With 3 conflicts looming in 3 different parts of the world, America's global leadership is being put to the test. To overcome these conflicts, Joe Biden will need allies. But Washington's recent adventurism near Lakshadweep sends mixed signals. WION's Palki Sharma has more.

Gravitas: US needs to reboot alliance politics

US President Joe Biden&nbsp;promised flexibility in a rare meeting Monday with opposition Republican lawmakers, as well as Democratic allies, to push his more than $2 trillion infrastructure bill.

The massive project is a daring bid to rebuild the United States and also cement Biden's place in history as a president who restored the role of the central government in shaping the often fragmented country.

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The White House meeting between Biden and eight members of Congress was meant to show that the new president has made good on his promise to end the divisiveness that turned Washington into a permanent dog fight under Donald Trump.

Four senators and four members of the House of Representatives were invited -- half of them from each party.

"It's a bipartisan meeting here," Biden told reporters in the Oval Office. "I'm prepared to negotiate."

Biden so far has zero support from Republican lawmakers for his giant spending plan, which would pour money into everything from reconstructing the ragged highway system to bringing broadband internet to farming communities and fixing household water supplies.

To pay for this, Biden is proposing a jump in the corporate tax rate from 21 to 28 percent.

What a senior Biden administration official called "a bold once-in-a-generation investment in America" is a must win for a president who has surprised many with his appetite for going big.

Consciously modeling himself on Franklin Roosevelt, or FDR, and his 1930s New Deal program to lift the United States out of the Depression, Biden wants to transform post-Covid America.

Rather than a traditional infrastructure package focusing exclusively on the obvious targets like roads and bridges, Biden wants funds to flood into green technology, schools and every other aspect of the wider economy in a bid to "own the future."

"America's no longer the leader of the world because we're not investing," Biden said last week, referring to the ever-fiercer competition with China.

Polls show broad support from voters for the idea, even if members of Congress are opposed.

Republicans, stung at the way the Democrats forced a $1.9 trillion economic relief bill through Congress in March, say the corporate tax increase will hammer US competitiveness.

Mitch McConnell, the senior Republican senator, said Monday that "less than six percent of this proposal goes to roads and bridges" and would mean "one of the biggest tax hikes in a generation."

Biden insisted Monday that he is ready to negotiate over both the "extent" of the project, "as well as how we pay for it."

However, the White House has made clear there can be no fundamental reduction in the make-up of the package, rejecting Republican complaints that it contains too many leftist pet projects, as opposed to real infrastructure goals.

"We will not be open to doing nothing. Inaction is simply not an option," Biden said last week.

The White House warns that if Republicans don't come aboard, the Democrats will try to pass the mega-bill alone, using a special budget process that allows them to get around the fact that they have only the thinnest of majorities in Congress.

Even this, however, is uncertain. The Democrats would need every one of their senators to hold firm and already at least one -- Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia -- says he opposes the 28 percent tax rate.

Republicans have characterized Biden as paying only lip service to the idea of bipartisanship, while planning to ram the package through anyway.

But Psaki insisted that Biden had already proven his goodwill.

"You don't use the president of the United States' time, multiple times over... if you did not want to authentically hear from the members attending about their ideas about how to move forward this package," she told reporters.

(With inputs from agencies)

US President Joe Biden promised flexibility in a rare meeting Monday with opposition Republican lawmakers, as well as Democratic allies, to push his more than $2 trillion infrastructure bill.

US President Joe Biden promised flexibility in a rare meeting Monday with opposition Republican lawmakers, as well as Democratic allies, to push his more than $2 trillion infrastructure bill. The massive project is a daring bid to rebuild the United States and also cement Biden's place in history as a president who restored the role of the central government in shaping the often fragmented country. The White House meeting between Biden and eight members of Congress was meant to show that the new president has made good on his promise to end the divisiveness that turned Washington into a permanent dog fight under Donald Trump. Four senators and four members of the House of Representatives were invited -- half of them from each party. "It's a bipartisan meeting here," Biden told reporters in the Oval Office. "I'm prepared to negotiate." Biden so far has zero support from Republican lawmakers for his giant spending plan, which would pour money into everything from reconstructing the ragged highway system to bringing broadband internet to farming communities and fixing household water supplies. To pay for this, Biden is proposing a jump in the corporate tax rate from 21 to 28 percent. What a senior Biden administration official called "a bold once-in-a-generation investment in America" is a must win for a president who has surprised many with his appetite for going big. Consciously modeling himself on Franklin Roosevelt, or FDR, and his 1930s New Deal program to lift the United States out of the Depression, Biden wants to transform post-Covid America. Rather than a traditional infrastructure package focusing exclusively on the obvious targets like roads and bridges, Biden wants funds to flood into green technology, schools and every other aspect of the wider economy in a bid to "own the future." "America's no longer the leader of the world because we're not investing," Biden said last week, referring to the ever-fiercer competition with China. Polls show broad support from voters for the idea, even if members of Congress are opposed. Republicans, stung at the way the Democrats forced a $1.9 trillion economic relief bill through Congress in March, say the corporate tax increase will hammer US competitiveness. Mitch McConnell, the senior Republican senator, said Monday that "less than six percent of this proposal goes to roads and bridges" and would mean "one of the biggest tax hikes in a generation." Biden insisted Monday that he is ready to negotiate over both the "extent" of the project, "as well as how we pay for it." However, the White House has made clear there can be no fundamental reduction in the make-up of the package, rejecting Republican complaints that it contains too many leftist pet projects, as opposed to real infrastructure goals. "We will not be open to doing nothing. Inaction is simply not an option," Biden said last week. The White House warns that if Republicans don't come aboard, the Democrats will try to pass the mega-bill alone, using a special budget process that allows them to get around the fact that they have only the thinnest of majorities in Congress. Even this, however, is uncertain. The Democrats would need every one of their senators to hold firm and already at least one -- Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia -- says he opposes the 28 percent tax rate. Republicans have characterized Biden as paying only lip service to the idea of bipartisanship, while planning to ram the package through anyway. But Psaki insisted that Biden had already proven his goodwill. "You don't use the president of the United States' time, multiple times over... if you did not want to authentically hear from the members attending about their ideas about how to move forward this package," she told reporters. (With inputs from agencies)

US President Joe Biden vows flexibility in landmark $2 trillion infrastructure bill

The discussions were expected to focus on the ongoing semiconductor chip shortage that’s costing automakers billions and forcing massive temporary layoffs.

Biden meets today with executives on chip shortage

From Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to US President, world leaders paid tribute to Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, who passes away at the age of 99.

World leaders pay tribute to Prince Philip

US President Joe Biden has moved up the COVID-19 vaccine eligibility target for all American to April 19. All states within United States have been directed to widen the vaccine eligibility to people who are 18 and above.

All adults in US to eligible for Covid-19 vaccine jab

US President Joe Biden's administration has unveiled initial actions to address the increasing gun violence within the nation. The US government has come up with six initial actions to curb gun violence and Biden announced moves that are designed to revamp the federal gun policy.

US President Joe Biden introduces limited gun control measures

The changes come in the wake of shootings in Georgia and Colorado and focus not just on trying to limit mass shootings, but also at reducing other forms of gun violence, like suicides and domestic violence, Biden said.

Joe Biden calls for ban on assault weapons

Amidst a sharp rise in illegal border crossings over the past few months, the Biden administration is reviewing cases of nearly about 5,600 migrant children to see whether they were separated from their parents at the border under the Trump administration.

US probes cases of family separation: 5600 migrant children cases under review

The aid includes $75m in economic and development funds for the occupied West Bank and Gaza, which will provide food and clean water to Palestinians and help small businesses.

Biden administration restores assistance for Palestinians

Biden: All Americans to be eligible for COVID-19 vaccines by April 19

US President Joe Biden's special envoy Ricardo Zuñiga said on Tuesday that the White House is looking to create legal ways for Central American migrants to reach the country.

White House aiming to create legal ways for Central Americans to migrate

After topping the list of Forbes' annual world's billionaires for the fourth consecutive year, Amazon’s founder <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/jeff-bezos">Jeff Bezos</a> has lent support to the proposal of raising taxes on US companies.

“We support the Biden Administration’s focus on making bold investments in American infrastructure. Both Democrats and Republicans have supported infrastructure in the past, and it’s the right time to work together to make this happen,” a statement by Bezos read.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/forbes-annual-worlds-billionaires-bezos-musk-top-record-setting-list-375711">Forbes' annual world's billionaires: Bezos, Musk top record-setting list</a>

“We recognize this investment will require concessions from all sides—both on the specifics of what’s included as well as how it gets paid for (we’re supportive of a rise in the corporate tax rate),” he added.

The statement has come after US President Joe Biden proposed a plan to change the corporate rate from 21 per cent to 28 per cent, in a bid to upgrade America’s infrastructure.

Biden had singled out Amazon as an example of US companies that pay too little, during his speech unveiling the proposal.

This has also come after Senator Elizabeth Warren took to Twitter to accuse the retail giant of exploiting corporate loopholes and not paying enough.

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Giant corporations like Amazon report huge profits to their shareholders – but they exploit loopholes and tax havens to pay close to nothing in taxes. That’s just not right – and it’s why I’ll be introducing a bill to make the most profitable companies pay a fair share. <a href="https://t.co/vPrmGbjUKW">pic.twitter.com/vPrmGbjUKW</a>
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenWarren/status/1375189145476288513?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Amazon had hit back by accusing the senator of having double standards and tweeted, "You make the tax laws&nbsp;@SenWarren; we just follow them. If you don’t like the laws you’ve created, by all means, change them. Here are the facts: Amazon has paid billions of dollars in corporate taxes over the past few years alone."

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3/3 So what have we done about that? $350B in investments since 2010 &amp; 400K new US jobs last year alone. And while you’re working on changing the tax code, can we please raise the federal minimum wage to $15?
— Amazon News (@amazonnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/amazonnews/status/1375248030933209093?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2021</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

After topping the list of Forbes' annual world's billionaires for the fourth consecutive year, Amazon’s founder Jeff Bezos has lent support to the proposal of raising taxes on US companies.

