Biden news – live: President promises to act on gas prices as inflation at four-decade high

The White House is today managing the fallout from new data showing that consumer prices last year rose at their fastest clip since 1981, wiping out many of the pay rises Americans had received during the post-Covid recovery. The numbers come just as a new poll shows Joe Biden’s already low approval rating sinking to new depths.

His overall rating now stands in the low 40s, having plunged below the 50-point mark around the time of the withdrawal from Afghanistan. The electorate apparently hold him in even lower esteem when it comes to his handling of specific issues like crime and immigration.

Meanwhile, Mr Biden announced new gun regulations on Monday to rein in so-called “ghost guns” – privately made firearms without serial numbers that have been used in several high-profile violent crimes.

Mr Biden also nominated Steve Dettlebach, an Obama-era US attorney, to run the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, making the announcement at an event in the grounds of the White House.

Follow live updates below

Key points

• Biden unveils regulations targeting ghost guns

• US presses India for hard line on Russia

• Biden nominates Obama-era US attorney to lead ATF

• Tucker Carlson says anyone talking about ghost guns is a ‘propagandist’

White House asks why GOP lawmaker wants to defund federal law enforcement

19:00 , Oliver O'Connell

White House Rapid Response Director Mike Gwin has responded to a tweet by Republican Florida state representative Anthony Sabitini who called for the abolition of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.

Mr Sabitini tweeted: “Abolish the ATF.”

To which Mr Gwin responded: “Why do Republicans want to defund federal law enforcement efforts against gun crime?”

The tweet comes after President Joe Biden named Steve Dettlebach, an Obama-era US attorney, ashis nominee to lead the agency.

Mr Sabitini is running to represent Florida in the US Congress and has the endorsements of the America First wing of the GOP, including Marjorie Taylor Greene, Matt Gaetz, and Madison Cawthorn.

His Twitter account features frequent out-of-context soundbites, including: “MAGA”, “The Clintons are the worst people in the history of the world”, and “Bidenflation”.

Voices: What a Trump-district Democrat can teach her colleagues about how to win

18:30 , Oliver O'Connell

Cindy Axne represents one of only 16 rare ‘crossover districts’: a district that voted for a member of Congress opposite of how it voted for president. Eric Garcia looks at what other Democrats could learn from her.

What a Trump-district Democrat can teach her colleagues about how to win

White House: Biden speaks with Johnson

18:00 , Oliver O'Connell

The president has reportedly held a secure call today with his British counterpart, Boris Johnson. The two were likely discussing the western response to the war in Ukraine; we may never find out whether they touched on the subject of Mr Johnson’s fine for breaching Covid-19 restrictions.

ICYMI: Biden’s sister on the Hunter scandal

17:30 , Andrew Naughtie

While promoting her memoir, Joe Biden’s sister Valerie appeared on CBS this morning to discuss her brother’s presidency – as well as the allegations of corrupt dealings levelled at his son, Hunter, which she said are without substance.

Watch her remarks below:

A Democrat goes hard on border security

17:00 , Andrew Naughtie

New Hampshire Democrat Maggie Hassan, whose Senate seat is one of the Republicans’ top targets this November, has been on a trip to the US-Mexico border in an attempt to shore up her anti-immigration personal brand with conservative voters in her purple-tinged state.

As The Independent’s Eric Garcia writes, this may be out of step with her party’s mainstream, but it’s hardly out of character.

Manchin gives Democrats a warning after inflation numbers

16:33 , Andrew Naughtie

West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin, whose intransigence on various points has held up much of Joe Biden’s agenda, has given his thoughts on today’s stark inflation numbers – and in a worrying sign for Democrats, he has used them to dig into his hawkish position on new spending.

Polling on inflation ranks Biden as top culprit

15:45 , Andrew Naughtie

NBC News has been polling Americans to see who and what they most blame for rampant inflation in the US, and based on recent numbers, Joe Biden is the most widely blamed:

Biden briefed on Brooklyn shooting – Psaki

15:30 , Andrew Naughtie

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki tweets that Joe Biden has been given the latest information about the subway shooting in Brooklyn.

