President Joe Biden has tapped his wealthy campaign donors as US Ambassadors. Many of them have no diplomatic experience. The Biden administration is being accused of "institutionalised corruption". Palki Sharma has a report.

Gravitas: Biden rewards Billionaire donors with Ambassador postings

US president Joe Biden has set down his government's response to the Omicron variant, as he did so he also gave credit to the Trump administration for the development of the covid-19 vaccine and also praised Donald Trump for getting a booster shot.

'Maybe one of the few things he and I agree on,' Biden appreciates Trump on getting booster shot

Barbara F Walter, who is a political science professor at the University of California at San Diego, said that the United States is closer to "civil war than any of us would like to believe".&nbsp;

Walter's remark appeared to be quite alarming for a democratic country that recently hosted the 'Summit of Democracy' with an aim to strengthen democracy and defend against authoritarianism globally.&nbsp;

Is American democracy in crisis?

Walter, who serves on a CIA advisory panel called the Political Instability Task Force, has given an analytical opinion of the US politics&nbsp;in a book, "How Civil Wars Start," which will be out in January.&nbsp;

However, a report has been published by The Washington Post, detailing what Walter has assessed about the country's political situation and how it might pan out in the near future.&nbsp;

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/white-house-reacts-after-joe-manchin-says-he-wont-vote-for-joe-bidens-build-back-better-bill-438390">White House reacts after Joe Manchin says he won't vote for Joe Biden's Build Back Better bill</a>

The Post mentioned that Walter has studied conflicts in Syria, Lebanon, Northern Ireland, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Rwanda, Angola, Nicaragua during her career.&nbsp;

It is understood that the Political Instability Task Force monitors countries around the world and speculates over a possibility of political instability.&nbsp;

"We are closer to civil war than any of us would like to believe. No one wants to believe that their beloved democracy is in decline, or headed toward war," Walter wrote in the to-be-published book, as quoted by The Washington Post.&nbsp;

Weighing in on the political situation of America, Walter said that "if you were an analyst in a foreign country looking at events in America — the same way you'd look at events in Ukraine or the Ivory Coast or Venezuela — you would go down a checklist, assessing each of the conditions that make civil war likely."

"And what you would find is that the United States, a democracy founded more than two centuries ago, has entered very dangerous territory," she added.&nbsp;

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-memo-us-air-force-gives-green-signal-to-gender-pronouns-use-for-internal-communication-438165">In memo, US Air Force gives green signal to gender pronouns’ use for internal communication</a>

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The CIA actually has a Task Force designed to try to predict where and when political instability and conflict is likely to break out around the world. It's just not legally allowed to look at the U.S. That means we are blind to the risk factors that are rapidly emerging here. <a href="https://t.co/86UMVwhi3C">pic.twitter.com/86UMVwhi3C</a>
— Barbara F Walter (@bfwalter) <a href="https://twitter.com/bfwalter/status/1463667263832211457?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2021</a></blockquote>
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We know why democracies decline and ethnic factions emerge. We also know it can be driven by extremists with their own political agendas. Whether these extremists succeed depends on whether we, the American people, challenge them or not. <a href="https://t.co/L9TmIk6pGC">https://t.co/L9TmIk6pGC</a> <a href="https://t.co/Y0qn1v5Jn8">pic.twitter.com/Y0qn1v5Jn8</a>
— Barbara F Walter (@bfwalter) <a href="https://twitter.com/bfwalter/status/1470823914951655425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2021</a></blockquote>
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If we talk about US politics, the past two-three years have been topsy-turvy — a phase when the administration also changed as Joe Biden was sworn in as 46th US president.&nbsp;

The election was chaotic as former President Donald Trump multiple times claimed that there were some discrepancies in the counting of votes.&nbsp;

On January 6, the deadly attack on the US Capitol also turned out to be a black chapter in the political history of the US.&nbsp;

As mentioned by Walter, the US is now an "anocracy," somewhere between a democracy and an autocratic state.&nbsp;

Barbara F Walter, who is a political science professor at the University of California at San Diego, said that the United States is closer to "civil war than any of us would like to believe".

Barbara F Walter, who is a political science professor at the University of California at San Diego, said that the United States is closer to "civil war than any of us would like to believe". Walter's remark appeared to be quite alarming for a democratic country that recently hosted the 'Summit of Democracy' with an aim to strengthen democracy and defend against authoritarianism globally. Is American democracy in crisis? Walter, who serves on a CIA advisory panel called the Political Instability Task Force, has given an analytical opinion of the US politics in a book, "How Civil Wars Start," which will be out in January. However, a report has been published by The Washington Post, detailing what Walter has assessed about the country's political situation and how it might pan out in the near future. ALSO READ | White House reacts after Joe Manchin says he won't vote for Joe Biden's Build Back Better bill The Post mentioned that Walter has studied conflicts in Syria, Lebanon, Northern Ireland, Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Rwanda, Angola, Nicaragua during her career. It is understood that the Political Instability Task Force monitors countries around the world and speculates over a possibility of political instability. "We are closer to civil war than any of us would like to believe. No one wants to believe that their beloved democracy is in decline, or headed toward war," Walter wrote in the to-be-published book, as quoted by The Washington Post. Weighing in on the political situation of America, Walter said that "if you were an analyst in a foreign country looking at events in America — the same way you'd look at events in Ukraine or the Ivory Coast or Venezuela — you would go down a checklist, assessing each of the conditions that make civil war likely." "And what you would find is that the United States, a democracy founded more than two centuries ago, has entered very dangerous territory," she added. ALSO READ | In memo, US Air Force gives green signal to gender pronouns’ use for internal communication The CIA actually has a Task Force designed to try to predict where and when political instability and conflict is likely to break out around the world. It's just not legally allowed to look at the U.S. That means we are blind to the risk factors that are rapidly emerging here. pic.twitter.com/86UMVwhi3C — Barbara F Walter (@bfwalter) November 25, 2021 × We know why democracies decline and ethnic factions emerge. We also know it can be driven by extremists with their own political agendas. Whether these extremists succeed depends on whether we, the American people, challenge them or not. https://t.co/L9TmIk6pGC pic.twitter.com/Y0qn1v5Jn8 — Barbara F Walter (@bfwalter) December 14, 2021 × If we talk about US politics, the past two-three years have been topsy-turvy — a phase when the administration also changed as Joe Biden was sworn in as 46th US president. The election was chaotic as former President Donald Trump multiple times claimed that there were some discrepancies in the counting of votes. On January 6, the deadly attack on the US Capitol also turned out to be a black chapter in the political history of the US. As mentioned by Walter, the US is now an "anocracy," somewhere between a democracy and an autocratic state.

Is United States on the cusp of a civil war? Member of CIA panel thinks so

Omicron is now the dominant variant of the COVID-19 in the US, federal health officials said, racing ahead of Delta and other variants and accounting for 73% of new infections last week. America is staring at a bleak holiday season as the new variant has upended lives with its aggressive transmissions. US president Joe Biden is all set for his address on the Omicron surge.

US president Joe Biden to address nation on Omicron surge

resident Joe Biden was in close contact with a White House official who later tested positive for the coronavirus, the administration said Monday.

The president spent about 30 minutes near the official aboard Air Force One on a trip from South Carolina to Pennsylvania on Friday, Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said in a statement. The official, who was vaccinated and had received a booster shot, began experiencing symptoms two days later and tested positive Monday morning.

“The president is tested on a regular basis. As part of that regular testing, the president received an antigen test Sunday, and tested negative,” Psaki said. “This morning, after being notified of the staffer’s positive test, the president received a PCR test and tested negative.”

The news came as administration officials acknowledged that as the highly contagious omicron variant has surged, a cluster of cases have been reported in and around the White House, including at the National Security Council, the State Department, Treasury and other agencies. Biden, who is 79, will deliver a speech Tuesday that his advisers say is meant to emphasize that fully vaccinated people will face far fewer health risks from the virus and its variants than the unvaccinated.

“This is not a speech about locking the country down,” Psaki told reporters Monday. “This is a speech outlining and being direct and clear with the American people about the benefits of being vaccinated, the steps we’re going to take to increase access and to increase testing, and the risks posed to unvaccinated individuals.”

In her statement about Biden’s exposure to the virus, Psaki added that he would be tested again Wednesday, and that as a fully vaccinated person, he was not required to quarantine after exposure. According to guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fully vaccinated people who have had close contact with someone who has COVID should be tested five to seven days from the date of exposure and wear a mask in public indoor settings for two weeks or until they receive a negative test result.

Researchers still do not know how likely omicron is to cause severe illness in most people, but its speed has stunned public health experts. With omicron already the dominant form of the coronavirus in the United States, White House officials have tried to emphasize that breakthrough cases among the fully vaccinated and boosted will most likely be mild compared with infections the unvaccinated may face; but given the variant’s contagiousness, those cases could become more common.

Officials have also said that there is no reason to treat this wave like the devastating one the United States faced in spring 2020, but the virus is interfering with day-to-day functions in the administration. At least one person — a journalist who traveled with Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Southeast Asia last week — tested positive, causing Blinken to cut short his trip. Another White House official, who attended a Christmas party with journalists Tuesday, later tested positive. The administration has not disclosed the scope of infections in the White House and at various agencies.

“I would just note that we do expect there to be breakthrough cases, as there are — as there will be — across government,” Psaki said Monday when asked to describe infections in the administration.

Some federal agencies are planning to require employees to return to the office. A memo sent to Commerce Department employees Friday from Don Graves, the deputy secretary, outlined a plan to start a “staggered approach to return” beginning in January. Psaki said Monday that everyone who worked in the administration was encouraged to receive a booster shot and that “99%” of the White House staff had received one.

