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☆ Biden's age is his 'superpower' in 2024, Jeffrey Katzenberg says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Nandita Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Katzenberg, in a telephone interview, described Biden as "energetic" and "effective," and suggested Republican attacks on his age will backfire. "President Biden's age is, in fact, his superpower," Katzenberg said. Some Democrats expect such attacks on Biden's age and family will increase in 2024. Former Disney executive Katzenberg's opinion is likely to be reflected in Biden's campaign in the months to come. Biden's campaign had four members on the payroll and spent a total of $1.1 million in the first three months since launch.

Persons: Jeffrey Katzenberg, Joe Biden, Biden, Katzenberg, Nikki Haley, Ted Cruz, Kamala Harris's, Biden's, Donald Trump, Simon Rosenberg, Barack Obama, Reid Hoffman, it's, Nandita Bose, Trevor Hunnicutt, Heather Timmons, Michael Perry Organizations: Republican, Republicans, Trump, Democratic, Disney, Katzenberg, Linkedin, Biden, Fund, Thomson Locations: U.S, Washington

☆ White House blasts RFK Jr for 'antisemitic conspiracy theories'
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre joined a chorus of Democratic outrage at the comments from the 69-year-old son of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, a member of the Kennedy political dynasty who was assassinated while running for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1968. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2024, putting him directly in competition with Biden, who is seeking a second four-year term. Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. waves to the audience after delivering a foreign policy speech at St. Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S., June 20, 2023. Every aspect of these comments reflect some of the most abhorrent antisemitic conspiracy theories throughout history and contributes to today's dangerous rise of antisemitism," Jean-Pierre said. The New York Post on Saturday published a video that appeared to show Kennedy speaking at a dinner in Manhattan.

Persons: Joe Biden's, Robert F, Kennedy Jr, Karine Jean, Pierre, Kennedy, Biden, Brian Snyder, COVID, Jean, Pierre said, Trevor Hunnicutt, Steve Holland, Heather Timmons, Deepa Babington Organizations: Democratic, Anselm College, REUTERS, The New York, Twitter, Thomson Locations: Manchester , New Hampshire, U.S, Manhattan

☆ US Secret Service ends White House cocaine probe, no video, fingerprints, DNA available
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, July 13 (Reuters) - The U.S. Secret Service said on Thursday it had concluded its investigation into cocaine found at the White House and said it had been unable to identify a suspect. The cocaine was found "inside a receptacle used to temporarily store electronic and personal devices prior to entering the West Wing," the Secret Service said, confirming earlier Reuters reporting. "Without physical evidence, the investigation will not be able to single out a person of interest from the hundreds of individuals who passed through the vestibule where the cocaine was discovered," the Secret Service said. "At this time, the Secret Service's investigation is closed due to a lack of physical evidence." Reporting by Paul Grant and Rami Ayyub; editing by Tim Ahmann, Heather Timmons and Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Paul Grant, Rami Ayyub, Tim Ahmann, Heather Timmons, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Secret, White, Service, Thomson

NATO allies, instead, agreed that Ukraine would join eventually, when "allies agree and conditions are met," their statement said but offered no details on when, if ever, Kyiv would meet such conditions. Before leaving the United States to attend the summit, Biden bypassed allies' concerns about approving cluster munitions for Ukraine to battle Russia. Most Republicans seeking to unseat Biden have largely kept silent about Biden's performance during the NATO summit, suggesting they see little to gain by criticizing him. Trump has long admired Russian President Vladimir Putin and has expressed skepticism of extended U.S. involvement in the Ukraine war; on Tuesday he criticized Biden's decision to send munitions to Ukraine. Haley on Tuesday criticized the NATO alliance and Biden for not committing to add Ukraine.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, we've, Donald Trump, Ivo Daalder, Daalder, Trump, Vladimir Putin, Biden's, Mike Pence, Nikki Haley, Haley, Steve Holland, Trevor Hunnicutt, Jonathan Landay, Sabine Siebold, Andrew Gray, John Irish, Heather Timmons, Howard Goller Organizations: NATO, White, Atlantic, TRUMP, Trump, Republican, Democrat, Chicago Council, Global Affairs, Thomson Locations: VILNIUS, Europe, U.S, Ukraine, Lithuania, Sweden, Western, Vilnius, Kyiv, United States, Russia, Washington, Cyprus, Asia

