President Joe Biden will not implement a TikTok ban scheduled to take effect just before he leaves office, according to a U.S. official. Instead, the app's future now depends on President-elect Donald Trump. Congress passed a law last year, signed by Biden, requiring TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to divest its U.S. operations by Jan. 19, a day before the presidential inauguration. However, the outgoing administration has decided to defer enforcing the law and any associated ban to Trump. Anonymously discussing the Biden administration’s perspective, the official revealed that Trump, who once advocated banning TikTok, has since promised to keep it operational in the U.S. However, his transition team has not clarified their approach to achieving this. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew is expected to attend Trump’s inauguration, potentially signaling the incoming administration’s intent to prevent the app’s shutdown. National security adviser-designate Mike Waltz told Fox & Friends on Thursday that the federal law permits an extension of the divestment deadline if viable negotiations are underway. The debate over TikTok has bridged party lines. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer stated he discussed the issue with Biden, advocating for more time to secure an American buyer and protect the livelihoods of influencers reliant on the platform. However, Republican Senator Tom Cotton blocked a legislative effort to extend the deadline, arguing TikTok has had sufficient time to comply. “Tiktok is a Chinese Communist spyware app that exploits children, harvests data, and spreads propaganda,” Cotton remarked. Meanwhile, TikTok’s legal challenge to the divestment law was recently heard by the Supreme Court, where justices appeared inclined to uphold the statute. The law cites national security concerns as grounds for ByteDance’s divestiture or TikTok’s ban in the U.S. “If the court upholds the law, President Trump is clear: TikTok is a valuable platform, but he will prioritize protecting Americans’ data,” Waltz said. He suggested the administration would work toward a deal to keep the app functional. In another development, Pam Bondi, Trump’s nominee for attorney general, avoided committing to upholding a TikTok ban during her Senate hearing. Trump has shifted his stance on TikTok since his initial attempts to ban it during his first term, now praising its role in engaging younger voters during his campaign. He has even credited the platform for boosting his appeal to younger demographics, particularly male voters, and pledged to safeguard TikTok during his campaign.        

A sweeping 2022 law, touted by President Joe Biden as a way to revive US manufacturing of semiconductors and reduce the country’s reliance on foreign-made computer chips, will “sharply increase production’’ of semiconductors in the United States. But it will do so at a high cost and might not deliver the best bang for the buck, concludes a report out Wednesday by an economic think tank in Washington. Researchers at the Peterson Institute for International Economics calculated that the $280 billion CHIPS and Science Act will create about 93,000 construction jobs as chip factories go up in the United States and 43,000 permanent jobs once they’re in operation. However, the government subsidies behind the expected chip manufacturing boom mean that each job created will cost taxpayers about $185,000 a year – twice the average annual salary of US semiconductor employees, the Peterson report found. SEC sues Elon Musk who allegedly kept hidden Twitter ownership on time before buying it “More production might not provide the best security for the money,’’ wrote researchers Gary Hufbauer and Megan Hogan. The Peterson reports notes that in passing the CHIPS Act Congress “did not consider alternative ways’’ of spending billions of dollars to ensure the US had adequate chip supplies. Other options could have included creating a chip stockpile run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency or providing financial incentives for US chip users and foreign chip producers to keep bigger inventories of semiconductors in the United States. Biden touted and Congress passed the CHIPS Act after semiconductor supplies ran short following COVID-19 lockdowns. The shortages disrupted production of automobiles and other products. The Biden administration also viewed ramping up made-in-America chip production as a national security issue because it would reduce US reliance on foreign imports of chips, which are used by the military as well as private companies. A study by the Boston Consulting Group and the Semiconductor Industry Association has found that America’s share of world chip production capacity, measured by volume and not dollar value, fell from 37% in 1990 to just 10% in 2022. Policymakers are alarmed that US industry depends heavily on chips manufactured in Taiwan, a supply that could be threatened if China launches military strikes intended to force the autonomous island to reunite politically with the Chinese mainland. The giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., which supplies chips to Apple and Qualcomm, among others, is investing heavily in chip plants in Arizona. Biden's administration proposes new rules on exporting AI chips, provoking an industry pushback The CHIPS Act also aims to boost the US share of the world's advanced chips to 20% by 2030 from none today. But the Peterson report argued that such a leap would require additional government subsidies and overcoming shortages of skilled labor and electricity. It also noted that South Korea and Taiwan are offering their own chipmaking giants generous tax credits to protect their lead in the market. Asking whether the US can meet that 20% goal, the Peterson researchers conclude: "Maybe.'' It’s unclear whether the incoming Trump administration will scrap or make changes to the CHIPS Act. During the election campaign, President-elect Donald Trump had argued that tariffs on foreign chips – not subsidies to encourage US production – would have done more to bring semiconductor plants to the United States. But the Peterson researchers noted that in the past European Union tariffs had failed to revive chip production in Europe. “There is no compelling reason why a comparable tariff would prove more successful for the United States,’’ they wrote.

