United States Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development Marcia Fudge acknowledged her role to lead President Joe Biden’s delegation to the inauguration ceremony of president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Fudge said she is honoured to lead the delegation to Nigeria.
She heads a nine-member delegation to attend the May 29 inauguration.
In a tweet on Wednesday, she said: “I am honored to lead the presidential delegation to Nigeria to attend the inauguration of His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”
Other members of the delegation to Nigeria are Chargé d’affaires, U.S. Embassy in Abuja David Greene, United States Representative from California Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, US Department of Commerce Marisa Lago, Commander of US Africa Command Michael E. Langley, US Trade and Development Agency Director Enoh T. Ebong, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of African Affairs Mary Catherine Phee, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for African Affairs, National Security Council Judd Devermont and Assistant Administrator for the Bureau for Africa, US Agency for International Development (USAID) Monde Muyangwa.
President Joe Biden signed into law Tuesday landmark new federal protections for same-sex and interracial couples, capping both a personal and national evolution on an issue that’s enjoyed growing acceptance over the past decade.
According to CNN, Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act before thousands of invited guests on the South Lawn at an event the White House said reflected the importance of the moment.
“Marriage is a simple proposition. Who do you love? And will you be loyal to that person you love?” the president asked from the South Lawn. “It’s not more complicated than that.”
Biden said the law he was about to sign recognizes that “everyone should have the right to answer those questions for themselves without the government interference,” and secures the federal “protections that come with marriage.”
“For most of our nation’s history, we denied interracial couples and same sex couples from these protections,” Biden said. “It failed to treat them with equal dignity and respect. And now, this law requires an interracial marriage and same-sex marriage must be recognized as legal in every state in the nation.”
The new law officially voids the Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage as between a man and a woman. It mandates that states honor the validity of out-of-state marriage licenses, including same-sex and interracial unions.
U.S. President said the UN resolution against Russia’s annexations in Ukraine, passed with a historic majority, was a message to Moscow that it can’t erase sovereign state from the map.
“Today, the overwhelming majority of the world nations from every region, large and small, representing a wide array of ideologies and governments voted to defend the United Nations Charter.
“It condemn Russia’s illegal attempt to annex Ukrainian territory by force,” Joe Biden said in a statement.
“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.
“Russia cannot change borders by force. Russia cannot seize another country’s territory as its own,” Biden said.
“Nearly eight months into this war, the world has just demonstrated that it is more united, and more determined than ever to hold Russia accountable for its violations,” the U.S. leader added.
The UN General Assembly on Wednesday condemned Russia’s recent move to annex the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhya, by a vote of 143-5, with 35 countries abstaining.
United States President, Joe Biden, has reiterated America’s commitment to supply billions in aid and weapons to Ukrainian forces, following Russia’s latest aerial assault on Ukraine.
Biden, in a statement, denounced Russia’s latest hit, stressing that the attacks “only further reinforce our commitment”.
Biden, Secretary of State- Antony Blinken and leading military officials all spoke out in the wake of the strikes that Russian President, Vladimir Putin, called retaliation for a weekend explosion that damaged a key bridge linking Russia and Crimea, the disputed peninsula Putin annexed from Ukraine in 2014.
On Sunday night, 12 Russian missile strikes hit residential Zaporizhzhia neighborhoods in Ukraine, Ukrainian officials said, and on Monday morning another series of Russian missiles struck civilian targets in Kyiv, Lviv, Kharkiv and other cities.
At least 11 people died and 64 were wounded across eight oblasts and the capital of Kyiv, according to the Ukrainian State Emergency Service, while power and other critical infrastructure services like energy were interrupted in several cities.
In a statement issued as he was returning to the White House from Delaware, Biden said the missile attacks demonstrate Putin’s “utter brutality” in the “illegal war on the Ukrainian people.”
Biden spoke Monday with Zelenskyy, the White House said later that day; and Biden is expected to attend a virtual meeting on Tuesday of the Group of Seven countries to discuss the situation.
