Today so far
Thanks for following along today.
- Joe Biden blamed Vladimir Putin and the invasion of Ukraine for inflation as he committed to sending more artillery to Ukraine.
- Biden took to the podium in New Hampshire to talk about the infrastructure law and its role in alleviating supply chain issues.
- Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told reporters that the US will deliver 18 Howitzers and 40,000 artillery rounds to Ukraine in the coming days. The US has also delivered “additional aircraft and the aircraft parts to help them get more more aircraft in the air”.
- White House press secretary Jen Psaki spoke out against the court ruling, by a Donald Trump-appointed judge, that struck down the federal mask mandate on public transportation.
Updated
The Associated Press is reporting that Joe Biden is launching a $6bn effort to bail out distressed nuclear power plants.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Biden launches $6B effort to bail out distressed nuclear power plants, in bid to boost carbon-free electricity.
— Matthew Daly (@MatthewDalyWDC) April 19, 2022
More from Pentagon spokesman John Kirby on the threat of Russia using nuclear weapons:
Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby on the potential threat of Russia using nuclear weapons:
— The Recount (@therecount) April 19, 2022
"It is not something that we ever take for granted. Even before Mr. Putin decided to invade Ukraine, it's the kind of thing that we're constantly monitoring." pic.twitter.com/jAOVHxyP2M
Updated
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby provided an update today on the military assistance that the US will deliver to Ukraine in the coming days.
Pentagon press briefing with spokesman John Kirby🧵:
— Caitlin Doornbos (@CaitlinDoornbos) April 19, 2022
-"In a matter of days," the U.S. will deliver the 18 Howitzers and 40,000 artillery rounds promised to Ukraine last week.
"It's really just a matter now of getting them packaged up and getting them on the way."
A small number of Ukraine military will be trained by U.S. on how to operate Howitzers; that will happen in Europe. @PentagonPresSec says that training will happen soon but has not yet started #UkraineRussiaWar
— Mary Walsh (@CBSWalsh) April 19, 2022
NEW: @PentagonPresSec said just now Ukraine "have received additional aircraft and the aircraft parts to help them get more more aircraft in the air" recently
— Paul McLeary (@paulmcleary) April 19, 2022
Pentagon spokesman continues that the US has helped w/ the "shipment of some additional spare parts that has helped with their aircraft needs, but we have not transported whole aircraft" for Ukraine
— Paul McLeary (@paulmcleary) April 19, 2022
Updated
Biden: Vladimir Putin is causing inflation
At the podium in New Hampshire to talk about infrastructure and supply chain issues, Joe Biden blamed Vladimir Putin for inflation.
Biden said there were two reasons why there’s a higher cost of living now, with the first being the Covid-19 pandemic and its disruptions to the supply chain.
“The second big reason for inflation is Vladimir Putin. Not a joke,” Biden said. “Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has driven up gas prices, food prices all over the world. Two major bread baskets for wheat in the world are Ukraine and Russia. The United States is no. 3, Canada is no. 4. What we saw in the most recent inflation data is that last month, about 70% of the increase in inflation was a consequence of Putin’s price hike because of the impact on gas and energy prices.”
He continued: “I’m doing everything I can to bring down the price to address Putin’s price hike. That’s why I’m authorizing the release of 1m barrels per day for the next six months from our strategic petroleum reserves.”
Biden said today he got more than 30 countries to agree to release 60m additional barrels of petroleum a day on the market. “Now we have more than 240m barrels a day for the next six months,” he said. “That’s the largest collective reserve release in history. Nations coming together to help deny Putin the ability to weaponize energy resources against American families and families in Europe and around the world.”
This comes after Biden, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau pledged to send more artillery weaponry to Ukraine.
Updated
In his speech in New Hampshire, Joe Biden addressed the skyrocketing cost of living as it pertains to supply chain issues. “We know families are still struggling with higher prices,” Biden said. “Let’s be absolutely clear about why we have such high prices now. There are two reasons. First is Covid.”
He continued: “The way the global economy works is if a factory in Vietnam makes computer chips and shuts down in Vietnam because of a Covid outbreak, it causes a ripple effect to slow down manufacturing in Detroit where they need those semiconductors to build the automobiles. Because of the pandemic we had disruptions in our supply of important materials so prices went up.”
