Joe Biden marks over 500,000 Covid deaths in the US: ‘We have to resist becoming numb to the sorrow’
President Joe Biden led a sombre address to the nation on Monday as the US hit the “heartbreaking” milestone of 500,000 coronavirus deaths, as Donald Trump’s team dismissed news of a rift with his former vice-president Mike Pence.
Mr Biden observed a minute’s silence outside the White House alongside vice-president Kamala Harris and their partners during a candle-lit vigil and urged Americans to “fight this together as one people.”
He described hitting the 500,000 number as a “truly grim, heartbreaking milestone” and noted that the number of US death’s from the pandemic is now higher than the death toll from World War One, World War Two and the Vietnam War combined.
It comes as Mr Trump’s advisers have denied that the former president refused to share a stage with Mike Pence at the conservative annual political conference in Florida and played down talk of a dispute between the pair.
Mr Trump’s senior aide Jason Miller said: “This story is patently false, and these ‘anonymously sourced’ attacks designed to create division are why people distrust the media.”
“No such demand or request was ever made by President Trump, and in fact, President Trump and Vice President Pence had a great call last week!” he added.
Joe Biden’s full speech after the US Covid death toll reached 500,000
President Joe Biden led Americans in a moment of silence to mourn 500,000 COVID-19 deaths from the White House on Monday.
“Today we mark a truly grim, heartbreaking milestone – 500,071 dead. That’s more Americans who have died in one year in this pandemic than in World War One, World War Two and the Vietnam War combined,” Mr Biden said in emotional remarks.
“But as we acknowledge the scale of this mass death in America, we remember each person and the life they lived. They are people we knew.”
Mr Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, first lady Jill Biden and second gentleman Doug Emhoff marked a moment of silence around 6:15 p.m (2315 GMT) outdoors at the White House after the president’s comments.
Read the full speech below
Joe Middleton23 February 2021 10:06
Former Trump lawyer warns tax release could spell end for ex-president
Donald Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen has said it was time for Mr Trump to “take responsibility for his own dirty deeds” after the Supreme Court ordered the ex-president to hand over his tax returns to prosecutors in New York.
Namita Singh has all the details
Joe Middleton23 February 2021 09:40
President Biden set to meet with Canadian PM Trudeau
Joe Biden will hold a virtual meeting with Justin Trudeau this afternoon where a range of issues are expected to be discussed, including the president’s decision to block the Keystone XL pipeline.
“The meeting will be an opportunity for the two leaders to review joint efforts in areas of mutual interest such as the COVID-19 response, climate change, and the economic ties that bind our countries, as well as the deep people-to-people bonds we share,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement on Saturday.
While Mr Biden has had at-times lengthy calls with several foreign leaders, the meeting with Trudeau will also extend to lower-level meetings between Cabinet ministers.
On his first day in office, Mr Biden signed an executive order revoking the permit for Keystone XL – a pipeline that would carry some 830,000 barrels of heavy crude oil each day from fields in Alberta, Canada to the US.
Joe Middleton23 February 2021 09:19
Trump team denies he is refusing to share stage with Pence and insists they have spoken since Capitol riot
Donald Trump’s senior adviser Jason Miller has dismissed reports of the former president refusing to share a stage with Mike Pence at the conservative annual political conference in Florida and played down suggestions of a feud between the pair, writes The Independent’s Shweta Sharma.
“This story is patently false, and these ‘anonymously sourced’ attacks designed to create division are why people distrust the media,” Mr Miller said.
“No such demand or request was ever made by President Trump, and in fact, President Trump and Vice President Pence had a great call last week!” he added.
Joe Middleton23 February 2021 09:01
Security officials face questions today about Capitol violence
Congress is set to hear from former Capitol security officials for the first time about the massive law enforcement failures on January 6, the day a violent mob laid siege to the building and interrupted the presidential electoral count.
Three of the four people scheduled to testify on Tuesday before two Senate committees resigned under pressure immediately after the deadly attack, including the former head of the Capitol Police.
Five people died as a result of the violence, including a Capitol Police officer and a woman who was shot by police as she tried to break through the doors of the House chamber with lawmakers still inside.
Former Senate sergeant-at-arms Michael Stenger and former House sergeant-at-arms Paul Irving will speak publicly for the first time since their resignations at the hearing, which is part of a joint investigation by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the Senate Rules Committee.
They will be joined by former Capitol Police Chief Steven Sund and Robert Contee, the acting chief of police for the Metropolitan Police Department, who sent additional officers to the scene after the rioting began.
Joe Middleton23 February 2021 08:53
Fauci says Trump failures and political divide over masks led to 500,000 Covid death toll
America yesterday hit the grim milestone of 500,000 coronavirus deaths from the pandemic as President Biden led a memorial at the White House to those who have lost their lives so far.
The country’s top virologist Dr Anthony Fauci said the political divisiveness in the country and the Trump administration’s “mixed signals” on health guidelines were detrimental to efforts to curb the pandemic.
Mayank Aggarwal has all the details
Joe Middleton23 February 2021 08:44
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Joe Middleton23 February 2021 08:40