Still, a memo sent to the staff Monday afternoon provided a link to schedule a Pfizer dose and a plea: “The best way to protect yourself and others is by being fully vaccinated and receiving a booster as soon as you are eligible.” Both memos were obtained by The New York Times.

In his speech Tuesday, Biden is expected to encourage the public to receive a booster shot as soon as they are eligible.

Former President Donald Trump, who for years falsely claimed that vaccines were dangerous and pointedly declined to be seen receiving his coronavirus vaccine while he was in office, told former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly on Sunday that he had received a booster.

Their audience, at a speaking tour stop in Houston, began to boo, according to a video distributed by one of O’Reilly’s social media accounts.

“Don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t,” Trump said, waving his arm to dismiss the naysayers and downplaying the reaction.

Biden’s advisers have pointed out that they have taken extra precautions to keep him safe from exposure, including protocol that requires day-of testing if an official is to meet with him. Officials who see the president every day are therefore tested every day, an administration official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to describe internal planning.

Trump, on the other hand, eschewed most precautions while he was in office.

resident Joe Biden was in close contact with a White House official who later tested positive for the coronavirus, the administration said Monday. The president spent about 30 minutes near the official aboard Air Force One on a trip from South Carolina to Pennsylvania on Friday, Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said in a statement.

resident Joe Biden was in close contact with a White House official who later tested positive for the coronavirus, the administration said Monday. The president spent about 30 minutes near the official aboard Air Force One on a trip from South Carolina to Pennsylvania on Friday, Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said in a statement. The official, who was vaccinated and had received a booster shot, began experiencing symptoms two days later and tested positive Monday morning. “The president is tested on a regular basis. As part of that regular testing, the president received an antigen test Sunday, and tested negative,” Psaki said. “This morning, after being notified of the staffer’s positive test, the president received a PCR test and tested negative.” The news came as administration officials acknowledged that as the highly contagious omicron variant has surged, a cluster of cases have been reported in and around the White House, including at the National Security Council, the State Department, Treasury and other agencies. Biden, who is 79, will deliver a speech Tuesday that his advisers say is meant to emphasize that fully vaccinated people will face far fewer health risks from the virus and its variants than the unvaccinated. “This is not a speech about locking the country down,” Psaki told reporters Monday. “This is a speech outlining and being direct and clear with the American people about the benefits of being vaccinated, the steps we’re going to take to increase access and to increase testing, and the risks posed to unvaccinated individuals.” In her statement about Biden’s exposure to the virus, Psaki added that he would be tested again Wednesday, and that as a fully vaccinated person, he was not required to quarantine after exposure. According to guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fully vaccinated people who have had close contact with someone who has COVID should be tested five to seven days from the date of exposure and wear a mask in public indoor settings for two weeks or until they receive a negative test result. Researchers still do not know how likely omicron is to cause severe illness in most people, but its speed has stunned public health experts. With omicron already the dominant form of the coronavirus in the United States, White House officials have tried to emphasize that breakthrough cases among the fully vaccinated and boosted will most likely be mild compared with infections the unvaccinated may face; but given the variant’s contagiousness, those cases could become more common. Officials have also said that there is no reason to treat this wave like the devastating one the United States faced in spring 2020, but the virus is interfering with day-to-day functions in the administration. At least one person — a journalist who traveled with Secretary of State Antony Blinken to Southeast Asia last week — tested positive, causing Blinken to cut short his trip. Another White House official, who attended a Christmas party with journalists Tuesday, later tested positive. The administration has not disclosed the scope of infections in the White House and at various agencies. “I would just note that we do expect there to be breakthrough cases, as there are — as there will be — across government,” Psaki said Monday when asked to describe infections in the administration. Some federal agencies are planning to require employees to return to the office. A memo sent to Commerce Department employees Friday from Don Graves, the deputy secretary, outlined a plan to start a “staggered approach to return” beginning in January. Psaki said Monday that everyone who worked in the administration was encouraged to receive a booster shot and that “99%” of the White House staff had received one. Still, a memo sent to the staff Monday afternoon provided a link to schedule a Pfizer dose and a plea: “The best way to protect yourself and others is by being fully vaccinated and receiving a booster as soon as you are eligible.” Both memos were obtained by The New York Times. In his speech Tuesday, Biden is expected to encourage the public to receive a booster shot as soon as they are eligible. Former President Donald Trump, who for years falsely claimed that vaccines were dangerous and pointedly declined to be seen receiving his coronavirus vaccine while he was in office, told former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly on Sunday that he had received a booster. Their audience, at a speaking tour stop in Houston, began to boo, according to a video distributed by one of O’Reilly’s social media accounts. “Don’t, don’t, don’t, don’t,” Trump said, waving his arm to dismiss the naysayers and downplaying the reaction. Biden’s advisers have pointed out that they have taken extra precautions to keep him safe from exposure, including protocol that requires day-of testing if an official is to meet with him. Officials who see the president every day are therefore tested every day, an administration official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to describe internal planning. Trump, on the other hand, eschewed most precautions while he was in office.

Biden was in close contact with official who tested positive for Covid

There's a new resident at the White House. On December 20, President Joe Biden introduced the world to a new pup who has joined his family. 
 
"Welcome to the White House, Commander," President Biden tweeted along with a photo of the adorable puppy running through the grass with a tennis ball in its mouth.&nbsp;

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Welcome to the White House, Commander. <a href="https://t.co/SUudQnPv29">pic.twitter.com/SUudQnPv29</a>
— President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1473048795697012738?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The president also shared a video welcoming the new pet ('hey, pal'). He is the third dog to move into the US President's residence at the White House. \

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Meet the newest Biden. <a href="https://t.co/JHAbH53iRk">pic.twitter.com/JHAbH53iRk</a>
— President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1473057147017744390?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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When Joe Biden and First Lady Dr Jill Biden moved into the White House earlier this year, they brought along their two dogs, Champ and Major.&nbsp; 
 
The two dogs were the first canine residents in four years to have lived at the presidential residence and the very first time a rescue dog called 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue home. The Bidens adopted Major from the Delaware Humane Association in 2018. The Bidens adopted Major from the Delaware Humane Association in 2018. 
 
Commander's joins the family six months after the death of the Bidens' German shepherd, Champ. Biden had announced his death on June 13 and called him a 'loving companion'. 
 
"Our hearts are heavy today as we let you all know that our beloved German Shepherd, Champ, passed away peacefully at home. He was our constant, cherished companion during the last 13 years and was adored by the entire Biden family," the president and first lady wrote in a joint statement at the time.

There's a new resident at the White House. On December 20, President Joe Biden introduced the world to a new pup who has joined his family. "Welcome to the White House, Commander," President Biden tweeted along with a photo of the adorable puppy running through the grass with a tennis ball in its mouth.

There's a new resident at the White House. On December 20, President Joe Biden introduced the world to a new pup who has joined his family. "Welcome to the White House, Commander," President Biden tweeted along with a photo of the adorable puppy running through the grass with a tennis ball in its mouth. Welcome to the White House, Commander. pic.twitter.com/SUudQnPv29 — President Biden (@POTUS) December 20, 2021 × The president also shared a video welcoming the new pet ('hey, pal'). He is the third dog to move into the US President's residence at the White House. \ Meet the newest Biden. pic.twitter.com/JHAbH53iRk — President Biden (@POTUS) December 20, 2021 × When Joe Biden and First Lady Dr Jill Biden moved into the White House earlier this year, they brought along their two dogs, Champ and Major. The two dogs were the first canine residents in four years to have lived at the presidential residence and the very first time a rescue dog called 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue home. The Bidens adopted Major from the Delaware Humane Association in 2018. The Bidens adopted Major from the Delaware Humane Association in 2018. Commander's joins the family six months after the death of the Bidens' German shepherd, Champ. Biden had announced his death on June 13 and called him a 'loving companion'. "Our hearts are heavy today as we let you all know that our beloved German Shepherd, Champ, passed away peacefully at home. He was our constant, cherished companion during the last 13 years and was adored by the entire Biden family," the president and first lady wrote in a joint statement at the time.

Commander, the first pup! President Joe Biden welcomes new member to the White House 

US President Joe Biden has announced a pandemic strategy to protect Americans from the newly found Omicron COVID-19 variant over the winter.

Biden lays out winter plan to protect against Omicron COVID-19 variant

The US President Joe Biden laid out a pandemic strategy to fight the spread of the newly found Omicron COVID-19 variant that includes hundreds of vaccination sites, boosters for all adults, new testing requirements for international travellers and free at-home tests.

US President Biden lays out plans to fight spread of Omicron COVID-19 variant

President Joe Biden called the new omicron variant of the coronavirus a cause for concern but “not a cause for panic” and said that he was not considering any widespread US lockdown.

US President Joe Biden says Omicron variant is cause for 'concern, not panic'

The White House has issued a statement after Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia said that he could not support the legislation's passage of the massive social spending bill.&nbsp;

It is a big blow to United States President Joe Biden's $1.75 trillion Build Back Better plans as Manchin's vote is deemed crucial to getting the bill through the Senate. It is understood that Democrats have spent weeks trying to secure his support.&nbsp;

Manchin told Fox News Sunday: "I can't vote for it and I cannot vote to continue with this piece of legislation. I just can't. I've tried everything humanly possible, I can't get there... This is a no."

The bill is focused on funnelling funds toward lowering the cost of child care and prescription drugs, supporting the purchasing power of households and investing in the transition to clean energy.&nbsp;

WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/watch-in-a-gaffe-us-president-joe-biden-calls-kamala-harris-as-president-harris-438379">In a gaffe, US President Joe Biden calls Kamala Harris as ‘President Harris’</a>

After the interview, Manchin's office released a statement in which the Senator reiterated that he couldn't support the legislation. The statement read: "I have always said, 'If I can't go back home and explain it, I can't vote for it.'"

