International
“Will they replace Biden?”, the big question after a black night for the president of the United States
“Will they replace Joe Biden?” was the big question that invaded the atmosphere after a black night for the president of the United States in Atlanta, where he clearly lost the first presidential debate against his rival, former Republican president Donald Trump.
All eyes were on the vigorousness of Biden, who at 81 years old is the oldest president in history, and the worst omens were fulfilled.
Despite having locked himself up for almost a week with his team to prepare for a historic day, he appeared with a hoarse, slow, tired voice and with difficulty concluding some sentences.
Trump, only three years younger, repeated many of the hoaxes that characterize him and avoided answering the most uncomfortable questions of the moderators, but he was seen more content than expected and much more energetic than his rival.
In a lapidary final shot of the debate, the first lady, Jill Biden, was shown, helping her husband, who had a lot of difficulty going down the stairs of the stage and saying goodbye to the moderators.
Panic had taken over Biden’s campaign in the middle of the debate and his team hurried to justify that the president suffered the flu during the week, but the damage was already done.
The Republicans did not take long to make firewood from the fallen tree and several of Trump’s allies quickly went out to sing victory in the ‘spin room’, a press room installed in a stadium adjacent to the CNN studios where the face-to-face was broadcast.
“This man cannot continue as president of the United States, I am very worried about this country. I don’t think he can continue even for the six months he has left in office,” said Vivek Ramaswamy, who faced Trump in the Republican primaries and is now one of his greatest acolytes.
Republican Senators Marco Rubio and Tim Scott walked through the room repeating that it was a crushing victory for Trump, of whom both aspire to be vice presidents in a second term.
Matt Gaetz, congressman of the most radical wing of the Republicans, soon verbalized to the press what many were thinking. He opined that in a few days an internal battle will be opened in the Democratic Party to replace the president.
The proof of disbelief within the Democratic ranks is that it took several minutes for Biden’s allies to appear together before the press in the ‘spin room’, where they tried to convey an optimistic message that contrasted with their long faces.
Among them were Senator Raphael Warnock and Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett, but all eyes were on the governor of California, Gavin Newsom, one of the most prominent faces of the Democratic Party.
The press asked him several times if he is ready to replace Biden but categorically denied that he was going to take the step: “He has my support. We are with him,” he said seriously.
The official vision of the Democratic campaign, according to a statement, is that the president presented “a positive and winning vision for the future of the United States” in the face of a Trump who wants to end democracy and the right to abortion.
This debate, unusually early given that the campaigns have not yet started formally, was especially decisive since it came at a time when both candidates were tied in the polls and knew that any mistake could make the balance decant.
According to a first CNN poll published at the end of the match, Trump was the clear winner for 67% of those surveyed.
The truth is that the Democratic Party still has to hold its national convention next August in Chicago to formally nominate its candidate. Technically there would be time for a replacement, but it would be something never seen before.
International
Trump to build $200M ballroom at the White House by 2028
The U.S. government under President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that it will begin construction in September on a new 8,000-square-meter ballroom at the White House.
The announcement was made by Karoline Leavitt, the administration’s press secretary, during a briefing in which she explained that the expansion responds to the need for a larger venue to host “major events.”
“Other presidents have long wished for a space capable of accommodating large gatherings within the White House complex… President Trump has committed to solving this issue,” Leavitt told reporters.
The project is estimated to cost $200 million, fully funded through donations from Trump himself and other “patriots,” according to a government statement. Construction is scheduled to begin in September and is expected to be completed before Trump’s term ends in 2028.
The Clark Construction Group, a Virginia-based company known for projects such as the Capital One Arena and L’Enfant Plaza in Washington, D.C., has been selected to lead the project.
The new ballroom will be built on the East Wing of the White House, expanding the iconic residence with a space designed for state dinners, official ceremonies, and large-scale events.
International
Three salvadorans in Florida sentenced in $146 million construction tax fraud scheme
Three Salvadoran residents living in Orlando, Florida, were sentenced for conspiracy to commit tax fraud and wire fraud involving a scheme exceeding $146 million in the construction industry, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. The sentence was handed down by federal judge Timothy J. Corrigan on Tuesday, July 29.
Eduardo Aníbal Escobar (45) was sentenced to 4 years and 9 months in prison, Carlos Alberto Rodríguez (36) to 3 years and 4 months, and Adelmy Tejada (57) to 18 months in prison, followed by 6 months of house arrest. All three pled guilty on April 3, 2025.
In addition to the prison terms, the court ordered restitution payments totaling $36,957,616 to the IRS for unpaid payroll taxes, and $397,895 to two insurers for workers’ compensation claims related to the scheme.
Escobar and Rodríguez are permanent legal residents originally from El Salvador, while Tejada is a naturalized U.S. citizen of Salvadoran origin.
International
Kremlin hails preparedness after Kamchatka quakes leave no casualties
The Kremlin expressed relief that the earthquakes that struck Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula today —the first being the strongest since 1952— resulted in no casualties, and emphasized that the region is well prepared to face such natural disasters.
“Thank God, there were no victims,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov during his daily press briefing.
The presidential representative stated that “all alert systems were activated in time, and evacuations were organized for residents in areas requiring it in response to tsunami threats.”
“Overall, the seismic resilience of the buildings proved effective (…) Therefore, we can say that the technological preparedness demonstrated a high level,” Peskov added.
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