The far-reaching voting rights measure that Democrats are pressing to enact, known as the For the People Act, was more a political statement than serious legislation when lawmakers first proposed it in 2019.

The bill, clocking in at 818 pages, includes a laundry list of Democratic priorities like expanded ballot access, tighter controls on political money and support for District of Columbia statehood. It had no chance of becoming law when Republicans controlled the Senate and the White House.

But with Democrats in power, the wish list has become a potentially historic law and the most pervasive overhaul of federal election rules in recent memory. Republicans have assailed it as a Democratic effort to rig the political system in their favor, even as some privately acknowledge that the bill’s broad aims are overwhelmingly popular, even among conservatives.

President Joe Biden and Democrats portray the bill as the civil rights imperative of modern times and call it essential to shoring up a shaky democracy. But many of them privately concede that some of its provisions, like restrictions on political money, have opponents in their own ranks.

Here is a summary of some of the central elements of the measure:

The bill would set a national floor for ballot access.

Should it become law, the legislation would effectively set a national floor on ballot access, requiring all federal elections to start with an identical set of rules. States and other federal jurisdictions could tweak them to provide more access, but not less. Some states like Colorado and Minnesota have rules that are more generous than what the bill mandates; others, like Texas and Tennessee, make it much harder to register and vote than the bill envisions.

Jurisdictions could ignore the rules for state and local elections, but as a practical matter, the new requirements would most likely apply to all voting.

Some Republicans charge that the bill would rig the voting rules in favor of Democrats. But Republican officials have been working for the past decade to restrict ballot access in ways that make it harder to vote for minority groups that traditionally favor Democrats.

Beyond the civic benefits of greater participation in elections, it is clear that expanding voting to more people would benefit both parties. Indeed, as Republicans have increasingly appealed to lower-income and less-educated voters, some experts say the restrictions that they have imposed may actually be cutting into turnout by the party’s loyalists.

Many Republican states have had one or more of the voting provisions for years with no indication that they disproportionately favor one party.

The measure would make it much easier to register to vote.

All voters would be able to register, designate party affiliations, change addresses and deregister online; 40 states and the District of Columbia offer some or all of those options. Voters would also be automatically registered when visiting state or federal agencies unless they explicitly decline, similar to what has been required of most states — but not always carried out — by the federal “motor-voter law” that passed in 1993. Voters could also register when they cast a ballot, either on Election Day or during early voting, as is already the case in 21 states.

Early voting would be expanded nationwide, with all jurisdictions offering it for 15 days, for 10 hours daily, at easily accessible polling places. All but a handful of states allow early voting; the average early-ballot period is 19 days, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The bill would also require jurisdictions to provide at least one secure ballot drop box for every 20,000 voters.

Mail voting would be extended nationwide, and states would have to prepay postage and electronically track ballots so voters would know when their ballots arrived and whether they had mistakes that needed to be fixed.

It would defang many voting restrictions imposed by Republicans.

Republicans have won enactment of voter-ID laws in most states by arguing that they are needed to combat fraud, even though the sort of in-person fraud that such rules discourage is all but nonexistent. The bill would effectively nullify such laws, allowing voters to sign affidavits swearing to their identities rather than showing ID.

The measure would also require that voters be notified at least a week before an election if their polling places have changed and order steps to reduce long lines. Voting rights activists and specialists argue that turnout falls when polling locations are closed or changed.

The legislation also would try to beat back rules adopted by some states, including Texas and New Hampshire, that make it more difficult for college students to vote. It would designate universities as voter-registration agencies and offer nonpartisan assistance to students who cast absentee ballots.

Under the bill, states would be barred from taking voters off the rolls because they had not participated in recent elections, a practice that the Supreme Court upheld in 2018. Critics argue that the practice is aimed at reducing turnout.

It would also restore voting rights to felons who have completed their sentences, cementing into law a practice that states have increasingly adopted but some, such as Florida, have resisted.

Partisan gerrymandering would end.

Among other redistricting changes, the bill would mandate that political maps be drawn by nonpartisan commissions, not by state legislatures. If a legislature refused to approve a map, a three-judge federal panel would take over drafting.

A number of states have established such commissions in recent years, including Ohio and Colorado, but removing politics from political maps has proved difficult. Critics say Arizona’s Republican governor has stacked the selection process for that state’s commission, and the composition of Colorado’s new commission also has come under fire. The legislation lays out detailed instructions for choosing panel members.

Political contributions would be reined in.

The legislation would try to stop the flow of money to campaigns from abroad by requiring political committees to report foreign contacts, outlawing the use of shell companies to launder foreign contributions and barring foreigners from advising PACs on contributions and other political efforts. These moves and other requirements are direct responses to Russian efforts to support Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential campaign.

The most contentious provisions would pull back the veil over so-called dark political money, whose donors are secret, and regulate independent political expenditures — mostly spending that is not expressly coordinated with a candidate — by corporations.

Those provisions would counter the Supreme Court’s 2010 decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that independent expenditures are a form of free speech protected by the Constitution. The ruling effectively allowed nonprofit groups to spend unlimited amounts of money — $750 million in 2020, according to the advocacy group OpenSecrets — to support or oppose candidates or causes while keeping donors anonymous.

Public corporations would require approval by boards of directors and shareholders for independent expenditures and some other political spending over $50,000.

The bill would also require nonprofit groups spending money on elections or judicial nominations to disclose the donor of any contribution over $10,000 and ban shifting money between groups to disguise a donor’s identity.

It would also address the growing use of political advertising on the internet, requiring for the first time that ads disclose their sponsors and that online companies keep a public list of political advertising buyers.

Finally, the measure would set up new funds to match small donations to Senate and presidential candidates. The money, raised through fines on corporate lawbreakers and tax cheats, would be available only to candidates who reject political donations of more than $1,000.

The far-reaching voting rights measure that Democrats are pressing to enact, known as the For the People Act, was more a political statement than serious legislation when lawmakers first proposed it in 2019.

The far-reaching voting rights measure that Democrats are pressing to enact, known as the For the People Act, was more a political statement than serious legislation when lawmakers first proposed it in 2019. The bill, clocking in at 818 pages, includes a laundry list of Democratic priorities like expanded ballot access, tighter controls on political money and support for District of Columbia statehood. It had no chance of becoming law when Republicans controlled the Senate and the White House. But with Democrats in power, the wish list has become a potentially historic law and the most pervasive overhaul of federal election rules in recent memory. Republicans have assailed it as a Democratic effort to rig the political system in their favor, even as some privately acknowledge that the bill’s broad aims are overwhelmingly popular, even among conservatives. President Joe Biden and Democrats portray the bill as the civil rights imperative of modern times and call it essential to shoring up a shaky democracy. But many of them privately concede that some of its provisions, like restrictions on political money, have opponents in their own ranks. Here is a summary of some of the central elements of the measure: The bill would set a national floor for ballot access. Should it become law, the legislation would effectively set a national floor on ballot access, requiring all federal elections to start with an identical set of rules. States and other federal jurisdictions could tweak them to provide more access, but not less. Some states like Colorado and Minnesota have rules that are more generous than what the bill mandates; others, like Texas and Tennessee, make it much harder to register and vote than the bill envisions. Jurisdictions could ignore the rules for state and local elections, but as a practical matter, the new requirements would most likely apply to all voting. Some Republicans charge that the bill would rig the voting rules in favor of Democrats. But Republican officials have been working for the past decade to restrict ballot access in ways that make it harder to vote for minority groups that traditionally favor Democrats. Beyond the civic benefits of greater participation in elections, it is clear that expanding voting to more people would benefit both parties. Indeed, as Republicans have increasingly appealed to lower-income and less-educated voters, some experts say the restrictions that they have imposed may actually be cutting into turnout by the party’s loyalists. Many Republican states have had one or more of the voting provisions for years with no indication that they disproportionately favor one party. The measure would make it much easier to register to vote. All voters would be able to register, designate party affiliations, change addresses and deregister online; 40 states and the District of Columbia offer some or all of those options. Voters would also be automatically registered when visiting state or federal agencies unless they explicitly decline, similar to what has been required of most states — but not always carried out — by the federal “motor-voter law” that passed in 1993. Voters could also register when they cast a ballot, either on Election Day or during early voting, as is already the case in 21 states. Early voting would be expanded nationwide, with all jurisdictions offering it for 15 days, for 10 hours daily, at easily accessible polling places. All but a handful of states allow early voting; the average early-ballot period is 19 days, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The bill would also require jurisdictions to provide at least one secure ballot drop box for every 20,000 voters. Mail voting would be extended nationwide, and states would have to prepay postage and electronically track ballots so voters would know when their ballots arrived and whether they had mistakes that needed to be fixed. It would defang many voting restrictions imposed by Republicans. Republicans have won enactment of voter-ID laws in most states by arguing that they are needed to combat fraud, even though the sort of in-person fraud that such rules discourage is all but nonexistent. The bill would effectively nullify such laws, allowing voters to sign affidavits swearing to their identities rather than showing ID. The measure would also require that voters be notified at least a week before an election if their polling places have changed and order steps to reduce long lines. Voting rights activists and specialists argue that turnout falls when polling locations are closed or changed. The legislation also would try to beat back rules adopted by some states, including Texas and New Hampshire, that make it more difficult for college students to vote. It would designate universities as voter-registration agencies and offer nonpartisan assistance to students who cast absentee ballots. Under the bill, states would be barred from taking voters off the rolls because they had not participated in recent elections, a practice that the Supreme Court upheld in 2018. Critics argue that the practice is aimed at reducing turnout. It would also restore voting rights to felons who have completed their sentences, cementing into law a practice that states have increasingly adopted but some, such as Florida, have resisted. Partisan gerrymandering would end. Among other redistricting changes, the bill would mandate that political maps be drawn by nonpartisan commissions, not by state legislatures. If a legislature refused to approve a map, a three-judge federal panel would take over drafting. A number of states have established such commissions in recent years, including Ohio and Colorado, but removing politics from political maps has proved difficult. Critics say Arizona’s Republican governor has stacked the selection process for that state’s commission, and the composition of Colorado’s new commission also has come under fire. The legislation lays out detailed instructions for choosing panel members. Political contributions would be reined in. The legislation would try to stop the flow of money to campaigns from abroad by requiring political committees to report foreign contacts, outlawing the use of shell companies to launder foreign contributions and barring foreigners from advising PACs on contributions and other political efforts. These moves and other requirements are direct responses to Russian efforts to support Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential campaign. The most contentious provisions would pull back the veil over so-called dark political money, whose donors are secret, and regulate independent political expenditures — mostly spending that is not expressly coordinated with a candidate — by corporations. Those provisions would counter the Supreme Court’s 2010 decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that independent expenditures are a form of free speech protected by the Constitution. The ruling effectively allowed nonprofit groups to spend unlimited amounts of money — $750 million in 2020, according to the advocacy group OpenSecrets — to support or oppose candidates or causes while keeping donors anonymous. Public corporations would require approval by boards of directors and shareholders for independent expenditures and some other political spending over $50,000. The bill would also require nonprofit groups spending money on elections or judicial nominations to disclose the donor of any contribution over $10,000 and ban shifting money between groups to disguise a donor’s identity. It would also address the growing use of political advertising on the internet, requiring for the first time that ads disclose their sponsors and that online companies keep a public list of political advertising buyers. Finally, the measure would set up new funds to match small donations to Senate and presidential candidates. The money, raised through fines on corporate lawbreakers and tax cheats, would be available only to candidates who reject political donations of more than $1,000.

Here’s how Democrats’ sweeping voting rights law would work

At the end of a winding answer Thursday about competing with China and about his relationship with Xi Jinping, a man he said does not have a democratic “bone in his body,” President Joe Biden offered up a revealing assessment of one of America’s most pressing challenges.

“This is a battle between the utility of democracies in the 21st century and autocracies,” he told reporters at his first news conference as president. “We’ve got to prove democracy works.”

China’s president, Xi, Biden said bluntly, was “a smart, smart guy” who shared with President Vladimir Putin of Russia a belief that “autocracy is the wave of the future and democracy can’t function” in the complexities of the modern world.

Among the biggest tasks of his presidency, Biden seemed to be arguing, is to prove anew to a skeptical world that both American democracy and its model of democratic capitalism still works — and that it is superior to the very different system Xi is ruthlessly enforcing at home as he tries to extend China’s influence around the world.

For a president barely 10 weeks into office, casting the United States as confronting a global struggle with the Chinese model has some clear political benefits. One of the few issues that unites Democrats and Republicans is the need to compete head-on with Beijing. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, said Monday that the Chinese have already taken notice.

“They recognize in many ways that we are now finally awakened to the challenge,” he said this week at the Atlantic Council. “And I would call it a bipartisan awakening.”

Biden’s aides say his view of the Chinese challenge is not solely one of foreign policy. He plans to make full use of the fear of Beijing’s ambitions as he introduces his infrastructure initiative next week.

There will be hundreds of billions of dollars for technologies and projects that the Chinese are also pouring cash into, including semiconductors, artificial intelligence and 5G networks, as well as big breakthroughs in electric cars and synthetic biotechnology.

On Friday, Biden said he suggested to Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain that the big Western democracies work together to counter China’s ambitious efforts to build better trade routes around the world, a project called the Belt and Road Initiative. The project is one of China’s main instruments for influencing nations in its economic orbit by investing in ports, rail lines, roads and other infrastructure in Asia, Africa and Europe.

“We talked about China and the competition they’re engaging in in the Belt and Road Initiative,” Biden said. “And I suggested we should have, essentially, a similar initiative coming from the democratic states, helping those communities around the world.”

There is a striking similarity between Biden’s list and Xi’s “Made in China 2025” initiative — which was first announced six years ago as an effort to make China largely independent of Western suppliers for critical technology.

At the core of Biden’s infrastructure and supply-chain initiatives is an effort — parts of which began in the Trump years — to ensure the West is not dependent on Chinese technology. It is a battle that blossomed over Huawei, the maker of next-generation communications networks, but has now spread to fears that Chinese apps like TikTok could be a pathway for attacks on American infrastructure.

“China is outinvesting us by a long shot,” Biden said, previewing his argument, “because their plan is to own that future.”

It is a time-tested approach: President Dwight D. Eisenhower used the launch of Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, to spur a military and civilian space race, and President John F. Kennedy picked up on the theme in setting the goal for landing a man on the moon.

A decade ago, President Barack Obama used his State of the Union address to call for a “Sputnik moment” of public investment, also using China as a spur, but the effort fell flat.

Yet for all the unanimity around the China challenge, it is far from clear whether Biden’s political strategy will work.

Republicans object to both the huge government spending in the Biden plan and to the overhang of debt it would create. And there seems bound to be a rerun of the arguments, dating to the 1980s, over whether a federal “industrial policy” — where taxpayer dollars are poured directly into technologies in which the United States judges it must stay ahead — that creates a competitive advantage for America makes sense or just squelches the innovations of Silicon Valley.

No matter how that plays out, Biden is casting the United States’ current competition in very different terms than his predecessors did. “Look, I predict to you,” he said, “your children or grandchildren are going to be doing their doctoral thesis on the issue of who succeeded: autocracy or democracy? Because that is what is at stake, not just China.”

Most notable was what was missing. There was no talk of American “exceptionalism,” just a shorter-term assurance that “on my watch,” China would not reach its overall goal “to become the leading country in the world, the wealthiest country in the world, and the most powerful country in the world.”

Biden was also careful not to make Cold War analogies; in fact, he noted that what was missing now was much of an ideological contest. (“You don’t have Russia talking about communism anymore,” he noted.) He has always said he would cooperate with adversaries, and on Friday he invited Xi and Putin to a virtual climate summit meeting he is hosting in April. He speaks of competition, not containment.

“I see stiff competition with China,” Biden said, over everything from chips to national values, which he added was the key to his two-hour conversation with Xi. And that, he said, meant pushing back on China’s stripping of rights in Hong Kong or on its harsh repression of Muslim minorities.

“The moment a president walks away from that, as the last one did,” he said, taking a dig at former President Donald Trump, “is the moment we begin to lose our legitimacy around the world.”

Still, Biden’s discussion of an open contest between two similarly sized superpowers was a significant change for U.S. presidents.

A quarter-century ago, President Bill Clinton would make the case — oftentimes, during visits to Beijing — that the arrival of the internet would force China to embrace an more American-style democracy. Clearly, that did not work out.

President George W. Bush stressed areas where Chinese and American interests overlapped — counterterrorism and North Korea were the two he mentioned the most — but never cast China as a technological equal. Obama would always say the United States “welcomes the rise of China” and recognized that it could not contain the country if it wanted to, so it would be foolish to try.