After topping the list of Forbes' annual world's billionaires for the fourth consecutive year, Amazon’s founder Jeff Bezos has lent support to the proposal of raising taxes on US companies. “We support the Biden Administration’s focus on making bold investments in American infrastructure. Both Democrats and Republicans have supported infrastructure in the past, and it’s the right time to work together to make this happen,” a statement by Bezos read. Also read | Forbes' annual world's billionaires: Bezos, Musk top record-setting list “We recognize this investment will require concessions from all sides—both on the specifics of what’s included as well as how it gets paid for (we’re supportive of a rise in the corporate tax rate),” he added. The statement has come after US President Joe Biden proposed a plan to change the corporate rate from 21 per cent to 28 per cent, in a bid to upgrade America’s infrastructure. Biden had singled out Amazon as an example of US companies that pay too little, during his speech unveiling the proposal. This has also come after Senator Elizabeth Warren took to Twitter to accuse the retail giant of exploiting corporate loopholes and not paying enough. Giant corporations like Amazon report huge profits to their shareholders – but they exploit loopholes and tax havens to pay close to nothing in taxes. That’s just not right – and it’s why I’ll be introducing a bill to make the most profitable companies pay a fair share. pic.twitter.com/vPrmGbjUKW — Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) March 25, 2021 × Amazon had hit back by accusing the senator of having double standards and tweeted, "You make the tax laws @SenWarren; we just follow them. If you don’t like the laws you’ve created, by all means, change them. Here are the facts: Amazon has paid billions of dollars in corporate taxes over the past few years alone." 3/3 So what have we done about that? $350B in investments since 2010 & 400K new US jobs last year alone. And while you’re working on changing the tax code, can we please raise the federal minimum wage to $15? — Amazon News (@amazonnews) March 26, 2021 ×

Amazon's Jeff Bezos supports Biden's tax increase on US corporates

US President Joe Biden is looking to raise corporate income tax rates to help pay for his proposed $2.3 trillion infrastructure spending plan. He said that the rise in the tax would not dampen the already fragile economy and drive business abroad.

Biden looks to raise US corporate taxes, says higher corporate tax won’t hurt economy

The Biden administration and top Democrats in Congress began detailing plans for significant changes to how the United States and other countries tax multinational corporations as they look for ways to raise revenues and finance President Joe Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure proposal.

On Monday, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen threw her support behind an international effort to create a global minimum tax that would apply to multinational corporations, regardless of where they locate their headquarters. Such a global tax, she said, could help prevent a “race to the bottom” in which countries cut their tax rates in order to entice companies to move headquarters and profits across borders.

“Together, we can use a global minimum tax to make sure the global economy thrives based on a more level playing field in the taxation of multinational corporations,” she said. The effort is aimed at “making sure that governments have stable tax systems that raise sufficient revenue to invest in essential public goods and respond to crises, and that all citizens fairly share the burden of financing government.”

At the same time, Democrats in Congress released their own proposal to add teeth to the de facto minimum tax that the United States already imposes on income earned abroad — one that would apply to American multinational companies regardless of what the rest of the world does. The proposal could raise as much as $1 trillion over the next 15 years from large companies by requiring that they pay higher taxes on profits they earn overseas, according to analyses of similar plans.

Yellen’s support for a global minimum tax could help catalyse an agreement being worked out through the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which seeks to reduce companies’ practice of booking profits in low-tax “haven” countries to avoid higher tax bills elsewhere. Negotiators are discussing a range of possibilities for such a plan, but they have not settled on several crucial details, including the rate of the minimum tax.

The focus on raising taxes for large companies comes as the Biden administration begins its push to sell a $2 trillion infrastructure plan and finance it with higher taxes. Biden’s proposal includes raising the US&nbsp;corporate tax rate to 28% from 21% and a variety of changes to international tax law, all meant to force companies to pay more to the Treasury after a plunge in corporate tax revenues spurred by President Donald Trump’s signature 2017 tax cuts.

Democrats and White House officials say that their goal is to ensure companies pay their fair share and that they do not move jobs and profits abroad to avoid paying taxes in the United States.

But some tax experts, along with large business lobbying groups, say the proposals could hobble US&nbsp;corporations on the global stage by forcing them to pay significantly higher tax rates than their competitors pay. That could be true even if global negotiators eventually agree to a worldwide minimum tax — because that tax rate could still be lower than what companies pay in the United States.

If the Democratic plans succeed and Yellen and her global counterparts reach agreement, “there could be a cogent international tax system” with some effective incentives for investments in the United States, said Danielle Rolfes, a former international tax counsel for the Treasury Department in the Obama administration who is now a leader of KPMG’s international tax practice in Washington.

But, she said, “I would be concerned, if the rates get too high, that the US&nbsp;might have competitiveness issues.”

Sen. Patrick J. Toomey, R-Pa., said Yellen’s call for a global minimum tax was an admission that Biden’s plan to raise the corporate tax rate to 28% would make US&nbsp;companies less competitive.

“This is why Secretary Yellen is imploring other developed countries to punish their workers and businesses with their own tax increases,” Toomey said in a statement. “‘Race to the bottom’ is the way the Biden administration describes competition among developed countries to get to a tax code that attracts investment and maximizes growth.”

Biden dismissed that view Monday, saying US&nbsp;companies could afford to pay a higher tax rate given many paid no taxes over the past several years.

“You have 51 or 52 corporations of the Fortune 500 that haven’t paid a single penny in taxes for three years,” he said. “Come on, man. Let’s get real.”

The proposal would increase the rate of the 2017 minimum tax and change how it is applied to income that corporations earn in various countries overseas, effectively forcing many companies to pay the tax on more of their income, while offering new targeted tax relief linked to domestic investments.

The Senate plan comes from Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., who is in charge of writing tax legislation as chairman of the Finance Committee, and two Democratic colleagues: Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia.

But Republicans, the leading business lobbying group and some tax experts panned the proposal and defended the Trump system as one that worked.

The 2017 law “worked to improve a system that no one felt was working and struck a balance between the need for companies to be able to compete in the global economy while protecting the US&nbsp;tax base,” said Caroline Harris, the vice president of tax policy at the US&nbsp;Chamber of Commerce. “Today’s proposal to increase international taxes threatens to move us to a system even worse than where we started, to the detriment of economic growth, competitiveness and job creation.”

Tax experts expressed similar concerns about enforcing the kind of global minimum tax Yellen is calling for and about what that might mean for American companies.

“It’s administratively impossible to execute and it requires all countries in the world to hold hands,” said Peter Barnes, a lawyer at the tax firm Caplin and Drysdale who was previously a senior international tax counsel for General Electric. “Unless they can get 90% of the world’s countries to adopt it, countries will view exempting themselves from the system as a great way to create a potentially significant competitive advantage.”

The Biden administration and top Democrats in Congress began detailing plans for significant changes to how the United States and other countries tax multinational corporations as they look for ways to raise revenues and finance President Joe Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure proposal.

The Biden administration and top Democrats in Congress began detailing plans for significant changes to how the United States and other countries tax multinational corporations as they look for ways to raise revenues and finance President Joe Biden’s $2 trillion infrastructure proposal. On Monday, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen threw her support behind an international effort to create a global minimum tax that would apply to multinational corporations, regardless of where they locate their headquarters. Such a global tax, she said, could help prevent a “race to the bottom” in which countries cut their tax rates in order to entice companies to move headquarters and profits across borders. “Together, we can use a global minimum tax to make sure the global economy thrives based on a more level playing field in the taxation of multinational corporations,” she said. The effort is aimed at “making sure that governments have stable tax systems that raise sufficient revenue to invest in essential public goods and respond to crises, and that all citizens fairly share the burden of financing government.” At the same time, Democrats in Congress released their own proposal to add teeth to the de facto minimum tax that the United States already imposes on income earned abroad — one that would apply to American multinational companies regardless of what the rest of the world does. The proposal could raise as much as $1 trillion over the next 15 years from large companies by requiring that they pay higher taxes on profits they earn overseas, according to analyses of similar plans. Yellen’s support for a global minimum tax could help catalyse an agreement being worked out through the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which seeks to reduce companies’ practice of booking profits in low-tax “haven” countries to avoid higher tax bills elsewhere. Negotiators are discussing a range of possibilities for such a plan, but they have not settled on several crucial details, including the rate of the minimum tax. The focus on raising taxes for large companies comes as the Biden administration begins its push to sell a $2 trillion infrastructure plan and finance it with higher taxes. Biden’s proposal includes raising the US corporate tax rate to 28% from 21% and a variety of changes to international tax law, all meant to force companies to pay more to the Treasury after a plunge in corporate tax revenues spurred by President Donald Trump’s signature 2017 tax cuts. Democrats and White House officials say that their goal is to ensure companies pay their fair share and that they do not move jobs and profits abroad to avoid paying taxes in the United States. But some tax experts, along with large business lobbying groups, say the proposals could hobble US corporations on the global stage by forcing them to pay significantly higher tax rates than their competitors pay. That could be true even if global negotiators eventually agree to a worldwide minimum tax — because that tax rate could still be lower than what companies pay in the United States. If the Democratic plans succeed and Yellen and her global counterparts reach agreement, “there could be a cogent international tax system” with some effective incentives for investments in the United States, said Danielle Rolfes, a former international tax counsel for the Treasury Department in the Obama administration who is now a leader of KPMG’s international tax practice in Washington. But, she said, “I would be concerned, if the rates get too high, that the US might have competitiveness issues.” Sen. Patrick J. Toomey, R-Pa., said Yellen’s call for a global minimum tax was an admission that Biden’s plan to raise the corporate tax rate to 28% would make US companies less competitive. “This is why Secretary Yellen is imploring other developed countries to punish their workers and businesses with their own tax increases,” Toomey said in a statement. “‘Race to the bottom’ is the way the Biden administration describes competition among developed countries to get to a tax code that attracts investment and maximizes growth.” Biden dismissed that view Monday, saying US companies could afford to pay a higher tax rate given many paid no taxes over the past several years. “You have 51 or 52 corporations of the Fortune 500 that haven’t paid a single penny in taxes for three years,” he said. “Come on, man. Let’s get real.” The proposal would increase the rate of the 2017 minimum tax and change how it is applied to income that corporations earn in various countries overseas, effectively forcing many companies to pay the tax on more of their income, while offering new targeted tax relief linked to domestic investments. The Senate plan comes from Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., who is in charge of writing tax legislation as chairman of the Finance Committee, and two Democratic colleagues: Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia. But Republicans, the leading business lobbying group and some tax experts panned the proposal and defended the Trump system as one that worked. The 2017 law “worked to improve a system that no one felt was working and struck a balance between the need for companies to be able to compete in the global economy while protecting the US tax base,” said Caroline Harris, the vice president of tax policy at the US Chamber of Commerce. “Today’s proposal to increase international taxes threatens to move us to a system even worse than where we started, to the detriment of economic growth, competitiveness and job creation.” Tax experts expressed similar concerns about enforcing the kind of global minimum tax Yellen is calling for and about what that might mean for American companies. “It’s administratively impossible to execute and it requires all countries in the world to hold hands,” said Peter Barnes, a lawyer at the tax firm Caplin and Drysdale who was previously a senior international tax counsel for General Electric. “Unless they can get 90% of the world’s countries to adopt it, countries will view exempting themselves from the system as a great way to create a potentially significant competitive advantage.”

Biden and Democrats detail plans to raise taxes on multinational firms

US President Joe Biden will push through his $2 trillion infrastructure plan without the support of Republican lawmakers if he cannot reach a bipartisan deal.

