Biden news – live: US to expel more Russian spies as White House outlines ‘ghost guns’ strategy
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Joe Biden’s National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan has said the US will “not hesitate” to expel additional Russian diplomats from the country for suspected espionage.
Speaking on ABC News, Mr Sullivan confirmed that the administration has already kicked out multiple individuals who were allegedly part of the Kremlin’s spying operations, and that there would be no mercy shown to others still operating in the country.
The US government, he said, is “always on the lookout for anyone connected to espionage or spy services” and “will not hesitate to take further action to declare persona non grata to expel, to kick out further Russian quote unquote ‘diplomats’ if we determine they’re spies”.
Meanwhile, Mr Biden is expected to announce new gun regulations on Monday to rein in so-called “ghost guns” — privately made firearms without serial numbers that have been used in several high-profile violent crimes.
Mr Biden is expected to nominate Steve Dettlebach, an Obama-era US attorney, to run the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, people familiar with the matter told the Associated Press.
Key points
Biden to nominate Obama-era US attorney to lead ATF
Psaki accuses Republicans of holding Covid funding ‘hostage’ over immigration demand
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11:45 , Andrew Naughtie
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What are “ghost guns” and what is the White House planning?
11:23 , Andrew Naughtie
The White House has released the beginnings of Joe Biden’s plan to crack down on “ghost guns”, privately made firearms with no serial numbers that a briefing describes as “the weapon of choice for violent criminals”.
According to the White House, a new rule introduced by the Justice Department will target both existing guns and the business of manufacturing them, including “unserialized ‘buy build shoot’ kits that individuals can buy online or at a store without a background check and can readily assemble into a working firearm in as little as 30 minutes with equipment they have at home.”
This rule builds on the Biden Administration’s prior executive action to rein in the proliferation of ghost guns. In February 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice launched a National Ghost Gun Enforcement Initiative, which is training a national cadre of prosecutors and disseminating investigation and prosecution tool to help bring cases against those who use ghost guns to commit crimes. As President Biden said during an event at the New York Police Department headquarters, if you use a ghost gun to commit a crime “not only are state and local prosecutors going to come after you, but expect federal charges and federal prosecution as well.”
Read the White House’s full fact sheet here.
Protesters blockade coal plant that makes Joe Manchin $500,000 a year
10:40 , Andrew Naughtie
West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin has become the Democrats’ number one headache on Capitol Hill, particularly when it comes to including climate change measures in major spending legislation. Many critics chalk this resistance up to his ties to the coal industry in his state – and now more than a dozen people have been detained for helping to blockade a coal plant from which Mr Manchin made nearly half a billion dollars in 2020.
As Louise Boyle reports, the plant in question supplies “Gob”, coal waste that burns even more inefficiently than coal, to a company run by the senator’s son.
Read the story below.
Protesters arrested at West Virginia coal plant with ties to Manchin
Biden, Modi to have virtual meeting today
10:10 , Andrew Naughtie
President Joe Biden is set to speak with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday as he presses world leaders to take a hard line against Russia’s Ukraine invasion.
India’s neutral stance in the war has raised concerns in Washington and earned praise from Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who lauded India this month for judging “the situation in its entirety, not just in a one-sided way.”
Read full report
Biden, Modi to speak as US presses for hard line on Russia
US ‘will not hesitate’ to expel Russian diplomats for espionage, Sullivan says
09:42 , Shweta Sharma
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said the US will “not hesitate” to expel additional Russian diplomats from the country for suspected espionage activity after the administration removed 12 Russian officials in February.
Mr Sullivan – addressing NBC’s Meet the Press on 10 April – said the US is “always on the lookout for anyone connected to espionage or spy services” and “will not hesitate to take further action, to declare persona non grata, to expel, to kick out further Russian quote unquote ‘diplomats’ if we determine they’re spies”.
Alex Woodward has details
US ‘will not hesitate’ to expel Russian diplomats for espionage, Sullivan says
Biden to unveil strategy to curb ‘ghost guns’ amid fears of rising crime
08:45 , Shweta Sharma
The Biden administration will announce new regulations to limit the spread of “ghost guns” as soon as Monday, according to reports.
Inside sources told the Associated Press that the Justice Department is preparing to reveal its long-awaited new rules on untraceable homemade firearms.
Ghost guns are so called because they lack serial numbers and can therefore circumvent background checks and gun licence laws.
