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DHS chief says that border problem is extra acute than earlier than

DHS chief says that border challenge is more acute than before

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas speaks during a press conference at the White House in Washington on March 1, 2021.

Kevin Lemarque | Reuters

Homeland Security chief Alejandro Mayorkas said Sunday the surge in unaccompanied minors on the U.S.-Mexico border is an unprecedented challenge as action has been taken under former President Donald Trump as critics accuse the current White House of not up To be prepared for a humanitarian crisis is the nation’s doorstep.

“There was a system in both the Republican and Democratic governments that was torn down during the Trump administration, and so the challenge is more acute than ever,” Mayorkas told CNN’s State of the Union.

Mayorkas appeared on CNN, NBC and Fox on Sunday to defend President Joe Biden’s administration as it scrutinized the record number of children held in prison-like customs and border guards, including thousands over the legal limit of 72 Hours go out.

The Biden administration reversed a Trump-era policy of expelling unaccompanied minors arrested at the border and instead admitting them to the United States for processing. Republicans, Democrats and human rights activists have criticized the conditions in which children are being held.

Critics said the policy change has encouraged unaccompanied children to make the dangerous journey at a time when the U.S. does not have the infrastructure to properly care for them.

Mayorkas has previously said there is no crisis on the border, despite admitting the US is well on its way to meeting more people on the southwest border than it has ever done in the past two decades.

The Biden administration has set up the Federal Emergency Management Agency to quickly place children under the care of the Department of Health and Human Services until they are placed with a family member in the US or with a sponsor while their immigration cases progress.

NBC News and other media outlets have been denied access to the facilities where unaccompanied children are held. Requests for photos inside the facilities were also denied.

Mayorkas said on Sunday that his department will allow the media access to Border Patrol facilities if it can be done safely under Covid-19’s health protocols. The Trump administration gave media access to facilities at the height of the controversy over its child segregation policy in 2018.

After visiting a border agency, Senator Chris Murphy, D-Conn. Wrote on Twitter Friday that he “fought back” the tears and spoke to a 13-year-old girl who, through an interpreter, explained “how scared she was after seeing them had been.” separated from her grandmother and without her parents. “

Mayorkas, who was urged to set a time frame for the control of the border situation by the federal government, refused. He said the goal is to be able to meet the 72-hour time limit as quickly as possible.

“I have repeatedly said from the start that a border guard station is not a place for a child, and that’s why we are working around the clock to get these children out of the border guards and into the care of the children. Ministry of Health and Human Services, that protects them, “said Mayorkas.

According to NBC News, 5,049 unaccompanied children were in CBP detention as of Saturday.

Mayorkas said the Biden administration’s approach was more humane than Trump’s. On Murphy’s tweet, Mayorkas said the 13-year-old girl would have been removed from the United States under the previous administration.

“We will not give up our values ​​and principles. We will not give up the needs of vulnerable children. That is what this is about,” Mayorkas said.

In addition to the challenges caused by the Trump administration, the DHS secretary also cited the Covid-19 crisis as a complicating factor.

“We are in the middle of a pandemic and that makes operations a lot more difficult,” he said.

In each of the three networks in which he appeared on Sunday, Mayorkas repeated that the border was “closed”. He told the migrants not to attempt to cross the US-Mexico border at this time.

“We urge – and the message is clear – urgently not to do this now. I cannot exaggerate the dangers of the journey you are making,” Mayorkas said on NBC’s Meet the Press.

The situation on the border makes it difficult for the Democrats to reform bipartisan immigration.

The House of Representatives passed two bills last week that would pave the way for citizenship or the legal status of millions of undocumented immigrants, but the legislature faces an uphill battle in the Senate.

A more ambitious comprehensive immigration reform package, backed by the White House and introduced in Congress in February, appears to be receiving less support.

Mayorkas was confirmed by the Senate on February 2nd with 56-43 votes.

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$325,000 Settlement for Trainer Over Trump References Eliminated From Yearbook

$325,000 Settlement for Teacher Over Trump References Removed From Yearbook

For years, Susan Parsons said she had been directed by administrators to remove “controversial” content from the yearbook for Wall Township, NJ high school

Ms. Parsons, a teacher and yearbook advisor, said in court records that she was required to “erase” a feminist bumper sticker on a student’s laptop, Photoshop clothing on shirtless students, and questionable hand movements on a school trip to Bermuda.

