Thread: President Joe Biden

Originally Posted by S Landreth

US President Joe Biden on Tuesday voiced confidence that he could beat his predecessor Donald Trump in a 2024 rematch — even as he acknowledged the country could sink back into recession under his leadership.

IMO neither Biden or trump will be running for president 2024.
But Biden will keep the possibility of a run as long as he can as not to be a lame duck, and trump to keep his fund raising for as long as possible to finance his legal difficulties.

Originally Posted by Buckaroo Banzai

IMO neither Biden or trump will be running for president 2024.

Money on that BB?

• Biden touts planned $4.4B battery plant in Ohio

President Biden on Tuesday touted the plans for Honda to build a joint-venture battery factory in Ohio, saying new investments are part of the backbone of his economic agenda.

“Just as my CHIPS and Science Act is spurring record investments in communities across the country, my Inflation Reduction Act is driving a manufacturing boom for electric vehicles. This has been the backbone of my economic plan: America is leading the world again, rebuilding our supply chains, infrastructure, and manufacturing here at home,” Biden said in a statement.

Honda will team up with LG Energy Solution of South Korea to build the $3.5 billion battery factory as a joint-venture southern Ohio. The factory is expected to employ 2,200 people.

Additionally, Honda announced it will invest $700 million and add 300 jobs to three of its Ohio factories so they can start manufacturing electric vehicles.

The president last month visited the groundbreaking of a new Intel factory in Ohio and also tied the investment directly to the CHIPS Act, which he signed into law last month to boost investments in semiconductor chips.

“As I said at the groundbreaking of Intel’s Ohio factory last month: it’s time to bury the label ‘Rust Belt,’ ” he said.

Biden last month suggested the area that includes the new Ohio factory should be called the “Silicon Heartland” instead of the “Rust Belt.”

_____________

• Biden Cracks Down On Misclassification Of Workers As Independent Contractors

The Biden administration introduced a new regulation Tuesday that would make it harder for employers to misclassify workers as “independent contractors” to avoid minimum wage and overtime laws.

The proposal from the White House would replace an earlier, more business-friendly rule created by the Trump administration that set looser guidelines around who could be considered a contractor in the workplace. Labor Department officials said the previous administration’s rule increased the likelihood of workers being exploited.

Employers often mislabel their workers as contractors in order to evade workplace laws or shift certain costs of employment onto workers. Gig companies like Uber and Lyft have been fighting misclassification lawsuits for years and have battled both state and federal officials over tighter regulations.

“While independent contractors have an important role in our economy, we have seen in many cases that employers misclassify their employees as independent contractors, particularly among our nation’s most vulnerable workers,” Labor Secretary Marty Walsh said in a statement.

The rule must undergo a public comment period before officials can finalize and implement it.

The proposal essentially articulates how the Labor Department views the independent contractor issue. It pertains only to the Fair Labor Standards Act, the New Deal-era law that created a federal minimum wage and ensured workers receive premium pay for working extra hours. It would not apply to other federal workplace laws or make it easier for workers labeled contractors to form unions.

But the new federal guidelines, if implemented, could make it easier for more workers to pursue complaints or lawsuits against their employers if they believe they’ve been shorted on their paychecks. It could also impact the way state and local officials craft legislation aimed at cracking down on misclassification.

Although the gig platforms may be the best-known users of independent contractors, the practice has been ingrained in the transportation and health care sectors for many years.

The Labor Department estimates that 22 million people are labeled as contractors. In the proposal, officials pointed to an assessment from the National Employment Law Project that anywhere from 10% to 30% of them are misclassified and should be considered employees. Workers of color are hurt more by the practice because of the industries where it’s most prevalent, like agriculture, construction and trucking.

Seema Nanda, the Labor Department’s solicitor, said on a call with reporters Tuesday that the Trump regulation had made it too easy to get away with misclassifying workers when it comes to the Fair Labor Standards Act.

