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Tag: Joe Biden

  • China urges calm after U.S. shoots down suspected undercover agent balloon

    “What I need to emphasize referring to this surprising twist of fate is that each side, particularly the U.S., must stay calm,” mentioned China’s Ministry of Overseas Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning.

    Aly Track | Reuters

    BEIJING — China’s Ministry of Overseas Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning prompt each side to stay calm after the U.S. mentioned it shot down what it referred to as a Chinese language undercover agent balloon.

    “What I need to emphasize referring to this surprising twist of fate is that each side, particularly the U.S., must stay calm,” Mao mentioned in Mandarin, in line with a CNBC translation.

    She used to be talking on the first of the ministry’s day-to-day press meetings after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken indefinitely postponed his commute to Beijing following information {that a} suspected Chinese language surveillance balloon used to be flying over the US.

    Blinken used to be initially anticipated to consult with Beijing Sunday and Monday, even supposing the U.S. had presented few reliable main points and the Chinese language aspect by no means showed the commute. The U.S. army shot down the balloon over the weekend.

    China has referred to as the balloon a “civilian unmanned airship” and mentioned it used to be basically carrying out climate analysis sooner than it used to be blown off path.

    Overseas Ministry spokesperson Mao emphasised the unintended nature of the balloon’s flight trail, and mentioned China has misplaced regulate of different such automobiles, in line with her question-and-answer consultation Monday with newshounds.

    When requested who or what sort of corporate made the balloon, Mao declined to percentage any main points.

    Majority Chief Chuck Schumer “printed that we do know that after the balloon used to be uncovered to the general public, China tried to move the balloon to go away the U.S. once they may,” a Senate Democrats press free up mentioned Sunday.

    When requested to verify this element, Mao mentioned China’s verbal exchange with the U.S. “at all times works exhausting to take care of issues responsibly.”

    She mentioned once more that the development used to be unintended, however places the U.S. to the take a look at with regards to the way it can take care of crises and stabilize U.S.-China family members. Mao reiterated China’s requires “mutual appreciate, non violent coexistence and win-win cooperation“ within the bilateral courting.

    Learn extra about China from CNBC Professional

    Plans for Blinken to consult with Beijing had been introduced in November after Chinese language President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden had their first in-person assembly throughout the Biden management.

    Information of the assembly and expectancies that Blinken would consult with Beijing had greater hopes for extra steadiness within the traumatic U.S.-China courting.

    Forward of Blinken’s consult with, U.S. Division of State spokesperson Ned Value instructed newshounds Thursday that one objective of high-level conversations with Beijing used to be “accountable control” of the arena’s “maximum consequential” bilateral courting. Such talks, he added, are supposed to make certain that “pageant does not veer into warfare.”

  • Chris Christie ‘Stings’ Trump With A Brutal Reminder Of His Largest Loss

    Donald Trump and Chris Christie renewed hostilities on Sunday in a chain of social media posts caused via the previous New Jersey governor’s newest dire prediction for the ex-president.

    Talking on ABC’s “This Week,” Christie stated Trump would lose a 2024 rematch with President Joe Biden.

    Trump used his Fact Social platform to fireside again, calling Christie “sloppy” and disregarding each his governorship and 2016 presidential bid as a “entire crisis.”

    Christie answered on Twitter with a reminder of Trump’s defeat in 2020, noting that it obviously “nonetheless stings” the previous president:

  • China says suspected secret agent balloon over U.S. skies is a civilian airship

    Chinese language government stated Friday {that a} suspected Beijing-operated secret agent balloon noticed soaring over delicate U.S. airspace used to be if truth be told a civilian airship meant for medical analysis.

    China’s Overseas Ministry stated in a remark that westerly wind had led to the airship to stray into U.S. territory, describing the incident because of “drive majeure” — or higher drive — for which it used to be no longer accountable.

    “The airship comes from China and is of a civilian nature, used for medical analysis similar to meteorology,” in line with a Google translation of a remark at the overseas ministry’s site.

