© Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post President Biden delivers comments on the January jobs report from the grounds of the White House in Washington on Friday.
Today , President Biden and Vice President Harris traveled to Philadelphia to address the winter meeting of the Democratic National Committee. His comments in the battleground state of Pennsylvania hinted at a compromise if Biden were to continue his bid for re-election in 2024.
In his speeches, he defended the achievements of the Biden administration and took aim at Republicans over proposals to cut Medicare and Social Security. The President also noted the final report of the process that day.
" We have created 12 million jobs since we took office. This is the largest two-year increase in history," Biden said after the report was released. Biden and Harris appeared at a Philadelphia water treatment plant to demonstrate infrastructure improvements by replacing water lines, Biden's third event this week. Dealing with infrastructure: I have previously visited Baltimore and New York.
19:20: On our radar, Biden is headed to Camp David
© Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images President Biden speaks at the 2023 Winter Meeting of the Democratic National Committee in Philadelphia on Friday. (Photo by Timothy A. Clary/AFP via Getty Images)
President Biden has a busy Friday. The president commented on the good jobs report before heading to Philadelphia, where he discussed efforts to replace lead pipes and delivered a powerful speech at a meeting of the Democratic National Committee. Things to see this weekend:
- Biden will go to Camp David on Saturday. He will return to Washington on Monday.
- The Chinese spy balloon is expected to continue flying over the United States for the next few days. The Pentagon has repeatedly said that the ball did not pose a threat to anyone on the ground.
- First Lady Jill Biden visits the Stephen A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at the San Diego Veterans Village. He will host a panel discussion with military family members.
- We will return home on Monday. The Senate, which finally formed the commissions, returns on Tuesday.
6:59 p.m.: On our radar: Nikki Haley, Tim Scott and others coming to Iowa, SC for 'preseason' in 2024
© Bridget Bennett/Bloomberg Nikki Haley Photography: Bridget Bennett/Bloomberg
Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley plans to launch her presidential campaign in less than two weeks at an event in Charleston, South Carolina. Senator Tim Scott (RSC) will begin a "listening tour" of the same city before following Haley to Iowa, where former Vice President Mike Pence will be in Charleston next week.
And Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will begin touring the country after the release of his memoir, headlining Republican dinners in Houston and Dallas. "Platinum Sponsors" who pledge $50,000 will receive photos and tickets to the event. Save VIP
The race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination is on, and former President Donald Trump will face his first official challenger as many Republicans enter the race and win big, Hannah Knowles and Dylan Wells report. Visible actions for campaigns.
In this new, more active chapter, candidates who have quietly laid the groundwork in recent months are using the rest of the winter and then the spring to organize party fundraising tours, delivering their message to officials and activists. . In large states. …
Many of the Republican candidates are in no hurry to formalize their campaigns and become Trump's main target. In recent days, the former president has stepped up his attacks on other possible candidates, Haley, DeSantis and Virginia Gov. Glenn Young…
"We're in the early stages of the race," said Dave Koschel, chief campaign strategist for Jeb Bush's 2016 presidential campaign. We are working.
Some candidates have to wait months for official announcements, prepare behind the scenes and travel without the weight of an official campaign. The likely Republican field includes several incumbents who may wait until the end of this spring's legislative session to announce their candidacies.
Learn more about these strategies.
6:47 p.m.: Latest: At the DNC, Biden again says Democrats need to win back the blue-collar vote.
© Elizabeth Franz/Reuters President Biden attends the 2023 Winter Meeting of the Democratic National Committee in Philadelphia on Friday. (Reuters/Elizabeth Franz)
Speaking at the 2023 Democratic National Committee Winter Meeting in Philadelphia, President Biden delivered his most critical and scathing criticism of Republicans ahead of the 2024 re-election campaign.
"Four more years!" Biden, who took the stage, said that Democrats should prioritize returning votes to blue-collar workers. The President gave a similar warning in his recent speech.
"They think we've forgotten about them, they think we don't care if they come back," Biden said. "Many of them are now beginning to believe that we don't care about the working class as much as we used to." Many believed that the Democratic Party no longer cared, and many still do today. ."
Biden said the best way to win back those voters and protect the Democratic base is to continue working to improve the American economy. He has particularly targeted Republicans for their efforts to negotiate the debt ceiling, which Democrats say should be lifted without a protracted war. Republicans have blocked the debt ceiling three times during the Donald Trump administration without negotiating.
"I know the Republicans were hoping for inflation in the last election," Biden said. "I didn't know they were trying to make it worse."
Biden also criticized Republicans for some caucus members' proposals, including proposals to "abolish the IRS and replace it with a 30% national sales tax" and cut funding for Social Security and Health Insurance.
5:25 p.m.: The latest: A longtime Biden aide during the classified documents scandal
© Manuel Bayles Senate/AP. President Biden's former facility, the Penn Biden Center, is a building located at Constitution and NW Louisiana streets .
Joe Biden has only been in the vice president's office for a few days, and his aides are struggling to clear out eight years' worth of belongings. There were books and speeches, letters and photographs. They were gifts given to him during his two presidential terms, as well as information books collected during his many trips abroad.
Most of the work is handled by Cathy Chung, who serves as executive assistant and vice president and is an integral part of his personal and political family.
As Matt Viser, Carol D. Leonnig and Tyler Pager report, in recent days he has been walking around his small White House office, emptying drawers, closets and cabinets, preparing to hand off staff and policies throughout the administration. Funded transition office.
