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PHILADELPHIA/WASHINGTON, Feb 3 (Reuters) - Establishment Democrats gathered this weekend in Philadelphia have one message for U.S. President Joe Biden as he weighs running for a second term: Run, Joe, run. Biden has said he intends to run for re-election but has not confirmed plans to do so. At the DNC meeting, members are expected this weekend to overwhelmingly approve a reshaped 2024 primary calendar selected by Biden. "Joe Biden has repeatedly said he plans to seek renomination," RootsAction political director Sam Rosenthal said. Representative Debbie Dingell of Michigan, a competitive state Biden won in 2020, said that while there were "no divisive issues" in the party, Democrats needed to do a better job of talking to voters.

☆ Biden revamp of Democratic primary faces final vote at DNC convention
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Jarrett Renshaw | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The move, another clear sign Biden intends to run for re-election in 2024, would force any potential Democratic primary challenger to square off with Biden in a series of matchups largely of his choosing. Just a simple majority of the members need to approve it, but two states, Georgia and New Hampshire, are not playing along and have been given to June to comply. GRANITE STATEBiden's push to move New Hampshire down the primary calendar has struck a nerve with both Republicans and Democrats in the Granite State. New Hampshire Democratic Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan sat out the White House congressional ball in December amid anger over the potential changes. In Georgia, Democrats want to move up the calendar but need Republicans who control state government to agree.

"While others tried to shut this down, I made clear this is a national priority," Biden told a group of lawmakers and supporters gathered at a rail yard at the Hudson River tunnel, the nation's busiest rail corridor. On Tuesday, Biden announced that the administration has awarded nearly $1.2 billion from the law's new national infrastructure project assistance discretionary grant program for nine projects across the country, White House officials said. [1/4] U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks touting how Infrastructure Law funding will be used for the Hudson River Tunnel project, during an event at the West Side Rail Yard in New York City, U.S., January 31, 2023. "Americans see these projects popping up across the country and it sends an important message that we're gonna work together," Biden said. The Hudson River tunnel project, known as the Gateway Program, would repair an existing tunnel and build a new one for Amtrak and state commuter lines between New Jersey and Manhattan.

WASHINGTON, Jan 31 (Reuters) - The White House on Tuesday expressed outrage on Tuesday at Exxon Mobil Corp's record net profit in 2022 of $56 billion, a historical high not just for the company but for the entire Western oil industry. Oil majors are expected to break their own annual records due to high prices and soaring demand, pushing their combined take to near $200 billion. The scale has brought renewed criticism of the oil industry and sparked calls for more countries to levy windfall profit taxes on the companies. A White House statement said Exxon's (XOM.N) profit margin was particularly galling as Americans paid record high prices at the pump. Exxon's CFO Kathryn Mikells responded to growing criticism over the industry's windfall profits and suggested the answer is not increased taxes.

☆ Biden continues infrastructure tour with stop in New York City on Tuesday
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( Jarrett Renshaw | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Jan 31 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden on Tuesday will visit New York City to tout new infrastructure funding for a critical underwater tunnel that connects Manhattan and New Jersey, an effort that has been mired for more than a decade in partisan bickering and ballooning budgets. The federal government, New York, and New Jersey will split the estimated price tag of $16.1 billion. Federal funding will pay for nearly half, while the two states will pick up the rest. Biden plans to tout a $292 million grant from the Transportation Department for the Hudson River Tunnel project. Reporting by Jarrett Renshaw; Additional Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Christopher CushingOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Biden 'outraged' and 'pained' after watching Memphis police video
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Jan 27 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden said he was "outraged" and "deeply pained" after watching a violent encounter between Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, and the five police officers charged with murder in his beating death after a traffic stop earlier this month. "Like so many, I was outraged and deeply pained to see the horrific video of the beating that resulted in Tyre Nichols' death," Biden said in a statement. He added the Nichols' families deserves a swift, full and transparent investigation. Reporting by Jarrett Renshaw in New York; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Jan 26 (Reuters) - U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan is considering stepping down, according to four sources familiar with the matter. "No plans imminently, but I do know it's been on the radar screen for the past few weeks," the source said. The EPA said Regan had no plans to depart. He's committed to continuing to advance President Biden's historic climate and environmental agenda," said Maria Michalos, an EPA spokesperson and one of Regan's top aides. Regan, the first Black man to run EPA began designing the green bank in October.

