REUTERS
"Nasdaq, S&P tumble as Netflix, chip stocks drag; AmEx boosts Dow"
By Chuck Mikolajczak
April 19, 2024
Summary
* Netflix falls after soft Q2 forecast
* AmEx rises after Q1 earnings
* Paramount up on likely buyout bid from Sony, Apollo
* Indexes: Dow up 0.56%, S&P down 0.88%, Nasdaq drops 2.05%
NEW YORK, April 19 (Reuters) - The Nasdaq and the S&P 500 ended lower on Friday as Netflix shares weighed, but American Express kept the Dow afloat after quarterly earnings from both companies, while growing pessimism that the Federal Reserve would cut interest rates soon also dented sentiment.
Netflix slumped as one of the bigger drags on the benchmark S&P index and Nasdaq after the video streaming company's second-quarter revenue view fell short of analysts' expectations while the company also unexpectedly said it would no longer provide subscriber counts.
But the price-weighted Dow Industrials rose, thanks in part to a climb in American Express, after the payments company reported first-quarter profit that was above expectations.
Equities have struggled recently following a five-month rally that started in November, in part due to expectations the Fed was likely to cut interest rates in the first half of the year.
But a recent string of hotter-than-expected inflation data, strong labor market data, geopolitical tensions in the Middle East that have sparked a rise in oil prices, and comments from Federal Reserve officials including Chair Jerome Powell has caused market participants to dial back the timing of any rate cut from the central bank.
"You've seen rate-cutting expectations just continue to come out of the market, and they should be because there's nothing about the data that says they should cut," said Mike Dickson, head of research and quantitative strategies at Horizon Investments in Charlotte, North Carolina.
"So in that environment when you're sitting here near highs, that means it's not going to be rates going down and multiples expanding because of that, that has to be driven by earnings growth."
"And so just the more the rate picture doesn't look super-favorable for lower rates, even more important is the earnings growth picture."
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 211.02 points, or 0.56%, to 37,986.40, the S&P 500 lost 43.89 points, or 0.88%, to 4,967.23 and the Nasdaq Composite lost 319.49 points, or 2.05%, to 15,282.01.
For the week, the S&P 500 fell 3.05%, the Nasdaq declined 5.52%, and the Dow climbed 0.01%.
The S&P suffered its biggest weekly decline since March 2023 and the Nasdaq its largest since the week of Oct. 31, 2022.
The S&P and Nasdaq have fallen for six straight sessions, the longest streak of declines for each since October 2022, with the S&P now down 5.46% from its closing record on March 28.
Progress on bringing down inflation has "stalled" this year, said Chicago Fed President Austan Goolsbee, the latest U.S. central banker to drop an earlier focus on the coming need for interest rate cuts.
Chip-related stocks, some of the best performers of the year thanks to their association with artificial intelligence, also tumbled, with the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index down 4.12%.
The index recorded its biggest weekly percentage decline in nearly two years with a plunge of 9.23%.
Shares of Paramount Global surged 13.4% after a person familiar with the matter told Reuters that Sony Pictures Entertainment and Apollo Global Management are discussing making a joint bid for the company.
On the NYSE advancing issues outnumbered declining ones by a 1.8-to-1 ratio and a 1.08-to-1 ratio on the Nasdaq.
There were 31 new highs and 86 new lows, while on the Nasdaq there were 34 new highs and 208 new lows.
Volume on U.S. exchanges was 11.48 billion shares, compared with the 10.99 billion average for the full session over the last 20 trading days.
Reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak in New York; Editing by Matthew Lewis
https://www.reuters.com/markets/us/wall ... 024-04-19/
THE DAILY NEWS
Re: THE DAILY NEWS
REUTERS
"Fed policy on hold because of 'stalled' progress on inflation, Goolsbee says"
By Ann Saphir
April 19, 2024
April 19 (Reuters) - Progress on bringing down inflation has "stalled" this year, Chicago Federal Reserve President Austan Goolsbee said on Friday, becoming the latest U.S. central banker to drop an earlier focus on the coming need for interest rate cuts.
"Given the strength of the labor market and progress on easing inflation seen over a longer arc, I believe the Fed's current restrictive monetary policy is appropriate," Goolsbee said during an appearance before a business journalism group in Chicago.
"I think we have to recalibrate and we have to wait and see."
The belief that rates will need to stay high for longer to get price pressures moving down again is now the dominant view at the Fed.
The U.S. central bank has kept its policy rate in the 5.25%-5.50% range since last July, and just a few weeks ago most policymakers, including Goolsbee, thought at least three rate cuts this year would be appropriate.
Three months of higher-than-expected inflation data "can't be dismissed," and the Fed will need to determine if continued strong growth in the economy and job market is a sign of overheating, Goolsbee said.
Though higher productivity and labor force participation, driven partly by immigration, suggest there is "space for progress" on services inflation, he said, persistently high housing inflation remains the main threat to price stability.
"It is supposed to have been falling," he said, citing the decline in market data on new leases.
"If it doesn't, it will be hard to see a smooth path back to our 2% inflation goal."
Goolsbee notably did not rule out a fresh rate hike in the face of disappointingly sticky inflation, but he also said the Fed may need to reduce borrowing costs if inflation resumes its decline.
"We're just trying to figure out ... what is necessary, how restrictive do we need to be ... we have weeks, months to find out," he said.
"Ultimately the proper policy going forward will depend on the data."
Economists and traders now expect the Fed will hold rates steady at its next three policy meetings, with a rate cut coming at the Sept. 17-18 session.
Financial market bets against any more than one reduction in borrowing costs this year also have risen.
Reporting by Ann Saphir; Editing by Paul Simao
https://www.reuters.com/markets/us/feds ... 024-04-19/
"Fed policy on hold because of 'stalled' progress on inflation, Goolsbee says"
By Ann Saphir
April 19, 2024
April 19 (Reuters) - Progress on bringing down inflation has "stalled" this year, Chicago Federal Reserve President Austan Goolsbee said on Friday, becoming the latest U.S. central banker to drop an earlier focus on the coming need for interest rate cuts.
"Given the strength of the labor market and progress on easing inflation seen over a longer arc, I believe the Fed's current restrictive monetary policy is appropriate," Goolsbee said during an appearance before a business journalism group in Chicago.
"I think we have to recalibrate and we have to wait and see."
The belief that rates will need to stay high for longer to get price pressures moving down again is now the dominant view at the Fed.
The U.S. central bank has kept its policy rate in the 5.25%-5.50% range since last July, and just a few weeks ago most policymakers, including Goolsbee, thought at least three rate cuts this year would be appropriate.
Three months of higher-than-expected inflation data "can't be dismissed," and the Fed will need to determine if continued strong growth in the economy and job market is a sign of overheating, Goolsbee said.
Though higher productivity and labor force participation, driven partly by immigration, suggest there is "space for progress" on services inflation, he said, persistently high housing inflation remains the main threat to price stability.