As our colleagues wrote:
A person familiar with the report on the move said they would not be named to disclose personal information. The labels on the boxes and folders didn't say what top secret content might be hidden, instead bearing titles like "JRB Personal," "Cancer Moonshot," and "Pope's Visit."
These boxes will be moved twice before arriving at the Penn Biden Center in Washington, D.C. in 2018. Now, confidential documents have been discovered in the boxes and are being investigated by a special prosecutor.
Chung, one of the most important figures for investigators trying to understand the path to classified documents, was questioned by federal agents last month. Although he claimed no knowledge at the time, he privately expressed concern that he was partially responsible for the unplanned distribution of the packaged items.
Learn more about Chung.
4:59 p.m.: On the radar: Biden will travel to Wisconsin, Florida after the State of the Union
©Jess Rapfogel/AP President Biden waves Friday as he boards Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, en route to Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Jess Rapfogel)
President Biden will travel to Wisconsin and Florida after his State of the Union address on Tuesday.
The trips are part of what the White House calls a nationwide "war." In this war, Bain, Vice President Harris and members of the president's cabinet "will show how the president's plan will create jobs, rebuild our infrastructure, reduce family costs, invest in us, and often fall behind." Helping families.
On Wednesday, Biden will visit Madison, Wisconsin, where he will unveil his 2020 Democratic battleground economic plan. Safety. and Medicare, two programs that some Republicans have designed to cut costs.
The White House has not yet announced which cities the other members of the administration will go to. Biden's visit in 2016 He is preparing to announce his plans for the 2024 presidential election.
16:50: Analysis: The problem with Trump's early election
One of former President Donald Trump's most tried and tested political tactics is to blame his opponents for being weak on this front, regardless of actual evidence. As Aaron Blake points out, it repeats itself over and over in hopes of covering things up.
Just this week, he criticized Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) for his coronavirus restrictions, even though the state has adopted less restrictive policies in response to the outbreak in the state. Avoid "real" accidents. Trump is doing this because drug overdose deaths under Biden increased more slowly than during the Trump presidency and have actually decreased recently.
Later, another comment of Trump caught our attention. In an interview with Washington Post columnist Hugh Hewitt on Thursday, Trump continued to try to explain his problems with DeSantis.
Aaron:
"Ron DeSantis is behind me," Trump said. Every once in a while Fox does a fake election… but I'm going with New Hampshire. I'm making my first start in South Carolina. I have a startup in Iowa.
These latest claims are far from the truth. And they highlight an important aspect of the Republican Party's new 2024 campaign.
Indeed, these early state polls suggest Trump's standing in the 2024 primary could be worse than national polls suggest. Because Republicans in key states are also eager to advance.
Trump, by the way, has a double-digit lead nationally in a crowded field, while DeSantis has a close race that has cut the race to just two in some cases. (Collaterals vary by who enters this crowded field, but typically include former Vice President Mike Pence and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, among others.) …
We still don't have a high-quality nonpartisan poll in Iowa. But polls from a pair of Republican super PACs showed the two in a nearly crowded field, with DeSantis leading Trump by 11 points. . … The same two polls in New Hampshire showed similar results. But we also have a more recent poll from the University of New Hampshire that shows DeSantis leading even in a crowded field by 12 points.
Read more about this preliminary study here.
3:59 PM: Latest: Biden seeks job report on Philly visit
© Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/ AFP/Getty Images President Biden spoke Friday at the Belmont Aquatics Center in Philadelphia about advancing his administration's economic agenda.
The Philadelphia Eagles weren't just bound for the Super Bowl.
After touting the loyalty of the football team and first lady Jill Biden, President Biden brought up the jobs report during a visit to Philadelphia, saying the economy had enjoyed two years of the "strongest" growth in the nation's history.
Biden, who is in Philadelphia to discuss efforts to replace lead pipes, began his speech by saying the labor market beat expectations in January, adding 517,000 jobs to the economy.
"We've created 12 million jobs since we took office," Biden said. "I want to thank the members of Congress who supported this … initiative."
These new jobs, Biden said, "will honor these families."
"Because there's nothing worse than not being able to provide for your family as a mom or a dad," Biden said. "And it makes people think more about themselves."
3:47: Note: Paul Ryan says he won't support Trump if he's the Republican nominee in 2024.
© Evan Vucci/AP Rep . Paul D. Ryan (R-Wisconsin) has completed his term as President Donald Trump's House Republican leader.
Former Speaker of the House Paul D. Ryan (R-Wisconsin) said he would not support former President Donald Trump if he were to run for president in 2024.
Trump said in 2016, "There are a lot of people in the Republican Party who don't support me as much as I do. I think he's going to be the nominee, and that's why he's not nominated." He should be the Republican nominee in 2024, he told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
"Everybody knows that if we re-elect this guy, we're going to lose the election," Ryan said.
Ryan's comments come a day after Trump said in 2016 that he would not pledge to support the Republican nominee, casting doubt on Republicans' hopes of retaking the White House in 2024.
"It's time for the Republican Party to redefine itself," said the former House speaker.
"And the question is whether it will be redefined around identity or principles and ideas."
2:18 PM: Watch: House introduces Geop Santos on Follow Friday
George Santos (D-N.Y.), who admitted to lying about key parts of his administration, faces multiple investigations and subpoenas and no longer serves on House committees.
However, the House Republican Conference chose Friday to announce it on Twitter.
Santos was one of several Republicans who appeared on "Follow Friday" to monitor members' Twitter accounts.
2:01 pm: Note: A top executive has been hired for a top federal job despite a previous sexual harassment investigation.