Details of the incident are still emerging, but a hunt is underway for a shooter who attacked some 13 people and released what may have been a smokebomb.

Everything we know about the Brooklyn subway shooting

NY Lieutenant Governor arrested for bribery conspiracy

15:17 , Andrew Naughtie

The second-most-senior official in New York state, Lieutenant Governor Brian Benjamin, has been arrested on a charge that he wrongfully directed state funds to a real estate investor in Harlem in exchange for pushing through thousands of dollars of illegal contributiosn to a failed political campaign of his own.

Gustaf Kilander reports:

New York Lieutenant Governor Brian Benjamin arrested for conspiring to commit bribery

House Democrats outpacing Republicans in fundraising

14:41 , Andrew Naughtie

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee which oversees the party’s effort to hold and gain seats in the House of Representatives, appears to be steaming ahead of its Republican counterpart. The inflow of money is a rare bit of good news for Democrats in a year that’s seen a strikingly high number of their representatives retire rather than face disillusioned voters in November.

The Jimmy Carter comparisons begin...

14:17 , Andrew Naughtie

The fact that inflation is at its highest since late 1981 is already drawing comparisons between Joe Biden and his Democratic predecessor Jimmy Carter, who presided over a period of economic malaise that turned around under Ronald Reagan.

But even if the comparison is apt, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s all bad news for Democrats...

US consumer price inflation at four-decade high

13:40 , Andrew Naughtie

The news is out: inflation in the US jumped 8.5 per cent last year, a figure unseen since the deep economic malaise that still lingered in 1981.

Costs for food, gasoline, housing and other goods all surged, meaning that what pay rises people had received during the post-Covid economic revival were overriden.

Eric Garcia reports:

US Inflation rate jumps by 8.5 per cent in 40-year high in bad news for Joe Biden

Watch: Joe Biden’s sister on his 2024 prospects

13:15 , Andrew Naughtie

The president’s sister, Valerie Biden Owens, has brought out a memoir of a life that’s seen her consistently involved with her brother’s political ventures. Yesterday, she appeared on CBS to discuss her experience, her relationship with the president – whom she said should run for re-election – and defended her nephew, Hunter, who faces federal investigations into his business dealings.

Read more below from Eric Garcia.

Joe Biden’s sister defends his son Hunter and says Trump only wants to harm family

White House cat update: Willow settles in

12:43 , Andrew Naughtie

As far as White House pets go, dogs have gotten most of the attention in recent years. But in a video released yesterday, the current administration has offered an update on the life of its new feline resident, Willow:

Obama: Biden and Harris are ‘committed to progress'

12:10 , Andrew Naughtie

Coming off his appearance at the White House last week, Barack Obama has tweeted out a message of praise for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, hailing them as agents of “progress” as they try to safeguard and improve the Affordable Care Act.

Mr Obama remains very popular with much of the Democratic base, and it is hoped by some that his return to the campaigning fray could help boost various candidates in an extremely concerning midterm year.

ICYMI: A new low for Biden’s approval rating

11:41 , Andrew Naughtie

The US withdrawal from Afghanistan last August sent Joe Biden’s approval rating into a steady downward slide from which it has never recovered, and a new CBS poll now shows him languishing at a dire 42 per cent.

That figure puts him at levels similar to Donald Trump, who proved historically unpopular during his term. Mr Biden is also polling badly on specific issues like crime and immigration, putting additional pressure on Democrats trying to tout his achievements as they campaign in the midterm elections.

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar has more.

Joe Biden’s approval rating drops to lowest point in presidency

Why is Biden in Iowa?

