Latest news with #Biden
Fox News
41 minutes ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Oversight chair demands Jean-Pierre, other former WH staff testify on alleged Biden mental decline coverup
An influential House committee is demanding that former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and three other former top White House staffers appear before Congress to testify about the alleged cover-up of former President Joe Biden's mental decline. Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., has been on the hunt for who was making decisions in Biden's inner circle during the president's apparent mental decline. On Friday, he sent letters to Karine-Pierre and former White House chief of staff Jeff Zients, former senior deputy press secretary Andrew Bates and former special assistant to the president Ian Sams, demanding they present themselves for transcribed interviews with the oversight committee. The letters are part of the committee's ongoing investigation into the alleged attempted cover-up of Biden's decline and the potentially unauthorized issuance of sweeping pardons and other executive actions by senior White House officials usurping Biden's presidential authority. In his letters, Comer says the committee believes that the four top Biden staffers have "critical" information on "who made key decisions and exercised the powers of the executive branch during the previous administration, possibly without former President Biden's consent." The letter to Jean-Pierre stated that as White House press secretary and a top Biden confidante, "you were not only near the president daily, but you were 'alongside the ranks of the president's top confidantes.'" "Your assertion, on multiple occasions, that President Biden's decline was attributable to such tactics as 'cheap fakes' or 'misinformation' cannot go without investigation," wrote Comer. He said that "if White House staff carried out a strategy lasting months or even years to hide the chief executive's condition — or to perform his duties — Congress may need to consider a legislative response." Comer set interview dates in late August and early September and gave the four senior officials until July 4 to confirm they would comply with the demands voluntarily or if they will "require a subpoena to compel your attendance for a deposition." Jean-Pierre, Zients, Bates and Sams are the latest former Biden senior officials to receive a congressional summons from Comer as part of the Oversight Committee's investigation into the alleged cover-up. The chairman also issued subpoenas to Dr. Kevin O'Connor, Biden's physician, and Anthony Bernal, former assistant to the president and senior advisor to the first lady, after they refused to appear before the committee voluntarily. In a statement to Fox News Digital, Comer said that "as part of our aggressive investigation into the cover-up of his cognitive decline and potentially unauthorized executive actions, we must hear from those who aided and abetted this farce." "President Biden's inner circle repeatedly told the American people that he was 'sharp as ever,' dismissing any commentary about his obvious mental decline as 'gratuitous,'" he said. "They fed these false talking points to progressive allies and the media, who helped perpetuate that President Biden was fit to serve." Jean-Pierre, Zients, Bates and Sams did not reply to Fox News Digital's request for comment before publication.
Bloomberg
2 hours ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Trump Says He'll Choose Fed Chair Who Wants to Cut Rates
CC-Transcript 00:00Love them to resign if he wanted to. Agent done lousy job. Look, if you were there, you'd say, well, you know, the United States is doing well. They have no inflation. And if they do get inflation in a year or two, we'll put we'll start raising the rates. We get rid of the inflation, you know, do other things. Biden had the worst inflation in the history of our country. 19%, but I think it was much higher than that. Frankly, they say 19%. I said I think it's a lot higher than that. And we have almost no inflation now. We've done a great job in a short period of time. Energy prices are way down. Gasoline now is down to close to $2 in a lot of places. A couple of places I see it even broke. It's like 198 a gallon. We've done a great job on inflation and honestly, pretty much everything else. I think that I think it's very sad the way people act. You know, you have a guy in there that with the stroke of a pen, could lower interest rates and save us hundreds of billions of dollars a year. But he's a stupid person. You know, it's very interesting. He. I'm not sure if he doesn't understand it, because you should be able to understand it. It's sort of one on one economics, but I'm not sure of that. But think of it with the stroke of a pen, he talks about costs we can save. $600 billion. Maybe even these are nice numbers for you, right? $900,000,000,950 billion by lowering interest rates. And it's really just more of a paper movement. It's not like you're not cutting anything. You're not cutting jobs. It's just interest rates. And we're number 40 or 44, number 45, some places that you wouldn't believe that. You know, I don't want to be disparaging, but they pay a lower interest rate than the United States of America. And without us, everything blows up. You know, we sort of control the world in that sense. But we have a guy that's just a stubborn mule. And the stupid person that is making a big mistake is making a mistake. And it lasts for years. Because when you do the debt now, I've instructed my people not to do any debt beyond nine months or so. Get this guy out and whoever is in there, it will lower rates. If I don't if I think somebody is going to keep the rates where they are or whatever, I'm not going to put them in. I'm going to put somebody that wants to cut rates. There are a lot of them out there. And I said this morning, a lot of the business shows today were saying, you know, Trump is right. He should be cutting rates. Think of it. We have a great country. We're making a lot of money, would take it in billions of dollars in tariffs. We have one we have $15 trillion of money that wants to be invested here, which is a record in two months. It breaks any record that we've ever had for a whole year and not even close 15 trillion. And it's going to be much higher than that. That's after essentially two months because, you know, we've been doing it for about two months, two and a half months, $15 trillion breaks, every record in the book. There's never been anything like this. We have factories moving in, we have car plants moving in. We have everyone wants to be part of the United States. And as I told you and I said to everybody when I was in the Middle East, the king of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and UAE, all great leaders, they've all great leaders, all three of them said, you got the hottest country in the world and you did it. And at that time, I was there for four months. We got back a little while ago, but everybody says not only them, but we have the hottest country in the world right now. The only thing is we have a Fed chairman that is he doesn't get it. And you could have substantially lower like if we cut him two points would save more than 600. Think of it, more than $600 billion just because you cut. But you can't go out to the market and say, well, we have a guy that's got us at 4% or four and a half percent and we want to pay 2% or 1%. I think we should be paying 1% right now. And we're paying more because we have a guy who's suffering from, I think, Trump derangement syndrome, if you want to know the truth. But he's not good for our country.
