6/26/2021

Ghani | Jun. 26 2021

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

June 25, 2021
White House Daily Briefing
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki fielded questions from reporters on a range of issues including the President’s bipartisan infrastructure deal, his meeting with the Afghan president and U.S. troop withdrawal from the region, voting rights and the Justice Department’s announcing they are suing the state of Georgia over their new voting laws.

Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, June 25, 2021

June 25, 2021 • Press Briefings

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room
 
MS. PSAKI:  Hi everyone.
 
Q    Hello, Jen.  Good to see you. 
 
MS. PSAKI:  Good to see you.  Happy Pride.  Celebrating here today.
 
Okay.  I’m just going to give you a quick overview of the week ahead: On Monday, the President will welcome Israeli President Rivlin to the White House.  President Rivlin’s visit will highlight the enduring partnership between the United States and Israel and the deep ties between our governments and our people.  As President Rivlin approaches the end of his term, the visit will honor the dedication he has shown to strengthening the friendship between the two countries over the course of many years.
 
On Tuesday, the President will travel to Southwest Wisconsin with Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack to talk about growing agriculture — growing agriculture and rural economies.
 
On Wednesday, he will convene Cabinet officials, governors from western states, and private sector partners to discuss the devastating intersection of drought, heat, and wildfires in the Western United States, and strengthening prevention, preparedness, and response efforts for this wildfire season, which is already outpacing last season alone — outpacing last season alone — sorry — the 2020 wildfire season alone burned over 10 million acres across the United States, resulting in the loss of dozens of lives and tens of billions of dollars in economic damage.  This meeting will focus on how the federal government can most effectively protect public safety and deliver assistance to our people in times of urgent need.
 
And, on Friday, the President will also deliver remarks on the June jobs report.
 
Next week, even while all of this is going on — a busy week — the President will also continue to work and engage closely with members of Congress about moving his agenda forward, whether it’s the bipartisan infrastructure agreement just announced yesterday or the budget reconciliation process that’s also moving forward. 
 
And he will continue to — on his work to protect the sacred right to vote...     more


June 25, 2021
President Biden Meets With Afghanistan President
President Biden met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in the Oval Office to discuss U.S.-Afghan relations as American troops withdraw from the country. President Biden stressed that the partnership between the two countries would not be ending. President Ghani spoke about his efforts to maintain peace in Afghanistan and said that Afghan troops had regained control of six districts in the country, but said President Biden’s decision to remove troops had forced everyone to, “recalculate and reconsider” their plans. When questioned about Derek Chauvin’s sentence in the murder of George Floyd, President Biden said he hadn’t heard the details, but that it “seems to be appropriate.”
Remarks by President Biden and President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan Before Bilateral Meeting

June 25, 2021 • Speeches and Remarks

Oval Office

PRESIDENT BIDEN: Well, it’s good to see two old friends. We met many, many times in Afghanistan for long hours. And they’re welcome here. They’ve had a chance to meet with the — all the major players of the administration — from the Secretary of Defense, to the CIA — across the board. And it’s good to have them here in the White House.

The partnership between Afghanistan and the United States is not ending. It’s — it’s going to be sustained. And, you know, our troops may be leaving, but support for Afghanistan is not ending, in terms of support and maintenance of their — helping maintain their military, as well as economic and political support.

And they’ve both got very difficult jobs. Every time I think I’ve got a tough job, I think, Mr. President —...     more

US President Joe Biden meets with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani at the White House, in Washington, US, June 25, 2021
Biden vows US support to Afghan leaders as drawdown nears


President Joe Biden offers commitment to Afghan leaders Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, but made clear he was not planning to slow the US troop withdrawal.

Jun. 26 - United States President Joe Biden has promised continued support to Afghan leaders during a meeting at the White House even as the US and Nato troops are set to complete their withdrawal from Afghanistan by September 11.

Biden, seated beside Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah, chair of the High Council for National Reconciliation, in the Oval Office on Friday, called them "two old friends" and said US support for Afghanistan was not ending but would be sustained.

"Our troops may be leaving, but support for Afghanistan is not ending," he said.

But he also insisted that it was time for the American military to step back. 

"Afghans are going to have to decide their future, what they want," Biden said, adding that the "senseless violence has to stop"...     more

Related Articles:
US plans to keep about 650 troops in Afghanistan after withdrawal
Taliban seize more districts in fighting with govt forces
Jun 20, 2021


6/25/2021

infrastructure | Jun. 25 2021

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

Biden speaks about infrastructure in the East Room of the White House on Thursday. (Evan Vucci/AP)
Biden celebrates infrastructure deal at White House

Jun. 25 - President Biden announced on Thursday that the White House and a group of bipartisan senators had reached a deal on a $579 billion infrastructure plan.