But it wasn’t until 2017 that a particular issue got Ms. Parsons and the district into a national firestorm over freedom of expression and political opinion.

Ms. Parsons was suspended after removing a reference to Donald J. Trump on a student’s shirt, which drew widespread news media attention and death threats, according to a lawsuit she filed against the school district.

Ms. Parsons said she had been instructed by the director’s secretary to remove Mr. Trump’s name and “Make America Great Again” slogan. Ms. Parsons was then publicly scapegoated and silenced by the district, the lawsuit said.

On Tuesday, the county council approved a $ 325,000 settlement to resolve their claims. About $ 204,000 will be paid to Ms. Parsons and the remainder will cover her legal fees and expenses, according to the settlement, according to which the district’s insurers will pay the costs.

“We are delighted that Susan was able to achieve the justice she deserves,” said Christopher J. Eibeler, her lawyer, on Saturday. Under the agreement previously reported by NJ.com, the district denied any wrongdoing.

The district and its attorney did not respond to requests for comment on Saturday. Cheryl Dyer, who was the superintendent at the time the photo was changed, said she had retired from the district and could no longer speak for it.

In her lawsuit, Ms. Parsons said it was unethical to heavily edit yearbook photos and complained to the administration that the “yearbook should reflect reality”.

In December 2016, she was told to remove the reference to Mr. Trump on the student’s shirt after going to the administration office to pick up drafts of the yearbook pages.

Ms Parsons said she agreed to change the photo but was confronted by the student after the yearbooks were handed out in June 2017. “Why did you remove the word Trump from my shirt?” Asked the student. She told him to speak to the headmaster.

Later that day, one of the student’s parents emailed Ms. Parsons saying the student’s picture was “edited without his / our permission.”

“I would like to understand who made this decision,” said the email according to the lawsuit. “We thought the shirt he was wearing was appropriate.”

Two other students then complained that a Trump logo and a quote attributed to Mr. Trump had been removed from the yearbook.

Ms. Parsons said in her suit that the logo was cut out by a photo seller and that a student who was working on the yearbook accidentally left off the quote. Even so, outrage has already exploded in Wall, a community of about 25,000 people near the Jersey Shore that voted for Mr. Trump in 2016 and 2020.

Ms. Parsons said the school authorities had launched a public campaign to protect themselves from responsibility by creating a “false narrative” blaming them for the changes.

For example, Ms. Dyer sent a letter to parents on June 9, 2017, in which, according to court records, she falsely stated that “the high school administration had no knowledge of political censorship and does not condone our students.”

On June 12, 2017, the student, whose logo had been removed, appeared on one of Mr. Trump’s favorite programs, Fox & Friends, and said, “The person or persons who did this should be held accountable, as this is a violation of mine and other people’s initial customization rights. “

That same day, Ms. Parsons said, she was called to a meeting with Ms. Dyer and suspended. Days later, Mr. Trump drew more attention to the subject and deciphered the “yearbook censorship” in high school in a Facebook post.

Recognition…via Susan Parsons

Ms. Dyer said at the time that the changes in the yearbook were “Censorship and the Possible Violation of First Adjustment Rights.”

“This claim is taken very seriously and a thorough investigation into what happened is being vigorously pursued,” she said in a 2017 statement. The student dress code did not prevent students from expressing their political views or becoming a political figure support said she said.

Ms. Parsons told the New York Post: “We have never done anything against a political party.” This prompted Ms. Dyer to email Ms. Parsons’ union representative to remind her that she did not have permission to speak to the newspaper.

Ms. Parsons said the superintendent cited a district media policy that was like a “gag order” preventing her from defending herself.

Recognition…New Jersey Supreme Court

Ms. Parsons, who said on court records she voted for Mr. Trump in 2016, said she was soon inundated with hate mail and harassing phone messages referring to her as a Nazi, communist, anti-American and “traitorous liberal.” ”

She said she was afraid to use her name when ordering takeout and was worried that the drivers might try to beat her if she went on bike tours.

When she returned to school in September 2017, she was “disrespected and ridiculed” by students and others who accused her of removing Trump references from the yearbook.