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said on Sunday Biden would prefer that his plan have Republican backing but, if that does not work, he would likely support using a procedural strategy called reconciliation to allow Democrats to pass it in the Senate.

Biden’s plan would raise the corporate income tax rate after deductions to 28% from the current 21 per cent. His predecessor as president, Donald Trump, and Republican lawmakers cut the corporate rate from 35 per cent to 21 per cent in 2017.

"As he has said, he was sent to the presidency to do a job for America. And if the vast majority of Americans, Democrats and Republicans, across the country support spending on our country and not allowing us to lose the race globally, then he`s going to do that," Granholm told CNN.

Since taking office in January, the Democratic president has repeatedly said he wants to work with Republicans. But the infrastructure plan so far looks unlikely to draw more bipartisan support than his first, a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package that passed with only Democratic support last month, using reconciliation.

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, last week, vowed to fight it "every step of the way."

US President Joe Biden will push through his $2 trillion infrastructure plan without the support of Republican lawmakers if he cannot reach a bipartisan deal. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said on Sunday Biden would prefer that his plan have Republican backing but, if that does not work, he would likely support using a procedural strategy called reconciliation to allow Democrats to pass it in the Senate.

US President Joe Biden will push through his $2 trillion infrastructure plan without the support of Republican lawmakers if he cannot reach a bipartisan deal. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm said on Sunday Biden would prefer that his plan have Republican backing but, if that does not work, he would likely support using a procedural strategy called reconciliation to allow Democrats to pass it in the Senate. Biden’s plan would raise the corporate income tax rate after deductions to 28% from the current 21 per cent. His predecessor as president, Donald Trump, and Republican lawmakers cut the corporate rate from 35 per cent to 21 per cent in 2017. "As he has said, he was sent to the presidency to do a job for America. And if the vast majority of Americans, Democrats and Republicans, across the country support spending on our country and not allowing us to lose the race globally, then he`s going to do that," Granholm told CNN. Since taking office in January, the Democratic president has repeatedly said he wants to work with Republicans. But the infrastructure plan so far looks unlikely to draw more bipartisan support than his first, a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package that passed with only Democratic support last month, using reconciliation. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, last week, vowed to fight it "every step of the way."

Biden to push through infrastructure plan even without Republican support

New Delhi: Ahead of the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry's New Delhi visit, starting Monday (April 5), the US has said that India is a "critical part of the solution to the climate crisis".

Biden's special envoy John Kerry to visit India

WASHINGTON — With more than 1 in 10 households reporting that they lack enough to eat, the Biden administration is accelerating a vast campaign of hunger relief that will temporarily increase assistance by tens of billions of dollars and set the stage for what officials envision as lasting expansions of aid.

The effort to rush more food assistance to more people is notable both for the scale of its ambition and the variety of its legislative and administrative actions. The campaign has increased food stamps by more than $1 billion a month, provided needy children a dollar a day for snacks, expanded a produce allowance for pregnant women and children, and authorized the largest children’s summer feeding program in history.

“We haven’t seen an expansion of food assistance of this magnitude since the founding of the modern food stamp program in 1977,” said James P. Ziliak, an economist at the University of Kentucky who studies nutrition programs. “It’s a profound change.”

While dollars and decisions are flowing from the Agriculture Department, the tone has been set by President Joe Biden, who issued an executive order in January telling aides to “address the growing hunger crisis” and later lamented the car lines “half a mile each, just to get a box of food.”

The push reflects an extraordinary shift in the politics of poverty — driven, paradoxically, both by the spread of hardship to more working-class and white families and the growing recognition of poverty’s disproportionate toll on minorities. With hunger especially pronounced among Black and Latino households, vital to the Democrats’ coalition, the administration is framing its efforts not just as a response to pandemic needs but as part of a campaign for racial justice.

“This crisis has revealed how fragile many Americans’ economic lives are and also the inequities of who is struggling the most,” said Stacy Dean, who is leading the effort as a senior official at the Agriculture Department after a prominent career as an anti-hunger advocate. “It’s an incredibly painful picture, and it is even more so for communities of color.”

Like other policies being pursued by the White House — including a temporary child allowance that is expected to cut child poverty nearly in half — the effort to reduce hunger reflects a new willingness among Democrats to embrace an identity as poverty fighters that they once feared would alienate the middle class.

To understand what the new policies mean at the kitchen table, consider the experience of Dakota Kirby, 29, a single mother in Indianapolis who lost her job as a caregiver for an elderly woman at the start of the pandemic. Having recently started the job, Kirby assumed she could not get unemployment benefits and did not apply.

That left her relying on nutritional aid and a trickle of child support to feed a 6-year-old daughter and a year-old son.

“It got a little rough there,” said Kirby, adding that she hesitates to complain since “there’s families that have it way worse.”

Even when she budgeted carefully, her $509 a month in food stamps ran out within three weeks. She trimmed her portions and skipped meals so the children could eat. She got help from a food bank until her children rebelled at butter beans and tuna. She pawned her television set, but still came up short at the checkout line.

“It was humiliating,” she said, to jettison frozen pizzas in line as strangers looked on. “I’ve never had that kind of problem. It makes you really sad and angry as a mom. Especially when it’s through no fault of your own.”

Kirby recently received a 15% increase in food stamps, mandated by Congress in December, which was so unexpected she refused to spend it, for fear she would get in trouble.

In addition, both children will now qualify for a program called Pandemic-EBT, which offers electronic vouchers for groceries to replace meals lost during school closings. (Previously only her older child qualified.) And she will receive more money for produce under the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, or WIC.

Combined, monthly aid from the three programs will rise to $930 from $665. Put differently, each person in the home will now receive $10 a day to eat, an increase of 40%.

“That’s a big old jump!” she said, surprised at the news. “It will help tremendously.”

The Biden effort marks a sharp change from the philosophy of the Trump administration, which sought to narrow eligibility for food stamps and expand work rules.

So far, the expansion of aid has brought only modest conservative complaint. But what supporters called “nutritional assistance,” critics often call “welfare.” Past expansions of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, as the food stamp program is formally known, brought counterattacks from conservatives who argued that the program undercut work and marriage.

Angela Rachidi of the conservative American Enterprise Institute said the Biden administration had overstated the need for additional assistance and understated the risks. She noted that the government had spent vast sums to expand other programs and that Congress had substantially raised SNAP benefits for many families at the start of the pandemic. (In addition to increased SNAP, Kirby received $8,200 in stimulus payments and will get a $6,600 child allowance.)

Rachidi credited strict welfare rules for pre-pandemic reductions in poverty — child poverty fell to a record low — and warned that a lasting aid expansion would put that progress at risk.

“This has been on the agenda of Democrats and left-leaning advocacy groups for a long time — they’re expanding programs that discourage work and encourage dependency,” she said. “There’s a clear intention to make these changes permanent, and I think many Republicans have been asleep at the wheel.”

Scenes of crowded food banks have provided some of the most arresting images of the pandemic and brought hunger issues a rare spotlight. A recent Census Bureau survey found that, over the previous week alone, 8.4% of adults said their households “sometimes” lacked enough to eat and 2.3% said they “often” did. That translates into 23 million hungry adults, plus millions of children.

Differences in data collection complicate pre-pandemic comparisons, though multiple estimates suggest hunger levels higher than those of the Great Recession.

At the John Boner Neighborhood Center in Indianapolis, requests for emergency food have become so common that the agency has started to stock food boxes.

“We have people who’ve never needed assistance before, and we have that population that needed it before but need it more now,” said Carla James, a staff member.

Interviews with neighborhood residents suggest the aid expansions have done much to reduce hardship, but with their reach varying greatly from household to household.

While Kirby got no unemployment aid, Sonya Radford quickly received jobless benefits, which more than replaced the income she lost when her job as a nursing assistant ended, and she enrolled in SNAP. That combination left her better able to feed her three children than before the pandemic, when she often relied on food pantries.

“With the benefits, we’re pretty well off,” she said.

Anna Chaney quit her job as a DoorDash driver to watch her daughter and two grandchildren when their schools closed. She has since seen both hardship and plenty. For seven months, surviving on SNAP was such a struggle that she cut portions and diluted the chicken soup. Then she suddenly got $16,000 in overdue unemployment benefits. She filled the freezer with meat and took the family on vacation.

“I wish that the lawmakers would have realized prior to us being in a pandemic that poor people needed more,” she said. “It took more of the middle class, and some of the upper class, to find that they needed help for people to act. For me to go in and tell the Indiana Legislature, ‘Hey, guys, $75 isn’t enough to eat for a week,’ that’s going to be a real hard sell. But when the whole world is suffering, that’s a different situation.”

The Biden administration shares the hope — that demonstrating the value of the aid expansions, most of them temporary, will lead to permanent change. “We can build a stronger, longer-lasting safety net,” Dean said.

Speaking at an anti-hunger conference last month, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack outlined a kaleidoscope of recent initiatives. They include new subsidies to food banks, an outreach campaign in WIC, food aid for homeless young adults, grants for Puerto Rico and the Mariana Islands, and efforts to deliver more nutritious food.

Perhaps the most important change since the start of the pandemic involves the temporary growth of SNAP benefits, which reach about 1 in 8 Americans and 1 in 4 children.

The Biden administration settled legal challenges last week that will further raise benefits beyond those Democrats twice pushed through Congress last year. A federal judge ruled last fall that the Trump administration had erred in denying the poorest 40% of households the initial increase; in agreeing to raise those benefits, Biden administration officials will expand assistance by more than a $1 billion a month.

With the new increase, average benefits will have grown temporarily by roughly three-quarters during the crisis.

Pandemic-EBT, the replacement for school meals, is a large temporary program that could lead to lasting change. Child hunger routinely rises when schools let out, and nutrition advocates have long called for a large summer feeding program. By extending Pandemic-EBT through the summer, Congress is essentially running a pilot program, at a cost of roughly $6 billion, and Biden officials have signaled an interest in making it permanent.

Less immediate but potentially of great importance is a process the Biden team has started to reexamine adequacy of SNAP benefits in normal times. The benefits are based on a budget called the Thrifty Food Plan, which experts have long argued underestimates the costs of feeding a family. Elaine Waxman of the Urban Institute and two colleagues found benefits would have to grow 27% (or $15 billion a year in pre-crisis terms) to meet minimal needs.

In 2018, Congress, then under Republican control, authorized the Agriculture Department to reevaluate the cost of a healthy diet, and Biden’s order urged officials to accelerate the work. While awaiting an internal study, officials have indicated they expect to raise benefits significantly.

“The Thrifty Food Plan is just too thrifty,” Dean recently said.

Speaking at the recent conference, Vilsack cast these efforts as part of a fight for racial justice. A former agriculture secretary under President Barack Obama, he called himself an “older white guy” and added, “I haven’t had the experience of being Black.” But he said an equity commission in the department would reevaluate policies to ensure racial fairness.