“It’s been a very long time since the last time our country was able to strike a major bipartisan deal on American infrastructure,” Biden said at the White House.

Biden said he and congressional Democrats had to concede some on what’s known as “human infrastructure,” such as investments for childcare and spending on climate change. Democrats will instead look to pass additional spending in a separate bill through a Senate budgetary process called reconciliation, which requires only a simple majority to pass legislation.

The bipartisan proposal allocates $312 billion toward traditional infrastructure priorities such as roads, bridges, public transit, airports and waterways. The bulk of the remainder will be invested in water, broadband and power grid restoration, according to a fact sheet provided by the White House...

...He also said the bill was a sign to the world that democracy still works, and that it would help the U.S. compete with geopolitical rivals like China. “This agreement signals to the world that we can function, deliver and do significant things,” he said...     more

Related Articles:

June 24, 2021 | Part Of President Biden Promotes COVID-19 Vaccinations in Raleigh, NC
President Biden Promotes COVID-19 Vaccinations in Raleigh, North Carolina

After visiting a mobile COVID-19 vaccination unit in Raleigh, North Carolina, President Biden delivered remarks to promote vaccination efforts in the country. He spoke about the progress made in getting people vaccinated and encouraged those who have yet received a vaccine to do so. The president said he hopes to “celebrate our independence from the pandemic” by the Fourth of July.

Remarks by President Biden Highlighting the Importance of Getting Vaccinated and Kicking Off a Community Canvassing Event

JUNE 24, 2021SPEECHES AND REMARKS

Green Road Community Center
Raleigh, North Carolina

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, Raleigh.  (Applause.)  I — I’m going to --

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  (Inaudible.)  (Laughter.)
AUDIENCE MEMBER:  We love you!  (Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Love you back.  (Applause.)  Well, look, that old — I — you’re — by the way, you’re in the midst of the — you’re in the presence of a — one hell of an individual.  I want you all to know about.  Not me.  (Laughter.)  He’s always there when people need help, and he particularly focuses on people who are left behind: Reverend Barber.  (Applause.)  Thanks for all you do, Rev. 

Ive, I thank you for that introduction, you know, and for everything you’re doing.

You know, I — I think — I thank you everyone here at the Green Road Community Center for hosting us. 

Governor Cooper, my good friend.  A great governor.  But the most important thing: He’s a man of enormous integrity, and — no, he really is.
  (Applause.)  You’re doing an incredible job; I’m lucky to have you as a partner, Gov.  And as we — as we move along here...     more


June 24, 2021
President Biden and Senators on Infrastructure Legislation

President Biden 
and a bipartisan group of 10 senators met to discuss the group’s agreement on infrastructure. Following the closed-door meeting, the president joined the senators to speak to reporters and he announced his support of the deal. The president briefly spoke at the top and then left the group to answer questions from the media. The president later spoke in a White House East Room ceremony, urging lawmakers to pass the bipartisan proposal.


Remarks by President Biden After Meeting with a Bipartisan Group of Senators on Infrastructure Negotiations

JUNE 24, 2021SPEECHES AND REMARKS

Stakeout Location

THE PRESIDENT:  We had a really good meeting.  And to answer your direct question, we have a deal.  And I think it’s really important — we’ve all agreed — that none of us got what we — all that we wanted.  I clearly didn’t get all I wanted.  They gave more than, I think, maybe they were inclined to give in the first place. 
 
But this reminds me of the days we used to get an awful lot done up at the United States Congress.  We actually worked with one — we had bipartisan deals.  Bipartisan deals means compromise.

 
One of the things that I’ve — I’ve made clear: I’ve signed on — and I’m going to let them give you the detail because — and you can ask them — and I’m — I will — I will talk to you all later, in the next hour or two.  What- — I promise you I’m not going away...     more


June 24, 2021
President Biden Remarks on Infrastructure Legislation
President Biden delivered remarks on a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure deal. The agreement was struck between the White House and a group of Republican and Democratic senators. “It’s been a very long time since the last time our country was able to strike a major bipartisan deal on American infrastructure,” said the president. After his opening remarks, President Biden answered reporters' questions on a range of topics including the announced infrastructure deal, voting rights legislation, the Afghanistan troop withdrawal, and the federal response to the building collapse in Florida.