She sued the district in May 2019 and retired in February 2020.

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Congressional fundraisers foyer corporations that suspended donations after Capitol riot

Congressional fundraisers lobby companies that suspended donations after Capitol riot

The supporters of US President Donald Trump gather in front of the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Probal Rashid | LightRocket | Getty Images

Fundraisers for congressional candidates and party campaign groups are campaigning for companies to resume political donations after many have suspended their contributions, according to those familiar with the matter.

Dozens of companies have at least temporarily suspended donations from their political action committees following the January 6 uprising in the Capitol that resulted in at least five deaths. That day, more than 145 Republican lawmakers – encouraged by then-President Donald Trump – voted to contest the results of the electoral college that certifies Joe Biden as the next president.

Most companies have since stated that they are reviewing the policies of their PACs that they will be giving money to in the future. Some companies decided to pause indefinitely posts for GOP lawmakers who questioned election results. Other companies chose to suspend donations to candidates across the political spectrum.

These corporate PACs can typically give up to $ 5,000 to a candidate and around $ 15,000 to a national party committee.

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Fundraisers for individual candidates running for reelection in Senate and House races – along with fundraisers for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the Senatorial Democratic Campaign Committee, the National Republican Congress Committee, and the National Republican Senatorial Committee – have turned to corporations encouraging them to resolve their restrictions to pick up and make contributions again, people said.

They spoke on condition of anonymity in order to speak freely about ongoing private conversations.

The NRCC recently put together a list of corporate donation guidelines that fundraisers are expected to use as a tool to persuade companies to donate again, one respondent said.

People and groups with ties to Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell have actively reached out to companies to get them to donate again, another person said.

Representatives of the congressional committees did not return a request for comment. Some companies did not deny being contacted by political fundraisers.

However, computer giant Dell Technologies said it has no plans to change its mind.

“We have no intention of re-examining the decision to suspend contributions to members of Congress whose statements and activities during the post-election period did not comply with Dell Technologies principles,” a company spokesman told CNBC. “Our employee-run PAC Board meets regularly to review current events and vote on important decisions such as changes to PAC submissions. All PAC submissions are publicly known so you can stay informed of future updates.”

JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup officials said they are continuing to review their policies and refuse to comment. Both banks took a break and began reevaluating their PACs’ contributions.

A Goldman Sachs spokesman said the bank hadn’t heard from anyone when they could make contributions again. A UPS spokeswoman said the company’s stance on post interruption was unchanged and, to the best of her knowledge, the company had not heard from anyone on the matter.

Some other companies, including Amazon, Facebook, AT&T, and Marriott, haven’t returned requests for comments.

The candidates are preparing for the 2022 mid-term elections, in which a third of the Senate and all of the House’s seats will be up for grabs. The elections are expected to be expensive, and fundraisers believe they will need corporate money to replenish the campaign fund.

The Democrats, who have the smallest majority in the Senate, have 14 seats for re-election in that chamber. Republicans have 20 Senate seats up for re-election, including Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana, who questioned the 2020 election results. Cook Political Report rates its seat as a “solid Republican”. Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., Ted Cruz, R-Texas and other Senators who pushed back the 2020 election results will not stand for re-election next year.

Axios reported on March 7th that the NRSC had the greatest success in collecting digital donations using Hawley’s name compared to any other Senator except the chairman of the committee, Senator Rick Scott of Florida.

Democratic fundraisers are urging companies to resume donations, citing their determination to oust Republican lawmakers who encouraged and advocated the false election narrative that sparked the uprising.

Republican fundraisers, on the other hand, have warned donors of the Democrats’ intent to raise the corporate tax rate.

Since the January uprising, some companies and groups of companies have announced their plans for the interim campaign.

Microsoft announced last month that its PAC will “suspend contributions for the duration of the 2022 election cycle to all members of Congress who have voted against the certification of voters.” The company added that the PAC would “suspend contributions for the same period of time to government officials and organizations that supported such objections or suggested that the election be overturned”.

The Chamber of Commerce said in a March memo it would not continue its ban on contributions to lawmakers who questioned election results. The Business Advocacy Group said it would “evaluate our support for candidates – Republicans and Democrats – based on their position on issues of concern to the Chamber and their demonstrated commitment to government and the rebuilding of our democratic institutions.”