    “Suffering from the westerly wind and with restricted self-discipline talent, the airship severely deviated from the scheduled course,” it stated. 

    “China regrets that the airship strayed into the US because of drive majeure. China will proceed to deal with verbal exchange with the USA to correctly care for the surprising scenario,” it added.

    The remark comes hours after Beijing steered Washington to stay “cool-headed” amid its investigation into reviews that the balloon were soaring over delicate airspace within the northern U.S.

    The U.S. accused China on Thursday of running what it stated used to be a imaginable surveillance balloon over places that space nuclear guns, additional escalating tensions between the 2 superpowers and prompting U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken to cancel a scheduled travel to Beijing this weekend.

    Overseas Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated at a press briefing previous Friday that government had been nonetheless studying concerning the topic, including that politicians and the general public must withhold judgment “ahead of we now have a transparent working out of the details.”

    We are hoping related events would care for the topic in a cool-headed method.

    Mao Ning

    spokesperson, China’s Overseas Ministry

    “We’ve spotted related reviews and are studying about this topic. What I need to emphasize is that hypothesis and conjecture aren’t conducive to a correct agreement of the topic ahead of the topic is clarified,” Mao stated, by means of an NBC translation.

    “China is a accountable nation, and we act based on global regulation. We haven’t any aim to violate different nations’ sovereignty and airspace,” Mao stated, in line with a Sky Information translation.

    “As I stated, we’re collecting and verifying the details. We are hoping related events would care for the topic in a cool-headed method,” she added.

    Noticed over Montana

    Pictures of what seems to be a high-altitude balloon used to be captured through an eyewitness over Billings, Montana, on Wednesday. CNBC or NBC Information may no longer independently check the photos or establish the flying object.

    It reportedly flew over the Aleutian Islands, thru Canada, and into Montana. A senior protection respectable stated the balloon continues to be over the U.S. however declined to mention the place it’s now. 

    After the sighting, Secretary of Protection Lloyd Austin convened a gathering of senior army and protection leaders and different combatant commanders to check the risk profile of the stratospheric balloon and temporary President Joe Biden on imaginable responses.

    Such choices integrated capturing down the balloon. That motion used to be in the long run pushed aside on account of the possible chance to security and safety of other people at the floor from the imaginable particles box.

    A senior protection respectable stated government are proceeding to observe the balloon intently and can take “all vital steps” to offer protection to towards overseas intelligence number of delicate knowledge.

    “Recently we assess that this balloon has restricted additive worth from an intelligence assortment point of view over and above what the PRC can do thru different approach,” the respectable stated. “Nonetheless, we’re taking all vital steps to offer protection to towards overseas intelligence number of delicate knowledge.”

    The balloon does no longer pose a risk to civil aviation on account of its altitude, the respectable added.

    Blinken postpones Beijing discuss with

    The most recent escalation in U.S.-China tensions comes as Blinken used to be scheduled to discuss with to Beijing on Sunday.

    Then again, the secretary of state postponed his travel Friday, in line with media reviews, which said that he didn’t need the balloon to dominate his conferences with Chinese language officers.

    The White Space and Pentagon referred queries to the State Division, which did not in an instant go back CNBC’s request for remark.

    Blinken used to be because of meet China’s Minister of Overseas Affairs Qin Gang, and in all probability Chinese language President Xi Jinping, right through a two-day discuss with to China — the primary such discuss with through a U.S. secretary of State in just about six years and the primary through a Biden management Cupboard secretary.

    The assembly used to be set through Biden and Xi on the G-20 in Bali, Indonesia, in November, in a bid to reinforce ties that experience grown increasingly more fraught amid disputes over Russia’s battle in Ukraine, industry, Taiwan, human rights and China’s claims within the South China Sea.

  • China’s suspected secret agent balloon activates Blinken to put off Beijing go back and forth as Congress seeks solutions

    WASHINGTON –U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will put off his go back and forth to China subsequent week following a suspected Beijing-operated secret agent balloon looming over portions of Montana.