"It is supposed to have been falling," he said, citing the decline in market data on new leases.
"If it doesn't, it will be hard to see a smooth path back to our 2% inflation goal."
Goolsbee notably did not rule out a fresh rate hike in the face of disappointingly sticky inflation, but he also said the Fed may need to reduce borrowing costs if inflation resumes its decline.
"We're just trying to figure out ... what is necessary, how restrictive do we need to be ... we have weeks, months to find out," he said.
"Ultimately the proper policy going forward will depend on the data."
Economists and traders now expect the Fed will hold rates steady at its next three policy meetings, with a rate cut coming at the Sept. 17-18 session.
Financial market bets against any more than one reduction in borrowing costs this year also have risen.
Reporting by Ann Saphir; Editing by Paul Simao
https://www.reuters.com/markets/us/feds ... 024-04-19/
Re: THE DAILY NEWS
REUTERS
"Fed report cites inflation, US election as key financial stability risks"
By Howard Schneider and Pete Schroeder
April 19, 2024
WASHINGTON, April 19 (Reuters) - Persistent inflation and higher-for-longer interest rates were cited as key risks to financial stability in the Federal Reserve's latest survey of U.S. central bank contacts, with geopolitical troubles and the 2024 U.S. presidential election also mentioned as "a potentially significant source of shocks."
"Contacts noted several areas of uncertainty including trade policy and other foreign policy issues related to escalating geopolitical tensions," the Fed said on Friday in its semi-annual survey of 25 market participants, academics and other contacts.
"They also noted policy uncertainty associated with the U.S. elections in November," when the Democratic incumbent Joe Biden faces Republican former President Donald Trump.
The survey results were included as part of the Fed's latest Financial Stability Report, which looks at issues like leverage and risk-taking throughout the economy to try to identify potential trouble spots.
The report was released more than two years after the Fed launched the most aggressive interest rate hiking cycle since the 1980s in a bid to slow a surge in inflation, a move that was broadly predicted to tip the economy into recession and aggravate stresses in the financial sector.
But the latest report, much like those preceding it through the Fed's battle with inflation, shows little evidence of widespread risks to the financial system despite borrowing costs remaining at their highest levels in a quarter of a century.
But that overall impression of resilience also suggests potential problems for Fed officials who feel the economy needs to slow in order for inflation to sustainably return to the central bank's 2% target.
The strength of household and business balance sheets, the stability of the banks, and the lack of imminent bubbles or other threats suggest that a slowdown won't come through financial or credit channels that have typically been an important part of monetary policy transmission.
Contacts were interviewed through March, when Fed officials began to have doubts about an ongoing drop in inflation and noted that rate cuts might not come as fast as expected.
While that added to uncertainty about monetary policy, which along with inflation was the most cited risk, the level of "policy uncertainty" flowing from the escalation of violence in Israel and throughout the Middle East, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and the state of U.S. politics, was the second-most cited threat to the financial system.
Across what has become the Fed's standard framework for assessing financial vulnerabilities, however, the system was characterized as in largely steady shape despite high policy interest rates and the ongoing inflation fight.
There were some areas of concern, including declining values for commercial real estate and rising leverage among some of the bigger hedge funds.
Asset values, including stocks and real estate, were high.
But private debt as a share of national economic output declined, businesses maintained a "robust" capacity to service debt, and household debt was "modest."
"The banking system remained sound and resilient," with strong capital and liquidity levels, the Fed said in the report.
Reporting by Howard Schneider; Editing by Paul Simao
https://www.reuters.com/markets/us/fed- ... 024-04-19/
"Fed report cites inflation, US election as key financial stability risks"
By Howard Schneider and Pete Schroeder
April 19, 2024
WASHINGTON, April 19 (Reuters) - Persistent inflation and higher-for-longer interest rates were cited as key risks to financial stability in the Federal Reserve's latest survey of U.S. central bank contacts, with geopolitical troubles and the 2024 U.S. presidential election also mentioned as "a potentially significant source of shocks."
"Contacts noted several areas of uncertainty including trade policy and other foreign policy issues related to escalating geopolitical tensions," the Fed said on Friday in its semi-annual survey of 25 market participants, academics and other contacts.
"They also noted policy uncertainty associated with the U.S. elections in November," when the Democratic incumbent Joe Biden faces Republican former President Donald Trump.
The survey results were included as part of the Fed's latest Financial Stability Report, which looks at issues like leverage and risk-taking throughout the economy to try to identify potential trouble spots.
The report was released more than two years after the Fed launched the most aggressive interest rate hiking cycle since the 1980s in a bid to slow a surge in inflation, a move that was broadly predicted to tip the economy into recession and aggravate stresses in the financial sector.
But the latest report, much like those preceding it through the Fed's battle with inflation, shows little evidence of widespread risks to the financial system despite borrowing costs remaining at their highest levels in a quarter of a century.
But that overall impression of resilience also suggests potential problems for Fed officials who feel the economy needs to slow in order for inflation to sustainably return to the central bank's 2% target.
The strength of household and business balance sheets, the stability of the banks, and the lack of imminent bubbles or other threats suggest that a slowdown won't come through financial or credit channels that have typically been an important part of monetary policy transmission.
Contacts were interviewed through March, when Fed officials began to have doubts about an ongoing drop in inflation and noted that rate cuts might not come as fast as expected.
While that added to uncertainty about monetary policy, which along with inflation was the most cited risk, the level of "policy uncertainty" flowing from the escalation of violence in Israel and throughout the Middle East, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and the state of U.S. politics, was the second-most cited threat to the financial system.
Across what has become the Fed's standard framework for assessing financial vulnerabilities, however, the system was characterized as in largely steady shape despite high policy interest rates and the ongoing inflation fight.
There were some areas of concern, including declining values for commercial real estate and rising leverage among some of the bigger hedge funds.
Asset values, including stocks and real estate, were high.
But private debt as a share of national economic output declined, businesses maintained a "robust" capacity to service debt, and household debt was "modest."
"The banking system remained sound and resilient," with strong capital and liquidity levels, the Fed said in the report.
Reporting by Howard Schneider; Editing by Paul Simao
https://www.reuters.com/markets/us/fed- ... 024-04-19/
Re: THE DAILY NEWS
REUTERS
"TSMC's shares slide nearly 7% in Taipei on global chip outlook concerns"
By Reuters
April 19, 2024
TAIPEI, April 19 (Reuters) - TSMC's Taipei-listed shares tumbled 6.7% on Friday following the company's first-quarter earnings report in which it dialed back its expectations for chip sector growth and did not revise up its capital spending plans, contrary to expectations.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, the world's largest contract chipmaker, forecast second-quarter sales may rise as much as 30% as it rides a wave of demand chips used in artificial intelligence (AI) applications.
Its first-quarter profit also beat estimates.
But it left its capital spending plans for this year unchanged at between $28 billion and $32 billion and reiterated it expected 2024 revenue to rise in the low- to mid-20% range in U.S. dollar terms.
