Six California House races that could determine control of Congress Los Angeles Times

Table Of Content

• Biden outlines what he hopes to do differently in 2022, including soliciting more outside advice
• Trump won't meet with Kim Jong Un without first seeing "concrete steps" on denuclearization
• WATCH: Biden ‘confident’ Ukraine aid would be approved, White House says
• From New York to Arizona: Inside the head-spinning week of Trump’s legal drama
• FACT SHEET: Biden-⁠Harris Administration Hosts First-Ever White House Summit for Sustainable and Healthy Schools

Notably, Sullivan said U.S. officials now expect that Israel wouldn't invade Rafah until that conversation takes place. The meeting will be an opportunity for the U.S. "to lay out an alternative approach that would target key Hamas elements in Rafah and secure the Egypt-Gaza border without a major ground invasion," he added. Today, President Biden will announce new actions to protect Americans and help communities and hospitals battle Omicron, building on the robust plan he announced earlier this month to get people maximum protection ahead of the winter and prepare for rising cases driven by the new variant. Biden cautioned Thursday that the country was in a "tough stretch" of the pandemic that could "last for a while" due to the delta variant and the large number of unvaccinated people who he said "can cause a lot of damage." The administration, which shied away from mandates early in the summer, is now embracing them, as what Biden once billed as the “summer of freedom” ends with thousands of unvaccinated Americans dying from Covid-19 every week. Much of Biden’s wider agenda and political standing is seen as dependent on his ability to address the pandemic, with his approval numbers falling as new infections rise.

Biden outlines what he hopes to do differently in 2022, including soliciting more outside advice

Colin Jost hosts White House Correspondents Dinner - USA TODAY

Colin Jost hosts White House Correspondents Dinner.

Posted: Sun, 28 Apr 2024 03:59:45 GMT [source]

For his part, President Biden urged journalists to keep in mind their role in preserving a functioning democracy, suggesting reporters steer away from horse-race campaign stories and “gotcha” moments in favor of the likely effects the next election will have on American life and policy. He also vowed to continue to work to free journalists like Evan Gershkovich and Austin Tice who have been imprisoned unjustly abroad. Jost finished his remarks by telling President Joe Biden about his 95-year-old grandfather, a longtime fireman in Staten Island, N.Y, who voted Democrat in the 2020 presidential election even though that borough of New York City is known to favor Republicans.

Trump won't meet with Kim Jong Un without first seeing "concrete steps" on denuclearization

Democrats have a narrow registration advantage, although no party preference registrants account for nearly a quarter of voters. Biden won the district by more than 10 percentage points over Trump in 2020, according to data from California Target Book. Five of the six seats are currently held by Republicans, with four of those five in congressional districts that President Biden won in the 2020 election. Protest organizers said they wanted to bring attention to the high numbers of Palestinian and other Arab journalists killed by Israel's military since the war began in October. With hundreds of protesters rallying against the war in Gaza outside the event and concerns over the conflict and humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the perils for journalists covering the conflict, the war hung over this year's event.

WATCH: Biden ‘confident’ Ukraine aid would be approved, White House says

One of the few mentions came from Kelly O’Donnell, president of the correspondents’ association, who noted the deaths of journalists covering the war. NBC News correspondent Kelly O’Donnell, president of the correspondents’ association, opened the event by reminding the audience of the important work that journalists do but noting that the dinner is happening at “a complex moment for our nation” and in an election year. As President Biden held a news conference to tout his administration's achievements during his first year in office, Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin criticized his party over their push to end the filibuster in order to advance legislation on voting rights. Lawmakers have allocated more than $65 billion in total aid, which includes financial and humanitarian assistance, to Ukraine since the invasion, though some House Republicans have expressed opposition to continuing direct funding to the country. Kelly O’Donnell, president of the correspondents’ association, opened the event by reminding the audience of the important work that journalists do but noting that the dinner is happening at “a complex moment for our nation,” and in a decisive election year.