    “After consultations with our interagency companions, in addition to with Congress, now we have concluded that the stipulations don’t seem to be proper at this second for Secretary Blinken to shuttle to China,” a senior State Division professional mentioned Friday on a background briefing with journalists.

    Blinken, who was once slated to leave for Beijing on Friday night time, was once scheduled to satisfy together with his Chinese language counterpart, Minister of International Affairs Qin Gang, and probably Chinese language President Xi Jinping, as neatly.

    The professional declined to mention when Blinken would reschedule his shuttle to China, pronouncing best that the dep. would “decide when the stipulations are proper.”

    Chinese language government mentioned Friday that the balloon working over U.S. airspace was once a civilian climate balloon meant for clinical analysis. However the State Division mentioned that was once immaterial.

    “We have now famous the PRC commentary of be apologetic about, however the presence of this balloon in our airspace is a transparent violation of our sovereignty in addition to global legislation and is unacceptable that this has befell,” the professional mentioned.

    Whilst Blinken has postponed his shuttle, the U.S. and China have now not suspended conversation over the incident.

    “From the instant this incident befell, now we have been in common and common touch with our Chinese language opposite numbers and I do watch for that can proceed,” mentioned the State Division professional, who requested to not be recognized to talk about a delicate intelligence topic.

    China’s International Ministry mentioned in a commentary that westerly winds had led to the airship to stray into U.S. territory, describing the incident because of “pressure majeure” — or larger pressure — for which it was once now not accountable. “The airship comes from China and is of a civilian nature, used for clinical analysis similar to meteorology,” in keeping with a Google translation of a commentary at the overseas ministry’s web page.

    On Thursday, a senior U.S. protection professional informed journalists that the U.S. was once acutely aware of the balloon and was once assured that it was once China’s.

    The professional, who spoke at the situation of anonymity as flooring regulations established via the Pentagon, added that President Joe Biden was once briefed at the topic. Following consultations with senior leaders, together with Joint Chiefs of Personnel Chairman Gen. Mark Milley and Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin, Biden determined the U.S. would now not shoot down the balloon, the professional mentioned.

    “We have been taking a look at whether or not there was once an choice the day prior to this over some carefully populated spaces in Montana,” mentioned the professional, who famous it was once determined the conceivable particles box from the balloon may purpose harm at the flooring and that its intelligence assortment doable has “restricted additive worth” when put next with Chinese language secret agent satellites.

    “We needed to take care that any individual did not get harm or belongings wasn’t destroyed,” mentioned the professional, who famous that the balloon does now not pose a risk to civil aviation as a result of its top altitude.

    On Capitol Hill, participants of Congress sounded alarms and sought additional information from the Biden management.

    Space Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Ca., mentioned he had asked a briefing for the so-called “Gang of 8,” the Republican and Democratic leaders of each the Space and Senate, and the leaders from each events of the Senate and Space intelligence committees. 

    Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., who represents the state the place the balloon was once first recognized, mentioned he’s involved with Protection Division and intelligence officers over the topic, however expressed frustration on the loss of element.

    “We’re nonetheless looking forward to actual solutions on how this came about and what steps the Management took to offer protection to our nation, and I will be able to hang everybody responsible till I am getting them,” Tester mentioned in a commentary Friday.

    The Senate was once now not in a complete consultation Friday, however Tester’s place of job mentioned he’ll obtain a categorised briefing in a protected facility once he returns to Washington.

    Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, the highest Republican at the Senate Intelligence Committee, mentioned the army will have to have shot down the balloon.

    “It was once a mistake not to shoot down that Chinese language secret agent balloon when it was once over a carefully populated house,” Rubio tweeted on Friday.

    “This isn’t some scorching air balloon, it has a big payload of sensors more or less the scale of 2 town buses & the power to move independently,” Rubio added.

    This tale is creating. Please test again for updates.