"Despite my best efforts, I cannot explain the sweeping Build Back Better Act in West Virginia and I cannot vote to move forward on this mammoth piece of legislation," it added.&nbsp;

The Senator has raised multiple concerns about the bill regarding paid family leave, a methane fee on emissions, medicare expansion, taxes, climate provisions, etc.&nbsp;

Manchin praised Biden but said that right now, the government should be directing the attention towards the Omicron variant and the threat is coming back in "so many different aspects in different ways". He also said that the present Covid situation is "affecting our lives again."

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<a href="https://t.co/0fmAXbcRHn">pic.twitter.com/0fmAXbcRHn</a>
— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sen_JoeManchin/status/1470886740126842881?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 14, 2021</a></blockquote>
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ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/christmas-travel-can-lead-to-doubling-of-omicron-cases-fauci-438291">Christmas travel can lead to doubling of Omicron cases: Fauci</a>

White House reacts

Responding to the same, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that Manchin's statements are "at odds with his discussions this week with the President".&nbsp;

The lengthy statement further read: "Weeks ago, Senator Manchin committed to the President, at his home in Wilmington, to support the Build Back Better framework that the President then subsequently announced."

"If his comments on FOX and written statement indicate an end to that effort, they represent a sudden and inexplicable reversal in his position, and a breach of his commitments to the President and the Senator’s colleagues in the House and Senate," Psaki's statement added.&nbsp;Manchin has been facing criticism from some party members.&nbsp;

Senator Bernie Sanders said that the Democrats would take the bill to a vote.&nbsp;"I hope that we will bring a strong bill to the floor of the Senate as soon as we can and let Mr. Manchin explain to the people of West Virginia why he doesn't have the guts to stand up to powerful special interests," he told CNN.&nbsp;

WATCH:&nbsp;Top health experts warn of looming Omicron wave in United States

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&nbsp;

The White House has issued a statement after Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia said that he could not support the legislation's passage of the massive social spending bill.

The White House has issued a statement after Democratic Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia said that he could not support the legislation's passage of the massive social spending bill. It is a big blow to United States President Joe Biden's $1.75 trillion Build Back Better plans as Manchin's vote is deemed crucial to getting the bill through the Senate. It is understood that Democrats have spent weeks trying to secure his support. Manchin told Fox News Sunday: "I can't vote for it and I cannot vote to continue with this piece of legislation. I just can't. I've tried everything humanly possible, I can't get there... This is a no." The bill is focused on funnelling funds toward lowering the cost of child care and prescription drugs, supporting the purchasing power of households and investing in the transition to clean energy. WATCH | In a gaffe, US President Joe Biden calls Kamala Harris as ‘President Harris’ After the interview, Manchin's office released a statement in which the Senator reiterated that he couldn't support the legislation. The statement read: "I have always said, 'If I can't go back home and explain it, I can't vote for it.'" "Despite my best efforts, I cannot explain the sweeping Build Back Better Act in West Virginia and I cannot vote to move forward on this mammoth piece of legislation," it added. The Senator has raised multiple concerns about the bill regarding paid family leave, a methane fee on emissions, medicare expansion, taxes, climate provisions, etc. Manchin praised Biden but said that right now, the government should be directing the attention towards the Omicron variant and the threat is coming back in "so many different aspects in different ways". He also said that the present Covid situation is "affecting our lives again." pic.twitter.com/0fmAXbcRHn — Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) December 14, 2021 × ALSO READ | Christmas travel can lead to doubling of Omicron cases: Fauci White House reacts Responding to the same, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that Manchin's statements are "at odds with his discussions this week with the President". The lengthy statement further read: "Weeks ago, Senator Manchin committed to the President, at his home in Wilmington, to support the Build Back Better framework that the President then subsequently announced." "If his comments on FOX and written statement indicate an end to that effort, they represent a sudden and inexplicable reversal in his position, and a breach of his commitments to the President and the Senator’s colleagues in the House and Senate," Psaki's statement added. Manchin has been facing criticism from some party members. Senator Bernie Sanders said that the Democrats would take the bill to a vote. "I hope that we will bring a strong bill to the floor of the Senate as soon as we can and let Mr. Manchin explain to the people of West Virginia why he doesn't have the guts to stand up to powerful special interests," he told CNN. WATCH: Top health experts warn of looming Omicron wave in United States ×

White House reacts after Joe Manchin says he won't vote for Joe Biden's Build Back Better bill

In a big blow to US President Joe Biden, Democratic senator Joe Manchin has said he cannot vote for Biden's build-back better bill. It was one of the most coveted poll promises by US President.

Democrat Joe Manchin pulls support for Biden's $1.75 trillion social spending plan

US Vice President Kamala Harris has acknowledged that the Biden administration couldn’t anticipate the emergence of variants like Omicron and Delta.

Speaking to Los Angeles Times newspaper on the Covid situation in the country, Harris on Friday said, “We didn't see Delta coming…We didn't see Omicron coming. And that's the nature of what this, this awful virus has been, which as it turns out, has mutations and variants.”

Harris added that despite relying on scientists and experts, the US government could not foresee and prepare&nbsp;to tackle the virus.

“I think most scientists did not - upon whose advice and direction we have relied —didn't see Delta coming,” she said.

The comment from Harris comes as New York City reported 21,027 new COVID-19 cases in a single day on Friday, the highest the state has ever recorded.

President Joe Biden has warned of a “winter of severe illness and death” for the unvaccinated, as the Omicron variant fuels new cases in the United States.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/no-evidence-to-suggest-new-variant-omicron-less-severe-than-delta-reveals-uk-study-437843">No evidence to suggest new variant Omicron less severe than Delta, reveals UK study</a>

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention&nbsp;has predicted that COVID-19 cases and deaths will increase in the US over the next month, with its latest model projecting more than 40,000 deaths by January 8.

Scientists have remained uncertain as to how dangerous the highly mutated Omicron variant is, but early data suggests it can be more resistant to vaccines and is more transmissible than the Delta variant.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/amid-threat-of-omicron-wave-americans-rush-to-get-covid-19-boosters-437648" hreflang="en">Amid threat of Omicron wave, Americans rush to get COVID-19 boosters</a>

The warning particularly holds true for the United Kingdon, which has been reporting a record number of cases in the past three days.

More than 88,000 Covid-19 infections were detected on Friday in a second consecutive record daily number in a country where over 69% of its population is fully vaccinated.

(With inputs from agencies)

US Vice President Kamala Harris has acknowledged that the Biden administration couldn’t anticipate the emergence of variants like Omicron and Delta. Speaking to Los Angeles Times newspaper on the Covid situation in the country, Harris on Friday said, “We didn't see Delta coming…We didn't see Omicron coming.

US Vice President Kamala Harris has acknowledged that the Biden administration couldn’t anticipate the emergence of variants like Omicron and Delta. Speaking to Los Angeles Times newspaper on the Covid situation in the country, Harris on Friday said, “We didn't see Delta coming…We didn't see Omicron coming. And that's the nature of what this, this awful virus has been, which as it turns out, has mutations and variants.” Harris added that despite relying on scientists and experts, the US government could not foresee and prepare to tackle the virus. “I think most scientists did not - upon whose advice and direction we have relied —didn't see Delta coming,” she said. The comment from Harris comes as New York City reported 21,027 new COVID-19 cases in a single day on Friday, the highest the state has ever recorded. President Joe Biden has warned of a “winter of severe illness and death” for the unvaccinated, as the Omicron variant fuels new cases in the United States. Also read | No evidence to suggest new variant Omicron less severe than Delta, reveals UK study The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has predicted that COVID-19 cases and deaths will increase in the US over the next month, with its latest model projecting more than 40,000 deaths by January 8. Scientists have remained uncertain as to how dangerous the highly mutated Omicron variant is, but early data suggests it can be more resistant to vaccines and is more transmissible than the Delta variant. Also read | Amid threat of Omicron wave, Americans rush to get COVID-19 boosters The warning particularly holds true for the United Kingdon, which has been reporting a record number of cases in the past three days. More than 88,000 Covid-19 infections were detected on Friday in a second consecutive record daily number in a country where over 69% of its population is fully vaccinated. (With inputs from agencies)

US Vice President Kamala Harris admits Biden admin ‘failed to see Omicron variant coming’

Amid the ongoing Ukraine invasion threat from Russia, the US expressed a desire to hold talks with Moscow. This comes days virtual meet between President Biden and Putin.

The US expressed a desire to hold talks with Russia amid the ongoing Ukraine invasion threat

As in most things that matter in this world, particularly in maintaining a world order, the US set itself up as the sole and supreme arbiter of what is a democracy. Thus did we see US President Joe Biden holding a “Summit for Democracy” on December 9-10 to which 110 countries were invited. &nbsp;

He had promised to hold such a summit in the course of his election campaign. The summit’s stated purpose was "to renew democracy at home and confront autocracies abroad". Doubtless, democracy is shrinking not only in the number of countries sliding towards authoritarian modes of government but also within countries, and the focus of the summit is as important as it is topical for our times.&nbsp;

For that very reason it was surprising to see countries with dubious democratic credentials being invited while deserving democracies were kept out. Clearly, the selection of countries appears to have been dictated by military, strategic and bloc considerations which determine Washington’s foreign policy and security interests. While the merits of Pakistan being invited have been debated, the exclusion of&nbsp;Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka is surprising. More damning is the revelation, by Pakistan, that it stayed away because of being slotted for partial participation. So, there were participants, non-participants and a third category of “partial participants”.