The White House said that in his call with Zelenskyy, Biden “conveyed his condolences to the loved ones of those killed and injured in these senseless attacks” and “pledged to continue providing Ukraine with the support needed to defend itself, including advanced air defense systems.”
In a tweet, however, Zelenskyy said air defenses were critical. He and others in Ukraine have urged the U.S. to institute a so-called no-fly zone to deter Russian air strikes.
But the U.S. believes such a direct step could risk escalating the conflict beyond Ukraine and into a continental if not global war.
The president last week warned of a possible nuclear “Armageddon,” given Putin’s repeated invocations of his country’s arsenal amid Russia’s recent string of defeats in Ukraine.
U.S. President Joe Biden said on Wednesday his administration would forgive student loan debt for many borrowers and would extend a pause on student loan repayments until Dec. 31 of this year.
Biden said on Twitter his administration would forgive 20,000 dollars in student loan debt for borrowers who went to college on Pell Grants, and would forgive 10,000 dollars for those who did not receive Pell Grants.
The plan applies to those who earn less than 125,000 dollars a year.
He said he would deliver remarks on the plan at 2:15 pm (1815 GMT).
The President of the United States of America, Joe Biden, Sunday, vacated the White House for the first time since becoming infected with the coronavirus last month, settling in for a reunion with first lady Jill Biden in their home state of Delaware.
Biden tested negative Saturday and Sunday, according to his doctor, clearing the way for him to emerge from the isolation that lasted longer than expected because of a rebound case of the virus.
“He will safety return to public engagement and presidential travel,” Dr. Kevin O’Connor wrote.
“I’m feeling great,” Biden said before boarding Marine One outside the White House.
US President Joe Biden
The Bidens were expected to spend the day in Rehoboth Beach, a popular vacation destination.
Biden originally tested positive on July 21, and he began taking the anti-viral medication Paxlovid, which is intended to decrease the likelihood of serious illness from the virus.
According to his doctor, Biden’s vital signs remained normal throughout his infection, but his symptoms included a runny nose, cough, sore throat and body aches.
After isolating for several days, Biden tested negative on July 26 and July 27, when he gave a speech in the Rose Garden, telling Americans they can “live without fear” of the virus if they get booster shots, and test themselves for the virus if they become sick and seek out treatments.
But Biden caught a rare rebound case of COVID-19 on July 30, forcing him to isolate again.
He occasionally gave speeches from a White House balcony, such as when he marked the killing of an al-Qaida leader or a strong jobs report.
He continued to test positive until Saturday, when he received his first negative result. While the president was isolating in the White House residence, the first lady remained in Delaware.
The Bidens are scheduled to visit Kentucky on Monday to view flood damage and meet with families.
The 46th President of the United State, Joe Biden, 79, is in isolation and has experienced no renaissance of symptoms in his rebound COVID-19 case, says the White House.
Biden initially tested positive for COVID-19 on July 21.
He continued to test positive for COVID-19 Tuesday but is feeling “well,” according to a memo from Dr. Kevin O’Connor, Biden’s physician.
“The President continues to feel well, though he is experiencing a bit of a return of a loose cough. He remains fever-free and in good spirits. His temperature, pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and oxygen saturation remain entirely normal. His lungs are clear,” O’Connor wrote.
O’Connor added that Biden “will continue his strict isolation measures” and “will continue to conduct the business of the American people from the Executive Residence.”
Biden tested negative for COVID twice last week, but tested positive again on Saturday in what O’Connor described as a ‘rebound’ case seen in a small percentage of patients who take the antiviral drug Paxlovid.
It scuppered the president’s plans for a weekend back in Delaware; but he was able to make a video appearance on Monday, announcing that the U.S. had killed Al Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri at the weekend.
In his letter, O’Connor said the president would continue his strict isolation.
The letter reads: “He will continue to conduct the business of the American people from the executive residence. As I have stated previously, the president continues to be very specifically conscientious to protect any of the executive residences, White House, Secret Service and other staff whose duties require any (albeit socially distanced) proximity to him.”