And Trump spent three years imposing tariffs and insisting he would cut the deal of the century with China, and one year castigating it as the exporter of the coronavirus, while his secretary of state at the time, Mike Pompeo, insisted that over time, the Communist Party would collapse.

Now, Biden’s team says it is assembling a strategy built more around competition than containment.

“I don’t think China is on a mission to export its model abroad and undermine democracy abroad,” said Thomas J. Christensen, a Columbia professor and former State Department official dealing with China during the Bush administration. “But I do think they are on a mission to defend their model from criticism and defend single-party authoritarian rule.”

Christensen published an essay this week in Foreign Affairs titled, “There Will Not Be a New Cold War,” arguing that American allies were “too economically dependent on China to adopt entirely hostile policies,” and that the United States’ advantage was that it had allies and partners who ranked among the greatest technological powers in the world.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken seemed to acknowledge that this week when, on a visit to Brussels, he assured the Europeans that he would not force them to make an “us or them choice.”

The Biden camp’s calculation seems to be that it is more important to hold allies together than to ensure that each one cuts off its dependency on Chinese technology or investment.

The problem will come, as Blinken notes, as China lashes out at those who criticize its actions at home, in the South China Sea, or against Taiwan. “When one of us is coerced,” he said, “we should respond as allies and work together to reduce our vulnerability by ensuring our economies are more integrated with each other.” Which sounds a lot like creating opposing camps.

At the end of a winding answer Thursday about competing with China and about his relationship with Xi Jinping, a man he said does not have a democratic “bone in his body,” President Joe Biden offered up a revealing assessment of one of America’s most pressing challenges.

At the end of a winding answer Thursday about competing with China and about his relationship with Xi Jinping, a man he said does not have a democratic “bone in his body,” President Joe Biden offered up a revealing assessment of one of America’s most pressing challenges. “This is a battle between the utility of democracies in the 21st century and autocracies,” he told reporters at his first news conference as president. “We’ve got to prove democracy works.” China’s president, Xi, Biden said bluntly, was “a smart, smart guy” who shared with President Vladimir Putin of Russia a belief that “autocracy is the wave of the future and democracy can’t function” in the complexities of the modern world. Among the biggest tasks of his presidency, Biden seemed to be arguing, is to prove anew to a skeptical world that both American democracy and its model of democratic capitalism still works — and that it is superior to the very different system Xi is ruthlessly enforcing at home as he tries to extend China’s influence around the world. For a president barely 10 weeks into office, casting the United States as confronting a global struggle with the Chinese model has some clear political benefits. One of the few issues that unites Democrats and Republicans is the need to compete head-on with Beijing. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, said Monday that the Chinese have already taken notice. “They recognize in many ways that we are now finally awakened to the challenge,” he said this week at the Atlantic Council. “And I would call it a bipartisan awakening.” Biden’s aides say his view of the Chinese challenge is not solely one of foreign policy. He plans to make full use of the fear of Beijing’s ambitions as he introduces his infrastructure initiative next week. There will be hundreds of billions of dollars for technologies and projects that the Chinese are also pouring cash into, including semiconductors, artificial intelligence and 5G networks, as well as big breakthroughs in electric cars and synthetic biotechnology. On Friday, Biden said he suggested to Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain that the big Western democracies work together to counter China’s ambitious efforts to build better trade routes around the world, a project called the Belt and Road Initiative. The project is one of China’s main instruments for influencing nations in its economic orbit by investing in ports, rail lines, roads and other infrastructure in Asia, Africa and Europe. “We talked about China and the competition they’re engaging in in the Belt and Road Initiative,” Biden said. “And I suggested we should have, essentially, a similar initiative coming from the democratic states, helping those communities around the world.” There is a striking similarity between Biden’s list and Xi’s “Made in China 2025” initiative — which was first announced six years ago as an effort to make China largely independent of Western suppliers for critical technology. At the core of Biden’s infrastructure and supply-chain initiatives is an effort — parts of which began in the Trump years — to ensure the West is not dependent on Chinese technology. It is a battle that blossomed over Huawei, the maker of next-generation communications networks, but has now spread to fears that Chinese apps like TikTok could be a pathway for attacks on American infrastructure. “China is outinvesting us by a long shot,” Biden said, previewing his argument, “because their plan is to own that future.” It is a time-tested approach: President Dwight D. Eisenhower used the launch of Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, to spur a military and civilian space race, and President John F. Kennedy picked up on the theme in setting the goal for landing a man on the moon. A decade ago, President Barack Obama used his State of the Union address to call for a “Sputnik moment” of public investment, also using China as a spur, but the effort fell flat. Yet for all the unanimity around the China challenge, it is far from clear whether Biden’s political strategy will work. Republicans object to both the huge government spending in the Biden plan and to the overhang of debt it would create. And there seems bound to be a rerun of the arguments, dating to the 1980s, over whether a federal “industrial policy” — where taxpayer dollars are poured directly into technologies in which the United States judges it must stay ahead — that creates a competitive advantage for America makes sense or just squelches the innovations of Silicon Valley. No matter how that plays out, Biden is casting the United States’ current competition in very different terms than his predecessors did. “Look, I predict to you,” he said, “your children or grandchildren are going to be doing their doctoral thesis on the issue of who succeeded: autocracy or democracy? Because that is what is at stake, not just China.” Most notable was what was missing. There was no talk of American “exceptionalism,” just a shorter-term assurance that “on my watch,” China would not reach its overall goal “to become the leading country in the world, the wealthiest country in the world, and the most powerful country in the world.” Biden was also careful not to make Cold War analogies; in fact, he noted that what was missing now was much of an ideological contest. (“You don’t have Russia talking about communism anymore,” he noted.) He has always said he would cooperate with adversaries, and on Friday he invited Xi and Putin to a virtual climate summit meeting he is hosting in April. He speaks of competition, not containment. “I see stiff competition with China,” Biden said, over everything from chips to national values, which he added was the key to his two-hour conversation with Xi. And that, he said, meant pushing back on China’s stripping of rights in Hong Kong or on its harsh repression of Muslim minorities. “The moment a president walks away from that, as the last one did,” he said, taking a dig at former President Donald Trump, “is the moment we begin to lose our legitimacy around the world.” Still, Biden’s discussion of an open contest between two similarly sized superpowers was a significant change for U.S. presidents. A quarter-century ago, President Bill Clinton would make the case — oftentimes, during visits to Beijing — that the arrival of the internet would force China to embrace an more American-style democracy. Clearly, that did not work out. President George W. Bush stressed areas where Chinese and American interests overlapped — counterterrorism and North Korea were the two he mentioned the most — but never cast China as a technological equal. Obama would always say the United States “welcomes the rise of China” and recognized that it could not contain the country if it wanted to, so it would be foolish to try. And Trump spent three years imposing tariffs and insisting he would cut the deal of the century with China, and one year castigating it as the exporter of the coronavirus, while his secretary of state at the time, Mike Pompeo, insisted that over time, the Communist Party would collapse. Now, Biden’s team says it is assembling a strategy built more around competition than containment. “I don’t think China is on a mission to export its model abroad and undermine democracy abroad,” said Thomas J. Christensen, a Columbia professor and former State Department official dealing with China during the Bush administration. “But I do think they are on a mission to defend their model from criticism and defend single-party authoritarian rule.” Christensen published an essay this week in Foreign Affairs titled, “There Will Not Be a New Cold War,” arguing that American allies were “too economically dependent on China to adopt entirely hostile policies,” and that the United States’ advantage was that it had allies and partners who ranked among the greatest technological powers in the world. Secretary of State Antony Blinken seemed to acknowledge that this week when, on a visit to Brussels, he assured the Europeans that he would not force them to make an “us or them choice.” The Biden camp’s calculation seems to be that it is more important to hold allies together than to ensure that each one cuts off its dependency on Chinese technology or investment. The problem will come, as Blinken notes, as China lashes out at those who criticize its actions at home, in the South China Sea, or against Taiwan. “When one of us is coerced,” he said, “we should respond as allies and work together to reduce our vulnerability by ensuring our economies are more integrated with each other.” Which sounds a lot like creating opposing camps.

Biden defines his underlying challenge with China: ‘Prove democracy works’

WASHINGTON — As President Joe Biden signaled this week that he would let a May 1 deadline pass without withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan, some officials are using an intelligence assessment to argue for prolonging the military mission there.

U.S. intelligence agencies have told the Biden administration that if U.S. troops leave before a power-sharing settlement is reached between the Taliban and the Afghan government, the country could fall largely under the control of the Taliban within two or three years after the withdrawal of international forces. That could potentially open the door for al-Qaida to rebuild its strength within the country, according to U.S. officials.

The classified assessment, first prepared last year for the Trump administration but not previously disclosed, is the latest in a series of grim predictions of Afghanistan’s future that intelligence analysts have delivered throughout the two-decade-long war.

But the intelligence has landed in a changed political environment. While former President Donald Trump pushed for a withdrawal of all forces even before the terms of the peace deal required it, Biden has been more cautious, saying Thursday that he does not view May 1 as a deadline he must meet, although he also said he “could not picture” troops being in the country next year.

The decision looms as one of the most critical of Biden’s young presidency. He long argued while vice president for a minimal presence in Afghanistan but has been said to have privately described as haunting the possibility of allowing the country to descend into collapse.

Some senior Biden administration officials have expressed skepticism of any intelligence prediction of a resurgence of a weakened al-Qaida or of the Islamic State group. Taliban commanders remain opposed to the Islamic State in Afghanistan, and al-Qaida, which has little current presence in the country, could regroup instead in any number of other lawless regions around the world.

Also left unanswered by the intelligence warning is the question of whether Afghanistan could really prosper if U.S. troops remain indefinitely. Their presence would most likely prevent a collapse of the nation’s own security forces and allow the government in Kabul, the Afghan capital, to retain control of its major cities, but the Taliban are still likely to gradually expand their power in other parts of the country, including curbing the rights of women.

A Taliban spokesperson said Friday that the group was committed to last year’s peace agreement “and wants the American side to also remain firmly committed.” If troops are not withdrawn by May 1, the spokesperson promised, the Taliban would “continue its jihad and armed struggle against foreign forces.”

Biden administration officials insisted no final decision had been made. Nevertheless, with the deadline looming, administration officials are jockeying to influence Biden and his top national security officials. While Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has not signaled what course of action he prefers, some Pentagon officials who believe U.S. forces should stay longer have pointed to the intelligence assessment predicting a Taliban takeover of the country.

Some military commanders and administration officials have argued that any set date for withdrawing the approximately 3,500 U.S. troops who remain, whether it is May 1 or at the end of the year, will doom the mission. The only way to preserve hard-fought gains in Afghanistan, they said, is to keep the small U.S. presence there long enough to force a lasting deal between the Taliban and Afghan government.

These officials have used the intelligence assessment to make the point that a withdrawal this year will lead to a fall of the current government, a sharp erosion of women’s rights and the return of international terrorist groups. A rush to the exit, some officials said, will only drag the United States back into Afghanistan soon after leaving — much as was the case in Iraq in 2014, three years after the Obama administration pulled troops out of that conflict.

The White House has held a series of meetings on Afghanistan, and more are to come. On Thursday, the president said he was waiting for briefings from Austin, who met recently with Afghan officials, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who conferred this week with NATO allies, for their bottom-line advice on what he should do.

For many Biden administration officials, the issue that has resonated the most clearly is the threat that a Taliban takeover could pose to Afghan women. While some former intelligence officials predict the Taliban will initially take care not to roll back women’s rights altogether — at least in major cities — if they take over the entire country, it will be difficult to guarantee protections for women, such as education for girls and access to health care.

“Any agreement must preserve their gains if Afghanistan wants to ensure the international community’s continued political and financial support,” Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told the Security Council this week. “We will not give an inch on this point.”

The Biden administration is making a final effort before May 1 to show progress in slow-moving negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government in Doha, Qatar. The Taliban, according to U.S. officials, are stalling.

The administration is pushing the two sides to participate in a peace conference in Turkey to demonstrate progress. Simultaneously, the American and Taliban negotiators continue to try to cement a 90-day reduction in violence, but so far, both sides have hesitated to agree.

The classified intelligence assessment of the Taliban largely taking control assumes that the Afghan government and the Taliban fail to reach a political agreement and that a civil war would erupt after the U.S. exit.

Administration officials warned that making any intelligence estimate is challenging, that predictions about the future are always imprecise and that various factors influence the analysis.

For example, intelligence estimates depend on whether international funding for the Afghan government remains in place. The more money the United States and its allies provide Afghanistan, the longer the government in Kabul should be able to retain control of some of the country. But some officials said that history shows that once U.S. troops are withdrawn, Congress moves quickly to cut financial support for partner forces.

There is also a debate in Washington about the seriousness of the threat of a return of terrorist groups. For now, the number of Qaida and Islamic State militants in Afghanistan is very small, a senior U.S. official said.

Some senior lawmakers with access to the classified assessments said that it was not certain that if the United States withdrew that al-Qaida could rebuild a base in Afghanistan from which to carry out terrorist attacks against the United States.

“What is that threat really going to be?” Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., chair of the House Armed Services Committee, said this week during a virtual conference on Afghanistan. “This isn’t the 1990s when al-Qaida set up camps, and they had the Taliban, and no one was paying attention to them.”

Smith said keeping U.S. troops in Afghanistan actually increased the risk to Americans there, incurred greater financial costs and handed a propaganda victory and recruiting tool to the U.S.’ enemies.

Some counterterrorism officials believe that al-Qaida would prefer to reestablish its headquarters in Afghanistan, should U.S. troops withdraw. But other officials said al-Qaida’s leadership might be just as likely to look to Africa or the Middle East.

While U.S. intelligence officials have been mostly focused on the threat of al-Qaida, senior military officials have also raised the prospect of a growth in the power of the Afghanistan arm of the Islamic State.

But in recent years, the Taliban have been at odds with the Islamic State. The two groups have fought, and the Taliban have for the most part pushed back Islamic State forces.

“I can’t imagine a scenario where ISIS and the Taliban would strategically cooperate or collaborate in Afghanistan,” said Lisa Maddox, a former CIA analyst. “The Taliban is an ideological organization, and that ideology is Afghan-centric and not aligned with ISIS’ overarching goals.”

The intelligence estimate predicted that the Taliban would relatively swiftly expand their control over Afghanistan, suggesting that the Afghan security forces remain fragile despite years of training by the U.S. military and billions of dollars in U.S. funding.

Offensives last year in Kandahar and Helmand provinces, two areas in the country’s south where the Taliban have long held sway, demonstrated that police and local forces are unable to hold ground, prompting elite commando forces and regular army troops to take their place — a tactic that is likely unsustainable in the long run.

Afghan security forces still rely heavily on U.S. air support to hold territory, which U.S. military leaders acknowledged this week. It is unclear whether that U.S. air power would continue if U.S. forces left Afghanistan, perhaps launched from bases in the Persian Gulf, although the Pentagon has drawn up such options for the White House.

“The capabilities that the U.S. provides for the Afghans to be able to combat the Taliban and other threats that reside in Afghanistan are critical to their success,” Gen. Richard D. Clarke, head of Special Operations Command, told the Senate on Thursday.

WASHINGTON — As President Joe Biden signaled this week that he would let a May 1 deadline pass without withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan, some officials are using an intelligence assessment to argue for prolonging the military mission there.