11:10 , Andrew Naughtie

Joe Biden today heads to Iowa to tout his economic development plan and the bipartisan infrastructure project, both of which he says will help rural and suburban Americans to cope with rising living costs. That makes sense on a day that’s expected to show inflation skyrocketing thanks to multiple factors, but it remains the case that the Hawkeye State has never been especially friendly to Mr Biden, and his party has just seen a high-profile Senate candidate there effectively barred from the ballot.

Read more below.

Iowa rejected Biden, but president back to sell rural plan

Watch: Biden on ghost guns

10:39 , Andrew Naughtie

At his gun safety press conference yesterday, Joe Biden gave a demonstration of how easily “ghost guns” can be put together.

The measures he’s introducing are designed to make it harder to obtain off-the-shelf kits and instructions helping people assemble the weapons at home. Ghost guns were reportedly involved in thousands of crimes in the years 2016-20 alone.

Analysis: How Washington gave up on the pandemic

10:00 , Andrew Naughtie

Reflecting on a rash of Covid-19 diagnoses among many of Washington’s most senior figures, including Nancy Pelosi (who remained asymptomatic after testing positive last week), Eric Garcia writes that the political response to the mini-outbreak reflects a stark truth: that with the two main parties deadlocked over a massive Covid relief package, “the fact that Covid is mowing through the District indiscriminately seems to have failed to move Washington.”

Read his analysis below.

The moment Washington gave up on the pandemic

Dr Fauci on getting back to “some form of normality” after peak pandemic

09:30 , Andrew Naughtie

Dr Anthony Fauci, whom many Republicans have taken to painting as the face of authoritarianism cloaked in the guise of public health, appeared on MSNBC last night to discuss the trajectory of the Covid-19 pandemic and how Americans can expect to live as the virus continues to spread in the form of new variants.

Surprisingly for those who are convinced that he is hellbent on imposing inflexible rules on the population, he stressed the role of personal choice.

Watch a clip below.

White House expects inflation to be 'extraordinarily elevated' in new Labour Department report

09:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine caused energy prices to spike, the Biden administration is bracing for a key consumer inflation report on Tuesday.

The report is expected to show that the prices Americans pay soared in March as a result of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Monday that the US Labour Department’s previous report — which showed prices rising at a dramatic rate in February — failed to include the majority of the jump in oil and gas costs caused by the Kremlin’s unprovoked invasion.

“We expect March CPI headline inflation to be extraordinarily elevated due to Putin’s price hike,” Ms Psaki said.

US orders all non-emergency government staff in Shanghai to leave

08:07 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The US Department of State has ordered all non-emergency government staff and their family members in Shanghai to leave China.

As Covid-19 cases surge, the Department of State has asked all citizens to reconsider their travel to China, according to the latest announcement.

“Reconsider travel to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) due to arbitrary enforcement of local laws and Covid-19-related restrictions,” a statement from the US State Department said.

“Do not travel to the PRC’s Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), Jilin province, and Shanghai municipality due to Covid-19-related restrictions, including the risk of parents and children being separated,” the statement said.

“Reconsider travel to the PRC’s Hong Kong SAR due to arbitrary enforcement of local laws.”

Joe Biden’s approval rating drops to lowest point in presidency

07:25 , Maroosha Muzaffar

According to the latest poll by CBS and YouGov, President Joe Biden‘s approval rating has dropped to an all-time low — with 58 per cent of respondents disapproving of the way he has handled domestic and foreign affairs while in office.

Read the full story here:

Joe Biden’s approval rating drops to lowest point in presidency

Biden shows off ghost gun at Rose Garden event, demonstrates how easy it is to assemble

06:56 , Maroosha Muzaffar

President Joe Biden on Monday showed off one of the gun kits for sale on the internet and pointed out that anyone can purchase one and have a gun assembled in under 30 minutes.

He lifted the gun during the event at the Rose Garden saying “this is the gun”, adding: “It’s not hard to put together with a little hand drill at home. It doesn’t take very long. Anyone can order it in the mail. Anyone.”