It lowered its outlook for the global semiconductor industry excluding memory to a growth rate of around 10% from a previous forecast of more than 10%.
TSMC, a major supplier to Apple and Nvidia, also downgraded its growth forecast for the global foundry sector to a mid-to-high teens percentage gain from a previous projection of around 20%.
Allen Huang, vice president of Mega International Investment in Taipei, said the market was reacting to the revised outlook for the semiconductor industry, adding that TSMC had been expected to increase capital expenditure this year for high-end packaging.
"If capital expenditure was only maintained at the previous level, it means that profit is not as expected," he said.
Another Taiwan fund manager, who asked not to be identified, said given TSMC's recent stock rally investors had high expectations heading into first-quarter earnings.
"Its capex has not been so aggressive, and the percentage of advanced process technologies revenue compared to overall revenue is still pretty low," the manager said.
TSMC's poor share price performance dragged on the broader Taipei market which closed down 3.8%, losing 774 points - the most it has lost in a single day.
Sentiment was also hit by a rise in tensions between Israel and Iran.
TSMC has other challenges, too.
Speaking on Friday after being given an honour for his services to Taiwan, TSMC's retired and much revered founder Morris Chang said the company's current leadership needed "great wisdom" to navigate challenges to "dying" globalisation given how the firm had benefited so much from free trade.
"TSMC also faces resources challenges: land, water, power, talent, which need continued support from the government and all others," he said at the presidential office in Taipei, referring to limitations Taiwan's tech industry has long worried about.
Reporting by Ben Blanchard and Yimou Lee; Additional reporting by Faith Hung, Roger Tung and Jeanny Kao; Editing by Shri Navaratnam and Edwina Gibbs
https://www.reuters.com/technology/tsmc ... 024-04-19/
"TSMC's shares slide nearly 7% in Taipei on global chip outlook concerns"
By Reuters
April 19, 2024
TAIPEI, April 19 (Reuters) - TSMC's Taipei-listed shares tumbled 6.7% on Friday following the company's first-quarter earnings report in which it dialed back its expectations for chip sector growth and did not revise up its capital spending plans, contrary to expectations.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co, the world's largest contract chipmaker, forecast second-quarter sales may rise as much as 30% as it rides a wave of demand chips used in artificial intelligence (AI) applications.
Its first-quarter profit also beat estimates.
But it left its capital spending plans for this year unchanged at between $28 billion and $32 billion and reiterated it expected 2024 revenue to rise in the low- to mid-20% range in U.S. dollar terms.
It lowered its outlook for the global semiconductor industry excluding memory to a growth rate of around 10% from a previous forecast of more than 10%.
TSMC, a major supplier to Apple and Nvidia, also downgraded its growth forecast for the global foundry sector to a mid-to-high teens percentage gain from a previous projection of around 20%.
Allen Huang, vice president of Mega International Investment in Taipei, said the market was reacting to the revised outlook for the semiconductor industry, adding that TSMC had been expected to increase capital expenditure this year for high-end packaging.
"If capital expenditure was only maintained at the previous level, it means that profit is not as expected," he said.
Another Taiwan fund manager, who asked not to be identified, said given TSMC's recent stock rally investors had high expectations heading into first-quarter earnings.
"Its capex has not been so aggressive, and the percentage of advanced process technologies revenue compared to overall revenue is still pretty low," the manager said.
TSMC's poor share price performance dragged on the broader Taipei market which closed down 3.8%, losing 774 points - the most it has lost in a single day.
Sentiment was also hit by a rise in tensions between Israel and Iran.
TSMC has other challenges, too.
Speaking on Friday after being given an honour for his services to Taiwan, TSMC's retired and much revered founder Morris Chang said the company's current leadership needed "great wisdom" to navigate challenges to "dying" globalisation given how the firm had benefited so much from free trade.
"TSMC also faces resources challenges: land, water, power, talent, which need continued support from the government and all others," he said at the presidential office in Taipei, referring to limitations Taiwan's tech industry has long worried about.
Reporting by Ben Blanchard and Yimou Lee; Additional reporting by Faith Hung, Roger Tung and Jeanny Kao; Editing by Shri Navaratnam and Edwina Gibbs
https://www.reuters.com/technology/tsmc ... 024-04-19/
Re: THE DAILY NEWS
REUTERS
"Micron set to get $6.1 bln in chip grants from US"
By Reuters
April 18, 2024
April 18 (Reuters) - Memory chip maker Micron Technology is set to receive $6.1 billion in grants from the U.S. Commerce Department to help pay for domestic chip factory projects, Democratic U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Thursday.
The award, which is not yet finalized, will fund chipmaking facilities in New York and Idaho from the CHIPS & Science law, the New York senator said in a statement.
“This monumental and historic federal investment will power and propel Micron to bring its transformative $100+ billion four-fab project in central New York to life, creating an estimated 50,000 jobs,” he said.
Micron plans to build a complex of chip plants in New York over the next 20 years, the senator added.
The news caps off a string of Chips Act grants announced by the Biden administration in recent weeks as the United States seeks to reduce reliance on China and Taiwan and supercharge its own lagging chip production.
The U.S. share of global semiconductor manufacturing capacity has fallen from 37% in 1990 to 12% in 2020, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA).
Lawmakers have warned that U.S. dependence on chips manufactured in Taiwan by the world's top contract chip manufacturer, is risky because China claims the self-governed island as its territory and has reserved the right to use force to retake it.
Intel won $8.5 billion in grants last month while Taiwan's TSMC clinched $6.6 billion in April to build out its American production.
Samsung followed this week with a $6.4 billion award to boost production in Texas.
The historic Chips Act allocates $52.6 billion to support the sector.
The Commerce Department is dedicating $28 billion for government subsidies for advanced chips manufacturing - although it has more than $70 billion in requests - and also has $75 billion in lending authority.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said in a statement that the largest private investment in American history is on its way to Central New York.
Reporting by Kanjyik Ghosh, additional reporting by Angela Christy; Editing by Shailesh Kuber and Subhranshu Sahu and Chizu Nomiyama
https://www.reuters.com/technology/micr ... 024-04-17/
"Micron set to get $6.1 bln in chip grants from US"
By Reuters
April 18, 2024
April 18 (Reuters) - Memory chip maker Micron Technology is set to receive $6.1 billion in grants from the U.S. Commerce Department to help pay for domestic chip factory projects, Democratic U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said on Thursday.
The award, which is not yet finalized, will fund chipmaking facilities in New York and Idaho from the CHIPS & Science law, the New York senator said in a statement.
“This monumental and historic federal investment will power and propel Micron to bring its transformative $100+ billion four-fab project in central New York to life, creating an estimated 50,000 jobs,” he said.
Micron plans to build a complex of chip plants in New York over the next 20 years, the senator added.