Just as the US created categories of “good terrorists” and “bad terrorists”, which translates as those Washington can do business with and those it cannot, there is now emerging a scenario of “good democracies” and “bad democracies”. Needless to say, countries that stand with the US to subserve its military, strategic, geopolitical, diplomatic, economic and business interests would be deemed “good”.Those not prone to do Washington’s bidding or heed its counsel would be condemned as “bad”. Such a conclusion is inevitable given the State Department’s arbitrary choice of participants with no light cast on the criteria applied for excluding countries that are obviously democracies.

As suspect as the criteria for inclusion and exclusion of countries is the US setting itself up as the sole judge of what constitutes democracy. There cannot be one single authority for defining democracy given the many forms it has assumed in practice across the world. This is a value-based judgment and no one country, not even the US, can claim to be the sole repository of all the values that define a democracy. The violent “insurrection” in the US capital which preceded President Biden’s oath-taking showed the world that the foundations of US democracy are vulnerable to the menacing depredations of the very people elected, including to the highest office, under the admirable provisions of the American constitution.

No less disturbing than the questionable selection of participants is that it is the US that has retreated, as the world saw, from backing the forces of democracy in Afghanistan; and, remained a spectator to the army’s atrocities in Myanmar.

There is no denying that US democracy is by far the best the world has. For all its deformities, democracy within the US is envied worldwide by people who are deprived of rights and freedoms as well as those reeling under deficient or authoritarian forms of democracy. Equally undeniable is that US prestige not only as the world’s biggest military power but also as the world’s greatest democracy has taken a severe hit in the aftermath of the Capitol riots, the pullout from Afghanistan, the general indifference to autocracies and the country’s decline as a force for good.

Amidst this cheerless situation, the credentials of the US and western democracies are further sullied by the endless persecution of Julian Assange. His extradition to the US, now cleared by a UK court, is a setback to the cause of press freedom and makes a mockery of the protection the press enjoys under the First Amendment. Assange’s extradition being allowed happened around the time of the “Summit for Democracy”. For all his emphasis on freedom and the importance of a free press, Biden has no qualms about persisting in the footsteps of his predecessor Donald Trump when it comes to hounding Assange.&nbsp;

Democracy, as is all too evident, has neither a conscience nor a keeper.

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

As in most things that matter in this world, particularly in maintaining a world order, the US set itself up as the sole and supreme arbiter of what is a democracy.

As in most things that matter in this world, particularly in maintaining a world order, the US set itself up as the sole and supreme arbiter of what is a democracy. Thus did we see US President Joe Biden holding a “Summit for Democracy” on December 9-10 to which 110 countries were invited. He had promised to hold such a summit in the course of his election campaign. The summit’s stated purpose was "to renew democracy at home and confront autocracies abroad". Doubtless, democracy is shrinking not only in the number of countries sliding towards authoritarian modes of government but also within countries, and the focus of the summit is as important as it is topical for our times. For that very reason it was surprising to see countries with dubious democratic credentials being invited while deserving democracies were kept out. Clearly, the selection of countries appears to have been dictated by military, strategic and bloc considerations which determine Washington’s foreign policy and security interests. While the merits of Pakistan being invited have been debated, the exclusion of Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka is surprising. More damning is the revelation, by Pakistan, that it stayed away because of being slotted for partial participation. So, there were participants, non-participants and a third category of “partial participants”. Just as the US created categories of “good terrorists” and “bad terrorists”, which translates as those Washington can do business with and those it cannot, there is now emerging a scenario of “good democracies” and “bad democracies”. Needless to say, countries that stand with the US to subserve its military, strategic, geopolitical, diplomatic, economic and business interests would be deemed “good”.Those not prone to do Washington’s bidding or heed its counsel would be condemned as “bad”. Such a conclusion is inevitable given the State Department’s arbitrary choice of participants with no light cast on the criteria applied for excluding countries that are obviously democracies. As suspect as the criteria for inclusion and exclusion of countries is the US setting itself up as the sole judge of what constitutes democracy. There cannot be one single authority for defining democracy given the many forms it has assumed in practice across the world. This is a value-based judgment and no one country, not even the US, can claim to be the sole repository of all the values that define a democracy. The violent “insurrection” in the US capital which preceded President Biden’s oath-taking showed the world that the foundations of US democracy are vulnerable to the menacing depredations of the very people elected, including to the highest office, under the admirable provisions of the American constitution. No less disturbing than the questionable selection of participants is that it is the US that has retreated, as the world saw, from backing the forces of democracy in Afghanistan; and, remained a spectator to the army’s atrocities in Myanmar. There is no denying that US democracy is by far the best the world has. For all its deformities, democracy within the US is envied worldwide by people who are deprived of rights and freedoms as well as those reeling under deficient or authoritarian forms of democracy. Equally undeniable is that US prestige not only as the world’s biggest military power but also as the world’s greatest democracy has taken a severe hit in the aftermath of the Capitol riots, the pullout from Afghanistan, the general indifference to autocracies and the country’s decline as a force for good. Amidst this cheerless situation, the credentials of the US and western democracies are further sullied by the endless persecution of Julian Assange. His extradition to the US, now cleared by a UK court, is a setback to the cause of press freedom and makes a mockery of the protection the press enjoys under the First Amendment. Assange’s extradition being allowed happened around the time of the “Summit for Democracy”. For all his emphasis on freedom and the importance of a free press, Biden has no qualms about persisting in the footsteps of his predecessor Donald Trump when it comes to hounding Assange. Democracy, as is all too evident, has neither a conscience nor a keeper. (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

On The Margin | High and low of democracy summit

In a rare victory for the pro-choice movement in an increasingly bitter battle over reproductive rights, US President Joe Biden's administration ruled Thursday that abortion pills would be available by mail permanently, not just during the Covid pandemic.

An earlier in-person requirement had been criticised not only by activist groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) but also by health groups such as the American Medical Association (AMA).

The move comes at a time when Republican-led states are passing laws that restrict women's abortion rights, and as a decision is awaited by the country's Supreme Court that could potentially reverse abortion as a constitutional right.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-us-pence-and-allies-eye-end-to-50-years-of-abortion-rights-433359">In US, Pence and allies eye end to 50 years of abortion rights</a>

FDA detailed the new rule in a letter sent to plaintiffs in a case seeking to ease abortion medication regulations. &nbsp;

In the letter, the ACLU stated that mifepristone is no longer restricted to clinics, medical offices or hospitals. The FDA, however, requires pharmacies that dispense it to be specially certified.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the in-person rule was dropped. This policy was reinstated by the Trump administration, only to be dropped again by the administration of Biden, a Democrat. Now, it is permanent.

"The FDA's decision to permanently remove the in-person pill pick-up requirement is a major step forward that will enable many more patients to get this safe and time-sensitive medication as soon as they are ready, without travel-related expenses and delay," said Georgeanne Usova, senior legislative counsel at the ACLU in a statement.

The two drugs used in medication abortions, mifepristone and misoprostol, can be safely used up until 10 weeks of pregnancy.

Also read |&nbsp;​​​​​​​<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/2021-as-year-of-women-from-me-too-movement-to-protests-events-that-exhibit-female-strength-436284">2021 as year of women: From Me Too movement to protests, events that exhibit female strength</a>

Mifepristone blocks progesterone, which is vital to pregnancy development, preventing pregnancy. The birth control pill misoprostol, taken 24 to 48 hours after mifepristone, empties the uterus by causing cramping and bleeding, an effect similar to that of miscarriage.

These drugs have become increasingly popular since they were approved by the FDA in 2000, and they now account for at least 40 per cent of all abortions.

The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that when administered at nine weeks or less gestation, 99.6 per cent of all pregnancies are successfully terminated, with a 0.4 per cent risk of complications and a death rate of 0.001 per cent.

Anti-abortion groups, however, condemned the decision.

"The Biden administration's reckless move puts countless women and unborn children in danger," said Sue Liebel of the Susan B. Anthony List.&nbsp;

Watch |&nbsp;US Supreme Court upheld Texas six-week abortion law but allows clinics to sue Texas over ban

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/us-supreme-court-upheld-texas-six-week-abortion-law-but-allows-clinics-to-sue-texas-over-ban-435947/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

According to the ACLU, the decision to ease federal restrictions will not affect state-level restrictions on mifepristone.&nbsp;

However, the group added that it would expand the options and capacity of states with an influx of out-of-state women seeking abortions due to abortion bans in their home states.

Legal observers predict that the Supreme Court will overturn Roe v Wade, which enshrines the constitutional right to abortion, next spring, which would lead to state-level bans on abortion.

(With inputs from agencies)

In a rare victory for the pro-choice movement in an increasingly bitter battle over reproductive rights, US President Joe Biden's administration ruled Thursday that abortion pills would be available by mail permanently, not just during the Covid pandemic.