WASHINGTON, Jan 27 (Reuters) - The White House on Friday launched a fresh attack against U.S. oil companies, accusing them of using profits to pay shareholders instead of boosting supply, after Chevron Corp (CVX.N) said its annual profit doubled for 2022. Other oil companies are expected to follow suit. "Companies clearly have everything they need – record profits and thousands of approved permits – to increase production," White House spokesperson Abdullah Hasan said in a statement. "The only thing getting in the way is their own decision to keep plowing windfall profits into the pockets of executives and shareholders instead of using them to boost supply." Hasan's comments mark the latest set of attacks from the White House lambasting oil companies for funneling a windfall of profits to investors.

☆ Exclusive: Biden to court wealthy donors as he preps 2024 campaign in coming weeks - sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Jarrett Renshaw | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Biden and the Democratic National Committee will host fundraisers in New York and Philadelphia next week that coincide with official presidential visits touting legislative successes. Then, the pace and volume of the fundraisers are expected to accelerate in March, the three sources said. Biden's campaign in 2020 was the first presidential candidate in history to raise over $1 billion, as he battled Republican Donald Trump. In 2020, the COVID pandemic forced Biden to stay off the campaign trail and raise money through virtual fundraisers. This time around, Biden will be forced to run a more traditional campaign that includes a mix of official presidential duties, campaign stops and fundraising events.

WASHINGTON, Jan 23 (Reuters) - The White House said on Monday that a search by the Justice Department of President Joe Biden's home on Friday had been carried out after a "voluntary, proactive offer" by his personal lawyers to the department. It was the latest in a string of discoveries of classified documents at Biden's Wilmington home and at a temporary office at the University of Pennsylvania. "This was a voluntary, proactive offer by the president's personal lawyers to DOJ to have access to the home," said White House spokesperson Ian Sams. Sams declined to provide more clarity on the exact content of the materials taken from the Wilmington house. Biden had been kept informed throughout this process, the White House said.

☆ White House: DOJ searched Biden's home after 'voluntary, proactive offer' by president's lawyers
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 23 (Reuters) - The White House said on Monday that the search by the Justice Department of President Joe Biden's home was carried out after a "voluntary, proactive offer" by the president's personal lawyers to the Department of Justice. Biden's lawyers have kept him informed throughout this process as they have been in discussions with the Justice Department, White House spokesman Ian Sams said. Sams declined to provide more clarity on the exact content of the materials taken from Biden's Wilmington, Delaware, home. Reporting by Steve Holland, Nandita Bose and Jarrett Renshaw in Washington; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Biden repeatedly tapped the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) last year to manage rising gasoline prices and disruptions to supply caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. McMorris Rodgers now chairs the House Energy & Commerce Committee, after Republicans took over the chamber this month from Democrats. "This bill would significantly weaken this critical energy security tool, resulting in more oil supply shortages in times of crisis and higher gasoline prices for Americans," Granholm said in the letter to the House energy panel, first seen by Reuters. Rodgers said in an email the committee was still reviewing the letter, but that the bill would have "absolutely no effect" on the department's emergency authorities regarding the oil reserve. The White House has criticized the legislation, calling it "backwards" and an attempt by House Republicans to help oil companies make more profits.