☆ Biden welcomes Finland to NATO ahead of summit with Nordic leaders
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Biden travelled to Finland, which shares a border with Russia, straight from this week's NATO talks in Vilnius, Lithuania to participate in a U.S.-Nordic summit with the leaders of Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and Norway. He will also hold a joint news conference with Finland's President Sauli Niinisto before heading back to Washington. Ahead of a bilateral meeting with Niinisto, Biden hailed Finland's as an "incredible asset" to the NATO military alliance. Niinisto said Finland's NATO membership heralded "a new era in our security", and applauded Biden for "creating unity" at the Vilnius summit which focused on uniting behind Ukraine. At this week's NATO summit, Biden described Finland and Sweden's push to join NATO as evidence Putin's "craven lust for land and power" had backfired, only serving to strengthen the military alliance.

Persons: Joe Biden disembarks, Finland Sauli, Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin, Biden, Sauli Niinisto, Niinisto, Finland's, Tayyip Erdogan, craven, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Donald Trump, Putin, Steve Holland, Essi, Heather Timmons, Rosalba O'Brien, Emma Rumney Organizations: Air Force, United, Nordic, Summit, Read, NATO, Finland's, Russia, White, Ankara, White House, Thomson Locations: Helsinki, Vantaa, Finland, HELSINKI, Russia, Vilnius, Lithuania, U.S, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Washington, Soviet, Ukraine, Turkey

[1/3] US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen speaks during her meeting with China's Vice Premier He Lifeng (out of frame) at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on July 8, 2023. Yellen said nothing publicly to indicate that the U.S. was poised to ease tariffs, but commentators in China were hopeful, amid a U.S. Trade Representative review. "While U.S might continue its technological curbs on China, a reduction or exemption of non-core tariffs against China is possible." Yellen last year advocated eliminating some duties on "non-strategic" goods as a way to ease some specific costs amid high inflation. Haley has said she would push Congress to revoke China’s trade status until China curbs its alleged role in the fentanyl trade.

Persons: Janet Yellen, Lifeng, Pedro PARDO, Janet Yellen's, Biden, Harry Broadman, Donald Trump's, Premier Li Qiang, Yellen, Hong Hao, Chad Bown, " Bown, Josh Hawley, Ron DeSantis, Nikki Haley, Haley, Donald Trump, David Lawder, Andrea Shalal, Gram Slattery, Jeff Mason, Heather Timmons, Nick Zieminski Organizations: China's, WASHINGTON, . Treasury, Trump, White House, World Bank, Berkeley Research, Premier, U.S . Treasury, . Trade, China's Finance, U.S, Grow Investment, Times, Peterson Institute of International Economics, Reuters, Republican, Firebrand, Thomson Locations: Diaoyutai, Beijing, China, U.S, Washington, U.s, Donald Trump's China, CHINA, Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Florida, Mexico, Cuba

VILNIUS, July 11 (Reuters) - Washington will move ahead with the transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey in consultation with Congress, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Tuesday, a day after Ankara gave the green light for Sweden to join NATO. He intends to move forward with that transfer," Sullivan told reporters, without giving any details on the timing. Both Turkish officials and the Biden administration have rejected any suggestion that Ankara's approval of Sweden's NATO accession was being linked to the F-16 sale in the months of talks to address Turkish opposition. Russian officials said Sweden's expected accession to NATO would have "negative implications" for Russia's security and that Moscow would have to respond. TIMING UNCERTAINThe timing of both the F-16 transfer and Sweden's NATO entry remains unclear.

