4/30/2021

White House News (白宮消息) | Apr. 30, 2021

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APRIL 29, 2021
President Biden Delivers Remarks at Drive-In Rally in Duluth, Georgia
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden delivered remarks at a drive-in rally in Duluth, Georgia, on the 100th day of the president’s administration. The First Lady introduced her husband, saying she has “always believed that he would be the president that we need.” 

Seoul said Moon and Biden's decision to hold an in-person summit despite the pandemic demonstrates the importance of the two nations' alliance
South Korean President Moon to visit White House on May 21


Meeting will mark the only second in-person summit with a foreign leader from Asia highlighting US president’s focus on the region.

Apr. 30 - South Korean President Moon Jae-in will visit the White House on May 21 for talks with US President Joe Biden, highlighting the “ironclad alliance” between the two countries, the White House said on Thursday.
“President Biden looks forward to working with President Moon to further strengthen our alliance and expand our close cooperation,” the White House said in a statement.

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U.S. Marines board a U.S. Marine Corps MV-22B Osprey in Helmand province, Afghanistan.
US Begins Afghanistan Withdrawal, Deploys Military Assets to Protect Troops

  • Date published on  Apr. 30 , 2021
White House says the U.S. military has begun its withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Pentagon deploys temporary security assets to protect forces in the region.

​Earlier this month, Biden announced a full withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan by Sept. 11, ending America's longest war.


The White House confirmed Thursday that the U.S. military has begun its withdrawal from Afghanistan and proactively deployed additional troops and military equipment to protect forces in the region.

​"Potential adversaries should know that if they attack us in our withdrawal, we will defend ourselves, [and] our partners, with all the tools at our disposal," White House deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters traveling on Air Force One.     more
Tim Scott says 'America is not racist country'
GOP Senator Scott says the racial hypocrisy of the left has been 'exposed' after he was attacked for his Biden rebuttal and says they are 'fighting bigotry with bigotry'

Date published on Apr. 30, 2021
  • Tim Scott, Republican senator for South Carolina, was appeared on Hannity on Fox News on Thursday
  • Scott discussed backlash to his rebuttal of Joe Biden's Congressional speech
  • The black senator was called 'Uncle Tim' - a reference to the 'Uncle Tom' slur
  • The insult is used to describe a black person who is too deferential to whites
  • Scott on Thursday night said the insults exposed the left's 'hypocrisy'
  • He told Sean Hannity the left was about to face a significant backlash
  • Earlier Scott told another Fox show he was being attacked for his skin color 

​...'They have expose their hypocrisy and their true motivation,' he said.

'It has nothing to do with ending prejudice. It has everything to do with claiming or getting more power.

'I have never seen such power grab and using people in such a despicable way.' 

Speaking directly after Biden's maiden address to Congress, Scott gave his party and its former leader, ex-President Donald Trump, credit for the COVID response - saying Biden had 'inherited a tide that had already turned' - while blasting Democrats for prolonged closures of schools and churches. 

Scott also defended the GOP-backed Georgia voting bill, blasting Democrats for lying about the controversial legislation and labeling it 'mainstream.'  

The South Carolina Republican started out his remarks, delivered elsewhere in the U.S. Capitol, by saying Biden 'seems like a good man,' and adding that his 'speech was full of good words.'   


'But President Biden promised you a specific kind of leadership. He promised to unite a nation. 

'To lower the temperature. To govern for all Americans, no matter how we voted. That was the pitch. You just heard it again,'

Scott said. 'But our nation is starving for more than empty platitudes.' 

Scott blasted Biden and the Democrats for 'pulling us further apart.'      quoted from
Host/executive producer Sunny Hostin speaks in Investigation Discovery’s “Truth About Murder with Sunny Hostin” panel at the Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour on Thursday, July 25, 2019, 
'View' co-host Sunny Hostin: Tim Scott 'knows' he's being 'used' by Republicans


Apr. 30 - “The View” co-host Sunny Hostin said she was “very disappointed” in Sen. Tim Scott‘s rebuttal to President Biden’s address to Congress Wednesday night, alleging that the Black Republican is allowing himself to be “used” by his party because of his race.