  • ‘God bless Elon Musk’: Best Republican lauds Twitter proprietor forward of key listening to

    U.S. Rep. James Comer (R-KY), Chairman of the Space Oversight and Duty Committee, speaks at a media tournament on the Nationwide Press Membership on January 30, 2023 in Washington, DC.

    Kevin Dietsch | Getty Pictures

    Space Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., effusively praised Twitter proprietor Elon Musk on Wednesday, announcing Musk used to be “being clear” concerning the tech platform.

    “God bless Elon Musk,” Comer stated in an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Field.” He referred to as the arguable wealthy person “a perfect American.”

    Comer’s feedback got here simply days after Musk visited Washington and met for over an hour with Space Republican leaders, a gaggle that integrated Comer.

    In addition they got here only a week prior to Comer is ready to chair the primary large congressional listening to on Twitter since Musk purchased the corporate in October and because Republicans took keep watch over of the Space.

    On Feb. 8, the Space Oversight Committee will pay attention from 3 former Twitter executives about what Comer referred to as “the function the federal government performed in suppressing the Biden pc tale.”

    Significantly, Comer didn’t say he could be investigating Twitter’s function within the alleged suppression.

    Musk’s allure offensive on Capitol Hill seems to were restricted to Republicans and White Space officers.

    Musk first of all claimed that he “met with” Democratic Space Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries, of New York.

    “Simply met with @SpeakerMcCarthy & @RepJeffries to talk about making sure that [Twitter] is honest to each events,” Musk tweeted Jan. 26.

    However an aide to Jeffries later stated that this isn’t what came about.

    Jeffries had simply ran into Musk on his approach out of McCarthy’s place of work and been presented to him, the aide stated. So whilst McCarthy and Republicans met with Musk for over an hour, Jeffries actually simply “met” him.

    Twitter’s decision-making all over the 2020 presidential marketing campaign has been a key matter of the so-called “Twitter information,” a chain of exceptional exposes of Twitter’s inside company communications that have been licensed by way of Musk himself.

    Musk hand-picked a gaggle of impartial newshounds and gave them a curated set of Twitter’s inside messages from prior to Musk purchased the corporate. The emails and Slack chats looked as if it would display Twitter executives debating maintain the pc tale and different politically delicate occasions.

    Comer lauded Musk’s resolution to publicize his corporate’s inside deliberations, announcing Wednesday that “he is performed a perfect provider to each and every American who cares about unfastened speech.”

    Republicans were up in palms over Twitter’s resolution in 2020 to restrict the distribution of a New York Put up tale printed in October 2020, claiming {that a} “Smoking-gun” e-mail proved then-Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden had as soon as been presented to a Ukrainian power government by way of his son, Hunter.

    The Put up stated its reporting used to be in keeping with knowledge recovered from a pc that Hunter Biden had dropped off at a Delaware pc restore retailer however by no means picked up.

    The Biden marketing campaign emphatically denied the Put up file, announcing Biden’s legit schedules from the time of the alleged assembly confirmed not anything about it “ever came about.”

    Fb and Twitter each restricted distribution of the tale, with Twitter taking the extremely peculiar step of blockading hyperlinks to the item altogether. On the time, the corporate stated the item violated its hacked subject matter coverage.

    The verdict brought about an uproar amongst Republicans who blasted Twitter, announcing it censored conservatives, a declare they have got lengthy maintained regardless of the corporate’s denials.

    Twitter later backtracked at the resolution, permitting hyperlinks to the Put up tale. Then-CEO Jack Dorsey referred to as the preliminary selection to dam hyperlinks with little rationalization “no longer nice.” Twitter additionally up to date its hacked fabrics coverage to just take away hacked content material whether it is shared at once or in live performance with hackers.

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    WATCH: Elon Musk polls Twitter customers over whether or not he will have to stay as CEO

  • Trump Declares Plan To Construct ‘Impenetrable Dome’ To Offer protection to U.S. From Nuclear Threats

    Former President Donald Trump not too long ago introduced that he would construct an “impenetrable dome” over the U.S. if re-elected — to “offer protection to our folks” from the purported danger of nuclear assaults and Global Struggle III.