A day earlier, the White House said the president continues to have mild ‘lingering symptoms.’
His symptoms at the time were said to have included a runny nose, cough, sore throat, a slight fever and body aches.
TheNewsGuru.com recalls that Biden was treated with Paxlovid and tested negative last Wednesday before emerging from isolation.
High-risk patients still face drastically diminished risks of hospitalization after taking Paxlovid.
O’Connor’s memo Tuesday marked the first time he noted a reemergence of symptoms from the rebound case.
Biden had six close contacts before testing positive for COVID for a second time, though White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday none has tested positive.
It remains unclear for how long Biden will be able to leave the White House for a number of planned trips.
Jean-Pierre noted Monday that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not yet released any guidance regarding travel after a rebound infection.
According to the Press Secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, “No reoccurring symptoms – meaning like, if you look at [O’Connor’s] original letter, there’s nothing. There’s nothing severe right? Because he feels fine. He feels he feels good.
Press Secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre
“But as we know, all of us have had COVID, we do have a little bit of a lingering cough, a little bit of maybe a lingering sniffle. That’s not uncommon to happen, so that’s what we are talking about,’ she said, without specifying the exact nature of the president’s ailments.”
U.S President, Joe Biden has announced that the al-Qaeda leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, has been killed in a drone strike in Kabul, Afghanistan, over the weekend.
Biden hailed the operation of the U.S military as a significant win in the fight against terror groups overseas — including, as the White House was quick to point out almost a year after the messy exit from Afghanistan, in countries where the U.S. no longer maintains a military presence.
Al-Zawahiri was named the leader of al-Qaeda after Osama bin Laden was killed by U.S. forces in 2011
In his words: “Justice has been delivered, and this terrorist leader is no more. People around the world no longer need to fear the vicious and determined killer,” Biden said, speaking from the White House where he is isolating with COVID-19.
“The United States continues to demonstrate our resolve and our capacity to defend the American people against those who seek to do us harm,” he said. “We make it clear again tonight that no matter how long it takes, no matter where you hide, if you are a threat to our people, the United States will find you and take you out.”
Briefing reporters on Monday ahead of Biden’s remarks, a senior administration official said that “we showed that without American forces on the ground in Afghanistan and in harm’s way, we remain able to identify and locate even the world’s most wanted terrorists and then take action to remove him from the battlefield.”
The president said in his speech that al-Zawahiri had returned to the Afghan capital to be with family and was killed on Sunday morning local time. Al-Zawahiri was named the leader of al-Qaeda after Osama bin Laden was killed by U.S. forces in 2011 and officials believe he was a key part of the group’s international activities for decades.
“He was deeply involved in the planning of 9/11, one of the most responsible for the attacks that killed 2,977 people on American soil. For decades, he was the mastermind behind attacks against Americans,” Biden said. “He carved a trail of murder and violence against American citizens, American service members, American diplomats and American interests.”
al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri
The U.S President said he hoped al-Zawahiri’s killing could offer a moment of relief for those who had family members killed in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Biden was first briefed on al-Zawahiri’s whereabouts in April and was ultimately briefed on a proposed operation on July 1
The U.S President spoke from the Blue Room Balcony as he announced that a U.S. airstrike killed al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri in Afghanistan, in Washington, Aug. 1, 2022.
“We continue to mourn every innocent life that was stolen on 9/11 and honor their memories,” he said. “To the families who lost fathers and mothers, husbands, wives, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, friends and coworkers on that searing September day, it is my hope that this decisive action will bring one more measure of closure.”
The U.S. drone strike comes after collaboration from various parts of the counterterrorism community, the senior administration official told reporters earlier Monday.
However, TheNewsGuru.com gathered from a separate source that the operation was carried out by the CIA.
al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri
Biden’s briefing on al-Zawahiri’s whereabouts in April
The U.S President was first briefed on al-Zawahiri’s whereabouts in April and was ultimately briefed on a proposed operation on July 1, the administration official told reporters. Key Cabinet members and advisers were convened on July 25 to receive a final updated briefing on the intelligence assessment, which the official said continued to strengthen on a daily basis.
