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, 2021•PRESS 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

---

WEDNESDAY

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, 2021•PRESS 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% 

---

The Washington Post
U.S. to narrowly miss Biden’s July 4 vaccination goal, White House says

The New York Times
White House Says It Will Narrowly Miss July 4 Vaccination Goal

CNN
White House says US will fall short of July 4th vaccination goals

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, 2021•PRESS 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

COVID | Jun. 22, 2021

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

Biden White House Will Endorse A Bill Closing Cocaine Sentencing Guidelines: Reports
Critics have long said laws with harsher punishment for crack cocaine possession than for powder cocaine unduly target Americans of color.

Jun. 22 - The Biden administration will urge Congress to pass legislation that would end sentencing differences between crack and powder cocaine crimes, decades-old guidelines that critics say have unduly targeted communities of color and resulted in the mass incarceration of Black Americans, according to multiple reports.

The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing Tuesday on federal sentencing guidelines and include a bipartisan panel of officials. The Washington Post first reported that Regina LaBelle, the acting director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, will speak at the hearing and express President Joe Biden’s support for the passage of the Equal Act (Eliminating a Quantifiably Unjust Application of the Law), which was introduced earlier this year by Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Dick Durbin (D-Ill)...     more

Related Articles:

•  Democrats To Introduce Bill To Combat Election Subversion As Part Of Voting Rights Push
•  Poor People’s Campaign To March On Joe Manchin, Mitch McConnell In Washington
•  A Lawyer For Jan. 6 Defendants Is Giving Her Clients Remedial Lessons In American History

June 21, 2021
White House Daily Briefing
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki discussed the president’s agenda and a variety of topics with reporters at her daily briefing. Topics included new sanctions against Belarus, delivery of COVID-19 vaccines to other countries, and status of infrastructure negotiations.

Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, June 21, 2021
JUNE 21, 2021•PRESS BRIEFINGS
James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

MS. PSAKI:  Hi everyone.  Good morning — or good afternoon.  Okay.  A couple of items for all of you at the top.

Today, the Biden-Harris administration has launched Child Tax Credit Awareness Day to educate the public and encourage non-filers to sign up for the largest Child Tax Credit in history.

The American Rescue Plan increased the Child Tax Credit to $3,000 for families whose children are between 6 and 17 years old, and $3,600 for families with children under 6 years old, and allows half of that tax credit be paid to families in advance through a monthly check or direct deposit. 

So, starting July 15th, almost all families who have filed taxes in the last two years will receive this monthly payment automatically.  This means most families with two young children would receive a monthly payment of $600 starting in July. 

But we want to make sure that everybody who is eligible signs up, hence we have launched a website: ChildTaxCredit.gov — very easy to remember.  And if anybody is not sure — maybe they haven’t filed taxes because they — they don’t — they’re not required to — they can go there and learn if they’re eligible for this incredible benefit...     more

Of the 55 million vaccine doses the United States will donate, 41 million will go to COVAX, an organization that assists poor countries to access and distribute coronavirus vaccines. 
White House announces plans for 55M donated COVID-19 vaccine doses

Jun. 22 - The Biden administration on Monday said it will distribute 55 million of its promised 80 million doses from the United States' COVID-19 vaccine supply to an international consortium that works with poor countries and targeted regional allies.

On June 3, the White House initially announced the U.S. government would send at least 80 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to needy countries overseas by the end of this month. During that announcement, it designated the first 19 million doses to the COVAX initiative and 6 million to "regional priorities and partner recipients."

In Monday's announcement, the Biden administration said of the 55 million remaining doses, 41 million will go to COVAX and 14 million to Latin American and Caribbean countries in need.

Those countries include Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Paraguay, Bolivia, Uruguay, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Panama, and Costa Rica, along with member nations of the Caribbean Community, or CARICOM, organization.

"For all of these doses, those most at risk, such as healthcare workers, should be prioritized, based on national vaccine plans," the White House statement said. "In addition to sharing doses from our own vaccine supply, the Biden-Harris administration is also committed to working with our U.S. manufacturers to produce more vaccine to share with the world."

Biden said before the G7 Summit the United States would purchase 500 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine and donate them to 92 low- and lower-middle-income countries, including African Union members.