The news caps off a string of Chips Act grants announced by the Biden administration in recent weeks as the United States seeks to reduce reliance on China and Taiwan and supercharge its own lagging chip production.
The U.S. share of global semiconductor manufacturing capacity has fallen from 37% in 1990 to 12% in 2020, according to the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA).
Lawmakers have warned that U.S. dependence on chips manufactured in Taiwan by the world's top contract chip manufacturer, is risky because China claims the self-governed island as its territory and has reserved the right to use force to retake it.
Intel won $8.5 billion in grants last month while Taiwan's TSMC clinched $6.6 billion in April to build out its American production.
Samsung followed this week with a $6.4 billion award to boost production in Texas.
The historic Chips Act allocates $52.6 billion to support the sector.
The Commerce Department is dedicating $28 billion for government subsidies for advanced chips manufacturing - although it has more than $70 billion in requests - and also has $75 billion in lending authority.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said in a statement that the largest private investment in American history is on its way to Central New York.
Reporting by Kanjyik Ghosh, additional reporting by Angela Christy; Editing by Shailesh Kuber and Subhranshu Sahu and Chizu Nomiyama
https://www.reuters.com/technology/micr ... 024-04-17/
Re: THE DAILY NEWS
REUTERS
"Dubai faces massive clean up after deluge swamps glitzy desert city"
By Reuters
April 19, 2024
Summary
* Vehicles submerged in water on roads abandoned
* Flooded roads bring Dubai to near standstill
* Airport operations remain disrupted
DUBAI, April 18 (Reuters) - Dubai, a city in the desert proud of its modern gloss, faced the towering task on Thursday of clearing its waterclogged roads and drying out flooded homes two days after a record storm saw a year's rain fall in a day.
Dubai International Airport, a major travel hub, struggled to clear a backlog of flights and many roads were still flooded in the aftermath of Tuesday's deluge.
The rains were the heaviest experienced by the United Arab Emirates in the 75 years that records have been kept.
They brought much of the country to a standstill and caused significant damage.
Flooding trapped residents in traffic, offices and homes.
Many reported leaks at their homes, while footage circulated on social media showed malls overrun with water pouring from roofs.
In Dubai, the UAE's most populous emirate, traffic remained disrupted even as public transportation services resumed.
Street closures, detours and partially submerged roads caused heavy congestion, with some cars driving towards oncoming traffic in effort to avoid flooded areas.
A highway through Dubai was reduced to a single lane in one direction, while the main road that connects Dubai with the capital Abu Dhabi was partially closed in both directions.
"This was like nothing else."
"It was like an alien invasion," Jonathan Richards, a Dubai resident from Britain told Reuters.
"I woke up the other morning to people in kayaks with pet dogs, pet cats, suitcases all outside my house."
Another resident, Rinku Makhecha, said the rain swamped her freshly renovated house she moved into two weeks ago.
"My entire living room is just like ... all my furniture is floating right now," she said.
Vehicles, including buses, were abandoned on streets and some could be seen submerged in water.
In Abu Dhabi, some supermarkets and restaurants faced product shortages, unable to receive deliveries from Dubai.
Dubai airport had yet to resume normal operation after the storm flooded taxiways, forcing flight diversions, delays and cancellations.
Dubai Airports Chief Operating Officer Majed Al Joker told Al Arabiya TV he expected Dubai International Airport to reach 60-70% capacity by the end of Thursday and full operational capacity within 24 hours.
The airport struggled to get food to stranded passengers with nearby roads flooded and overcrowding limited access to those who had confirmed bookings.
RETURNING SUPPLIES
The storm, which hit neighbouring Oman on Sunday, pounded the UAE on Tuesday, with 20 reported dead in Oman and one in the UAE.
While some roadways into hard-hit communities remain flooded, delivery services across Dubai, whose residents are used to ordering everything at the click of a mouse, slowly began returning to the streets.
Rains are rare in the UAE and elsewhere on the Arabian Peninsula, which is typically known for its dry desert climate.
Summer air temperatures can soar above 50 degrees Celsius.
Following Tuesday's events, questions were raised whether cloud seeding, a process that the UAE frequently conducts, could have caused the heavy rains.
But climate experts blame global warming for such extreme weather events.
Researchers anticipate that climate change will lead to heightened temperatures, increased humidity and a greater risk of flooding in parts of the Gulf region.
Countries like the UAE where there is a lack of drainage infrastructure to cope with heavy rains can suffer the most.
A UAE government agency that oversees cloud seeding - a process of manipulating clouds to increase rainfall - denied conducting any such operations before the storm.
President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said in a statement he had ordered authorities to assess the damage and provide support to families impacted by the storm.
Dubai's Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum said on X that the safety of citizens, residents and visitors was the utmost priority.
"At a meeting with government officials in Dubai, we set directives to prepare comprehensive plans in response to natural crises' such as the unexpected current weather conditions," he said.
Reporting by Alexander Cornwell, Federico Maccioni, Yousef Saba, Abir Ahmar and Amr Alfiky; Editing by Maha El Dahan, Tom Hogue, Angus MacSwan, Tomasz Janowski and David Evans
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-ea ... 1e2c1e3a35
"Dubai faces massive clean up after deluge swamps glitzy desert city"
By Reuters
April 19, 2024
Summary
* Vehicles submerged in water on roads abandoned
* Flooded roads bring Dubai to near standstill
* Airport operations remain disrupted
DUBAI, April 18 (Reuters) - Dubai, a city in the desert proud of its modern gloss, faced the towering task on Thursday of clearing its waterclogged roads and drying out flooded homes two days after a record storm saw a year's rain fall in a day.
Dubai International Airport, a major travel hub, struggled to clear a backlog of flights and many roads were still flooded in the aftermath of Tuesday's deluge.
The rains were the heaviest experienced by the United Arab Emirates in the 75 years that records have been kept.
They brought much of the country to a standstill and caused significant damage.
Flooding trapped residents in traffic, offices and homes.
Many reported leaks at their homes, while footage circulated on social media showed malls overrun with water pouring from roofs.
In Dubai, the UAE's most populous emirate, traffic remained disrupted even as public transportation services resumed.
Street closures, detours and partially submerged roads caused heavy congestion, with some cars driving towards oncoming traffic in effort to avoid flooded areas.
A highway through Dubai was reduced to a single lane in one direction, while the main road that connects Dubai with the capital Abu Dhabi was partially closed in both directions.
"This was like nothing else."
"It was like an alien invasion," Jonathan Richards, a Dubai resident from Britain told Reuters.
"I woke up the other morning to people in kayaks with pet dogs, pet cats, suitcases all outside my house."
Another resident, Rinku Makhecha, said the rain swamped her freshly renovated house she moved into two weeks ago.
"My entire living room is just like ... all my furniture is floating right now," she said.
Vehicles, including buses, were abandoned on streets and some could be seen submerged in water.
In Abu Dhabi, some supermarkets and restaurants faced product shortages, unable to receive deliveries from Dubai.