© Sarah Silbiger/The Washington Post Scenes outside the United States Office of Personnel Management in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Sarah Silbiger for The Washington Post)
The agency that sets personnel and employment policy for the federal government last year hired two female subordinates as senior executives who were accused of sexually assaulting them.
Frederick Tomber III, who was hired in October as second in command of the Personnel Administration's Retirement Services Division, will retire in 2018, The Post's Lisa Rayne reports. A 2015 internal investigation led to the resignation of Louisiana Housing Corp.'s CEO, according to the state agency. According to an investigative report obtained by the Post, the findings were troubling to the women. Louisiana state officials said the state paid $89,500 to one of the plaintiffs after filing a lawsuit. To Lisa:
After OPM employees raised concerns about Tombari's hiring, senior agency officials concluded she should not have contact only with female colleagues, according to two people familiar with the decision, who spoke on condition of anonymity to speak publicly about agency work. .
OPM declined to comment on the creation of the policy or Tombar's role. "We do not comment on individual cases at this time, but OPM is deeply committed to workplace safety and continually evaluates work processes to identify opportunities for improvement, and is doing so now," said Communications Director Erica Knutty.
53-year-old Tombar refused to comment. His spokesman at the time denied the allegations, calling them "baseless" and said he resigned from the Louisiana housing agency "to protect his family from public ridicule and fraud, but not as proof of his guilt." There is no honor."
You can read Lisa's full story here.
1:30 p.m.: Spotted: From burgers to pretzels, Biden turns to branding to boost everyone's image
© Official White House photo by Adam Schultz President Biden and Vice President Harris dine at Ghostburger in DC's Shaw neighborhood in January.
Cameras were rolling in the Oval Office last month when President Biden called Ghostburger's hotline with bright pink decor after the 2020 outbreak. . .
Ghostburger was quick to highlight Biden's order on its social media pages, and for good reason. Ghostburger co-owner Josh Phillips said two weeks after the president's order, “Our sales are up to 100%. "People came to ask the same thing that Biden asked."
According to Toluse Olonipara of the post, Biden approached his role as the ultimate consumer by eating Jenny's ice cream, wearing Ray-Ban sunglasses, test driving electric vehicles and telling stories about his 1967 Corvette convertible.
Traveling across the country, he stops at local taco shops and ice cream parlors to eat, take photos and chat with the staff. Days after Biden's 2021 campaign began, the motorcade crew called his mother crazy, a Washington handbag store founded by future chief of staff Jeff Zientes.
Many presidents have been willing to support small entertainment companies, showing their common ground and sometimes emphasizing political pressure. President Barack Obama ate at Kenny's BBQ Smokehouse on Capitol Hill. President George W. Bush dined at the Beijing Gourmet Inn, a small mall outside Washington, where his father also frequented.
But few have embraced diners and ice cream parlors or, like Biden, have made a habit of regularly visiting local shops and boutiques.
You can read the full story here.
1:06 p.m.: On our radar: Pence will return to South Carolina on Monday
© Scott McIntyre/The Washington Post Former Vice President Mike Pence answered questions from reporters during his visit to Florida International University in Miami on January 27.
Former Vice President Mike Pence plans to travel to the first presidential state of South Carolina on Monday. It's a journey to compete in 2024.
Pence is planning two stops with law enforcement officials in North Charleston "during a new call to compensate police" and for a "meet and greet" with business leaders in North Charleston and citizens in Myrtle Beach.
Pence is not alone in killing default states.
э. Former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, who plans to announce her presidential campaign at an event in South Carolina on February 15, will next travel to New Hampshire and Iowa, post Dylan Wells.
The trip to Iowa comes in the same week that another candidate, Sen. Tim Scott (R-C), stops in Des Moines on his "Faith in America" tour. The day after Haley's speech, Scott plans an event in South Carolina.
12:30 p.m.: The latest: The Biden administration has announced tough new school nutrition standards
© Chet Strange/The Washington Post Students eat lunch at Palmer Lake Elementary School in Monument, Colorado, Monday, February 28, 2022.
The Biden administration announced strict nutrition standards for school meals on Friday, boosting efforts to improve the health of millions of public school students from childhood obesity and other obesity-related illnesses.
The Post's Laura Reilly reports that the new rules, which will be phased in over the next few years, will limit added sugar, including sweetened milk. The rules also reduce sodium content and emphasize products that are mostly whole grains. to laura:-
The new guidelines are part of the National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition and Health, which was released in September and is designed to prevent the continuing and worsening problem of childhood obesity.
Childhood obesity rates have tripled over the past three decades. About 1 in 5 children and adolescents are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This represents approximately 14.7 million children, or nearly 20% of those between the ages of 2 and 19.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, it is one of the most common chronic childhood diseases, tied with high blood pressure, sleep apnea, diabetes, fatty liver disease and depression.
You can read the full story here.
12:22: Latest: Rep. Sports said she will not run for the Senate or return to the House.
Candidate Victoria Sports (R-Ind.) watches as she continues to vote for the third day of speakership at the U.S. Capitol meeting in Washington, D.C., Jan. 5 (Matthew McClain/The (Washington Post)
Rep. Victoria Sports (R-Ind.), who has been considering a Senate run next year, announced Friday that she will not run in that race or seek re-election to the House.
In his statement, Spartz stated that he has been in elected office for seven years, including the Indiana Senate and Congress.
"I have won many hard battles for the people and I will work hard to win more in the next two years," he said. "But being a working mom is hard and I have to spend a lot of time at home with my two high school daughters, so I'm not competing for any jobs in 2024."