In a rare victory for the pro-choice movement in an increasingly bitter battle over reproductive rights, US President Joe Biden's administration ruled Thursday that abortion pills would be available by mail permanently, not just during the Covid pandemic. An earlier in-person requirement had been criticised not only by activist groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) but also by health groups such as the American Medical Association (AMA). The move comes at a time when Republican-led states are passing laws that restrict women's abortion rights, and as a decision is awaited by the country's Supreme Court that could potentially reverse abortion as a constitutional right. Also read | In US, Pence and allies eye end to 50 years of abortion rights FDA detailed the new rule in a letter sent to plaintiffs in a case seeking to ease abortion medication regulations. In the letter, the ACLU stated that mifepristone is no longer restricted to clinics, medical offices or hospitals. The FDA, however, requires pharmacies that dispense it to be specially certified. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the in-person rule was dropped. This policy was reinstated by the Trump administration, only to be dropped again by the administration of Biden, a Democrat. Now, it is permanent. "The FDA's decision to permanently remove the in-person pill pick-up requirement is a major step forward that will enable many more patients to get this safe and time-sensitive medication as soon as they are ready, without travel-related expenses and delay," said Georgeanne Usova, senior legislative counsel at the ACLU in a statement. The two drugs used in medication abortions, mifepristone and misoprostol, can be safely used up until 10 weeks of pregnancy. Also read | 2021 as year of women: From Me Too movement to protests, events that exhibit female strength Mifepristone blocks progesterone, which is vital to pregnancy development, preventing pregnancy. The birth control pill misoprostol, taken 24 to 48 hours after mifepristone, empties the uterus by causing cramping and bleeding, an effect similar to that of miscarriage. These drugs have become increasingly popular since they were approved by the FDA in 2000, and they now account for at least 40 per cent of all abortions. The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that when administered at nine weeks or less gestation, 99.6 per cent of all pregnancies are successfully terminated, with a 0.4 per cent risk of complications and a death rate of 0.001 per cent. Anti-abortion groups, however, condemned the decision. "The Biden administration's reckless move puts countless women and unborn children in danger," said Sue Liebel of the Susan B. Anthony List. Watch | US Supreme Court upheld Texas six-week abortion law but allows clinics to sue Texas over ban According to the ACLU, the decision to ease federal restrictions will not affect state-level restrictions on mifepristone. However, the group added that it would expand the options and capacity of states with an influx of out-of-state women seeking abortions due to abortion bans in their home states. Legal observers predict that the Supreme Court will overturn Roe v Wade, which enshrines the constitutional right to abortion, next spring, which would lead to state-level bans on abortion. (With inputs from agencies)

Amid the pro-life vs pro-choice fight, Biden administration makes access to abortion pills easier

Pakistan skipped US President Joe Biden's democracy summit for many reasons. This includes China's diktat and Pakistan not being invited to the plenary session.

What moved Pakistan to skip US President Joe Biden's democracy summit?

Nearly 700 scientists and engineers, including 21 Nobel laureates, asked President Joe Biden on Thursday to use his forthcoming declaration of a new national strategy for managing nuclear weapons as a chance to cut the US arsenal by a third and to declare, for the first time, that the United States would never be the first to use nuclear weapons in a conflict.

The letter to Biden also urged him to change, for the first time since President Harry S. Truman ordered the dropping of the atomic bomb over Hiroshima, the American practice that gives the commander in chief sole authority to order the use of nuclear weapons. The issue gained prominence during the Trump administration, and the authors of the letter urged Biden to make the change as “an important safeguard against a possible future president who is unstable or who orders a reckless attack.”

But although Biden has often declared that he will be guided by scientific advice alone when it comes to managing the COVID-19 pandemic, he has made no such pledge in the nuclear arena, where strategists, allies protected by the American nuclear umbrella and members of Congress all have views — many of them diametrically opposed to the ones described by scientists.

Among the authors of the letter are numerous members of the National Academy of Sciences and the Union of Concerned Scientists. They include Barry Barish of the University of California, Riverside, Jerome Friedman of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, John Mather of the University of Maryland and Sheldon Glashow of Harvard, all of whom have been awarded the Nobel Prize in physics; and Richard Garwin, a nuclear expert and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom who has advised a series of presidents.

They were motivated by the coming publication of the Nuclear Posture Review, a document each new president usually issues in the first year or two of his term. Biden’s is expected early next year, although the internal debate over its contents has been very closely held.

The letter noted Biden’s own words in 2017, as he was considering his run for president when he said that “it’s hard to envision a plausible scenario in which the first use of nuclear weapons by the United States would be necessary or make sense.” During the campaign, he said the “sole purpose” of the American arsenal “should be deterring — and if necessary, retaliating against — a nuclear attack.”

The letter argued that “by making clear that the United States will never start a nuclear war, it reduces the likelihood that a conflict or crisis will escalate to nuclear war.” And it would demonstrate, they argued, that the United States was committed to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which obliges the nuclear-armed states to move toward reducing their arsenals.

President Barack Obama baulked at making the commitment, even while he declared that nuclear weapons would no longer be at the centre of American defence policy. And in recent months, American allies — including Japan, the target of that first attack — have argued quietly against a “no first use” declaration, saying that it would make them more vulnerable to a crippling, non-nuclear attack, including a cyberattack or conventional attack that could take out their electrical grids and their water and fuel lines.

Although the administration has not said how the new nuclear weapons strategy will be different from that of former President Donald Trump, some language echoing Biden’s carefully chosen term about the “sole purpose” of nuclear weapons seems likely. But that stops short of committing never to use a weapon first.

“The review will take account of the current security environment and will assess US strategy, posture and policy,” the White House’s National Security Council said in a statement. “The US will continue to maintain a safe, secure and effective strategic deterrent while ensuring our extended deterrence commitments to allies and partners remains strong and credible.”

A number of members of the House and Senate serving on national-security related committees have worried that at a time when China is expanding its arsenal and Russia is threatening former Soviet states that have joined NATO, a no-first-use pledge might give the appearance of weakness.

“No-first-use is feel-good foreign policy,’’ Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, said Thursday. “Our enemies wouldn’t take the commitment seriously. And it would undermine the confidence of our friends.”

The scientists and engineers argued for a commitment by Biden to reduce the arsenal to “fewer than 1,000 deployed missile warheads and bombers,” although they did not say by when. “These reductions will increase US national security,’’ they argued because it “will slow the spiralling nuclear arms race with Russia and China,” and help fulfil America’s treaty obligation “to take steps toward disarmament.”

But as a political matter, it is almost unimaginable that Biden would reduce the arsenal to that level without an agreement by Russia to do the same. When he came to office, Biden renewed, for five years, the New START treaty, which limits the arsenal to 1,550 long-range strategic weapons; currently, the US arsenal appears to be below that limit.

But in recent months, the revelation that China is building what appear to be new missile silos and testing potential delivery vehicles for hypersonic weapons that avoid traditional missile defences has led some Pentagon officials to call for new money for advanced weapons, and new classes of weapons that can deliver nuclear warheads — including hypersonic vehicles.

China has repeatedly said in recent months that it has no intention of entering arms control talks with the United States, noting that its arsenal is five times smaller than Washington’s.

The letter also urges Biden to cancel the program to replace the silo-based intercontinental ballistic missiles that dot the American West. Under current plans, the United States will replace those ageing missiles starting in 2029, at a cost of at least $100 billion; the letter calls for Biden to simply extend the lifetime of the current arsenal, and ultimately “consider eliminating silo-based” missiles. Advocates of that position argue they are the most vulnerable to attack and are the weapons that are most likely to be launched first — perhaps in response to a false alarm.

&nbsp;

Nearly 700 scientists and engineers, including 21 Nobel laureates, asked President Joe Biden on Thursday to use his forthcoming declaration of a new national strategy for managing nuclear weapons as a chance to cut the US arsenal by a third and to declare, for the first time, that the United States would never be the first to use nuclear weapons in a conflict.

Nearly 700 scientists and engineers, including 21 Nobel laureates, asked President Joe Biden on Thursday to use his forthcoming declaration of a new national strategy for managing nuclear weapons as a chance to cut the US arsenal by a third and to declare, for the first time, that the United States would never be the first to use nuclear weapons in a conflict. The letter to Biden also urged him to change, for the first time since President Harry S. Truman ordered the dropping of the atomic bomb over Hiroshima, the American practice that gives the commander in chief sole authority to order the use of nuclear weapons. The issue gained prominence during the Trump administration, and the authors of the letter urged Biden to make the change as “an important safeguard against a possible future president who is unstable or who orders a reckless attack.” But although Biden has often declared that he will be guided by scientific advice alone when it comes to managing the COVID-19 pandemic, he has made no such pledge in the nuclear arena, where strategists, allies protected by the American nuclear umbrella and members of Congress all have views — many of them diametrically opposed to the ones described by scientists. Among the authors of the letter are numerous members of the National Academy of Sciences and the Union of Concerned Scientists. They include Barry Barish of the University of California, Riverside, Jerome Friedman of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, John Mather of the University of Maryland and Sheldon Glashow of Harvard, all of whom have been awarded the Nobel Prize in physics; and Richard Garwin, a nuclear expert and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom who has advised a series of presidents. They were motivated by the coming publication of the Nuclear Posture Review, a document each new president usually issues in the first year or two of his term. Biden’s is expected early next year, although the internal debate over its contents has been very closely held. The letter noted Biden’s own words in 2017, as he was considering his run for president when he said that “it’s hard to envision a plausible scenario in which the first use of nuclear weapons by the United States would be necessary or make sense.” During the campaign, he said the “sole purpose” of the American arsenal “should be deterring — and if necessary, retaliating against — a nuclear attack.” The letter argued that “by making clear that the United States will never start a nuclear war, it reduces the likelihood that a conflict or crisis will escalate to nuclear war.” And it would demonstrate, they argued, that the United States was committed to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which obliges the nuclear-armed states to move toward reducing their arsenals. President Barack Obama baulked at making the commitment, even while he declared that nuclear weapons would no longer be at the centre of American defence policy. And in recent months, American allies — including Japan, the target of that first attack — have argued quietly against a “no first use” declaration, saying that it would make them more vulnerable to a crippling, non-nuclear attack, including a cyberattack or conventional attack that could take out their electrical grids and their water and fuel lines. Although the administration has not said how the new nuclear weapons strategy will be different from that of former President Donald Trump, some language echoing Biden’s carefully chosen term about the “sole purpose” of nuclear weapons seems likely. But that stops short of committing never to use a weapon first. “The review will take account of the current security environment and will assess US strategy, posture and policy,” the White House’s National Security Council said in a statement. “The US will continue to maintain a safe, secure and effective strategic deterrent while ensuring our extended deterrence commitments to allies and partners remains strong and credible.” A number of members of the House and Senate serving on national-security related committees have worried that at a time when China is expanding its arsenal and Russia is threatening former Soviet states that have joined NATO, a no-first-use pledge might give the appearance of weakness. “No-first-use is feel-good foreign policy,’’ Richard Haass, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, said Thursday. “Our enemies wouldn’t take the commitment seriously. And it would undermine the confidence of our friends.” The scientists and engineers argued for a commitment by Biden to reduce the arsenal to “fewer than 1,000 deployed missile warheads and bombers,” although they did not say by when. “These reductions will increase US national security,’’ they argued because it “will slow the spiralling nuclear arms race with Russia and China,” and help fulfil America’s treaty obligation “to take steps toward disarmament.” But as a political matter, it is almost unimaginable that Biden would reduce the arsenal to that level without an agreement by Russia to do the same. When he came to office, Biden renewed, for five years, the New START treaty, which limits the arsenal to 1,550 long-range strategic weapons; currently, the US arsenal appears to be below that limit. But in recent months, the revelation that China is building what appear to be new missile silos and testing potential delivery vehicles for hypersonic weapons that avoid traditional missile defences has led some Pentagon officials to call for new money for advanced weapons, and new classes of weapons that can deliver nuclear warheads — including hypersonic vehicles. China has repeatedly said in recent months that it has no intention of entering arms control talks with the United States, noting that its arsenal is five times smaller than Washington’s. The letter also urges Biden to cancel the program to replace the silo-based intercontinental ballistic missiles that dot the American West. Under current plans, the United States will replace those ageing missiles starting in 2029, at a cost of at least $100 billion; the letter calls for Biden to simply extend the lifetime of the current arsenal, and ultimately “consider eliminating silo-based” missiles. Advocates of that position argue they are the most vulnerable to attack and are the weapons that are most likely to be launched first — perhaps in response to a false alarm.