Biden repeatedly tapped the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) last year to manage rising gasoline prices and supply disruptions caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The sales shrunk the SPR to about 380 million barrels, the lowest level since 1984, raising concerns about energy security. McMorris Rodgers now chairs the House Energy & Commerce Committee after Republicans took over the chamber earlier this month from Democrats. "This bill would significantly weaken this critical energy security tool, resulting in more oil supply shortages in times of crisis and higher gasoline prices for Americans," Granholm said in the letter to the House energy panel, which was first seen by Reuters. The White House has criticized the legislation, calling it "backwards" and an attempt by House Republicans to help oil companies make more profits.

☆ White House calls Lavrov's Holocaust comparison 'truly offensive'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 18 (Reuters) - The White House on Wednesday called Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's statement comparing the United States' assembly of a coalition to take on Russia to Adolf Hitler's actions to eradicate Jews in Europe "truly offensive." "It's almost so absurd that it's not worth responding to, other than the truly offensive manner in which he tried to cast us in terms of Hitler and the Holocaust," White House spokesman John Kirby told reporters. Reporting by Jarrett Renshaw and Doina Chiacu; Writing by Katharine Jackson; Editing by Chris ReeseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The White House said some material was found in a locked garage at Biden's home and an adjacent room, and pledged to cooperate. "People know I take classified documents and classified material seriously," he added. Biden's attorneys said they have found fewer than a dozen classified documents and turned over the relevant papers after finding them. Trump resisted doing so until an August FBI search turned up about 100 classified documents, raising questions about whether Trump or his staff obstructed the investigation. "People know I take classified documents, classified material seriously," Biden told reporters on Thursday.

"We are confident that a thorough review will show that these documents were inadvertently misplaced," White House lawyer Richard Sauber said in a statement. The White House on Monday disclosed that classified documents from Biden's vice presidential days were discovered in November at a think tank in Washington. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst 1 2 3 4 5"The fact that they called for special counsel for Trump's handling of classified documents, I don't see how they cannot appoint a special counsel with respect to Biden," said Representative James Comer, who will head the House Oversight Committee. Garland named a special counsel, Jack Smith, in November to oversee Justice Department investigations related to Trump, including the Republican former president's handling of classified documents and efforts to overturn the 2020 election. "As I said earlier this week, people know I take classified documents, classified material seriously.

The White House on Monday disclosed that classified documents from his vice presidential days were discovered in November at a think tank in Washington. Garland said Robert Hur, a former U.S. attorney in Maryland, would serve as special counsel. Garland in November named a special counsel, Jack Smith, to oversee Justice Department investigations related to Donald Trump including the Republican former president's handling of classified documents and efforts to overturn the 2020 election. "As I said earlier this week, people know I take classified documents, classified material seriously. Biden in September called his predecessor's handling of classified documents "totally irresponsible."

☆ What we know about the Biden documents: A timeline
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Jarrett Renshaw | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

They inform the U.S. National Archives of their discovery, turn over the materials, and begin cooperating with the Archives and the Justice Department. NOV. 9, 2022The FBI begins an investigation to determine whether classified information was mishandled and whether any federal laws were broken. JAN. 5, 2023Lausch briefs Garland on the investigation and recommends the appointment of a special counsel. JAN. 9, 2023The White House discloses publicly that it discovered classified documents at Biden's temporary office at the University of Pennsylvania and says it is cooperating with investigators. Garland appoints Robert Hur, the former Trump-era U.S. attorney for the district of Maryland, as special counsel.

☆ Analysis: Security, migration trump energy dispute at Biden Mexico summit
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Dave Graham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The U.S. government appears reluctant to antagonize Mexico on energy lest it interfere with cooperation on the border and security, two far bigger U.S. domestic issues, analysts said. Under pressure from Republican opponents to curb record illegal crossings, the administration of Biden, a Democrat, has focused much of its dealings with Mexico on border security. Trump threatened Mexico with trade tariffs if it did not stem migrant flows, but he did little to upbraid Lopez Obrador over energy policies that U.S. firms say are unfair. And the Biden administration did contact U.S. energy companies ahead of the Mexico City summit to ask them how Mexico's policies have impacted their business operations there, according to a document seen by Reuters. Two Mexican officials said there was little advance on the energy dispute between Mexico and Washington this week.