э. Sparts, who came to Congress in 2021, was born in Ukraine and has been an outspoken supporter of US aid to the country since the Russian invasion nearly a year ago.
э. He considered running for the Republican nomination to replace Sen. Mike Brown (R-Ind.), who is set to run for governor of Indiana in 2024.
የፕሬዚዳንት ዶናልድ ትራምፕ ጠንካራ አጋር የሆኑት ተወካይ ጂም ባንክስ (አር-ኢንድ) ባለፈው ወር ለሴኔት መወዳደራቸውን አስታውቀዋል። ሌላው እጩ ተወዳዳሪ የነበረው የኢንዲያና ገዥው ሚች ዳኒልስ በዚህ ሳምንት እንደማይወዳደር አስታውቆ ባንኮችን ግንባር ቀደም አድርጎታል።
11:59 am: በእኛ ራዳር ላይ: ሪፐብሊካኖች በድህረ-ሮ ገነት ግዛቶች ውስጥ የውርጃ መዳረሻን ለማጥፋት ዓላማ አላቸው.
© አሊሰን ጆይስ/ጌቲ ምስሎች ሰዎች የጠቅላይ ፍርድ ቤት ውሳኔን በዶብስ ቪ. የጃክሰን የሴቶች ጤና ሰኔ 24፣ 2022 በራሌይ፣ ሰሜን ካሮላይና ውስጥ።
ከሮ ቪ ውድቀት በኋላ ባሉት ወራት. ዋድ ፣ ሰሜን ካሮላይና፣ በየትኛውም ግዛት ከፍተኛውን የፅንስ ማቋረጥ እድገት አሳይታለች፡ ቁጥሮቹ በአንፃራዊነት በሚፈቅደው ህግ እና በዲሞክራቲክ ገዥ ሪፐብሊካን የሚመራው የህግ አውጭ አካል የፀረ ውርጃ እርምጃዎችን እንዳያልፍ ለመከላከል ቃል የገባ ነው።
ነገር ግን በቅርብ ሳምንታት ውስጥ በራሌ ውስጥ ጠንካራ አራማጆች የወደፊቱን ቬቶ ለመሻር እና በስድስት ሳምንታት እርግዝና ላይ ፅንስ ማስወረድን ለመከልከል እቅድ አውጥተዋል ሲሉ የፖስታውን ካሮላይን ኪቺነር እና ራቸል ሩበይን ጻፉ። እንደ ባልደረቦቻችን አባባል፡-
ኔ ቀንደሬ ተ përpjekjeve janë një pjesë e vogël eligjvënësve demokratë me një histori votimi për legjislacionin kundër abortit dhe te cilët ታኒ mund t'i japin GOP-së votaför nërër përër dërër dërër. አይ ግሩፕ፣ አይ ሲሊ ፔርፍሺን ዲ ፓስተር ቴ ቂሻዌ ባፕቲስት ክርእሥት ዘዛኬ፣ ፖ ፐርባሌት ሜ ፕረሲዮንን ጰዲያ ፓልት።
"ኡነ ሽትሪሄም ሜ ተ፣ ዝገጆመ ሜ ተ" ታ ዴፑቲ ኢ ሸቴቲት ዴሞክራት ጋርላንድ ፒርስ፣ i ሲሊ ድረጅቶን ኮንግሬጋሲዮኒን ኒ ኪሽን ባፕቲስት ሚሺናሬ ብራይት ሆፕዌል እና ላውሪንበርግ፣ ኤንሲ። ዱከም በረር ግጄነ ኢ ድሁር።
ፐርቦልጃ ኔ ካሮሊነን ኢ ቬሪዩት ፓስቅይሮን ፔርፕጄክጄ ቴ ንግጃሽሜ ጶጶ ዥቪሎሄን ኒ ዲሳ ሽቴቴ ኮንሰርቫቶሬ ከ ጃን በርሬ ዴስቲናሲዮኔ ፔር ኩጅዴሲን ፓስ አቦርቲት ሮኤ። ነ ፍሎሪዳ ደ ነብራስካ – ku ligjet ende lejojne ቫzhdimin e shumicës dërrmuese te aborteve – konservatoret po bëjnë gjithashtu presion për ndalime gjashtë-javore, të cilat, së ቬርሺኩ ሜይ ቴሎ ሬይዛንይ ራይዛን ራይዛን ዪንጅሪ ዪንጅሊን ቲምብሪዛን ዪንጅሪ ዪንጅሊቲ ሜሪ ዪንጅሪ ዪንጅሪ ዪንጅሪ ዪንጅሪ ዪንጅሪ ዪንጃይቲን të abortit edhe një እዚህ።
ሂስቶሪን ኤ ፕላቴ ሙንድ ታ ሌክሶኒ ክቱ።
11፡37፡ አናሊዝ፡ ጂትሞኔ ዶ ከተከተ një prove lakmusi që Kevin McCarthy do të dështojë
© Jabin Botsford/Kryetari i Shtëpisë ከዋሽንግተን ፖስት ፣ ኬቨን ማካርቲ (አር-ካሊፎርኒ) ጋዜታርት ጋዜጠኛ እና ካፒቶል ሂል እና ዩሽንግተን እና ኢንጅተን።
Kryetari i Dhomës ስለ Përfaqësuesve፣ Kevin McCarthy (R-Kaliforni) është një መሪ i supozuar እና një partiqë bazohet እና ሬፉዚሚን እና udhëheqjes። Ai është ማኒፌስቲሚ i strukturës institucionale për një ኢንስቲትዩት që refuzon themeelimin እና vet. Ai është një anëtar i elitës së DC që përfaqëson një parti që urren disa grupe më energjikisht se elitat nga DC
Philip Bump i The Post vë në dukje se kur u pyet këtë javë nëse ai ishte dakord me karakterizimin e republikës Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) për vdekjen e Ashli Babbitt, një rebele e vrarë në Kapitol më 6 janar 2021, si një "vrasje ”, tha McCarthy se nuk e bëri. Sipas Filipit:
Ai tha se nuk e bëri sepse nuk do ta bënte, si dikush që padyshim e sheh skajin e djathtë të partisë si diçka të ndarë nga vetja, diçka për t'u menaxhuar.