Dubai airport had yet to resume normal operation after the storm flooded taxiways, forcing flight diversions, delays and cancellations.
Dubai Airports Chief Operating Officer Majed Al Joker told Al Arabiya TV he expected Dubai International Airport to reach 60-70% capacity by the end of Thursday and full operational capacity within 24 hours.
The airport struggled to get food to stranded passengers with nearby roads flooded and overcrowding limited access to those who had confirmed bookings.
RETURNING SUPPLIES
The storm, which hit neighbouring Oman on Sunday, pounded the UAE on Tuesday, with 20 reported dead in Oman and one in the UAE.
While some roadways into hard-hit communities remain flooded, delivery services across Dubai, whose residents are used to ordering everything at the click of a mouse, slowly began returning to the streets.
Rains are rare in the UAE and elsewhere on the Arabian Peninsula, which is typically known for its dry desert climate.
Summer air temperatures can soar above 50 degrees Celsius.
Following Tuesday's events, questions were raised whether cloud seeding, a process that the UAE frequently conducts, could have caused the heavy rains.
But climate experts blame global warming for such extreme weather events.
Researchers anticipate that climate change will lead to heightened temperatures, increased humidity and a greater risk of flooding in parts of the Gulf region.
Countries like the UAE where there is a lack of drainage infrastructure to cope with heavy rains can suffer the most.
A UAE government agency that oversees cloud seeding - a process of manipulating clouds to increase rainfall - denied conducting any such operations before the storm.
President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan said in a statement he had ordered authorities to assess the damage and provide support to families impacted by the storm.
Dubai's Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum said on X that the safety of citizens, residents and visitors was the utmost priority.
"At a meeting with government officials in Dubai, we set directives to prepare comprehensive plans in response to natural crises' such as the unexpected current weather conditions," he said.
Reporting by Alexander Cornwell, Federico Maccioni, Yousef Saba, Abir Ahmar and Amr Alfiky; Editing by Maha El Dahan, Tom Hogue, Angus MacSwan, Tomasz Janowski and David Evans
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-ea ... 1e2c1e3a35
Re: THE DAILY NEWS
FOX News
"Biden takes heat over gaffe urging Americans to 'choose freedom over democracy:' 'Get this man out of office!'"
Story by Gabriel Hays
20 APRIL 2024
Critics of President Biden slammed him on social media for making a puzzling statement encouraging voters to "choose freedom over democracy" by re-electing him to the presidency.
Conservatives expressed confusion over Biden’s message, and others insisted it was yet another gaffe showing his cognitive decline.
Biden made the claim while accepting the formal presidential endorsement of the Kennedy family in Pennsylvania on Thursday.
During the political rally, half a dozen Kennedy family members appeared alongside President Biden to publicly back him over Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who is running as an independent candidate for president in 2024.
Kennedy Jr.’s own sister Kerry Kennedy spoke at the event, stating, "President Biden has been a champion for all the rights and freedoms that my father and uncles stood for."
After being introduced by the Kennedys, Biden addressed the crowd.
Towards the end of his speech, he asked "Are you ready to choose unity over division?"
"Dignity over demolition?"
"Truth over lies?"
"Are you ready to choose freedom over democracy?"
"Because that's America."
The last stanza turned heads with its seemingly contradictory message.
Author and Canary CEO Dan K. Eberhart commented, "He's fine."
"Everything's fine."
"Biden is definitely not in severe mental decline."
"Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain."
Commentator Ian Miles Cheong appeared confused by Biden’s statement, posting, "What did he mean by this?"
Conservative journalist Nick Sortor also asked, "What the hell is this guy saying?"
Journalist Marlo Nawfal posted, "Dems really need to upgrade his [operating system] or something..."
Conservative political influencer "Bad Hombre" remarked, "Biden says he wants you to ‘choose freedom OVER democracy.’"
"Joe’s DOJ, state prosecutors, and Secretaries of State have been working tirelessly to get rid of democracy."
"Just another Freudian slip."
The account for outlet "The Conservative Brief" posted about the gaffe, stating, "When people were concerned about Ronald Reagan having cognitive decline near the end of his second term, it was nothing like this."
"When Dan Quayle couldn't spell 'potato' correctly, people lost their minds."
"But it was nothing like this."
"When George W. Bush was in the Oval Office, and people said Dick Cheney was running the country because he couldn't, it was nothing like this.
"Look in the mirror and ask yourself, truthfully, if this is the man you want in charge of our security, our economy, and our country for another four years?" the post added.
Conservative podcast host Rob Coates urged voters, "Dear lord, get this man out of office!"
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... e47a&ei=20
"Biden takes heat over gaffe urging Americans to 'choose freedom over democracy:' 'Get this man out of office!'"
Story by Gabriel Hays
20 APRIL 2024
Critics of President Biden slammed him on social media for making a puzzling statement encouraging voters to "choose freedom over democracy" by re-electing him to the presidency.
Conservatives expressed confusion over Biden’s message, and others insisted it was yet another gaffe showing his cognitive decline.
Biden made the claim while accepting the formal presidential endorsement of the Kennedy family in Pennsylvania on Thursday.
During the political rally, half a dozen Kennedy family members appeared alongside President Biden to publicly back him over Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who is running as an independent candidate for president in 2024.
Kennedy Jr.’s own sister Kerry Kennedy spoke at the event, stating, "President Biden has been a champion for all the rights and freedoms that my father and uncles stood for."
After being introduced by the Kennedys, Biden addressed the crowd.
Towards the end of his speech, he asked "Are you ready to choose unity over division?"
"Dignity over demolition?"
"Truth over lies?"
"Are you ready to choose freedom over democracy?"
"Because that's America."
The last stanza turned heads with its seemingly contradictory message.
Author and Canary CEO Dan K. Eberhart commented, "He's fine."
"Everything's fine."
"Biden is definitely not in severe mental decline."
"Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain."
Commentator Ian Miles Cheong appeared confused by Biden’s statement, posting, "What did he mean by this?"
Conservative journalist Nick Sortor also asked, "What the hell is this guy saying?"
Journalist Marlo Nawfal posted, "Dems really need to upgrade his [operating system] or something..."
Conservative political influencer "Bad Hombre" remarked, "Biden says he wants you to ‘choose freedom OVER democracy.’"
"Joe’s DOJ, state prosecutors, and Secretaries of State have been working tirelessly to get rid of democracy."
"Just another Freudian slip."
The account for outlet "The Conservative Brief" posted about the gaffe, stating, "When people were concerned about Ronald Reagan having cognitive decline near the end of his second term, it was nothing like this."
"When Dan Quayle couldn't spell 'potato' correctly, people lost their minds."
"But it was nothing like this."
"When George W. Bush was in the Oval Office, and people said Dick Cheney was running the country because he couldn't, it was nothing like this.
"Look in the mirror and ask yourself, truthfully, if this is the man you want in charge of our security, our economy, and our country for another four years?" the post added.