☆ Biden: We are cooperating with review on classified documents
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Jarrett Renshaw | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MEXICO CITY, Jan 10 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden said on Tuesday he was surprised to learn that classified documents were found in a think-tank office he once used and said he and his team are cooperating fully with a review into what happened. Biden told reporters at a joint news conference with the leaders of Mexico and Canada that he takes classified documents seriously. "We are cooperating fully with the review, which I hope will be finished soon," Biden said. On that visit, Trump's advisers returned a few dozen additional classified records, and attested that no other classified material remained in the residence. And as soon as they did, they realized there were several classified documents in that box.

☆ Biden 'surprised' about finding of classified documents, vows cooperation
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Jarrett Renshaw | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Biden told reporters at a joint news conference with the leaders of Mexico and Canada that he takes classified documents seriously. A Democrat, Biden has faced criticism from Republicans after his Justice Department launched an investigation last year into Republican former President Donald Trump's handling of classified documents discovered at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida. Investigators tried to get Trump to return any remaining classified records through a grand jury subpoena and a visit to his Mar-a-Lago estate. On that visit, Trump's advisers returned a few dozen additional classified records, and attested that no other classified material remained in the residence. And as soon as they did, they realized there were several classified documents in that box.

☆ North America leaders pledge cooperation on semiconductors, drugs
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MEXICO CITY, Jan 10 (Reuters) - The United States, Mexico and Canada will take steps to promote the North American semiconductor industry, enhance cooperation to root out lethal drugs, and improve legal pathways for migrants, the White House said on Tuesday. In a statement issued to coincide with a North American leaders summit in Mexico City, the White House said the three countries would in early 2023 organize a semiconductor forum to increase investment in the strategic hi-tech industry. This would mean coordinating semiconductor supply chain mapping to identify needs and investment opportunities in making chips that are used in everything from phones to defense, the statement said. The industry has long been dominated by Asia, and disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic caused havoc among North American supply chains. The White House said the three were committed to reducing methane emissions from solid waste and wastewater by at least 15% by 2030 from 2020 levels.

Led by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard, Mexican officials set out the U.S.-Mexico bilateral agenda after Biden's arrival in Mexico City on Sunday evening for a North American leaders' summit. "Integration needs to be strengthened," Lopez Obrador told a news conference, saying he expected to reach "good agreements" with Biden. Lopez Obrador is hosting Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau between Monday and Wednesday for the first summit between the three since late 2021. DOMESTIC POLITICSLopez Obrador has also alarmed the United States with a plan to prohibit imports of genetically-modified corn. "To create a North American corridor to outcompete China, the United States, Canada and Mexico need to be on the same economic page," he added.

[1/18] U.S. President Joe Biden speaks with border patrol officers as he walks along the border fence during his visit to the U.S.-Mexico border to assess border enforcement operations, in El Paso, Texas, U.S., January 8, 2023. Biden on Thursday said his administration would tighten immigration enforcement by blocking Cuban, Haitian and Nicaraguan migrants at the border, expanding the nationalities of those who can be expelled back to Mexico. But that has not impressed Republicans like Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who accused him of failing to enforce immigration laws. Biden told reporters he had not yet read the letter. On the ground in El Paso, migrants greeted the new policy with trepidation.

☆ Biden condemns 'assault on democracy' in Brazil
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 8 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Sunday condemned "the assault on democracy" in Brazil after supporters of far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro invaded the country's Congress, presidential palace and Supreme Court. "I condemn the assault on democracy and on the peaceful transfer of power in Brazil. Brazil’s democratic institutions have our full support and the will of the Brazilian people must not be undermined," Biden said on Twitter. Earlier on Sunday, Biden said the situation in Brazil was "outrageous." "I condemn this outrageous assault on #Brazil’s govt buildings incited by demagogue Bolsonaro’s reckless disregard for democratic principles," U.S.

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