McCarthy siguroi titullin e folësit duke kuptuar se si të ruante një kontroll si Spider-Man si në pjesën çuditërisht të vogël të grupit të tij që është tradicional dhe i përqendruar kryesisht në realitet, ashtu edhe në pjesën çuditërisht të madhe të grupit të tij që përqendrohet në konspiracion dhe në qendër. kryesisht në mospëlqimin e pjesës tjetër. Ai do të jetë gjithmonë më i suksesshëm në këtë detyrë të mundimshme kur nuk i kërkohet të zgjedhë mes dy palëve, pasi ai në përgjithësi do të jetë në anën e parë.
Dhe për shkak se gjithmonë do të ketë një provë nga skaji që ai thjesht nuk mund ta kalojë.
Analizën e plotë mund ta lexoni këtu.
11:15: Në radarin tonë: Bidenit do t'i bashkohet Penn udhëheqës. Demokratët në ngjarjen e Filadelfias
© Elizabeth Frantz/Për The Washington Post Senatori John Fetterman (D-Pa.), i parë këtu në Capitol Hill, është ndër demokratët që pritet t'i bashkohen Presidentit BIden në Filadelfia të premten.
Presidenti Biden do të rrethohet nga demokratët kryesorë nga Pensilvania të Premten, kur ai do të mbajë një ngjarje në Filadelfia, duke kërkuar 500 milionë dollarë financim për përmirësimin e ujit dhe heqjen e shërbimit të plumbit.
Sipas Shtëpisë së Bardhë, zyrtarët që do t'i bashkohen Bidenit në Impiantin e Trajtimit të Ujit në Belmont do të përfshijnë guvernatorin e Pensilvanisë Josh Shapiro (D), Sens. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) dhe Robert P. Casey Jr. (D-Pa.), Rep. Dwight Evans (D-Pa.) dhe kryetari i bashkisë së Filadelfias Jim Kenney (D).
Nënpresidenti Harris dhe administratori i Agjencisë për Mbrojtjen e Mjedisit Michael Regan po bëjnë gjithashtu udhëtimin.
Pas ngjarjes, Biden po shfaqet në një mbledhje fondesh për Komitetin Kombëtar Demokratik.
10:57: E fundit: Biden thotë "gjendja e ekonomisë sonë është e fortë"
© Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post Presidenti Biden jep komente në lidhje me raportin e punës në janar nga kompleksi i Shtëpisë së Bardhë në Uashington të premten.
President Biden said Friday that “the state of our economy is strong” as he pointed to data released Friday from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showing the labor market shattered expectations in January, with the economy adding 517,000 jobs and the unemployment rate dropping to 3.4 percent, a low not seen since May 1969.
Speaking from the White House complex, Biden chided pundits who have predicted that the US economy is headed toward a recession and counseled that the only way to slow inflation is by slowing job growth.
“Well, today's data makes crystal clear what I've always known in my gut: These critics and cynics are wrong,” Biden said.
He acknowledged that there could be “setbacks along the way” but said: “It's clear our plan is working because of the grit and resolve of the American worker.”
Biden declined to take any questions from reporters about the suspected Chinese spy balloon detected over the US mainland.
10:31 AM: This just in: Blinken postpones China trip after suspected spy balloon detected over US
The Pentagon said it was tracking a Chinese spy balloon flying high over the United States, reviving tensions between the two countries just days ahead of a rare visit to Beijing by the top US diplomat, on Feb. 2, 2023. (Photo by Chase DOAK / CHASE DOAK / AFP) (Photo by CHASE DOAK/CHASE DOAK/AFP via Getty Images)
President Biden postponed his top diplomat's first official trip to China on Friday in response to the Pentagon's discovery of an alleged Chinese spy balloon flying over the continental United States, said a US official familiar with the matter.
The Post's Cate Cadell, John Hudson and Yasmeen Abutaleb report that the decision came just hours before Secretary of State Antony Blinken was to depart for Beijing, the postponement a dramatic indication of how seriously the Biden administration takes the incident and wants to avoid appearing soft on China. Per our colleagues:
The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Since the outset of his presidency, Biden has been sensitive to Republican criticisms that he is insufficiently tough on China, although on the issue of canceling the trip, Republicans were divided on the matter. Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas called on the administration to cancel the trip, while House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (Calif.) demanded a Gang of Eight intelligence briefing from the president on the balloon. (The Gang of Eight is a colloquial term for a group of congressional leaders that receives briefings on sensitive intelligence matters.)
Republicans on the House Foreign Affairs Committee encouraged Blinken to use the trip to send a tough message to China regarding the suspected spy balloon. But US officials appeared to be concerned about the optics of a visit in light of the incursion, even though experts said the incident, even if an act of espionage, was unremarkable.