Cars alone accounted for one-third of all inflation in the US last year because “so few were being made”, Biden said. “Automobile companies couldn’t get the computer chips, the price of automobiles skyrocketed,” he said.
Biden said he was working with Congress to pass the bipartisan innovation bill to make sure more computer chips were manufactured in the US so that such shortages wouldn’t occur again in the future.
Joe Biden is now talking about the need to improve on bridges, talking about the Pittsburgh bridge that collapsed mere hours before he arrived in the city to talk about infrastructure.
“Had it now been a snow day before, there would have been a lot of school buses on that bridge. A lot of kids would have been killed,” he said. “Well guess what? It’s happening all over the country.”
This year, the Biden administration is allocating $45m to improve the bridges in New Hampshire, Biden said.
“The last fella who had this job kept talking about infrastructure week for four years. We have infrastructure decade. This is going on,” Biden said to loud cheers.
Joe Biden has taken to the podium in New Hampshire.
Biden is here to tout the $1tn infrastructure law and how it has benefited ports like Portsmouth Harbor, which received $1.7m from the law to dredge the harbor’s shipping channel and basin.
“All in, this port supports over 2,300 jobs,” Biden said. “That’s $275m to this region’s economy and that’s not even counting the more than 6,000 civilian contractors in jobs over here in the navy yard. Jobs in Maine, New Hampshire and all around the region. This port has more potential than that.”
In total, $17bn of the law will go to toward upgrading port facilities.
“Until recently, the area the harbor called the turning basin was only 800 feet long and often meant that pilots had to turn around a 765-foot ship at 800 feet,” Biden said. “I call that tough parallel parking. But seriously, that meant that to be safe, some ships could only come in or sail out at high tide. They could only sail at night, or they couldn’t sail with too much wind because they’d get knocked off course.
Biden continued: “Here’s why that matters. When you keep a ship in dock after the cargo has been delivered, it can cost $90,000 a day that the ship is in port. Those costs get passed on to you, the consumer, whatever it happens to be. It’s been a problem for decades.”
With an $18m investment from the navy corps of engineers, the turning basin is now 1200 feet. “Now it’s easier, faster and safer for ships to get in and out, and the port can welcome larger ships in and out,” Biden said.
“Instead of turning away business, we’re sending a message: this port is open for business and it will be for a long time,” he said.
Updated
The vice-president, Kamala Harris, will officiate at the wedding next month of Michelle Lujan Grisham, the Democratic governor of New Mexico.
Lujan Grisham will marry Manny Cordova, her partner of about 10 years, on 21 May in Washington DC.
A statement said: “We’re delighted to celebrate our wedding in front of family and close friends. Like so many New Mexicans, we’ve postponed family celebrations over the past two years during this pandemic. We feel fortunate to be with our loved ones in celebration of our marriage.”
As the Associated Press reports, “both Lujan Grisham and Cordova were previously married and have adult children and grandchildren. Lujan Grisham was married to her first husband, Gregory Grisham, for more than 20 years until his death in 2004. The son of ranchers, Cordova grew up in a rural community south of Albuquerque. He owns an auto repair shop in Santa Fe.”
The White House required everyone to wear a mask on the first flight on Air Force One following the overturning the mask mandate. When asked about it, however, Joe Biden had a different answer:
Biden, asked if Americans should wear masks on planes following a Monday ruling overturning his administration's mask order on mass transit, tells reporters in Portsmouth, NH, "That's up to them."
— DJ Judd (@DJJudd) April 19, 2022
Ask in a follow up if he'll appeal, he says, "I haven’t spoken to the CDC yet." pic.twitter.com/Ta4ZcVrRoP
Top leaders in the Oath Keepers militia group indicted on seditious conspiracy charges over the Capitol attack had contacts with the Proud Boys and a figure in the Stop the Steal movement and may also have been in touch with the Republican congressman Ronny Jackson, newly released text messages show.
The texts – which indicate the apparent ease with which Oath Keepers messaged Proud Boys – could strengthen a theory being explored by the House January 6 committee and the US justice department: that the Capitol attack included a coordinated assault.
Full story:
Jen Psaki attacked yesterday’s court ruling, by a Donald Trump-appointed judge, that struck down the federal mask mandate on public transportation:
Public health decisions shouldn’t be made by the courts. They should be made by public health experts. We’ve said from the start that our Covid response should be guided by the science and data and by experts.