Hundreds of scientists ask Biden to cut the US nuclear arsenal

Democrats privately conceded Wednesday that they were all but certain to delay consideration of President Joe Biden’s $2.2 trillion social policy bill in the Senate until 2022, missing a self-imposed Christmas deadline as negotiations with a key centrist holdout, Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, sputtered.

Private talks this week between Biden and Manchin, who is pushing to curtail the scope of the package and shrink its price tag, have failed to resolve crucial differences, according to White House officials and congressional aides. And leading Democrats have yet to complete work on the complex social safety net, climate and tax package.

Many White House aides have grown frustrated with the pace of the discussions, although still optimistic that the bill will pass next year. Administration officials had expressed confidence earlier this month that an agreement with Manchin was close, but their enthusiasm had faded by Wednesday, after two days of calls between Biden and the senator produced no breakthroughs.

Asked if the legislation could be finished this year, Biden told reporters Wednesday: “I hope so. It’s going to be close.”

Several administration officials said privately this week that they now expect the legislation, which passed the House earlier this year, to slip into next year, perhaps into the spring.

“It’s our long-standing rule not to discuss the specifics of private discussions with lawmakers, but the president and Sen. Manchin have had productive and friendly conversations,” said Andrew Bates, a White House spokesperson, who denied that Biden was frustrated with the process.

A senior administration official said White House aides continued to push hard to secure a deal on the legislation and predicted that Biden would ultimately find a way to pass the bill — as he did with an economic stimulus measure in March and a bipartisan infrastructure bill this fall.

While final decisions have not yet been made, party leaders have quietly backed away from their Christmas deadline in recent days. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the Senate majority leader, said Wednesday that Democrats “continue working on getting the Senate into a position where we can vote on the president’s ‘Build Back Better’ legislation,” without a mention of the holiday or any timetable for doing so.

With hopes of a quick victory on the social policy bill fading, Democrats were weighing a renewed push to prioritize voting rights legislation, long stalled by Republican opposition, before the end of the year.

“I would like to see ‘Build Back Better’ dealt with as quickly as possible, but if we can’t deal with it right now, it’s far more important that we deal with the voting rights issue,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., chair of the Budget Committee.

But the prospect of a delay frustrated liberal Democrats, who had already been wary that centrist Democrats would dash their ambitions for passage of the bill after shepherding through a bipartisan infrastructure measure.

It was a scenario that several Democrats had sought to avoid: that after allowing the infrastructure bill to pass and agreeing to substantially pare down their marquee domestic policy bill to appease Manchin and other centrists, they would come away empty-handed. With Republicans united in opposition to the package, Democrats cannot move forward in the evenly divided Senate without the support of all 50 lawmakers who caucus with them.

“I’m still hopeful that it will pass. I’m not going to have a post-mortem on something that hasn’t died,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said at her weekly news conference. “I think we will have legislation and it will pass. I hope the sooner the better, especially since we had certain deadlines.”

The most notable dispute between Manchin and Biden, according to multiple people familiar with the discussions, remains a proposal to extend an expanded $300 monthly payment to families with children for another year. Manchin voted in March to expand the payments, a signature component of the $1.9 trillion pandemic aid bill that has helped reduce child poverty, and Democrats hoped to expand the payments for another year.

One person briefed on the talks between Biden and Manchin said the senator had proposed outright eliminating the expanded payment, which would jeopardize the support of other liberal Democrats. Other officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to disclose details of private conversations, said that Manchin had raised concerns about exacerbating inflation trends, the lack of a work requirement to qualify for the payments and additional costs should the subsidy be expanded beyond the current one-year timeline.

Manchin grew irritated Wednesday when pressed on whether he supported the expanded credits, offering a profane denial that he opposed the provision and dismissing what he called “bad rumors.”

The final payments of the year were sent to families Wednesday, and administration officials had cautioned that the extension needed to become law before the end of the month to avoid a lapse.

Outside of Manchin’s concerns, Democrats were still scrambling to finalize the legislation and resolve outstanding policy differences, including an unfinished compromise on raising the cap on state and local tax deductions.

Because the package is being muscled through Congress using the fast-track budget reconciliation process, which shields fiscal legislation from a filibuster, it is subject to strict rules governing what can be included. Democrats are still working feverishly to ensure that every provision can pass muster with the Senate parliamentarian. Guidance has yet to be issued on a number of key proposals, including immigration provisions, as Republicans seek to challenge their inclusion under the rules.

But Democrats have focused on Manchin, whose concerns have already prompted them to drop or modify several of the measure’s key components, including jettisoning anti-climate change provisions and dropping a federal paid and family medical leave benefit.

Having pushed for a lower price tag, he also repeatedly raised concerns about how the package would affect inflation and the economy.

“He has made some dramatic changes in this bill and its contents and its total,” Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Democrat, told reporters earlier this week. “I’ve told him, ‘Joe, you’ve got your mark on this bill, now close the deal.’ I still feel that way.”

Democrats privately conceded Wednesday that they were all but certain to delay consideration of President Joe Biden’s $2.2 trillion social policy bill in the Senate until 2022, missing a self-imposed Christmas deadline as negotiations with a key centrist holdout, Sen.

Democrats privately conceded Wednesday that they were all but certain to delay consideration of President Joe Biden’s $2.2 trillion social policy bill in the Senate until 2022, missing a self-imposed Christmas deadline as negotiations with a key centrist holdout, Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, sputtered. Private talks this week between Biden and Manchin, who is pushing to curtail the scope of the package and shrink its price tag, have failed to resolve crucial differences, according to White House officials and congressional aides. And leading Democrats have yet to complete work on the complex social safety net, climate and tax package. Many White House aides have grown frustrated with the pace of the discussions, although still optimistic that the bill will pass next year. Administration officials had expressed confidence earlier this month that an agreement with Manchin was close, but their enthusiasm had faded by Wednesday, after two days of calls between Biden and the senator produced no breakthroughs. Asked if the legislation could be finished this year, Biden told reporters Wednesday: “I hope so. It’s going to be close.” Several administration officials said privately this week that they now expect the legislation, which passed the House earlier this year, to slip into next year, perhaps into the spring. “It’s our long-standing rule not to discuss the specifics of private discussions with lawmakers, but the president and Sen. Manchin have had productive and friendly conversations,” said Andrew Bates, a White House spokesperson, who denied that Biden was frustrated with the process. A senior administration official said White House aides continued to push hard to secure a deal on the legislation and predicted that Biden would ultimately find a way to pass the bill — as he did with an economic stimulus measure in March and a bipartisan infrastructure bill this fall. While final decisions have not yet been made, party leaders have quietly backed away from their Christmas deadline in recent days. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the Senate majority leader, said Wednesday that Democrats “continue working on getting the Senate into a position where we can vote on the president’s ‘Build Back Better’ legislation,” without a mention of the holiday or any timetable for doing so. With hopes of a quick victory on the social policy bill fading, Democrats were weighing a renewed push to prioritize voting rights legislation, long stalled by Republican opposition, before the end of the year. “I would like to see ‘Build Back Better’ dealt with as quickly as possible, but if we can’t deal with it right now, it’s far more important that we deal with the voting rights issue,” said Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., chair of the Budget Committee. But the prospect of a delay frustrated liberal Democrats, who had already been wary that centrist Democrats would dash their ambitions for passage of the bill after shepherding through a bipartisan infrastructure measure. It was a scenario that several Democrats had sought to avoid: that after allowing the infrastructure bill to pass and agreeing to substantially pare down their marquee domestic policy bill to appease Manchin and other centrists, they would come away empty-handed. With Republicans united in opposition to the package, Democrats cannot move forward in the evenly divided Senate without the support of all 50 lawmakers who caucus with them. “I’m still hopeful that it will pass. I’m not going to have a post-mortem on something that hasn’t died,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said at her weekly news conference. “I think we will have legislation and it will pass. I hope the sooner the better, especially since we had certain deadlines.” The most notable dispute between Manchin and Biden, according to multiple people familiar with the discussions, remains a proposal to extend an expanded $300 monthly payment to families with children for another year. Manchin voted in March to expand the payments, a signature component of the $1.9 trillion pandemic aid bill that has helped reduce child poverty, and Democrats hoped to expand the payments for another year. One person briefed on the talks between Biden and Manchin said the senator had proposed outright eliminating the expanded payment, which would jeopardize the support of other liberal Democrats. Other officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to disclose details of private conversations, said that Manchin had raised concerns about exacerbating inflation trends, the lack of a work requirement to qualify for the payments and additional costs should the subsidy be expanded beyond the current one-year timeline. Manchin grew irritated Wednesday when pressed on whether he supported the expanded credits, offering a profane denial that he opposed the provision and dismissing what he called “bad rumors.” The final payments of the year were sent to families Wednesday, and administration officials had cautioned that the extension needed to become law before the end of the month to avoid a lapse. Outside of Manchin’s concerns, Democrats were still scrambling to finalize the legislation and resolve outstanding policy differences, including an unfinished compromise on raising the cap on state and local tax deductions. Because the package is being muscled through Congress using the fast-track budget reconciliation process, which shields fiscal legislation from a filibuster, it is subject to strict rules governing what can be included. Democrats are still working feverishly to ensure that every provision can pass muster with the Senate parliamentarian. Guidance has yet to be issued on a number of key proposals, including immigration provisions, as Republicans seek to challenge their inclusion under the rules. But Democrats have focused on Manchin, whose concerns have already prompted them to drop or modify several of the measure’s key components, including jettisoning anti-climate change provisions and dropping a federal paid and family medical leave benefit. Having pushed for a lower price tag, he also repeatedly raised concerns about how the package would affect inflation and the economy. “He has made some dramatic changes in this bill and its contents and its total,” Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the No. 2 Democrat, told reporters earlier this week. “I’ve told him, ‘Joe, you’ve got your mark on this bill, now close the deal.’ I still feel that way.”