You can read the full story here.
10:20 AM: Analysis: Twitter curbs researcher access, sparking backlash in Washington
© Benjamin Fanjoy/AP Elon Musk departs a federal courthouse in San Francisco on Jan. 24.
Twitter's decision to restrict access to a key tool used to study the platform is sparking backlash from researchers and Democratic lawmakers, who say the move undercuts owner Elon Musk's pledges to boost transparency at the social network.
Writing in The Technology 202, The Post's Cristiano Lima says Twitter announced Thursday it will shutter the ability to freely access its API, or application programming interface, software tools that allow outside researchers and developers to collect and analyze data from a site. Instead, Twitter's development team tweeted, the company will begin charging for it, without specifying how much. Per Cristiano:
The decision will likely price out academics and journalists looking into Twitter's practices and the spread of harmful content on the platform, Democratic lawmakers said.
“This move will make it more difficult for researchers to access the information necessary to understand harms on Twitter, including misinformation, foreign influence operations and more,” said Rep. Lori Trahan (D-Mass.), who led a letter last year calling on Musk to pledge to keep Twitter data open to researchers, as we reported.
“We need more information, not less, about how social media companies like Twitter operate, and I'm concerned that this decision will cut down on important research in the public interest,” said Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), who has pushed for greater platform transparency.
You can read the full analysis here.
10:00 AM: Take a look: New McCarthy video includes images of Donald Trump Jr.
In a new video released by his office, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) recounts his first weeks on the job, characterizing them as good but acknowledging there will be setbacks along the way, as upbeat music plays in the background.
Among those included in the images that unfurl is Donald Trump Jr., the son of former president Donald Trump. McCarthy was recently interviewed by Trump Jr. for the show, “Triggered With Don Jr.,” on Rumble.
9:45 AM: The latest: Biden to speak on a more-robust-than-expected jobs report
© Robert F. Bukaty/AP The US unemployment rate dropped to 3.4 percent, according to data released Friday from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, reaching a new longtime low.
President Biden has added an event to his schedule Friday following a report showing that the labor market shattered expectations in January, as the economy added 517,000 jobs, despite tens of thousands of layoffs in the tech sector.
Biden is now scheduled to speak at 10:15 am at the White House on the report.
The Post's Lauren Kaori Gurley writes that the unemployment rate dropped to 3.4 percent, according to data released Friday from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, reaching a new longtime low. Per our colleague:
Job gains had been steadily dropping for months, but January's stunning job growth reflects a formidable labor market that continues to grow jobs, even amid fears of a looming recession.
The new year's spike in job growth raises new questions about the Federal Reserve's progress in curbing inflation by cooling down the economy. The central bank had announced Wednesday it was easing back on interest rate hikes, but the gangbusters job creation could complicate that decision.
You can read Lauren's full story here.
9:32 AM: Analysis: These three states could again shift the nation's abortion landscape
© Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post Mark McGregor of Marriottsville, Md., listens to speakers during the National March for Life in Washington on Jan. 20.
A showdown over abortion rights is brewing in three conservative-leaning states that have become destinations for the procedure in a post- Roe America.
Writing in The Health 202, The Post's Rachel Roubein relays that in North Carolina, pressure is building on a handful of Democratic legislators with a history of voting for antiabortion legislation. In Florida, a push for further restrictions could pit Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) against the Republican leader of the state Senate. And in Nebraska, the author of a bill to ban the majority of abortions is trying to shore up the support of just one more lawmaker. Per Rachel:
Taken together, the looming battles could dramatically reshape the national abortion landscape once again. Legal abortions increased in all three states after the Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to an abortion in June, ranging from a 10 percent jump in Florida to a 37 percent increase in North Carolina.
In recent weeks, conservatives in Raleigh, NC, have launched a plan to override a future veto from Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper and ban abortions as soon as fetal cardiac activity is detected, around six weeks. If they can win over just one Democrat, antiabortion leaders say they'll likely have the votes to replace the state's current 20-week limit.
But the unusual dynamics of the state legislature were on full display this week. Every Democratic state lawmaker signed onto a bill that would codify Roe v. Wade into law, which leaders had intended to be a show of unity, though nobody expects it to pass in the GOP-dominated legislature.
You can read the full analysis here.
9:14 AM: The latest: Trump 'totally' disagrees with McCarthy on death of Jan. 6 rioter Babbitt
© Provided by The Washington Post
Former president Donald Trump said late Thursday that he “totally” disagrees with the assessment of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) that the Capitol Police officer who shot Ashli Babbitt during the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol “did his job.”
“I totally disagree with the Speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, his social media platform. “ASHLI BABBITT WAS MURDERED!!!”
McCarthy weighed in on the issue earlier Thursday when asked by a reporter if he agreed with a recent characterization by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) that Babbitt was “murdered” by a Capitol Police officer while she was trying to breach the doors near the House chamber on Jan. 6.
“I think the police officer did his job,” McCarthy said, without elaboration.
An internal investigation cleared the Capitol Police officer of any wrongdoing in the fatal shooting of Babbitt. The Justice Department also determined that the officer would not face criminal charges in the killing of the 35-year-old California woman.
In his post, Trump characterized the officer as a “Thug” and a “MISFIT.”
“He was not a hero but a COWARD, who wanted to show how tough he was,” Trump claimed.
McCarthy was initially critical of Trump after the insurrection but later visited him at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla. The two have at least outwardly enjoyed a close political relationship in recent months. Trump offered a spirited endorsement of McCarthy last month as he was struggling to round up the necessary Republican votes to become speaker.