Originally Posted by malmomike77

Money on that BB?

After having trump elector president (I thought he had an ice cube's chance in hell) , I would not bet money on anything concerning US politics where lately, anything could happen

Originally Posted by Buckaroo Banzai

I would not bet money on anything

good man, you've only just liquidated your house you want some time to enjoy the gain

• White House: Nearly $60B from infrastructure law sent to roads and bridges

The Biden administration on Tuesday announced it will invest nearly $60 billion from the bipartisan infrastructure law towards roads, bridges, tunnels, carbon emission reduction and safety improvements in all 50 states.

The Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) will release more than $59.9 billion in funding from the $1.2 trillion bill that the president signed into law nearly a year ago.

The law provided an increase of $15.4 billion towards infrastructure funding compared to funding in fiscal 2021.

“This is more than a $15 billion increase from the year before the bipartisan infrastructure law and what that ultimately adds up to is a lot more good projects that improve everyday life,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told reporters on Tuesday.

“Better roads and bridges mean that people are safer on the roads, people can save money on car repairs, and that we can all save time that is too often wasted,” he added.

Funding towards carbon reduction program, promoting resilient operations for cost-saving transportation, and a national electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure program is all new funding from the law.

Meanwhile, bridge program funding was increased by 391 percent over fiscal 2021 and Appalachian development highway system program funding was increased by 146 percent.

Buttigieg said that new investments can’t be “our grandparents’ idea of how to build infrastructure,” adding that funding will go to “reduce carbon emissions, to build a nationwide network of EV chargers along our highways, and to make our transportation systems more resilient to the extreme weather that climate change is hitting Americans all across the country.”

The more than $59.9 billion is appropriated to each state, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico. States that will receive the most include Texas, which will receive nearly $5.5 billion; New York, which will receive more than $2.7 billion; and California, which will receive more than $5.6 billion.

The announcement comes ahead of Buttigieg’s trip to Charleston, S.C., on Wednesday to tour local infrastructure and highlight infrastructure law investments with House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.).

____________

• A WWII training ground becomes Biden’s first national monument

President Biden traveled to Colorado on Wednesday and designated Camp Hale, a World War II-era training ground, as a new national monument, the first such designation of his presidency.

Why it matters: Camp Hale was the initial training ground for the 10th Mountain Division, the U.S. Army's first and only mountain infantry division. The division played a pivotal role in the liberation of Italy in WWII.

What they're saying: "“When you think about the national beauty of Colorado and the history of our nation, you find it here,” Biden said at Camp Hale on Wednesday before signing the the proclamation establishing Camp Hale — Continental Divide National Monument.

• "I'm honored to sign this proclamation to preserve this special part of our military history," Biden added. "This is the story of America the beautiful."
• "This action will honor our nation’s veterans, Indigenous people, and their legacy by protecting this Colorado landscape, while supporting jobs and America’s outdoor recreation economy," the White House said earlier Wednesday.
• It also said the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Interior would announce new protections for the Thompson Divide, a large swath of public lands within the White River National Forest.

Between the lines: Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet (D), who is facing an unexpectedly tight re-election race this November, has been a proponent of establishing Camp Hale as a national monument and protecting the Thompson Divide.

• He introduced legislation, the CORE Act, in the Senate last year that would have established the same designation and protections, but it has not moved forward.
• A similar bill passed the House last Congress but failed in the Senate.
• “You ensure that, years from now, we can bring our kids, grandkids here and tell them the story of the 10th Mountain Division and their contributions not only to Colorado but to humanity,” Bennet said of Biden's proclamation.

The big picture: At Camp Hale, the 10th Mountain Division received extensive winter and mountain warfare training, with soldiers learning how to rock climb, snowshoe and ski.