President Joe Biden plans to deliver a capstone address Monday on his foreign policy legacy, according to the White House. The outgoing president is expected to use his address at the State Department to highlight his administration's efforts to expand NATO, rally dozens of allies to provide Ukraine with a steady stream of military aid to fight Russia, forge a historic agreement between Japan and South Korea to expand security and economic cooperation and more, according to a senior administration official who requested anonymity to preview plans for the address. US SC rejects Trump’s bid to delay sentencing in his hush money case Biden also picked the State Department for his first major foreign policy speech at the start of his presidency nearly four years ago. During that February 2021 address, Biden sought to send an unambiguous signal to the world that the United States was ready to resume its role as a global leader after four years in which President Donald Trump pressed an “America First” agenda. But the one-term Democrat will bid farewell to U.S diplomats and make the case for his worldview as Trump prepares to return the White House with plans to drastically overhaul American foreign policy. The president-elect has decried the cost of US support for Ukraine's war effort, called for NATO members to dramatically increase defense spending and said he would not rule out the use of military force to seize control of the Panama Canal and Greenland, as he insists US control of both is vital to American national security.

The Biden administration is set to announce a massive, final weapons aid package for Ukraine as part of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s visit to Germany on Thursday to meet with representatives of about 50 partner nations who have come to Ukraine’s defense since Russia invaded nearly three years ago, two senior defense officials said. The officials did not provide an exact dollar amount but said the package was expected to be “substantial," although it would not include all of the roughly $4 billion left in the congressionally authorized funding for Ukraine. There likely would be “more than a couple billions dollars” remaining for the incoming Trump defense team to provide to Ukraine if it chose to do so, the officials said Tuesday in briefing reporters traveling with Austin. Ukraine is in the midst of launching a second offensive in Russia's Kursk region and is facing a barrage of long-range missiles and ongoing advances from Russia as both sides seek to put themselves in the strongest negotiating point possible before President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20. Ukraine will ask allies to boost its air defenses at a meeting in Germany: Zelenskyy Austin's trip to Ramstein Air Base will be his final meeting with the group he organized to come to Ukraine's defense after Russia's invasion in February 2022. Together those nations have provided more than $126 billion in weapons and military training and assistance. Those packages have included millions of rounds of ammunition, advanced fighter jets, air defense systems, counter-UAV systems and even tanks. The US has provided $66 billion of that total. The package to be announced on Thursday will be drawn from existing stockpiles with a goal of getting most of the weapons pledged to Ukraine by the time Trump is sworn in., one of the defense officials said. On Dec. 30, the administration announced a separate $1.25 billion aid package, part of a series of aid announcements as it hurried to get as much military assistance to Ukraine as it can before President Joe Biden leaves office.