“I was disappointed that he said America is not a racist country without also talking about the systemic racism that is plaguing this country,” Ms. Hostin said on the show Thursday morning. “I mean, why was he chosen to give this rebuttal? He was chosen because he is the only Black Republican senator. He is that person. He is the person that Republicans want to put out front because of the problem of racism in this country, and he knows that. 


“And so I was sort of disappointed that he was used in that way and didn’t take that opportunity to address this type of issue head on,” she added. “That was a disappointment to me”...     more

TOP STORIES
'View' co-host Sunny Hostin: Tim Scott 'knows' he's being 'used' by Republicans
Biden's first speech before Congress drew 22.6 million viewers; Trump enjoyed 43 million in 2017
Texas coronavirus cases fall after mask mandate is lifted


Trevor Noah Is Over Republicans’ Tired Complaints About Biden’s Speech
“When did we decide that you can only judge a policy proposal based on how entertaining the performance of it is?”

Apr. 30 - Trevor Noah thinks President Joe Biden’s address to Congress on Wednesday was dull, and he’s cool with it.
In a joint session of Congress, Biden laid out a sweeping vision for the future of the country and highlighted his accomplishments 100 days into his presidency.


A number of conservatives took issue with Biden’s delivery. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) called it “boring, but radical.” Fox News’ Sean Hannity compared Biden to a “corpse.” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said it “could have been an email.”

“Ted Cruz was so bored at that speech, he fell asleep,” Noah said. “And I know what you’re thinking right now, you think I’m going to say something like ‘Oh that’s weird, I thought lizards slept with their eyes open,’ but I’m not going to say that. Because honestly, that was the most relatable thing that Ted Cruz has ever done. Because that speech was boring.”

“And when you consider that almost none of Biden’s goals are going to get past Congress, I mean, we basically just listened to an old man talk for an hour about his dreams,” he added. 
I
f it were up to Noah, he’d scrap the delivery altogether.

“Just print it out, let the people read it,” he said. “I mean, when did we decide that you can only judge a policy proposal based on how entertaining the performance of it is?”

Watch his roast below.     source from

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New project: Lena Headey, 47, has lined up a main role in HBO's Watergate limited series The White House Plumbers, according to Variety; seen in 2019 in LA
Lena Headey joins Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux in HBO's Watergate limited series The White House Plumbers

Apr. 30 - Lena Headey is adding to her packed list of upcoming projects with a new high-profile limited series about the Watergate scandal.

The 47-year-old Game Of Thrones star will join Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux in HBO's five-episode series The White House Plumbers, about the 1972 break-in at the Democratic National Committees headquarters, Variety reported on Thursday.

She'll be appearing in the show as Dorothy Hunt, the wife of Nixon administration 'plumber' E. Howard Hunt.

The White House Plumbers will focus on Hunt and fellow Watergate break-in mastermind G. Gordon Liddy.

​Harrelson will play, Hunt, a former CIA officer and the husband to Headey's character.      source from
NBC Nightly News Broadcast (Full) - April 29th, 2021 | NBC Nightly News
Apr 30, 2021
New York City to fully reopen on July 1, mayor says, eight fraternity members indicted in student’s alleged hazing death, and President Biden pitches largest expansion of government programs in decades.

4/29/2021

White House News (白宮消息) | Apr. 29, 2021

 White House News in Chinese - About (weebly.com)

Biden asks Congress for police reform bill by George Floyd death anniversary

Apr. 29, WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday urged Congress to pass a police reform bill in the name of George Floyd - a Black man killed under the knee of a white police officer - by the anniversary of his death on May 25.

​Biden, a Democrat, told a joint session of Congress the reform was broadly supported by the American people, and that he knew Republicans were "engaged in productive discussions" with Democrats.


"We need to work together to find a consensus," Biden said. "Let’s get it done next month, by the first anniversary of George Floyd’s death."

The Democratic president drew a bipartisan standing ovation when he praised the police, saying "most men and women in uniform wear their badge and serve their communities honorably."

But he said Congress needs to restore trust in law enforcement, end racism in the criminal justice system, and give meaning to the words of Floyd's daughter, who Biden said told him "Daddy changed the world."