Remarks by President Biden on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal

JUNE 24, 2021SPEECHES AND REMARKS

East Room

THE PRESIDENT:  Please, please be seated.  I got my notes here.  Well, good afternoon.  If you hear a little noise in the background, it’s because I’m supposed to be getting on a helicopter to head to North Carolina, which I’m going to be doing short- — right after this. 

And the Vice President and I, though, want to lay out what we’ve just settled, at least for the moment, with our friends — the bipartisan group of senators. 


I said many times before: There’s nothing our nation can’t do when we decide to do it together, do it as one nation.  Today is the latest example of that truth, in my view.  I’m pleased to report that a bipartisan group of senators — five Democrats, five Republicans — part of a larger group — have come together and forged an agreement that will create millions of American jobs and modernize our American infrastructure to compete with the rest of the world and own the 21st century. 

I want to thank them for working together and for raising their ideas and concerns with me and with the Vice President, as well as with our Jobs Cabinet: Secretaries Buttigieg is here — good to see you, Mr. Secretary.  Secretary Fudge.  Secretary Granholm.  Secretary — there you are — okay, you guys to make sure I — I — I thought everybody was on this side.  I was –(laughs).  Secretary Raimondo and Secretary Walsh.

I also want to thank Senator Shelley Capito for her earlier work on an infrastructure agreement.  We didn’t reach an agreement, but she tried her best to get something done.  I’m sure it helped produce the final agreement we have...     more
Russian embassy slams Pentagon remarks about British destroyer incident as groundless

The Russian Embassy in the United States has branded as unfounded the comments of Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby who described the reports from Moscow about warning shots ahead of the course of British HMS Defender destroyer near the Crimean coast as "yet another example of disinformation"


WASHINGTON, June 25. /TASS/. The Russian Embassy in the United States has branded as unfounded the comments of Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby who described the reports from Moscow about warning shots ahead of the course of British HMS Defender destroyer near the Crimean coast as "yet another example of disinformation."

"Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby's accusations against Russia in disinformation on the incident with HMS Defender (a.k.a. Aggressor) are groundless. What happened was recorded and published by FSB of Russia. Denying the obvious, Pentagon still lives under illusions on the actual situation in Russian Crimea and around the Peninsula," the diplomatic mission noted via Twitter.


Kirby claimed at the meeting that the British side was "very public about the fact that there was no shots fired as warning to HMS Defender." According to him, "That it was simply Russian disinformation, as yet another example of the Russians trying to spin events to suit their own narrative. It just didn't happen."

On Wednesday, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that the Russian Black Sea Fleet together with the Federal Security Service Border Control prevented the UK’s HMS Defender destroyer from violating Russian borders near Cape Fiolent in Crimea. The destroyer had travelled three kilometers deep into the Russian territorial waters when it was warned about the possible use of force but did not respond. A border guard ship fired warning shots, while an SU-24M bomber was forces to drop warning bombs ahead of the destroyer before the ship turned back and left the Russian waters. The Russian Defense Ministry qualified the British ship’s actions as a crude violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and urged London to investigate the actions of the destroyer’s crew.     source from

NBC Nightly News Broadcast (Full) - June 24
Jun 25, 2021
Biden: "We Have A Deal"

6/24/2021

Gun Crime | Jun. 24, 2021

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

JUNE 23, 2021
​White House Daily Briefing
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki held a briefing on the Biden administration’s policy agenda. A variety of topics were discussed including infrastructure, troop withdraw from Afghanistan, Vice President Harris' trip to the southern border, and voting rights. Ms. Psaki also spoke about the President’s plan to address gun violence and violent crimes. 

Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, June 23, 2021

JUNE 23, 2021PRESS BRIEFINGS

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

MS. PSAKI: Hi, everyone. Okay, just a couple of items for you at the top. President Biden believes that the surge in gun violence and violent crime that has affected communities across the country over the last year and a half is unacceptable. That’s why his administration is moving decisively to act with a whole-of-government approach. 

Today, the Biden-Harris administration is announcing a comprehensive strategy to combat violent crime and gun violence that targets the crime itself, implements preventative measures that are proven to reduce violent crime, and attacks root causes, including by addressing the flow of firearms used to commit crimes.


