Joe Biden says he’s ‘determined’ to ban assault weapons
President Joe Biden will deliver a prime-time speech on the “battle for the soul of the nation” this week ahead of the midterm elections later this year.
The White House says that Mr Biden will travel to Philadelphia on Thursday to give the speech at the city’s Independence National Historical Park. The speech will be the president’s second appearance in the key battleground state of Pennsylvania this week, coming after a rally yesterday at which he spoke about his crime prevention plans and gun control legislation.
Celebrating the passage of this year’s gun safety legislation, which he said represented a triumph over the National Rifle Association, Mr Biden insisted he is determined to ban assault weapons from the US.
He also bucked the progressive wing of his party with a promise to fund the police – and declared that Republicans who called 6 January rioters “patriots” cannot justifiably call themselves supporters of law enforcement.
Key Points
- Biden “determined to ban assault weapons”
- Strong defence of law enforcement comes with condemnation of 6 January riot
- President to speak in Philadelphia tonight on “soul of the nation”
Show latest update
1661976010
Biden administration to send Monkeypox vaccines to LGBT+ events
The White House has announced that the administration will send extra doses of the Monkeypox vaccine to LGBT+ events across the US.
The White House National Monkeypox Response team announced on Tuesday that they will provide extra vaccines and other support to states and cities hosting events where many LGBT+ people will gather, “specifically gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men”.
Gustaf Kilander has the story.
Biden administration sending Monkeypox vaccines to LGBT+ events
Recent CDC data shows ‘disproportionate reach of the virus among Black and Latino gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men’
Oliver O’Connell31 August 2022 21:00
1661975110
Fetterman campaign calls on Biden to decriminalise marijuana
John Fetterman does not want to hear “any bull****” from his Republican opponent Mehmet Oz about his support for decriminalising cannabis, or any attempts from the TV doctor-turned-GOP candidate to conflate weed “with seriously harmful crime”.
Pennsylvania’s Democratic nominee for US Senate has pressed Joe Biden’s administration to decriminalise cannabis ahead of the president’s planned trip to Pittsburgh on Labor Day, saying in a message from his campaign that it is “long past time” to remove cannabis from the federal government’s most-restricted categories of drugs, alongside heroin and LSD.
Fetterman campaign calls on Biden to decriminalise weed ahead of Pennsylvania visit
‘I don’t want to hear any bull**** coming out of Dr Oz’s campaign trying to conflate decriminalizing marijuana with seriously harmful crime’
Oliver O’Connell31 August 2022 20:45
1661974633
White House press secretary gives examples of GOP lawmaker promoting violence
When asked if it is fair criticism by Republicans that this is not unifying language coming from the president, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre lists examples of GOP lawmakers promoting violence.
Oliver O’Connell31 August 2022 20:37
1661974180
Biden warns of ‘extremist threat’ to US democracy from MAGA Republicans
President Joe Biden believes MAGA Republicans are the extreme part of the party and constitute a threat to democracy and he will not shy away from saying that, according to White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
The president thinks that there is an extremist threat to our democracy. The president has been clear as he can be on that particular piece, when we talk about a democracy when we talk about our freedoms, the way that he sees it, the MAGA Republicans are the most energised part of the Republican Party. That … is an extreme threat to our democracy, to our freedom, to our rights. They just don’t respect the rule of law … and they are pursuing an agenda that takes away people’s rights. Which is what the president said last week on Thursday, you all heard him. This is what the president said yesterday, and that’s what he’s going to continue to say.
And here’s the thing, the president is not going to shy away, to call out what he clearly sees is happening in this country. And, you know, again, MAGA Republicans are this extreme part of their party, and that is just fact. And that’s what he’s going to continue to lay out.
Oliver O’Connell31 August 2022 20:29
1661972410
Why are Biden and Trump in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, this week?
On Tuesday, President Joe Biden is travelling to Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, to discuss gun violence.