Democrats ready to punt social policy bill to 2022 as Manchin balks

US President Joe Biden arrived in Kentucky Wednesday to survey the damage caused by last week's tornadoes, which caused death and destruction in several communities.

US President Joe Biden visits Kentucky to survey tornado damage

US President Joe Biden walked through the battered remains of Kentucky cities to get a first-hand view of the destruction wrought by one of the deadliest tornado outbreaks which killed dozens and left thousands stranded.

Kentucky storm damage | President Joe Biden consoles tornado survivors

At the Summit of Democracies today, PM Narendra Modi said social media should empower democracies, and not undermine them. From Myanmar to Bangladesh & even in the US - platforms are weakening democracies. Palki Sharma asks: Will Biden rein in social media giants?

Gravitas: Will Biden ask social media giants to protect democracies?

US president Joe Biden s facing mounting criticism from the American public, this is as per the latest poll conducted. Biden's approval rating has now fallen to the lowest level over covid handling and increasing gun violence.

Joe Biden faces lowest approval ratings, criticism over inflation, covid handling

US President Joe Biden’s nominee for envoy to India, Eric Michael Garcetti, has vowed to double-down America’s efforts to strengthen “India’s capacity to secure its borders and defend its sovereignty” while noting that New Delhi is situated in a “tough neighbourhood”.

His comments came during testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee following the confirmation hearing for US Ambassador to India.

“India is situated in a tough neighbourhood. If confirmed, I intend to double-down on our efforts to strengthen India’s capacity to secure its borders and deter aggression through counterterrorism coordination,” the envoy-desginate.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-uae-us-and-israel-west-asian-quad-meet-in-next-few-weeks-eam-jaishankar-429130">India, UAE, US and Israel 'West Asian Quad' meet in next few weeks: EAM Jaishankar</a>

Garcetti said he will make efforts “through information sharing, counterterrorism coordination, joint freedom of navigation patrols and military exercises (which I have participated in as a naval officer alongside my Indian counterparts), and sales of our best defence technologies in order to realise the full potential of our major defence partnership.”

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He said he will work closely with India to support a similarly bold approach to promoting green energy through the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and through the Agenda 2030 Climate and Clean Energy Partnership.

Also read |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-us-ties-22-meet-in-december-us-congressional-delegation-meets-pm-modi-429103">&nbsp;</a><a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-us-ties-22-meet-in-december-us-congressional-delegation-meets-pm-modi-429103">India, US ties: 2+2 meet in December; US Congressional delegation meets PM Modi</a>

“The bedrock of our partnership are the human ties that connect our nations, embodied by the four million strong Indian-American diaspora that strengthens our nation and the nearly two hundred thousand Indian students and tens of thousands of Indian professionals who contribute to our economy,” Garcetti said.

Garcetti, 50, who is currently serving as the Mayor of Los Angeles, is touted to be the personal confidant of Biden.

Garcetti was named India’s next ambassador by Biden in June.

During the hearing, several senators asked Garcetti how he would work to address the India-Russia relationship, as New Delhi’s 70 per cent of Indian defence inventory is dominated by Moscow.

"If confirmed, though, I would advocate following the continued diversification of India's weapon system, the threats to our own weapon systems if that diversification doesn't occur, because we have to protect our data and our systems and work towards really growing this Major Defence Partnership," Garcetti said in his testimony.

(With inputs from agencies)

US President Joe Biden’s nominee for envoy to India, Eric Michael Garcetti, has vowed to double-down America’s efforts to strengthen “India’s capacity to secure its borders and defend its sovereignty” while noting that New Delhi is situated in a “tough neighbourhood”.

US President Joe Biden’s nominee for envoy to India, Eric Michael Garcetti, has vowed to double-down America’s efforts to strengthen “India’s capacity to secure its borders and defend its sovereignty” while noting that New Delhi is situated in a “tough neighbourhood”. His comments came during testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee following the confirmation hearing for US Ambassador to India. “India is situated in a tough neighbourhood. If confirmed, I intend to double-down on our efforts to strengthen India’s capacity to secure its borders and deter aggression through counterterrorism coordination,” the envoy-desginate. Also read | India, UAE, US and Israel 'West Asian Quad' meet in next few weeks: EAM Jaishankar Garcetti said he will make efforts “through information sharing, counterterrorism coordination, joint freedom of navigation patrols and military exercises (which I have participated in as a naval officer alongside my Indian counterparts), and sales of our best defence technologies in order to realise the full potential of our major defence partnership.” #WATCH | India is situated in a tough neighborhood.If confirmed, I intend to double-down on our efforts to strengthen India’s capacity to secure its borders and deter aggression through counterterrorism coordination: Eric Garcetti on his nomination as US Envoy to India pic.twitter.com/JqfFDoE6iV — ANI (@ANI) December 15, 2021 × He said he will work closely with India to support a similarly bold approach to promoting green energy through the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and through the Agenda 2030 Climate and Clean Energy Partnership. Also read | India, US ties: 2+2 meet in December; US Congressional delegation meets PM Modi “The bedrock of our partnership are the human ties that connect our nations, embodied by the four million strong Indian-American diaspora that strengthens our nation and the nearly two hundred thousand Indian students and tens of thousands of Indian professionals who contribute to our economy,” Garcetti said. Garcetti, 50, who is currently serving as the Mayor of Los Angeles, is touted to be the personal confidant of Biden. Garcetti was named India’s next ambassador by Biden in June. During the hearing, several senators asked Garcetti how he would work to address the India-Russia relationship, as New Delhi’s 70 per cent of Indian defence inventory is dominated by Moscow. "If confirmed, though, I would advocate following the continued diversification of India's weapon system, the threats to our own weapon systems if that diversification doesn't occur, because we have to protect our data and our systems and work towards really growing this Major Defence Partnership," Garcetti said in his testimony. (With inputs from agencies)

India in a tough neighbourhood, will help secure its borders, says Biden’s envoy pick Garcetti

Russian President Vladimir Putin is all set to meet his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, their second virtual session this year, days after both the countries were left out of a democracy summit organised by US president Joe Biden.

Xi-Putin meet lined up after both Russia, China left out of Biden's democracy summit

US President Joe Biden is facing significant skepticism from the American public, with his job approval rating lagging across a range of major issues, including handling of inflation, COVID-19 and gun violence.

Joe Biden faces lowest approval ratings yet in handling of inflation, COVID-19

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani has slammed the Western powers for playing a blame game over the 2015 nuclear deal.

According to him, "Some actors persist in their blame game habit, instead of real diplomacy. We proposed our ideas early, and worked constructively and flexibly to narrow gaps."

"Diplomacy is a two-way street. If there's a real will to remedy the culprit's wrongdoing, the way for a quick, good deal will be paved," he added.

Also see |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/how-has-iran-been-doing-after-us-left-landmark-nuclear-deal-433617">How has Iran been doing after US left landmark nuclear deal?</a>

Kani highlighted that "time is running out" and the pact will become "an empty shell" without progress in negotiations.

The 2015 agreement ensured sanctions relief in return for tight curbs on Iran's nuclear programme, which was put under extensive UN monitoring.

Former US President Donald Trump pulled the US out of the accord in 2018. US President Joe Biden restarted negotiations for Washington's return&nbsp;after the election of hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-prepares-for-space-launch-at-imam-khomeini-spaceport-suggest-satellite-images-expert-436529">Also read |&nbsp;Iran prepares for space launch at Imam Khomeini Spaceport, suggest satellite images, expert</a>

"The two parties are at the point of agreeing on the matters which should be on the agenda," Kani said.