You can read more about their disagreement here.
9:02 AM: Take a look: Rep. Clyde highlights his distribution of assault-rifle lapel pins
By his own acknowledgment, Rep. Andrew S. Clyde (R-Ga.) has dismayed Democrats in recent days by handing out lapel pins that depict an assault rifle — an exercise that comes in the wake of a spate of mass shootings.
Late Thursday, Clyde, who owns a gun store, tweeted a video about his efforts.
“I hear that this little pin that I've been giving out on the House floor has been triggering some of my Democratic colleagues,” he said. “Well, I give it out to remind people of the Second Amendment of the Constitution and how important it is in preserving our liberties.”
Clyde closed by sharing that there are plenty of pins available for those who want to come by his office.
California's strict gun laws don't eliminate violence, but they have helped
8:27 AM: Analysis: Alaska lawmakers up pressure on Biden to approve huge oil project
© Sarah Silbiger/For The Washington Post Rep. Mary Peltola (D-Alaska), center, speaks to reporters at the Capitol in Washington on Sept. 15.
When the Interior Department on Wednesday released a key environmental assessment recommending approval of a huge oil project in Alaska, it set the stage for one of President Biden's most consequential climate decisions.
Writing in The Climate 202, The Post's Maxine Joselow says it also raised the political pressure on the administration, with an influential group of Alaska lawmakers lobbying the White House to approve the project in the coming weeks and leading environmental groups lobbying to kill it. Per Maxine:
Amid Biden's ambitious climate agenda, Alaska's congressional delegation might have some pull with the administration: Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R) is a key swing vote in the closely divided Senate, and Rep. Mary Peltola (D) received a call from Biden when she became the first Alaska Native elected to Congress.
In an interview Thursday, Peltola argued that ConocoPhillips's Willow project would provide crucial jobs and revenue for Alaska, a state whose struggling economy is heavily dependent on oil and gas.
The Alaska economy “has no growth,” Peltola said. “We're not in a slump. We're not in a ditch. We're in a crevasse. And it doesn't seem like there's any upswing.”
You can read the full analysis here.
7:55 AM: On our radar: Blinken goes to China amid deteriorating relations
© Debbie Hill/Pool/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks the media in Jerusalem on Jan. 30.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken leaves for China on Friday amid deteriorating relations between the two world powers that some officials fear could eventually lead to war.
Writing in The Early 202, The Post's Theodoric Meyer and Leigh Ann Caldwell say that Blinken, the first Cabinet member to visit the country since President Biden took office, is expected to sit down with several senior Chinese officials, including Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Per our colleagues:
The two-day trip is an effort — shepherded by Biden and Xi at November's Group of 20 summit — to stabilize relations between the two countries.
But the discovery of a Chinese surveillance balloon over the United States raises the stakes of the trip. On Wednesday, the balloon was spotted over Billings, Mont., which is home to several US nuclear missile silos, NBC News first reported. …
Top defense and military leaders, including Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, met on Wednesday to discuss their response options but decided against shooting the balloon out of the sky because falling debris could put people and property at risk…
The finding has incensed lawmakers, including House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) who called for a briefing of the “Gang of Eight.”
You can read The Early 202 in full here.
7:35 AM: Analysis: Clyburn says Democrats should compromise on policing bill
© Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post Rep. James E. Clyburn (DS.C.) speaks on the House floor at the Capitol in Washington on Jan. 6.
Rep. James E. Clyburn (DS.C.), the No. 4 Democrat in the House, who stepped down last month as House majority whip, tells The Post's Theodoric Meyer and Leigh Ann Caldwell that Congress needs to get something done on police reform after the death of Tyre Nichols, who was beaten by police in Memphis. Here are a few highlights of what Clyburn had to say on that and other issues that first appeared in The Early 202, which you can read in full here.
On the outlook for passing police reform: “We came pretty close to getting the George Floyd [Justice in Policing] Act [passed in 2021]. I said at the time — I got in trouble for saying it — there's no perfect bill. There's no perfect bill. To keep trying to get the perfect piece of legislation rather than a good piece of legislation — I just don't know if that's a good thing to do. When we passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, it didn't have voting [rights protections] in it. It didn't have housing in it. It didn't even apply to the public sector. Then we got the '65 Voting Rights Act. Then we got the '68 fair housing law. Then we got the [Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972]. So I just think that we have got to make some progress. We may not get everything that we need or everything that we want in one fell swoop, but we need to get this done.”
On whether President Biden will run for reelection: “Let's just say it this way: I remain hopeful that he'll run again. I'm convinced that he should run again.”
On whether he will run for reelection: “ I give that consideration every day. And I'll sit down with my family to make that decision.”
7:20 AM: Noted: Confidence in police drops after Tyre Nichols beating, Post-ABC poll finds
Public confidence in police dropped after Tyre Nichols was fiercely beaten by officers in Memphis last month, with Americans increasingly doubtful that law enforcement officers are properly trained in using appropriate force or that they treat White and Black people equally, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.
The Post's Mark Berman and Scott Clement report that the increased skepticism about police appears to be fueled by declining trust on the part of White and Hispanic Americans, compared with just a few years ago. Per our colleagues:
For the first time since the Post-ABC poll began asking about the issue in 2014, just under half of White Americans say they are confident about police avoiding excessive force or racial bias. About two-thirds of Hispanic Americans lack confidence in police on both fronts.