WASHINGTON — As President Joe Biden signaled this week that he would let a May 1 deadline pass without withdrawing U.S. troops from Afghanistan, some officials are using an intelligence assessment to argue for prolonging the military mission there. U.S. intelligence agencies have told the Biden administration that if U.S. troops leave before a power-sharing settlement is reached between the Taliban and the Afghan government, the country could fall largely under the control of the Taliban within two or three years after the withdrawal of international forces. That could potentially open the door for al-Qaida to rebuild its strength within the country, according to U.S. officials. The classified assessment, first prepared last year for the Trump administration but not previously disclosed, is the latest in a series of grim predictions of Afghanistan’s future that intelligence analysts have delivered throughout the two-decade-long war. But the intelligence has landed in a changed political environment. While former President Donald Trump pushed for a withdrawal of all forces even before the terms of the peace deal required it, Biden has been more cautious, saying Thursday that he does not view May 1 as a deadline he must meet, although he also said he “could not picture” troops being in the country next year. The decision looms as one of the most critical of Biden’s young presidency. He long argued while vice president for a minimal presence in Afghanistan but has been said to have privately described as haunting the possibility of allowing the country to descend into collapse. Some senior Biden administration officials have expressed skepticism of any intelligence prediction of a resurgence of a weakened al-Qaida or of the Islamic State group. Taliban commanders remain opposed to the Islamic State in Afghanistan, and al-Qaida, which has little current presence in the country, could regroup instead in any number of other lawless regions around the world. Also left unanswered by the intelligence warning is the question of whether Afghanistan could really prosper if U.S. troops remain indefinitely. Their presence would most likely prevent a collapse of the nation’s own security forces and allow the government in Kabul, the Afghan capital, to retain control of its major cities, but the Taliban are still likely to gradually expand their power in other parts of the country, including curbing the rights of women. A Taliban spokesperson said Friday that the group was committed to last year’s peace agreement “and wants the American side to also remain firmly committed.” If troops are not withdrawn by May 1, the spokesperson promised, the Taliban would “continue its jihad and armed struggle against foreign forces.” Biden administration officials insisted no final decision had been made. Nevertheless, with the deadline looming, administration officials are jockeying to influence Biden and his top national security officials. While Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has not signaled what course of action he prefers, some Pentagon officials who believe U.S. forces should stay longer have pointed to the intelligence assessment predicting a Taliban takeover of the country. Some military commanders and administration officials have argued that any set date for withdrawing the approximately 3,500 U.S. troops who remain, whether it is May 1 or at the end of the year, will doom the mission. The only way to preserve hard-fought gains in Afghanistan, they said, is to keep the small U.S. presence there long enough to force a lasting deal between the Taliban and Afghan government. These officials have used the intelligence assessment to make the point that a withdrawal this year will lead to a fall of the current government, a sharp erosion of women’s rights and the return of international terrorist groups. A rush to the exit, some officials said, will only drag the United States back into Afghanistan soon after leaving — much as was the case in Iraq in 2014, three years after the Obama administration pulled troops out of that conflict. The White House has held a series of meetings on Afghanistan, and more are to come. On Thursday, the president said he was waiting for briefings from Austin, who met recently with Afghan officials, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who conferred this week with NATO allies, for their bottom-line advice on what he should do. For many Biden administration officials, the issue that has resonated the most clearly is the threat that a Taliban takeover could pose to Afghan women. While some former intelligence officials predict the Taliban will initially take care not to roll back women’s rights altogether — at least in major cities — if they take over the entire country, it will be difficult to guarantee protections for women, such as education for girls and access to health care. “Any agreement must preserve their gains if Afghanistan wants to ensure the international community’s continued political and financial support,” Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, told the Security Council this week. “We will not give an inch on this point.” The Biden administration is making a final effort before May 1 to show progress in slow-moving negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government in Doha, Qatar. The Taliban, according to U.S. officials, are stalling. The administration is pushing the two sides to participate in a peace conference in Turkey to demonstrate progress. Simultaneously, the American and Taliban negotiators continue to try to cement a 90-day reduction in violence, but so far, both sides have hesitated to agree. The classified intelligence assessment of the Taliban largely taking control assumes that the Afghan government and the Taliban fail to reach a political agreement and that a civil war would erupt after the U.S. exit. Administration officials warned that making any intelligence estimate is challenging, that predictions about the future are always imprecise and that various factors influence the analysis. For example, intelligence estimates depend on whether international funding for the Afghan government remains in place. The more money the United States and its allies provide Afghanistan, the longer the government in Kabul should be able to retain control of some of the country. But some officials said that history shows that once U.S. troops are withdrawn, Congress moves quickly to cut financial support for partner forces. There is also a debate in Washington about the seriousness of the threat of a return of terrorist groups. For now, the number of Qaida and Islamic State militants in Afghanistan is very small, a senior U.S. official said. Some senior lawmakers with access to the classified assessments said that it was not certain that if the United States withdrew that al-Qaida could rebuild a base in Afghanistan from which to carry out terrorist attacks against the United States. “What is that threat really going to be?” Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., chair of the House Armed Services Committee, said this week during a virtual conference on Afghanistan. “This isn’t the 1990s when al-Qaida set up camps, and they had the Taliban, and no one was paying attention to them.” Smith said keeping U.S. troops in Afghanistan actually increased the risk to Americans there, incurred greater financial costs and handed a propaganda victory and recruiting tool to the U.S.’ enemies. Some counterterrorism officials believe that al-Qaida would prefer to reestablish its headquarters in Afghanistan, should U.S. troops withdraw. But other officials said al-Qaida’s leadership might be just as likely to look to Africa or the Middle East. While U.S. intelligence officials have been mostly focused on the threat of al-Qaida, senior military officials have also raised the prospect of a growth in the power of the Afghanistan arm of the Islamic State. But in recent years, the Taliban have been at odds with the Islamic State. The two groups have fought, and the Taliban have for the most part pushed back Islamic State forces. “I can’t imagine a scenario where ISIS and the Taliban would strategically cooperate or collaborate in Afghanistan,” said Lisa Maddox, a former CIA analyst. “The Taliban is an ideological organization, and that ideology is Afghan-centric and not aligned with ISIS’ overarching goals.” The intelligence estimate predicted that the Taliban would relatively swiftly expand their control over Afghanistan, suggesting that the Afghan security forces remain fragile despite years of training by the U.S. military and billions of dollars in U.S. funding. Offensives last year in Kandahar and Helmand provinces, two areas in the country’s south where the Taliban have long held sway, demonstrated that police and local forces are unable to hold ground, prompting elite commando forces and regular army troops to take their place — a tactic that is likely unsustainable in the long run. Afghan security forces still rely heavily on U.S. air support to hold territory, which U.S. military leaders acknowledged this week. It is unclear whether that U.S. air power would continue if U.S. forces left Afghanistan, perhaps launched from bases in the Persian Gulf, although the Pentagon has drawn up such options for the White House. “The capabilities that the U.S. provides for the Afghans to be able to combat the Taliban and other threats that reside in Afghanistan are critical to their success,” Gen. Richard D. Clarke, head of Special Operations Command, told the Senate on Thursday.

Officials try to sway Biden using intelligence on potential for Taliban takeover of Afghanistan

US President Joe Biden wants Congress to act on an immigration reform that it would allow Indian doctors and other professionals to expeditiously get their green cards, according to his spokesperson Jen Psaki. 
 
"He believes that there should be faster processing, that our immigration system is broken at many levels," she said at a briefing on Wednesday. 
 
"He is eager to for Congress to move forward with action there." 
 
She was replying to a question about a demonstration by Indian doctors in the US who had been in the frontlines of the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic asking for the elimination of country quotas for green cards that would enable them to get permanent residence status faster. 
 
Asked about the delays in processing work authorisation for spouses of those holding H1-B and L1 visas, Psaki said: "The reason we want to push for action on immigration (legislation) on the (Capitol) Hill is to move forward with expediting the processing and doing that on several levels, including a number of the visas.a 
 
"That`s part of the reason why we think that`s such an important piece to move forward on." 
 
Indian doctors held a demonstration outside Congress last week demanding the removal of the country quotas to expedite their green cards, 
 
Last month, Democrats introduced a comprehensive immigration reform bill in Congress that would remove the country quotas for green cards. 
 
While spouses of citizens are not restricted by the quotas, all other countries except for Canada and Mexico are each allowed only 26,000 green cards each year and this has created a huge backlog for applicants from countries like India, while some nations do not use their full quota. 
 
According to the State Department, Indians with advanced degrees whose immigration applications were approved in 2009 and skilled workers and professionals whose applications were okayed in 2010 are still waiting for their green cards. 
 
Those wait times are only for those whose applications are already approved, and it could run to centuries for those in the immigration queue. 
 
The immigration reform bill faces an uphill battle because Republicans demand that it include stringent restrictions on illegal immigration and the backing of some members of that party would be required in the Senate. 
 
Earlier, legislative action to remove country caps failed in the last Congress because the Senate and House of Representatives versions of the bill had differences that were not reconciled in time and it lapsed. 
 
The Senate in December 2020 and the House in 2019 had passed the separate versions of the bill. 
 
H-1B visas are for professionals and L-1 visas are for those transferred by their companies to the US. 
 
Their spouses had been allowed to work in the US under a regulations introduced by former President Barack Obama, but his successor Donald Trump had tried to ban work authorisation for them. 
 
In its first week in office, the Biden administration killed Trump`s effort and continued to make the spouses, most of them Indian women, eligible to get work permits. 
 
The San Jose Mercury reported last month that the Citizenship and Immigration Service had attributed the work authorisation "delays to `Covid-19 restrictions, an increase in filings, current postal service volume and other external factors`". 
 
The newspaper added that the agency said that it had redistributed workloads and staff were working extra hours to reduce the delays.

US President Joe Biden wants Congress to act on an immigration reform that it would allow Indian doctors and other professionals to expeditiously get their green cards, according to his spokesperson Jen Psaki.

US President Joe Biden wants Congress to act on an immigration reform that it would allow Indian doctors and other professionals to expeditiously get their green cards, according to his spokesperson Jen Psaki. "He believes that there should be faster processing, that our immigration system is broken at many levels," she said at a briefing on Wednesday. "He is eager to for Congress to move forward with action there." She was replying to a question about a demonstration by Indian doctors in the US who had been in the frontlines of the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic asking for the elimination of country quotas for green cards that would enable them to get permanent residence status faster. Asked about the delays in processing work authorisation for spouses of those holding H1-B and L1 visas, Psaki said: "The reason we want to push for action on immigration (legislation) on the (Capitol) Hill is to move forward with expediting the processing and doing that on several levels, including a number of the visas.a "That`s part of the reason why we think that`s such an important piece to move forward on." Indian doctors held a demonstration outside Congress last week demanding the removal of the country quotas to expedite their green cards, Last month, Democrats introduced a comprehensive immigration reform bill in Congress that would remove the country quotas for green cards. While spouses of citizens are not restricted by the quotas, all other countries except for Canada and Mexico are each allowed only 26,000 green cards each year and this has created a huge backlog for applicants from countries like India, while some nations do not use their full quota. According to the State Department, Indians with advanced degrees whose immigration applications were approved in 2009 and skilled workers and professionals whose applications were okayed in 2010 are still waiting for their green cards. Those wait times are only for those whose applications are already approved, and it could run to centuries for those in the immigration queue. The immigration reform bill faces an uphill battle because Republicans demand that it include stringent restrictions on illegal immigration and the backing of some members of that party would be required in the Senate. Earlier, legislative action to remove country caps failed in the last Congress because the Senate and House of Representatives versions of the bill had differences that were not reconciled in time and it lapsed. The Senate in December 2020 and the House in 2019 had passed the separate versions of the bill. H-1B visas are for professionals and L-1 visas are for those transferred by their companies to the US. Their spouses had been allowed to work in the US under a regulations introduced by former President Barack Obama, but his successor Donald Trump had tried to ban work authorisation for them. In its first week in office, the Biden administration killed Trump`s effort and continued to make the spouses, most of them Indian women, eligible to get work permits. The San Jose Mercury reported last month that the Citizenship and Immigration Service had attributed the work authorisation "delays to `Covid-19 restrictions, an increase in filings, current postal service volume and other external factors`". The newspaper added that the agency said that it had redistributed workloads and staff were working extra hours to reduce the delays.

Biden wants immigration reform to speed up green cards for Indians

US President Joe Biden will join a video conference of European Union leaders on Thursday, a top EU official said, as both sides try to repair ties after four difficult years with former president Donald Trump.&nbsp;

"Looking forward to welcome @POTUS at this week's European Council meeting," European Council President Charles Michel, who chairs summits, said on Twitter. "I have invited the President of the US to join our meeting for him to share his views on our future cooperation. Time to rebuild our transatlantic alliance."&nbsp;

EU leaders will meet via video conference on Thursday and Friday to discuss vaccines, Russia, Turkey and industrial policy. Biden is expected to join at 1945 GMT, an EU spokesman said.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday pledged to rebuild and revitalise the transatlantic military alliance after a bruising four years when Washington portrayed NATO as outdated, divided and in crisis. &nbsp;

The first top US official to visit NATO since President Joe Biden took office in January, Blinken said the alliance was at a pivotal moment but could emerge stronger after internal disputes over Turkey and Russian gas. &nbsp;

"I've come here to express the United States' steadfast commitment (to NATO)," Blinken told reporters as he met NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. "The United States wants to rebuild our partnerships, first and foremost with our NATO allies, we want to revitalise the alliance." &nbsp;

After four years of friction with Washington under the presidency of Donald Trump, who said the alliance was obsolete and harangued allies over defence spending targets, NATO's European members have welcomed the change in tone, saying they are once again being consulted on strategy.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

US President Joe Biden will join a video conference of European Union leaders on Thursday, a top EU official said, as both sides try to repair ties after four difficult years with former president Donald Trump.

US President Joe Biden will join a video conference of European Union leaders on Thursday, a top EU official said, as both sides try to repair ties after four difficult years with former president Donald Trump. "Looking forward to welcome @POTUS at this week's European Council meeting," European Council President Charles Michel, who chairs summits, said on Twitter. "I have invited the President of the US to join our meeting for him to share his views on our future cooperation. Time to rebuild our transatlantic alliance." EU leaders will meet via video conference on Thursday and Friday to discuss vaccines, Russia, Turkey and industrial policy. Biden is expected to join at 1945 GMT, an EU spokesman said. Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday pledged to rebuild and revitalise the transatlantic military alliance after a bruising four years when Washington portrayed NATO as outdated, divided and in crisis. The first top US official to visit NATO since President Joe Biden took office in January, Blinken said the alliance was at a pivotal moment but could emerge stronger after internal disputes over Turkey and Russian gas. "I've come here to express the United States' steadfast commitment (to NATO)," Blinken told reporters as he met NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. "The United States wants to rebuild our partnerships, first and foremost with our NATO allies, we want to revitalise the alliance." After four years of friction with Washington under the presidency of Donald Trump, who said the alliance was obsolete and harangued allies over defence spending targets, NATO's European members have welcomed the change in tone, saying they are once again being consulted on strategy. (With inputs from agencies)

Biden to join EU leaders' video conference on Thursday

The Biden administration has urged a federal court to certify India's request to extradite Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana

US court urged to certify India's plea to extradite Tahawwur Rana

US officials will ask authorities in Mexico and Guatemala to help stem migrant traffic, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday, as the Biden administration struggles to contain a burgeoning humanitarian challenge along the US border with Mexico.&nbsp;

President Joe Biden dispatched US envoys, including White House border coordinator Roberta Jacobson, to the two countries on Monday for talks on how to manage the increase in the number of migrants heading for the US-Mexican border.&nbsp;

When asked if the US delegation would seek support from local officials, Psaki told a news briefing, "Absolutely, part of our objective as Roberta Jacobson...conveyed when she was in here just a few weeks ago, was that we need to work in partnership with these countries to address the root causes in their countries to convey clearly and systematically that this is not the time to travel."&nbsp;

Jacobson was joined by Juan Gonzalez, the National Security Council’s senior director for the Western Hemisphere, and Honduran-born diplomat Ricardo Zuniga, just appointed by the State Department as the Northern Triangle special envoy.&nbsp;

Gonzalez will continue to Guatemala to meet Guatemalan officials, as well as representatives from civil society and non-governmental organisations.&nbsp;

Biden’s promise to end former President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration policies has been complicated by a recent spike in the number of migrants crossing the border illegally.&nbsp;

The increase in the number of migrants fleeing violence, natural disasters and economic hardship in Central America is testing Biden’s commitment to a more humane immigration policy.&nbsp;

White House spokeswoman Emily Horne said Jacobson's goal in Mexico is developing 'an effective and humane plan of action to manage migration'.&nbsp;

The visit was also announced by Mexico's foreign ministry, which said the talks would take place on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Gonzalez' aim in Guatemala is to ''address root causes of migration in the region and build a more hopeful future in the region," Horne said.&nbsp;

US officials are struggling to house and process an increasing number of unaccompanied children, many of whom have been stuck in jail-like border stations for days while they await placement in overwhelmed government-run shelters.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

US officials will ask authorities in Mexico and Guatemala to help stem migrant traffic, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday, as the Biden administration struggles to contain a burgeoning humanitarian challenge along the US border with Mexico.