Reassured by a reporter that her benefit increase had not been a mistake, Kirby, the Indianapolis mother, recently returned to the grocery store where her shortage of funds had led to humiliation in the checkout line.

This time, she brought her children, no longer afraid they would ask for food she could not afford. She bought the frozen pizzas she had been forced to discard in the earlier visit and “some expensive stuff, like meat sauce for spaghetti.”

“I don’t even know how to explain it,” referring to her eased worries. “It’s like a physical relief. I just knew everything would be OK.”

WASHINGTON — With more than 1 in 10 households reporting that they lack enough to eat, the Biden administration is accelerating a vast campaign of hunger relief that will temporarily increase assistance by tens of billions of dollars and set the stage for what officials envision as lasting expansions of aid.

WASHINGTON — With more than 1 in 10 households reporting that they lack enough to eat, the Biden administration is accelerating a vast campaign of hunger relief that will temporarily increase assistance by tens of billions of dollars and set the stage for what officials envision as lasting expansions of aid. The effort to rush more food assistance to more people is notable both for the scale of its ambition and the variety of its legislative and administrative actions. The campaign has increased food stamps by more than $1 billion a month, provided needy children a dollar a day for snacks, expanded a produce allowance for pregnant women and children, and authorized the largest children’s summer feeding program in history. “We haven’t seen an expansion of food assistance of this magnitude since the founding of the modern food stamp program in 1977,” said James P. Ziliak, an economist at the University of Kentucky who studies nutrition programs. “It’s a profound change.” While dollars and decisions are flowing from the Agriculture Department, the tone has been set by President Joe Biden, who issued an executive order in January telling aides to “address the growing hunger crisis” and later lamented the car lines “half a mile each, just to get a box of food.” The push reflects an extraordinary shift in the politics of poverty — driven, paradoxically, both by the spread of hardship to more working-class and white families and the growing recognition of poverty’s disproportionate toll on minorities. With hunger especially pronounced among Black and Latino households, vital to the Democrats’ coalition, the administration is framing its efforts not just as a response to pandemic needs but as part of a campaign for racial justice. “This crisis has revealed how fragile many Americans’ economic lives are and also the inequities of who is struggling the most,” said Stacy Dean, who is leading the effort as a senior official at the Agriculture Department after a prominent career as an anti-hunger advocate. “It’s an incredibly painful picture, and it is even more so for communities of color.” Like other policies being pursued by the White House — including a temporary child allowance that is expected to cut child poverty nearly in half — the effort to reduce hunger reflects a new willingness among Democrats to embrace an identity as poverty fighters that they once feared would alienate the middle class. To understand what the new policies mean at the kitchen table, consider the experience of Dakota Kirby, 29, a single mother in Indianapolis who lost her job as a caregiver for an elderly woman at the start of the pandemic. Having recently started the job, Kirby assumed she could not get unemployment benefits and did not apply. That left her relying on nutritional aid and a trickle of child support to feed a 6-year-old daughter and a year-old son. “It got a little rough there,” said Kirby, adding that she hesitates to complain since “there’s families that have it way worse.” Even when she budgeted carefully, her $509 a month in food stamps ran out within three weeks. She trimmed her portions and skipped meals so the children could eat. She got help from a food bank until her children rebelled at butter beans and tuna. She pawned her television set, but still came up short at the checkout line. “It was humiliating,” she said, to jettison frozen pizzas in line as strangers looked on. “I’ve never had that kind of problem. It makes you really sad and angry as a mom. Especially when it’s through no fault of your own.” Kirby recently received a 15% increase in food stamps, mandated by Congress in December, which was so unexpected she refused to spend it, for fear she would get in trouble. In addition, both children will now qualify for a program called Pandemic-EBT, which offers electronic vouchers for groceries to replace meals lost during school closings. (Previously only her older child qualified.) And she will receive more money for produce under the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, or WIC. Combined, monthly aid from the three programs will rise to $930 from $665. Put differently, each person in the home will now receive $10 a day to eat, an increase of 40%. “That’s a big old jump!” she said, surprised at the news. “It will help tremendously.” The Biden effort marks a sharp change from the philosophy of the Trump administration, which sought to narrow eligibility for food stamps and expand work rules. So far, the expansion of aid has brought only modest conservative complaint. But what supporters called “nutritional assistance,” critics often call “welfare.” Past expansions of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, as the food stamp program is formally known, brought counterattacks from conservatives who argued that the program undercut work and marriage. Angela Rachidi of the conservative American Enterprise Institute said the Biden administration had overstated the need for additional assistance and understated the risks. She noted that the government had spent vast sums to expand other programs and that Congress had substantially raised SNAP benefits for many families at the start of the pandemic. (In addition to increased SNAP, Kirby received $8,200 in stimulus payments and will get a $6,600 child allowance.) Rachidi credited strict welfare rules for pre-pandemic reductions in poverty — child poverty fell to a record low — and warned that a lasting aid expansion would put that progress at risk. “This has been on the agenda of Democrats and left-leaning advocacy groups for a long time — they’re expanding programs that discourage work and encourage dependency,” she said. “There’s a clear intention to make these changes permanent, and I think many Republicans have been asleep at the wheel.” Scenes of crowded food banks have provided some of the most arresting images of the pandemic and brought hunger issues a rare spotlight. A recent Census Bureau survey found that, over the previous week alone, 8.4% of adults said their households “sometimes” lacked enough to eat and 2.3% said they “often” did. That translates into 23 million hungry adults, plus millions of children. Differences in data collection complicate pre-pandemic comparisons, though multiple estimates suggest hunger levels higher than those of the Great Recession. At the John Boner Neighborhood Center in Indianapolis, requests for emergency food have become so common that the agency has started to stock food boxes. “We have people who’ve never needed assistance before, and we have that population that needed it before but need it more now,” said Carla James, a staff member. Interviews with neighborhood residents suggest the aid expansions have done much to reduce hardship, but with their reach varying greatly from household to household. While Kirby got no unemployment aid, Sonya Radford quickly received jobless benefits, which more than replaced the income she lost when her job as a nursing assistant ended, and she enrolled in SNAP. That combination left her better able to feed her three children than before the pandemic, when she often relied on food pantries. “With the benefits, we’re pretty well off,” she said. Anna Chaney quit her job as a DoorDash driver to watch her daughter and two grandchildren when their schools closed. She has since seen both hardship and plenty. For seven months, surviving on SNAP was such a struggle that she cut portions and diluted the chicken soup. Then she suddenly got $16,000 in overdue unemployment benefits. She filled the freezer with meat and took the family on vacation. “I wish that the lawmakers would have realized prior to us being in a pandemic that poor people needed more,” she said. “It took more of the middle class, and some of the upper class, to find that they needed help for people to act. For me to go in and tell the Indiana Legislature, ‘Hey, guys, $75 isn’t enough to eat for a week,’ that’s going to be a real hard sell. But when the whole world is suffering, that’s a different situation.” The Biden administration shares the hope — that demonstrating the value of the aid expansions, most of them temporary, will lead to permanent change. “We can build a stronger, longer-lasting safety net,” Dean said. Speaking at an anti-hunger conference last month, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack outlined a kaleidoscope of recent initiatives. They include new subsidies to food banks, an outreach campaign in WIC, food aid for homeless young adults, grants for Puerto Rico and the Mariana Islands, and efforts to deliver more nutritious food. Perhaps the most important change since the start of the pandemic involves the temporary growth of SNAP benefits, which reach about 1 in 8 Americans and 1 in 4 children. The Biden administration settled legal challenges last week that will further raise benefits beyond those Democrats twice pushed through Congress last year. A federal judge ruled last fall that the Trump administration had erred in denying the poorest 40% of households the initial increase; in agreeing to raise those benefits, Biden administration officials will expand assistance by more than a $1 billion a month. With the new increase, average benefits will have grown temporarily by roughly three-quarters during the crisis. Pandemic-EBT, the replacement for school meals, is a large temporary program that could lead to lasting change. Child hunger routinely rises when schools let out, and nutrition advocates have long called for a large summer feeding program. By extending Pandemic-EBT through the summer, Congress is essentially running a pilot program, at a cost of roughly $6 billion, and Biden officials have signaled an interest in making it permanent. Less immediate but potentially of great importance is a process the Biden team has started to reexamine adequacy of SNAP benefits in normal times. The benefits are based on a budget called the Thrifty Food Plan, which experts have long argued underestimates the costs of feeding a family. Elaine Waxman of the Urban Institute and two colleagues found benefits would have to grow 27% (or $15 billion a year in pre-crisis terms) to meet minimal needs. In 2018, Congress, then under Republican control, authorized the Agriculture Department to reevaluate the cost of a healthy diet, and Biden’s order urged officials to accelerate the work. While awaiting an internal study, officials have indicated they expect to raise benefits significantly. “The Thrifty Food Plan is just too thrifty,” Dean recently said. Speaking at the recent conference, Vilsack cast these efforts as part of a fight for racial justice. A former agriculture secretary under President Barack Obama, he called himself an “older white guy” and added, “I haven’t had the experience of being Black.” But he said an equity commission in the department would reevaluate policies to ensure racial fairness. Reassured by a reporter that her benefit increase had not been a mistake, Kirby, the Indianapolis mother, recently returned to the grocery store where her shortage of funds had led to humiliation in the checkout line. This time, she brought her children, no longer afraid they would ask for food she could not afford. She bought the frozen pizzas she had been forced to discard in the earlier visit and “some expensive stuff, like meat sauce for spaghetti.” “I don’t even know how to explain it,” referring to her eased worries. “It’s like a physical relief. I just knew everything would be OK.”

Biden's effort to combat hunger marks ‘a profound change’

On the football field at Christopher Newport University in Virginia, Noah R. Green was No. 21, a dependable and good-natured, if soft-spoken, presence in the defensive backfield. Off the field, he was laser-focused on Black economic empowerment, counseling teammates on financial management and plotting a career helping close the racial wealth gap.

But by late March, after a bruising pandemic year that friends and family said left him isolated and mentally unmoored, Green’s life appeared increasingly to revolve around the Nation of Islam and its leader Louis Farrakhan, who has repeatedly promoted anti-Semitism. “Follower of Farrakhan,” Green labeled himself on Facebook, where he described leaving his job and grappling with “some of the biggest, unimaginable tests in my life.”

None of it appeared to hint at what he would do next. On Friday afternoon, law enforcement officials said, Green, 25, drove a dark blue Nissan sedan from nearby Virginia to the U.S. Capitol and plowed into two police officers protecting the grounds, killing one and injuring another. He then got out of the car brandishing a knife and lunged at officers. Police shot and mortally wounded him.