He continued: “A felon, a terrorist, and a domestic abuser go from one gun kit to a gun in less than 30 minutes.”

President Joe Biden unveiled his proposed new gun regulations on Monday to rein in so-called “ghost guns” – privately made firearms without serial numbers that have been used in several high-profile violent crimes.

Tucker Carlson says anyone talking about ghost guns is a ‘propagandist’

06:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Tucker Carlson, reacting to the Biden administration’s plan to tackle “ghost guns” — unlicensed, homemade firearms without a serial number — said on Monday that anyone who uses the term “ghost guns” is a “propagandist” for the Biden administration.

President Joe Biden unveiled his proposed new regulations on Monday, taking action after police and AFT statistics showed large rises in the number of such firearms being recorded in the past year.

Despite those widely-available figures, Carlson described the phenomenon as “something he [Biden] made up”.

“Just to be clear: There is no such thing as a ghost gun,” Carlson said. “It’s a made-up phrase, and anyone you see on television or print repeating that phrase is a propagandist working on behalf of the forces of oppression: the Biden administration.”

The Fox News host continued: “As Joe Biden has explained, your constitutional rights extend precisely as far as he says they do. In other words, you have no rights. He’ll tell you what your rights are. As he put it, ‘No amendment is absolute,’ Biden lectured us. And that’s particularly true with the Second Amendment.”

Biden to visit Iowa on Tuesday to sell rural plan

05:55 , Maroosha Muzaffar

President Joe Biden is heading to Iowa on Tuesday with a stop in Menlo — which is one of Iowa’s smaller towns with a population of 345.

Mr Biden heads back to Iowa for the first time as president at a time when he’s facing depleting approval ratings and inflation at a 40-year high. Democrats also face the prospect of big midterm election loss.

The White House said that the president will discuss his infrastructure plan’s impact on rural America and fuel price hikes after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Analysis: How Washington gave up on the pandemic

05:40 , Oliver O'Connell

The Independent’s senior Washington correspondent Eric Garcia has been reporting on the rash of Covid-19 diagnoses among the DC power elite in recent days, and has this analysis to offer.

Read his report below.

The moment Washington gave up on the pandemic

Biden’s Covid tsar not “excessively concerned” about rising cases

04:59 , Oliver O'Connell

Joe Biden’s coronavirus response coordinator, Dr Ashish Jha, has said he is not “excessively concerned” about the trajectory of the Covid-19 pandemic despite a notable rise in the number of cases, which he said is being driven largely by the BA.2 variant.

“It is incredibly contagious, even more contagious than the original subvariant of Omicron, and it caused a substantial spike in cases in Europe,” he told MSNBC.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

Biden’s Covid tsar says US not ‘excessively concerned’ about new variants

Readout of President Biden’s call with Prime Minister Modi of India

04:15 , Oliver O'Connell

Per the White House:

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke today with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India to inaugurate the fourth US-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue. Together, they committed to strengthening the US-India relationship through cooperation on clean energy, technology and military cooperation, and expanded economic and people-to-people ties. They also committed to continue cooperation – bilaterally and multilaterally – on ending the Covid-19 pandemic, strengthening global health security, advancing global food security, and ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific. They emphasized their shared commitment, as leaders of the world’s largest democracies, to respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. The two Leaders also discussed the destabilising impacts of Russia’s war against Ukraine, with a particular focus on global food supply. President Biden and Prime Minister Modi looked forward to meeting in person later this spring, in Tokyo, for the Quad summit.

Biden’s sister defends his son Hunter

03:30 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden’s sister Valerie Biden Owens defended her nephew and the president’s son Hunter in an interview with CBS News, saying the attacks were an attempt by former president Donald Trump to bring her brother down.

Ms Owens appeared in an interview with CBS News’ Gayle King to promote her memoir about growing up with her brother, whose campaigns she has closely advised. Ms King asked about whether the president’s sole surviving son Hunter Biden, whom Republicans are targeting and who is currently under a federal investigation, is a liability.