Telegraph
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Kamala Harris governor run threatened by donors' cold feet
Donors do not want Kamala Harris to run for California governor over fears her presidential election loss makes her a liability to the Democrats. The former presidential candidate is considering whether to launch a bid to replace Gavin Newsom as governor when his term ends next year, relying on the advice of her closest allies as she weighs up the decision. But Golden State donors have warned her campaign would be a 'traumatising' reminder of last year's election. One Democrat who donated six-figures to her campaign said: 'Kamala just reminds you we are in this complete sh--storm. 'With Biden, we got bamboozled... I think she did the best she could in that situation, but obviously she knew about the cognitive decline too,' Politico reported. 'I've written so many checks because I knew the Trump administration would be horrible, but we're living in a nightmare because of the Democrats. I'm furious at them, truly.' Ms Harris, 60, has kept a low profile since leaving Washington, DC, in January and returning to California. She has a holiday planned for July and allies hope she will make a decision about whether to run by late summer. She was criticised for rubbing shoulders with A-list stars at the Met Gala last month after her campaign spent $1billion in three months, including on a string of celebrity performances. Ms Harris is said to be deciding whether to enter the gubernatorial race, run for president in 2028 or explore positions outside of elected office. One California fundraiser told Politico that donors believe Ms Harris's campaign would 'bring up the whole pathetic last presidential [race], which no one wants to hear about again. And then it's the whole 'did you know Joe Biden?' thing.'' 'She still would probably lead, but honestly, no one is incredibly pumped.' 'There was more enthusiasm at first,' Mather Martin, a San Francisco-based fundraiser who has worked on Ms Harris's campaigns before, said. 'I think it waned a bit.' Ms Harris's allies are said to be assured Democrats would coalesce around her. They also note she has advantages over the other contenders including a being a recognised name and the ability to fundraise. Christopher Galdieri, politics professor at Saint Anselm, said while some California Democrats might be unenthused by the possibility of Ms Harris running, he does not think that will stop them donating to her campaign. 'I don't know that those donors are saying that they wouldn't write checks if it came down to it... especially if you have a situation where a you know, heavyweight candidate enters the race is favoured to get nominated, favoured to win the election', he told The Telegraph. He added: 'I think those donors would figure out how to get over it and write checks quickly just because, in a purely instrumental sense, do you want to be the big name democratic donor who didn't write a check for the incoming governor of the state?' The GOP is said to be keen to face off against Ms Harris again, with more contenders poised to jump into the race were she to declare. The Republican machine will have ample material to attack the former vice president with in light of the damning allegations in the book Original Sin by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, which claimed that Mr Biden's inner circle shielded the public from the extent of his decline while serving as president. Mr Biden said the allegations were 'wrong' and 'there's nothing to sustain' them. Antonio Villaraigosa, a Democrat who is running for governor, has accused Ms Harris of being complicit in masking the reality of Mr Biden's decline.