She added that an appeal to the ruling, made by Florida district court judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle was possible, but that it was a decision for the justice department and would probably take a few days.
Agencies are reviewing next steps, including the department of justice. Traditionally, following a court decision, that can take a couple of days.
Psaki denied that the White House had been “undercut” by the ruling, or that the decision had “confused” the public, as health officials were still recommending that masks be worn while traveling:
We are here to alleviate their confusion. So the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] continues to advise and recommend masks on airplanes. We’re abiding by the CDC recommendations. The president is and we would advise all Americans to do that.
The “gaggle” ended abruptly as Air Force One descended to land at Portsmouth airport, New Hampshire.
Updated
White House: Biden and allies 'affirm support for Ukraine' in video call
Talking of Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary is hosting a “gaggle” for reporters aboard Air Force One as Joe Biden heads for New Hampshire.
She opened by announcing that the US president and allies discussed joint efforts to hold Russia accountable for its invasion of Ukraine:
The president convened the video conference to discuss their ongoing efforts to support Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. The leaders reiterated their commitment to continue providing security, economic and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine in its time of need. The leaders affirmed their solidarity with the Ukrainian people and condemned the humanitarian suffering caused by Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified invasion.
They also discuss their respective diplomatic engagements and their coordinated efforts to continue to impose severe economic costs to hold Russia accountable. They agreed to continue to closely coordinate their efforts including working with and through the G7, EU and Nato.
The White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, broke down in tears during an interview in which she condemned the “cruelty” of a wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation sweeping through Republican states.
Known for her toughness at the briefing room podium, Psaki showed a more emotional side during the discussion with Jessica Yellin, host of the News Not Noise podcast released on Tuesday, Mediaite reported.
“They’re doing that in a way that is harsh and cruel to a community of kids, especially,” Psaki said, in tears, after Yellin asked her to “make sense” of the Republican push for legislation that marginalises the LBGTQ+ community.
“I’m going to get emotional about this issue because it’s horrible. But it’s kids who are bullied, and all these leaders are taking steps to hurt them, and hurt their lives and hurt their families.
“And you look at some of these laws in these states and who’s going after parents, who are in loving relationships, who have kids. It’s completely outrageous. Sorry, this is an issue that makes me completely crazy.”
Analysts say the wave of legislation, including Florida’s so-called “don’t say gay” bill, is designed to provoke “gender grievance” among voters ahead of November’s midterm elections.
“What we’re talking about here in Florida, for example … if you have a kid in a classroom, and I have a kindergartner, I can imagine her saying, ‘My friend has two moms. My friend has two dads.’ Psaki said.
“And the teacher in her classroom, I would hope would say, ‘That’s wonderful. They’re loving parents, and you have a mom and a dad.’
“This is penalising teachers and educators. There are so many layers of this that are outrageous, and I hope people continue to educate themselves on this because it is a bad side of politics.”
Read more here:
Today so far
- Joe Biden started his day in the situation room with a secure video call with allies and partners about the situation in Ukraine. On the call were the leaders of Canada, the European Union, the European Commission, France, Italy, Germany, Japan, Nato, Poland, Romania and the United Kingdom.
- Biden is now heading to New Hampshire to talk infrastructure, and how the $1tn infrastructure law will help alleviate supply chain issues.
- Treasury secretary Janet Yellen told a panel today that Russia and its invasion of Ukraine has worsened the “already dire” food insecurity situation around the world.
- MSNBC analyst Malcolm Nance spoke about his decision to join the international legion in Ukraine and fight against Russian forces.
- An attempt to bar the far-right Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene from Congress over her support for the 6 January attack on the US Capitol can proceed, a federal judge said on Monday.
US military assistance to Ukraine now totalling at $2.6bn:
U.S. military assistance to Ukraine totaling $2.6 billion since Russia's invasion is the largest recent supply to a partner country in a conflict: senior U.S. defense official
— Jack Detsch (@JackDetsch) April 19, 2022
Biden administration planning to rescind Trump-era 'conscience rule'
Politico is reporting that the Biden administration is planning to rescind a Trump-era rule that allowed healthcare providers to avoid performing abortions or other medical services on religious or moral grounds.
Known as the “conscience rule”, this medical loophole never took effect after the department of health and human services announced its creation in 2018 because of litigation - a federal court blocked it in 2019 after states likes like California and New York, in addition to abortion providers, challenged it.