"It's a positive and important evolution since, at the start, they weren't even in agreement on the issues to negotiate."

Iran claims it only wants to develop a civilian capability but Western powers say its stockpile of enriched uranium goes well beyond that, and could be used to develop a nuclear weapon.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Washington continues to pursue diplomacy with Iran because "it remains, at this moment, the best option", but added that it was "actively engaging with allies and partners on alternatives".

Chances of an agreement between the arch-foes seem remote as significant gaps still remain between the nations on some key issues, such as the speed and scope of lifting sanctions and how and when Iran will reverse its nuclear steps.

With&nbsp;Israel pushing for a tough policy if diplomacy fails to rein in Iran’s nuclear work, stakes are&nbsp;are high as failure in the negotiations would carry the risk of a new regional war.

(With inputs from agencies)

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani has slammed the Western powers for playing a blame game over the 2015 nuclear deal. According to him, "Some actors persist in their blame game habit, instead of real diplomacy.

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Bagheri Kani has slammed the Western powers for playing a blame game over the 2015 nuclear deal. According to him, "Some actors persist in their blame game habit, instead of real diplomacy. We proposed our ideas early, and worked constructively and flexibly to narrow gaps." "Diplomacy is a two-way street. If there's a real will to remedy the culprit's wrongdoing, the way for a quick, good deal will be paved," he added. Also see | How has Iran been doing after US left landmark nuclear deal? Kani highlighted that "time is running out" and the pact will become "an empty shell" without progress in negotiations. The 2015 agreement ensured sanctions relief in return for tight curbs on Iran's nuclear programme, which was put under extensive UN monitoring. Former US President Donald Trump pulled the US out of the accord in 2018. US President Joe Biden restarted negotiations for Washington's return after the election of hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi. Also read | Iran prepares for space launch at Imam Khomeini Spaceport, suggest satellite images, expert "The two parties are at the point of agreeing on the matters which should be on the agenda," Kani said. "It's a positive and important evolution since, at the start, they weren't even in agreement on the issues to negotiate." Iran claims it only wants to develop a civilian capability but Western powers say its stockpile of enriched uranium goes well beyond that, and could be used to develop a nuclear weapon. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Washington continues to pursue diplomacy with Iran because "it remains, at this moment, the best option", but added that it was "actively engaging with allies and partners on alternatives". Chances of an agreement between the arch-foes seem remote as significant gaps still remain between the nations on some key issues, such as the speed and scope of lifting sanctions and how and when Iran will reverse its nuclear steps. With Israel pushing for a tough policy if diplomacy fails to rein in Iran’s nuclear work, stakes are are high as failure in the negotiations would carry the risk of a new regional war. (With inputs from agencies)

'Diplomacy is a two-way street': Iran slams West for playing blame game over 2015 nuclear deal

United Nations President Joe Biden has asked the government's agency Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to find out whether the deadly tornadoes were caused by the climate crisis.&nbsp;

Dozens of tornadoes ripped through at least six states (Kentucky, Arkansas, Illinois, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee) late Friday and early Saturday, causing massive destruction of life and property.&nbsp;

The latest information from the US authorities confirmed that the death toll in the worst-affected state Kentucky stood at 64 on Monday (December 13). At least 14 people were killed in four other US states

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said, "There will be more. We believe it will certainly be above 70, maybe even 80."&nbsp;

IN PICS | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/tornadoes-in-us-before-and-after-satellite-images-show-massive-destruction-436366#massive-destruction-436357">Tornadoes in US: Before and after satellite images show massive destruction</a>

Biden also confirmed that he will visit Kentucky on Wednesday (December 15) to survey the damage. It has been conveyed by the White House that Biden would travel to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, for a storm briefing, and Mayfield and Dawson Springs, Kentucky.&nbsp;

When the initial damages were reported, Biden had asked EPA to find whether climate crisis has played a role in the devastating tornadoes.&nbsp;

"The specific impact on these specific storms, I can't say at this point. I'm going to be asking the EPA and others to take a look at that," Biden said in a briefing.&nbsp;

He added, "But the fact is that we know everything is more intense when the climate is warming. And obviously, it has some impact here."

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Victor Gensini, a professor in geographic and atmospheric sciences at Northern Illinois University said that unusually high temperatures and humidity created the environment for such an extreme weather event at this time of year.&nbsp;

In recent years, analysts have been working to find out the links between an increase in global temperatures and how it is becoming a catalyst for the rising intensity of unseasonal severe weather events.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

United Nations President Joe Biden has asked the government's agency Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to find out whether the deadly tornadoes were caused by the climate crisis.

United Nations President Joe Biden has asked the government's agency Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to find out whether the deadly tornadoes were caused by the climate crisis. Dozens of tornadoes ripped through at least six states (Kentucky, Arkansas, Illinois, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee) late Friday and early Saturday, causing massive destruction of life and property. The latest information from the US authorities confirmed that the death toll in the worst-affected state Kentucky stood at 64 on Monday (December 13). At least 14 people were killed in four other US states Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said, "There will be more. We believe it will certainly be above 70, maybe even 80." IN PICS | Tornadoes in US: Before and after satellite images show massive destruction Biden also confirmed that he will visit Kentucky on Wednesday (December 15) to survey the damage. It has been conveyed by the White House that Biden would travel to Fort Campbell, Kentucky, for a storm briefing, and Mayfield and Dawson Springs, Kentucky. When the initial damages were reported, Biden had asked EPA to find whether climate crisis has played a role in the devastating tornadoes. "The specific impact on these specific storms, I can't say at this point. I'm going to be asking the EPA and others to take a look at that," Biden said in a briefing. He added, "But the fact is that we know everything is more intense when the climate is warming. And obviously, it has some impact here." × Victor Gensini, a professor in geographic and atmospheric sciences at Northern Illinois University said that unusually high temperatures and humidity created the environment for such an extreme weather event at this time of year. In recent years, analysts have been working to find out the links between an increase in global temperatures and how it is becoming a catalyst for the rising intensity of unseasonal severe weather events. (With inputs from agencies)

US President Joe Biden asks EPA to probe role of climate crisis in deadly tornadoes

Tornadoes in US: Before and after satellite images show massive destruction

Rescue teams are working in a desperate search for survivors in the aftermath of devastating tornadoes in the United States that left at least 83 people dead and dozens still missing.

Rescue teams are working in a desperate search for survivors in the aftermath of devastating tornadoes in the United States that left at least 83 people dead and dozens still missing. At least 30 tornadoes ripped through at least six states late Friday and early Saturday, causing massive destruction of life and property and those who survived are stunned after losing their house and business. Commenting on the scale of destruction, US President Joe Biden declared a disaster in Kentucky, which is the worst-affected state. Other states that are impacted are Arkansas, Illinois, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee. IN PICS | Mass destruction caused as several tornadoes rip through the US Biden called the wave of tornadoes, including one that travelled more than 200 miles, "one of the largest" storm outbreaks in the history of the United States. "It's a tragedy. And we still don't know how many lives are lost and the full extent of the damage," Biden said in televised comments. Destruction in Kentucky During the press conference, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said the scale of devastation is unlike anything he has seen in his life and he has trouble putting it into words. More than 70 people are believed to have been killed in Kentucky alone. Many of the workers at a candle factory in the city of Mayfield as Beshear said there were about 110 people were there when the storm hit reducing to a pile of rubble. The state governor also fears that "more than 100 people" are dead. (Image: Emergency workers search through what is left of the Mayfield Consumer Products Candle Factory. Credit: AFP) Survivors tell horrifying experiences A heart-wrenching plea was played by CNN, which was a Facebook post by a factory employee. "We are trapped, please, y'all, get us some help. We are at the candle factory in Mayfield... Please, y'all. Pray for us," a woman was heard saying, who was rescued after being pinned under a water fountain. "It looks like a bomb has exploded," 31-year-old Mayfield resident Alex Goodman told AFP "We never had anything like that here," David Norseworthy, who is a 69-year-old builder in Mayfield told AFP. A 66-year-old Mayfield, Kentucky resident Janet Kimp told Reuters that she has lost everything. "I lost everything. You know seven, my house burnt completely to the ground. We rebuilt. Then my husband died in 09, and I had to file bankruptcy; I lost everything again. And now, I've lost it all again," Kimp said. (Image: A boat sits at rest after being sucked out of a marine dealership by a tornado in Mayfield, Kentucky. Credit: AFP) Mitchell Fowler, who runs a restaurant for nearly four decades, until the tornado destroyed it. He said that after a tornado warning from local authorities, he closed the restaurant around 8pm and asked his employees to go home and set off for his own home some 8 miles (13 kilometers) outside town. "Before I got home, it was gone This was my restaurant, a family business for 38 years, I raised my family here, all my kids work here. It's devastating," Fowler told AFP regarding the restaurant. × Russia offers condolences Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday offered "sincere condolences". Putin told Biden in a telegram, according to the Kremlin, "Russia shares in the grief of those who lost loved ones as a result of this disaster. We hope the victims will recover and that the consequences of this disaster will be overcome quickly." (Image: A US national flag waves among tornado damage after extreme weather hit the region in Bowling Green Kentucky. Credit: AFP) (With inputs from agencies)

'It looks like a bomb has exploded': Survivors tell horrifying experiences of 'deadliest' tornadoes in US

US President Joe Biden days after a virtual meet with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, warns Russia over military build-up at Ukraine border amid invasion fears.

US President Joe Biden: Russia will pay a terrible price if it invades Ukraine

The biggest question in American politics right now is how did Joe Biden become so unpopular? The President's ratings have taken a big hit over the last few months.

How did Joe Biden become so unpopular?

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