Watch live as Biden marks the 50 millionth Covid vaccine in US
Joe Biden will not punish Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
A declassified report from US intelligence says that the Crown Prince approved a 2018 operation to capture or kill Mr Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
The report was made public as the president visited Texas to meet emergency workers and see the clean-up effort after the record-breaking winter storm in the state.
The US president and first lady, Jill Biden, flew to Houston for the their first trip to a major disaster site since Mr Biden took office a little over a month ago.
Severe winter weather across the South over Valentine’s Day weekend battered multiple states, with Texas bearing the brunt of unseasonably frigid conditions that caused widespread power outages and frozen pipes that burst and flooded homes. Millions of residents lost heat and running water.
It comes as the former Trump administration chief-of-staff Mark Meadows warned the Republican Party the current favourites to be the GOP presidential candidate in 2024 “all have Trump as their last name”.
DNC reportedly asked host Julia Louis-Dreyfus to tone down act, fearing Biden ‘dementia’ reminders
Democratic National Convention chief program executive, Stephanie Cutter, reportedly asked for host Julie Louis-Dreyfus to tone down her 2020 DNC act, according to an excerpt from the forthcoming book, LUCKY: How Joe Biden Barely Won the Presidency.
The excerpt from Jonathan Allen’s book printed in Vanity Fair describes how Cutter demanded that Veep showrunner David Mandel, who was writing a script for the show’s fictional VP, cut a joke about how Biden understood hard work and struggle, whereas “the only time Donald Trump has struggled is walking down a ramp and trying to drink a glass of water”.
Graeme Massie26 February 2021 21:59
American taxpayers are funding the defence for US Capitol rioters, report says
The Justice Department has charged about 275 people so far for their alleged involvement in the deadly US Capitol riots that occurred on 6 January, an official told CBS News.
This came after Americans watched supporters of Donald Trump storm the Capitol building with the intent to cause destruction and pressure lawmakers, including former Vice President Mike Pence, who they believed were not stopping a “fraudulent” presidential election.
Danielle Zoellner has the story.
Graeme Massie26 February 2021 21:29
Biden administration planning another tented facility for migrants in Texas
The federal government will open the facility in Del Rio, Texas, to expand processing capability for children and women on the US-Mexico border, according to CNN.
In January, more than 5,800 unaccompanied children and nearly 7,500 families were taken into custody by Customs and Border Protection at the southern border.
Earlier this month CBP announced it was opening a “soft-sided” structure in Donna, Texas, to increase capacity.
The Biden administration has rejected conservative claims they are continuing the separation policy of Donald Trump with their use of detention facilities.
Graeme Massie26 February 2021 21:00
President and first lady visit Houston Food Bank
Joe and Jill Biden received a tour of the Houston Food Bank during their tour of storm-hit Texas.
The president is visiting Houston, Texas, following severe winter storms which left much of the state without electricity for days.
Graeme Massie26 February 2021 20:26
Biden will take no action against MBS after intelligence report finds Saudi leader responsible for murder of journalist
The Biden administration will take no direct action against Saudi Arabia’s crown prince Mohammad bin Salman following the release of a US intelligence assessment that concluded he approved the operation to murder journalist Jamal Khashoggi.