• The Camp Hale area was also a home and place of significance for Indigenous peoples like the Ute Tribes.
• The White House said the USDA and DOI would propose a 20-year hold on new mining claims and mineral leases on approximately 225,000 acres in the Thompson Divide area, which is home to wildlife habitat, recreation opportunities and grazing lands.

____________

• Biden hails UN general assembly vote condemning Russia annexations in Ukraine

The United Nations general assembly has overwhelmingly condemned Russia’s “attempted illegal annexation” of four Ukrainian regions, demanding that Moscow reverse course.

US president Joe Biden said the vote sent a “clear message” to Moscow. “The stakes of this conflict are clear to all, and the world has sent a clear message in response – Russia cannot erase a sovereign state from the map,” he said in a statement.

“Russia cannot change borders by force. Russia cannot seize another country’s territory as its own,” Biden said.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy said he was “grateful to 143 states that supported the historic UNGA [United Nations general assembly] resolution”, tweeting: “The world had its say – [Russia’s] attempt at annexation is worthless and will never be recognised by free nations.”

Three-quarters of the 193-member general assembly – or 143 countries – voted on Wednesday in favour of a resolution that called Moscow’s move illegal, deepening Russia’s international isolation.

Only four countries joined Russia in voting against the resolution – Syria, Nicaragua, North Korea and Belarus. Thirty-five countries abstained, including Russia’s strategic partner China, together with India, South Africa and Pakistan. The rest did not vote.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...ons-in-ukraine

Originally Posted by S Landreth

the American economy has created ten million jobs.

burger flipping or 'real' jobs?

Originally Posted by S Landreth

The United Nations general assembly has overwhelmingly condemned Russia’s “attempted illegal annexation” of four Ukrainian regions,

It's a strong vote condemning Russian actions but hardly 'overwhelming'. Still and all a vote for human dignity. It's hardly going to motivate Russia to change course. The abstentions are quite notable. India and China together represent the majority of life on the planet. The votes against are hardly surprising. It's not as though Putin could give a shithouse rat's ass.

As to the ascertation expressed by some on the thread claiming that Russia is 'going to get their ass handed to them on a plate' I would borrow from Churchill and say "some ass, some plate". One can only hope there are very high level discussions between the USA and Russian to avoid an accidental nuclear dust up.

Originally Posted by pickel

If the Raptors beat the Lakers 143-40, would you not consider that overwhelming?

give us all a break pickel.

Originally Posted by pickel

Do you try to be naiv

It's a gift.

Thanks for asking.



An yes. Your concerns are duly noted.

• Biden says Democrats will keep Georgia Senate seat

President Biden said Wednesday that he thinks Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock (Ga.) will hold on to his seat, while avoiding giving his reaction to the allegations against GOP candidate Herschel Walker that have roiled the race.

“Negative. And yes,” Biden told reporters when asked about Walker and if Democrats can hold the seat.

The president’s remarks were his first time weighing in on the Georgia race since the claims against Walker become public. The Daily Beast reported last week that Walker conceived a child with a woman he was dating in 2009 and encouraged her to get an abortion.

The outlet then reported that the same woman is also the mother of one of Walker’s children, and The New York Times has since reported that Walker pressed for a second abortion. The allegations follow previous claims of domestic abuse against the former football star.

Walker is a self-described “pro-life” candidate and has denied the allegations.

Georgia is a pivotal state for Democrats in November, and in 2020, Warnock won in a runoff to solidify Democrats’ majority in the Senate. Biden won the Peach State by nearly 12,000 votes, flipping a state that former President Trump won in 2016 by more than 100,000 votes.

Warnock this week narrowly pulled ahead of Walker, according to an Emerson College Polling-The Hill survey. The Democrat garnered 48 percent, compared to Walker’s 46 percent, which is a 4-point improvement for Warnock since August, when he was trailing Walker 44 percent to 46 percent.