The attack, which pierced the calm of a spring afternoon on Capitol Hill, halted the return to normalcy that had slowly begun to take hold following the deadly Jan. 6 riot. It sent the police force that protects the Capitol into a fresh round of mourning and further complicated a raging debate over how to secure the seat of Congress at a time of increasing threat.

And it raised questions about how a dedicated athlete and aspiring businessman with no known history of violence came to turn his car into a lethal weapon. Without a clear motive, investigators were frantically combing through a trove of social media posts and a trail of woes described by people close to Green to understand what happened.

Police have not categorized the incident as an act of domestic terrorism. A senior law enforcement official, who spoke anonymously to describe the active inquiry, said that, based on early evidence, investigators believed that Green was influenced by a combination of underlying mental health issues and a connection to an ideological cause that provided justification to commit violence.

Brendan Green told The Washington Post on Friday that his brother had been teetering on the edge for months, plagued by mental health problems and possibly drugs. Noah Green had briefly moved to Botswana this year, he said, and tried to jump in front of a car, before returning and asking to move in with his brother in suburban Virginia, not far from Washington. Brendan Green said his brother had become violently ill Thursday night and left the apartment, declaring that he was ready to become homeless.

Attempts to reach Brendan Green and other members of the Green family were unsuccessful, including at his Virginia apartment. The family gave a statement to the Post on Saturday expressing condolences for the family of Officer William F. Evans, who died in the attack, and speculating that Noah Green’s struggles may have been related to head injuries sustained playing football.

One of 10 siblings, Noah Green grew up in Covington, Virginia, a largely white Shenandoah Valley town of less than 6,000 dominated by a WestRock paper mill. On Facebook, he described it as not “the best of circumstances,” but at Alleghany High School, he was voted MVP of the football team and won honors on the track team.

After a stint at Glenville State College in West Virginia, he transferred to Christopher Newport University, a small public school in Newport News, Virginia, where he studied business and joined the football team. In a university player profile, he spoke of dreaming of vacationing in Jamaica, and of admiring his grandmother and Malcolm X.

Former teammates described Green as a hard worker and said he was close to his family, whose members would make the lengthy drive across the state to watch him play. But on and off the field, they said, he kept mostly to himself.

“He would be there, but he like wasn’t really there,” said Chet Wilborne, a fellow defensive back. “I feel like he always felt like an outsider.”

The distance only grew, Wilborne recalled, after Green accused someone of drugging him with Xanax, a powerful anti-anxiety drug, without his knowledge. Wilborne remembered Green saying that the incident “altered my mindset about how I think about people.”

“Everybody at school was talking about it,” Wilborne said.

Another teammate, who asked to remain anonymous given the sensitivity of the ongoing investigation, recalled that Green would often talk to fellow players about strategies to save and invest, emphasizing the need to close the wealth gap between white and Black America.

Green volunteered one summer for a college program focused on preventing violence in the nearby Hampton Roads. And after college, the teammate said, Green began working as a financial adviser, with aspirations to start a finance company to help the Black community and eradicate poverty.

Green made little secret of his more recent struggles and his apparently intensifying interest in the Nation of Islam. He posted speeches and articles by Farrakhan and Elijah Muhammad, who led the Nation of Islam from 1934 to 1975, discussing the decline of America.

A string of posts in the early hours on March 17 charted his course as he saw it.

“I was able to graduate with distinction, earn a well-paying job straight out of college, and pursue my graduate degree, despite not growing up in the best of circumstances,” he wrote on Facebook. “My ultimate goal was to learn business, after hearing the words of the Minister years ago, and to use that to improve the lives of communities most in need. Particularly, the communities of black and brown here in the United States.”

But, Green wrote, Allah evidently had different plans. He said he was newly unemployed, having left his job “partly due to afflictions” left unnamed. He pointed without detail to struggling with “side effects of drugs I was intaking unknowingly.” His ambitions to build a career in business had been “thwarted.”

“I haven’t had much to lean on the past few months, I’ve been faced with fear, hunger, loss of wealth, and diminution of fruit,” he wrote. “My faith is one of the only things that has been able to carry me through these times.”

Green also posted a photo of a $1,085 donation he made as “Noah X” to the Nation of Islam’s Norfolk chapter for Saviours’ Day, the holiday honoring the birthday of its founder. A group of members standing outside the Norfolk chapter Saturday declined to comment on Green when approached by a reporter.

A Black nationalist movement that has pushed for African American self-sufficiency, the Nation of Islam has been condemned by the Southern Poverty Law Center for “the deeply racist, anti-Semitic and anti-gay rhetoric of its leaders,” including Farrakhan.

Green’s adherence is likely to increase scrutiny on the group, as investigators try to determine whether his beliefs played a role in Friday’s attack. The relationship between violence and the Nation of Islam has been debated since it started about 90 years ago, especially as outsiders and insiders have disagreed over its teachings.

“From the earliest times in Nation history, people have been taking these texts and saying, this is about killing white people,” said Michael Muhammad Knight, an assistant professor of religion and cultural studies at the University of Central Florida, who specializes in American Islam.

“The Nation has a very strong anti-violence discourse that goes all the way back to the beginning,” he said. “Consistently, if you look at the Nation, you don’t see the body count that white supremacist organizations have.”

In his Facebook posts, Green sometimes used apocalyptic language, suggesting he believed in an imminent end-of-world conflict. He referenced the “mother wheel,” which in Nation of Islam teachings is a spaceship that will descend on America in an apocalyptic battle, Knight explained.

In his final Facebook post on March 21, Green wrote about a “divine warning,” that these were the “last days of our world as we know it.”

Court records in Indiana, where he briefly lived, show Green had applied in December to legally change his name to Noah Zaeem Muhammad. But when he didn’t show up for a hearing in the final days of March, the proceeding was dismissed.

By then, he was back in Virginia, living with his brother. Just days later, he would drive to the Capitol.

On the football field at Christopher Newport University in Virginia, Noah R. Green was No. 21, a dependable and good-natured, if soft-spoken, presence in the defensive backfield.

On the football field at Christopher Newport University in Virginia, Noah R. Green was No. 21, a dependable and good-natured, if soft-spoken, presence in the defensive backfield. Off the field, he was laser-focused on Black economic empowerment, counseling teammates on financial management and plotting a career helping close the racial wealth gap. But by late March, after a bruising pandemic year that friends and family said left him isolated and mentally unmoored, Green’s life appeared increasingly to revolve around the Nation of Islam and its leader Louis Farrakhan, who has repeatedly promoted anti-Semitism. “Follower of Farrakhan,” Green labeled himself on Facebook, where he described leaving his job and grappling with “some of the biggest, unimaginable tests in my life.” None of it appeared to hint at what he would do next. On Friday afternoon, law enforcement officials said, Green, 25, drove a dark blue Nissan sedan from nearby Virginia to the U.S. Capitol and plowed into two police officers protecting the grounds, killing one and injuring another. He then got out of the car brandishing a knife and lunged at officers. Police shot and mortally wounded him. The attack, which pierced the calm of a spring afternoon on Capitol Hill, halted the return to normalcy that had slowly begun to take hold following the deadly Jan. 6 riot. It sent the police force that protects the Capitol into a fresh round of mourning and further complicated a raging debate over how to secure the seat of Congress at a time of increasing threat. And it raised questions about how a dedicated athlete and aspiring businessman with no known history of violence came to turn his car into a lethal weapon. Without a clear motive, investigators were frantically combing through a trove of social media posts and a trail of woes described by people close to Green to understand what happened. Police have not categorized the incident as an act of domestic terrorism. A senior law enforcement official, who spoke anonymously to describe the active inquiry, said that, based on early evidence, investigators believed that Green was influenced by a combination of underlying mental health issues and a connection to an ideological cause that provided justification to commit violence. Brendan Green told The Washington Post on Friday that his brother had been teetering on the edge for months, plagued by mental health problems and possibly drugs. Noah Green had briefly moved to Botswana this year, he said, and tried to jump in front of a car, before returning and asking to move in with his brother in suburban Virginia, not far from Washington. Brendan Green said his brother had become violently ill Thursday night and left the apartment, declaring that he was ready to become homeless. Attempts to reach Brendan Green and other members of the Green family were unsuccessful, including at his Virginia apartment. The family gave a statement to the Post on Saturday expressing condolences for the family of Officer William F. Evans, who died in the attack, and speculating that Noah Green’s struggles may have been related to head injuries sustained playing football. One of 10 siblings, Noah Green grew up in Covington, Virginia, a largely white Shenandoah Valley town of less than 6,000 dominated by a WestRock paper mill. On Facebook, he described it as not “the best of circumstances,” but at Alleghany High School, he was voted MVP of the football team and won honors on the track team. After a stint at Glenville State College in West Virginia, he transferred to Christopher Newport University, a small public school in Newport News, Virginia, where he studied business and joined the football team. In a university player profile, he spoke of dreaming of vacationing in Jamaica, and of admiring his grandmother and Malcolm X. Former teammates described Green as a hard worker and said he was close to his family, whose members would make the lengthy drive across the state to watch him play. But on and off the field, they said, he kept mostly to himself. “He would be there, but he like wasn’t really there,” said Chet Wilborne, a fellow defensive back. “I feel like he always felt like an outsider.” The distance only grew, Wilborne recalled, after Green accused someone of drugging him with Xanax, a powerful anti-anxiety drug, without his knowledge. Wilborne remembered Green saying that the incident “altered my mindset about how I think about people.” “Everybody at school was talking about it,” Wilborne said. Another teammate, who asked to remain anonymous given the sensitivity of the ongoing investigation, recalled that Green would often talk to fellow players about strategies to save and invest, emphasizing the need to close the wealth gap between white and Black America. Green volunteered one summer for a college program focused on preventing violence in the nearby Hampton Roads. And after college, the teammate said, Green began working as a financial adviser, with aspirations to start a finance company to help the Black community and eradicate poverty. Green made little secret of his more recent struggles and his apparently intensifying interest in the Nation of Islam. He posted speeches and articles by Farrakhan and Elijah Muhammad, who led the Nation of Islam from 1934 to 1975, discussing the decline of America. A string of posts in the early hours on March 17 charted his course as he saw it. “I was able to graduate with distinction, earn a well-paying job straight out of college, and pursue my graduate degree, despite not growing up in the best of circumstances,” he wrote on Facebook. “My ultimate goal was to learn business, after hearing the words of the Minister years ago, and to use that to improve the lives of communities most in need. Particularly, the communities of black and brown here in the United States.” But, Green wrote, Allah evidently had different plans. He said he was newly unemployed, having left his job “partly due to afflictions” left unnamed. He pointed without detail to struggling with “side effects of drugs I was intaking unknowingly.” His ambitions to build a career in business had been “thwarted.” “I haven’t had much to lean on the past few months, I’ve been faced with fear, hunger, loss of wealth, and diminution of fruit,” he wrote. “My faith is one of the only things that has been able to carry me through these times.” Green also posted a photo of a $1,085 donation he made as “Noah X” to the Nation of Islam’s Norfolk chapter for Saviours’ Day, the holiday honoring the birthday of its founder. A group of members standing outside the Norfolk chapter Saturday declined to comment on Green when approached by a reporter. A Black nationalist movement that has pushed for African American self-sufficiency, the Nation of Islam has been condemned by the Southern Poverty Law Center for “the deeply racist, anti-Semitic and anti-gay rhetoric of its leaders,” including Farrakhan. Green’s adherence is likely to increase scrutiny on the group, as investigators try to determine whether his beliefs played a role in Friday’s attack. The relationship between violence and the Nation of Islam has been debated since it started about 90 years ago, especially as outsiders and insiders have disagreed over its teachings. “From the earliest times in Nation history, people have been taking these texts and saying, this is about killing white people,” said Michael Muhammad Knight, an assistant professor of religion and cultural studies at the University of Central Florida, who specializes in American Islam. “The Nation has a very strong anti-violence discourse that goes all the way back to the beginning,” he said. “Consistently, if you look at the Nation, you don’t see the body count that white supremacist organizations have.” In his Facebook posts, Green sometimes used apocalyptic language, suggesting he believed in an imminent end-of-world conflict. He referenced the “mother wheel,” which in Nation of Islam teachings is a spaceship that will descend on America in an apocalyptic battle, Knight explained. In his final Facebook post on March 21, Green wrote about a “divine warning,” that these were the “last days of our world as we know it.” Court records in Indiana, where he briefly lived, show Green had applied in December to legally change his name to Noah Zaeem Muhammad. But when he didn’t show up for a hearing in the final days of March, the proceeding was dismissed. By then, he was back in Virginia, living with his brother. Just days later, he would drive to the Capitol.