Persons: Jake Sullivan, Sullivan, Joe Biden, Bob Menendez, Biden, Tayyip Erdogan, Camille Grand, Erdogan, Gerard Araud, Sweden's, Peter Szijjarto, Jens Stoltenberg, Steve Holland, Justyna, John Irish, Nick Macfie, Heather Timmons, Devika Organizations: U.S . National, NATO, Lockheed Martin Corp, Senate Foreign Relations, Democrat, Turkish, European Council, Foreign Relations, Twitter, Kurdistan Workers Party, EU, Monday, Finland's, Nordic, Thomson Locations: VILNIUS, Washington, Turkey, U.S, Ankara, Sweden, Lithuanian, Vilnius, NATO, French, Swedish, United States, Turkey's, Moscow, Hungary, Finland, Ukraine

A senior Treasury official said the lunch with the Chinese economists would give Yellen, who was also the first woman to head the U.S. Federal Reserve, a chance to "interact with a number of people kind of outside the normal policy structure." Yellen told the women - one of whom described herself as a feminist economist - she was curious to learn more about their backgrounds and research. A June report by the United Nations urged China to adopt statutory quotas and a gender parity system to boost women's representation in government. Yellen, by contrast, is one of 13 women in President Joe Biden's 25-member Cabinet, the most gender-diverse in U.S. history. China also lags in terms of women's representation in the top echelons of industry, a recent study showed.

Persons: Janet Yellen, China's, Yellen, Li Qiang, I'm, Xi, Communist Party's, Shen Yiqin, Joe Biden's, Spencer Stuart, Andrea Shalal, Tian, Trevor Hunnicutt, Heather Timmons, Leslie Adler, William Mallard Organizations: . Treasury, U.S . Treasury, Treasury, U.S . Federal Reserve, Communist, United Nations, Women, People's Congress, Communist Party, U.S . Senate, Rutgers University's Center for Women, Bain & Co, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Beijing, China, United States, Politics

Despite talk of U.S.-China economic de-coupling, recent data show a trade relationship that is fundamentally solid, and rebounded in 2022 from five years of turmoil wrought by a trade war and COVID-19 disruptions. Two-way trade hit a record $690 billion last year as U.S. demand for Chinese consumer goods rose and Beijing's demand for U.S. farm products and energy grew. U.S.-China trade had fallen after 2018, when former President Donald Trump imposed tariffs of up to 25% on some $370 billion in Chinese imports, but began to rebound during the COVID recovery of 2021. Reuters Graphics"I think it is important that people realize that business and politics are separate," said Michael Hart, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in China. "The current state of U.S.-China trade and investment is the result of 30 to 40 years' worth of ongoing trade and investment."

Persons: Janet Yellen, Donald Trump, Michael Hart, William Reinsch, America's COVID, Wang Huiyao, Biden, Hart, David Lawder, Joe Cash, Heather Timmons, Jamie Freed Organizations: U.S, Treasury, Reuters, American Chamber of Commerce, Census, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Center for, EV, U.S . Congress, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, BEIJING, China, U.S, Washington, Center for China, Beijing, United States, CHINA

Yellen is due to meet with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng -- her direct counterpart as China's top economic official -- on Saturday, a U.S. Treasury official said. MARKET REFORMSYellen also took aim at China's planned economy, urging Beijing to return to more market-oriented practices that had underpinned its rapid growth in past years. "A shift toward market reforms would be in China's interests," she told the AmCham event. Yellen dismissed the idea of decoupling the U.S. and Chinese economies, nothing that China's enormous and growing middle-class provided a big market for American goods and services. A Treasury official said the vibrant U.S. business community in China was "a living embodiment that we are not decoupling."