Originally Posted by S Landreth

The Biden administration on Tuesday announced it will invest nearly $60 billion from the bipartisan infrastructure law towards roads, bridges, tunnels, carbon emission reduction and safety improvements in all 50 states.

that's a new rail crossing, a couple of high street refurbs and a road to a trailer park in each state paid for

^Little help. I don’t know if you’ve ever bid on a DOT project. But for the most part the DOT will contribute a certain amount of money. The largest chunk. The state will also contribute. Second largest chunk. And lastly, the local County will contribute.

The money the Biden administration is giving out is a lot of money, and will go a long way.


The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law contains the single largest dedicated investment in our transportation infrastructure since the construction of the Interstate Highway System in the 1950s and 1960s. In the last year alone, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding has already been used to help address long overdue needs in every State in the nation, including:

• The Bridge Formula Program supported repairs on over 2,400 bridges, including the I-270 bridge replacement over the Mississippi River in Illinois, the Dare County bridge replacement in North Carolina, and the I-65 bridge replacement over the Sepulga River in Alabama.
• The Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-Saving Transportation (PROTECT) Formula Program has funded over $200 million of projects in 21 States, including resilience improvements to the I-20 Wateree River Bridge in South Carolina to upgrade critical elements of the bridge and raising the elevation of Louisiana Highway 1 (LA 1) to make it more resilient to flooding during extreme weather events across the Gulf of Mexico.
• The Highway Safety Improvement Program supported improvements on over 5,300 projects, including a total of 155 roundabout projects throughout the country that will reduce the number of traffic conflict points; over 100 pedestrian and bicyclist safety improvement projects throughout Oregon; the implementation of 30 rectangular rapid flashing beacons in Arlington County, Virginia, to help pedestrians safely cross the street; and road safety audits along rural corridors in Tennessee to identify safety improvements needed to reduce fatalities and serious injuries.
• The National Highway Performance Program has funded more than 6,000 projects, including replacing a dangerous intersection on US-50 in Pueblo, Colorado with an interchange that improves safety and connectivity for bikers, pedestrians, motorists, and freight flows; resurfacing 13 miles of I-57 in Illinois and improving a rest area that includes truck parking; and constructs a new bridge, passing lanes and two-way left-turn lanes on California State Route 46.

Originally Posted by russellsimpson

It's a strong vote condemning Russian actions but hardly 'overwhelming'.

You are retarded.

^Just a few left

• Biden's busy SoCal tour continues with stops to address infrastructure, fundraising and to grab some tacos

President Joe Biden was in California, and visited a Metro subway construction site in West Los Angeles Thursday, touting federal investments in the nation's infrastructure and saying the dollars will support projects across the Southland, including transit improvements for LAX and the ports.

Overlooking the future Metro D (Purple) Line subway terminus near the West Los Angeles VA complex, Biden said the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was making funding available for critical projects locally.

"Every year, people take more than 22 million rides on your subways, your light rail and your buses," Biden told the crowd of dignitaries and workers. "It's how so many people get to work school and how tourists and locals explore this world-class city. But the transit system needs an upgrade, badly. You know that. You need to connect more neighborhoods, ease traffic congestion, air pollution, make it easier for people to get around to where they need to go.

"That's exactly what you're doing. That's exactly what you're doing. But it's being funded in part through this infrastructure law -- through local taxes and the infrastructure law. This project, the extension of the Metro Purple Line, it's gonna cover one of L.A.'s busiest areas and job centers."

Biden touted the project as dramatically cutting the time it will take to travel from downtown to West Los Angeles, adding more than 80,000 daily riders to the Metro system while taking 27,000 cars off the roads. He also said it would result in 124,000 fewer tons of carbon dioxide from being released into the air, and would save 14 million gallons of gas.

One-time Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard has said she is no longer a Democrat following long running speculation about her political allegiance.

The former Democrat senator said on Tuesday she was leaving the party she once attempted to represent as president – eventually being beaten by Joe Biden for the 2020 nomination.