The Biden family and top US officials were showered with extravagant gifts from foreign leaders in 2023, according to the State Department’s annual accounting. The disclosures include high-value items such as a $20,000 diamond gifted to First Lady Jill Biden and luxurious timepieces destroyed by CIA officials. Glittering Gifts to the First Family The 7.5-carat diamond, presented to Jill Biden by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was the most expensive gift received by any member of the first family. Alongside this, Jill Biden also accepted a brooch valued at $14,063 from Ukraine’s ambassador to the US and a bracelet, brooch, and photograph album worth $4,510 from Egypt’s president and first lady. President Joe Biden himself was not overlooked, receiving: A commemorative photo album worth $7,100 from South Korea’s impeached president Yoon Suk Yeol. A $3,495 statue of Mongolian warriors from Mongolia’s prime minister. A $3,300 silver bowl from the Sultan of Brunei. A $3,160 sterling silver tray from Israel’s president. Biden vetoes once-bipartisan effort to add 66 federal judgeships A $2,400 collage from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Official Use and Archiving US law mandates that executive branch officials declare foreign gifts exceeding $480 in value. Expensive items are typically transferred to the National Archives or used in official displays. The $20,000 diamond is retained for official use in the White House East Wing, while most other gifts to the Bidens have been archived. Recipients may purchase gifts at market value, though this is rare. CIA’s Costly and Confidential Gifts The report also revealed that CIA employees received lavish items, most of which were destroyed. CIA Director William Burns reported receiving an $18,000 astrograph – a telescope and astrological camera – from an undisclosed source, which has been transferred to the General Services Administration. However, Burns also destroyed an $11,000 Omega watch, in line with federal protocols. In total, CIA officials destroyed gifts worth over $132,000, including luxury watches, perfume, and jewellery. Transparency and Accountability The disclosures, published in the Federal Register, underscore the importance of transparency in diplomatic relations. While some gifts, like the $20,000 diamond, highlight the pomp and ceremony of international diplomacy, others emphasise the strict measures in place to ensure accountability for high-ranking officials. This annual accounting offers a fascinating glimpse into the intersection of protocol, politics, and the allure of luxury.

President Joe Biden on Monday vetoed a once-bipartisan effort to add 66 federal district judgeships, saying “hurried action” by the House left important questions unanswered about the life-tenured positions. The legislation would have spread the establishment of the new trial court judgeships over more than a decade to give three presidential administrations and six Congresses the chance to appoint the new judges. The bipartisan effort was carefully designed so that lawmakers would not knowingly give an advantage to either political party in shaping the federal judiciary. The Democratic-controlled Senate passed the measure unanimously in August. But the Republican-led House brought it to the floor only after Republican Donald Trump was reelected to a second term in November, adding the veneer of political gamesmanship to the process. The White House had said at the time that Biden would veto the bill. “The House of Representative's hurried action fails to resolve key questions in the legislation, especially regarding how the new judgeships are allocated, and neither the House of Representatives nor the Senate explored fully how the work of senior status judges and magistrate judges affects the need for new judgeships,” the president said in a statement. “The efficient and effective administration of justice requires that these questions about need and allocation be further studied and answered before we create permanent judgeships for life-tenured judges,” Biden said. China says US is 'playing with fire' after latest military aid for Taiwan He said the bill would also have created new judgeships in states where senators have not filled existing judicial vacancies and that those efforts "suggest that concerns about judicial economy and caseload are not the true motivating force behind passage of this bill now. “Therefore, I am vetoing this bill,” Biden said, essentially dooming the legislation for the current Congress. Overturning Biden's veto would require a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate, and the House vote fell well short of that margin. Organizations representing judges and attorneys had urged Congress to vote for the bill. They argued that the lack of new federal judgeships had contributed to profound delays in the resolution of cases and serious concerns about access to justice. Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., reacted swiftly, calling the veto a “misguided decision” and “another example of why Americans are counting down the days until President Biden leaves the White House.” He alluded to a full pardon that Biden recently granted his son Hunter on federal gun and tax charges. “The President is more enthusiastic about using his office to provide relief to his family members who received due process than he is about giving relief to the millions of regular Americans who are waiting years for their due process," Young said. "Biden’s legacy will be ‘pardons for me, no justice for thee.’”