US officials will ask authorities in Mexico and Guatemala to help stem migrant traffic, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Monday, as the Biden administration struggles to contain a burgeoning humanitarian challenge along the US border with Mexico. President Joe Biden dispatched US envoys, including White House border coordinator Roberta Jacobson, to the two countries on Monday for talks on how to manage the increase in the number of migrants heading for the US-Mexican border. When asked if the US delegation would seek support from local officials, Psaki told a news briefing, "Absolutely, part of our objective as Roberta Jacobson...conveyed when she was in here just a few weeks ago, was that we need to work in partnership with these countries to address the root causes in their countries to convey clearly and systematically that this is not the time to travel." Jacobson was joined by Juan Gonzalez, the National Security Council’s senior director for the Western Hemisphere, and Honduran-born diplomat Ricardo Zuniga, just appointed by the State Department as the Northern Triangle special envoy. Gonzalez will continue to Guatemala to meet Guatemalan officials, as well as representatives from civil society and non-governmental organisations. Biden’s promise to end former President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration policies has been complicated by a recent spike in the number of migrants crossing the border illegally. The increase in the number of migrants fleeing violence, natural disasters and economic hardship in Central America is testing Biden’s commitment to a more humane immigration policy. White House spokeswoman Emily Horne said Jacobson's goal in Mexico is developing 'an effective and humane plan of action to manage migration'. The visit was also announced by Mexico's foreign ministry, which said the talks would take place on Tuesday. Gonzalez' aim in Guatemala is to ''address root causes of migration in the region and build a more hopeful future in the region," Horne said. US officials are struggling to house and process an increasing number of unaccompanied children, many of whom have been stuck in jail-like border stations for days while they await placement in overwhelmed government-run shelters. (With inputs from agencies)

Biden sends envoys to Mexico, Guatemala for help on migrant flow 

Iran does not trust US promises on lifting sanctions and will only return to its commitments under a 2015 nuclear deal once Washington fully removes the measures, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Sunday.&nbsp;

The administration of US President Joe Biden is exploring ways to restore the 2015 nuclear deal that Iran signed with major world powers, but which was abandoned in 2018 by President Donald Trump, who reimposed sanctions. Iran retaliated by breaching the terms of the accord in a step-by-step response.&nbsp;

The United States and the other Western powers that signed up to the 2015 deal appear to be at odds with Tehran over which side should return to the accord first, making it unlikely that US sanctions, which have crippled Iran's economy can be quickly removed.&nbsp;

"We trusted America at the time of (former US President Barack) Obama and fulfilled our commitments. But they didn’t. The Americans said on paper that sanctions will be lifted, but they didn’t lift sanctions in practice," Khamenei said in a speech on state TV. "Their promises have no credibility for us."&nbsp;

"On paper, they said the sanctions were lifted but they told any company that wanted to sign a contract with us that this was dangerous and risky. They scared away investors," Khamenei said.&nbsp;

"The Americans must lift all sanctions. We will verify it and if sanctions are ... really cancelled, we will return to our obligations without any problems," Khamenei said. "We have a lot of patience and we are not in a hurry."&nbsp;

Khamenei, who has the final say in matters of state, said Iranian planners should act on a worst-case scenario that sanctions would not be lifted soon.&nbsp;

"You should assume that sanctions will remain in place and plan the country's economy based on sanctions," Khamenei said, addressing current officials and those who might take over after the country's presidential election in June.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Iran does not trust US promises on lifting sanctions and will only return to its commitments under a 2015 nuclear deal once Washington fully removes the measures, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Sunday.

Iran does not trust US promises on lifting sanctions and will only return to its commitments under a 2015 nuclear deal once Washington fully removes the measures, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Sunday. The administration of US President Joe Biden is exploring ways to restore the 2015 nuclear deal that Iran signed with major world powers, but which was abandoned in 2018 by President Donald Trump, who reimposed sanctions. Iran retaliated by breaching the terms of the accord in a step-by-step response. The United States and the other Western powers that signed up to the 2015 deal appear to be at odds with Tehran over which side should return to the accord first, making it unlikely that US sanctions, which have crippled Iran's economy can be quickly removed. "We trusted America at the time of (former US President Barack) Obama and fulfilled our commitments. But they didn’t. The Americans said on paper that sanctions will be lifted, but they didn’t lift sanctions in practice," Khamenei said in a speech on state TV. "Their promises have no credibility for us." "On paper, they said the sanctions were lifted but they told any company that wanted to sign a contract with us that this was dangerous and risky. They scared away investors," Khamenei said. "The Americans must lift all sanctions. We will verify it and if sanctions are ... really cancelled, we will return to our obligations without any problems," Khamenei said. "We have a lot of patience and we are not in a hurry." Khamenei, who has the final say in matters of state, said Iranian planners should act on a worst-case scenario that sanctions would not be lifted soon. "You should assume that sanctions will remain in place and plan the country's economy based on sanctions," Khamenei said, addressing current officials and those who might take over after the country's presidential election in June. (With inputs from agencies)

US promises have no credibility for Iran: Khamenei  

US President Joe Biden stumbled on the steps of Air Force one while boarding the presidential aircraft on Thursday. He was on Joint base Andrews and was on his way to Georgia. In Georgia, he was due to meet members of Asian-American community after a deadly shooting rampage in the state.

Biden tripped on the steps, bounced back and fell again before walking up the last steps, turning to salute and boarding the plane.

Biden recently recovered from a fractured foot, an injury he sustained while playing with his dog, Major.

In Georgia, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will meet community leaders and state lawmakers from the Asian-American and Pacific Islander community to hear concerns about the killings and discuss a rise in anti-Asian hate crimes, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said on Thursday.

A 21-year-old man has been charged with murdering eight people, including six women of Asian descent, at three spas in and around Atlanta on Tuesday, rattling Asian Americans already grappling with a rise in hate crimes directed at them since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

Speaking to reporters as he left the White House South Lawn, Biden, who said earlier this week he thought Vladimir Putin was a killer, said he will talk with the Russian leader "at some point."

On Thursday, Putin said he and Biden should hold live online talks in coming days.

(With Reuters inputs)

US President Joe Biden stumbled on the steps of Air Force one while boarding the presidential aircraft on Thursday. He was on Joint base Andrews and was on his way to Georgia.

US President Joe Biden stumbled on the steps of Air Force one while boarding the presidential aircraft on Thursday. He was on Joint base Andrews and was on his way to Georgia. In Georgia, he was due to meet members of Asian-American community after a deadly shooting rampage in the state. Biden tripped on the steps, bounced back and fell again before walking up the last steps, turning to salute and boarding the plane. Biden recently recovered from a fractured foot, an injury he sustained while playing with his dog, Major. In Georgia, Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will meet community leaders and state lawmakers from the Asian-American and Pacific Islander community to hear concerns about the killings and discuss a rise in anti-Asian hate crimes, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said on Thursday. A 21-year-old man has been charged with murdering eight people, including six women of Asian descent, at three spas in and around Atlanta on Tuesday, rattling Asian Americans already grappling with a rise in hate crimes directed at them since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Speaking to reporters as he left the White House South Lawn, Biden, who said earlier this week he thought Vladimir Putin was a killer, said he will talk with the Russian leader "at some point." On Thursday, Putin said he and Biden should hold live online talks in coming days. (With Reuters inputs)

Joe Biden stumbles on the steps of Air Force One

US President Joe Biden has urged migrants to not make their way to the United States, as criticism mounted over a surge in people arriving at the southern border with Mexico -- including thousands of unaccompanied children.

"Yes I can say quite clearly don't come over... Don't leave your town or city or community," he said in an interview with ABC News, addressing the migrants.

Biden on Tuesday spoke a day after top Republican congressman, Kevin McCarthy, visited the border in Texas with fellow Republican lawmakers and accused Biden of creating a "crisis," and hours after his head of homeland security, Alejandro Mayorkas, defended the administration's immigration policies.

He also shrugged off claims that his dismantling of former president Donald Trump's tough stance had encouraged the surge, pointing out that there had been similar surges in 2019 and 2020.

"The idea that Joe Biden said 'come' - I heard the other day that they're coming because I'm a nice guy... Here's the deal, they're not," he said.

On January 20, his first day in office, Biden scrapped several of Donald Trump's contentious immigration policies, including halting new construction of a border wall and proposing legislation to create a citizenship pathway for the nearly 11 million people living illegally in the US.

Mayorkas acknowledged the United States was "on pace" to encounter more migrants at the border than at any time in two decades, but said such spikes were "not new," having also occurred in 2019, 2014 and earlier.

"The situation we are currently facing at the southwest border is a difficult one," Mayorkas said in a statement.&nbsp;

"We are keeping our borders secure, enforcing our laws, and staying true to our values and principles."

Mayorkas said the rise in unaccompanied children -- some as young as six or seven -- comes from ending the policies of Trump, whose administration "cruelly expelled young children into the hands of traffickers."

"They are vulnerable children and we have ended the prior administration's practice of expelling them," he said.

The Biden administration continues to expel most single adults and people travelling in families.

In February, the US Customs and Border Protection agency (CBP) arrested about 100,000 people at the southern border -- including nearly 9,500 unaccompanied children -- a 28 percent jump over January.

Mayorkas blasted the Trump administration for having cut aid to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras meant to tackle the root causes of migration such as violence and the impacts of natural disasters.

Holding facilities for apprehended migrants are crowded, Mayorkas said, noting authorities had not "had the capacity to intake the number of unaccompanied children we have been encountering."

Complicating conditions, pandemic-related physical distancing protocols have further reduced space, said Mayorkas, who has asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help activate additional facilities.

(with inputs)

US President Joe Biden has urged migrants to not make their way to the United States, as criticism mounted over a surge in people arriving at the southern border with Mexico -- including thousands of unaccompanied children.

US President Joe Biden has urged migrants to not make their way to the United States, as criticism mounted over a surge in people arriving at the southern border with Mexico -- including thousands of unaccompanied children. "Yes I can say quite clearly don't come over... Don't leave your town or city or community," he said in an interview with ABC News, addressing the migrants. Biden on Tuesday spoke a day after top Republican congressman, Kevin McCarthy, visited the border in Texas with fellow Republican lawmakers and accused Biden of creating a "crisis," and hours after his head of homeland security, Alejandro Mayorkas, defended the administration's immigration policies. He also shrugged off claims that his dismantling of former president Donald Trump's tough stance had encouraged the surge, pointing out that there had been similar surges in 2019 and 2020. "The idea that Joe Biden said 'come' - I heard the other day that they're coming because I'm a nice guy... Here's the deal, they're not," he said. On January 20, his first day in office, Biden scrapped several of Donald Trump's contentious immigration policies, including halting new construction of a border wall and proposing legislation to create a citizenship pathway for the nearly 11 million people living illegally in the US. Mayorkas acknowledged the United States was "on pace" to encounter more migrants at the border than at any time in two decades, but said such spikes were "not new," having also occurred in 2019, 2014 and earlier. "The situation we are currently facing at the southwest border is a difficult one," Mayorkas said in a statement. "We are keeping our borders secure, enforcing our laws, and staying true to our values and principles." Mayorkas said the rise in unaccompanied children -- some as young as six or seven -- comes from ending the policies of Trump, whose administration "cruelly expelled young children into the hands of traffickers." "They are vulnerable children and we have ended the prior administration's practice of expelling them," he said. The Biden administration continues to expel most single adults and people travelling in families. In February, the US Customs and Border Protection agency (CBP) arrested about 100,000 people at the southern border -- including nearly 9,500 unaccompanied children -- a 28 percent jump over January. Mayorkas blasted the Trump administration for having cut aid to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras meant to tackle the root causes of migration such as violence and the impacts of natural disasters. Holding facilities for apprehended migrants are crowded, Mayorkas said, noting authorities had not "had the capacity to intake the number of unaccompanied children we have been encountering." Complicating conditions, pandemic-related physical distancing protocols have further reduced space, said Mayorkas, who has asked the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help activate additional facilities. (with inputs)

Biden asks migrants to not head to US as criticism grows

There is major breaking news: President Joe Biden's wayward pup is no longer in the doghouse.&nbsp;

Biden, in an interview that aired&nbsp;on&nbsp;Wednesday, said that his dog Major, who had been involved in a biting incident at the White House, was a sweet dog.&nbsp;

He explained the biting by saying that the dog had turned a corner, there's two people he doesn't know at all, you know, and they move and moves to protect. Biden added that 85 per cent of the people there love him. Major, a 3-year-old rescue dog, and Champ, who is 12, were moved to the Bidens' Delaware home after the incident, but the president said they would return to the White House.&nbsp;

The president said the dog's being trained now in Delaware but disputed the idea that the pup was sent away after the incident. He said the dogs went to Wilmington because the first couple was going to be out of town.&nbsp;

"He was going home,"&nbsp;Biden said.&nbsp;"I didn't banish him to home. Jill was going to be away for four days. I was going to be away for two, so we took him home."&nbsp;

The dogs are the first pets to call the White House home since President Barack Obama departed in early 2017 with his pups Bo and Sunny. President Donald Trump did not have any pets.&nbsp;&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

There is major breaking news: President Joe Biden's wayward pup is no longer in the doghouse. Biden, in an interview that aired on Wednesday, said that his dog Major, who had been involved in a biting incident at the White House, was a sweet dog.

There is major breaking news: President Joe Biden's wayward pup is no longer in the doghouse. Biden, in an interview that aired on Wednesday, said that his dog Major, who had been involved in a biting incident at the White House, was a sweet dog. He explained the biting by saying that the dog had turned a corner, there's two people he doesn't know at all, you know, and they move and moves to protect. Biden added that 85 per cent of the people there love him. Major, a 3-year-old rescue dog, and Champ, who is 12, were moved to the Bidens' Delaware home after the incident, but the president said they would return to the White House. The president said the dog's being trained now in Delaware but disputed the idea that the pup was sent away after the incident. He said the dogs went to Wilmington because the first couple was going to be out of town. "He was going home," Biden said. "I didn't banish him to home. Jill was going to be away for four days. I was going to be away for two, so we took him home." The dogs are the first pets to call the White House home since President Barack Obama departed in early 2017 with his pups Bo and Sunny. President Donald Trump did not have any pets. (With inputs from agencies)

A good boy again: Biden's dog to return to the White House 

The fight over the Senate filibuster escalated sharply Tuesday, as President Joe Biden for the first time threw his weight behind changing the rules even as Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader, threatened harsh reprisals if Democrats moved to weaken the procedural tactic.

In an interview with ABC News, Biden gave his most direct endorsement yet of overhauling the filibuster, saying that he favoured a return to what is called the talking filibuster: the requirement that opponents of legislation occupy the floor and make their case against it.

“I don’t think that you have to eliminate the filibuster; you have to do it, what it used to be when I first got to the Senate back in the old days,” the president said.

“You had to stand up and command the floor, and you had to keep talking.” The comments were a significant departure for Biden, a 36-year veteran of the Senate who has been frequently described by aides as reluctant to alter Senate procedure.

“It’s getting to the point where, you know, democracy is having a hard time functioning,” he added.

Currently, Senators need only to register their objections to force supporters to produce 60 votes to break the filibuster, which has become a near-daily part of Senate life. Requiring opponents to hold the floor would put more of the burden on them and theoretically make it harder for them to sustain their opposition.

Biden’s comments came as McConnell issued his stark warning and as the president’s allies on Capitol Hill began building a public case for the elimination of the tactic.

After Sen. Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Senate Democrat, called for changes to reduce the filibuster's power, McConnell, R-Ky., bluntly promised a “scorched earth” response and pledged to grind the Senate to a standstill.

He was referring to the prospect that Democrats might resort to a move known as the “nuclear option,” using their majority status to force a change in the Senate rules. That would effectively destroy the filibuster, allowing the majority party to muscle through any measure on its own.

The fight over the Senate filibuster escalated sharply Tuesday, as President Joe Biden for the first time threw his weight behind changing the rules even as Sen.

The fight over the Senate filibuster escalated sharply Tuesday, as President Joe Biden for the first time threw his weight behind changing the rules even as Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader, threatened harsh reprisals if Democrats moved to weaken the procedural tactic. In an interview with ABC News, Biden gave his most direct endorsement yet of overhauling the filibuster, saying that he favoured a return to what is called the talking filibuster: the requirement that opponents of legislation occupy the floor and make their case against it. “I don’t think that you have to eliminate the filibuster; you have to do it, what it used to be when I first got to the Senate back in the old days,” the president said. “You had to stand up and command the floor, and you had to keep talking.” The comments were a significant departure for Biden, a 36-year veteran of the Senate who has been frequently described by aides as reluctant to alter Senate procedure. “It’s getting to the point where, you know, democracy is having a hard time functioning,” he added. Currently, Senators need only to register their objections to force supporters to produce 60 votes to break the filibuster, which has become a near-daily part of Senate life. Requiring opponents to hold the floor would put more of the burden on them and theoretically make it harder for them to sustain their opposition. Biden’s comments came as McConnell issued his stark warning and as the president’s allies on Capitol Hill began building a public case for the elimination of the tactic. After Sen. Richard J. Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Senate Democrat, called for changes to reduce the filibuster's power, McConnell, R-Ky., bluntly promised a “scorched earth” response and pledged to grind the Senate to a standstill. He was referring to the prospect that Democrats might resort to a move known as the “nuclear option,” using their majority status to force a change in the Senate rules. That would effectively destroy the filibuster, allowing the majority party to muscle through any measure on its own.