Then, on Saturday, former president Donald Trump will head to the same small town to hold a rally at the Mohegan Sun Arena to support Pennsylvania GOP Senate candidate Mehmet Oz and gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano.
On the surface, it might be surprising to see two presidents visit a city with less than 41,000 residents that is a two-hour drive from Philadelphia.
Eric Garcia explains why there’s good reason for both men to be there.
Why are Joe Biden and Donald Trump both going to this small Pennsylvania City?
Wilkes-Barre is located in Luzerne County, which historically voted for Democrats before Trump came along
Oliver O’Connell31 August 2022 20:00
1661970610
Charlie Crist resigns from Congress to focus on Florida gubernatorial run
Representative Charlie Crist, the Democratic nominee for governor of Florida, announced he would resign from Congress to campaign against Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, The Tampa Bay Times reported.
Mr Crist served as governor from 2007 to 2011 and ran as a Republican before he ran for Senate initially with the GOP before running as an independent.
He ran for governor as a Democrat in 2014 and narrowly lost to Governor Rick Scott before he won a congressional seat representing Pinellas County in 2016.
Charlie Crist resigns from Congress to campaign against DeSantis full-time
Governor Ron DeSantis leads in most polls.
Oliver O’Connell31 August 2022 19:30
1661968810
More than 40% of Americans say civil war likely in next decade
A newly released poll has found that a significant number of Americans believe the United States will be embroiled in a civil war within the next 10 years as political divisions continue to strain the country’s civic bonds.
The online survey of 1,500 adults — commissioned by The Economist and conducted by YouGov from 20 to 23 August — found that 29 per cent of respondents said a civil war would be “somewhat likely”, while 14 per cent said such a conflict would be “very likely”.
Andrew Feinberg looked at the poll numbers:
More than four in 10 Americans say civil war is more likely within the next decade
The Economist/YouGov poll finds self-described ‘strong Republicans’ most likely to say there could be a US civil war in the next decade
Oliver O’Connell31 August 2022 19:00
1661967010
Biden campaign paperwork not sign of a re-election launch
A 30 August form filed with the Federal Election Commission by Joe Biden’s campaign committee is not a sign that an announcement of a re-election bid is imminent, a Democratic National Committee official has said.
On Tuesday, Mr Biden’s 2020 committee, “Biden for President,” filed an updated “Statement of Organization” with the FEC.
But the Democratic official told The Independent the filing was routine.
Biden campaign paperwork not sign of a re-election launch
Mr Biden is set to deliver a speech on ‘the continued battle for the Soul of the Nation’ on Thursday, echoing the theme of his successful 2020 campaign for the presidency
Oliver O’Connell31 August 2022 18:30
1661965210
Could Democrats hold onto their majority in the House of Representatives?
For much of the past year, many political observers assumed that Democrats would likely lose their majority in the House of Representatives, if not the Senate, largely because of President Joe Biden’s lagging approval ratings and high inflation numbers.
But John Della Volpe, the director of polling for Harvard’s Kennedy School Institute of Politics, said he always questioned that wisdom.
“If you look at the generic ballot, between then and today, it has not deviated more than four points,” he told The Independent. “I don’t think Republicans had a lead ever more than four points. Today, it’s essentially even.”
How Democrats could hold onto their majority in the House
John Della Volpe, director of polling at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics, talks about how Democrats’ fortunes have changed.
Oliver O’Connell31 August 2022 18:00
1661964310
Biden spoke at length with Israeli PM about Iran nuclear negotiations
Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid spoke at length with President Joe Biden today about the negotiations towards a nuclear agreement with Iran, per the prime minister’s office and a White House official.
Oliver O’Connell31 August 2022 17:45
READ NEWS SOURCE
The post Biden news – live: President warns of ‘extremist threat’ to democracy from MAGA Republicans ahead of speech appeared first on thewashingtondigest.com.