Eric Garcia has the story.

Joe Biden’s sister defends his son Hunter and says Trump only wants to harm family

White House goes after ‘ghost guns’

02:45 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden announced a series of actions to regulate so-called “ghost guns”, as congressional action to regulate firearms looks next to impossible.

The president announced the regulations in the Rose Garden at the White House when discussing the danger that the guns posed. Ghost guns are often ordered in kits that people have to assemble and lack serial numbers, making it difficult for law enforcement to track them.

Eric Garcia reports.

‘An especially grave threat’: White House goes after ‘ghost guns’

Voices: Buttigieg’s old campaign manager knows how to turn red states blue. Will Democrats listen?

02:00 , Oliver O'Connell

As demographics changed, the left focused too much on suburbanites and not enough on the working class. But as unions gain traction across the country, it’s clear the tide is turning — and members of the Democratic Party needs to listen, writes Skylar Baker-Jordan.

Buttigieg’s campaign manager knows how to turn red states blue. Will Dems listen?

ICYMI: Pelosi tests negative for Covid

01:15 , Oliver O'Connell

After testing positive for Covid-19 last week House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has now tested negative and will be ending her period of isolation tomorrow.

Pennsylvania man arrested for putting ‘I did that’ Biden stickers on gas pumps

Tuesday 12 April 2022 00:30 , Oliver O'Connell

A man from Pennsylvania has been arrested after he placed stickers on gas station pumps depicting Joe Biden along with the phrase “I did that” to protest his belief that the president is solely responsible for soaring fuel prices.

Thomas Richard Glazewski, 54, was arrested on 31 March after he was tackled by police at a convenience store in East Hempfield Township, according to Lancaster Online.

Graig Graziosi reports.

Man arrested for putting ‘I did that’ Biden stickers on gas pumps to protest prices

White House expects ‘extraordinarily elevated’ inflation data tomorrow

Monday 11 April 2022 23:45 , Oliver O'Connell

At today’s White House press briefing, Jen Psaki said they are expecting “extraordinarily elevated” monthly inflation data tomorrow.

The figures due tomorrow for March will include the large jump in oil prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Explainer: What are ghost guns?

Monday 11 April 2022 23:00 , Oliver O'Connell

Maroosha Muzaffar explains what ghost guns are and why the Biden administration has taken action against them.

What are ghost guns? Biden to unveil new rules on untraceable homemade firearms

Biden urges Modi not to step up Indian use of Russian oil

Monday 11 April 2022 22:15 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden asked India's Narendra Modi on Monday not to accelerate the buying of Russian oil as the U.S. and other nations try to cut off Moscow's energy income following the invasion of Ukraine. The Indian prime minister made no public commitment to refrain from Russian oil, a source of tension with the U.S.

Meeting by video call, Biden told Modi that the U.S. could help India diversify its sources of energy, according to press secretary Jen Psaki. Even though India receives little of its oil from Russia, it stepped up recently with a major purchase as other democracies are trying to isolate Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“The president also made clear that he doesn’t believe it’s in India’s interest to accelerate or increase imports of Russian energy or other commodities,” Psaki said.

While the two nations ended the meeting with Biden saying they committed to strengthening their relationship, White House officials could not say if India stood with them in fully condemning Putin, saying the choice ultimately rested with Modi's government. The two leaders will meet in person May 24 in Tokyo for a summit of the Quad, a coalition that also includes Australia and Japan.

India’s neutral stance in the war has raised concerns in Washington and earned praise from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who lauded India this month for judging “the situation in its entirety, not just in a one-sided way.”

Biden opened the video conversation by emphasizing the defense partnership between the two countries and by saying the U.S. and India are going to “continue our close consultation on how to manage the destabilizing effects of this Russian war" on food and other commodities.

