Live updates: Trump hosts African leaders; NOAA nominee faces senators
West African leaders will join Trump for a White House lunch to discuss areas of economic cooperation, security and democracy, according to the Liberian Embassy. Liberia, Senegal, Gabon, Mauritania and Guinea-Bissau will be represented.
Several of Trump's nominees will also face Senate panels on Wednesday for confirmation hearings. Among the most prominent is Neil Jacobs, nominated to be the next leader of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In 2019, during Trump's first term, he was involved in 'Sharpiegate,' backing up Trump's false assertions on the path of Hurricane Dorian. He'll face the Commerce, Science and Technology Committee.
Over in the Foreign Affairs panel, Kimberly Guilfoyle, the ex-partner of Trump's eldest son, will face a confirmation hearing to be ambassador to Greece.
In the House, former President Biden's doctor, Kevin O'Connor, is slated to sit for a closed-door interview with the Oversight Committee, which is investigating Biden's mental acuity while in office.
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Newsweek
28 minutes ago
- Newsweek
From Fauci to His Brother: List of People Joe Biden Pardoned by Autopen
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Former president Joe Biden has hit back at Republican claims that the use of an autopen showed he was not capable of making clemency decisions as a list shows the high-profile pardons he granted using the device, according to The New York Times. The newspaper said it had seen correspondence about the pardons and commutations in Biden's final weeks of office in which the former president's staff used an autopen. Biden told the NYT in an interview that he had granted the pardons even if he did not personally sign the official warrants of those decisions. Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment. This image from July 8, 2022 shows former U.S. President Joe Biden after he signed an executive order on access to reproductive health care services at the White House. This image from July 8, 2022 shows former U.S. President Joe Biden after he signed an executive order on access to reproductive health care services at the White It Matters The Department of Justice and the Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee have opened investigations into Biden's use of an autopen for pardon and clemency warrants near the end of his term and whether his officials covered up his mental decline. President Donald Trump has said these pardons and commutations were illegitimate and showed how Biden's staff ran the presidency in his name using the device But Biden's interview hits back at the accusations as he insisted he had consciously made pardons and that the use of the device was legitimate given the volume of signatures. What To Know Last month, Trump ordered an investigation into Biden's actions as showing cognitive decline as he cited his predecessor's appointment of federal judges and acts of clemency. At the time, Biden said he made the decisions himself about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations and "any suggestion that I didn't is ridiculous and false." But Trump and his allies have seized on the autopen as showing Biden's staff had conspired to run the presidency in his name. The NYT has reviewed several dozen among thousands of emails, which discussed the major grants of clemency recorded by an autopen near the end of Biden's term, examining four tranches of commutations. The paper said the small proportion of messages it saw meant it could not conclude everything about Biden's involvement in the pardon and clemency decisions. But the paper said the autopen was used, in all, on 25 pardon and clemency warrants from last December to January 2025— some of which included large batches of names because they all fell into the same broad policy category One batch stopped those in home confinement since the COVID pandemic from returning to prison, another reduced sentences of non-violent drug offenders while a third commuted death sentences to life without parole. Also facing scrutiny is use of the autopen for Biden to grant pre-emptive pardons to family members and conservative targets who could face action from Trump when he returned to the White House. These included preemptive pardons for: This image from March 27, 2025 in New Orleans, shows Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). This image from March 27, 2025 in New Orleans, shows Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) from 1984 to 2022, and Biden's chief medical advisor from 2021 to 2022. His handling of the COVID-19 pandemic has drawn calls for his prosecution from some critics. former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) from 1984 to 2022, and Biden's chief medical advisor from 2021 to 2022. His handling of the COVID-19 pandemic has drawn calls for his prosecution from some critics. General Mark Milley, former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. He had criticized Trump, calling him a "wannabe dictator," "fascist to the core" and also reportedly reassured Chinese officials there would be no threat to China. which prompted Trump to post on Truth Social that he was "treasonous." former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. He had criticized Trump, calling him a "wannabe dictator," "fascist to the core" and also reportedly reassured Chinese officials there would be no threat to China. which prompted Trump to post on Truth Social that he was "treasonous." James Biden , Joe Biden's brother, had been investigated by House Republicans as part of an impeachment inquiry who had urged the Justice Department to charge him for making allegedly false statements to lawmakers. , Joe Biden's brother, had been investigated by House Republicans as part of an impeachment inquiry who had urged the Justice Department to charge him for making allegedly false statements to lawmakers. Valerie Biden Owens , Joe Biden's sister, faced no public charges but was pardoned to shield her from politically motivated attacks. , Joe Biden's sister, faced no public charges but was pardoned to shield her from politically motivated attacks. Sara Jones Biden , Joe Biden's sister-in-law, James Biden's wife. She had at times participated in her husband's business dealings, Politico reported, and transactions in her name came under scrutiny during Republican-led congressional investigations of the Bidens. , Joe Biden's sister-in-law, James Biden's wife. She had at times participated in her husband's business dealings, Politico reported, and transactions in her name came under scrutiny during Republican-led congressional investigations of the Bidens. January 6 committee, the lawmakers investigated the attack on the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters, concluding that the GOP president engaged in a "multi-part conspiracy" to overturn 2020 presidential election results and failed to act to stop his supporters. Biden told the newspaper an autopen was used to sign the warrants, "because there were a lot of them" adding that this was legal and the issue was being used by the GOP as a distraction. Biden also said the Trump administration had "lied so consistently about almost everything they're doing" adding that the accusations were part of GOP ploy "to change the focus." Last week, Biden's White House doctor, Kevin O'Connor, declined to answer questions during a deposition with the Oversight panel last week, citing physician-patient privilege and the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. But Committee Chair James Comer criticized O'Conner over his refusal to answer questions saying there had been a conspiracy to cover up Biden's cognitive decline. What People Are Saying Former President Joe Biden told The New York Times the autopen: "is legal. As you know, other presidents used it, including Trump... I made every decision." "Everybody knows how vindictive [Trump] is, so we knew that they'd do what they're doing now." White House spokesperson Harrison Fields, per the NYT said Biden: "should not be trusted," adding, "The truth will come out about who was, in fact, running the country." House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer: "It's clear there was a conspiracy to cover up President Biden's cognitive decline after Dr. Kevin O'Connor, Biden's physician and family business associate, refused to answer any questions." What Happens Next The NYT has reported that Biden and his team are stepping up efforts to counter the attacks by Trump and his congressional allies over accusations that there was cover up of the former president's mental decline.