President Joe Biden has commuted the sentences of approximately 1,500 individuals who were released from prison during the COVID-19 pandemic and placed on home confinement. Additionally, he issued pardons to 39 people convicted of nonviolent crimes, marking the largest single-day act of clemency in modern US history.  The commutations apply to individuals who have spent at least one year in home confinement since their release, a measure initially taken to curb the spread of COVID-19 in overcrowded prisons. Biden stated his administration is committed to granting mercy to those who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation. “America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances,” Biden said, emphasizing his focus on addressing sentencing disparities, particularly for nonviolent drug offenses.  The clemency recipients include individuals who have significantly contributed to society since their convictions. Among them are a woman who led emergency response teams during natural disasters, a decorated veteran, a doctoral student in molecular biosciences, and a church deacon working as an addiction and youth counselor.  Biden approves National Security Memo to assist Trump on key global issues Biden's action builds on his prior grants of clemency, including 122 commutations and 21 pardons. He has also pardoned individuals convicted of marijuana possession and former service members penalized under now-repealed military laws against consensual same-sex relations.  Advocacy groups are urging Biden to extend clemency to others, including federal death row inmates. Attorney General Merrick Garland had paused federal executions, aligning with Biden’s 2020 campaign pledge to end the death penalty—a promise yet to be fulfilled. With Trump set to return to office, advocates fear the resumption of federal executions, a hallmark of his previous term.  Lawmakers have also called for clemency for Steven Donziger, a lawyer who represented Indigenous farmers in a lawsuit against Chevron and was imprisoned for contempt of court.  Thursday’s pardons come as Biden faces pressure to issue additional clemency measures before leaving office on January 20. Some have speculated he may consider preemptive pardons for individuals involved in investigations of Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election results, though Biden is reportedly cautious about the precedent this would set.  Biden defended his decision to pardon his son, Hunter, for gun and tax crimes, citing political bias in the prosecution. He has been encouraged to extend similar considerations to others deserving of a second chance.  Presidents traditionally grant clemency at the end of their terms, using this power to offer relief to individuals and address systemic inequities. Biden has pledged further action in the coming weeks.  Source: With inputs from wires

President Joe Biden took aim at billionaire Elon Musk during a campaign event, following reports that the Tesla CEO may have illegally worked in the United States during the 1990s while on a student visa. The allegation, revealed in a Washington Post report, claims that Musk, who immigrated from South Africa, did not adhere to visa regulations when he arrived in the country. “That wealthiest man in the world turned out to be an illegal worker here. No, I’m serious. He was supposed to be in school when he came on a student visa. He wasn’t in school. He was violating the law. And he’s talking about all these illegals coming our way?” Biden said at a union hall event in Pittsburgh, drawing a stark contrast between Musk’s past and the entrepreneur’s current stance on immigration. The Washington Post report alleges that Musk arrived in Palo Alto, California, in 1995 with plans to attend Stanford University. However, instead of enrolling in courses, Musk focused on his startup, Zip2, reportedly violating the terms of his visa. Here's a look at Musk's contact with Putin and why it matters The newspaper, citing court documents and former associates, highlighted a 2005 email from Musk to his Tesla co-founders in which he allegedly acknowledged his lack of legal authorisation to remain in the US while starting his business. In response, Musk defended himself, stating on X, formerly Twitter, that he was “in fact allowed to work in the US” and referred to Biden as a “puppet” spreading falsehoods. The report suggests that Musk’s early investors were concerned about his visa status, fearing that he could face deportation. Musk allegedly applied to Stanford to secure a legal foothold in the US, but he instead prioritised building Zip2, which was eventually sold to Compaq in 1999. Musk, now the world’s richest person, has become a vocal supporter of the GOP, with over $70 million in donations to the campaign of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and other GOP candidates. Elon Musk promises daily $1 million award He has frequently echoed Trump’s anti-immigration rhetoric and is even touted for a potential role in a future Trump administration. Both Tesla and X have yet to respond to the recent allegations.