Persons: Yellen, Li, Janet Yellen, Li Qiang, Washington, Liu He, Xi Jinping, Yi Gang, Mark Schiefelbein, Yellen's, Michael Hart, BIDEN, Joe Biden, Xi, Antony Blinken, John Kerry, Andrea Shalal, Joe Cash, David Lawder, Catherine Evans, Heather Timmons, Alistair Bell Organizations: China, . Treasury, U.S, Treasury, American Chamber of Commerce, of, People, REUTERS U.S, Economic Cooperation, Thomson Locations: U.S, BEIJING, China, Beijing, United States, Washington, New Delhi, Asia, San Francisco, Ukraine

BEIJING, July 7 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen will meet with female economists in Beijing on Saturday, an effort to spotlight gender diversity following meetings with China's largely male government leaders. A June report by the United Nations urged China to adopt statutory quotas and a gender parity system to boost women's representation in government. Yellen, by contrast, is one of 13 women in President Joe Biden's 25-member Cabinet, the most gender-diverse in U.S. history. One-quarter of the U.S. Senate and 28.7% of the U.S. House of Representatives seats are currently held by women, according to Rutgers University's Center for Women in Politics. China also lags in terms of women's representation in the top echelons of industry, a recent study showed.

Persons: Janet Yellen, China's, Yellen, Xi, Shen Yiqin, Joe Biden's, Spencer Stuart, Andrea Shalal, Tian, Trevor Hunnicutt, Heather Timmons, Leslie Adler Organizations: . Treasury, U.S . Treasury, Treasury, U.S . Federal Reserve, United Nations, UN, Women, National People's Congress, Communist, U.S . Senate, U.S . House, Rutgers University's Center for Women, Bain & Company, Thomson Locations: BEIJING, Beijing, China, Politics

☆ Biden shows support for Sweden's NATO bid in talks with PM
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, July 5 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden gave a show of support for Sweden's entry into NATO on Wednesday in talks with Sweden's prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, amid efforts to overcome opposition from fellow NATO ally Turkey. Biden, seated next to Kristersson in the Oval Office, told reporters he wanted to reiterate U.S. support for Sweden's accession to NATO. Kristersson thanked Biden for the invitation and said Sweden “highly appreciates” Biden’s support for NATO membership. Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership last year, ditching long-held policies of military non-alignment after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Sweden, Turkey and NATO will meet in Brussels on Thursday to try to find a solution ahead of next week's NATO summit.

Persons: Joe Biden, Ulf Kristersson, Biden, Kristersson, Sweden “, Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Steve Holland, Johan Ahlander, Heather Timmons, Bill Berkrot, Alistair Bell Organizations: NATO, Turkey, Kurdistan Workers Party, Thomson Locations: Vilnius, Lithuania, Turkey, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, Hungary, Stockholm, United States, Brussels, Washington

☆ Yellen's China visit aims at 'new normal' with Beijing
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Chinese officials are concerned about the Biden administration's plans to limit U.S. companies' China investments and what they see as moves to decouple the two economies. "There is no substitute for diplomacy," said one senior administration official. "Secretary Yellen’s trip is more than a step toward preparation for a potential Biden-Xi meeting at APEC. Despite the cooling relations, trade between the U.S. and China grew in 2022 for the third year in a row, U.S. Commerce Department data show. Two other Cabinet secretaries, Commerce chief Raimondo and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, met in May with Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao.

Persons: Janet Yellen's, Biden, COVID lockdowns, Antony Blinken, Xi Jinping, Wu Xinbo, Yellen's, Gina Raimondo, Derek Scissors, Yellen, Russia's Wagner, Joe Biden, Xi, Scott Kennedy, Jake Colvin, Donald Trump, Colvin, Lifeng, Liu He, Raimondo, Katherine Tai, Wang Wentao, Andrea Shalal, Michael Martina, Lun Tian Yew, Dan Burns, Heather Timmons, Andrea Ricci Organizations: . Treasury, China's Fudan University, American Enterprise Institute, U.S, Economic Cooperation, Biden, APEC, Center for Strategic, International Studies, Foreign Trade, . Commerce Department, Treasury, . Trade, Chinese Commerce, Thomson Locations: China, Russia, U.S, Beijing, Ukraine, United States, Asia, San Francisco, Washington, Zurich, Wang Wentao .

