Biden

Biden, who is the oldest president in American history, took the oath by placing his left hand on his 127-year-old family Bible, which was held by his wife, Jill Biden. He used the same Bible during his swearing-in as vice president and seven times as senator from Delaware. Just before Biden's oath, his deputy 56-year-old Harris was sworn in as 49th Vice President of the United States by Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina member of the Supreme Court, creating history as the first female, first Black and first Indian-American vice president of the world's oldest and most powerful democracy. … [Read more...] about Joe Biden becomes 46th US President, Kamala Harris scripts history as first female US Vice-President

Washington: President Joe Biden returned the United States to the worldwide fight to slow global warming in one of his first official acts and immediately launched a series of climate-friendly efforts that would transform how Americans drive and get their power. "A cry for survival comes from the planet itself," Biden said in his inaugural address on Wednesday. "A cry that can't be any more desperate or any more clear now." Biden signed an executive order rejoining the Paris climate accord within hours of taking the oath of office, fulfilling a campaign pledge. The move undoes the US withdrawal ordered by predecessor Donald Trump, who belittled the science behind climate efforts, loosened regulations on heat-trapping oil, gas and coal emissions, and spurred oil and gas leasing in pristine Arctic tundra and other wilderness. The Paris accord commits 195 countries and other signatories to come up with a goal to reduce carbon pollution and monitor and report their fossil fuel emissions. … [Read more...] about Biden puts US back into fight to slow global warming

The European Union hailed Joe Biden's inauguration later on Wednesday as U.S. president as a "new dawn" for Europe and the United States, while insisting U.S. technology companies should be regulated to stop the "dark forces" of hate speech online.The EU and the United States are the world's top trading powers, along with China, and have close cultural, historical, business and defence ties, but Donald Trump sought to sideline the EU, championing Britain's departure from the bloc.Expressing relief at the end of four years of Trump's "America First" policy, the EU's chief executive and chairman told the European Parliament that shaping new global digital regulation together was paramount."This new dawn in America is the moment we've been waiting for," European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. But she also cautioned: "This sense of relief ... should not lead us to making any illusions. Trump may be consigned to history in a few hours, but his followers remain." Von der … [Read more...] about EU hails Biden’s ‘new dawn’ but wants tough tech rules

However, given that the former president broke several of the past traditions, including by opting to skip Biden's inauguration ceremony and never formally congratulated him on his election win, it was unclear until Wednesday whether Trump would maintain the tradition of outgoing presidents leaving notes for their successors. … [Read more...] about Trump wrote a ‘very generous’ letter before departing WH: Biden

Mr. Biden wore a mask as he signed the orders in the Oval Office — a marked departure from Mr. Trump, who rarely wore a face covering in public and never during events in the Oval Office. But mask wearing is now required in the building. Among the executive actions signed on Wednesday was one putting in place a mask mandate on federal property. Mr. Biden’s order also extended the federal eviction freeze to aid those struggling from the pandemic economic fallout, created a new federal office to coordinate a national response to the virus and restored the White House’s National Security Council directorate for global health security and defense, an office his predecessor had closed. … [Read more...] about On Day One, Joe Biden targets Trump policies on climate, coronavirus