    “Global Struggle III can be a disaster not like another,” he mentioned within the video printed on his Reality Social platform Friday. “This could make Global Struggle I and Global Struggle II like very small battles. One of the simplest ways to make sure that this kind of warfare by no means occurs is to be ready with unequalled generation and unequalled power.”

    “When I’m commander in leader… I will be able to paintings with Congress and our nice army leaders — now not those you spot on tv, I don’t believe them leaders,” he persisted.” We’re gonna paintings with them to construct a cutting-edge, next-generation missile-defense defend.”

    Trump then claimed “the arena has turn out to be massively extra bad” beneath President Joe Biden and that any dialogue of the “fatal risk” of nuclear conflict, as a purported results of the continued Russia-Ukraine warfare, has been tabled via the present management.

    “The ‘nuclear’ phrase is being discussed at all times,” mentioned Trump. “This can be a phrase you’re now not allowed to make use of. It was once by no means used right through the Trump management, however now different nations are the use of that phrase in opposition to us as a result of they have got no recognize for our management.”

    Trump added that nuclear and hypersonic missiles may “annihilate whole towns or even nations” will have to Russian President Vladimir Putin make a choice to accentuate aggression in opposition to Ukraine and its NATO allies — and that development an iron dome-like machine is now crucial.

    “The usa should have an impenetrable dome to offer protection to our folks,” he mentioned. “We labored with Israel to increase that dome…We’ve got generation that’s unsurpassed, however our previous leaders haven’t in point of fact sought after to make use of it…We need to now pass that additional step.”

    After lauding his efforts of “totally” rebuilding the U.S. army, the twice-impeached former president — whose marketing campaign promise to beef up the U.S.-Mexico border changed into a pricey failure — mentioned the Area Pressure would have a “essential function to play.”

    “Simply as I rebuilt our army, particularly our nuclear functions, I will be able to construct the defend to shield The usa from missile assaults,” mentioned Trump ahead of including. “We can have a peace thru power.”

    Trump announced his run in November and is visiting two early-voting states Saturday.
    Trump introduced his run in November and is visiting two early-voting states Saturday.

    Since pronouncing his bid in November, Trump is anticipated to kick off his 2024 run for the White Area on Saturday with the primary marketing campaign stops. He’s scheduled because the keynote speaker at occasions in New Hampshire and South Carolina — two early-voting states.

    Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Putin’s safety council, not too long ago wrote on Telegram that “the defeat of a nuclear energy in a traditional conflict might cause a nuclear conflict,” in line with Reuters. Putin himself echoed that perception in December.

    “As for the concept Russia wouldn’t use such guns first beneath any instances, then it manner we wouldn’t be capable of be the second one to make use of them both — since the risk to take action in case of an assault on our territory can be very restricted,” mentioned Putin, in line with CNN.

    The U.S. is however dedicated to supporting Ukraine within the warfare — which is nearing its one-year mark.

    “Putin has no goal — no goal of preventing this merciless conflict,” mentioned Biden in December. “And america is dedicated to making sure that the courageous Ukrainian folks can proceed — proceed to shield their nation in opposition to Russian aggression so long as it takes.”

  • Ted Cruz’s Hypocrisy Will get The Recreation Display Remedy In New Spoof

    “The Day-to-day Display” has spun Sen. Ted Cruz’s obvious hypocrisy right into a recreation display, together with his partisan takes on fresh categorised subject matter information serving because the fodder.

    In a video launched this week through the Comedy Central program, the Texas Republican is noticed providing wildly other evaluations when a shiny dial moves the names of President Joe Biden, former President Donald Trump and previous Vice President Mike Pence. Delicate executive paperwork were found out within the 3 males’s houses and different homes prior to now weeks and months.

    On Trump, Cruz downplays remaining yr’s FBI seek of his Mar-a-Lago property as a “fishing expedition.”

    With Biden, Cruz rants about corruption and cover-ups.