New York Post
33 minutes ago
- New York Post
Trump to make major announcement on Russia — as Ukraine Envoy Keith Kellogg arrives in Kyiv at height of Putin's brutality
KYIV, Ukraine — President Trump is expected to announce decisive action on Russia — which could include arming Ukraine with powerful new weapons — as Special Presidential Envoy Keith Kellogg arrived in Kyiv at arguably the height of Moscow's brutality. Trump is expected to make a major announcement Monday about Russia's war on Ukraine, after he already announced Sunday that the US would sell critically needed Patriot air-defense systems to the country. 7 Trump is expected to make a major announcement Monday about Russia's war on Ukraine. Advertisement Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) on Sunday added that the Monday announcement could include new military aid for Ukraine. 'In the coming days, you'll see weapons flowing at a record level to help Ukraine defend themselves,' Graham said. 'One of the biggest miscalculations Putin has made is to play Trump. And you just watch, in the coming days and weeks, there's going to be a massive effort to get Putin to the table.' Advertisement As part of the administration's efforts to end Putin's war machine, Kellogg is in Ukraine this week for discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other leaders. 'We discussed the path to peace and what we can practically do together to bring it closer,' Zelensky said of a meeting with Kellogg in a post to X early Monday. 7 Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andrii Yermak (left) greeting Special Presidential Envoy Keith Kellogg (right). 7 Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) with US Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia Keith Kellogg (R) prior to their talks in Kyiv. UKRAINIAN PRESIDENTIAL PRESS SERVICE/AFP via Getty Images Advertisement 'This includes strengthening Ukraine's air defense, joint production and procurement of defensive weapons in collaboration with Europe.' 'We hope for US leadership, as it is clear that Moscow will not stop unless its unreasonable ambitions are curbed through strength.' A retired Army general who served as chief of staff to Trump's first-term National Security Council, 81-year-old Kellogg arrived in Kyiv on Monday. A Post reporter was on board with him as he showed no fear when the train pulled away from a station in eastern Poland, bound for the heart of the war — and just Advertisement 'Eh, we'll be in a big city. Don't worry about it,' he told The Post, when asked if he was nervous about entering Ukraine days after Moscow launched its largest drone barrage yet, with more than 700 in a single night. 7 Russian President Vladimir Putin chairs a meeting on social issues, in Moscow, Russia. via REUTERS It's this stalwart leadership and stoicism that binds both the envoy and his boss. Kellogg said that in a phone call a day before the trip, Trump said the US must be 'strong' in the face of Putin's increasing savagery and unwillingness to listen to American sensibility, the envoy said. 'I spoke to the president yesterday morning and I said, 'Hey, sir, I'm not afraid,'' the general said of his trip. On Sunday night, Trump told reporters he would let Ukraine buy Patriot air-defense systems from the US because Putin 'talks nice but then he bombs everybody in the evening.' But even the big cities in Ukraine have been hammered throughout this nearly 3.5-year-old war — and particularly so within the past week and a half. What's more, there remained a good 12 hours before the train would even reach Kyiv. With the skies over Ukraine contested, the only way to the capital is by land. Advertisement 7 A retired Army general who served as chief of staff to Trump's first-term National Security Council, 81-year-old Kellogg arrived in Kyiv on Monday. That means chugging along the train tracks winding through the entirety of western Ukraine — with a brief stop near Lviv, a major city slammed with incessant drone strikes just two days prior in a barrage that included more that 500 drones in one night. Taking an overnight train meant risking travel during Russia's favorite time to attack Ukraine. Still, the retired general was undeterred. 'They live with this every day,' he said of Ukrainians who have remained in the country, continuing their lives as the largest war in Europe since WWII rages through their homeland. Advertisement As the evening progressed, there was a sense that something may be shifting in the US' game plan for handling Putin. While Trump nobly committed the first sixth months of his second term in office to finding a diplomatic end to the war, it has become increasingly clear to the White House that the Russian dictator does not seek peace, officials tell The Post. Putin also made that evident in a phone call with Trump earlier this month, according to sources familiar with the call. While the president largely leaned on his diplomats and Special Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff early on to push Moscow toward peace, Trump took matters into his own hands recently, hoping his longstanding relationship with Putin could sway the dictator to lay down arms. Advertisement 7 White House special envoy Steve Witkoff (R), Donald Trump Jr. (center) and Bettina Anderson (L). AP But when Trump personally asked Putin to agree to a cease-fire — something to which the president successfully got Ukraine to agree roughly four months ago — the Russian president refused, sources familiar with the call told The Post. Trump has since made his growing frustration with Putin known through multiple recent statements — notably calling him out for 'bulls–tting' the American people. 