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Rep. Jasmine Crockett insists ‘granddaddy' Biden's acuity ‘supreme' compared to Trump

Rep. Jasmine Crockett insists ‘granddaddy' Biden's acuity ‘supreme' compared to Trump

New York Post5 hours ago

Firebrand Rep. Jasmine Crockett defended former President Joe Biden's mental acuity and argued that his cognition was 'supreme' compared to President Trump during a recent podcast interview.
Shrugging off bombshell revelations about Biden's decline from the new book 'Original Sin' and elsewhere, Crockett (D-Texas) underscored that she 'never saw anything' from the 46th president that caused her to question his infirmity.
'Even if we want to say — which I refuse to accept — that Joe Biden was mentally deficient, let me tell you something, his mental deficiency is still a thousand times better than what we currently have,' Crockett said on Katie Couric's 'Next Question' podcast in an episode that dropped Thursday.
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'I just wish that, ultimately, this country would judge each of our leaders with the same measuring stick.'
Questions about Biden's cognitive abilities reached a fever pitch almost exactly a year ago in the aftermath of his fumbling debate performance against Trump, in which he repeatedly lost his train of thought and appeared stone-faced at times, mouth agape.
3 The Texas congresswoman said in her personal experience with him, former President Joe Biden seemed fine.
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3 The former president was poised to attend an African Methodist Episcopal church in Galveston, Texas, to celebrate Juneteenth on Thursday.
AP
The stunning debate prompted a revolt among Democrats that ultimately culminated with Biden dropping out of the race in July of last year.
Recently, those dramatic events have been revisited in the bombshell book 'Original Sin' by star Axios reporter Alex Thompson and CNN anchor Jake Tapper, triggering soul searching among Democrats over Biden, who announced his prostate cancer diagnosis last month.
On Wednesday, the GOP-led Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on Biden's use of autopen and his supposed cognitive decline. The House Oversight Committee is conducting a similar probe.
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Crockett had stood by Biden during the Democratic revolt last summer. She likened his condition to that of her grandmother, whom the rep said 'mentally she was still there' despite aging and slowing down.
3 President Trump has publicly bashed Rep. Jasmine Crockett.
AP
'We all slow down. But I will tell you that I will take a broken — or however they want to describe Joe Biden — over Donald Trump any given day, because, number one, I know Joe Biden's heart,' the Texas Democrat contended.
'Even if you're saying that there was a mentally deficient Joe Biden, I know that he absolutely had a mental acuity that is supreme when it comes to comparing him to Donald Trump, because at least he kept good people around him.'
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The outspoken Texas congresswoman also recalled her personal interactions with Biden to argue that he was not in significant decline during his time running the country.
'The average person has not been given the level of access that the average member of Congress has to the president,' she explained.
'I never saw anything in Joe Biden that made me wonder whatsoever, and it's not that I was with Joe Biden every single day, that's for sure. But as I talked about my grandparents — the way that I would describe Joe is like, I mean, he's a granddaddy, right?'

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California is to examine its Amazon oil ties following pleas from Indigenous leaders from Ecuador
California is to examine its Amazon oil ties following pleas from Indigenous leaders from Ecuador

Hamilton Spectator

time39 minutes ago

  • Hamilton Spectator

California is to examine its Amazon oil ties following pleas from Indigenous leaders from Ecuador

RICHMOND, California (AP) — An oil tanker sat docked at Chevron's sprawling refinery in Richmond on Thursday — a visible link between California's appetite for Amazon crude and the remote rainforest territories where it's extracted. Just offshore, bundled in puffy jackets against the Bay wind, Indigenous leaders from Ecuador's Amazon paddled kayaks through choppy waters, calling attention to the oil expansion threatening their lands. Their visit to California helped prompt the state Senate to introduce a landmark resolution urging officials to examine the state's role in importing crude from the Amazon. The move comes as Ecuador's government prepares to auction off 14 new oil blocks — covering more than 2 million hectares of rainforest, much of it Indigenous territory — in a 2026 bidding round known as 'Sur Oriente.' 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Bay highlighted a March 2025 ruling by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, which found that Ecuador had violated the rights of the area's Indigenous groups by allowing oil operations in and around a site known as Block 43. The court ordered the government to halt extraction in protected areas and uphold the 2023 referendum banning drilling in Yasuni National Park, where the country's largest crude reserve lies, estimated at around 1.7 billion barrels. Bay appealed to the California government to reconsider if it 'should continue receiving crude from the Amazon' — or continue to be 'complicit in the violation of rights' happening on Indigenous territory. Defending Indigenous rights State Senator Josh Becker, who introduced the new resolution, praised the visiting leaders for defending both their land and the global climate. 'Their communities are on the front lines asserting their rights and resisting oil extraction,' Becker said on the Senate floor on Monday. 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Californians need to 'recognize their responsibility and their complicity in driving demand for Amazon crude and the impact that that is having on Indigenous people, on their rights, on the biodiversity and the climate,' he added. California's future is closely tied to the Amazon's — the state relies on the rainforest's role in climate regulation and rainfall, Koenig said, warning that continued Amazon crude imports contribute to the very destruction increasing California's vulnerability to drought and wildfires. He said environmental and public health damage tied to oil drilling is not confined to South America. 'We're seeing the same impacts from the oil well to the wheel here in California, where communities are suffering from contamination, health impacts, dirty water,' he said. 'It's time that California lead an energy transition.' California, one of the world's largest economies and a major importer of Amazon crude, must take stronger climate action, Koenig added and called on the state to phase out its reliance on oil linked to deforestation, human rights abuses, pollution, and climate damage. The resolution commends the Indigenous communities of Ecuador for their struggle in defending the rainforest and Indigenous rights. It also marks the first time California would examine how its energy consumption may contribute to the region's deforestation and cultural loss. The resolution is expected to be up for a vote within a few weeks, according to Koenig. ___ Follow Steven Grattan on X: @sjgrattan ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at .