The Secret Service is investigating the matter, the White House said. White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters: "Where this was discovered is a heavily traveled area where many ... West Wing visitors come through." The West Wing is attached to the executive mansion where President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden live. Jean-Pierre said West Wing tours took place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The discovery led to a brief closure of the White House complex on Sunday.

Persons: Karine Jean, Pierre, Jean, Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Biden, it's, Jeff Mason, Steve Holland, Heather Timmons, David Gregorio, Howard Goller Organizations: West Wing, U.S, Washington , D.C, Office, West, White, Administration, Wing, East Wing, Thomson Locations: Washington ,, Camp David , Maryland

WASHINGTON, July 4 (Reuters) - A U.S. federal judge on Tuesday restricted some agencies and officials of the administration of President Joe Biden from meeting and communicating with social media companies to moderate their content, according to a court filing. A White House official said the Justice Department was reviewing the order and will evaluations its options. The order also mentioned by name officials including Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Jen Easterly, who heads the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, in its restrictions. U.S. officials have said they were aiming to tamp down misinformation about COVID vaccines to curb preventable deaths. Facebook and Instagram parent Meta Platforms (META.O), Twitter, and Alphabet's (GOOGL.O) YouTube did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Persons: Joe Biden, Alejandro Mayorkas, Terry Doughty, Kanishka Singh, Jeff Mason, Alistair Bell, Heather Timmons, Bill Berkrot Organizations: U.S, Department of Health, Human Services, FBI, United, White, Justice Department, Department of Homeland, Infrastructure Security Agency, Western, Western District of, Washington Post, Republicans, Biden, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Thomson Locations: Louisiana, Missouri, Western District, Western District of Louisiana, Washington

WASHINGTON, July 4 (Reuters) - A white powder found inside the White House late on Sunday was identified by Washington's fire department and emergency services as cocaine, a source familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. The source said the powder was found in the West Wing, but gave no further details. The West Wing is attached to the executive mansion where President Joe Biden lives. A second source familiar with the matter said the substance was found during a routine Secret Service sweep of the area. Biden was not in the White House on Sunday.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, David, Kanishka Singh, Jeff Mason, Heather Timmons, Alistair Bell, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Sunday, West Wing, Secret Service Uniformed Division, DC Fire Department, Secret Service, White, Washington Post, Thomson Locations: Washington

☆ White powder found at White House identified as cocaine - Washington Post
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, July 4 (Reuters) - A white powder found inside the White House late on Sunday, which led to the temporary closure of part of the presidential complex, was identified by Washington fire department as cocaine, the Washington Post reported. President Joe Biden was not in the White House at the time. Hundreds of people work in or come through the West Wing of the White House regularly. There was "an investigation into the cause and manner" of how the substance entered the White House, the spokesperson said. The radio dispatch said "We have a yellow bar saying cocaine hydrochloride.”Two "officials familiar with the matter" confirmed to the Washington Post that the substance found at the White House was cocaine.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kanishka Singh, Jeff Mason, Heather Timmons, Alistair Bell Organizations: Washington Post, Service, Reuters, Secret Service Uniformed Division, Wing, Office, West, White, DC Fire Department, Thomson Locations: Washington

Indian citizens are by far the most active users of the U.S. H-1B program and made up 73% of the nearly 442,000 H-1B workers in fiscal year 2022. Plans for a pilot program were first reported by Bloomberg Law in February. Each year, the U.S. government makes 65,000 H-1B visas available to companies seeking skilled foreign workers, along with an additional 20,000 visas for workers with advanced degrees. The pilot program would also include some workers with L-1 visas, which are available to people transferring within a company to a position in the U.S., one of the sources said. India has long had concerns with the difficulty its citizens face in receiving visas to live in the United States, including technology industry workers.