“The root of our partnership is a deep connection between our people, ties of family, of friendship and of shared values,” the U.S. president said.

Modi on Monday called the situation in Ukraine “very worrying,” and he noted that an Indian student lost his life during the war. He said he has spoken with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, appealing to both of them for peace. India has condemned the killings uncovered in the city of Bucha and has called for an independent investigation.

A senior U.S. official described the Biden-Modi exchange as warm and productive, though the official stressed that India would make its own decisions on how to respond to Putin. The official insisted on anonymity to discuss the meeting.

Biden and Modi discussed how to manage the risks of global instability regarding food, humanitarian relief and climate change, and Modi candidly shared his views about some of the tight links between Russia and China that raise concerns, the official said.

Also Monday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met in person with Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

Austin appealed to India to act together with fellow democracies, a form of government based on the popular consent of the people that stands in contrast to autocracies such as China and Russia.

“Now more than ever, democracies must stand together to defend the values that we all share,” Austin said.

India has refrained from some efforts to hold Russia accountable for its invasion. India abstained when the U.N. General Assembly voted Thursday to suspend Russia from its seat on the 47-member Human Rights Council over allegations that Russian soldiers in Ukraine engaged in rights violations that the U.S. and Ukraine have called war crimes.

The vote was 93-24 with 58 abstentions.

India continues to purchase Russian energy supplies, despite pressure from Western countries to avoid buying Russian oil and gas. The U.S. has also considered sanctions on India for its recent purchase of advanced Russian air defense systems.

Last month, the state-run Indian Oil Corp. bought 3 million barrels of crude from Russia to secure its needs, resisting entreaties from the West to avoid such purchases. India isn’t alone in buying Russian energy, however. Several European allies such as Germany have continued to do so, despite public pressure to end these contracts.

Indian media reports said Russia was offering a discount on oil purchases of 20% below global benchmark prices.

Iraq is India’s top supplier, with a 27% share. Saudi Arabia is second at around 17%, followed by the United Arab Emirates with 13% and the U.S. at 9%, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.

The Associated Press

Sign up for The Independent’s US morning headlines newsletter

Monday 11 April 2022 21:45 , Oliver O'Connell

As the Biden administration scrambles to punish Russia for its assault on Ukraine, Congress confirms a new Supreme Court justice and the 6 January investigations steadily heat up, The Independent is launching a new US morning headlines newsletter to keep you in the know.

As the day begins US morning headlines will bring you up to date with the biggest stories, exclusives, explainers, and the big questions of the day.

How to sign up for The Independent’s US morning headlines newsletter

India to send medicine to Ukraine Modi tells Biden

Monday 11 April 2022 21:22 , Oliver O'Connell

Melissa Lucio: GOP lawmaker says even death penalty supporters see ‘major problem’ in case

Monday 11 April 2022 21:00 , Oliver O'Connell

A Republican lawmaker in Texas is rallying death penalty proponents within his own party, saying that even those who believe capital punishment is a “God-ordained institution” must see there are “major problems” with the impending execution of Melissa Lucio.

State Rep. Jeff Leach told Red Letter Christians in a live video interview on Monday morning that he was speaking “directly to any fellow Republicans, law and order Republicans, conservatives” who have always been in favour of the death penalty, saying they “ought to unbury our heads from the sand” and “ask the tough questions” about the system.

Rachel Sharp reports.

Even death penalty fans see this ‘major problem’ in Melissa Lucio case

Professor calls out Marriott for allegedly keeping TVs ‘locked’ on Fox News

Monday 11 April 2022 20:41 , Oliver O'Connell

A Penn State professor set off a Twitter fury on Saturday after shaming a Marriott hotel in New York for allegedly having TVs in the fitness centre “fixed” on Fox News, an outlet the man said was guilty of promoting “anti-American, pro-Russian propaganda”.

Michael Mann, a professor of atmospheric science and director of the Penn State Earth System Science Center, tweeted his disgust at the hotel chain after visiting the Marriott Times Square’s fitness facility.