Ms Gabbard issued a lengthy statement on Tuesday decrying what she has dubbed “an elitist cabal of warmongers driven by cowardly wokeness”, in remarks not dissimilar to Republican attack lines on Mr Biden.

Reasons cited by Ms Gabbard for her departure included the US president’s border policy and Democrat “ideology”, as well as so-called hostility “to people of faith & spirituality” as well as the alleged demonisation of “the police”.

Mr Biden, who is Catholic, has long expressed his support for law enforcement however – particularly in light of the attack on the US Capitol by Trump supporters on January 6.

Ms Gabbard continued by alleging that today’s Democrat party also worked to “weaponise the national security state to go after political opponents, and above all, dragging us ever closer to nuclear war”.

Those remarks were in apparent reference to Republican criticism of the Justice Department investigation into former US president Donald Trump for mishandling classified documents, and the US’s support of Ukraine against Russia.

Responding to the news on Twitter on Tuesday morning, many Democrats and political analysts expressed a lack of surprise over the former senator’s departure.

Ms Gabbard has long expressed criticism of Mr Biden and the Democratic Party as a whole, with the former presidential nominee calling his criticism of Republican attacks on democracy a form of “authoritarian” control designed “to intimidate those who oppose him politically into silence”.

Tulsi Gabbard says she’s no longer a Democrat

Obviously realised there's more money to be extracted from witless trumpanzees.

• Biden announces $725M in military assistance for Ukraine

President Biden announced a new $725 million defense drawdown to support Ukraine on Friday as Russia conducts a series of missile strikes throughout the country.

Biden announced the drawdown in a White House release, authorizing Secretary of State Antony Blinken to provide the money for equipment, military education and training.

The Biden administration had announced a $625 million security aid package earlier this month after Russia held four referendums to annex regions of Ukraine. Both the votes and Russia’s annexations have been condemned by the U.S. and its allies.

____________

• President Biden arrives in Portland for Oregon Democrats grassroots event

President Joe Biden is in Portland this weekend to fundraise for the Oregon Democrats and to promote his plans to lower health care and prescription drug costs for Americans, starting with Air Force One landing at Portland International Airport on Friday evening.

Greeting the president on the tarmac included U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, U.S. Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, Oregon Air National Guard Commander Brig. Gen. Donna Prigmore and Col. Todd A. Hofford, commander of the 142nd Air Wing.

After arriving in Portland, Biden’s next stop was at a grassroots volunteer event with the Oregon Democrats at the SEIU Local 49 in Portland as he promoted Tina Kotek, the Democratic nominee for governor facing a tight race.

Biden is expected to stay in Portland overnight and will resume events locally on Saturday as he promotes his plan to fight inflation ahead of the mid-term elections.

• Biden calls recent Jan. 6 video and testimonies ‘devastating,’ says he has gone out of his way not to comment

President Biden said on Saturday that he found the Jan. 6 committee’s newly released footage and testimony to be “devastating,” Reuters reported.

“I think the testimony and the video are actually devastating, and I’ve been going out of my way not to comment,” Biden told reporters while in Oregon, according to Reuters.

The committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol released never-before-seen footage from the day itself, during what may have been its final public hearing on Thursday.

The footage showed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) making urgent calls for assistance as rioters breached the Capitol.

“We have some senators who are still in their hideaways,” Schumer told former Defense Secretary Chris Miller in the footage. “They need massive personnel now.”

In additional footage obtained by CNN, Pelosi spoke with former Vice President Mike Pence amid the riot, telling him “I worry about you being in that Capitol. Don’t let anybody know where you are.”

The committee unanimously voted at the end of its Thursday hearing to subpoena former President Trump in what Chair Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) acknowledged was an “extraordinary” move. However, the subpoena is not expected to yield testimony from the former president, who has frequently dismissed the committee as partisan.

___________

• Biden has busy second day in Portland with town hall, reception for Tina Kotek

President Joe Biden had a busy Saturday in the Rose City as his visit to the western United States comes to an end.