Biden endorses Filibuster rule changes

Congresswoman Deb Haaland was approved by the US Senate Monday to join President Joe Biden's administration, making her the first native American to become a cabinet secretary.

She was confirmed by a vote of 51-40 to the position of Secretary of the Interior, overseeing a massive agency responsible for roughly one-fifth of land in the United States -- including its many tribal reservations.

Haaland, 60, who hails from New Mexico's Laguna Pueblo tribe, already made history in 2018 when she became one of the first two native American women elected to US Congress.

"Rep Haaland's confirmation represents a gigantic step forward in creating a government that represents the full richness and diversity of this country because Native Americans were for far too long neglected at the cabinet level and in so many other places," the Senate majority leader, Democrat Chuck Schumer, said ahead of the vote.

"In elevating Rep. Haaland to lead the Department of Interior, we reset the relationship between the federal government and tribal nations to one of cooperation, mutual respect and trust."

Haaland's appointment was backed by a petition signed by some 120 tribal representatives, who urged Biden to make history by picking the congresswoman.

When her name first began to circulate for the position, Haaland noted she thought it was time for the world to start listening to indigenous communities regarding climate change and the environment.

"My ancestors have sacrificed a tremendous amount to keep my customs and traditions for me," she told AFP in 2018, during her first Congress run.&nbsp;

"So I want to make sure that I am bringing that perspective to the table in anything I do."

Haaland has been a member of the House of Representatives since January 2019.

A single mother, she overcame alcoholism in her youth and for a time had to use government food stamps to survive.

Before Haaland, the only other Native American to serve in a US administration was Charles Curtis, Herbert Hoover's vice president between 1929 and 1933, who liked to say he was "one-eighth Kaw Indian and 100 per cent Republican."

Congresswoman Deb Haaland was approved by the US Senate Monday to join President Joe Biden's administration, making her the first native American to become a cabinet secretary.

Congresswoman Deb Haaland was approved by the US Senate Monday to join President Joe Biden's administration, making her the first native American to become a cabinet secretary. She was confirmed by a vote of 51-40 to the position of Secretary of the Interior, overseeing a massive agency responsible for roughly one-fifth of land in the United States -- including its many tribal reservations. Haaland, 60, who hails from New Mexico's Laguna Pueblo tribe, already made history in 2018 when she became one of the first two native American women elected to US Congress. "Rep Haaland's confirmation represents a gigantic step forward in creating a government that represents the full richness and diversity of this country because Native Americans were for far too long neglected at the cabinet level and in so many other places," the Senate majority leader, Democrat Chuck Schumer, said ahead of the vote. "In elevating Rep. Haaland to lead the Department of Interior, we reset the relationship between the federal government and tribal nations to one of cooperation, mutual respect and trust." Haaland's appointment was backed by a petition signed by some 120 tribal representatives, who urged Biden to make history by picking the congresswoman. When her name first began to circulate for the position, Haaland noted she thought it was time for the world to start listening to indigenous communities regarding climate change and the environment. "My ancestors have sacrificed a tremendous amount to keep my customs and traditions for me," she told AFP in 2018, during her first Congress run. "So I want to make sure that I am bringing that perspective to the table in anything I do." Haaland has been a member of the House of Representatives since January 2019. A single mother, she overcame alcoholism in her youth and for a time had to use government food stamps to survive. Before Haaland, the only other Native American to serve in a US administration was Charles Curtis, Herbert Hoover's vice president between 1929 and 1933, who liked to say he was "one-eighth Kaw Indian and 100 per cent Republican."

Deb Haaland becomes first native American cabinet secretary

With a promise of "shots in arms and money in pockets," President Joe Biden on Monday kicked off a week of promotion and travel for the $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill he signed into law last week to help the country move past the COVID-19 pandemic. 
 
Biden and other advocates including Vice President Kamala Harris and first lady Jill Biden are being deployed to various states and to television as part of what the White House is calling the "Help Is Here Tour." 
 
The package, one of the largest economic stimulus measures in U.S. history, provides $1,400 direct payments to most Americans, $350 billion in aid to state and local governments, an expansion of the child tax credit and increased funding for vaccine distribution. 
 
"Help is here, and hope is here, in real and tangible ways," Biden said in remarks from the White House. 
 
The legislation was Biden`s first legislative priority on taking office in January. His fellow Democrats used narrow majorities in the House of Representatives and Senate to pass a large measure of what Biden originally proposed without Republican support. 
 
The Democratic president said his administration would reach two important goals over the next 10 days: 100 million coronavirus shots in people`s arms and 100 million checks in people`s pockets or bank accounts. 
 
"Shots in arms and money in pockets. That`s important. The American Rescue Plan is already doing what it was designed to do: make a difference in people`s everyday lives. And we`re just getting started," Biden added. 
 
The White House has said it does not believe former President Barack Obama`s administration, in which Biden served as vice president, did enough to promote its more than $800 billion 2009 economic rescue program. Democrats went on to lose control of the House to Republicans the next year. 
 
Taking their case directly to the people, Harris traveled to Las Vegas on Monday, while Biden goes to Pennsylvania on Tuesday and Atlanta on Friday. He will also do an interview on Wednesday on ABC`s "Good Morning America" program. 
 
"We want to avoid a situation where folks are unaware of what they`re entitled to and then this moment passes and they don`t get the full relief," the vice president told reporters in Las Vegas. 
 
POPULAR SUPPORT 
 
Democrats regard the bill as good policy and good politics. Opinion polls show majorities supporting efforts to shore up the coronavirus vaccination campaign, prepare schools to reopen and ease poverty after a year-long pandemic that has killed more than 535,000 Americans and put millions of people out of work. 
 
Republicans, who broadly supported coronavirus relief early in the crisis when Republican Donald Trump was president, have called the latest measure an overpriced collection of pet projects unrelated to the pandemic. 
 
Harris said she visited Nevada because of the disproportionate impact the pandemic has had on the state`s hospitality industry. Speaking with workers and labor unions about the legislation`s benefits, she urged people to file their taxes so they can receive such relief faster. 
 
She will visit Colorado on Tuesday. Both there and in Nevada, Democrats will be defending U.S. Senate seats in elections next year that could be critical in helping the party maintain narrow control of that chamber.

With a promise of "shots in arms and money in pockets," President Joe Biden on Monday kicked off a week of promotion and travel for the $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill he signed into law last week to help the country move past the COVID-19 pandemic.

With a promise of "shots in arms and money in pockets," President Joe Biden on Monday kicked off a week of promotion and travel for the $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill he signed into law last week to help the country move past the COVID-19 pandemic. Biden and other advocates including Vice President Kamala Harris and first lady Jill Biden are being deployed to various states and to television as part of what the White House is calling the "Help Is Here Tour." The package, one of the largest economic stimulus measures in U.S. history, provides $1,400 direct payments to most Americans, $350 billion in aid to state and local governments, an expansion of the child tax credit and increased funding for vaccine distribution. "Help is here, and hope is here, in real and tangible ways," Biden said in remarks from the White House. The legislation was Biden`s first legislative priority on taking office in January. His fellow Democrats used narrow majorities in the House of Representatives and Senate to pass a large measure of what Biden originally proposed without Republican support. The Democratic president said his administration would reach two important goals over the next 10 days: 100 million coronavirus shots in people`s arms and 100 million checks in people`s pockets or bank accounts. "Shots in arms and money in pockets. That`s important. The American Rescue Plan is already doing what it was designed to do: make a difference in people`s everyday lives. And we`re just getting started," Biden added. The White House has said it does not believe former President Barack Obama`s administration, in which Biden served as vice president, did enough to promote its more than $800 billion 2009 economic rescue program. Democrats went on to lose control of the House to Republicans the next year. Taking their case directly to the people, Harris traveled to Las Vegas on Monday, while Biden goes to Pennsylvania on Tuesday and Atlanta on Friday. He will also do an interview on Wednesday on ABC`s "Good Morning America" program. "We want to avoid a situation where folks are unaware of what they`re entitled to and then this moment passes and they don`t get the full relief," the vice president told reporters in Las Vegas. POPULAR SUPPORT Democrats regard the bill as good policy and good politics. Opinion polls show majorities supporting efforts to shore up the coronavirus vaccination campaign, prepare schools to reopen and ease poverty after a year-long pandemic that has killed more than 535,000 Americans and put millions of people out of work. Republicans, who broadly supported coronavirus relief early in the crisis when Republican Donald Trump was president, have called the latest measure an overpriced collection of pet projects unrelated to the pandemic. Harris said she visited Nevada because of the disproportionate impact the pandemic has had on the state`s hospitality industry. Speaking with workers and labor unions about the legislation`s benefits, she urged people to file their taxes so they can receive such relief faster. She will visit Colorado on Tuesday. Both there and in Nevada, Democrats will be defending U.S. Senate seats in elections next year that could be critical in helping the party maintain narrow control of that chamber.

Promising people vaccine shots and cash payments, Biden kicks off stimulus tour

So far, President Joe Biden has made only a passing comment on the crises that have engulfed Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and he seems to be hoping to avoid getting pulled in any further.

But as a longtime friend of the New York governor, Biden is one of the very few people in the nation with the potential to prevent a protracted standoff between an increasingly isolated Cuomo and the rest of the Democratic Party. That has strained Biden’s efforts to stay firmly on the sidelines as the governor faces a fusillade of calls to resign.

Cuomo is confronting a spiraling set of allegations and investigations involving sexual harassment, a toxic workplace, the manipulation of the number of deaths at New York nursing homes and perceived loyalty tests from the governor’s vaccine czar.

Biden and Cuomo have not spoken, people close to both men said. Asked on Sunday night whether Cuomo should resign, Biden said only, “I think the investigation is underway, and we should see what it brings us.”

The governor and his allies have urged people to wait for the results of the investigations to buy time, in the hope of stabilizing Cuomo’s support. And Biden appears inclined to give him that time — at least for now.

But a prolonged period of intraparty sparring over Cuomo’s future could be problematic for Biden. It threatens to distract from his early initiatives, including mass vaccination efforts and his party’s imperative to sell the public on the nearly $2 trillion stimulus package Biden signed into law last week.

The New York Times and Washington Post reported over the weekend that Larry Schwartz, the governor’s vaccine czar and a longtime lieutenant, had tried to assess the loyalty of county executives to Cuomo during phone calls about vaccine distribution — drawing particular attention at the White House on Monday.

Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said that the reports were “concerning” and that Schwartz’s calls were “inappropriate reported behavior.”

The calls prompted one executive to file a preliminary complaint with the state attorney general office’s public integrity bureau. Schwartz denied that he discussed vaccines in a political context.

Psaki insisted there were “checks” in the system to prevent the vaccine from being distributed based on favoritism.

On Tuesday, the White House will hold its weekly call on the coronavirus with the National Governors Association, which Cuomo typically leads as chair of the group. Psaki said she expected Cuomo would join the call, adding, “We’ll leave that up to him.”

Both of New York’s senators, Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, called on Cuomo to resign Friday, along with most of the state’s Democratic congressional delegation. One factor in the timing for members of Congress who made their announcements in quick succession was the desire not to overshadow Biden’s signing of the pandemic relief package, according to people involved in the discussions.

Cuomo was surprised by the statement from Gillibrand and Schumer; he had believed earlier that day that they would not join the calls against him, according to someone familiar with his thinking.

Still, the governor has flatly refused to contemplate resignation while questioning the motives of the women who have accused him of sexual harassment, invoking “cancel culture,” a favorite Republican talking point, as he dug in Friday.

“There’s a job to do, and New Yorkers elected the governor to do it,” Richard Azzopardi, a senior adviser to Cuomo, said Monday. “He remains focused on vaccine distribution and a state budget that’s due in two weeks, and we’re thankful for the help that the White House has provided on both those fronts.”

A senior administration official said Biden’s desire to stay away is driven partly by his personal relationship with Cuomo and partly by pragmatism.

Should he eventually become drawn into the issue, Biden’s options range from encouraging Cuomo to resign to asking him not to run for office again in 2022, as the governor has indicated he still plans to do.

“Biden has a long friendship with Cuomo, and I think he and [Nancy] Pelosi and others are clearly hoping the situation will resolve itself through this investigative process, and they’re giving him that much leash, but how tenable that will be over time is very questionable,” said David Axelrod, a former senior adviser to President Barack Obama.

Already, a majority of state legislators — and more than 40% of Democratic lawmakers in Albany — have called for Cuomo’s resignation. The state Assembly has launched an impeachment inquiry, and beyond Biden, the politician with the most control over Cuomo’s fate is the Assembly speaker, Carl E. Heastie, who will determine if and when to proceed.

Impeaching and removing a governor is a serious undertaking, and Cuomo can hope that it is too big a leap even for those who signed a letter urging his resignation.

“Calling the Legislature’s bluff on an impeachment vote, he recognizes casting a vote for impeachment is a heavy vote for many to make,” said Bakari Sellers, a former member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, who voted to impeach then-Gov. Mark Sanford in 2009. (Sanford was eventually censured.)

“The state is about to be flush with COVID cash,” Sellers said. “Better days ahead for constituents. Hang on until you become everyone’s favorite bank.”

Biden and Cuomo have been relatively close politically in recent years. In 2015, when Biden was considering a belated run for president, they met in New York; though Cuomo was formally backing Hillary Clinton at the time, he did not discourage Biden from a White House run.

In 2018, when Cuomo faced a primary challenge of his own from Cynthia Nixon, the actress and activist, Biden offered a full-throated endorsement of Cuomo at the New York Democratic Party convention.

Biden’s fondness for Cuomo does not necessarily extend to the staff level. The governor’s sharp-elbowed political operation has jabbed at many people in his path over the years.

Biden tapped Cuomo for a prime-time speech on the first night of the Democratic convention last year at the height of the governor’s popularity. The prerecorded address, which did not mention Biden by name until near the end, was thrust on convention organizers with little opportunity for revision, according to people involved in the process; they said the Cuomo team was among the most difficult to work with in planning the entire four-day event.

Cuomo’s political operation also submitted a production bill that far exceeded other similar convention videos; convention officials declined to pay the full amount.

So far, President Joe Biden has made only a passing comment on the crises that have engulfed Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and he seems to be hoping to avoid getting pulled in any further.