Capitol suspect struggled before attack, but motive remains unclear

US authorities caught more than 171,000 migrants at the border with Mexico in March -- the highest monthly total in two decades and the latest sign of the mounting humanitarian challenge confronting President Joe Biden.

According to a report published in Reuters news agency, the preliminary March arrest totals at the US-Mexico border represent the highest monthly level since April 2000, when border patrol agents caught more than 180,000 migrants.

The total includes about 19,000 unaccompanied migrant children and 53,000 family members traveling together, the figures show. Single adults made up roughly 99,000 of the total.

The Biden administration is struggling to house newly arrived unaccompanied children, who are exempted from expulsion under a COVID-19 health order known as Title 42. Children have been backed up in crowded border stations and processing centers for days.

The shelter system that houses the children has been overwhelmed and US officials have scrambled in recent weeks to open emergency shelters, including sites in convention centers in Dallas and San Diego.

Meanwhile, the March figures show a 178 per cent increase in the number of migrant families caught at the border compared with last month.

More than half of the 19,000 family members caught at the border in February were not expelled, according to public US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data, with many released into the United States to pursue immigration court cases.

(with inputs)

US authorities caught more than 171,000 migrants at the border with Mexico in March -- the highest monthly total in two decades and the latest sign of the mounting humanitarian challenge confronting President Joe Biden.

US authorities caught more than 171,000 migrants at the border with Mexico in March -- the highest monthly total in two decades and the latest sign of the mounting humanitarian challenge confronting President Joe Biden. According to a report published in Reuters news agency, the preliminary March arrest totals at the US-Mexico border represent the highest monthly level since April 2000, when border patrol agents caught more than 180,000 migrants. The total includes about 19,000 unaccompanied migrant children and 53,000 family members traveling together, the figures show. Single adults made up roughly 99,000 of the total. The Biden administration is struggling to house newly arrived unaccompanied children, who are exempted from expulsion under a COVID-19 health order known as Title 42. Children have been backed up in crowded border stations and processing centers for days. The shelter system that houses the children has been overwhelmed and US officials have scrambled in recent weeks to open emergency shelters, including sites in convention centers in Dallas and San Diego. Meanwhile, the March figures show a 178 per cent increase in the number of migrant families caught at the border compared with last month. More than half of the 19,000 family members caught at the border in February were not expelled, according to public US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data, with many released into the United States to pursue immigration court cases. (with inputs)

US caught a huge number of migrants at Mexico border in March, report says

A US Capitol police officer succumbed to his injuries, while a second is in stable and non-threatening condition after a vehicle rammed through security and crashed into a barrier at the Washington complex.

The Friday incident forced the Capitol Hill into lockdown less than three months after a mob assault on Congress.

Capitol Police shot dead the driver after he jumped out of the car and lunged at them with a knife, Acting Chief Yogananda Pittman told reporters.

President Joe Biden, who was with first lady Jill Biden at Camp David for the Easter holiday, offered his "heartfelt condolences" to the family of William Evans, the veteran policeman killed in the attack.

"Jill and I were heartbroken to learn of the violent attack at a security checkpoint on the US Capitol grounds," Biden said in a statement.

National Guard troops were mobilised Friday and staff at the huge Capitol complex ordered to stay away from windows and seek cover after alerts went out over the incident shortly after 1:00 pm (1700 GMT).

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-capitol-on-lockdown-over-security-threat-375046">Also read |&nbsp;Officers hurt near US Capitol after being rammed by vehicle</a>

US media&nbsp;said officials had identified the attacker as Noah Green, a 25-year-old Black man from Indiana and an adherent of the Black nationalist Nation of Islam movement. Some of his online postings in March suggested a level of despair and paranoia. He said he was unemployed and had health problems, and made references to biblical concepts of the end of times.&nbsp;

In one post he spoke of being tormented by the FBI and CIA, hospitalised and subjected to "mind control," and called the government "the #1 enemy of Black people!"

He also said he was a follower of Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the Nation of Islam, who promotes Black nationalist, anti-white and anti-Semitic thinking.

Facebook said it had removed Green's account from the social network as well as Instagram, and that it would remove "any content that praises, supports, or represents the attack or the suspect."&nbsp;

Pittman said there was no immediate indication of his motivation or police file on him.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ordered flags lowered to half-staff on the Capitol, calling Evans "a martyr for our democracy."

"Members of Congress, staff and Capitol workers, and indeed all Americans, are united in appreciation for the courage of the US Capitol Police," she said.

Biden also lowered White House flags.

The attack came months after the January assault on Congress by hundreds of supporters of then-president Donald Trump.

One Capitol Police officer died as a result of the attack, as well as four other individuals who took part or were nearby.

More than 300 people have been charged in the January attack, including members of armed extremist groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, and 100 more are expected to be charged, according to Justice Department court filings.

A US Capitol police officer succumbed to his injuries, while a second is in stable and non-threatening condition after a vehicle rammed through security and crashed into a barrier at the Washington complex.

A US Capitol police officer succumbed to his injuries, while a second is in stable and non-threatening condition after a vehicle rammed through security and crashed into a barrier at the Washington complex. The Friday incident forced the Capitol Hill into lockdown less than three months after a mob assault on Congress. Capitol Police shot dead the driver after he jumped out of the car and lunged at them with a knife, Acting Chief Yogananda Pittman told reporters. President Joe Biden, who was with first lady Jill Biden at Camp David for the Easter holiday, offered his "heartfelt condolences" to the family of William Evans, the veteran policeman killed in the attack. "Jill and I were heartbroken to learn of the violent attack at a security checkpoint on the US Capitol grounds," Biden said in a statement. National Guard troops were mobilised Friday and staff at the huge Capitol complex ordered to stay away from windows and seek cover after alerts went out over the incident shortly after 1:00 pm (1700 GMT). Also read | Officers hurt near US Capitol after being rammed by vehicle US media said officials had identified the attacker as Noah Green, a 25-year-old Black man from Indiana and an adherent of the Black nationalist Nation of Islam movement. Some of his online postings in March suggested a level of despair and paranoia. He said he was unemployed and had health problems, and made references to biblical concepts of the end of times. In one post he spoke of being tormented by the FBI and CIA, hospitalised and subjected to "mind control," and called the government "the #1 enemy of Black people!" He also said he was a follower of Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the Nation of Islam, who promotes Black nationalist, anti-white and anti-Semitic thinking. Facebook said it had removed Green's account from the social network as well as Instagram, and that it would remove "any content that praises, supports, or represents the attack or the suspect." Pittman said there was no immediate indication of his motivation or police file on him. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ordered flags lowered to half-staff on the Capitol, calling Evans "a martyr for our democracy." "Members of Congress, staff and Capitol workers, and indeed all Americans, are united in appreciation for the courage of the US Capitol Police," she said. Biden also lowered White House flags. The attack came months after the January assault on Congress by hundreds of supporters of then-president Donald Trump. One Capitol Police officer died as a result of the attack, as well as four other individuals who took part or were nearby. More than 300 people have been charged in the January attack, including members of armed extremist groups like the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers, and 100 more are expected to be charged, according to Justice Department court filings.

Officer killed, another injured in US Capitol car-ramming attack

US President Joe Biden has revoked&nbsp;sanctions imposed by Donald Trump on the top prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.

With this, Biden is trying to resolve an intense disagreement with European allies as the new administration seeks a more cooperative approach.

Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda had launched an investigation into alleged war crimes by US military personnel in Afghanistan. Former secretary of state Mike Pompeo, to this end, last year denounced the "kangaroo court" in The Hague and imposed both financial sanctions and a US visa ban on its Gambian-born chief prosecutor.

Bensouda is leaving her job in June and will be replaced by British human rights lawyer Karim Khan, who now can open his work without the burden of looming sanctions.

The court in The Hague further annoyed the United States by opening an investigation into alleged war crimes in the Palestinian territories by Israel, a US ally which rejects the authority of the court.

Biden said the United States still has concerns with the ICC. But "the threat and imposition of financial sanctions against the Court, its personnel, and those who assist it are not an effective or appropriate strategy," he said in a statement.&nbsp;

Pompeo's successor, Antony Blinken, said the United States continued to "disagree strongly" with the moves on Afghanistan and Israel.

"We believe, however, that our concerns about these cases would be better addressed through engagement with all stakeholders in the ICC process rather than through the imposition of sanctions," Blinken said in a statement.

Biden revoked an executive order by Trump on the sanctions, also lifting sanctions against senior ICC official Phakiso Mochochoko and visa bans on other court staff.

Blinken said he was encouraged by reforms being undertaken by the court, which has also come under scrutiny over internal matters including judges' salaries.

He noted that the United States has supported specific international judicial initiatives to provide accountability for war crimes or crimes against humanity including in the Balkans, Cambodia and Rwanda.

Blinken announced the decision days before the administration needed to respond to a lawsuit against Trump's executive order filed by the Open Society Justice Initiative, which promotes human rights and democracy.

Human Rights Watch praised Biden for ending "this unprecedented&nbsp;and downright warped&nbsp;use of sanctions" and turning the page on Trump's "assault&nbsp;on the global rule of law."