Read Io Dodds’ report
Biden to unveil strategy to curb ‘ghost guns’ amid fears of rising crime
Fauci says it’s up to individuals to determine Covid-19 risks amid outbreak among lawmakers
08:03 , Shweta Sharma
Anthony Fauci has said that it is up to individuals to decide the risk of Covid-19 in gatherings amid an outbreak of coronavirus cases among White House officials and lawmakers, while hinting at the looming risk of a Covid surge in the coming days.
“I think the people who run functions, who run big dinners, who run functions like the White House correspondents’ ball, or thinking back, the Gridiron Dinner, are going to have to make a determination looking at the CDC guidelines and seeing where the trends are,” Dr Fauci told ABC “This Week” host Jonathan Karl.
“I mean, there are some places you go, not only is it required that you show proof of vaccination, but you have to have a negative test the day you go to a particular place.”
At least 67 people, including the White House officials and congressional lawmakers, tested positive for the virus after attending the Gridiron Dinner last week. At least 630 people attended the annual white-tie marquee dinner which was held on 2 April after a hiatus of two years.
Dr Fauci warned against downplaying the risk of Covid because “there are things like long Covid and there are sometimes people even though they don’t require hospitalisation, Jon, they get significantly ill”.
Joe Biden hails his administration for creating 7.9 million jobs
07:31 , Shweta Sharma
Joe Biden on Sunday claimed that his administration has created more jobs on an average per month than any other president in the history of the US.
“Our economy added 7.9 million jobs since I took office,” he said in a tweet.
“That’s millions of families with a little more breathing room and the dignity a job provides,” he added.
America is back to work.
Our economy added 7.9 million jobs since I took office—more jobs created on average per month than under any other president in history. That’s millions of families with a little more breathing room and the dignity a job provides.— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) April 9, 2022
However, the Biden administration is facing heat over rising inflation in the country. The inflation in the US has risen by 8.4 per cent year over year, hitting a 40-year high in March, according to estimates from Bloomberg.
Psaki accuses Republicans of holding Covid funding ‘hostage’ over immigration demand
06:52 , Shweta Sharma
White House press secretary Jen Psaki went on the offensive on Sunday, accusing Republicans of holding federal Covid-19 response funding “hostage” on what many consider to be the GOP’s home turf.
The top spokeswoman for Joe Biden faced Fox News Sunday guest host Dana Perino, a former White House press secretary herself under George W Bush, where she battled calls from GOP senators to restore the Title 42 rule which allowed Homeland Security agents to turn away migrants at the border due to the risk of Covid-19 spread.
“Title 42 is not an immigration plan or an immigration authority. No one in the administration thinks that. It’s an authority given to the CDC actually by Congress,” Ms Psaki said.
Read John Bowden’s report
Psaki says Republicans holding Covid funding ‘hostage’ over immigration demand
Biden to meet Indian PM Modi virtually as US presses for hard line on Russia
06:27 , Shweta Sharma
Joe Biden will hold a virtual meeting with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi on Monday as Washington is pressing world leaders to take a harder line on Russia.
The White House said that the two will discuss “ending the Covid-19 pandemic, countering the climate crisis, strengthening the global economy, and upholding a free, open, rules-based international order to bolster security, democracy, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific”.
“President Biden will continue our close consultations on the consequences of Russia’s brutal war against Ukraine and mitigating its destabilising impact on global food supply and commodity markets,” it added.
The meeting precedes a ministerial summit between the US’s secretary of state Antony Blinken and secretary of defence Lloyd Austin, and India’s external affairs minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and defence minister Rajnath Singh, in Washington. That meeting begins today and will continue for five days.
Biden to nominate Obama-era US attorney to lead ATF
05:57 , Shweta Sharma
Joe Biden is expected to nominate Steve Dettlebach, who served as a US attorney in Ohio from 2009 to 2016, to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, six people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press.
The administration will be responsible for releasing the finalised version of regulations against so-called ghost guns, privately made firearms without serial numbers that are increasingly cropping up at crime scenes.
This comes as the White House and the Justice Department have been under growing pressure to crack down on gun deaths and violent crime in the US.
Mr Dettlebach’s confirmation is likely to be an uphill battle for the Biden administration, however, with Mr Biden already forced to withdraw the nomination of his first ATF pick, gun-control advocate David Chipman, amid Republican opposition.
The process to get nominees for the ATF has remained politically fraught with Republican and Democratic administrations failing to reach an understanding since the director’s position was made confirmable in 2006.
05:17 , Shweta Sharma
Welcome to the Independent’s coverage of President Joe Biden on Monday