So far, President Joe Biden has made only a passing comment on the crises that have engulfed Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and he seems to be hoping to avoid getting pulled in any further. But as a longtime friend of the New York governor, Biden is one of the very few people in the nation with the potential to prevent a protracted standoff between an increasingly isolated Cuomo and the rest of the Democratic Party. That has strained Biden’s efforts to stay firmly on the sidelines as the governor faces a fusillade of calls to resign. Cuomo is confronting a spiraling set of allegations and investigations involving sexual harassment, a toxic workplace, the manipulation of the number of deaths at New York nursing homes and perceived loyalty tests from the governor’s vaccine czar. Biden and Cuomo have not spoken, people close to both men said. Asked on Sunday night whether Cuomo should resign, Biden said only, “I think the investigation is underway, and we should see what it brings us.” The governor and his allies have urged people to wait for the results of the investigations to buy time, in the hope of stabilizing Cuomo’s support. And Biden appears inclined to give him that time — at least for now. But a prolonged period of intraparty sparring over Cuomo’s future could be problematic for Biden. It threatens to distract from his early initiatives, including mass vaccination efforts and his party’s imperative to sell the public on the nearly $2 trillion stimulus package Biden signed into law last week. The New York Times and Washington Post reported over the weekend that Larry Schwartz, the governor’s vaccine czar and a longtime lieutenant, had tried to assess the loyalty of county executives to Cuomo during phone calls about vaccine distribution — drawing particular attention at the White House on Monday. Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said that the reports were “concerning” and that Schwartz’s calls were “inappropriate reported behavior.” The calls prompted one executive to file a preliminary complaint with the state attorney general office’s public integrity bureau. Schwartz denied that he discussed vaccines in a political context. Psaki insisted there were “checks” in the system to prevent the vaccine from being distributed based on favoritism. On Tuesday, the White House will hold its weekly call on the coronavirus with the National Governors Association, which Cuomo typically leads as chair of the group. Psaki said she expected Cuomo would join the call, adding, “We’ll leave that up to him.” Both of New York’s senators, Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, called on Cuomo to resign Friday, along with most of the state’s Democratic congressional delegation. One factor in the timing for members of Congress who made their announcements in quick succession was the desire not to overshadow Biden’s signing of the pandemic relief package, according to people involved in the discussions. Cuomo was surprised by the statement from Gillibrand and Schumer; he had believed earlier that day that they would not join the calls against him, according to someone familiar with his thinking. Still, the governor has flatly refused to contemplate resignation while questioning the motives of the women who have accused him of sexual harassment, invoking “cancel culture,” a favorite Republican talking point, as he dug in Friday. “There’s a job to do, and New Yorkers elected the governor to do it,” Richard Azzopardi, a senior adviser to Cuomo, said Monday. “He remains focused on vaccine distribution and a state budget that’s due in two weeks, and we’re thankful for the help that the White House has provided on both those fronts.” A senior administration official said Biden’s desire to stay away is driven partly by his personal relationship with Cuomo and partly by pragmatism. Should he eventually become drawn into the issue, Biden’s options range from encouraging Cuomo to resign to asking him not to run for office again in 2022, as the governor has indicated he still plans to do. “Biden has a long friendship with Cuomo, and I think he and [Nancy] Pelosi and others are clearly hoping the situation will resolve itself through this investigative process, and they’re giving him that much leash, but how tenable that will be over time is very questionable,” said David Axelrod, a former senior adviser to President Barack Obama. Already, a majority of state legislators — and more than 40% of Democratic lawmakers in Albany — have called for Cuomo’s resignation. The state Assembly has launched an impeachment inquiry, and beyond Biden, the politician with the most control over Cuomo’s fate is the Assembly speaker, Carl E. Heastie, who will determine if and when to proceed. Impeaching and removing a governor is a serious undertaking, and Cuomo can hope that it is too big a leap even for those who signed a letter urging his resignation. “Calling the Legislature’s bluff on an impeachment vote, he recognizes casting a vote for impeachment is a heavy vote for many to make,” said Bakari Sellers, a former member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, who voted to impeach then-Gov. Mark Sanford in 2009. (Sanford was eventually censured.) “The state is about to be flush with COVID cash,” Sellers said. “Better days ahead for constituents. Hang on until you become everyone’s favorite bank.” Biden and Cuomo have been relatively close politically in recent years. In 2015, when Biden was considering a belated run for president, they met in New York; though Cuomo was formally backing Hillary Clinton at the time, he did not discourage Biden from a White House run. In 2018, when Cuomo faced a primary challenge of his own from Cynthia Nixon, the actress and activist, Biden offered a full-throated endorsement of Cuomo at the New York Democratic Party convention. Biden’s fondness for Cuomo does not necessarily extend to the staff level. The governor’s sharp-elbowed political operation has jabbed at many people in his path over the years. Biden tapped Cuomo for a prime-time speech on the first night of the Democratic convention last year at the height of the governor’s popularity. The prerecorded address, which did not mention Biden by name until near the end, was thrust on convention organizers with little opportunity for revision, according to people involved in the process; they said the Cuomo team was among the most difficult to work with in planning the entire four-day event. Cuomo’s political operation also submitted a production bill that far exceeded other similar convention videos; convention officials declined to pay the full amount.

Can Biden stay on the sidelines of the Andrew Cuomo saga?

The United States should act quickly to revive Iran's nuclear deal because once Iran's presidential election period kicks off it is unlikely much will happen until later this year, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said on Monday.&nbsp;

Speaking at the European Policy Centre think tank, Zarif repeated Tehran's longstanding demand that Washington returns first to compliance by lifting sanctions.&nbsp;

Former US President Donald Trump abandoned the deal, known as the JCPOA, under which Iran accepted curbs to its nuclear programme in return for the lifting of sanctions. Since then, Washington has reimposed sanctions and Tehran has responded by violating some of the conditions of the deal.&nbsp;

President Joe Biden aims to restore the deal, but Tehran and Washington each want the other side to comply first.&nbsp;

"The Europeans are used to compromise. Iran and the United States are not. The Americans are used to imposing, and we are used to resisting," Zarif said. "So now is the time to decide will we both compromise and go back to the JCPOA, or will we go back to our own paths?"&nbsp;

Zarif said that he had seen no change between the Biden administration and the Trump administration's policy of maximum pressure to force Iran back to the negotiating table. He said he saw no reason to hold preliminary talks because the US was making 'extraneous' demands.&nbsp;

"There is a time constraint and that is once we go to our election, it is a lame-duck government and (it) will not be able to do anything serious and then, we will have a waiting period of almost six months," he said, referring to a presidential election due on June 18.&nbsp;

"It is advisable for the United States move fast and moving fast requires them not be shy, but takes measures that they need to take."&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The United States should act quickly to revive Iran's nuclear deal because once Iran's presidential election period kicks off it is unlikely much will happen until later this year, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said on Monday.

The United States should act quickly to revive Iran's nuclear deal because once Iran's presidential election period kicks off it is unlikely much will happen until later this year, Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said on Monday. Speaking at the European Policy Centre think tank, Zarif repeated Tehran's longstanding demand that Washington returns first to compliance by lifting sanctions. Former US President Donald Trump abandoned the deal, known as the JCPOA, under which Iran accepted curbs to its nuclear programme in return for the lifting of sanctions. Since then, Washington has reimposed sanctions and Tehran has responded by violating some of the conditions of the deal. President Joe Biden aims to restore the deal, but Tehran and Washington each want the other side to comply first. "The Europeans are used to compromise. Iran and the United States are not. The Americans are used to imposing, and we are used to resisting," Zarif said. "So now is the time to decide will we both compromise and go back to the JCPOA, or will we go back to our own paths?" Zarif said that he had seen no change between the Biden administration and the Trump administration's policy of maximum pressure to force Iran back to the negotiating table. He said he saw no reason to hold preliminary talks because the US was making 'extraneous' demands. "There is a time constraint and that is once we go to our election, it is a lame-duck government and (it) will not be able to do anything serious and then, we will have a waiting period of almost six months," he said, referring to a presidential election due on June 18. "It is advisable for the United States move fast and moving fast requires them not be shy, but takes measures that they need to take." (With inputs from agencies)

Time running out for US to revive nuclear deal: Iran's Foreign Minister 

President Joe Biden and his allies are hitting the road this week to promote the $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill he signed in law last week as the right prescription for a country humbled by the Covid-19 pandemic.&nbsp;

Biden and a slate of advocates including Vice President Kamala Harris and first lady Jill Biden are being deployed to politically important states and to television as part of what the White House is calling the 'Help is Here Tour' to tout measures that include a $1,400 check for most US households.&nbsp;

"I promised the American people, and I guess it's becoming an overused phrase, that help was on the way," Biden told a White House ceremony on Friday. "We've delivered on that promise."&nbsp;

The bill was Biden's first legislative priority on taking office in January and his fellow Democrats used narrow majorities in the House of Representatives and Senate to pass a large measure of what Biden originally proposed without Republican support.&nbsp;

Democrats regard the bill as good policy and politics. Opinion polls show majorities supporting efforts to shore up the coronavirus vaccination campaign, prepare schools to reopen and ease poverty after a year-long pandemic that has killed over 526,000 Americans and put millions out of work.&nbsp;

Republicans, who broadly supported coronavirus relief early in the crisis when Republican Donald Trump was president, have dismissed the latest measure as an overpriced collection of pet projects unrelated to the pandemic.&nbsp;

The White House has said it does not believe President Barack Obama's administration, in which Biden served as vice president, did enough to promote its more than $800 billion 2009 economic rescue programme. Democrats went on to lose control of the House to Republicans the next year.&nbsp;

Taking their case directly to the people, Harris will launch the tour on Monday in Las Vegas, while Biden goes to Delaware County, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday and Atlanta on Friday. He will also do an interview on Wednesday on ABC's 'Good Morning America' programme.&nbsp;

Biden defeated Trump in closely divided Nevada, Pennsylvania and Georgia in the 2020 presidential election.&nbsp;

Each state will also feature a competitive Senate race in 2022. Losing just one seat in that evenly divided chamber would all but doom Biden's legislative agenda, handing Senate control to Republicans for the rest of the president's four-year term.&nbsp;

At least two outside political spending groups that backed Biden's presidential bid, Priorities USA and Unite the Country, said they would put millions into advertisements supporting the stimulus measures.&nbsp;

Priorities USA said its ads would partly be targeted at voters, who flipped from supporting Trump in 2016 to Biden in 2020, in '2022 battleground states' including Georgia, Nevada and Pennsylvania.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

President Joe Biden and his allies are hitting the road this week to promote the $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill he signed in law last week as the right prescription for a country humbled by the Covid-19 pandemic.

President Joe Biden and his allies are hitting the road this week to promote the $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill he signed in law last week as the right prescription for a country humbled by the Covid-19 pandemic. Biden and a slate of advocates including Vice President Kamala Harris and first lady Jill Biden are being deployed to politically important states and to television as part of what the White House is calling the 'Help is Here Tour' to tout measures that include a $1,400 check for most US households. "I promised the American people, and I guess it's becoming an overused phrase, that help was on the way," Biden told a White House ceremony on Friday. "We've delivered on that promise." The bill was Biden's first legislative priority on taking office in January and his fellow Democrats used narrow majorities in the House of Representatives and Senate to pass a large measure of what Biden originally proposed without Republican support. Democrats regard the bill as good policy and politics. Opinion polls show majorities supporting efforts to shore up the coronavirus vaccination campaign, prepare schools to reopen and ease poverty after a year-long pandemic that has killed over 526,000 Americans and put millions out of work. Republicans, who broadly supported coronavirus relief early in the crisis when Republican Donald Trump was president, have dismissed the latest measure as an overpriced collection of pet projects unrelated to the pandemic. The White House has said it does not believe President Barack Obama's administration, in which Biden served as vice president, did enough to promote its more than $800 billion 2009 economic rescue programme. Democrats went on to lose control of the House to Republicans the next year. Taking their case directly to the people, Harris will launch the tour on Monday in Las Vegas, while Biden goes to Delaware County, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday and Atlanta on Friday. He will also do an interview on Wednesday on ABC's 'Good Morning America' programme. Biden defeated Trump in closely divided Nevada, Pennsylvania and Georgia in the 2020 presidential election. Each state will also feature a competitive Senate race in 2022. Losing just one seat in that evenly divided chamber would all but doom Biden's legislative agenda, handing Senate control to Republicans for the rest of the president's four-year term. At least two outside political spending groups that backed Biden's presidential bid, Priorities USA and Unite the Country, said they would put millions into advertisements supporting the stimulus measures. Priorities USA said its ads would partly be targeted at voters, who flipped from supporting Trump in 2016 to Biden in 2020, in '2022 battleground states' including Georgia, Nevada and Pennsylvania. (With inputs from agencies)

Biden launches 'Help is Here' tour to promote stimulus package in key states 

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is likely to meet U.S. President Joe Biden on April 9, the first foreign leader to meet the president in the White House, Japan's Yomiuri newspaper reported on Sunday.

Biden, Japan PM Suga likely to meet in Washington on April 9

U.S. President Joe Biden met leaders of Australia, India and Japan on Friday (March 12), a group central to his efforts to counter China's growing military and economic power, and said a free and open Indo-Pacific region was essential to all of their futures.

Biden says free Indo-Pacific essential as he meets India, Japan, Australia leaders

One year ago, the grim news that Broadway was shutting down was sweeping through the theater district. Performers were packing up their things and heading home; theater staff members were stationed in lobbies to intercept ticket holders and explain to them that the show was canceled.

As a return date was pushed further and further, performers and theater staff resigned themselves to finding work elsewhere.

But on Friday, the anniversary of the day their beloved industry shut its doors, Broadway singers, dancers, actors and front-of-house staffers gathered in Times Square, just across from the TKTS discount ticket booth, to perform live for a small audience of industry insiders and passersby.

The pop-up show was part concert, part rally. Broadway legend Chita Rivera spoke about the power of theater to heal a beleaguered society, and then André De Shields, decked out in a glittering gold suit and a transparent face shield, sang the opening song from “Pippin” along with an array of Broadway stars, backup singers and dancers.

“I’m just happy that we’re all trying to remind the world that we’re still here, and we will be back,” said Bre Jackson, a singer who belted out a solo in the “Pippin” number.

One year ago, Jackson, 29, was returning to New York from a national tour of “The Book of Mormon” and preparing for five auditions. Within 12 hours, she said, the auditions were all canceled, and suddenly she was thrust into a job market without much need for professional singers and actors. Jackson eventually found work as an office manager for a therapy practice, finding performing gigs every so often.

One of the main purposes of these pop-up performances — of which there have been dozens across the city — is to provide paying gigs for people in the industry who have lost their entire incomes during the pandemic, said Blake Ross, one of the event’s producers. The performance was funded by a collection of organizations, including nonprofits Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and NYCNext.

Although perform inside theaters are unlikely until after Labor Day, the message of the show was that the end of the industry’s nightmare seemed to be getting closer. Last night, President Joe Biden asked states to make all adults eligible to be vaccinated by May 1, a hopeful sign that shows might be able to start rehearsals over the summer.

The performance landed on one of the first warm, springlike days of the year in New York City, adding a jolt of excitement. It felt like a reunion of sorts: After a long time working from home, some people shrieked when they saw each other, keeping their distance but air-hugging or elbow-bumping. To make sure that crowds didn’t form in Father Duffy Square, event planners made no public announcement of the performance, but passersby gathered on the edges of the makeshift stage and stood on elevated surfaces to get better views.

The cast started with a topical classic, George Benson’s “On Broadway,” with a group of high-energy, sneaker-clad and masked backup dancers. (There had been barely any time to rehearse beforehand, so just before showtime, the dancers ran through their choreography just offstage on the concrete.) Next, singers Lillias White, Nikki M. James, Peppermint and Solea Pfeiffer joined in “Home” from “The Wiz.” And a choir sang an original song written about the pandemic hiatus, “We Will Be Back,” by Allen René Louis. Costumes from shows like “Wicked” and “Phantom of the Opera” lined the stage edges, glittering and gleaming on mannequins.

During the pandemic, two musicals, “Mean Girls” and “Frozen,” announced that they would not be returning to Broadway, as well as two plays that were in previews, Martin McDonagh’s “Hangmen” and a revival of Edward Albee’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” On Friday, several shows promised that they would indeed be back, including “Mrs. Doubtfire,” which got through three performances before it was forced to close, and “Six,” which had been scheduled to open March 12, 2020.

That day, Judi Wilfore, house manager for the Imperial Theater, remembers standing in the lobby before the scheduled evening performance of “Ain’t Too Proud” and breaking the news to ticket holders. Even though Broadway shut down on a Thursday, Wilfore came to work that weekend, too, in case any audience members showed up.

Over the summer, Wilfore decided that she needed to find work elsewhere, so she took an online course at Health Education Services, to get certified as a COVID compliance officer. At Friday’s event in Times Square, it was her job to make sure people were following safety guidelines and to manage a team of front-of-house theater staffers who were hired to help run the event.

Wilfore has been a compliance officer for gigs here and there — including the load-out of the “Beetlejuice” set from the Winter Garden Theater — but like many in the industry, she yearns for the eventual return to indoor theater, where she oversaw the bustling movements of staffers and audience members.

“We love what we do,” she said, “and the fact that we haven’t been able to do it in a year is unfathomable.”

One year ago, the grim news that Broadway was shutting down was sweeping through the theater district. Performers were packing up their things and heading home; theater staff members were stationed in lobbies to intercept ticket holders and explain to them that the show was canceled.