Johanna Chisholm reports.

Professor calls out Marriott for allegedly keeping TVs ‘locked’ on Fox News

Monday 11 April 2022 20:25 , Oliver O'Connell

Biden unveils regulations targeting ghost guns

Monday 11 April 2022 20:22 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden announced a new series of orders to regulate so-called “ghost guns” that do not have serial numbers as congressional action to regulate guns looks next to impossible.

Eric Garcia reports from Washington, DC.

‘It’s basic common sense’: Biden unveils regulations targeting ‘ghost guns’

Readout of President Biden’s call with Prime Minister Modi of India

Monday 11 April 2022 20:12 , Oliver O'Connell

Per the White House:

President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. spoke today with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India to inaugurate the fourth US-India 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue. Together, they committed to strengthening the US-India relationship through cooperation on clean energy, technology and military cooperation, and expanded economic and people-to-people ties. They also committed to continue cooperation – bilaterally and multilaterally – on ending the Covid-19 pandemic, strengthening global health security, advancing global food security, and ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific. They emphasized their shared commitment, as leaders of the world’s largest democracies, to respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. The two Leaders also discussed the destabilising impacts of Russia’s war against Ukraine, with a particular focus on global food supply. President Biden and Prime Minister Modi looked forward to meeting in person later this spring, in Tokyo, for the Quad summit.

White House rolls out new regulations for ‘ghost guns'

Monday 11 April 2022 20:01 , Oliver O'Connell

President Biden announces new regulations for “ghost guns,” which people can order online and assemble at home in 30 minutes.

“The NRA called this rule extreme,” the president says.

“Is it extreme to protect police officers? Extreme to protect our children?” he asks.

Biden’s sister defends his son Hunter

Monday 11 April 2022 19:52 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden’s sister Valerie Biden Owens defended her nephew and the president’s son Hunter in an interview with CBS News, saying the attacks were an attempt by former president Donald Trump to bring her brother down.

Ms Owens appeared in an interview with CBS News’ Gayle King to promote her memoir about growing up with her brother, whose campaigns she has closely advised. Ms King asked about whether the president’s sole surviving son Hunter Biden, whom Republicans are targeting and who is currently under a federal investigation, is a liability.

Eric Garcia reports.

Joe Biden’s sister defends his son Hunter and says Trump only wants to harm family

Watch live - White House gun violence announcement

Monday 11 April 2022 19:34 , Oliver O'Connell

Voices: Buttigieg’s old campaign manager knows how to turn red states blue. Will Democrats listen?

Monday 11 April 2022 19:24 , Oliver O'Connell

As demographics changed, the left focused too much on suburbanites and not enough on the working class. But as unions gain traction across the country, it’s clear the tide is turning — and members of the Democratic Party needs to listen, writes Skylar Baker-Jordan.

Buttigieg’s campaign manager knows how to turn red states blue. Will Dems listen?

Pelosi tests negative for Covid

Monday 11 April 2022 19:15 , Oliver O'Connell

After testing positive for Covid-19 last week House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has now tested negative and will be ending her period of isolation tomorrow.

Pennsylvania man arrested for putting ‘I did that’ Biden stickers on gas pumps

Monday 11 April 2022 19:05 , Oliver O'Connell

A man from Pennsylvania has been arrested after he placed stickers on gas station pumps depicting Joe Biden along with the phrase “I did that” to protest his belief that the president is solely responsible for soaring fuel prices.

Thomas Richard Glazewski, 54, was arrested on 31 March after he was tackled by police at a convenience store in East Hempfield Township, according to Lancaster Online.

Graog Graziosi reports.

Man arrested for putting ‘I did that’ Biden stickers on gas pumps to protest prices

Monday 11 April 2022 18:55 , Oliver O'Connell

White House expects ‘extraordinarily elevated’ inflation data tomorrow

Monday 11 April 2022 18:46 , Oliver O'Connell

At today’s White House press briefing, Jen Psaki said they are expecting “extraordinarily elevated” monthly inflation data tomorrow.