"After the conviction of George Floyd’s murderer, we can see how right she was – if we have the courage to act," he said. "Now is our opportunity to make real progress."     more

APRIL 28, 2021
President Biden Addresses Joint Session of Congress
President Biden delivered his first address to a joint session of Congress. He discussed his actions over the first 100 days of his presidency, highlighting the number of people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19 and the economic aid package. He also outlined his agenda for the rest of the year, including his plans for child care assistance, jobs, combating climate change, and other issues.
Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by President Biden — Address to a Joint Session of Congress
APRIL 28, 2021


Madame Speaker.  
Madame Vice President. 
No president has ever said those words from this podium, and it’s about time. 
The First Lady. 
The Second Gentleman. 
Mr. Chief Justice. 
Members of the United States Congress and the Cabinet – and distinguished guests. 
My fellow Americans. 
While the setting tonight is familiar, this gathering is very different – a reminder of the extraordinary times we are in.  
Throughout our history, Presidents have come to this chamber to speak to the Congress, to the nation, and to the world. 

To declare war. To celebrate peace. To announce new plans and possibilities. 
Tonight, I come to talk about crisis — and opportunity.  
About rebuilding our nation — and revitalizing our democracy. 
And winning the future for America. 
As I stand here tonight — just one day shy of the 100th day of my administration. 
100 days since I took the oath of office, lifted my hand off our family Bible, and inherited a nation in crisis. 
The worst pandemic in a century. 
The worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. 
The worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War. 
Now, after just 100 days, I can report to the nation: America is on the move again.  
Turning peril into possibility. Crisis into opportunity. Setback into strength. 
Life can knock us down. 
But in America, we never stay down. 
In America, we always get up. 
And today, that’s what we’re doing: America is rising anew. 
Choosing hope over fear. Truth over lies. Light over darkness. 
After 100 Days of rescue and renewal, America is ready for takeoff. 
We are working again. Dreaming again. Discovering again. Leading the world again. 
We have shown each other and the world: There is no quit in America. 
100 days ago, America’s house was on fire.  
We had to act...     more
Biden praised for delivering 'the most honest closing line of any presidential speech'

Apr. 29 - President Biden received praise Wednesday night for the closing line to his first address to a joint session of Congress in which he said, "Thank you for your patience."


​Robert A. George, a writer for Bloomberg Opinion, tweeted Biden's ending line, calling it "possibly most honest closing line any president has delivered in one of these addresses to Congress!"

"Thank you for your patience!" Possibly most honest closing line any president has delivered in one of these addresses to Congress!
— Robert A George (@RobGeorge) April 29, 2021


Biden wrapped up his speech, which lasted a little more than an hour, by saying: "We're the United States of America. There is not a single thing — nothing, nothing beyond our capacity. We can do whatever we set our minds to if we do it together. So let's begin to get together. God bless you all and may God protect our troops. Thank you for your patience."

Todd Zwillich, deputy D.C. bureau chief for VICE News, shared George's assessment, calling Biden's last sentence "probably the most honest line I’ve ever heard at a presidential address."

“Thank you for your patience” was probably the most honest line I’ve ever heard at a presidential address.
— Todd Zwillich (@toddzwillich) April 29, 2021

more


“We have lots of other things to do,” Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) told reporters Wednesday. 
Democrats struggle to get infrastructure plan off the ground

Apr. 29, WASHINGTON -- President Biden and congressional Democrats accomplished their primary checklist during their first 100 days in control of Washington. They enacted a historic pandemic rescue package, shot 200 million COVID-19 vaccines into Americans’ arms and confirmed a Cabinet.

But now the reality of how difficult the next steps of Biden’s presidency will be is crashing down on Democrats.

The infrastructure bill is struggling to get off the ground. Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-W.Va.) is not budging on his refusal to support progressive Democrats’ plan to scrap the filibuster and its 60-vote threshold.

With a 50-50 split Senate, Democrats are just one seat away from returning to minority status; in the House their majority is down to just a few seats.

“We have lots of other things to do,” Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) told reporters at the Capitol on Wednesday ahead of Biden’s speech to Congress. “I would remind you that people were skeptical when we took office — our majority — that we could get three things done at once: the Cabinet, impeachment, the [American Rescue Plan]. … We’re going to do many more things together.”

But Democratic control of the trifecta — the White House, House and Senate — doesn’t mean that any of this will be easy.     more

4/28/2021

White House News (白宮消息) | Apr. 28, 2021

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Infections and death rates are soaring in India
India Covid death toll passes 200,000, Biden hails 'stunning' US progress

Apr. 28 - India's coronavirus death toll crossed 200,000 Wednesday as a relentless wave of new cases swamped hospitals, while US President Joe Biden hailed America's "stunning" progress in its fight against the pandemic...