Conservative podcast host Rob Coates urged voters, "Dear lord, get this man out of office!"
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... e47a&ei=20
Re: THE DAILY NEWS
RED STATE
"It's 'Vietnam All Over Again' As Defense Department Prepares to Beef Up Number of US Advisers in Ukraine"
By streiff
April 20, 2024
The Department of Defense is considering upping the number of US military advisers stationed in Ukraine.
Politico said, "The advisers would not be in a combat role, but rather would advise and support the Ukrainian government and military."
“Throughout this conflict, the DOD has reviewed and adjusted our presence in-country, as security conditions have evolved."
"Currently, we are considering sending several additional advisers to augment the Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC) at the Embassy,” Ryder said in a statement to POLITICO, noting that “personnel are subject to the same travel restrictions as all embassy employees."
The ODC “performs a variety of advisory and support missions (non-combat), and while it is staffed exclusively by DOD personnel, it is embedded within the U.S. Embassy, under Chief of Mission authority like the rest of the Embassy,” Ryder added.
Ryder declined to discuss specific numbers of personnel “for operational security and force protection reasons.”
According to the most recent data (December 2023), 18 Army/Air Force personnel and one Department of Defense civilian are assigned to Ukraine.
Two anonymous US officials say that number could rise to 60.
The role of the current group of soldiers assigned to Ukraine is to provide security for the US embassy, as Defense data indicates there are no Marines in Ukraine, and oversee the accountability of weapons and equipment.
The new group will assist the Ukrainians with developing maintenance facilities for US-made weapons systems.
While necessary to comply with the level of accountability of weapons and ammunition demanded by Congress and the Department of Defense, the atmospherics are terrible.
One of the constant drumbeats one hears on social media is the inevitability of US "boots on the ground" (where else would boots be? Other than up your butt).
The unfortunate use of the word "advisers" will cause split aortas all over the rather large pro-Russia, pro-Putin segment of the online right.
The US has successfully deployed advisers into hot conflicts without mishaps or the US becoming embroiled in a war.
The last such instance was in El Salvador during Reagan's campaign to roll back communism.
The role of advisers in South Vietnam (Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand) did not lead to war but reflected a greater US role in a war inherited from the French.
The role of those advisers was combat-oriented; this is not the case in Ukraine.
One of the critical roles of US advisers in Southeast Asia was training indigenous armies.
This is done today by sending Ukrainian units out of Ukraine to the UK, Germany, or other locations for training.
Under a worst-case scenario, a Russian attack on US advisers only results in direct combat between US and Russian troops if the US president decides to pursue that course of action.
There is no legal requirement that the deaths of American servicemen be followed by a massive troop deployment.
In fact, the last forty or so years of US diplomatic history indicate that the quickest way to get America out of an area is by killing some Americans (see Beirut and Mogadishu).
Calling US troops in Ukraine "advisers" is the kind of footshot that we've grown accustomed to from the Biden Defense and State Departments.
Claiming that advisers inevitably mean direct conflict with Russian forces is the kind of hyperbolic conspiracism that parts of the right insist on trafficking in because they don't want to be taken seriously.
Streiff
Former infantry officer, CGSC grad and Army Operations Center alumnus. Also an amateur historian (Colonial America) and a dabbler in historical fiction.
https://redstate.com/streiff/2024/04/20 ... b7cc655b1d
"It's 'Vietnam All Over Again' As Defense Department Prepares to Beef Up Number of US Advisers in Ukraine"
By streiff
April 20, 2024
The Department of Defense is considering upping the number of US military advisers stationed in Ukraine.
Politico said, "The advisers would not be in a combat role, but rather would advise and support the Ukrainian government and military."
“Throughout this conflict, the DOD has reviewed and adjusted our presence in-country, as security conditions have evolved."
"Currently, we are considering sending several additional advisers to augment the Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC) at the Embassy,” Ryder said in a statement to POLITICO, noting that “personnel are subject to the same travel restrictions as all embassy employees."
The ODC “performs a variety of advisory and support missions (non-combat), and while it is staffed exclusively by DOD personnel, it is embedded within the U.S. Embassy, under Chief of Mission authority like the rest of the Embassy,” Ryder added.
Ryder declined to discuss specific numbers of personnel “for operational security and force protection reasons.”
According to the most recent data (December 2023), 18 Army/Air Force personnel and one Department of Defense civilian are assigned to Ukraine.
Two anonymous US officials say that number could rise to 60.
The role of the current group of soldiers assigned to Ukraine is to provide security for the US embassy, as Defense data indicates there are no Marines in Ukraine, and oversee the accountability of weapons and equipment.
The new group will assist the Ukrainians with developing maintenance facilities for US-made weapons systems.
While necessary to comply with the level of accountability of weapons and ammunition demanded by Congress and the Department of Defense, the atmospherics are terrible.
One of the constant drumbeats one hears on social media is the inevitability of US "boots on the ground" (where else would boots be? Other than up your butt).
The unfortunate use of the word "advisers" will cause split aortas all over the rather large pro-Russia, pro-Putin segment of the online right.
The US has successfully deployed advisers into hot conflicts without mishaps or the US becoming embroiled in a war.
The last such instance was in El Salvador during Reagan's campaign to roll back communism.
The role of advisers in South Vietnam (Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand) did not lead to war but reflected a greater US role in a war inherited from the French.
The role of those advisers was combat-oriented; this is not the case in Ukraine.
One of the critical roles of US advisers in Southeast Asia was training indigenous armies.
This is done today by sending Ukrainian units out of Ukraine to the UK, Germany, or other locations for training.
Under a worst-case scenario, a Russian attack on US advisers only results in direct combat between US and Russian troops if the US president decides to pursue that course of action.
There is no legal requirement that the deaths of American servicemen be followed by a massive troop deployment.
In fact, the last forty or so years of US diplomatic history indicate that the quickest way to get America out of an area is by killing some Americans (see Beirut and Mogadishu).
Calling US troops in Ukraine "advisers" is the kind of footshot that we've grown accustomed to from the Biden Defense and State Departments.
Claiming that advisers inevitably mean direct conflict with Russian forces is the kind of hyperbolic conspiracism that parts of the right insist on trafficking in because they don't want to be taken seriously.
Streiff
Former infantry officer, CGSC grad and Army Operations Center alumnus. Also an amateur historian (Colonial America) and a dabbler in historical fiction.
https://redstate.com/streiff/2024/04/20 ... b7cc655b1d
Re: THE DAILY NEWS
THE GUARDIAN
"‘Lost for words’: Joe Biden’s tale about cannibals bemuses Papua New Guinea residents - President’s suggestion that his ‘Uncle Bosie’ was eaten by cannibals harms US efforts to build Pacific ties, say local experts"
Rebecca Ratcliffe and Bethanie Harriman
Thu 18 Apr 2024
Joe Biden’s suggestion that his uncle may have been eaten by cannibals in Papua New Guinea during world war two has been met with a mixture of bemusement and criticism in the country.