“We do not believe that it is appropriate to judge members of Congress solely by their votes on the election certificate,” said the chamber.

Correction: This story has been updated to reflect a UPS spokeswoman said the company’s stance on political contributions was unchanged. In a previous version, the company name was incorrectly specified.

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Biden Clashes With China and Russia in First 60 Days

Biden Clashes With China and Russia in First 60 Days

The path to power is to build new networks instead of disrupting old ones. Economists are debating when the Chinese will have the world’s largest gross domestic product – perhaps by the end of this decade – and whether they can achieve their other two major national goals: building the most powerful military in the world and dominating the race for key technologies by 2049. Anniversary of Mao’s Revolution.

Their power does not stem from their relatively small nuclear arsenal or their growing supply of conventional weapons. Instead, it stems from their growing economic power and the way they use their government-subsidized technology to connect nations like Latin America or the Middle East, Africa or Eastern Europe with 5G wireless networks that keep them ever closer to Beijing should. It comes from the undersea cables that they wind up around the world to make these networks run on Chinese circuitry.

Ultimately, it will come from how they use these networks to make other nations dependent on Chinese technology. Once that happens, the Chinese could export some of their authoritarianism, for example by selling facial recognition software from other nations that would enable them to contain dissent at home.

Because of this, Jake Sullivan, Mr Biden’s National Security Advisor, who was with Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken while meeting his Chinese counterparts in Anchorage, warned in a number of writings over the past few years that it could be a mistake to say so assume that China wants to prevail by directly taking over the US military in the Pacific.

“The central premises of this alternative approach would be that economic and technological power is more fundamental than traditional military power in building global leadership,” he wrote, “and that physical influence in East Asia is not a necessary condition for sustaining it.” such a guide. “

The Trump administration came to similar conclusions, but only released a real strategy for dealing with China weeks before leaving office. Attempts to strangle Huawei, China’s national telecom champion, and take control of social media apps like TikTok ended as a disorganized effort in which allies who thought of buying Chinese technology were often threatened and angry .

Part of the goal of the Alaska meeting was to convince the Chinese that the Biden government is determined to compete with Beijing across the board to offer competitive technologies like semiconductor manufacturing and artificial intelligence, albeit billions in spending on government-led research means development projects and new industrial partnerships with Europe, India, Japan and Australia.

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Biden’s closest advisors have ties to huge enterprise with some making thousands and thousands

Biden’s closest advisors have ties to big business with some making millions

United States President Joe Biden speaks on vaccination status during a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) response in the East Room of the White House in Washington on March 18, 2021.

Carlos Barria | Reuters

President Joe Biden’s closest advisors are tied to big business and Wall Street. Some make millions of dollars in their careers before joining the White House.

Senior Biden personnel listed in the disclosures include Chief of Staff Ron Klain, Deputy Chief of Staff Jen O’Malley Dillon, Senior Advisor Mike Donilon, White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Jeffrey Zients, and Director of the National Economic Council, Brian Deese.

These figures show that many of the President’s closest associates are closely connected to the business community and have made more money in their previous corporate careers than previously known.

This information was made available to CNBC by the White House early Saturday morning after the documents were requested the day before. None of these positions have been confirmed by the Senate. Many of these advisors are already linked to Biden’s campaign or the administration of former President Barack Obama.

A White House spokesman did not return a follow-up request for comment.

Deese was previously Global Head of Sustainable Investing at BlackRock before becoming head of the National Economic Council. During his tenure with the investment firm, Deese’s disclosure reveals that he has made over $ 2.3 million in salaries and bonuses. Its disclosure also suggests that Deese could have made an additional $ 2.4 million through BlackRock’s restricted share plan.

Klain, who was an executive at the venture capital firm Revolution prior to joining the White House, had a salary of $ 1.8 million. He started with the company in 2005.

O’Malley Dillon, who led Biden’s campaign before joining the White House, co-founded the consulting firm Precision Strategies. The company’s founders are credited with supporting Obama in the re-election in 2012.

O’Malley Dillon’s new financial disclosure provides a glimpse into the business advice she provided to the company before joining the White House. The file lists Gates Ventures as a client of O’Malley Dillon when she was with Precision Strategies.