...In the United States, Biden hailed America's "stunning" progress against the virus, as the country's premier health agency said Americans who had been vaccinated would no longer need to wear masks outdoors.


While we still have a long way to go in this fight, a lot of work to do in May and June to get us to July 4, we've made stunning progress," Biden said, referencing Independence Day as a milestone date in the fight against the virus...     quoted from

APRIL 27, 2021
White House Daily Briefing
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki held a briefing with reporters. The press secretary took questions on the new CDC mask guidance, previewed President Biden’s joint session of Congress speech, and providing other countries with COVID-19 vaccines. 
Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki,
April 27, 2021

MS. PSAKI:  All right.  Happy Tuesday. 
 
Okay, a couple of items for you at the top.  Today, President Biden is issuing an executive order requiring federal contractors to pay a $15 minimum wage to hundreds of thousands of their employees.  These workers are critical to the functioning of federal government, from cleaning professionals and maintenance workers, to nursing assistants who care for the nation’s veterans, to cafeteria and other food service workers who ensure we all have healthy and nutritious food to eat, to laborers who build and repair federal infrastructure.
 
The executive order will increase the hourly minimum wage for federal contractors to $15 in new and renewed contracts and contract options starting in January 2022.  This increase must be implemented by March 30th, 2022; continue to index the minimum wage to an inflation measure, so it keeps up the cost of living — with the cost of living; eliminate the tipped minimum wage for federal contractors by 2024; ensure a $15 minimum wage for federal contractors with disabilities; and restore minimum wage protections to outfitters and guides operating on federal lands. 
 
Also, as you may remember — and I think this announcement just went out — but President Biden signed a Made in America executive order directing federal agencies to ensure taxpayer dollars supporting American manufacturing.  We’ve been, of course, hard at work delivering on that commitment.  And, today, the President announced the appointment of Celeste Drake as the nation’s first Made in America Director — which, I think, is a great title.
 
As Made in America Director with the — within the Office of Management and Budget, she will make sure agencies follow the President’s ambitious “Buy American” commitment and will help continue the work to carry out his bold “Made in America” agenda...
  ​     continue to read
APRIL 27, 2021
President Biden Remarks on COVID-19 Pandemic Response
President Biden said the U.S. had made “stunning progress” in its battle against the coronavirus pandemic but acknowledged there was still a “long way to go in this fight” before July 4, which the president said was his “target date to get life in America closer to normal.” The president said he would lay out the next steps of his pandemic response plan the following week, but spoke about the CDC’s guidance issued earlier in the day regarding mask wearing for those who have been fully vaccinated. He urged Americans 16 years or older to get the vaccine and stressed that it was not the time to let up on mitigation measures. President Biden also said he had spoken to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the country’s outbreak and said the U.S. would send therapeutics and mechanical parts for machines to build vaccines. He also said he hoped in the future to directly send vaccines to the country. 
Mr Biden encouraged all Americans to get vaccinated
​The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced that fully vaccinated Americans do not need to wear a mask when they are outdoors.


Apr. 28 - ​Those who have received all required jabs can ditch their face coverings if alone or in small groups of vaccinated people, the new guidelines say.

​But the CDC left in place its guidance to don a mask indoors and in crowded settings or venues.
Over 95 million Americans have been fully vaccinated thus far.

Following the CDC announcement on Tuesday, President Joe Biden celebrated the new guidance as "extraordinary progress".

"Our scientists are convinced by the data that the odds of getting or giving the virus to others is very, very low," Mr Biden said. "The bottom line is clear: if you're vaccinated you can do more."

The president also urged Americans who have not yet received their shot to do so, calling it a "patriotic" act.

"Vaccines are about saving your life but also the lives of the people around you - but they're also about helping us get back closer to more normal living."

Health officials presented the new safety guidelines at Tuesday's White House coronavirus task force briefing.

"Small- and medium-sized gatherings for people who are outside and vaccinated can safely be done without a mask," said CDC director Dr Rochelle Walensky. This includes exercising or dining outdoors.