Air Force One touched down at the Portland International Airport Friday evening, and the president spoke at a volunteer event with Oregon Democrats. He stayed downtown overnight.

Shortly after noon on Saturday, Biden delivered remarks on lowering costs for families at a community center in east Portland.

Saturday’s event was centered around his administration's efforts to lower prescription drug costs. He closed his speech with a hopeful tone, looking forward.

"I’ve never been more optimistic in my life. I’ve been doing this a while, man. I’ll tell you, I’ve never been more optimistic," Biden said. "We have a chance. We’re the only nation in the world who’s come out of a crisis better than when we went into the crisis."

He was joined by U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden, Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici, and City Commissioner Carmen Rubio.

At about 1:45 p.m., Biden attended a reception for the Democrat candidate for Oregon governor, Tina Kotek, in northeast Portland.

It was Biden's second tour stop with Kotek. She was in attendance at the grassroots volunteers for the Oregon Democrats on Friday evening when he spoke about the importance of the upcoming election to the Democratic party.

At about 3:15 p.m., police closed off the area around NE 181st and Glisan Street so Biden and Kotek to make a stop at Baskin-Robbins.

Biden answered reporters' questions about Oregon's gubernatorial race, the recent Jan. 6 Committee hearing, and other big events.

Student loan forgiveness application officially live

More than 8 million people have submitted student loan forgiveness applications since a beta site launched Friday, President Biden said Monday announcing that the official application is now live.

Why it matters: Biden called the debt relief a "game changer" with the plan canceling up to $20,000 in student debt for Pell Grant recipients and up to $10,000 for individual borrowers who make under $125,000 per year.

• Biden said more than 40 million Americans can benefit from the relief.
• The online application takes an estimated five minutes, and documents aren't needed.

The big picture: Biden's student loan forgiveness plan has faced a number of legal challenges as well as criticism from Republicans and some Democrats in battleground states.

Zoom out: The government is advising borrowers to apply by mid-November to receive relief before the student loan payment pause expires on Dec. 31, 2022.

• The Department of Education will continue to process applications as they are received through Dec. 31, 2023.
• Relief is expected within six weeks for most borrowers, the government said.

What's next: A paper version of the form is expected soon, the government said on the student aid website.

Student loan application site live

Details: A beta student loan forgiveness application went live Friday night and is now officially live as of Monday afternoon, Biden said.

Zoom in: Borrowers can apply without attaching any proof or documentation that they qualify for debt relief by going through the easy application process.

• The simple application requests borrower information, such as name, Social Security number, email, phone number and more.
• Individuals who make less than $125,000 per year, and married couples who earn under $250,000, qualify for forgiveness.

What they’re saying: “As millions of people fill out the application, we’re going to make sure the system continues to work as smoothly as possible so that we can deliver student loan relief for millions of Americans as quickly and as efficiently as possible,” Biden said.

• “I want to be clear who’s going to benefit most. Working people, middle class.”
• "About 90% of that relief is going to go to those making less than $75,000 a year," Biden said, dismissing GOP attacks that the plan will benefit wealthy borrowers.
• "Their outrage is wrong and hypocritical," Biden said of Republicans. "I will never apologize for helping working Americans and middle-class people as they recover from the pandemic."
• He also warned borrowers about potential scammers and encouraged people to report potential fraud.

Student loan relief deadline for teachers, military and more

Meanwhile, a Halloween deadline is approaching for public service borrowers who are employed by non-profits, the military, or federal, state, Tribal or local government.

• These borrowers who include teachers may be eligible to have all of their student loans forgiven through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.
• Borrowers must apply and certify their employment at PSLF.gov by Oct. 31, the government said.

Between the lines: The waiver provides federal student debt relief to public servants after 120 qualifying payments, Axios' Erin Doherty reports.