The poll was conducted after police stopped Nichols, a 29-year-old FedEx employee, on Jan. 7 in Memphis and then brutally beat him. Nichols died three days later. The beating spawned local, state and federal investigations, and five officers involved were fired and charged with second-degree murder.
Overall, 39 percent of Americans say they are “very” or “somewhat” confident police are adequately trained to avoid using excessive force, and 60 percent believe police are not, according to the Post-ABC poll.
The drops in confidence are partly driven by changing views among Republicans and older Americans, both groups that have, historically, expressed greater faith in police than others. Among Republicans, 60 percent are confident police are adequately trained to avoid using excessive force. While that is a majority, it is down considerably from the 77 percent who felt that way in 2020. The level of confidence in police on this front remains lower among independents (39 percent) and Democrats (20 percent), also down over the past decade.
You can read the full story here.
7:00 AM: On our radar: Biden to continue focus on infrastructure with Philadelphia visit
© Bonnie Cash/Bloomberg News Vice President Harris meets with members of the Congressional Black Caucus in the Oval Office of the White House on Thursday.
On Friday, President Biden is making his third trip of the week — this one to Philadelphia — to highlight his administration's commitment to improving the nation's infrastructure.
After swings earlier in the week to Baltimore and New York focused on rail tunnels, Biden is heading to Philadelphia to highlight efforts to improve water infrastructure and replace lead pipes.
Appearing at a water treatment plant with Vice President Harris, Biden is expected to announce $500 million in new funding to upgrade water facilities and replace lead service lines. Some of the funding is coming from the bipartisan infrastructure law that Biden signed in 2021 — a legislative effort he touted in Baltimore and New York as well.
Replacing lead pipes has been a focus for Harris, who last week hosted a White House summit on the issue.
Biden and Harris are also both scheduled to appear later Friday at events hosted by the Democratic National Committee in Philadelphia.
6:45 AM: Noted: Republicans rally around conservatives who lost their elections
© David Blakeman for The Washington Post Kari Lake, former Republican nominee for Arizona governor, at a rally at the Orange Tree Golf Resort in Scottsdale, Ariz., on Sunday.
Donald Trump — the former Republican president who lost his 2020 reelection bid — spent last Saturday pinging between New Hampshire and South Carolina in his third effort for the White House.
Kari Lake — the former local news anchor who lost her 2022 Arizona gubernatorial bid — attended the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday in Washington as the guest of Rep. Paul A. Gosar (R-Ariz.) and is headed to Iowa later this month.
And Jair Bolsonaro — the former president of Brazil who lost his 2022 reelection bid — is scheduled to headline the conservative Turning Point USA's “Power to the People” event in Miami on Friday.
The Post's Ashley Parker writes that unlike in previous decades, when losing candidates largely slunk away, many Republicans have increasingly been celebrating political losers, with certain sections of the GOP base lionizing them as wronged warriors and avatars of legitimate grievances. Per Ashley:
Trump is the most obvious embodiment of the phenomenon — a man who lost both the electoral and popular vote to President Biden in 2020 and refused to accept the results of the election, yet has maintained a powerful, if waning, hold over his party.
Now, however, he has company in the likes of defeated far-right politicians Bolsonaro and Lake.
You can read Ashley's full story here.
6:27 AM: The latest: Justice Dept. and Pence discussing a consensual FBI search of his home
© Scott McIntyre/For The Washington Post Former vice president Mike Pence answers questions from reporters during a visit to Florida International University in Miami on Jan. 27.
Federal law enforcement officials are in discussions with former vice president Mike Pence's legal team to perform a consensual search of his Indiana home to ensure there are no additional classified materials on the property, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The Post's Perry Stein and Josh Dawsey report that an exact date for the search has not been set, the person said. The search follows revelations last week that the former vice president handed over to the FBI “a small number” of documents bearing classified markings that his lawyers discovered at his home. Per our colleagues:
Pence, a potential 2024 presidential candidate, is the latest politician to face scrutiny for potentially mishandling classified materials after leaving elected office. The Justice Department currently has two separate criminal probes into classified documents found at President Biden's and former president Donald Trump's personal properties. In Trump's case, the former president appears to have resisted government attempts to obtain official documents for months, including after a grand jury subpoena demanded the return of any material marked classified.
That led to an FBI search of Trump's Florida property in which agents recovered 300 documents marked as classified. So far, the specifics around the retention of documents found on Pence's property appear to be drastically different, with the former vice president's lawyers saying they are being forthcoming with law enforcement. Biden's lawyers have also said that they allowed law enforcement officials to search his properties.
You can read the full story here.
6:25 AM: Noted: What made George Santos lie so much? Experts weigh in on his deception.
Everyone lies. But very few lie quite like George Santos.
The Post's Roxanne Roberts writes that his lies are so breathtaking they shocked even the jaded denizens of Washington, who have a high tolerance for exaggeration and self-aggrandizement. Per Roxanne:
Who makes up nearly everything — and then runs for public office? The lies that launched a thousand memes have become a staple for late-night comics and pundits. Can you believe this guy?
Clearly not, but the spectacle of this train wreck risks reducing his dishonesty to a punchline, not a peril. Last week a revised Federal Election Commission filing revealed that Santos (RN.Y.) was not, in fact, the source for a $700,000 donation to his congressional campaign. His response? A night out in DC for karaoke and selfies.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) told reporters he had no plans to force the serial fabulist to resign because “the voters elected him to serve” (actually, his persona) and dismissed concerns about padding his résumé: “So did a lot of people here in the Senate and others” — as if all falsehoods are created equal.
You can read Roxanne's full piece here.