Persons: Biden, Narendra Modi, Joe Biden, Trevor Hunnicutt, Ted Hesson, Heather Timmons, Lincoln Organizations: State Department, Bloomberg Law, Infosys, Tata Consultancy Services, Labor Department, Washington, Thomson Locations: United States, U.S, India, Washington, China . U.S

☆ Biden, Modi take careful aim at China, Russia in joint statement
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Washington has been frustrated by India's close ties with Russia while Moscow wages war in Ukraine. Modi did not address China or Russia directly, and Biden only mentioned China in response to a reporter's question. But a joint statement issued by the two after their 2.5 hour private meeting seemed to take aim at both nations. INTERNATIONAL ORDERThe two sides emphasized the importance of "rules-based international order," saying "the contemporary global order has been built on principles of the UN Charter, international law, and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of states." Both countries pledged "continuing humanitarian assistance to the people of Ukraine" and "concurred on the importance of post-conflict reconstruction in Ukraine."

Persons: Narendra Modi, Joe Biden, Washington, India's, Modi, Biden, Jeff Mason, Heather Timmons, Jamie Freed Organizations: Indian, UN Charter, SOUTH CHINA SEA, United Nations Convention, South China, Thomson Locations: United States, India, Washington, Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, China, UKRAINE, Pacific, East, South

☆ Factbox: Flurry of US-India deals on AI, defense as Biden, Modi meet
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Jarrett Renshaw | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The following is a roundup of the major announcements:VISASThe Biden administration will make it easier for Indians to live and work in the United States. The United States intends to open new consulates in Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. India is opening a new consulate in Seattle this year and will soon announce two new consulates in the United States. The MQ-9Bs will be assembled in India, a joint statement said, and U.S. manufacturer General Atomics will also establish new facility in India. ADVANCED COMPUTINGIndia and the United States established a Joint Indo-U.S. Quantum Coordination Mechanism to facilitate joint research between the public and private sectors across both countries.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Joe Biden, Biden, Katherine Tai, Vikram Solar, Electric's, General Atomics, Atomics, Jarrett Renshaw, Heather Timmons, Grant McCool Organizations: Indian, U.S, The State Department, United, INDIA, Micron Technology, Micron, United States Trade, World Trade Organization, Minerals Security Partnership, European Union, India’s Epsilon Carbon, VSK Energy, JETS, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, Indian Air Force, GE Aerospace's, Tejas, GE, Reuters, SPACE, Artemis Accords, NASA, International Space Station, Thomson Locations: Washington, United States, U.S, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, India, Seattle, Gujarat, US, Colorado, China, SPACE India

[1/2] U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden meet India?s Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington, U.S., June 21, 2023. In a rare gesture, Modi has agreed to take questions from reporters with Biden at the White House on Thursday. Modi has not conducted a news conference since becoming prime minister nine years ago and his visit has drawn attention to concerns over human rights in India. Washington wants India to be a strategic counterweight to China and sees India as a critical partnership. Biden is under pressure from his fellow Democrats to discuss human rights with Modi.

Persons: Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Narendra Modi, Biden, Modi, Representatives Alexandria Ocasio, Ilhan Omar, Rashida, Cortez, Elon Musk, Musk, Steve Holland, Nandita Bose, Shri Navaratnam, Heather Timmons, Sharon Singleton Organizations: India's Press, REUTERS, Indian, Washington, Oval Office, White, Senior Biden, United, General Electric Co, GE, Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, U.S . Navy, U.S ., U.S, chipmaker Micron, Representatives, Rights, Wednesday, Tesla, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, REUTERS WASHINGTON, U.S, India, Washington, China, United States, Australia, Gujarat, The U.S, backsliding, Cortez, New York