• It also allows public servants with student loan debt to earn credit for past payments that previously did not count toward the required 120 monthly payments.

Yes, but: More than 100 congressional Democrats signed a letter in August asking the Biden administration to extend a waiver for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program through July 2023.

Flashback: Earlier this month, the White House said the Department of Education had approved more than $13 billion in forgiveness for more than 211,000 public servants under temporary changes to PSLF.

• Biden plots his first piece of post-midterms legislation: codifying Roe

President Biden on Tuesday said that he would make an abortion rights bill the first piece of legislation he will send to Congress next year if Democrats elect more senators and his party keeps control of the House.

Why it matters: With exactly three weeks until Election Day and the renewed pressure of high inflation, Biden is doubling down on making abortion the centerpiece of the midterm elections.

State of play: Biden delivered remarks at a Democratic National Committee event at the Howard Theatre in Washington, where he drew a contrast between Republicans "who want a national ban" and Democrats "who want to codify Roe into law," according to a Democratic official.

• If Democrats keep the House and win more seats in the Senate, the first bill he will send to the next Congress will be to codify Roe — to be signed into law around the 50th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade ruling on Jan. 22, 2023.

But, but, but: Keeping both chambers will be a tall order for Democrats given the renewed pressure of high inflation and the political headwinds the party in power typically faces in a midterm year.

What they're saying: Biden encouraged the public to vote for Democrats in the upcoming November elections and said that if Democrats keep control of the House and the Senate,"the first bill that I will send to Congress will be to codify Roe v. Wade."

• Biden said that if the bill passes, he will "sign it in January, 50 years after Roe was decided as the law of the land. Together we will restore the right to choose for every woman in America."
• Biden also pledged to veto any bill passed by Republicans that restricts abortion nationwide.

The big picture: The Biden administration unveiled new steps to enhance abortion protections earlier after announcing executive actions over the summer.

• Biden has also pledged to veto any bill that would ban abortions on the federal level if Republicans take control of Congress.
• Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) introduced legislation that would impose a federal ban on most abortions at 15 weeks of pregnancy.

__________

• Biden backs federal fund for abortion support

President Biden would support a federal fund for people who need to take time off work and pay for childcare to obtain an abortion, he said in an interview forum with NowThis that will air Sunday on social media.

Why it matters: It's one of his strongest public comments in favor of federal support for those seeking abortion since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June.

Details: Biden was responding to a question from Danielle Mathisen, a 26-year-old medical resident, who noted that some companies have begun helping their workers pay for abortions and asked whether Biden would support federal funding for the same services.

• "The answer is absolutely ... I do support that, and I've publicly urged companies to do that. I've urged them publicly as president of the United States saying, 'This is what you should be doing," he said.
• "I urge you to do it because there's so many, and imagine the women who need that kind of assistance, but have no money at all to be able to do this. None. How, how — what do they do? They don't have the option," Biden said.

Between the lines: The interview represents a strategic effort by the president to communicate to young voters about various social issues ahead of the midterms. Biden spoke with six young voters about

• NowThis has a significant social media presence, with over 80 million followers across its Snapchat, TikTok, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram accounts. The majority of its followers across TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat are under 35.
• The company was founded in 2012 as a millennial-oriented video brand that focused on social change content and newsmaker interviews with mostly progressive politicians. The company interviewed every major Democratic candidate for president last presidential cycle.

What to watch: The interview, which was taped on Tuesday, will debut Sunday across NowThis' social media channels.

• It was part of a wider forum moderated by NowThis correspondent Alejandro Alba. President Biden spoke with six young adults about six key issues this election cycle, including abortion access, trans rights, criminal justice reform, gun safety, economic insecurity, and climate injustice.

https://www.axios.com/2022/10/20/bid...travel-nowthis

____________

• President Biden touts infrastructure bill in stop at Fern Hollow Bridge construction site

With the Fern Hollow Bridge construction site as his backdrop, President Joe Biden on Thursday touted the good he said the bipartisan infrastructure bill has done across the state and country.