"Sharing millions of U.S. vaccines with other countries signals a major commitment by the U.S. government," the White House said. "Just like we have in our domestic response, we will move as expeditiously as possible, while abiding by U.S. and host country regulatory and legal requirements, to facilitate the safe and secure transport of vaccines across international borders."     source from

Related Articles:
25% of young adults most likely won't get COVID-19 vaccine, CDC survey shows
Organizers limit local spectators at Tokyo Olympics to 50% capacity
COVID-19 surging in Russia; weekly world deaths drop 10%, cases 5%

---

俄驻美大使返美“复工” 白宫对俄再挥制裁大棒？20210621 |《今日关注》CCTV中文国际
Jun 22, 2021

US, EU, UK and Canada impose fresh sanctions on Belarus

Jun. 22 - The United States, European Union, United Kingdom and Canada imposed fresh sanctions on Belarus Monday in a coordinated response to the Lukashenko government's forced landing of a Ryanair flight and arrest of an opposition journalist last month as well as the "continuing repression" in the former Soviet state.

In a joint statement, the partners said they were "united in our deep concern regarding the Lukashenka regime's continuing attacks on human rights, fundamental freedoms, and international law."
"Today, we have taken coordinated sanctions action in response to the May 23rd forced landing of a commercial Ryanair flight between two EU member states and the politically motivated arrest of journalist Raman Pratasevich and his companion Sofia Sapega, as well as to the continuing attack on human rights and fundamental freedoms," the statement said...     more

---

Iran | Jun. 21, 2021

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

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

Peace talks in Qatar between the Afghan government and the Taliban have not made significant progress.
As U.S. troops leave Afghanistan, Joe Biden to meet with Ghani and Abdullah in Washington

Jun. 21 - U.S. President Joe Biden will meet Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani and the Chairman of its High Council for National Reconciliation, Abdullah Abdullah, at the White House on Friday, Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on Sunday in a statement released by the White House.

The visit comes after the U.S. began withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan, a process that began on May 1 and is expected to be completed by September 11, the 20-year anniversary of the World Trade Center terror attacks in New York City.

“The United States is committed to supporting the Afghan people by providing diplomatic, economic, and humanitarian assistance to support the Afghan people, including Afghan women, girls and minorities,” Ms. Psaki said on Sunday.
Peace talks in Qatar between the Afghan government and the Taliban have not made significant progress. The Taliban said on Sunday that it was committed to peace talks and wanted a “genuine Islamic system” in the country and that it would “accommodate” the rights of all – including women – in line with that system.

However, violence has continued to rock the country, with the Taliban claiming to have captured over 40 districts, as per reports.

On Sunday, Ms. Psaki said the U.S. would continue to engage the Afghan government to prevent the country from becoming a safe haven for terror groups who pose a threat to the U.S.

“The United States continues to fully support the ongoing peace process and encourages all Afghan parties to participate meaningfully in negotiations to bring an end to the conflict,” she said.     source from

Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban's deputy leader and negotiator, and other delegation members attend the Afghan peace conference in Moscow, Russia, on March 18, 2021

How Russia, China, and Iran will shape Afghanistan’s future

Iran: the power player
Jun. 21 - ...Like Russia, Iran, one of the most influential regional actors in Afghanistan, has always seen Afghanistan as a threat to its security but also as an opportunity to expand trade and accessibility to Afghan and Central Asian markets. Iran never wanted a long-term US presence in Afghanistan and has targeted the United States with both soft and hard power. Iran opposed the Bilateral Security Agreement negotiated between Afghanistan and the United States, while also supporting anti-US insurgents. Tehran has substantial security interests in Afghanistan and has fought Islamic State Khorasan Province there by sending its Fatemiyoun Brigade, which has recruited Afghan Shia fighters in the past. Iran will strive to maintain its access to the Afghan market, promote Shia ideology there, and address transnational threats such as militancy, drug trafficking, and insurgency. It tends to work quietly in the country, using soft power to spread its influence.

Despite their shared views about US troops, Russia doesn’t want a powerful Iran countering its own regional influence.

Another concern for Russia is US-Iran rapprochement, which could undermine and marginalize Russia’s influence.

With the US troop withdrawal, Iran will have more direct influence in Afghanistan and will aim to protect its interests by building alliances with regional powers, particularly China and Russia. A deal signed between Iran and China promising $400 billion in Chinese investment is the second Chinese partnership in the region after China’s collaboration with Russia. Though the China-Iran relationship is growing, Beijing will be careful to not allow that partnership to risk its relationships with oil-rich Gulf Arab states.      