One year ago, the grim news that Broadway was shutting down was sweeping through the theater district. Performers were packing up their things and heading home; theater staff members were stationed in lobbies to intercept ticket holders and explain to them that the show was canceled. As a return date was pushed further and further, performers and theater staff resigned themselves to finding work elsewhere. But on Friday, the anniversary of the day their beloved industry shut its doors, Broadway singers, dancers, actors and front-of-house staffers gathered in Times Square, just across from the TKTS discount ticket booth, to perform live for a small audience of industry insiders and passersby. The pop-up show was part concert, part rally. Broadway legend Chita Rivera spoke about the power of theater to heal a beleaguered society, and then André De Shields, decked out in a glittering gold suit and a transparent face shield, sang the opening song from “Pippin” along with an array of Broadway stars, backup singers and dancers. “I’m just happy that we’re all trying to remind the world that we’re still here, and we will be back,” said Bre Jackson, a singer who belted out a solo in the “Pippin” number. One year ago, Jackson, 29, was returning to New York from a national tour of “The Book of Mormon” and preparing for five auditions. Within 12 hours, she said, the auditions were all canceled, and suddenly she was thrust into a job market without much need for professional singers and actors. Jackson eventually found work as an office manager for a therapy practice, finding performing gigs every so often. One of the main purposes of these pop-up performances — of which there have been dozens across the city — is to provide paying gigs for people in the industry who have lost their entire incomes during the pandemic, said Blake Ross, one of the event’s producers. The performance was funded by a collection of organizations, including nonprofits Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and NYCNext. Although perform inside theaters are unlikely until after Labor Day, the message of the show was that the end of the industry’s nightmare seemed to be getting closer. Last night, President Joe Biden asked states to make all adults eligible to be vaccinated by May 1, a hopeful sign that shows might be able to start rehearsals over the summer. The performance landed on one of the first warm, springlike days of the year in New York City, adding a jolt of excitement. It felt like a reunion of sorts: After a long time working from home, some people shrieked when they saw each other, keeping their distance but air-hugging or elbow-bumping. To make sure that crowds didn’t form in Father Duffy Square, event planners made no public announcement of the performance, but passersby gathered on the edges of the makeshift stage and stood on elevated surfaces to get better views. The cast started with a topical classic, George Benson’s “On Broadway,” with a group of high-energy, sneaker-clad and masked backup dancers. (There had been barely any time to rehearse beforehand, so just before showtime, the dancers ran through their choreography just offstage on the concrete.) Next, singers Lillias White, Nikki M. James, Peppermint and Solea Pfeiffer joined in “Home” from “The Wiz.” And a choir sang an original song written about the pandemic hiatus, “We Will Be Back,” by Allen René Louis. Costumes from shows like “Wicked” and “Phantom of the Opera” lined the stage edges, glittering and gleaming on mannequins. During the pandemic, two musicals, “Mean Girls” and “Frozen,” announced that they would not be returning to Broadway, as well as two plays that were in previews, Martin McDonagh’s “Hangmen” and a revival of Edward Albee’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” On Friday, several shows promised that they would indeed be back, including “Mrs. Doubtfire,” which got through three performances before it was forced to close, and “Six,” which had been scheduled to open March 12, 2020. That day, Judi Wilfore, house manager for the Imperial Theater, remembers standing in the lobby before the scheduled evening performance of “Ain’t Too Proud” and breaking the news to ticket holders. Even though Broadway shut down on a Thursday, Wilfore came to work that weekend, too, in case any audience members showed up. Over the summer, Wilfore decided that she needed to find work elsewhere, so she took an online course at Health Education Services, to get certified as a COVID compliance officer. At Friday’s event in Times Square, it was her job to make sure people were following safety guidelines and to manage a team of front-of-house theater staffers who were hired to help run the event. Wilfore has been a compliance officer for gigs here and there — including the load-out of the “Beetlejuice” set from the Winter Garden Theater — but like many in the industry, she yearns for the eventual return to indoor theater, where she oversaw the bustling movements of staffers and audience members. “We love what we do,” she said, “and the fact that we haven’t been able to do it in a year is unfathomable.”

‘We’ll be back,’ broadway says, on shutdown anniversary

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison joined with the leaders of the United States, Japan and India at a virtual summit on Saturday morning (March 13), pledging to work closely on COVID-19 vaccine distribution, climate issues and security.

'Quad' countries pledge cooperation on COVID, climate and security

US President Joe Biden in a televised speech said &nbsp;he would direct states to make all adults eligible for the coronavirus vaccine by May 1 while urging Americans to get vaccinated and to continue to follow social distancing rules and wear face masks

Meanwhile, a&nbsp;day after a top US commander's warning of a Chinese invasion threat to Taiwan, a US warship sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Thursday which the US Navy said was the third such voyage since president Joe Biden took office.

Thomas Andrew told the UN Human Rights Council&nbsp;that more than half of those who were killed in Myanmar were under the age of 25.&nbsp;

Click on headlines to read more

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-eyes-next-stage-of-covid-19-fight-slams-attacks-on-asian-americans-during-pandemic-369816">Biden eyes next stage of Covid-19 fight, slams attacks on Asian Americans during pandemic</a>

<img alt="Biden" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b305b9ad-e35a-485e-81b2-d6575a4600fc" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/B_0.jpg" />

Biden's&nbsp;televised address on Thursday came hours after signing his $1.9 trillion stimulus bill into law -- his first major win in office some 50 days into his administration.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/free-and-open-indo-pacific-us-destroyer-transits-through-taiwan-strait-369818">'Free and open Indo-Pacific': US destroyer transits through Taiwan Strait</a>

<img alt="US warship" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="000ce4af-2a1a-45f6-9e84-1a5a3533dde3" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/Taiwan1_0.jpg" />

The&nbsp;Arleigh Burke-class&nbsp;guided-missile destroyer&nbsp;USS John Finn&nbsp;transited through the Taiwan Strait

&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/more-than-half-of-those-murdered-in-myanmar-belong-to-generation-z-un-human-rights-expert-369822">More than half of those murdered in Myanmar belong to Generation Z: UN human rights expert</a>

<img alt="Myanmar" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b71ad885-71b0-4d11-a376-c4f25d8627d7" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/UNex_0.jpg" />

Thomas Andrew told the&nbsp;UN Human Rights Council&nbsp;that more than half of those who were killed in Myanmar were under the age of 25.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/more-than-half-of-those-murdered-in-myanmar-belong-to-generation-z-un-human-rights-expert-369822">Homeless man arrested after roaming air base housing Biden's plane for five hours</a>

<img alt="US warship" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b8ddcae2-dbd1-46b3-9c47-c48ef97074a7" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/US1_0.jpg" />

The unauthorised intruder at Joint Base Andrews made his way onto a C-40 transport plane on the tarmac, but did not get close to Air Force One or the secretary of defense's dedicated Boeing 747s.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-has-india-banned-huawei-and-zte-369805">Watch:&nbsp;Gravitas -&nbsp;Has India banned Huawei and ZTE?</a>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-has-india-banned-huawei-and-zte-369805/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

US President Joe Biden in a televised speech said he would direct states to make all adults eligible for the coronavirus vaccine by May 1 while urging Americans to get vaccinated and to continue to follow social distancing rules and wear face masks Meanwhile, a day after a top US commander's warning of a Chinese invasion threat to Taiwan, a US warship sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Thursday which the US Navy said was the third such voyage since president Joe Biden took office.

US President Joe Biden in a televised speech said he would direct states to make all adults eligible for the coronavirus vaccine by May 1 while urging Americans to get vaccinated and to continue to follow social distancing rules and wear face masks Meanwhile, a day after a top US commander's warning of a Chinese invasion threat to Taiwan, a US warship sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Thursday which the US Navy said was the third such voyage since president Joe Biden took office. Thomas Andrew told the UN Human Rights Council that more than half of those who were killed in Myanmar were under the age of 25. Click on headlines to read more Biden eyes next stage of Covid-19 fight, slams attacks on Asian Americans during pandemic Biden's televised address on Thursday came hours after signing his $1.9 trillion stimulus bill into law -- his first major win in office some 50 days into his administration. 'Free and open Indo-Pacific': US destroyer transits through Taiwan Strait The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS John Finn transited through the Taiwan Strait More than half of those murdered in Myanmar belong to Generation Z: UN human rights expert Thomas Andrew told the UN Human Rights Council that more than half of those who were killed in Myanmar were under the age of 25. Homeless man arrested after roaming air base housing Biden's plane for five hours The unauthorised intruder at Joint Base Andrews made his way onto a C-40 transport plane on the tarmac, but did not get close to Air Force One or the secretary of defense's dedicated Boeing 747s. Watch: Gravitas - Has India banned Huawei and ZTE?

Morning news brief: US destroyer transits through Taiwan Strait, UN fears 'crimes against humanity' in Myanmar

A homeless man spent five hours last month&nbsp;freely roaming the US military base where the president's plane is kept, after easily passing through several layers of security.

The Air Force Thursday admitted to their folly.

The unauthorised intruder at Joint Base Andrews made his way onto a C-40 transport plane on the tarmac, but did not get close to Air Force One or the secretary of defense's dedicated Boeing 747s, the Air Force inspector general said in a report on the February 4 incident.

The base, just south of Washington, is where the president, defense secretary, and other top officials fly from for official business. It is also the arrival point for visiting VIPs like foreign heads of state.

The unidentified man was able to drive onto the base, despite the tight security, and spend five hours there at a food court, in the VIP terminal, and elsewhere before he drew attention.

The otherwise heavily redacted report even detailed his unique appearance -- "On his head, he had a bright red or pink cap that partially covered his ears and had distinctive balls on top that looked a little like mouse ears," according to the &nbsp;report.

The inspector general faulted first a guard at the main gate who, distracted by personal problems and obstructed by Covid-19 practices, let the man through despite his lack of valid credentials.

In a second failure, the man walked onto the tarmac due to a malfunctioning automatic gate.

In a third breach, he boarded the C-40, seen but ignored by two aircrew undergoing training.

After he got off the aircraft he returned to the terminal where his suspicious behaviour finally drew attention. Security officers arrested him.

Authorities, however, assured the man never got close to Air Force One, parked at a distant location and protected by more intense layers of security.

The report concluded that the man was homeless, lived in his car, and despite an extensive arrest record showed no intent to do harm.

During questioning, he simply said "he came on base because he wanted to see airplanes," according to the report.

It was not known if the man will face charges.

(with inputs)

A homeless man spent five hours last month freely roaming the US military base where the president's plane is kept, after easily passing through several layers of security.

A homeless man spent five hours last month freely roaming the US military base where the president's plane is kept, after easily passing through several layers of security. The Air Force Thursday admitted to their folly. The unauthorised intruder at Joint Base Andrews made his way onto a C-40 transport plane on the tarmac, but did not get close to Air Force One or the secretary of defense's dedicated Boeing 747s, the Air Force inspector general said in a report on the February 4 incident. The base, just south of Washington, is where the president, defense secretary, and other top officials fly from for official business. It is also the arrival point for visiting VIPs like foreign heads of state. The unidentified man was able to drive onto the base, despite the tight security, and spend five hours there at a food court, in the VIP terminal, and elsewhere before he drew attention. The otherwise heavily redacted report even detailed his unique appearance -- "On his head, he had a bright red or pink cap that partially covered his ears and had distinctive balls on top that looked a little like mouse ears," according to the report. The inspector general faulted first a guard at the main gate who, distracted by personal problems and obstructed by Covid-19 practices, let the man through despite his lack of valid credentials. In a second failure, the man walked onto the tarmac due to a malfunctioning automatic gate. In a third breach, he boarded the C-40, seen but ignored by two aircrew undergoing training. After he got off the aircraft he returned to the terminal where his suspicious behaviour finally drew attention. Security officers arrested him. Authorities, however, assured the man never got close to Air Force One, parked at a distant location and protected by more intense layers of security. The report concluded that the man was homeless, lived in his car, and despite an extensive arrest record showed no intent to do harm. During questioning, he simply said "he came on base because he wanted to see airplanes," according to the report. It was not known if the man will face charges. (with inputs)

Homeless man arrested after roaming air base housing Biden's plane for five hours

The new policy marks a dramatic shift from Trump and Obama administration protocols where families could be detained for up to 21 days.

Biden's new immigration policy raises hopes

US President Joe Biden on Monday will order a review of changes the previous administration made to on rules on how colleges should handle sexual assault allegations and formally establish a White House Gender Policy Council, officials said.&nbsp;

A Biden executive order he will sign later on Monday will direct the US Education Department to review all its existing regulations, orders, guidance, and 'policies for consistency with the administration’s policy to guarantee education free from sexual violence', according to a White House fact sheet provided Sunday night.&nbsp;

In 2017, the Trump administration reversed Obama-era guidelines that had spelt out measures, schools should follow to try to prevent sexual assaults on campuses. Trump's Education Secretary, Betsy DeVos, argued the Obama guidelines resulted in too many students being falsely charged and the accused being treated unfairly.&nbsp;

In May 2020, DeVos unveiled final regulations on how colleges should deal with sexual misconduct allegations on campuses. She said the rules would require 'schools to act in meaningful ways to support survivors of sexual misconduct, without sacrificing important safeguards to ensure a fair and transparent process'.&nbsp;

Biden's order directs a review of the 2020 regulation 'to determine whether the regulation and agency action are consistent with the policies of the Biden-Harris Administration', the fact sheet said.&nbsp;

A second executive order will formally establish a White House council gender equality council, officials said.&nbsp;

The council is part of 'a government-wide focus on uplifting the rights of women and girls in the United States and around the world', according to a White House fact sheet.&nbsp;

Jennifer Klein, chief strategy and policy officer at anti-sexual harassment activist group Time's Up, is cochairing the council with Julissa Reynoso, a lawyer, who previously served as a diplomat and deputy assistant secretary of state during the Obama administration.&nbsp;

As a candidate, Biden pledged to narrow the wage gap between men and women, invest in women-owned businesses and fight against workplace discrimination. His vice president, Kamala Harris, is the first woman to occupy the position.&nbsp;

The council will work with other parts of the administration to address 'barriers to women’s participation in the labour force, decreasing wage and wealth gaps, and addressing the caregiving needs of American families and supporting care workers', the fact sheet said.&nbsp;

As of January, women accounted for slightly more than half of the 10 million jobs lost during the coronavirus crisis, even though they typically make up a little less than half the workforce.&nbsp;

More than 2.5 million women left the labour force between February 2020 and January of this year, compared to 1.8 million men.&nbsp;

Biden will direct the council to submit a 'government-wide strategy to address gender in policies, programs and budgets' and an annual report on progress, the White House said.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

US President Joe Biden on Monday will order a review of changes the previous administration made to on rules on how colleges should handle sexual assault allegations and formally establish a White House Gender Policy Council, officials said.

US President Joe Biden on Monday will order a review of changes the previous administration made to on rules on how colleges should handle sexual assault allegations and formally establish a White House Gender Policy Council, officials said. A Biden executive order he will sign later on Monday will direct the US Education Department to review all its existing regulations, orders, guidance, and 'policies for consistency with the administration’s policy to guarantee education free from sexual violence', according to a White House fact sheet provided Sunday night. In 2017, the Trump administration reversed Obama-era guidelines that had spelt out measures, schools should follow to try to prevent sexual assaults on campuses. Trump's Education Secretary, Betsy DeVos, argued the Obama guidelines resulted in too many students being falsely charged and the accused being treated unfairly. In May 2020, DeVos unveiled final regulations on how colleges should deal with sexual misconduct allegations on campuses. She said the rules would require 'schools to act in meaningful ways to support survivors of sexual misconduct, without sacrificing important safeguards to ensure a fair and transparent process'. Biden's order directs a review of the 2020 regulation 'to determine whether the regulation and agency action are consistent with the policies of the Biden-Harris Administration', the fact sheet said. A second executive order will formally establish a White House council gender equality council, officials said. The council is part of 'a government-wide focus on uplifting the rights of women and girls in the United States and around the world', according to a White House fact sheet. Jennifer Klein, chief strategy and policy officer at anti-sexual harassment activist group Time's Up, is cochairing the council with Julissa Reynoso, a lawyer, who previously served as a diplomat and deputy assistant secretary of state during the Obama administration. As a candidate, Biden pledged to narrow the wage gap between men and women, invest in women-owned businesses and fight against workplace discrimination. His vice president, Kamala Harris, is the first woman to occupy the position. The council will work with other parts of the administration to address 'barriers to women’s participation in the labour force, decreasing wage and wealth gaps, and addressing the caregiving needs of American families and supporting care workers', the fact sheet said. As of January, women accounted for slightly more than half of the 10 million jobs lost during the coronavirus crisis, even though they typically make up a little less than half the workforce. More than 2.5 million women left the labour force between February 2020 and January of this year, compared to 1.8 million men. Biden will direct the council to submit a 'government-wide strategy to address gender in policies, programs and budgets' and an annual report on progress, the White House said. (With inputs from agencies)

White House orders review of campus sexual misconduct rules changed by Trump 

A US official said that President Joe Biden`s administration is expected to put together a task force to deal with major cyber intrusions that Microsoft said this week were linked to China as relations between the two -- Washington and Beijing -- continues to spiral downwards.CNN, citing the US official, reported that there are an estimated 30,000 affected customers in the US and 250,000 globally, though those numbers are expected to increase.&nbsp;

However, the White House declined to comment on the number of victims affected.