Biden spoke about his uncle, 2nd Lt Ambrose J Finnegan Jr, while campaigning in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, describing how “Uncle Bosie” had flown single engine planes as reconnaissance flights during the war.
Biden said he “got shot down in New Guinea”, adding “they never found the body because there used to be a lot of cannibals, for real, in that part of New Guinea.”
Official war records say Finnegan was killed when a plane on which he was a passenger experienced engine failure and crashed into the Pacific Ocean.
The records do not mention cannibalism or state that the plane was shot down.
Analysts in Papua New Guinea who were shown his comments described the claims as unsubstantiated and poorly judged, pointing out that they come at a time when US has been seeking to strengthen its ties with the country, and counter Chinese influence in the Pacific region.
“The Melanesian group of people, who Papua New Guinea is part of, are a very proud people,” said Michael Kabuni, a lecturer in political science at the University of Papua New Guinea.
“And they would find this kind of categorisation very offensive."
"Not because someone says ‘oh there used to be cannibalism in PNG’ – yes, we know that, that’s a fact."
“But taking it out of context, and implying that your [uncle] jumps out of the plane and somehow we think it’s a good meal is unacceptable.”
Cannibalism was practised by some communities in the past in specific contexts, said Kabuni, such as eating a deceased relative out of respect, to prevent their body from decomposing.
“There was context."
"They wouldn’t just eat any white men that fell from the sky,” said Kabuni.
The practice was not due to people lacking food, he added, pointing out that archaeological evidence illustrates that agriculture was practised in Papua New Guinea more than 10,000 years ago.
About 79,000 US soldiers remain unaccounted following the second world war, Kabuni added.
“They’re spread from south-east Asia to the Korean peninsula and Europe."
"What is [Biden] implying?"
"All 79,000 that were never found were eaten?”
Others were simply bemused by the remarks.
“I am lost for words actually,” said Allan Bird, governor of the province of East Sepik, who was recently selected as the alternate prime minister for the opposition.
“I don’t feel offended."
"It’s hilarious really."
"I am sure when Biden was a child, those are the things he heard his parents say."
"And it probably stuck with him all his life.”
Maholopa Laveil, economics lecturer at the University of Papua New Guinea, said the claims were unhelpful, and pointed out that it comes after Biden cancelled a brief trip to the country last year.
“It paints PNG in a bad light."
"PNG has already had a lot of negative press around riots and tribal fighting and this doesn’t help, and [the claims are] unsubstantiated,” he said.
“For a US president to say that – particularly after a lot of deals have been struck with PNG and the work they’ve been doing in the Pacific – even off the cuff, I don’t think that should have been said at all,” said Maholopa.
According to the Pentagon’s Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Biden’s uncle died on 14 May 1944, while a passenger on an A-20 havoc aircraft that departed Momote Airfield, Los Negros Island, bound for Nadzab airfield, New Guinea.
“For unknown reasons, this plane was forced to ditch in the ocean off the north coast of New Guinea,” the agency says.
“Both engines failed at low altitude, and the aircraft’s nose hit the water hard."
"Three men failed to emerge from the sinking wreck and were lost in the crash."
"One crew member survived and was rescued by a passing barge."
"An aerial search the next day found no trace of the missing aircraft or the lost crew members.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/202 ... new-guinea
"‘Lost for words’: Joe Biden’s tale about cannibals bemuses Papua New Guinea residents - President’s suggestion that his ‘Uncle Bosie’ was eaten by cannibals harms US efforts to build Pacific ties, say local experts"
Rebecca Ratcliffe and Bethanie Harriman
Thu 18 Apr 2024
Joe Biden’s suggestion that his uncle may have been eaten by cannibals in Papua New Guinea during world war two has been met with a mixture of bemusement and criticism in the country.
Biden spoke about his uncle, 2nd Lt Ambrose J Finnegan Jr, while campaigning in Pittsburgh on Wednesday, describing how “Uncle Bosie” had flown single engine planes as reconnaissance flights during the war.
Biden said he “got shot down in New Guinea”, adding “they never found the body because there used to be a lot of cannibals, for real, in that part of New Guinea.”
Official war records say Finnegan was killed when a plane on which he was a passenger experienced engine failure and crashed into the Pacific Ocean.
The records do not mention cannibalism or state that the plane was shot down.
Analysts in Papua New Guinea who were shown his comments described the claims as unsubstantiated and poorly judged, pointing out that they come at a time when US has been seeking to strengthen its ties with the country, and counter Chinese influence in the Pacific region.
“The Melanesian group of people, who Papua New Guinea is part of, are a very proud people,” said Michael Kabuni, a lecturer in political science at the University of Papua New Guinea.
“And they would find this kind of categorisation very offensive."
"Not because someone says ‘oh there used to be cannibalism in PNG’ – yes, we know that, that’s a fact."
“But taking it out of context, and implying that your [uncle] jumps out of the plane and somehow we think it’s a good meal is unacceptable.”
Cannibalism was practised by some communities in the past in specific contexts, said Kabuni, such as eating a deceased relative out of respect, to prevent their body from decomposing.
“There was context."
"They wouldn’t just eat any white men that fell from the sky,” said Kabuni.
The practice was not due to people lacking food, he added, pointing out that archaeological evidence illustrates that agriculture was practised in Papua New Guinea more than 10,000 years ago.
About 79,000 US soldiers remain unaccounted following the second world war, Kabuni added.
“They’re spread from south-east Asia to the Korean peninsula and Europe."
"What is [Biden] implying?"
"All 79,000 that were never found were eaten?”
Others were simply bemused by the remarks.
“I am lost for words actually,” said Allan Bird, governor of the province of East Sepik, who was recently selected as the alternate prime minister for the opposition.
“I don’t feel offended."
"It’s hilarious really."
"I am sure when Biden was a child, those are the things he heard his parents say."
"And it probably stuck with him all his life.”
Maholopa Laveil, economics lecturer at the University of Papua New Guinea, said the claims were unhelpful, and pointed out that it comes after Biden cancelled a brief trip to the country last year.
“It paints PNG in a bad light."
"PNG has already had a lot of negative press around riots and tribal fighting and this doesn’t help, and [the claims are] unsubstantiated,” he said.
“For a US president to say that – particularly after a lot of deals have been struck with PNG and the work they’ve been doing in the Pacific – even off the cuff, I don’t think that should have been said at all,” said Maholopa.
According to the Pentagon’s Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Biden’s uncle died on 14 May 1944, while a passenger on an A-20 havoc aircraft that departed Momote Airfield, Los Negros Island, bound for Nadzab airfield, New Guinea.
“For unknown reasons, this plane was forced to ditch in the ocean off the north coast of New Guinea,” the agency says.
“Both engines failed at low altitude, and the aircraft’s nose hit the water hard."
"Three men failed to emerge from the sinking wreck and were lost in the crash."
"One crew member survived and was rescued by a passing barge."
