10 Things in Politics: Biden and Putin's dueling press conferences
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Brent D. Griffiths
Jun 17, 2021, 16:38 IST
Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Joe Biden before their summit at the Villa la Grange in Geneva on Wednesday.Alexander Zemlianichenko/AP
Programming note: There will be nonewsletter tomorrow as Insider observes Juneteenth. I will then be on vacation next week enjoying the College World Series. We have some great guest authors who will fill in starting Tuesday. Thanks again for waking up with us!
One thing to watch for: President Joe Biden, joined by Vice President Kamala Harris, is expected to sign into law legislation making Juneteenth a federal holiday. (While the Senate passed it unanimously, 14 House Republicans voted against creating the holiday.)
On cyberattacks: Putin claimed most cyberattacks originated from North America. Biden told reporters he presented Putin with a list of 16 sectors, including agriculture and financial services, that the US considered off-limits from attacks. The two sides agreed to discuss the issue further. Biden told reporters he pointed out to Putin that the US had "significant cybercapability," a not-so-subtle reference to offensive capabilities that leaders are usually shy talking about.
Both leaders did say they accomplished something: "I did what I came to do," Biden told reporters. Putin called the discussion "fruitful," but when asked whether it was a new chapter in relations between the two countries he dropped a quote often attributed to Leo Tolstoy. "There is no happiness in life, there's only a mirage on the horizon, so we'll cherish that."
Immigration could even make it into the infrastructure plan: Sen. Tim Kaine of Virginia said Democrats were interested in fully financing Biden's $4 trillion infrastructure plans instead of adding to the national debt. He added that immigration reform would generate a lot of money.
5. The Fed moved up its timeline for rate hikes: The central bank previously placed its first forecast interest-rate hikes past 2023, signaling it was willing to let inflation run hot to let the US economy recover faster, The Wall Street Journal reports. Federal Reserve Chair Jay Powell said the timing of such a move remained uncertain. Powell said he continued to believe the spike in inflation would soon subside.
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6. Sanders says he's "delighted" DeSantis cribbed ones of his ideas: Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida has been pressuring the Biden administration to let the Sunshine State import cheaper drugs from Canada. And he has the blessing of one of the unlikeliest of people: Sen. Bernie Sanders, one of the Senate's most liberal members. "If people want to steal them, I'm delighted," Sanders told Insider. He wants to see even more states join in.
8. Abbott says Texas will spend $250 million to build its own border wall: Gov. Greg Abbott said Wednesday that Texas would build a wall on land owned by the state and areas provided by volunteers who surrendered their land. He also demanded that the Biden administration return land taken by the Trump administration for its border wall. Texas is also accepting donations to pay for the project.
10. You might be able to have a European summer vacation after all: European Union member states agreed to lift COVID-19 travel restrictions and allow nonessential travel from the US soon (Reuters reported that the change could take place within days).
News you can use: We put together a travel-safety guide for keeping your stress level - and infection risk - low. From where to sit on an airplane (or where not to sit) to what kinds of flights to book. Here are expert tips on traveling safely.
Today's trivia question: Today marks the anniversary of the Statue of Liberty arriving in New York Harbor. In addition to being a beacon for tourists, what function did the statue briefly serve before the government agency in charge of it decided it wasn't worth the trouble? Email your guess and a suggested question to me at bgriffiths@insider.com.
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