The figures due tomorrow for March will include the large jump in oil prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

US presses India for hard line on Russia

Monday 11 April 2022 18:35 , Oliver O'Connell

President Joe Biden spoke on a video link with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, stressing the countries’ shared values as the US has pushed India and others to take a harder line against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Biden opened the conversation by emphasizing the defense partnership between the two countries and by saying the US and India are going to “continue our close consultation on how to manage the destabilizing effects of this Russian war.”

“The root of our partnership is a deep connection between our people, ties of family, of friendship and of shared values,” the US president said.

India’s neutral stance in the war has raised concerns in Washington and earned praise from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who lauded India this month for judging “the situation in its entirety, not just in a one-sided way.”

Modi called the situation in Ukraine “very worrying,” and he noted that an Indian student lost his life during the war. He said he has spoken with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, appealing to both of them for peace. India has condemned the killings uncovered in the city of Bucha and has called for an independent investigation.

Still, India has refrained from some efforts to hold Russia accountable for its invasion. India abstained when the UN General Assembly voted Thursday to suspend Russia from its seat on the 47-member Human Rights Council over allegations that Russian soldiers in Ukraine engaged in rights violations that the US and Ukraine have called war crimes.

The vote was 93-24 with 58 abstentions.

In the virtual meeting, Biden planned to talk about the consequences of Russia’s war against Ukraine “and mitigating its destabilizing impact on global food supply and commodity markets,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement Sunday.

They’ll discuss “strengthening the global economy, and upholding a free, open, rules-based international order to bolster security, democracy, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific,” she said.

India continues to purchase Russian energy supplies, despite pressure from Western countries to avoid buying Russian oil and gas. The US has also considered sanctions on India for its recent purchase of advanced Russian air defense systems.

Last month, the state-run Indian Oil Corp bought 3 million barrels of crude from Russia to secure its needs, resisting entreaties from the West to avoid such purchases. India isn’t alone in buying Russian energy, however. Several European allies such as Germany have continued to do so, despite public pressure to end these contracts.

Indian media reports said Russia was offering a discount on oil purchases of 2 per cent below global benchmark prices.

Iraq is India’s top supplier, with a 27 per cent share. Saudi Arabia is second at around 17 per cent, followed by the United Arab Emirates with 13 per cent and the US at 9 per cent, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.

Biden and Modi last spoke in March.

Associated Press

Monday 11 April 2022 18:13 , Oliver O'Connell

Biden to announce crackdown on ‘ghost guns'

Monday 11 April 2022 18:05 , Oliver O'Connell

Biden’s ambassador to the Vatican presents credentials to Pope Francis

Monday 11 April 2022 17:45 , Oliver O'Connell

Biden and Indian PM Modi hold virtual meeting

Monday 11 April 2022 17:13 , Oliver O'Connell

Also negative for Covid: Kamala Harris

Monday 11 April 2022 16:51 , Andrew Naughtie

Vice President Kamala Harris has also tested negative for Covid-19, according to the White House, alleviating concerns that she took a risk by presiding over Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation vote while the virus was apparently infecting senators.

Biden’s Covid tsar not “excessively concerned” about rising cases

Monday 11 April 2022 16:49 , Andrew Naughtie

Joe Biden’s coronavirus response coordinator, Dr Ashish Jha, has said he is not “excessively concerned” about the trajectory of the Covid-19 pandemic despite a notable rise in the number of cases, which he said is being driven largely by the BA.2 variant.

“It is incredibly contagious, even more contagious than the original subvariant of Omicron, and it caused a substantial spike in cases in Europe,” he told MSNBC.

Gustaf Kilander has the story.

Biden’s Covid tsar says US not ‘excessively concerned’ about new variants