'A lot of people are dying and it should end,' he said July 8. 'We get a lot of bulls–t thrown at us by Putin, if you want to know the truth.' Advertisement 'He's very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless.' Kellogg acknowledged the president's frustration Sunday night, telling The Post that Trump does not stand for being 'played' or strung along. 'I think he now realizes that Putin is not a business partner,' he said. 7 But when Trump personally asked Putin to agree to a cease-fire — something to which the president successfully got Ukraine to agree roughly four months ago — the Russian president refused. For months, Trump has hinted at Putin being less than genuine in his dealings with Americans — notably revealing in April that it felt as if Russia was 'tapping [him] along.' But recently, his narrative has begun to shift. 'We will send [Ukraine] Patriots, which they desperately need, because Putin really surprised a lot of people,' Trump said of his plans to help Kyiv counter Russia's refusal to obey calls for a cease-fire. 'I don't like it.' 'We basically are going to send them various pieces of very sophisticated military equipment. They are going to pay us 100% for that, and that's the way we want it.' It comes after he described a phone call he had on July 4 with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as having been 'strategic' — a call Zelensky described as the 'best' he'd had in recent memory. Then last week, he said he would have an announcement to make on Monday regarding US efforts to end the war. On Friday, he told a reporter who asked about Moscow's recent targeting of a Ukrainian maternity hospital that he would be taking action. 'Oh, I know. You'll be seeing things happen,' he shot back at the reporter. Kellogg said he looked forward to hearing what Trump would say Monday, but did not disclose whether he knew what was to come. 'There's a lot more we can do,' he said. In addition to military aid, the US could also target Russia's main source of income — oil exports — with a bill pending in Congress that would levy 500% tariffs on any country that purchases it from Moscow.
CNBC
44 minutes ago
- CNBC
How much Trump's 'big beautiful' bill could raise electricity costs in every U.S. state over the next 10 years
Electricity prices are expected to surge higher throughout the next decade due to energy policy changes in President Donald Trump's "big beautiful" bill, according to a new analysis from Energy Innovation, a non-partisan energy and climate think tank. Signed July 4, the bill mandates expanded oil and gas leasing, caps clean energy subsidies and rolls back tax credits that helped to make wind, solar and other clean power cheaper for manufacturers and more affordable for consumers, says Robbie Orvis, senior director for modeling and analysis at Energy Innovation. When the clean energy tax credits phase out at the end of 2025, that will bump up electricity costs for ordinary Americans, Orvis says. That's largely because higher costs for clean energy development will slow the pace of new supply, just as U.S. energy demand hits record highs, he says, resulting in higher electricity bills and increased reliance on natural gas, which will also become more expensive with rising demand. Electricity costs in some states will go up more than others due to the budget bill's provisions, Orvis says — particularly in states with the greatest future potential for clean energy development. Oklahoma's windy conditions, for example, make the state a prime candidate for powering wind turbines, which has historically allowed residents to benefit from cheap, clean energy, Orvis says. But without the tax break for new wind power infrastructure, the average household electricity bill in the state will rise by $540 by 2035, according to Energy Innovation's analysis. Overall, household energy costs will rise by $170, on average, by 2035, researchers found. And that estimate may be conservative. A report from Princeton University's Rapid Energy Policy Evaluation and Analysis Toolkit pegs the average increase at $280 a year by 2035. Energy Innovation's report factors in the near dozen Biden-era clean energy incentives that Trump's legislation terminates or phases out, along with a few clean energy policies the bill affects that predated former President Joe Biden's administration, Energy Innovation says. It compares projected energy costs in 2035 under two scenarios: one where Trump's budget bill passed, and one where it didn't. The data accounts for changes in spending on all fuel types for powering homes and vehicles, including natural gas and gasoline, although most of the cost increases are related to electricity and natural gas, Energy Innovation says. The report did not include Alaska or Hawaii. Here's how much more households in every state could pay annually, on average, by 2035, due to changes in energy policies under the "big beautiful" bill, according to Energy Innovation's research.