According to PitchBook, Gates Ventures is a venture capital company founded by billionaire Bill Gates. The current White House Deputy Chief of Staff also advised the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, the philanthropic arm of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan.

Other companies that saw their leadership were General Electric and Lyft. O’Malley Dillon’s deferred compensation and severance payment from Precision is reported to be in excess of $ 420,000.

Prior to joining the White House, Donilon was an executive member of MCD Strategies, a media consultancy. His filing shows that he has generated over $ 4 million in revenue as the head of his consulting firm. Donilon lists the Biden Campaign and the Democratic National Convention Committee as two of his clients.

Zients was the CEO of Wall Street investment firm Cranemere before becoming senior advisor to the White House in Biden on the coronavirus pandemic. His financial disclosure shows that he had a combined salary and bonus of $ 1.6 million. As a board member of Facebook, the new report reveals that he made over $ 330,000.

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Confronting Violence In opposition to Asians, Biden Says That ‘We Can’t Be Complicit’

Confronting Violence Against Asians, Biden Says That ‘We Cannot Be Complicit’

“I know that you feel like you have a black hole in your chest to be drawn into and things will never get better,” he said. “But our prayers are with you. And I assure you, the one you lost will always be with you, always with you. “

The president’s ability to show empathy towards those who are suffering is in contrast to Mr Trump, who struggled to convey a sense of somber support at such moments. (His thumbs-up grinning photo in a hospital after a mass shooting in El Paso sparked a backlash of angry comments about his visit.) Mr. Biden frequently accused him during a grief-stricken pandemic campaign Opponent, having no real empathy for those who suffer.

Mr Biden also accused his predecessor of accepting and fueling the racial struggle that has upset the country and sparked acts of violence like the one that broke out in Atlanta on Tuesday. It was Mr. Trump’s response to racial violence in Charlottesville, Virginia in 2017 – and especially his comment on “good people” among the white supremacist rioters – that motivated him to run for president, Mr. Biden has often said .

Moments of grief after mass shootings can be particularly challenging for any president. You need the ability to comfort those who mourn the loss of loved ones while offering optimism and hope to a nation that is often badly shaken by the horror of what has just happened.

In 2012, after 20 young children were killed by an armed man in Newtown, Connecticut, President Barack Obama concluded his remarks at a memorial service by slowly reading their names one by one while some in the audience wept.

Three years later, after finishing his eulogy for Rev. Clementa Pinckney, who was shot along with eight others while studying the Bible in a church in Charleston, SC, Mr. Obama sang “Amazing Grace” and made the church do his Feet and touch the heart of the land.

Similar to this moment, Mr. Biden is now facing not only a cruel rampage, but also an episode marked by racist tensions. And, like during Mr. Obama’s tenure, the words of empathy will be followed by difficult questions about what the federal government can or should do to prevent the tragic scene from recurring again.

Sabrina Tavernise contributed to the coverage.

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Biden urges Congress to cross hate crime laws over violence in opposition to Asian Individuals

Biden urges Congress to pass hate crime legislation over violence against Asian Americans

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“Although we don’t yet understand the motive, as I said last week, we strongly condemn the ongoing crisis of gender-based and anti-Asian violence that has long plagued our nation,” Biden said in a statement.

It was also approved the day after a Congressional hearing on violence against Asian Americans, the first in 34 years.

Biden and several lawmakers and activists at Thursday’s hearing urged Congress to pass the hate crime law introduced earlier this month by Rep. Grace Meng, DN.Y., and Sen. Mazie K. Hirono, D-Hawaii.

Senator Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, is seen during the Senate Justice Committee confirmation hearing for Merrick Garland, who has been appointed Attorney General, on Monday, February 22, 2021.

Tom Williams | CQ Appeal, Inc. | Getty Images

A study by the Stop AAPI Hate advocacy group published on Tuesday recorded 3,795 reports of hate incidents against Asian Americans and islanders in the Pacific between March 19, 2020 and February 28, 2021.

Incidents include verbal abuse, physical assault, workplace discrimination, and online harassment, among others. Many of the incidents were reported retrospectively from 2020.

The group stresses that the record represents only a fraction of the number of hate incidents Asian Americans have experienced across the country.

