Nation
Biden Would Take Michelle Obama As His Running Mate ‘In a Heartbeat’
Former U.S. Senator and Vice President Joe Biden, the presumption Democratic presidential nominee, says he would choose former First Lady Michelle Obama to be his running mate for the 2020 presidential election.
Biden told Jon Delano of KDKA (CBS Pittsburgh) Monday that the former first lady would be a strong addition as Vice President if she would be willing to accept the nomination.
“I’d take her in a heartbeat,” Biden said of Mrs. Obama. “She’s brilliant. She knows the way around. She is a really fine woman. The Obamas are great friends.”
But Biden doesn’t know if she would be willing to accept the nomination after her husband’s two terms as President. “I don’t think she has any desire to live near the White House again,” Biden added.
The Democratic primary frontrunner mentioned that he is in the process of selecting a vice president. “In terms of who to pick, we’re just beginning the process,” Biden told KDKA. “We’ll shortly name the committee to review this and begin to look through the backgrounds of the various potential nominees. And that’s just getting underway.”
Biden also told KDKA that he would not commit to a woman of color on his ticket, one month after a source close to the campaign told Axios he would do so in order to show voters that the former VP “isn’t just another old white guy.”
“I’ll commit to that be a woman because it is very important that my administration look like the public, look like the nation. And there will be, committed that there will be a woman of color on the Supreme Court, that doesn’t mean there won’t be a vice president, as well,” Biden said.
Joe Biden held his first campaign rally of this election cycle in Pittsburgh on April 30, 2019 after receiving an endorsement from the International Association of Fire Fighters. He has said that he needs Western Pennsylvania, and Pennsylvania in general, in order to win the election.
Immigration
New York City Mayor Eric Adams Announces End to Controversial Migrant Debit Card Program
The world is watching in amazement as so much is changing incredibly quickly once former President Donald Trump was re-elected. Among the decisive actions was progressive Democrat New York City Mayor Eric Adams announcing he will end its contentious migrant voucher program, which provided prepaid debit cards worth up to $18,500 for migrant families.
The decision was announced Thursday by City Hall, and comes as Mayor Eric Adams has taken a more critical stance toward the city’s migrant policies and has shown openness to collaborating with former President Donald Trump on immigration reforms.
The Daily Mail reports that the program, which distributed over $3.2 million in total cash value to around 2,600 families, aimed to assist migrant households in purchasing necessities. Initially, the program was designed to cover expenses at supermarkets and bodegas; a family of four with two children could receive up to $350 per week, depending on the children’s ages.
However, the program’s future grew uncertain after City Comptroller Brad Lander removed Adams’s authority to make no-bid contracts for emergency initiatives, such as the $400,000 contract granted to the financial services company MoCaFi to operate the program, adds the Daily Mail. William Fowler, a spokesperson for City Hall, confirmed that the program will end at the close of the year but left open the possibility that it could be restarted in the future—though this time through an open bidding process.
Critics of the program, including Texas Governor Greg Abbott and rapper 50 Cent, questioned why resources were allocated to migrants over struggling New Yorkers. Abbott labeled the initiative “insanity,” arguing it misplaces the city’s priorities. 50 Cent, originally from Queens, expressed his confusion on Instagram, posting, “WTF Mayor Adams call my phone…maybe TRUMP is the answer.”
Supporters of the voucher program argue that the initiative offsets strain on local resources caused by the recent surge in migrants, allowing families to spend money directly in local stores rather than the city providing boxed food and supplies. Adams has defended the program, claiming it saves New York City $600,000 a month, or $7.2 million annually, by redirecting funds into the local economy.
Joseph Borelli, the City Council’s Republican minority leader, acknowledged that the city does save some funds through this model but questioned the overall spending on migrant support, particularly as it becomes a growing political issue.
Fowler added, “We will continue to implement and learn from innovative pilot programs like the immediate response cards program as we care for hundreds of new arrivals every week.”
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