Trump had, in his final weeks in office, granted clemency to three US troops convicted of crimes in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, with one of the men later meeting him.

US President Joe Biden has revoked sanctions imposed by Donald Trump on the top prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. With this, Biden is trying to resolve an intense disagreement with European allies as the new administration seeks a more cooperative approach.

US President Joe Biden has revoked sanctions imposed by Donald Trump on the top prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. With this, Biden is trying to resolve an intense disagreement with European allies as the new administration seeks a more cooperative approach. Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda had launched an investigation into alleged war crimes by US military personnel in Afghanistan. Former secretary of state Mike Pompeo, to this end, last year denounced the "kangaroo court" in The Hague and imposed both financial sanctions and a US visa ban on its Gambian-born chief prosecutor. Bensouda is leaving her job in June and will be replaced by British human rights lawyer Karim Khan, who now can open his work without the burden of looming sanctions. The court in The Hague further annoyed the United States by opening an investigation into alleged war crimes in the Palestinian territories by Israel, a US ally which rejects the authority of the court. Biden said the United States still has concerns with the ICC. But "the threat and imposition of financial sanctions against the Court, its personnel, and those who assist it are not an effective or appropriate strategy," he said in a statement. Pompeo's successor, Antony Blinken, said the United States continued to "disagree strongly" with the moves on Afghanistan and Israel. "We believe, however, that our concerns about these cases would be better addressed through engagement with all stakeholders in the ICC process rather than through the imposition of sanctions," Blinken said in a statement. Biden revoked an executive order by Trump on the sanctions, also lifting sanctions against senior ICC official Phakiso Mochochoko and visa bans on other court staff. Blinken said he was encouraged by reforms being undertaken by the court, which has also come under scrutiny over internal matters including judges' salaries. He noted that the United States has supported specific international judicial initiatives to provide accountability for war crimes or crimes against humanity including in the Balkans, Cambodia and Rwanda. Blinken announced the decision days before the administration needed to respond to a lawsuit against Trump's executive order filed by the Open Society Justice Initiative, which promotes human rights and democracy. Human Rights Watch praised Biden for ending "this unprecedented and downright warped use of sanctions" and turning the page on Trump's "assault on the global rule of law." Trump had, in his final weeks in office, granted clemency to three US troops convicted of crimes in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, with one of the men later meeting him.

Biden lifts Trump sanctions on top Hague prosecutor, seeks cooperation

United States President Joe Biden administration attempts to overturn the legacy of former President Donald Trump. It has taken another huge step in that direction by lifting Trump imposed sanctions on the ICC prosecutors.

United States: President Joe Biden's effort to undo Donald Trump's legacy

The US could be in the early stages of a fourth wave of the Covid-19 pandemic with coronavirus cases increasing in as many as 25 states, according to reports.

On an average, the US has tallied&nbsp;63,000 new cases per day over the past week, an 17 per cent rise from the previous week, one of the reports said.&nbsp;

Only five states have recently seen declines in new cases.&nbsp;

The third wave of the pandemic, which peaked in January, saw about 250,000 people daily testing positive for Covid-19.&nbsp;

The threat of a fourth wave comes as many states have loosened restrictions -- disregarding public health officials’ many warnings that doing so was premature. This wave will almost certainly be far less deadly than the previous three, reports have added.

US President Joe Biden, to this end, has implored regional officials to keep or reinstate wearing of face masks in their mandates.

“I’m reiterating my call for every governor, mayor, and local leader to maintain and reinstate the mask mandate,” the president said on Thursday. “Please, this is not politics. Reinstate the mandate if you let it down.”

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-outlines-far-reaching-plan-to-reengineer-us-infrastructure-374638">Also read |&nbsp;Biden outlines far-reaching plan to reengineer US infrastructure</a>

Ever since he assumed office, Biden has been working towards strengthening the country's economy, which had got battered due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown, apart from enforcing restrictions to curb the spread of the virus -- something his predecessor, Donald Trump, always ran away from.

The US House of Representatives gave in March a final approval to a sweeping $1.9 trillion Covid relief bill that gives Biden his first major victory in office.

The economic stimulus measure -- one of the largest in American history -- provides $400 billion for $1,400 direct payments to most Americans, $350 billion in aid to state and local governments, an expansion of the child tax credit and increased funding for vaccine distribution. Forecasters expect it to supercharge the US economic recovery.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/bidens-19-trillion-covid-bill-wins-final-approval-in-house-369543">Also read |&nbsp;Biden's $1.9 trillion Covid bill wins final approval in House</a>

The US could be in the early stages of a fourth wave of the Covid-19 pandemic with coronavirus cases increasing in as many as 25 states, according to reports. On an average, the US has tallied 63,000 new cases per day over the past week, an 17 per cent rise from the previous week, one of the reports said.

The US could be in the early stages of a fourth wave of the Covid-19 pandemic with coronavirus cases increasing in as many as 25 states, according to reports. On an average, the US has tallied 63,000 new cases per day over the past week, an 17 per cent rise from the previous week, one of the reports said. Only five states have recently seen declines in new cases. The third wave of the pandemic, which peaked in January, saw about 250,000 people daily testing positive for Covid-19. The threat of a fourth wave comes as many states have loosened restrictions -- disregarding public health officials’ many warnings that doing so was premature. This wave will almost certainly be far less deadly than the previous three, reports have added. US President Joe Biden, to this end, has implored regional officials to keep or reinstate wearing of face masks in their mandates. “I’m reiterating my call for every governor, mayor, and local leader to maintain and reinstate the mask mandate,” the president said on Thursday. “Please, this is not politics. Reinstate the mandate if you let it down.” Also read | Biden outlines far-reaching plan to reengineer US infrastructure Ever since he assumed office, Biden has been working towards strengthening the country's economy, which had got battered due to the coronavirus-induced lockdown, apart from enforcing restrictions to curb the spread of the virus -- something his predecessor, Donald Trump, always ran away from. The US House of Representatives gave in March a final approval to a sweeping $1.9 trillion Covid relief bill that gives Biden his first major victory in office. The economic stimulus measure -- one of the largest in American history -- provides $400 billion for $1,400 direct payments to most Americans, $350 billion in aid to state and local governments, an expansion of the child tax credit and increased funding for vaccine distribution. Forecasters expect it to supercharge the US economic recovery. Also read | Biden's $1.9 trillion Covid bill wins final approval in House

US may be in early stages of fourth wave of Covid-19, reports say

After announcing a new $2 trillion infrastructure plan US President Joe Biden on Thursday signed five Cabinet secretaries to serve as his messengers in working with Congress and engaging with the public on the administration's infrastructure proposal.

US: Joe Biden assigns 5 secretaries to new 'job cabinet'

US President Joe Biden has unveiled a $2,000,000,000,000 Infrastructure plan to 'modernise' his country. How much is $2 Trillion? Where will the money come from? What do Americans have to say?

Gravitas: Joe Biden's $2,000,000,000,000 Infra-Plan

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's visit to the United States has been delayed to mid-April from a proposed early April date.

Suga is now scheduled to meet US President Joe Biden on April 16, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato confirmed on Friday.

Local media had reported the trip would take place next week, but Kato said the mid-April date would give both sides time to prepare.

The trip comes at a time of renewed focus on China's role in the region, as well as its alleged abuses of the Uighur minority and its crackdown on freedoms in Hong Kong.

"The date has been set to April 16 to take all possible measures that will ensure success of the Prime Minister's visit to the US," Kato said.

Suga was initially expected to meet Biden on April 9. Now he is expected to leave Japan on April 15 and depart Washington on April 17, two government sources told Reuters.

The Nikkei daily newspaper reported on Friday that Suga's meeting with Biden was postponed because of circumstances on the US side.

The talks follow a visit by the Pentagon chief and top US diplomat to Japan in March, when the two countries warned China against "coercion and destabilising behaviour".

Kato said Suga's trip would be a chance to discuss "strengthening the&nbsp;Japan-US alliance" and issues ranging from the coronavirus to climate change.

Matters related to China and North Korea will also likely be on the agenda, Kato added.&nbsp; 
North Korea carried out missile tests last week in its first substantive provocation since Biden took office.

Suga would be the first foreign leader to visit the United States since Biden took office in January.

Suga, 72, became prime minister in September after his predecessor Shinzo Abe stepped down for health reasons. He has had his first shot of Covid-19 vaccine in preparation for the US trip, although Japan is not expected to begin mass jabs for weeks.

Suga will also reportedly use the trip to invite Biden to the Tokyo Olympics, due to begin on July 23 after a year's pandemic delay.

(with inputs from agencies)

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's visit to the United States has been delayed to mid-April from a proposed early April date. Suga is now scheduled to meet US President Joe Biden on April 16, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato confirmed on Friday.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's visit to the United States has been delayed to mid-April from a proposed early April date. Suga is now scheduled to meet US President Joe Biden on April 16, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato confirmed on Friday. Local media had reported the trip would take place next week, but Kato said the mid-April date would give both sides time to prepare. The trip comes at a time of renewed focus on China's role in the region, as well as its alleged abuses of the Uighur minority and its crackdown on freedoms in Hong Kong. "The date has been set to April 16 to take all possible measures that will ensure success of the Prime Minister's visit to the US," Kato said. Suga was initially expected to meet Biden on April 9. Now he is expected to leave Japan on April 15 and depart Washington on April 17, two government sources told Reuters. The Nikkei daily newspaper reported on Friday that Suga's meeting with Biden was postponed because of circumstances on the US side. The talks follow a visit by the Pentagon chief and top US diplomat to Japan in March, when the two countries warned China against "coercion and destabilising behaviour". Kato said Suga's trip would be a chance to discuss "strengthening the Japan-US alliance" and issues ranging from the coronavirus to climate change. Matters related to China and North Korea will also likely be on the agenda, Kato added. North Korea carried out missile tests last week in its first substantive provocation since Biden took office. Suga would be the first foreign leader to visit the United States since Biden took office in January. Suga, 72, became prime minister in September after his predecessor Shinzo Abe stepped down for health reasons. He has had his first shot of Covid-19 vaccine in preparation for the US trip, although Japan is not expected to begin mass jabs for weeks. Suga will also reportedly use the trip to invite Biden to the Tokyo Olympics, due to begin on July 23 after a year's pandemic delay. (with inputs from agencies)

Japan PM Suga's visit to US delayed to April 16

President Joe Biden faced mounting pressure from Republicans over his handling of a surge in migrants. The influx of migrants has grown radically under the Biden Administration. Watch this report

Influx of migrants has grown under Biden administration

Top security officials of the United States, Japan and South Korea are set to meet on Friday to discuss next steps on North Korea.

The highly anticipated meeting comes in the wake of US President Joe Biden completing a policy review.