Mr. Biden, who was visiting the city for the second time in six weeks, made a stop at a Moon restaurant before heading for the Fern Hollow bridge site.

Just shy of nine months since the bridge collapsed into Frick Park below, Mr. Biden pointed to the speed at which the rebuild has happened and said the $1 trillion infrastructure bill passed by Congress in November allowed that to happen.

“It’s being done in record time,” Mr. Biden said. “It normally takes two-to-five years to build a bridge like this, and the total project cost $25 million — fully paid for by the federal government.”

https://www.post-gazette.com/news/po...s/202210200100
___________

Just for fun

• Amy Coney Barrett Declines Request To Block Biden's Student Loan Forgiveness Plan

Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett on Thursday rejected an appeal from a Wisconsin taxpayers group seeking to stop the Biden administration’s student debt cancellation program.

Barrett did not comment in turning away the appeal from the Brown County Taxpayers Association, which also has lost rounds in lower federal courts. The group wrote in its Supreme Court filing that it needed an emergency order to put the program on hold because the administration could begin canceling outstanding student debt as soon as Sunday.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/amy-c...b08e0e608c8d81

___________

• Michael Stratford - NEWS --> Federal judge in Missouri dismisses the lawsuit filed by 6 Republican-led states challenging Biden's student debt relief: https://twitter.com/mstratford/statu...20411298246656

___________

Last, just for fun

• Biden on Oz: 'Delaware was smart enough to send him to New Jersey'

President Joe Biden on Thursday winked at carpetbagging allegations against Mehmet Oz, Pennsylvania’s Republican Senate nominee, as he backed Democrat John Fetterman at a Philadelphia fundraiser.

“I couldn’t believe it. He went to high school in Delaware,” Biden said of Oz, a nod at the president’s home state.

“But Delaware was smart enough to send him to New Jersey,” Biden said to laughs from the Democratic audience.

https://www.politico.com/news/2022/1...enate-00062860

• President Biden reveals his intentions for the 2024 race

“I have not made that formal decision, but it’s my intention. My intention to run again. And we have time to make that decision,”

___________

• Biden's student debt relief program reaches 22M applications

About 22 million Americans applied for federal student loan debt relief in the first week since the Education Department began accepting applications, President Joe Biden announced on Friday.

That figure is roughly half of the more than 40 million Americans who the Education Department expects will be eligible for the relief program, which offers up to $20,000 of loan forgiveness to borrowers earning below $125,000 individually or $250,000 as a couple.

Speaking at Delaware State University, Biden touted his administration’s smooth rollout of the federal website where borrowers can apply for relief in a matter of minutes. Biden said the “vast majority” of the people had applied online using their phone.

In preparing to launch the student debt relief program, Biden said, he wanted to avoid the “position that Barack and I were in, in terms of the Affordable Care Act,” referring to the disastrous launch of the HealthCare.gov website in 2013.

“We made sure we tested it,” Biden said of the debt relief application, which is available at StudentAid.gov.

_______________

Bump in the road

• Federal appeals court temporarily halts Biden’s student debt relief program

A federal appeals court has temporarily stopped the Biden administration from moving ahead with its plan to forgive hundreds of billions of dollars of federal student loan debt.

The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday issued an order that prohibits the Biden administration from “discharging any student loan debt” under its sweeping relief program until the court rules on an emergency request by Republican-led states to block the policy.

The court said it would hear the GOP states’ legal challenge on an expedited basis, with briefs from each side due on Monday and Tuesday.

“Tonight’s temporary order does not prevent borrowers from applying for student debt relief at studentaid.gov – and we encourage eligible borrowers to join the nearly 22 million Americans whose information the Department of Education already has,” White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement Friday night. “It also does not prevent us from reviewing these applications and preparing them for transmission to loan servicers.”