From New York to Arizona: Inside the head-spinning week of Trump’s legal drama

Ralliers cried “Free, free Palestine.” They cheered when at one point someone inside the Washington Hilton — where the dinner has been held for decades — unfurled a Palestinian flag from a top-floor hotel window. Democratic infighting in the 2024 primary, when Salas faced competition from fellow Democrat Melissa Hurtado, cost the party establishment millions to consolidate support behind Salas. Once a safely ruby-red Republican domain, California’s 22nd Congressional District is in a part of the San Joaquin Valley that has grown increasingly purple in recent years, with Democrats now holding the registration advantage. “Right now, the single most vulnerable Republican incumbent is John Duarte, in my view,” Wasserman said of the California races. Two years ago, this was the second-closest House race in the nation, with Duarte winning by just 564 votes.

FACT SHEET: Biden-⁠Harris Administration Hosts First-Ever White House Summit for Sustainable and Healthy Schools

Our vaccines are the most powerful tools we have—they work to protect people from serious illness and death, and boosters provide people optimal protection. While cases among vaccinated individuals will likely increase due to the more transmissible Omicron, evidence to date is that their cases will most likely be mild. In contrast, unvaccinated individuals are at high risk of getting COVID-19, getting severely ill, and even dying. Today’s actions will mitigate the impact unvaccinated individuals have on our health care system, while increasing access to free testing and getting more shots in arms to keep people safe and our schools and economy open. The U.S. has also started to see a downturn in the number of new cases and deaths over the past week.

White House Correspondents' Dinner 2024 Red Carpet: Photos - WWD

White House Correspondents' Dinner 2024 Red Carpet: Photos.

Posted: Sun, 28 Apr 2024 01:35:35 GMT [source]

But public health officials have warned that could be a short-lived break, following Labor Day weekend gatherings and millions of kids going back to school this week. But at the same time, Americans followed through on Biden’s prediction of a return to celebrations and gatherings, something that now has public health officials fearing a new wave of infections following Labor Day weekend travel and get-togethers. Zelenskyy said he hopes to ensure Ukraine continues to combat Russia from a position of strength as it enters the second year of the war, and urged Congress to approve the $45 billion assistance to his country included in the $1.7 trillion omnibus package. The president said that he has spent an extensive amount of time speaking with European leaders to urge them to continue their support for Ukraine, but said they do not want to go to war with Russia. Shortly before Zelenskyy arrived, the State Department unveiled a new military aid package for Ukraine worth $1.85 billion, bringing the total military aid sent to Ukraine to $22 billion. In a first, the U.S. is sending the Ukrainians a Patriot missile battery, a sophisticated air defense system that can repel Russian missiles and aircraft.

Orca calf swims out of Canadian lagoon where it had been trapped more than a month

Issues regarding water — including water access for agriculture, as well as water quality and water availability in wells — will also be crucial, along with healthcare access issues, said Thomas Holyoke, a professor of political science at Fresno State University. To get inside Saturday's dinner, some guests had to hurry through hundreds of protesters outraged over the mounting humanitarian disaster for Palestinian civilians in Gaza. They condemned Biden for his support of Israel's military campaign and Western news outlets for what they said was undercoverage and misrepresentation of the conflict. Biden’s speech, which lasted about 10 minutes, made no mention of the ongoing war or the growing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Biden "thrilled" to have Zelenskyy in U.S.

Aid for Ukraine has been a source of tension and uncertainty as several Republicans in the House have severe doubts or openly oppose additional funding to sustain the Ukrainian military. “I’m going to be announcing very shortly a major speech I’m going to make on this issue and why it’s critically important for the United States and our allies that we keep our commitment” to Ukraine, Biden told reporters after giving unrelated remarks at the White House. “I told him that Israel demonstrated a remarkable capacity to defend against and defeat even unprecedented attacks — sending a clear message to its foes that they cannot effectively threaten the security of Israel,” Biden said in his statement after the call. The push to encourage Israel to show restraint mirrored ongoing American efforts to curtail Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, which is now in its seventh month, and to do more to protect civilian lives in the territory. The U.S. assisted Israel in shooting down dozens of drones and missiles fired by Iran on Saturday in what was the first time it had launched a direct military assault on Israel. Israeli authorities said 99 percent of the inbound weapons were shot down without causing any significant damage.