Jake Sullivan, Biden's national security advisor, will huddle with his counterparts from South Korea and Japan, Suh Hoon and Shigeru Kitamura, at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

The Annapolis talks mark rare in-person diplomacy for the Biden administration amid the pandemic and Sullivan's first trilateral since taking office. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin last month jointly visited both Tokyo and Seoul on their first foreign trips.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/north-korea-accuses-biden-admin-of-provocation-after-missile-test-373537">Also read |&nbsp;North Korea accuses Biden admin of 'provocation' after missile test</a>

"Denuclearisation will remain at the center of American policy towards North Korea. We also know that any approach to North Korea, in order to be effective, will be one that we will have to execute in lockstep with our close allies," State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters on Thursday.

The Biden administration is looking at how to move forward after former president Donald Trump's unusually personal diplomacy with North Korea which included three meetings with strongman Kim Jong-un.

Biden has sharply criticised Trump's meetings, saying he legitimised one of the world's most ruthless leaders, but has also said he is open to diplomacy.

Biden has also warned North Korea of consequences for violations of Security Council resolutions after Pyongyang recently tested what US officials judged to be ballistic missiles.

Top security officials of the United States, Japan and South Korea are set to meet on Friday to discuss next steps on North Korea. The highly anticipated meeting comes in the wake of US President Joe Biden completing a policy review.

Top security officials of the United States, Japan and South Korea are set to meet on Friday to discuss next steps on North Korea. The highly anticipated meeting comes in the wake of US President Joe Biden completing a policy review. Jake Sullivan, Biden's national security advisor, will huddle with his counterparts from South Korea and Japan, Suh Hoon and Shigeru Kitamura, at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. The Annapolis talks mark rare in-person diplomacy for the Biden administration amid the pandemic and Sullivan's first trilateral since taking office. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin last month jointly visited both Tokyo and Seoul on their first foreign trips. Also read | North Korea accuses Biden admin of 'provocation' after missile test "Denuclearisation will remain at the center of American policy towards North Korea. We also know that any approach to North Korea, in order to be effective, will be one that we will have to execute in lockstep with our close allies," State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters on Thursday. The Biden administration is looking at how to move forward after former president Donald Trump's unusually personal diplomacy with North Korea which included three meetings with strongman Kim Jong-un. Biden has sharply criticised Trump's meetings, saying he legitimised one of the world's most ruthless leaders, but has also said he is open to diplomacy. Biden has also warned North Korea of consequences for violations of Security Council resolutions after Pyongyang recently tested what US officials judged to be ballistic missiles.

Biden aide to meet Japan, South Korea on next steps on the North

US President Joe Biden held his first in-person Cabinet meeting one day after announcing his massive infrastructure plan.

Biden, at the meeting on Thursday afternoon, tasked five members of his Cabinet to take the lead on selling the infrastructure proposal to the American people&nbsp;and Congress.

The US president, in brief remarks at the top of the meeting, announced that Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo would take on the additional responsibility.

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A Cabinet that looks like America. <a href="https://t.co/XZNOSTE2GJ">pic.twitter.com/XZNOSTE2GJ</a>
— President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1377792787211505666?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2021</a></blockquote>
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"I want to thank them in advance for the role they're going to play with this added assignment I'm asking them to take on. And we'll be discussing that today, among other things," Biden said of the meeting.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-outlines-far-reaching-plan-to-reengineer-us-infrastructure-374638">Also read |&nbsp;Biden outlines far-reaching plan to reengineer US infrastructure</a>

Biden also issued a directive to his Cabinet members, asking them to follow through on the "Buy American" executive action he took back in January.

Vice President Kamala Harris and White House chief of staff Ron Klain, both members of the Cabinet, were in attendance. And so were the 15 confirmed head of departments, plus seven Cabinet-level department heads.

The full Cabinet did not meet in the room that bears its name, and instead assembled in the more spacious East Room to allow for social distancing. All attendees, including the president, wore masks.&nbsp;

The focus of the meeting remained on packaging the benefits of the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill that Biden signed into law in March.

US President Joe Biden held his first in-person Cabinet meeting one day after announcing his massive infrastructure plan. Biden, at the meeting on Thursday afternoon, tasked five members of his Cabinet to take the lead on selling the infrastructure proposal to the American people and Congress.

US President Joe Biden held his first in-person Cabinet meeting one day after announcing his massive infrastructure plan. Biden, at the meeting on Thursday afternoon, tasked five members of his Cabinet to take the lead on selling the infrastructure proposal to the American people and Congress. The US president, in brief remarks at the top of the meeting, announced that Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia Fudge, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo would take on the additional responsibility. A Cabinet that looks like America. pic.twitter.com/XZNOSTE2GJ — President Biden (@POTUS) April 2, 2021 × "I want to thank them in advance for the role they're going to play with this added assignment I'm asking them to take on. And we'll be discussing that today, among other things," Biden said of the meeting. Also read | Biden outlines far-reaching plan to reengineer US infrastructure Biden also issued a directive to his Cabinet members, asking them to follow through on the "Buy American" executive action he took back in January. Vice President Kamala Harris and White House chief of staff Ron Klain, both members of the Cabinet, were in attendance. And so were the 15 confirmed head of departments, plus seven Cabinet-level department heads. The full Cabinet did not meet in the room that bears its name, and instead assembled in the more spacious East Room to allow for social distancing. All attendees, including the president, wore masks. The focus of the meeting remained on packaging the benefits of the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill that Biden signed into law in March.

Biden holds first Cabinet meeting a day after proposing infrastructure plan

The United States on Friday confirmed its participation in the meeting on the Iran nuclear deal next week and offered to talk directly with Tehran.&nbsp;

"These remain early days, and we don't anticipate an immediate breakthrough as there will be difficult discussions ahead. But we believe this is a healthy step forward," State Department spokesman Ned Price was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.&nbsp;

"We do not anticipate presently that there will be direct talks between the United States and Iran through this process, though the United States remains open to them."

Earlier on Friday, the European Union (EU) announced an in-person meeting of all parties in Vienna of the 2015 nuclear deal, named the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, from which the US under former president <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;pulled off.&nbsp;

Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-rejects-meeting-us-at-nuclear-deal-talks-in-vienna-375001">Iran rejects meeting US at nuclear deal talks in Vienna</a>

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif confirmed the Islamic Republic's presence in the meeting, but denied any meeting with the US, calling it "unnecessary".&nbsp;

The meeting aimed to "rapidly finalise sanction-lifting and nuclear measures for choreographed removal of all sanctions, followed by Iran ceasing remedial measures," Zarif said.&nbsp;

"No Iran-US meeting. Unnecessary," the Iranian foreign minister wrote on Twitter.&nbsp;

US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;has said that Washington would return to the nuclear accord if Tehran agrees to follow its commitments under the deal.

However, Iran has insisted on lifting off the sanctions imposed under Trump before beginning any negotiations.&nbsp;

 
&nbsp;

The United States on Friday confirmed its participation in the meeting on the Iran nuclear deal next week and offered to talk directly with Tehran. "These remain early days, and we don't anticipate an immediate breakthrough as there will be difficult discussions ahead.

The United States on Friday confirmed its participation in the meeting on the Iran nuclear deal next week and offered to talk directly with Tehran. "These remain early days, and we don't anticipate an immediate breakthrough as there will be difficult discussions ahead. But we believe this is a healthy step forward," State Department spokesman Ned Price was quoted as saying by news agency AFP. "We do not anticipate presently that there will be direct talks between the United States and Iran through this process, though the United States remains open to them." Earlier on Friday, the European Union (EU) announced an in-person meeting of all parties in Vienna of the 2015 nuclear deal, named the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, from which the US under former president Donald Trump pulled off. Also read | Iran rejects meeting US at nuclear deal talks in Vienna Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif confirmed the Islamic Republic's presence in the meeting, but denied any meeting with the US, calling it "unnecessary". The meeting aimed to "rapidly finalise sanction-lifting and nuclear measures for choreographed removal of all sanctions, followed by Iran ceasing remedial measures," Zarif said. "No Iran-US meeting. Unnecessary," the Iranian foreign minister wrote on Twitter. US President Joe Biden has said that Washington would return to the nuclear accord if Tehran agrees to follow its commitments under the deal. However, Iran has insisted on lifting off the sanctions imposed under Trump before beginning any negotiations.

US confirms participation in nuclear deal meet, 'open' to talk with Iran

Indian Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/narendra-modi">Narendra Modi </a>will be attending the 2-day virtual summit on climate change being hosted by US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a>. Washington has invited 40 countries for the summit that will take place from April 22 to April 23. In South Asia, Prime Minister of India, Bhutan's Lotay Tshering and Bangladesh's Sheikh Hasina have been invited, with the notable absence of Pakistani PM Imran Khan. &nbsp;

Confirming PM Modi attending the summit, Spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs Arindam Bagchi said, "President Biden of US, invited PM Modi to attend the climate leaders' summit that will happen virtually...PM welcomed President Biden's initiative and accepted the invitation".

Summit will reconvene the US-led Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, which brings together 17 countries responsible for approximately 80 per cent of global emissions and global GDP. The is the 2nd time both leaders will take part in a virtual meet. March saw both leaders together for the first Quad virtual summit.

Ahead of the summit, US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry will be in India from April 5 to April 8. John Kerry will be the second top Biden Administration official to visit India in the last one month. March saw the visit of US Defense secretary Lloyd Austin.

Arindam said, "purpose of the visit will be discussing the forthcoming climate leaders' summit and climate issues in general in the context of 26th 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference."

 
&nbsp;

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be attending the 2-day virtual summit on climate change being hosted by US President Joe Biden. Washington has invited 40 countries for the summit that will take place from April 22 to April 23.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be attending the 2-day virtual summit on climate change being hosted by US President Joe Biden. Washington has invited 40 countries for the summit that will take place from April 22 to April 23. In South Asia, Prime Minister of India, Bhutan's Lotay Tshering and Bangladesh's Sheikh Hasina have been invited, with the notable absence of Pakistani PM Imran Khan. Confirming PM Modi attending the summit, Spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs Arindam Bagchi said, "President Biden of US, invited PM Modi to attend the climate leaders' summit that will happen virtually...PM welcomed President Biden's initiative and accepted the invitation". Summit will reconvene the US-led Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, which brings together 17 countries responsible for approximately 80 per cent of global emissions and global GDP. The is the 2nd time both leaders will take part in a virtual meet. March saw both leaders together for the first Quad virtual summit. Ahead of the summit, US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry will be in India from April 5 to April 8. John Kerry will be the second top Biden Administration official to visit India in the last one month. March saw the visit of US Defense secretary Lloyd Austin. Arindam said, "purpose of the visit will be discussing the forthcoming climate leaders' summit and climate issues in general in the context of 26th 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference."

Indian PM Modi to attend US President Biden's climate summit

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