Biden inauguration

The US Ambassador to Thailand seems to have quit after only serving less than 1 year in office and moments after President Biden’s inauguration. Michael George DeSombre, who was appointed by President Trump in early 2020, made the announcement of his departure on the embassy’s official social media platform yesterday. A day before, he met with PM Prayut to “thank the Royal Thai Government” as is customary with departing ambassadors. DeSombre succeeded career diplomat Glyn T. Davies. “It has been a privilege serving as the United States Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand. I am exceedingly proud of all we have done to strengthen the US-Thai relationship. I am signing off now from this account and leaving it in the good hands of our Embassy staff.” Now, as the US Embassy official website names Chargé d’Affaires Michael Heath as its diplomatic mission leader, it is not known when a new ambassador will be chosen by the Biden administration. Just last year in October, DeSombre … [Read more...] about US Ambassador to Thailand quits after Biden inaugurated

President Biden Joe Biden Senate holds longest vote in history as Democrats scramble to save relief bill Ex-Trump appointee arrested in Capitol riot complains he won't be able to sleep in jail Biden helps broker Senate deal on unemployment benefits MORE on Friday fired Sharon Gustafson , who was appointed by former President Trump Donald Trump Trump announces new tranche of endorsements DeSantis, Pence tied in 2024 Republican poll Lawmakers demand changes after National Guard troops at Capitol sickened from tainted food MORE as the general counsel of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The White House told Gustafson that she was being fired effective 5 p.m. Friday after she refused to resign willingly. In a letter to the White House released by the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a conservative think tank, Gustafson said she “respectfully” declined the White House’s request to resign and that she wanted to serve the … [Read more...] about Biden fires Trump-appointed lawyer who refused to resign

President Joe Biden 's lack of press conferences has raised questions about the administration's communications strategy in recent days as some have criticized the Democrat for not being more available to journalists' questions. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has defended the president's approach, while former Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany, who served under Donald Trump, made critical remarks and compared Biden unfavorably to his predecessor. McEnany also suggested that Psaki "does not have faith" in Biden to perform well under questioning. Biden has been president for more than 40 days but has not yet held a solo press conference. Both former President Donald Trump and former President Barack Obama had both done so by this point in their presidency. Biden has often taken reporters' questions during or after events, but has not yet held any formal press conferences. "I think his staff does not have faith that he can stand at the podium and have a press … [Read more...] about Kayleigh McEnany Says Jen Psaki ‘Does Not Have Faith’ in Joe Biden Taking Press Questions

This story originally appeared on Undark and is part of the Climate Desk collaboration. To turn the tide against climate change, President Joe Biden signed an executive order on Inauguration Day instituting a raft of policy changes and initiatives. One directed his team to reassess the social cost of carbon. This seemingly obscure concept puts a number on how much damage a metric ton of carbon dioxide emitted today will do in the future, in order to show how much a given climate policy would benefit the economy in the long run. More than in previous assessments, Biden’s team explicitly called for considerations of environmental justice and intergenerational equity, referring to the perils of climate change to future generations. On Febrary 26, the Biden administration announced an initial estimate of $51 per ton of carbon. But the cost is not a settled matter, and Biden’s advisers are still studying the latest research to make a more comprehensive update. … [Read more...] about The Biden Administration Weighs the Social Cost of Carbon

WASHINGTON — No news conference. No Oval Office address. No primetime speech to a joint session of Congress. President Joe Biden is the first executive in four decades to reach this point in his term without holding a formal question and answer session. It reflects a White House media strategy meant both to reserve major media set-pieces for the celebration of a legislative victory and to limit unforced errors from a historically gaffe-prone politician. Biden has opted to take questions about as often as most of his recent predecessors, but he tends to field just one or two informal inquiries at a time, usually in a hurried setting at the end of an event. In a sharp contrast with the previous administration, the White House is exerting extreme message discipline, empowering staff to speak but doing so with caution. Recalling both Biden’s largely leak-free campaign and the buttoned-up Obama administration, the new White House team has carefully managed the president’s appearances, … [Read more...] about Biden White House: message discipline, no news conference