WASHINGTON, June 21 (Reuters) - Rights advocates in Washington demanded that President Joe Biden publicly call out what they described as India's deteriorating human rights record, saying the U.S. approach of raising the issue in private with Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been a failure. In a press briefing on Wednesday, activists and academics also called for hearings in the U.S. Congress about human rights in India under the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led by Modi, who is on a four-day visit to the United States. Critics of the Modi government's human rights record have cited less press freedom, restrictions on minority religious rights and other forms of discrimination and backsliding on democratic rights. The White House may bring up human rights concerns but it said that Biden will not "lecture" Modi on the issue. Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; editing by Heather Timmons and Grant McCoolOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joe Biden, Narendra Modi, Modi, Nadine Maenza, Biden, Zaki Barzinji, Barack Obama, Angana Chatterji, Ilhan Omar, Rashida, Bernie Sanders, Critics, Kanishka Singh, Heather Timmons, Grant McCool Organizations: Rights, U.S, Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, ., Wilson Center, International, Critics, White, University of California, U.S . Congress, World Press, 161st, Thomson Locations: Washington, U.S, India, United States, Berkeley, Karnataka

☆ India's PM Modi to join Biden in rare press conference, questions limited
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Nandita Bose | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

He has not addressed a single press conference in India since becoming prime minister about nine years ago. In May 2019 he attended a press conference but never took questions. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said the White House understands the press conference is a "big deal." "We are just grateful that Prime Minister Modi is participating in a press event at the end of the visit," Kirby said. The format of the press conference will include one question from the U.S. press and one from an Indian journalist, Kirby said.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Modi, Mohammed, Read, Joe Biden, John Kirby, Kirby, Biden, Katharine Jackson, Steve Holland, Kanishka Singh, Doina Chiacu, Heather Timmons, Grant McCool Organizations: Indian, United Nations General Assembly, REUTERS, White House, U.S ., White, U.S, Bharatiya Janata Party, United, Thomson Locations: New York, United States, WASHINGTON, India, U.S, Indian, backsliding

Modi, a strict Hindu who follows a vegetarian diet, will be served a first course that includes a grilled corn kernel salad and tangy avocado sauce, the White House said. With the slightly Indian-accented dinner, the Bidens are following a White House tradition of serving guests from abroad food that has faint echos of home with a strong American bent. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's 2009 state dinner featured basmati rice, but also White House grown arugula and pumpkin pie tarts. The tables will be adorned with lotus blooms, revered in Indian design and a symbol of Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party. Reporting by Jeff Mason and Nandita Bose; Editing by Heather Timmons and Sonali PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Jill Biden, Narendra Modi's, Evelyn Hockstein WASHINGTON, Joe Biden, Narendra Modi, Modi, Manmohan Singh's, Tim Cook, Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, Raj Subramaniam, Joshua Bell, Jeff Mason, Nandita Bose, Heather Timmons, Sonali Paul Organizations: Indian, White, REUTERS, Modi, Apple, Google, Microsoft, FedEx, Entertainment, Penn Masala, University of Pennsylvania, Bharatiya Janata Party, Thomson Locations: United States, Washington , U.S, Gujarat, portobello, American, Asian, U.S

☆ Biden will not 'lecture' Modi on human rights, White House says
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Biden is expected to bring up U.S. concerns about democratic backsliding in India, but he will not lecture Modi on the subject, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters. Biden is under pressure by his fellow Democrats to bring up human rights with Modi. Modi will visit the National Science Foundation with first lady Jill Biden on Wednesday and have a private dinner with the president Wednesday night at the White House. On Thursday, Modi will be welcomed with a colorful arrival ceremony on the White House South Lawn. White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said work was still ongoing on this subject.

Persons: Joe Biden, Narendra Modi, Modi, Biden, Jake Sullivan, Sullivan, It's, Tesla's, Elon Musk, Jill Biden, John Kirby, Steve Holland, Heather Timmons, Leslie Adler Organizations: White, Micron Technology, White House, United, Bharatiya Janata Party, National Science Foundation, Biden, House, Thomson Locations: Washington, India, China, backsliding, U.S, United States, New York, Ukraine, Russia

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