President Joe Biden will head to Europe at week's end for a three-country trip intended to bolster the international coalition against Russian aggression as the war in Ukraine extends well into its second year. The main focus of Biden's five-day visit will be the annual NATO summit, held this year in Vilnius, Lithuania. Also planned are stops in Helsinki, Finland, to commemorate the Nordic country's entrance into the 31-nation military alliance in April, and Britain, the White House announced Sunday. US, NATO had no involvement in Wagner's 'short-lived' revolt in Russia: Biden Biden will begin his trip next Sunday in London, and will meet with King Charles III at Windsor Castle the next day, according to Buckingham Palace. The president did not attend Charles's coronation in May, sending first lady Jill Biden to represent the United States. In June, Biden hosted British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at the White House, where the two leaders pledged continued cooperation in defending Ukraine. Sunak's office said he looked forward to welcoming Biden and that their meeting would build on earlier visits. The NATO meeting comes at the latest critical point in the war. Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, says counteroffensive and defensive actions against Russian forces are underway as Ukrainian troops start to recapture territory in the southeastern part of the country, according to its military leaders. Jens Stoltenberg, NATO's secretary-general, visited the White House on June 13, where he and Biden made clear that the Western alliance was united in defending Ukraine. Biden said during that meeting that he and other NATO leaders will work to ensure that each member country spends the requisite 2% of its gross domestic product on defense. Just a day after Blinken’s Beijing visit to stabilize US-China relations, Biden calls Xi Jinping a ‘dictator’ "The NATO allies have never been more united. We both worked like hell to make sure that happened. And so far, so good," Biden said as he sat alongside Stoltenberg, who is expected to extend his term for another year. "We see our joint strength in modernizing the relationship within NATO, as well as providing assistance to defense capabilities to Ukraine. When Finland joined NATO in April, it effectively doubled Russia's border with the world's biggest security alliance. Biden has highlighted the strengthened NATO alliance as a signal of Moscow's declining influence. Sweden is also seeking entry into NATO, although alliance members Turkey and Hungary have yet to endorse the move. Biden will host Sweden's prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, at the White House on Wednesday in a show of solidarity as the United States presses for the Nordic nation's entry into NATO. Biden hosting Modi as US sees India as a pivotal force in Asia for decades to come Turkey's president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has said Sweden is too lax on terrorist groups and security threats. Stoltenberg has said Sweden has met its obligations for membership through toughening anti-terrorist laws and other measures. Hungary's reasons for opposing Sweden have been less defined, complaining about Sweden's criticism of democratic backsliding and the erosion of rule of law. Hungary, while providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine, has also sought to balance its relations between NATO and Russia. Budapest is heavily reliant on Russia for its energy requirements. After last weekend's abortive rebellion in Russia, the fate of some top generals is unknown All nations in the alliance have to ratify the entry of a new member country. The White House has stressed that Sweden has fulfilled its commitments to join NATO and has urged that it join the alliance expeditiously. Putin says the aborted rebellion played into the hands of Russia’s enemies  

President Joe Biden is welcoming outgoing NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg to the White House for talks on Monday as the competition to find his successor to lead the military alliance heats up. Stoltenberg, who has led the NATO since 2014 and has had his tenure extended three times, said earlier this year he would move on when his current time expires at the end of September. The jockeying to replace him is intensifying as leaders of the 31-member military alliance are set to meet next month for their annual summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. Last week, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made the case for U.K. Defense Minister Ben Wallace directly to Biden. The U.S. president also met with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, another potential contender. Also Read: Religious leaders shocked at congressmen's letter to Biden Asked about the NATO job at a news conference with Sunak by his side, Biden called Wallace "very qualified" but noted that the conversation among NATO leaders to find a "consensus" pick to replace Stoltenberg was ongoing. Biden's opinion carries enormous weight as the U.S. spends more than any other member in the alliance on defense. Frederiksen sought to play down her candidacy after she met with Biden last week. She declined to say whether she discussed the coming vacancy with him, telling reporters that she did not want to go "further in these speculations about NATO." The alliance has never had a female secretary-general. Also Read: NATO allies prepare unprecedented air deployment exercise over Europe in show of force to Russia A British government official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said ahead of Sunak's visit that the British leader wants to be sure the next secretary general "carries on Stoltenberg's good work of modernization but also understands the importance of defense spending at this critical time." Denmark has lagged behind NATO's target for members to spend 2% of gross domestic product on military budgets by 2030. But the centrist government announced late last month that it would look to invest some 143 billion kroner ($20.6 billion) in the country's defense over the next decade, citing a "serious threat picture." Biden and Stoltenberg are also expected to discuss Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine and efforts to persuade fellow NATO member Turkey to back off blocking Sweden from joining the military alliance. Sweden and Finland, both historically unaligned militarily, jointly sought NATO membership after being rattled by Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Turkey initially blocked both countries from joining the alliance before agreeing to membership for Finland while continuing to object to Sweden. Also Read: US says ‘the time is now’ for Sweden to join NATO and for Turkey to get new F-16s In public comments since Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was reelected last month, Biden has spoken with a measure of certainty that Sweden will soon join the alliance. "It will happen. I promise you," Biden said of Sweden's NAT0 ascension earlier this month. Stoltenberg and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken have both expressed hope that Sweden will be brought into the NATO fold by the time allied leaders meet in Lithuania on July 11-12.