The Hill
3 hours ago
- Health
- The Hill
Obamacare preventive care mandate wins in Supreme Court ruling
The Big Story The Supreme Court on Friday upheld a key Affordable Care Act requirement that insurance companies cover certain preventative measures recommended by an expert panel. © AP Justices upheld the constitutionality of the provision in a 6-3 decision and protected access to preventative care for about 150 million Americans. The justices found that the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services has the power to appoint and fire members of the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF). The cases started when a small business in Texas and some individuals filed a lawsuit against the panel's recommendation that pre-exposure prophylaxis (PreP) for HIV be included as a preventative care service. They argued that covering PreP went against their religious beliefs and would 'encourage homosexual behavior, intravenous drug use, and sexual activity outside of marriage between one man and one woman.' The plaintiffs further argued that the USPSTF mandates are unconstitutional because panel members are 'inferior officers' who are not appointed by the president or confirmed by the Senate. While the panel is independent, they said that since their decisions impact millions of people members should be confirmed. A U.S. district judge in 2023 ruled that all preventative-care coverage imposed since the ACA was signed into law are invalid and a federal appeals court judge ruled in agreement last year. The Biden administration appealed the rulings to the Supreme Court, and the Trump administration chose to defend the law despite its long history of disparaging Obamacare. Though public health groups celebrated the ruling Friday, some noted another potential outcome. 'While this is a foundational victory for patients, patients have reason to be concerned that the decision reaffirms the ability of the HHS secretary, including our current one, to control the membership and recommendations of the US Preventive Services Task Force that determines which preventive services are covered,' Anthony Wright, executive director of Families USA, said in a statement. 'We must be vigilant to ensure Secretary Kennedy does not undo coverage of preventive services by taking actions such as his recent firing of qualified health experts from the CDC's independent vaccine advisory committee and replacing them with his personal allies.' Welcome to The Hill's Health Care newsletter, we're Nathaniel Weixel, Joseph Choi and Alejandra O'Connell-Domenech — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond: New Hampshire lawmakers give final approval to gender-affirming care ban New Hampshire lawmakers on Thursday gave final approval to bills that would ban gender-affirming care for transgender minors in the state, sending the measures to Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte, who has not yet said whether she will sign them. State lawmakers voted to pass House Bill 377, which would prohibit doctors from administering puberty blockers and hormones to transgender youth beginning next year. The measure includes … FDA expanding COVID vaccine warnings over rare heart side effect The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is now requiring two common COVID-19 vaccines to update their warning labels to include information on two rare heart side effects. Myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart muscle, and pericarditis, or inflammation of the thin sac surrounding the heart — are two conditions that a small number of people have experienced after receiving the mRNA COVID-19 shot. The rare cases of myocarditis … What causes a stroke? Learn the triggers and risk factors Most Americans likely know at least a little about the signs of a stroke. While early intervention is vital for a positive outcome, medical experts also stress the need to prevent strokes, which the Stroke Foundation reports are the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S. The key to prevention is knowing what causes these brain attacks. According to the American Heart Association, a stroke occurs when a blood vessel to the … In Other News Branch out with a different read from The Hill: GOP leader sets Saturday vote on Trump 'big, beautiful bill' despite Republican pushback Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told Senate Republicans to expect to see the legislative text of the budget reconciliation package on Friday evening and then to vote at noon Saturday to begin debate on President Trump's tax and spending bill. Around the Nation Local and state headlines on health care: What We're Reading Health news we've flagged from other outlets: What Others are Reading Most read stories on The Hill right now: GOP leader sets Saturday vote on Trump 'big, beautiful bill' despite Republican pushback Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told Senate Republicans to expect to see the legislative text of the budget reconciliation package on Friday … Read more 5 takeaways from the Supreme Court's birthright citizenship ruling The Supreme Court handed President Trump a clear victory Friday, stopping judges from issuing nationwide injunctions that block his executive order … Read more What People Think Opinions related to health submitted to The Hill: Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here
Axios
4 hours ago
- Business
- Axios
Texas Instruments expanding U.S. chip production
Texas Instruments plans to spend $60 billion to produce more chips in the U.S. and has carved out an even larger role for Sherman, where the Dallas-based company is building a megasite. Why it matters: Chips are integral to cars, data centers and electronics and are difficult to manufacture. The Biden and Trump administrations have advocated for the U.S. to manufacture more chips domestically and rely less on Chinese tech components. State of play: TI says it will make the country's largest investment in foundational semiconductor manufacturing, creating over 60,000 new jobs. The company was already building two semiconductor fabrication plants, referred to as fabs, at a megasite in Sherman. Now, the company says it will build two more plants at the site to support future demand. TI also plans to ramp up production at its existing plants in Richardson and Lehi, Utah. The intrigue: TI is more than graphing calculators. The 95-year-old company's technology is found in Apple products, Ford vehicles, SpaceX's Starlink internet service and health care equipment. The company is also working with Nvidia to develop advanced AI infrastructure. Zoom out: Samsung is investing more than $40 billion, along with $6.4 billion in federal money, to expand semiconductor production in Central Texas, including a 1,200-acre chip manufacturing plant outside Austin — almost twice as large as the company's flagship campus in South Korea. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. is planning six plants in Phoenix and says 30% of its most advanced chips will be produced in Arizona. Threat level: The U.S. has scrambled to ramp up chip production capacity after the pandemic exposed the country's overreliance on imports as a national security issue, Axios' Nathan Bomey reports.