She said that determining whether to wear a mask in larger outdoor gatherings would depend on other concerns like how well-ventilated a venue is and how much space is left between people.

The guidelines are for the fully vaccinated - which means two weeks after a person's final vaccine jab.
IMAGE COPYRIGHTBRENDAN SMIALOWSKI
image captionMr Biden encouraged all Americans to get vaccinatedEvidence suggests that, although Covid-19 infections can happen outdoors, the risks of transmission are very low. Early studies also indicate that fully vaccinated people are much less likely to spread the virus.

Dr Walensky said mask guidance for the fully vaccinated was intended largely "to protect the unvaccinated".

"We really do want people who are unvaccinated to limit interactions with people, to go back to the basic principles of increased ventilation, spacing," she said.

Health officials have noted that the case count in the US is stabilising as the rate of vaccinations continues to grow, and on Tuesday, they called for more people to sign up for vaccinations.

Nearly 141 million Americans - about 42% of the total population - have received at least one vaccine dose as of 26 April, according to the CDC.     source from

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4/27/2021

White House News (白宮消息) | Apr. 27, 2021

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APRIL 26, 2021
White House Daily Briefing
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki and Brian Deese, director of the National Economic Council, held a briefing on the Biden administration’s policy agenda. Director Reese told reporters the president’s plan would include a capital gains tax increase for 0.3% of households that make over $1 million dollars. Following his remarks, Press Secretary Psaki answered questions from reporters on the president’s upcoming joint address to Congress, COVID-19 pandemic aid to India, and understanding why some Americans have not taken their scheduled second dose of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. 
US to share AstraZeneca shots with world after safety check

Apr. 27 - The U.S. will begin sharing its entire stock of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines with the world once it clears federal safety reviews, the White House said on April 26, with as many as 60 million doses expected to be available for export in the coming months.


The move greatly expands on the Biden administration’s action last month to share about 4 million doses of the vaccine with Mexico and Canada. The AstraZeneca vaccine is widely in use around the world but has not yet been authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The White House is increasingly feeling assured about the supply of the three vaccines being administered in the U.S., particularly following the restart of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson shot over the weekend. The U.S. has also been under mounting pressure in recent weeks to share more of its vaccine supply with the world, as countries like India experience devastating surges of the virus and others struggle to access doses needed to protect their most vulnerable populations.

​“Given the strong portfolio of vaccines that the U.S. already has and that have been authorized by the FDA, and given that the AstraZeneca vaccine is not authorized for use in the U.S., we do not need to use the AstraZeneca vaccine here during the next several months," said White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients. "Therefore the U.S. is looking at options to share the AstraZeneca doses with other countries as they become available.”     more

APRIL 26, 2021
Attorney General Merrick Garland on Louisville Police Department Investigation
Attorney General Merrick Garland announced a Justice Department investigation into Louisville’s policing practices. The investigation comes as police in this Kentucky city are under fire after officers in March 2020, fatally shot Breonna Taylor, who was unarmed, in her home while executing what’s called a no-knock search warrant.

On April 26, Attorney General Merrick Garland said that the Justice Department will open a civil investigation into the Louisville Metro Police Department. 
Justice Dept. to investigate Louisville police practices after Breonna Taylor’s fatal shooting


Apr. 27 - Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Monday that the Justice Department will open a civil investigation of the Louisville Metro Police Department, 13 months after the shooting death of Breonna Taylor, a Black woman whose killing was among the flash points that sparked mass social-justice protests across the nation last summer.

Garland said the federal “pattern or practice” probe will seek to determine whether the Louisville police have engaged in systemic abuses and unlawful tactics with little accountability — marking the second time in five days he has sought to use federal power to examine a local law enforcement agency’s use of deadly force. Last week, he said the federal agency would investigate the Minneapolis Police Department after former officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty in the killing of George Floyd, a Black man, last May.

The twin announcements reflected the urgency with which the Biden administration is aiming to confront abusive policing amid an outcry from civil rights groups. Although the Chauvin verdict offered a measure of accountability, advocates have pointed to the fatal police shootings this month of Black men in Brooklyn Center, Minn., and Elizabeth City, N.C., as evidence that broad-reaching reforms are necessary in departments across the country.

President Biden is expected to address the issue in his first speech to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, White House aides said.     more

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