Combined, this plan will stem the flow of firearms used to commit violence, including by holding rogue firearm dealers accountable for violating federal laws; support local law enforcement with federal tools and resources to help address violent crime; invest in evidence-based community violence interventions; expand summer programming, employment opportunities, and other services and support for teenagers and young adults; and help formerly incarcerated individuals successfully reenter their communities...     more

One of the key elements of this strategy is helping state and local governments fight gun violence and violent crime in their communities through the historic funding levels in the American Rescue Plan...     more
Harris has faced months of criticism from Republicans, and even some frustration from those in her own party, for not visiting the area.
Kamala Harris to make 1st visit to US-Mexico border area regarding migration

Harris will visit the El Paso area, accompanied by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, according to a statement Wednesday from Harris senior adviser Symone Sanders.

Jun. 23 - Vice President Kamala Harris will make her first visit on Friday to the US-Mexico border since taking office, following criticism from members of both parties for failing to go earlier despite her role leading the Biden administration’s response to a steep increase in migration.

Harris will visit the El Paso area, accompanied by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, according to a statement Wednesday from Harris senior adviser Symone Sanders...     more


JUNE 23, 2021
​President Biden and Attorney General Garland Deliver Remarks on Gun Crime Prevention
President Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland outlined the administration’s gun crime prevention strategy. The initiative includes a zero-tolerance policy for federally licensed firearms dealers who break the law, more resources for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to enforce laws, efforts to improve information sharing, and plans to crack down on illegal gun traffickers. 

Remarks by President Biden and Attorney General Garland on Gun Crime Prevention Strategy

JUNE 23, 2021•SPEECHES AND REMARKS

State Dining Room

 
ATTORNEY GENERAL GARLAND: Good afternoon, Mr. President. It’s good to be here with you, and with local elected and community leaders, and with representatives of law enforcement.
 
Protecting our communities from violent crime is a top priority for the Department of Justice and one of our most important responsibilities.

 
I’m glad the President brought us together today to discuss a subject of such importance to the public we serve. As our participants in today’s roundtable have noted, the increase in violent crime in 2020 and early 2021 is deeply troubling.
 
That is why, last month, the Justice Department launched a comprehensive violent crime reduction strategy. This strategy is built around four principles: setting strategic enforcement priorities; fostering trust with and earning legitimacy in our communities; investing in community-based prevention and intervention programs; and measuring the results of these efforts through a decrease in violent crime, not merely by arrests and convictions, as if they were ends in themselves...     more

Report: Attacked Iranian facility was on Israeli list of targets
Officials tell the New York Times that nuclear facility near Karaj was on list of potential targets presented by Israel to Trump administration.

Jun. 24 - Iranian officials told the New York Times on Wednesday that the attack on a facility belonging to Iran’s Atomic Energy Agency was carried out by a small quadcopter drone.

​The official said the attack near Karaj, on the outskirts of Tehran, targeted one of Iran’s main manufacturing centers for the production of the centrifuges used at the country’s two nuclear facilities, Fordow and Natanz...     more

6/23/2021

Taliban | Jun. 23, 2021

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

Race Against Time: Thousands of Afghans Employed by US Troops Plea with Biden for Safe Haven in US

The administration of US President Joe Biden announced in April that the US would complete its withdrawal from Afghanistan by 11 September 2021. However, Afghans who have been helping the US military all these years, fearing retaliation, have been seeking special immigrant visas (SIV) in a process that has been riddled with backlogs.

Jun. 23 - As the 11 September deadline for all US troops to be withdrawn from Afghanistan draws nearer, and media reports claim the emboldened Taliban* fighters have been availing themselves of the situation to gain ground, thousands of Afghans who were employed by the American military throughout the years are seeking Special Immigrant Visas (SIV) to escape retaliation.


Having worked with the CIA, the State Department, the Army and the Marines in capacities ranging from translators and interpreters on the frontlines of the battle with insurgents to cooks, drivers and cultural advisors, the almost 18,000 Afghans now fear for their lives, as their entry into the US is bogged down in an application backlog.

With many receiving death threats and being forced out of their homes as Taliban seize territory in a spate of provinces, these people have now directly reached out to US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to give them safe haven in the United States, according to a database by non-profit charity No One Left Behind, cited by the Daily Mail.
In their applications the Afghans have been detailing the threats they face and pleading that the process be sped up. While many acknowledge they still support the US, they also deplore having been betrayed by what they see as bureaucratic logjam...     more

JUNE 22, 2021
White House Daily Briefing
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki held her daily press briefing on the Biden administration’s agenda. She was asked about White House COVID-19 vaccination goals, infrastructure package negotiations, voting rights legislation and the president’s actions to combat gun violence. 

Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, June 22, 2021

JUNE 22, 2021PRESS BRIEFINGS

James S. Brady Press Briefing Room
 
MS. PSAKI:  Hi, everyone.  Okay.  So, I know some of you are going to have to leave for the pool call, which is absolutely fine.  We will also keep you honest on when the President is getting ready to speak.  So there are a couple of mechanics.  Chris is going to be our special helper on this front today.  Thank you. 
 
Okay, a couple of items at the top.  As you may have seen, today, the FAA — the Federal Aviation Administrator — Administration — announced it will award $8 billion in airport rescue grants from the American Rescue Plan to keep airport workers employed, construction projects going, provide rent relief to in-terminal concession companies, and help U.S. airports recover from the impacts of COVID-19. 
 
Thanks to the President’s successful vaccination program, America is on the move again.  There are over three times more Americans traveling through airports now than at any time last year, and this funding will help airports ramp up operations, keep travelers safe, and workers employed.  Hundreds of airports across the country will receive this funding, thanks to the American Rescue Plan, including airports in Philadelphia; Charleston, West Virginia; Anchorage, Alaska; Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina; Portland, Maine; and Portland, Oregon...     more
White House says US will fall short of July 4th vaccination goals

Jun. 23 - ​The White House on Tuesday acknowledged the US would fall short of President Joe Biden's July Fourth Covid-19 vaccination goals, saying the country has more work to do to get younger Americans vaccinated.


White House Covid-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients said the country would miss both of the President's goals of having 70% of adult Americans with at least one Covid-19 vaccine shot and 160 million Americans fully vaccinated by July Fourth.
Zients told reporters during a White House Covid-19 response briefing that the US would have 70% of US people 27 and older with at least one Covid-19 shot by the July Fourth weekend but that it would take "a few extra weeks" to reach 70% of all US adults.

He noted more than 150 million American adults are fully vaccinated, and that the US was on track to get 160 million adults "no later than mid-July."

​Zients said Biden's goal was "aspirational," and touted the progress the administration has made in the last several months.
Biden "set 70% as our aspirational target. And we have met or exceeded it for most of the adult population. This is a remarkable achievement," Zients said...     more


Related Articles:
US to Miss July 4 COVID Vaccination Goal of 70% 

JUNE 22, 2021
White House COVID-19 Response Team Briefing
The White House COVID-19 Response Team held a virtual briefing on the Biden administration’s pandemic efforts and vaccination goals. Jeff Zients, the COVID-19 response coordinator, announced that 70 percent of Americans age 30 and older have already received at least one shot. In addition, Mr. Zients said the White House is focusing on vaccinating 18-26 year olds and expects that age group to meet the 70 percent goal a few weeks after the July 4 holiday. Other officials at the briefing included CDC Director. Dr. Rochelle Walenksy, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy and Dr. Anthony Fauci, who outlined the threat posed by the coronavirus Delta variant. 
Press Briefing by White House COVID-19 Response Team and Public Health Officials

JUNE 22, 2021PRESS BRIEFINGS

Via Teleconference 

MR. ZIENTS:  Good morning, and thanks for joining us.  We’re joined by Drs. Fauci, Walensky, and Murthy, who I will turn to in a few moments.

First, today, I want to report on the progress we are making in our fight to end the pandemic, specifically as it relates to the President’s goals for July 4th.

In March, on the one-year anniversary of the start of the pandemic and less than two months after taking office, President Biden provided Americans an update on the whole-of-government effort he was mobilizing to defeat the virus and set what, at the time, seemed like an audacious goal for the country: independence from COVID-19 by July 4th.

The President was clear about what achieving this very ambitious goal would require.  First, we needed to build on the work we began on January 20th, taking additional bold steps to make vaccines even more accessible to all Americans and to further accelerate the pace of vaccinations...     more

Iran Warns US Seizure of Websites 'Not Constructive' for Nuclear Deal Talks

Jun. 23 - ...On Tuesday, American authorities blocked over 30 websites, including PressTV and Al-Alam, for allegedly violating US sanctions.

"Today, pursuant to court orders, the United States seized 33 websites used by the Iranian Islamic Radio and Television Union (IRTVU) and three websites operated by Kata’ib Hizballah (KH), in violation of US sanctions," the US Justice Department said in a statement.

DOJ officially announces seizure of Iranian websites: “Today, pursuant to court orders, the United States seized 33 websites used by the Iranian Islamic Radio and Television Union (IRTVU) and three websites operated by Kata’ib Hizballah (KH), in violation of U.S. sanctions.” pic.twitter.com/3cGXqlpYxL
— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) June 23, 2021Both PressTV and Al-Alam were back online within hours, using Iranian domain addresses...     more