Today's politics recap
- Joe Biden made a trip to New York to discuss his administration’s efforts to reduce violent crime and gun violence. “The answer is not to defund the police,” Biden said during a meeting at NYPD headquarters. “It’s to give you the tools, the training, the funding to be partners, to be protectors.” Ahead of Biden’s trip, the White House also outlined its plan to crack down on interstate gun-trafficking, which has led to the presence of more firearms in Northeast cities like New York.
- Some progressive activists have expressed fear that the White House’s efforts to reduce crime could encourage unjust policing tactics. “What we need from the President is a comprehensive plan to end gun violence and one that doesn’t rely on introducing even more violence by adding to bloated police departments,” said Alexis Confer, executive director of the gun control group March For Our Lives.
- US officials claim they have evidence of a Russian plan to make a “very graphic” fake video of a Ukrainian attack as a pretext for an invasion. “We don’t know definitively that this is the route they are going to take, but we know that this is an option under consideration,” the deputy national security adviser, Jonathan Finer, told MSNBC. The Pentagon’s spokesperson said the plan is believed to have the backing of the Kremlin.
- The US military carried out a special forces raid last night that resulted in the death of Islamic State leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi. In a speech this morning, Biden said that Qurayshi detonated a bomb, killing himself and several family members, to avoid being captured by US troops. “Last night’s operation took a major terrorist leader off the battlefield, and it sent a strong message to terrorists around the world: We will come after you and find you,” Biden said.
– Joan E Greve
A number of California politicians are facing scrutiny after posing for photos – sans-mask – with LA Lakers legend Magic Johnson.
Johnson posed with California governor Gavin Newsom, LA mayor Eric Garcetti and San Francisco mayor London Breed at the NFC championship game over the weekend.
Hanging out at SoFi Stadium today! pic.twitter.com/XfotiRLGz9
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) January 31, 2022
Public health rules require attendees of large-scale events to wear masks as California grapples with the Omicron variant-fueled surge in Covid-19 infections. Even as the number of new infections in the state taper down, public health experts recommend wearing face masks in indoor and crowded settings to slow the spread of the virus.
The SoFi Stadium, where the game took place this weekend, also requires attendees to keep their masks on unless they are eating or drinking.
Garcetti, who has been nominated to serve as the US ambassador to India, defended himself - asserting at a news conference: “When people ask for a photograph, I hold my breath.”
“There is a zero percent chance of infection from that,” he said.
Newsom meanwhile, said he had his mask on him - just off frame, and not on his face. “You’ll see in the photo that I did take ... in my left hand’s the mask,” he said at a news conference. “The rest of the time I wore it, as we all should.”
Updated