Some political leaders and supporters noted during the congressional hearing that hate crime legislation does not necessarily affect all forms of hatred that Asian Americans experience.

At a press conference in Atlanta Thursday morning, Georgian MP Bee Nguyen said: “Laws against hate crimes are not preventive. They will subsequently be used as a law enforcement tool.”

Prosecuting hate crimes requires law enforcement to find evidence that incidents are racially motivated.

“While many of the recent anti-Asian incidents may not fit the legal definition of a hate crime, these attacks nonetheless create an unacceptable environment of fear and terror in Asian American communities,” said Rep Steve Cohen, D-Tenn House Hearing.

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Louisiana Particular Election Units Up a Democratic Showdown

Louisiana Special Election Sets Up a Democratic Showdown

However, Ms. Peterson’s best applause could also reflect her best chance of prevailing.

“There has never been an African American woman in Washington in the history of Louisiana in the federal delegation,” she said. “When women aren’t at the table, we’re usually on the menu.”

At a moment when black women want to see more of their peers in positions of power – a view that makes up a large part of the democratic base when black women run in high profile elections in places like New York City, Virginia and Ohio this year – this is it Message clearly in response.

“I’m all for women now, we just need a representation,” said Angela Steib, a Donaldsonville resident who attended the meeting.

For his part, Mr. Carter is quick to point out his support from a number of local women leaders, including the Helena Moreno, President of the New Orleans City Council – and to say that he would be more effective in Washington than Ms. Peterson because she acknowledges she is persistent.

“We have a completely different style,” he said.

Philosophically, the two weren’t that far apart in the past. But Ms. Peterson has tried to outstrip Mr. Carter on the left in this race by portraying herself as an insurgent, despite her service as former state chairman and her list of endorsements, which include support from Stacey Abrams and Emily’s List , trumpets, the group that supports women who are for abortion rights.

When asked to describe her political style, she avoided an ideological label and instead called herself “responsive” and “honest”. Mr. Carter said, “I’m center left.”

In a sleepy spring special election, however, the winner can be determined by which of the two top candidates has a stronger organization. Both have long histories in the local office, both have sought this seat in the past and have been financially competitive despite Emily’s ruse given Ms. Peterson third party help that Mr. Carter lacks on the radio waves.

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Biden calls on U.S. to unite towards hate concentrating on Asian People

Biden calls on U.S. to unite against hate targeting Asian Americans

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris called on the US to unite against hatred and speak out against violence against Asian Americans in a speech in Atlanta on Friday.

“Harm to one of us is harm to all of us,” said Harris, the country’s first Asian-American vice president.

The public statements came after the President and Vice President met with Asian American leaders in Georgia after the Atlanta area rampage that killed eight people, including six Asian women.

While law enforcement was still investigating the suspect’s motive, both Biden and Harris realized: the shootings are taking place amid mounting discrimination and violence against Asians and Asian Americans, and the country must work together to address the problem.

“Hate and violence are often hidden in public. There is often silence,” said Biden. “Our silence is complicit. We cannot be complicit. We have to express ourselves. We have to act.”

“It is up to all of us, all of us together, to stop it,” said the president, emphasizing that “words have consequences”.

Biden called on Congress to pass hate crime law to combat the rise in violence against Asian Americans during the Covid pandemic and the law against violence against women.

“I believe with every fiber in my being there are simply some core values ​​and beliefs that should bring us together as Americans, and one of them stands together against hatred, against racism – the ugly poison that has long plagued our nation . ” Said Biden.

President Joe Biden speaks after meeting executives from the Georgian Asian-American and Pacific islander communities at Emory University in Atlanta on Friday, March 19, 2021 while Vice President Kamala Harris listens.

Patrick Semansky | AP

The president, who himself mourned the loss of family members, offered words of comfort to the families of those who lost their lives in the shootings.

“I assure you the one you lost will always be with you,” said Biden. “The day will come when her memory will bring a smile to your face before it brings a tear to your eye, incredible as this is. It will be a while. And I promise you it will come. When it does doing that, it’s the day you know you will make it. “

The meeting with Asian American lawmakers and community advocates was held at Emory University, where Biden and Harris later made their comments.