“The president received an updated operational report and pressed at a granular level. He asked again about any other options that would reduce collateral or civilian casualties. He wanted to understand more about the layout of rooms [of al-Zawahiri’s safe house in Kabul] behind the door and windows on the third floor of the building,” the official said.
“At the conclusion of the meeting, the president authorized a precise tailored airstrike on the condition that a strike minimize to the greatest extent possible the risk of civilian casualties. This authorization meant that the U.S. government could conduct an airstrike once an opportunity was available,” the official said.
The U.S. is confident through intelligence sources and “multiple streams of intelligence that he was killed “and no other individual,” the official said.
al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri
The successful remote strike against al-Zawahiri comes nearly a year after Biden presided over the turbulent U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan following two decades of war. He and his administration insisted then that the cost of involvement wasn’t worth the chaos and that the U.S. would still have the capability to track and eliminate terror threats without forces on the ground.
“We showed that without American forces on the ground in Afghanistan and in harm’s way we remain able to identify and locate even the world’s most wanted terrorists and then take action to remove him from the battlefield,” the senior administration official said Monday.
The exit from Afghanistan, which had been negotiated during the Trump administration, took place against the backdrop of an unexpectedly rapid takeover of the country by the Taliban, the armed group the U.S. had fought after invading in 2001.
Biden was castigated by Republicans and others over his handling of the withdrawal.
Evacuation efforts were also marred by an Islamic State attack at an airport checkpoint in Kabul as the U.S. military and others worked to ferry out civilians. Thirteen U.S. troops and dozens of Afghans were killed.
On Monday, the senior administration official told reporters that al-Zawahiri had been staying in one of Kabul’s most affluent and prominent neighborhoods, near various diplomatic centers and international companies. The official confirmed that the ruling Taliban were aware of his presence in the area, knowledge that could further strain already tenuous relations with Washington.
The official said that the Taliban sought to cover up al-Zawahiri’s presence at his safe house after the strike.
“This is a very important point for us to make clear to the Taliban: that we expect them to abide by the terms of the Doha agreement, and the presence of al-Zawahiri in downtown Kabul is a clear violation of that,” the senior official said, referring to the agreement the Taliban negotiated with President Donald Trump in Doha, Qatar.
“My administration will continue to vigilantly monitor and address threats from al-Qaeda, no matter where they emanate from,” Biden said in his speech from the White House.
“The United States did not seek this war against terror, it came to us, and we answered with the same principles and resolve that have shaped us for generation upon generation: to protect [the] innocent, defend liberty, and we keep the light of freedom burning — a beacon for the rest of the entire world.”
U.S. President Joe Biden, on Thursday, said that the country would not wait forever for Tehran’s response on returning to a 2015 nuclear deal.
He made the statement following a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid.
The U.S. and Iran have been holding indirect talks in an attempt to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) agreement under which Iran limited its nuclear programme in return for relief from economic sanctions.
“We’ve laid out for the leadership of Iran what we’re willing to accept in order to get back into the JCPOA.
“We’re waiting for their response. When that will come, I’m not certain, but we are not going to wait forever.’’
The U.S. military presence in Europe is set for a long-term expansion, U.S. President Joe Biden says.
“We’re going to make up sure that NATO is ready to meet threats from all directions across every domain, land, air, and the sea,’’ Biden said.
He spoke alongside alliance NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg at a summit of NATO leaders in Madrid.
Biden noted plans for increased U.S. troop deployments in the Baltics, the deployment of two squadrons of U.S. F35 fighters in Britain and additional air defences in Italy and Germany.
Biden also announced the establishment of a permanent headquarters for the U.S. Fifth Army corps in Poland.
The announcement followed a U.S. decision to up the number of U.S. destroyers based in Rota, Spain from four to six.
