International
Biden predicts final-hour shift to Democrats before midterms
| By AFP |
President Joe Biden on Friday predicted a final-hour shift in favor of the Democrats in the midterm elections, saying that the economy, seen as the party’s weakest issue, is steadily improving.
“It’s been back and forth, with them ahead, us ahead, them ahead, back and forth,” Biden told reporters at the White House, three weeks before elections deciding control of Congress.
“Polls have been all over the place. I think we’re going to see one more shift back to our side in the closing days,” Biden said.
Recent polls show momentum rising on the Republican side, with voters increasingly anxious about high inflation and likely to punish the Democrats. Biden’s party currently has a razor-thin majority in Congress but Republican leaders say they will block his legislation if they take over the legislature.
In fiery remarks predicting that the Republicans would “crash the economy” if they are in charge of Congress, Biden said voters were starting to see “some good news in the economy” and would return to supporting Democrats in time for voting day November 8.
Biden listed gradually falling gasoline prices, low unemployment across most of the country, and Friday’s news of “the largest-ever decline in the federal deficit.”
The deficit reduction is “further proof that we’re rebuilding the economy in a responsible way,” he said.
Republicans, he said, will eliminate the minimum tax rate for big corporations and “double down” on tax cuts for the most wealthy.
Referring to former president Donald Trump’s far-right Make America Great Again or MAGA movement, Biden said the Republican economic plan was “mega-MAGA trickle-down” economics — “the kind of policies that have failed the country before and will fail again.”
The Republicans quickly shot back, citing Biden’s “flailing dishonesty.”
“Republican-led states continue to keep Americans working, children in schools, and small businesses operating, while Biden and Democrats created a recession, historic inflation, and high gas prices. This election is about the economy,” Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement.
In a speech to mostly African American students at Delaware State University in his home state Friday, Biden highlighted two recent widely popular measures that the White House says show the president keeping his own election promises.
A ruling to forgive $10,000 of university student loans — $20,000 for poorer students — will “make sure you have a shot,” Biden said. Referring to Republican opposition, Biden underlined his populist message, insisting “I will never apologize for helping working and middle class Americans.”
The Democrat also touted his decision to pardon thousands of Americans convicted of marijuana possession — a longtime demand of Black rights activists who point out the disproportionate impact of criminalizing possession of cannabis on Black people.
“I’m keeping my promise that no one, no one should be in jail for barely using or possessing marijuana,” he said.
International
Man arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka
Japanese police arrested a man on Thursday after he rammed his car into a group of seven schoolchildren in an apparent deliberate attack in the city of Osaka.
The children, who were on their way home from school, sustained injuries and were taken to the hospital. All seven remained conscious, according to local authorities.
An Osaka police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the suspect is a 28-year-old man from Tokyo. The officer shared statements the man made after his arrest: “I was fed up with everything, so I decided to kill people by driving into several elementary school children,” the suspect reportedly said.
The man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
The injured children, aged between seven and eight, included a seven-year-old girl who suffered a fractured jaw. The six other children—all boys—suffered minor injuries such as bruises and scratches and were undergoing medical evaluation.
Witnesses described the car as “zigzagging” before hitting the children. One witness told Nippon TV that a girl was “covered in blood” and the others appeared to have scratches.
Another witness said the driver, who was wearing a face mask, looked to be in shock when school staff pulled him from the vehicle.
Violent crimes are rare in Japan, though serious incidents do occur from time to time. In 2008, Tomohiro Kato drove a two-ton truck into pedestrians in Tokyo’s Akihabara district, then fatally stabbed several victims. Seven people were killed in that attack.
Internacionales
Clashes erupt during may day protests across France amid calls for better wages
May Day protests in France were marked by a heavy police presence and clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement in several cities.
In Paris, Lyon, and Nantes, thousands took to the streets to demand better wages, fairer working conditions, and to voice their dissatisfaction with President Emmanuel Macron’s government.
While the majority of the demonstrations remained peaceful, isolated confrontations broke out in some areas. Protesters threw objects at the police, prompting the use of tear gas and resulting in several arrests.
Videos showing police crackdowns circulated widely on social media, drawing criticism from labor unions and human rights advocates, who denounced the authorities’ response to the protests.
International
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem claimed that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has deported “more than half a million” migrants due to pressure from former President Donald Trump.
During a cabinet meeting highlighting the “achievements” of Trump’s administration in its first 100 days, Noem asserted that under the Republican leader’s influence, “Mexico has finally come to the table” to negotiate on migration and fentanyl trafficking.
“The president of Mexico told me she has returned just over half a million people before they reached our border,” Noem stated, criticizing media reports that suggest the Biden administration deported more migrants than Trump’s.
“I wish those deportations were counted,” Noem added, “because those people never made it to our border—she sent them back because you made her.” She went on to thank Trump: “They never made it here because they got the message—because you were so aggressive.”
Noem has made controversial claims about Sheinbaum in the past, prompting the Mexican leader to refute them.
On April 1, Sheinbaum responded to one such statement by declaring, “The president answers to only one authority, and that is the people of Mexico,” after Noem said on Fox News that she gave Sheinbaum “a list of things Trump would like to see” and that Mexico’s actions would determine whether Trump granted tariff relief.
Man arrested after deliberately driving into seven children in Osaka
Clashes erupt during may day protests across France amid calls for better wages
Kristi Noem credits Trump for mass migrant deportations by mexican president
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