The Atlanta visit, Biden and Harris’ first trip together since taking office, was originally part of a national tour that announced the passage of the $ 1.9 trillion Covid aid package. The White House announced Thursday that it would postpone the planned political event after the deadly shootings and focus on increasing discrimination and violence against Asian Americans.

The President and Vice-President will also meet with experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for information on the Covid pandemic.

Biden and Harris also planned to meet with proxy and former gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams during their visit to Atlanta, a White House official told NBC News.

The official said Abrams “played a leading role in accessing voting and protecting voters, and she will be an important partner in taking important action in this important area in the future.”

Abrams is widely credited for her years of electoral mobilization efforts that fueled Georgia’s democratic victories in the November presidential runoff and January Senate runoff.

The President and Vice President meeting with Abrams comes as civil rights activists in Georgia roll back voting restrictions proposed by Republican lawmakers. The activists are calling on Biden and Congress to pass federal voting rights, such as the For the People Act introduced in the Senate on Wednesday.

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Tom Reed Disputes Groping Allegation

Tom Reed Disputes Groping Allegation

New York Republican Representative Tom Reed on Friday denied the accuracy of a news report listing allegations made by a former lobbyist who said he inappropriately touched her during a political weekend trip in 2017.

The woman, Nicolette Davis, told the Washington Post that she was a 25-year-old lobbyist for the Aflac insurance company when Mr. Reed fingered her after a day ice fishing with donors, politicians and lobbyists in an Irish pub in Minneapolis. The congressman was drunk, she said, and while he was sitting at the bar, he put his hand on her back, untied her bra through her blouse, and ran his hand over her thigh before Ms. Davis asked the man next to her to intervene.

Reed, 49, who has served in the House of Representatives since 2010 and is currently considering running a New York gubernatorial run, declined to discuss the allegation with reporters at the Capitol on Friday. In a statement, he said that the “account of my actions is incorrect,” but he did not directly elaborate or deny the encounter. His spokesman did not respond to detailed follow-up questions, including the specific allegations that the congressman denied.

Ms. Davis, now a lieutenant in the Army, could not be reached. She told the Post that although she was a lifelong Democrat, her “conscience” and desire to set an example for others had led her to publicly share her story.

Jon A. Sullivan, a spokesman for Aflac, confirmed Friday that Ms. Davis sent a text message to one of her colleagues asking for “HELP” when Mr. Reed rubbed her back. She also reported the episode to another colleague shortly after it happened, he said.

“When this matter was reported to non-attending officers and colleagues, we immediately supported and advised Nicolette so that she could personally determine how to proceed to bring to light this deeply troubling experience.” he said in a statement emailed. “Aflac continues to support Nicolette 100 percent as we strongly condemn any form of abuse or harassment.”

The Post said Ms. Davis contacted the newspaper through her tip line in mid-February. The newspaper also spoke to a person who said they saw a visibly drunk Mr. Reed put his hand on Ms. Davis’ back and describe the report on condition of anonymity.

Ms. Davis also recently reported the incident to the Army, which referred him to the Minneapolis Police Department. Cynthia O Smith, an army spokeswoman, referred a reporter to the city police department who refused to comment.

Mr Reed told Fox News in February that he was “seriously” considering running for governor in 2022. He was an outspoken critic of Governor Andrew Cuomo, calling on the Democrats to resign or be charged with sexual allegations and harassment other wrongdoing. He called the governor’s behavior “disruptive and unacceptable”.

“I’ve been asked by many people to do this for months because I think they appreciate the way I rule,” Reed said in February ahead of the numerous harassment charges against Cuomo. “Don’t rule through arrogance, bullying like Governor Cuomo, but try to bring people together as proud Republicans.”

Mr. Reed is a former mayor of Corning, NY, who now represents a large rural district in the western part of the state, including Ithaca and parts of the Finger Lakes. As chairman of the bipartisan House Problem Solvers Caucus, Mr. Reed has built a reputation in Washington as a Republican middle of the street eager to work with Democrats on sensitive political issues.

He was a vocal advocate of sexual harassment training for members of Congress and their staff, and wrote a comment for the Huffington Post in 2014 to raise awareness about sexual assault.

Jennifer Steinhauer contributed to the reporting.