But the rule would have allowed the federal government to punish hospitals, clinics, universities and other healthcare providers that stopped healthcare workers from doing what their “conscience” dictated.
Some complicated factors taking place for Joe Biden and his trip to New Hampshire today:
Today’s @POTUS trip to New Hampshire is the first Air Force One flight since the ruling that effectively ended the mask mandate on public transit and planes. In a note to those traveling with the president, the White House says it will require masks…as the CDC still recommends.
— Tamara Keith (@tamarakeithNPR) April 19, 2022
A federal judge in Florida on Monday struck down Biden’s national mask mandate covering airplanes, airports and other public transportation, saying the rule exceeded the authority of US health officials in the coronavirus pandemic.
But now the overturned mandate leaves transport authorities in flux, as it’s now on them to determine whether to continue requiring mask-wearing or to end the practice.
Read more here:
Biden heads to New Hampshire to talk infrastructure
Joe Biden is heading to New Hampshire today in his second trip to the state as president.
He will be visiting Portsmouth Harbor, the state’s only deep water harbor, to speak on the $1tn infrastructure law and how it will alleviate the country’s supply chain issues.
According to the Associated Press, $1.7m of the infrastructure law will go to dredging Portsmouth Harbor’s shipping channel and basin - in total, $17bn of the law will go to toward upgrading port facilities.
Updated
Florida’s Republican governor Ron DeSantis, a possible presidential candidate, is ramping up his feud with Disney, demanding that a special legislative session this week terminates the theme park giant’s decades-old right to self-governance.
DeSantis and Disney have been at odds over Florida’s new “don’t say gay” bill, which prohibits classroom discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity.
After initial hesitancy, Disney, which prides itself on diversity and inclusiveness, issued a blistering statement condemning the law and promising to fight to overturn it.
DeSantis sees an opportunity for revenge by eliminating the Reedy Creek Improvement District, created by Florida legislators in 1967 to allow Disney to raise taxes and conduct operations autonomously.
Until today, DeSantis has expressed loose support for a proposal by loyal state congressman Spencer Roach to terminate Reedy Creek. But at a press conference this morning in the ultra-Republican central Florida retirement mecca of The Villages, which, ironically, operates under its own special purpose districts, the governor declared he was widening this week’s legislative session.
“Yes, they will be considering the congressional map, but they also will be considering termination of all special districts that were enacted in Florida prior to 1968, and that includes the Reedy Creek Improvement District,” he said.
The “don’t say gay” law is one of several culture war bills laws that Florida has advanced in recent weeks, including a 15-week abortion ban and the DeSantis endorsed Stop Woke Act that bans discussion of critical race theory (CRT) but which critics say eradicates discussion of important historical events.
This week, Florida education officials rejected 54 math textbooks they claimed promoted CRT.
Read more:
The Associated Press is reporting that the father of Alison Parker, a Virginia journalist fatally shot during a live broadcast in 2015, has conceded that he failed to make the ballot in the Democratic nomination contest for the fifth congressional district.
Andy Parker, who announced in January that he would seek to unseat incumbent Republican congressman and Donald Trump ally Bob Good, said in a statement Monday that he would instead be supporting Democratic nominee Josh Throneburg.
“I was looking forward to a spirited primary and campaign against Good this fall, but to my great disappointment our campaign did not meet the technical requirements to be on the primary ballot. I want to thank the thousands of Virginians and supporters across America who stood with me,” Parker said.
Since 24-year-old daughter Alison was killed on-air by a former colleague during an interview, Andy Parker has pushed for gun-control measures and battled with Facebook for allowing the video of his daughter’s slaying to circulate.
Alison Parker’s death also prompted her boyfriend, WDBJ anchor Chris Hurst, to enter politics. Hurst, a Democrat, quit his TV job in 2017 and served two terms in the house of delegates before being unseated by a Republican last November.
Yellen: Russian invasion of Ukraine has worsened global food insecurity
Russia’s war in Ukraine has worsened the “already dire” food insecurity situation around the world, treasury secretary Janet Yellen said today.
Reuters is reporting that the US treasury secretary told a panel that even before the war, 10% of the global population were suffering from chronic food insecurity - more than 800m people. Early estimates show that higher food prices from the Russian invasion could push at least 10m more people worldwide into poverty.