"We should be clear about what Russia is doing — it is purposefully attacking Ukraine's critical infrastructure, destroying the systems that provide heat and light to the Ukrainian people during the coldest, darkest part of the year. Russia is using winter as a weapon," the president said. Mr. Biden told the Ukrainian people they have stood strong in the face of autocrats, adding that Americans from "every walk of life" have provided "unequivocal" and "unbending" support for the people of Ukraine. Mr. Biden opened up the joint press conference with Zelenskyy by noting the two have been in close communication throughout this conflict, and said it's particularly meaningful to "look each other in the eye" in person for the first time since Russia launched its assault on Ukraine. Zeleskyy reiterated his characterization of Russia as a "terrorist country" and the need for Russia to be held accountable for its aggression against innocent Ukrainian people. "For me as a president, just peace is no compromise as to the sovereignty, freedom and territorial integrity of my country," Zelenskyy said. Additionally, Mr. Biden said they would "love" for Ukraine not to have to use the Patriot missile defense system the U.S. is giving the country.

"We would look to build on that cease-fire into something more enduring and use the space created by a cessation of hostilities to surge humanitarian assistance at a vital moment," Sullivan said. "Our position is that Hamas should not be allowed a safe haven in Rafah or anywhere else, but a major ground operation there would be a mistake," national security adviser Jake Sullivan said at the White House briefing where he outlined the leaders' conversation. Health officials are also warning of a winter surge that could coincide with particularly severe flu seasons with kids back in school, people congregating more than last winter, and mask requirements gone in most of the country. As of July, 27 percent of the country's health care workers were unvaccinated, according to a study by the Covid States Project.

"We are subjected to detentions, interrogations, and torture by the Israeli military, all for the 'crime' of journalistic integrity." Biden's speech before an expected crowd of nearly 3,000 people was being followed by entertainer Colin Jost from "Saturday Night Live." Ralliers cried "Free, free Palestine." They cheered when at one point someone inside the Washington Hilton - where the dinner has been held for decades - unfurled a Palestinian flag from a top-floor hotel window.

"That is our life, we are in war. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry," Zelenskyy said in English. Zelenskyy noted that he and the president are in frequent communication, and joked about eventually asking him to send more Patriot missile systems to protect Ukrainian skies. However, that figure is small compared to the $61 billion that Biden had asked Congress to approve to help Kyiv combat a Russian invasion that began in February 2022. Republicans had refused to approve assistance for Ukraine without Democrats agreeing to a significant toughening of immigration law. The bill, one of the few major pieces of legislation Congress passes every year, governs everything from pay raises for service members and purchases of ships and aircraft to policies such as support for foreign partners like Taiwan. Even though McConnell championed the bipartisan bill, it was blocked by a Republican filibuster, as only four GOP senators voted to advance it in February, with the rest arguing that it fell short.

White House press secretary Sarah Sanders says she "can't predict the future" when it comes to the fate of Trump's national security adviser H.R. McMaster — but said she's "not aware" that he'll leave the administration any time soon. The president said the resistance does “worry” him, but he noted that there is broad bipartisan support.

Those six most competitive races are also all being targeted by both the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the National Republican Congressional Committee, with establishment party backing likely to bring even more attention and funding into the districts. Democrats underperformed in both states in 2022, in part because their in-state political dominance helped Republicans channel voter frustration into anger toward Democrats, Wasserman explained. "Since the Israel-Gaza war began, journalists have been paying the highest price- their lives-to defend our right to the truth. Each time a journalist dies or is injured, we lose a fragment of that truth," CPJ Program Director Carlos Martínez de la Serna said in a statement. One organizer complained that the White House Correspondents' Association - which represents the hundreds of journalists who cover the president - largely has been silent since the first weeks of the war about the killings of Palestinian journalists. Criticism of the Biden administration's support for Israel's six-month-old military offensive in Gaza has spread through American college campuses, with students pitching encampments in an effort to force their universities to divest from Israel.

"The toll exacted on us for merely fulfilling our journalistic duties is staggering," the letter stated. While Mr. Fetterman may have been in the minority among his political peers, with most of whom following the president’s example and opting for a traditional tux, creative black tie proved a talking point. See Billy Porter in a black sequin caftan over a classic white shirt; Questlove, in an artistically paint-splattered jacket; and Fran Drescher, the SAG-AFTRA president, in a white brocade pantsuit. Biden, like most of his predecessors, used the glitzy annual White House Correspondents’ Assn. banquet to jab at his rival, Donald Trump. He followed the jokes with solemn warnings about what he said would happen if Trump won the presidency again. In an effort to terminate the federal government’s use of privately owned detention facilities, the Attorney General has been directed not to renew Department of Justice contracts with private prisons.