GOP to Start 2023 With Scant Ties, Tension
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Tarini Parti | Natalie Andrews | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.), at the lectern, and other House GOP leaders called on Congress on Wednesday to vote on a short-term spending bill for the government. The return of divided government in January means President Biden will face a House of Representatives controlled by Republicans who say they have little relationship with the White House, posing a significant challenge in getting any legislation through Congress. While Democrats controlled both houses of Congress, the administration has had little need to rely on the House GOP, passing some central pieces of its economic agenda with only Democratic votes. The majority of House Republicans, meanwhile, voted against certifying Mr. Biden’s win after the Jan. 6, 2021, riot and criticized his policies ahead of the midterms, making bipartisan work difficult.

☆ Quebec ends mandatory oath to King Charles for elected officials
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

MONTREAL, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Quebec on Friday passed a law ending a requirement for elected officials to take an oath to Britain's King Charles, agreeing to make such a show of fealty optional. Charles, 73, became king of the United Kingdom and the head of state of 14 other nations, including Canada, when his mother, Queen Elizabeth, died in September. "It's a beautiful moment for Quebec democracy," said PQ leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon on Twitter. The PQ's three elected lawmakers tried unsuccessfully last week to enter the legislature after declining to take the oath. Reporting by Allison Lampert in Montreal; editing by John StonestreetOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Biden Signs Legislation Preventing Railroad Strike
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Katy Stech Ferek | Tarini Parti | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON—President Biden on Friday signed legislation to prevent a nationwide strike by railroad workers, the last step in resolving a long-running dispute between workers and major freight railroads. With his signature, Mr. Biden ordered unions to implement a labor contract mediated by his administration that four unions representing more than half of unionized rail workers had rejected after the deal was struck in September. The agreement doesn’t include an expansion of paid sick leave benefits sought by unions and some lawmakers. It marks the first such intervention in a railroad labor dispute in three decades.

French President Emmanuel Macron’s meeting with President Biden at the White House on Thursday is intended in part at reaffirming the U.S.-France alliance. WASHINGTON—President Biden said he was open to making concessions to American allies who have objected to new U.S. subsidies for North American manufacturers, but he didn’t commit to specifics after a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron , as the two leaders sought to project unity following months of tensions. Mr. Biden said he makes no apology for the Inflation Reduction Act, which provides subsidies to U.S. manufacturers and tax incentives for electric vehicles and other products that are assembled in North America. But he said changes may be needed to ensure the law doesn’t have unintended consequences.

☆ Quebec party wants vote to end mandatory oath to King Charles
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Allison Lampert | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MONTREAL, Dec 1 (Reuters) - A Quebec political party opposed to swearing an oath to Britain's King Charles said it expects to introduce legislation on Thursday that would make such fealty optional. Left-leaning Quebec solidaire, whose members grudgingly took the oath that is required for elected officials, plans to introduce a bill in the Canadian province's national assembly, a party spokesperson said on Wednesday. It's not clear whether the party which represents just 11 ridings in the 125 seat assembly would have widespread support. It comes after the death of Queen Elizabeth in September revived debate among Canadians on whether the country should continue with the decades-old system of British monarchy. "It is, I think, a relic from the past," Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois, a co-spokesperson for Quebec solidaire, said in an interview.

☆ Analysis: Gains for Malaysia's hardline Islamist party a challenge for new PM Anwar
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( A. Ananthalakshmi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/4] A pillion waves a Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) flag on the eve of Malaysia's general election at Permatang Pauh, Penang, Malaysia November 18, 2022. Anwar, who is ethnic Malay and Muslim, addressed race and religion in his first news conference as prime minister, promising to uphold Islam as the official religion of the country and the rights of the ethnic Malay majority, while also safeguarding the rights of all. Race and religion are thorny issues in Malaysia, where Muslim ethnic Malays form a majority in a country with significant ethnic Chinese and ethnic Indian minorities, most of them Hindu, Buddhist or Christian. As the biggest party in parliament, PAS could push for Islamisation and more affirmative action for Malays - a long-standing policy that Anwar has opposed, analysts said. "They see PAS as a clean party and its political leaders have no integrity problems," said Mohd Izani.

☆ Malaysia's new prime minister Anwar Ibrahim vows to unify the country and fight corruption
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Su-Lin Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

watch nowNew prime minister Anwar Ibrahim has pledged to make "Malaysia for all Malaysians," fight corruption and reiterated that he won't be taking a salary as Malaysians battle rising costs of living. International relationsCongratulations poured in from leaders from all over the world including Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Malaysia's Anwar Ibrahim takes his first press conference after being appointed prime minister. Perikatan Nasional won 73 seats and was runner-up to Anwar's Pakatan Harapan which won 82 seats. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim swron in by Malaysia's King Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah on Thursday Mohd Rasfan | Afp | Getty Images

☆ Malaysia polls: We cannot work with the DAP and PH, says politician
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailMalaysia polls: We cannot work with the DAP and PH, says politicianAlexander Nanta Linggi, secretary-general of Gabungan Parti Sarawak, says "we still maintain that we are not likely to be with Pakatan [Harapan]."

☆ As Biden Turns 80, Some Democrats See Age as Issue for Potential 2024 Bid
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Tarini Parti | Natalie Andrews | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

President Biden turned 80 on Sunday, becoming the first octogenarian to hold the office, as he mulls a re-election bid and faces fresh concerns about his age among voters and some Democratic officials. Mr. Biden, who had plans to celebrate with a family brunch, was the oldest president to assume office and, if re-elected, would be nearly a decade older than the oldest second-term president, Ronald Reagan , who was 73 years old at his 1985 swearing-in. Mr. Biden’s recent verbal miscues have added to concerns from some in his party about his age, and polls show many voters also have doubts.

☆ President’s Granddaughter Naomi Biden Neal Married on South Lawn of White House
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Catherine Lucey | Tarini Parti | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/presidents-granddaughter-naomi-biden-neal-married-on-south-lawn-of-white-house-11668891512

WASHINGTON—Republicans’ narrow control of the House of Representatives will usher in a return to divided government in Washington next year, likely shattering the chances of any major legislation, stoking divisions within the GOP and putting President Biden on defense as the new Congress investigates his administration. Mr. Biden, who downsized his agenda to get bills through a Congress narrowly controlled by Democrats, will now have to contend with House Republicans who have said they plan to pressure him to cut government spending and make other policy changes by threatening to withhold votes to keep the government open or to ensure that the U.S. meets its debt obligations.

☆ Kamala Harris Seeks to Rally Voters on Abortion as Polls Show Interest Waning
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Tarini Parti | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Vice President Kamala Harris will spend the final days of the midterms campaign seeking to rally Democrats around the issue of abortion access, as some polls show the issue losing potency in energizing voters and economic anxiety giving Republicans momentum ahead of Tuesday’s vote. Ms. Harris’s efforts come as Democrats grow concerned that rising inflation and gas prices are overshadowing abortion as a priority for many voters. A Wall Street Journal poll conducted about two weeks before Election Day suggests that abortion rights are less important in voting decisions than voters indicated in the summer, after the Supreme Court’s decision in June in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned the constitutional right to an abortion and returned the issue to states to decide.

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