"We are undertaking a whole of government response to assess and address the impact. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued an emergency directive to agencies and we`re now working with our partners and looking closely at the next steps we need to take. This is an active threat still developing and we urge network operators to take it very seriously," a White House official said.

The US official said that the task force or, "Unified Coordination Group" (UCG), is a multi-agency effort initiated by the National Security Council, that includes FBI, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and others.The National Security Agency also has a role in the response, though it`s not clear if its involvement is codified as part of the UCG directive, according to another source familiar with the situation."

"This has the potential to simultaneously affect organizations that are critical to everyday life in the US," a source familiar with the investigation into the attack told CNN, noting that state and local government agencies were among those affected.

The Hill reported that Cybersecurity group FireEye on Thursday night announced it had found evidence that hackers had exploited a flaw in a popular Microsoft email application since as early as January to target groups across a variety of sectors.

FireEye analysts wrote in a blog post that the company had observed the hackers -- who Microsoft announced earlier this week were a Chinese state-sponsored hacking group known as "Hafnium" -- exploiting vulnerabilities in Microsoft`s Exchange Server email program to target at least one FireEye client beginning in January.

The news outlet further reported that Microsoft said the Chinese hacking group was actively exploiting previously unknown security flaws in Exchange Server to go after groups running the program.The company noted that Hafnium had previously been known to steal information from organizations including infectious disease researchers, law firms, higher education institutions, defense contractors, policy think tanks and non-governmental organizations.

In February, the National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC) warned that the efforts made by the Chinese Communist Party to obtain US health data, particularly DNA, through hacking had stepped up during the COVID-19 pandemic.According to The Hill, the agency noted that these efforts had increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, with Chinese biotech group BGI offering COVID-19 testing kits to the majority of countries and establishing 18 testing labs over the past six months alone, allegedly as part of an effort to obtain health data.

The NCSC wrote that US health data was an attractive target for the Chinese government due to the diversity of the population and because of the nation`s comparably lax safeguards for personal data.Under the Trump administration, ties between the two countries had deteriorated over issues such as human rights violations in Xinjiang, encroachment on the special status of Hong Kong, accusations of unfair trade practices by Beijing, lack of transparency concerning the pandemic and China`s military aggression in various parts of the world.

Meanwhile, Chinese hackers also have been trying hard to crack Indian cyberspace. There have been more aggressive attempts of hacking by Chinese hackers since last one year.Various government organisations like the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN) and the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) are following trends and keeping a track of attempts made by the Chinese post the Galwan clash.

A US official said that President Joe Biden`s administration is expected to put together a task force to deal with major cyber intrusions that Microsoft said this week were linked to China as relations between the two -- Washington and Beijing -- continues to spiral downwards.

A US official said that President Joe Biden`s administration is expected to put together a task force to deal with major cyber intrusions that Microsoft said this week were linked to China as relations between the two -- Washington and Beijing -- continues to spiral downwards.CNN, citing the US official, reported that there are an estimated 30,000 affected customers in the US and 250,000 globally, though those numbers are expected to increase. However, the White House declined to comment on the number of victims affected. "We are undertaking a whole of government response to assess and address the impact. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued an emergency directive to agencies and we`re now working with our partners and looking closely at the next steps we need to take. This is an active threat still developing and we urge network operators to take it very seriously," a White House official said. The US official said that the task force or, "Unified Coordination Group" (UCG), is a multi-agency effort initiated by the National Security Council, that includes FBI, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and others.The National Security Agency also has a role in the response, though it`s not clear if its involvement is codified as part of the UCG directive, according to another source familiar with the situation." "This has the potential to simultaneously affect organizations that are critical to everyday life in the US," a source familiar with the investigation into the attack told CNN, noting that state and local government agencies were among those affected. The Hill reported that Cybersecurity group FireEye on Thursday night announced it had found evidence that hackers had exploited a flaw in a popular Microsoft email application since as early as January to target groups across a variety of sectors. FireEye analysts wrote in a blog post that the company had observed the hackers -- who Microsoft announced earlier this week were a Chinese state-sponsored hacking group known as "Hafnium" -- exploiting vulnerabilities in Microsoft`s Exchange Server email program to target at least one FireEye client beginning in January. The news outlet further reported that Microsoft said the Chinese hacking group was actively exploiting previously unknown security flaws in Exchange Server to go after groups running the program.The company noted that Hafnium had previously been known to steal information from organizations including infectious disease researchers, law firms, higher education institutions, defense contractors, policy think tanks and non-governmental organizations. In February, the National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC) warned that the efforts made by the Chinese Communist Party to obtain US health data, particularly DNA, through hacking had stepped up during the COVID-19 pandemic.According to The Hill, the agency noted that these efforts had increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, with Chinese biotech group BGI offering COVID-19 testing kits to the majority of countries and establishing 18 testing labs over the past six months alone, allegedly as part of an effort to obtain health data. The NCSC wrote that US health data was an attractive target for the Chinese government due to the diversity of the population and because of the nation`s comparably lax safeguards for personal data.Under the Trump administration, ties between the two countries had deteriorated over issues such as human rights violations in Xinjiang, encroachment on the special status of Hong Kong, accusations of unfair trade practices by Beijing, lack of transparency concerning the pandemic and China`s military aggression in various parts of the world. Meanwhile, Chinese hackers also have been trying hard to crack Indian cyberspace. There have been more aggressive attempts of hacking by Chinese hackers since last one year.Various government organisations like the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-IN) and the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre (NCIIPC) are following trends and keeping a track of attempts made by the Chinese post the Galwan clash.

Biden admin to form task force to deal with Microsoft hack linked to China

US President Joe <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/first-ever-summit-of-quad-leaders-set-to-take-place-368123">Biden</a> while congratulating the team of NASA scientists over a virtual interaction said that Indian-Americans are taking over the United States.

Watch:

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The US president made the remark while speaking to Indian-American scientist Swati Mohan who had led the guidance, navigation and control operations of NASA's Mars 2020 mission.

During the interaction, Swati Mohan told&nbsp;Biden: "I'm doing very well, Mr&nbsp;President thank you for taking the time to speak with us," to which the US president responded: "Are you kidding me? what an honour this is. This is an incredible honour&nbsp;and it's amazing. Indian-Americans are taking over the country: you, my vice president, my speechwriter Vinay [White House director of speechwriting Vinay Reddy], I tell you what&nbsp;but thank you, you guys are incredible."

Biden also referred to a large number of people from the Indian-American community getting a place in his administration.&nbsp;

Biden has appointed at least 55 Indian-Americans to key leadership positions in his administration with nearly half of them women and a sizable number of them working in the White House.

US President Joe Biden while congratulating the team of NASA scientists over a virtual interaction said that Indian-Americans are taking over the United States. Watch: The US president made the remark while speaking to Indian-American scientist Swati Mohan who had led the guidance, navigation and control operations of NASA's Mars 2020 mission.

US President Joe Biden while congratulating the team of NASA scientists over a virtual interaction said that Indian-Americans are taking over the United States. Watch: The US president made the remark while speaking to Indian-American scientist Swati Mohan who had led the guidance, navigation and control operations of NASA's Mars 2020 mission. During the interaction, Swati Mohan told Biden: "I'm doing very well, Mr President thank you for taking the time to speak with us," to which the US president responded: "Are you kidding me? what an honour this is. This is an incredible honour and it's amazing. Indian-Americans are taking over the country: you, my vice president, my speechwriter Vinay [White House director of speechwriting Vinay Reddy], I tell you what but thank you, you guys are incredible." Biden also referred to a large number of people from the Indian-American community getting a place in his administration. Biden has appointed at least 55 Indian-Americans to key leadership positions in his administration with nearly half of them women and a sizable number of them working in the White House.

Indian-Americans taking over the country, Biden jokes with NASA's Swati Mohan

Joe Biden administration told a federal court in the US that it needs more time to decide whether it will release Donald Trump's tax records, said credible media reports. As per media reports that cited a court filing from the govt, the Justice Department and Treasury Department said that they needed time to weigh how to respond to a subpoena by House Democrats. These Democrats are asking for six years of tax records to be released.

Government lawyers told the court that as transition was still going on at Justice and Treasury departments, they needed more time to respond to House Democrats' demand for release of Trump's tax records.

The legal battle dates back to 2019.

Donald Trump has always kept his tax records a secret. This has given reason to his critics to allege that he was evading taxes and has avoided paying millions of dollars to the government.

Trump has for years claimed that his business was "under audit" and that he would release his tax returns once the audit was completed. However, the "audit" seems to have gone on for years and there have been no concrete signs of Trump wanting to make his tax record public.

His tax records had become an issue both in 2016, as well as 2020 US Presidential elections with Democratic Party upping the ante against him.

Joe Biden administration told a federal court in the US that it needs more time to decide whether it will release Donald Trump's tax records, said credible media reports.

Joe Biden administration told a federal court in the US that it needs more time to decide whether it will release Donald Trump's tax records, said credible media reports. As per media reports that cited a court filing from the govt, the Justice Department and Treasury Department said that they needed time to weigh how to respond to a subpoena by House Democrats. These Democrats are asking for six years of tax records to be released. Government lawyers told the court that as transition was still going on at Justice and Treasury departments, they needed more time to respond to House Democrats' demand for release of Trump's tax records. The legal battle dates back to 2019. Donald Trump has always kept his tax records a secret. This has given reason to his critics to allege that he was evading taxes and has avoided paying millions of dollars to the government. Trump has for years claimed that his business was "under audit" and that he would release his tax returns once the audit was completed. However, the "audit" seems to have gone on for years and there have been no concrete signs of Trump wanting to make his tax record public. His tax records had become an issue both in 2016, as well as 2020 US Presidential elections with Democratic Party upping the ante against him.

Trump tax returns: Biden administration seeks more time to decide on release, say reports

Every new leader has a honeymoon period, when the media is still cheering for their win, when allies are still in high-spirits and opponents are still wallowing in defeat. Ask any leader they will say it's the best time to govern. &nbsp;

Joe Biden's honeymoon period wasn't bad. It lasted for 40 days but the US President has met with his first failure. One of his cabinet picks has been rejected, Neera Tanden.&nbsp;

Biden wanted her to run the budget office, a key cabinet position in the White House. Tanden is a through-and-through Democrat. She's been involved in presidential campaigns since 1988. Her closest Washington overlord is Hillary Clinton. Ideologically, Tanden is more of a centrist. On paper, the US Senate should have loved her. The Senate is evenly split and her nomination should not have been a problem.&nbsp;

Except that it was thanks to her Twitter history, there are very few people on Capitol Hill that Tanden hasn't offended. She's attacked Democrats and Republicans alike and as they say politicians don't forget easily. Biden was bullish about her chances but within Democrat circles, there was scepticism.&nbsp;

Joe Manchin, a conservative Democrat said he wouldn't vote for her. This effectively killed Tanden's nomination. Instead of being voted down in the Senate, she pulled out of the race but Joe Biden isn't planning on giving up. He has accepted Tanden's request but plans on getting her onboard in some other position. It's an unexplained obsession, one that is doomed from the start because Neera Tanden is a toxic political entity after Biden announced his decision to pick her.&nbsp;

Tanden went on a social media exorcism. She deleted almost 1,000 tweets, all from her personal account. The tweets in which she targeted senators on both sides of the aisle in December 2017.&nbsp;

Tanden accused the Republican party of backing a child molester. In 2018, she targeted moderate Republican, Susan Collins. This was during the senate hearing of supreme court judge Brett Kavanaugh.&nbsp;

She's compared senators to Voldemort and vampires. Tanden's attacks weren't partisan, conservative Republican, progressive Democrat, it didn't matter but on more than one occasion, she crossed the line of decency. She used words unbecoming of a cabinet aspirant with enough enemies on both sides Tanden's nomination was a non-starter, everyone thought so, everyone except Joe Biden.&nbsp;

Biden is promising to transcend political lines as he keeps talking about being a US president and not a Democratic one. If that's the idea Neera Tanden was the wrong pick. This loss will be hard to take as Biden staked a lot of political capital on Neera Tanden.&nbsp;

The White House was lobbying for her approval but the divisions in Washington run too deep. It's a sign of things to come as for Neera Tanden, it's a steep learning curve.&nbsp;

Social media is a wilderness and a no holds barred domain where attacking and trolling are the norms on Twitter, everyone's a critic but remember that criticism is permanent.&nbsp;

You can delete tweets but after a million people have seen it, does it really make a difference?&nbsp;

Neera Tanden's social media presence came back to haunt her during the senate hearings. She apologised for her posts. "I do think the last several years have been very polarising and I apologise for my language that has contributed to that," she said.&nbsp;

A change of heart but too late. The senators had made up their mind and gone are the days when your resume decided your job. If you have reams of hateful tweets like Neera Tanden, chances are you have more enemies than friends and in politics that never ends well.&nbsp;

Every new leader has a honeymoon period, when the media is still cheering for their win, when allies are still in high-spirits and opponents are still wallowing in defeat.

Every new leader has a honeymoon period, when the media is still cheering for their win, when allies are still in high-spirits and opponents are still wallowing in defeat. Ask any leader they will say it's the best time to govern. Joe Biden's honeymoon period wasn't bad. It lasted for 40 days but the US President has met with his first failure. One of his cabinet picks has been rejected, Neera Tanden. Biden wanted her to run the budget office, a key cabinet position in the White House. Tanden is a through-and-through Democrat. She's been involved in presidential campaigns since 1988. Her closest Washington overlord is Hillary Clinton. Ideologically, Tanden is more of a centrist. On paper, the US Senate should have loved her. The Senate is evenly split and her nomination should not have been a problem. Except that it was thanks to her Twitter history, there are very few people on Capitol Hill that Tanden hasn't offended. She's attacked Democrats and Republicans alike and as they say politicians don't forget easily. Biden was bullish about her chances but within Democrat circles, there was scepticism. Joe Manchin, a conservative Democrat said he wouldn't vote for her. This effectively killed Tanden's nomination. Instead of being voted down in the Senate, she pulled out of the race but Joe Biden isn't planning on giving up. He has accepted Tanden's request but plans on getting her onboard in some other position. It's an unexplained obsession, one that is doomed from the start because Neera Tanden is a toxic political entity after Biden announced his decision to pick her. Tanden went on a social media exorcism. She deleted almost 1,000 tweets, all from her personal account. The tweets in which she targeted senators on both sides of the aisle in December 2017. Tanden accused the Republican party of backing a child molester. In 2018, she targeted moderate Republican, Susan Collins. This was during the senate hearing of supreme court judge Brett Kavanaugh. She's compared senators to Voldemort and vampires. Tanden's attacks weren't partisan, conservative Republican, progressive Democrat, it didn't matter but on more than one occasion, she crossed the line of decency. She used words unbecoming of a cabinet aspirant with enough enemies on both sides Tanden's nomination was a non-starter, everyone thought so, everyone except Joe Biden. Biden is promising to transcend political lines as he keeps talking about being a US president and not a Democratic one. If that's the idea Neera Tanden was the wrong pick. This loss will be hard to take as Biden staked a lot of political capital on Neera Tanden. The White House was lobbying for her approval but the divisions in Washington run too deep. It's a sign of things to come as for Neera Tanden, it's a steep learning curve. Social media is a wilderness and a no holds barred domain where attacking and trolling are the norms on Twitter, everyone's a critic but remember that criticism is permanent. You can delete tweets but after a million people have seen it, does it really make a difference? Neera Tanden's social media presence came back to haunt her during the senate hearings. She apologised for her posts. "I do think the last several years have been very polarising and I apologise for my language that has contributed to that," she said. A change of heart but too late. The senators had made up their mind and gone are the days when your resume decided your job. If you have reams of hateful tweets like Neera Tanden, chances are you have more enemies than friends and in politics that never ends well.

After Senate pushback, Biden withdraws Neera Tanden's nomination 

President Joe Biden on Saturday (February 27) said his administration would make an announcement on Saudi Arabia on Monday, following a U.S. intelligence report that found Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had approved the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Biden says announcement on Saudi Arabia will be released on Monday

Asylum-seekers that had become a symbol of Trump-era immigration restrictions entered the United States from Mexico on Friday (February 26) under a new policy meant to end the hardships endured by migrants in dangerous border towns.

Asylum-seekers cross into the US amid change in immigration policy

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