    As for Pence, Cruz praises him as a “excellent guy.”

    The “Spin The ones Medical doctors!” send-up comes as more than one commentators indicate important variations between the Trump scandal and the scenarios involving Biden and Pence.

  • ‘Wow!’: Stephen Colbert Spots Awkward Joe Biden Mind Fart At MLK Day Tournament

    Biden, talking on the Nationwide Motion Community’s annual breakfast, famous it was once the birthday of King’s daughter-in-law, Arndrea Waters King.

    “My spouse has a rule in her circle of relatives,” Biden stated. “When it’s anyone’s birthday, you sing ‘Glad Birthday.’”

    Then, he proceeded to guide the group within the track ― just for him to stumble when it got here to her identify.

    “Wow!” Colbert stated. “Persons are accusing him of forgetting her identify. That’s no longer honest: He obviously by no means knew her identify.”

    See extra in his Monday night time monologue:

  • Mehdi Hasan Calls Out Merrick Garland For Pandering To Unhealthy-Religion Republicans

    “Democrats have been in large part conquer with glee” when President Joe Biden named Garland to the put up in 2021, 5 years after Senate Republicans blocked his nomination to the Best Courtroom. “They have been in the end proudly owning the cons.”

    However Hasan stated they weren’t. Garland, he stated, is “out of his intensity and getting outplayed” by means of Republicans, particularly as figures comparable to Area Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) now call for investigations into Biden over the categorized paperwork discovered in different non-public places.

    “This is identical bad-faith Kevin who didn’t care about ‘justice’ or ‘equality within the legislation’ when it used to be Donald Trump with alleged nuclear paperwork in Mar-a-Lago ― refusing to offer them again, by means of the best way,” Hasan stated. “Unhealthy-faith Republicans are in all places.”

    “The hypocrisy and dangerous religion of the trendy GOP will have to be transparent to someone paying consideration,” he stated. “So most likely Merrick Garland simply isn’t.”

    See his complete section underneath:

  • Don Lemon Will get Testy With Chuck Schumer Over Remark On Biden Medical doctors Protection

    CNN host Don Lemon went after Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) for indicating that the community sought after to “buzz round” about President Joe Biden’s categorised paperwork case. (You’ll be able to watch Lemon’s reaction underneath.)

    The heated second got here towards the top of every week marked via experiences of categorised record discoveries at Biden’s house and in an place of work he used, in an issue that has sparked a different recommend investigation.

    Legal professionals discovered extra paperwork all the way through every other seek of his house library, the White Area stated on Saturday. Whilst the White Area had in the past introduced that Biden’s private attorneys discovered one record there on Wednesday, a White Area attorney stated he discovered further pages when there on Thursday, leading to six general pages from the library.

    Lemon fired again at Schumer on Friday’s “CNN This Morning” program, telling him that the dealing with of categorised subject matter via the president is “severe stuff.”

    “It’s now not simply, grasp on, it’s now not simply us humming round — you’re the Democratic head of the Senate,” stated Lemon after Schumer remarked that all of the hosts need to do is “buzz round” at the case.

    “This can be a actually essential factor. It’s now not simply humming round. That is severe stuff.”

    Schumer stated prosecutors will resolve the topic and urged that if there wasn’t a different recommend there’d be a “other factor to mention” at the state of affairs.

    “I feel we must have a different prosecutor on every,” stated Schumer referring to each Biden’s case and previous President Donald Trump’s case involving categorised fabrics at Mar-a-Lago.

    “I don’t thoughts [that] you’re asking those questions, however my view is I’m now not going to mention anything else. Let the particular prosecutors do their activity,” the Senate Democratic chief stated.

    CNN’s Poppy Harlow later requested the Democrat what he want to see the White Area do in regard to it to start with addressing paperwork came upon in November and now not the ones came upon in December, a discovering that used to be made public after the White Area’s acknowledgment.

    You’ll be able to watch Harlow’s query to Schumer and his reaction across the 0:53 mark within the video underneath.