“I want to be clear: Russia’s actions are responsible for this,” Yellen said. She told the panel that countries should avoid export restrictions that could further increase prices while also acting to support vulnerable populations and smallholder farmers.
Yellen said the US was committed to authorizing essential humanitarian and ensuring the availability of food and agricultural commodities to benefit people around the world.
Over in the situation room, Joe Biden began his secure video call about the Russia-Ukraine war with allies and partners at 9:57am local time.
On the call were the leaders of Canada, the European Union, the European Commission, France, Italy, Germany, Japan, Nato, Poland, Romania and the United Kingdom.
President Biden's video call with allies and partners convened at 9:57 AM EDT, per WH. Joining are leaders of Canada, EU, EC, France, Italy, Germany, Japan, NATO, Poland, Romania and Britain.
— Steve Holland (@steveholland1) April 19, 2022
MSNBC analyst Malcolm Nance has announced that he has joined the international legion in Ukraine and is fighting the invading Russian forces.
I’m DONE talking. #JoinTheLegion #StopRussia #SlavaUkraini pic.twitter.com/ob3gL1cZ7P
— Malcolm Nance (@MalcolmNance) April 19, 2022
“As you know, I spent quite a bit of time here in the pre-war period. When the invasion happened, I had friends who were in Donetsk, who were in the Ukrainian army, who were writing us and telling us, ‘We are not going to survive tonight’,” he told MSNBC.
“The more I saw of the war going on, the more I thought, I’m done talking. It’s time to take action here. About a month ago, I joined the international legion here in Ukraine and I’m here to help this country fight what is essentially a war of extermination.”
.@MalcolmNance fighting in #Ukraine: "Let me say something to the president of the United States. Give them counter-battery long range artillery... Something that can out-range their artillery. If you do that, you stop the attacks on civilians." #TheReidOut pic.twitter.com/ffbBedBEgG
— The ReidOut (@thereidout) April 18, 2022
Updated
An attempt to bar the far-right Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene from Congress over her support for the January 6 attack can proceed, a federal judge said on Monday.
Citing “a whirlpool of colliding constitutional interests of public import”, Amy Totenberg of the northern district of Georgia sent the challenge on to a state hearing on Friday.
A coalition of liberal groups is behind the challenge against the congresswoman, citing the 14th amendment to the US constitution, passed after the civil war.
The amendment says: “No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath … to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”
Full story:
Joe Biden has told Barack Obama he will run for re-election in 2024, according to a Washington website, the Hill.
The site cited two anonymous sources. One was quoted as saying Biden “wants to run and he’s clearly letting everyone know”.
It was not clear when Biden told Obama his plans. But Obama visited the White House earlier this month, to celebrate the Affordable Care Act.
Introducing his host, Obama called him “Vice-President Biden”.
“That was a joke,” he said, to laughter.
According to books and reportage about the 2020 campaign, Obama doubted whether Biden could win.
Edward-Isaac Dovere, author of Battle for the Soul: Inside the Democrats’ Campaigns to Defeat Trump, reports: “Obama was doubtful about [Biden’s] prospects. He didn’t think Biden could be a disciplined enough candidate.”
Dovere also says Obama doubted Biden’s stamina for the race, was not sure he had the requisite “swagger” for an American president, and worried his vice-president had “trouble … connecting with crowds”.
But Dovere also quotes Jen Psaki, now Biden’s White House press secretary, as saying Obama “undervalued Biden’s political abilities because they had such different styles”.
Full story:
Biden to discuss Ukraine with allies and partners
Ahoy there, live blog readers. Let’s get started.
Joe Biden will kick off his day in the Situation Room at the White House, on a secure video call with allies and partners to discuss Ukraine and Russia.
This comes as Russian troops seized the city of Kreminna in east Ukraine, as the battle for the Donbas region begins. Reminder that we have a live updates on the conflict here on our Ukraine live blog.
After the secure video call, Biden will head to New Hampshire to talk infrastructure, a key part of Democratic messaging as midterm elections loom … and as polling continues to show worrying signs of a Republican takeover of Congress.
There is also a report out this morning that Biden has told Barack Obama he will run again in 2024.
There was also news overnight from Georgia, that a challenge seeking to bar Marjorie Taylor Greene from office can proceed.
Much more to come.