Though deals between the regional powers might not have a direct impact on Afghanistan in the near future, in the long term they will influence Afghan power dynamics, especially considering that the China-Iran agreement includes deepening military cooperation through intelligence-sharing. In addition, these deals, if sustained, will strengthen cooperation between China and Iran, which, in principle, oppose US dominance in the region...     quoted from

Biden, Afghan President to Meet at White House Amid U.S. Pullout
Sullivan says troops to be out ‘well before’ Sept. 11 target

Jun. 21 - President Ashraf Ghani and President Joe Biden will meet at the White House on Friday as the U.S. moves ahead with its troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Biden said in April that all U.S. troops will leave by Sept. 11, the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington that brought the U.S. into its longest war. While the administration says the pullout is justified as a strategic shift, a United Nations report this month raised the prospect of a takeover by Taliban militants.

Jake Sullivan, the U.S. national security adviser, said Sunday there are no plans to change Biden’s “basic proposition.” U.S. troops will be out “well before the deadline,” Sullivan said on ABC’s “This Week.”

Abdullah Abdullah, chairman of Afghanistan’s High Council for National Reconciliation, also will take part in the meeting, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement.

“The United States is committed to supporting the Afghan people by providing diplomatic, economic, and humanitarian assistance to support the Afghan people, including Afghan women, girls and minorities,” Psaki said. “The United States will remain deeply engaged with the Government of Afghanistan to ensure the country never again becomes a safe haven for terrorist groups who pose a threat to the U.S. homeland.”

Biden has taken some criticism for the move from Republicans in Washington. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has called the withdrawal “a grave mistake” and Jim Inhofe, the senior Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, called it “reckless” and “dangerous.”

The New York Times reported that the Taliban entered the provincial capitals of Kunduz and Maimana on Sunday, part of an insurgent operation in recent weeks that has affected dozens of rural regions and led to the capture of surrender of hundreds of government forces and their equipment.     source from

Iran wants guarantees from US during JCPOA talks

Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman said that the United States once showed during the Trump era that it can arrogantly ignore the interests of other countries, so Iran wants guarantees from the current US administration.

Jun. 21 - Speaking in his weekly press conference on Monday, Saeed Khatibzadeh answered questions on a wide range of topics.

Congratulating the successful holding of the 13th presidential election and winning President-elect Seyyed Ebrahim Raeisi, Khatibzadeh said, "Over the past 48 hours, more than 45 senior officials from various countries sent congratulatory messages to the President-elect. Twenty-four presidents and prime ministers, four members of parliament, and eighteen senior political and international figures sent congratulatory messages to President-elect, and the process continues."

In response to the question of whether the parties to the Vienna talks are going to reach an agreement with the new Iranian administration, he said, "These speculations are not true. All the parties in Vienna talked about the details, but none of them believes that they spent much time in Vienna."

"Iran's policy has never been to delay lifting sanctions if possible," the FM spokesperson stressed. "It is not unlikely that the next round will be the final round, we have to see if all parties make their decisions or not."

"Diplomats are optimistic, but it is always too early to judge, and we have to see if political decisions are made by all parties," he added, saying, "The draft is unambiguous and we have reached a clear draft in all working groups. What remains is a political decision rather than a negotiation, and if decisions are made, we can hope to be in the final round of talks."

In reaction to the recent remarks of US National Security Advisor Sullivan, the Iranian diplomat noted, "Everyone knows that Iran has had a single policy in recent years. There will never be a discussion about a new JCPOA. If he has read the text of the JCPOA, it is stated in it that the full implementation of the JCPOA is a reassurance of the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear activities and the case will be closed. Therefore, if anyone wants to be sure of the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program, it is better to put the full implementation of the JCPOA on its agenda."

"The best that the United States can think of is to provide the necessary guarantees to return to the JCPOA and not to violate Resolution 2231," he added.

Answering a question of whether Iran wants guarantees from the current US administration, Khatibzadeh said, "It is true but I won't talk about details. It is a topic that is being discussed behind closed doors."

"The United States once showed during the Trump era that it can arrogantly ignore the interests of other countries, so Iran wants guarantees from the current US administration," he added.     source from

Related Articles:
FM spox congratulates Iran's President-elect Raeisi
Next round to be final round likely
New JCPOA not to be negotiated 
Iran wants guarantees from current US administration