Rev. Al Sharpton, filmmaker Spike Lee speak out on Juneteenth
Rev. Al Sharpton, filmmaker Spike Lee speak out on Juneteenth

CBS News

time40 minutes ago

  • CBS News

Rev. Al Sharpton, filmmaker Spike Lee speak out on Juneteenth

Juneteenth commemorates the day enslaved people in Texas finally learned they were free. It happened more than two years after the emancipation proclamation. In Brooklyn Thursday, Rev. Al Sharpton and filmmaker Spike Lee marked the holiday by speaking out about racial injustice, immigration reforms, and the continued fight for freedom. The two Brooklyn natives reflected on Juneteenth's meaning at a breakfast in their home borough. "We learned from our history," Lee said. "Juneteenth started because Texas never informed those who were enslaved that they were free," Sharpton said. Although the emancipation proclamation took effect in 1863, slavery continued in Texas for more than two years until Union troops arrived in Galveston on June 19, 1865 with a document called General Order No. 3, which declared "all slaves are free." Sharpton and Lee say the fight for freedom now means showing up at the ballot box, including for next Tuesday's mayoral primary. "People died for us to have the chance to vote," Lee said. "That's why it is important that people register and vote. Vote in the mayor's election, whoever you're voting for. Vote in every election. Because they're trying to erase Black history," Sharpton said. The pair protested the Trump administration's immigration policies, blasting the latest travel ban which restricts entry from 12 countries. "I think the travel ban, the fact that Haiti and several other countries, all Black and Brown countries, are on the travel ban, shows outright bigotry," Sharpton said. Local leaders say Juneteenth is a reminder that the fight for freedom isn't over "Racism is still alive and well in America," Brooklyn resident Darryl E. Jones said. It's to never forget what the struggle is about." "July 4th is independence from kings — but Juneteenth is independence for me and my people. That's when we were freed from the people of this country," Brooklyn resident Teegee Wilson said. Juneteenth is a day to reflect on the past and the future. "Onward and upward. Let's move forward," Lee said.

Juneteenth 2025: What's open and closed in California
Juneteenth 2025: What's open and closed in California

San Francisco Chronicle​

time40 minutes ago

  • San Francisco Chronicle​

Juneteenth 2025: What's open and closed in California

As California and the Bay Area prepare to observe Juneteenth on Thursday, residents can expect closures across many government services while most commercial businesses remain open. The day, which became a federal holiday in 2021, commemorates the end of slavery in the United States and has grown in national prominence over the past several years. Juneteenth marks the anniversary of June 19, 1865, when Union Army Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and issued General Order No. 3, proclaiming that all enslaved African Americans in the state were free. Though President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation had gone into effect more than two years earlier, it could not be enforced in Confederate-held areas until Union troops arrived. While many Americans now have the day off, the landscape of what remains open and closed is a patchwork — especially across California. Are banks open on Juneteenth 2025? Major U.S. banks — including JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citibank and PNC — will shutter their branches on Thursday in accordance with the Federal Reserve's holiday calendar. Capital One Cafés, however, plan to remain open. Online banking services and ATMs will still be operational. Trading on the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq will be suspended for the day. Will mail and shipping services operate on Juneteenth? UPS and FedEx will operate on normal schedules. Both companies confirmed they will offer regular pickup and delivery services, and their respective store locations will be open. Customers are advised to check with local branches for specific hours. Which government offices are closed for Juneteenth? All federal offices, including immigration services, Social Security offices and the Internal Revenue Service, will be closed. In California, most state offices — such as the Department of Motor Vehicles — will remain open. While Juneteenth is recognized as a holiday, it is not a paid day off for state employees, though they may choose to use a personal day to observe it. Many city and county offices in the Bay Area will close for the day, including most courthouses and public libraries. Residents planning to attend to any local governmental business are urged to check in advance. Trash and recycling pickup services will operate on a normal schedule in most Bay Area cities. Residents should place their bins out as usual unless notified otherwise by their local waste management provider. Is public transit running on Juneteenth in the Bay Area? Transit services will continue without interruption. BART and Caltrain both confirmed that they will operate on normal weekday schedules. Are stores and grocery chains open on Juneteenth? Most retail outlets and grocery chains will be open during regular business hours. Target, Costco, Trader Joe's, Walmart and Safeway will all remain open. CVS will be operating, although some pharmacies may reduce their hours. Walgreens will keep stores open, but most pharmacies will be closed, except for 24-hour locations. Major retail chains such as Macy's, Best Buy, Home Depot and Lowe's also plan to operate as usual. Local businesses and restaurants are likely to remain open, though hours may vary. Customers are advised to call ahead or check websites. Will schools be closed on Juneteenth? Most public schools are closed for summer break. Where schools remain in session, public institutions will generally observe the federal holiday. Policies may vary for private schools and universities. Are national parks open on Juneteenth 2025? In honor of Juneteenth, the National Park Service will waive entrance fees to all national parks. Visitors can enjoy complimentary access to over 400 national park sites across the country, including Bay Area favorites like Muir Woods and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. When did Juneteenth become a federal holiday? Juneteenth, long commemorated by Black communities, was made a federal holiday in 2021 amid a renewed focus on racial justice. It has been described as America's second Independence Day. Despite growing recognition, not all states provide a paid day off for government workers. According to a 2023 Pew Research report, 28 states and Washington, D.C., recognize Juneteenth as a public holiday.

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