"An aerial search the next day found no trace of the missing aircraft or the lost crew members.”
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/202 ... new-guinea
Re: THE DAILY NEWS
FOX News
"White House defends Biden's claim his uncle was eaten by cannibals: 'We should not make jokes' - White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre takes jab at Donald Trump while defending Biden's 'cannibalism' comment"
By Stepheny Price Fox News
Published April 19, 2024
During his visit to a war memorial near his hometown in Pennsylvania, President Biden appeared to imply his uncle was eaten by cannibals after his plane was shot down during World War II.
"He flew single-engine planes, reconnaissance flights over New Guinea."
"He had volunteered because someone couldn't make it."
"He got shot down in an area where there were a lot of cannibals in New Guinea at the time," President Biden said.
"They never recovered his body."
On Thursday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre acknowledged that President Biden’s maternal uncle, Ambrose Finnegan, who he refers to as "Uncle Bosie," did die in WWII when his plane crashed into the Pacific Ocean, but confirmed he was not eaten by cannibals, as Biden seemed to suggest on two separate occasions during his visit on Wednesday.
When asked about his comments on Friday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre claimed the President was having an "emotional moment" when he made his remarks.
"The president had an emotional and I think a symbolic moment."
"He had an opportunity as president to honor his uncle's service in uniform."
"He had an opportunity to be there as president, you know, to speak to people that put their lives on the line on behalf of this country," Jean-Pierre said.
She went on to explain what Biden's comment meant.
"So his uncle, who lost his life when the military aircraft he was on crashed in the Pacific after taking off near New Guinea."
"The president highlighted his uncle's story as he made the case for honoring our sacred commitment to equip those we send to war and take care of them and their families when they come home," Jean-Pierre said.
"And as he reiterated, the last thing American veterans are or the last thing Americans should be called are suckers and losers."
"And those types of words should not come from a commander in chief, as we have in the past."
Jean-Pierre's last statement was in reference to former President Trump, who President Biden claimed called soldiers "suckers and losers."
Trump was alleged to have made the comments as he was set to visit the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery during a trip to France in Nov. 2018 while he was president.
The allegations, sourced anonymously in The Atlantic, described multiple offensive comments allegedly made by Trump toward fallen and captured U.S. service-members, including allegedly calling the World War I dead at an American military cemetery in France as "losers" and "suckers" in 2018.
"This is more made up Fake News given by disgusting & jealous failures in a disgraceful attempt to influence the 2020 Election!" Trump wrote in a post on Twitter about the comments made against him.
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told "Fox & Friends" that he was with the president for a good part of the trip to France.
"I never heard him use the words that are described in that article," Pompeo said.
Former White House press secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted that she was part of the discussion about visiting the cemetery.
"This never happened."
"I have sat in the room when our President called family members after their sons were killed in action and it was heart-wrenching."
"... I am disgusted by this false attack."
Fox News' Peter Doocy continued to question Jean-Pierre about President Biden's comments about his uncle, acknowledging that Second Lieutenant Ambrose Jay Finnegan was a war hero, but stating that the Pentagon said, for unknown reasons, the plane was forced to ditch in the ocean.
"Both engines failed at low altitude."
"Why is President Biden saying he was shot down?"
"There's no evidence of that."
"And why is he saying that his uncle was eaten by cannibals?"
"That is a bad way to go," Doocy questioned.
"He lost his life."
"It's not."
"Look, I'm not, we should not make jokes about this," Jean-Pierre said.
Doocy reiterated that it wasn't a joke, but said again, that is what Biden said.
"I mean, your last line is, it's for a laugh, it's for a funny statement."
"And he takes this very seriously."
"His uncle, who served and protected this country, lost his life serving."
"And that should matter."
"You have a president that lifts our U.S. troops, our American veterans every day."
"Who thinks about them?"
"Who actually thinks they're all heroes?"
"And they are," Jean-Pierre sparred back.
Doocy asked one more time why he used the term "cannibalism" as Jean-Pierre gave her last comment.
"I think you're missing the point."
"The point is you have a president that lifts up American veterans, who lifts up our U.S. service members."
"And that's what matters."
"He understands how critical and how important it is to be commander in chief," Jean-Pierre finished.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/white- ... make-jokes
"White House defends Biden's claim his uncle was eaten by cannibals: 'We should not make jokes' - White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre takes jab at Donald Trump while defending Biden's 'cannibalism' comment"
By Stepheny Price Fox News
Published April 19, 2024
During his visit to a war memorial near his hometown in Pennsylvania, President Biden appeared to imply his uncle was eaten by cannibals after his plane was shot down during World War II.
"He flew single-engine planes, reconnaissance flights over New Guinea."
"He had volunteered because someone couldn't make it."
"He got shot down in an area where there were a lot of cannibals in New Guinea at the time," President Biden said.
"They never recovered his body."
On Thursday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre acknowledged that President Biden’s maternal uncle, Ambrose Finnegan, who he refers to as "Uncle Bosie," did die in WWII when his plane crashed into the Pacific Ocean, but confirmed he was not eaten by cannibals, as Biden seemed to suggest on two separate occasions during his visit on Wednesday.
When asked about his comments on Friday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre claimed the President was having an "emotional moment" when he made his remarks.
"The president had an emotional and I think a symbolic moment."
"He had an opportunity as president to honor his uncle's service in uniform."
"He had an opportunity to be there as president, you know, to speak to people that put their lives on the line on behalf of this country," Jean-Pierre said.
She went on to explain what Biden's comment meant.
"So his uncle, who lost his life when the military aircraft he was on crashed in the Pacific after taking off near New Guinea."
"The president highlighted his uncle's story as he made the case for honoring our sacred commitment to equip those we send to war and take care of them and their families when they come home," Jean-Pierre said.
"And as he reiterated, the last thing American veterans are or the last thing Americans should be called are suckers and losers."
"And those types of words should not come from a commander in chief, as we have in the past."
Jean-Pierre's last statement was in reference to former President Trump, who President Biden claimed called soldiers "suckers and losers."
Trump was alleged to have made the comments as he was set to visit the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery during a trip to France in Nov. 2018 while he was president.
The allegations, sourced anonymously in The Atlantic, described multiple offensive comments allegedly made by Trump toward fallen and captured U.S. service-members, including allegedly calling the World War I dead at an American military cemetery in France as "losers" and "suckers" in 2018.
"This is more made up Fake News given by disgusting & jealous failures in a disgraceful attempt to influence the 2020 Election!" Trump wrote in a post on Twitter about the comments made against him.
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told "Fox & Friends" that he was with the president for a good part of the trip to France.
"I never heard him use the words that are described in that article," Pompeo said.
Former White House press secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted that she was part of the discussion about visiting the cemetery.
"This never happened."
"I have sat in the room when our President called family members after their sons were killed in action and it was heart-wrenching."
"... I am disgusted by this false attack."
Fox News' Peter Doocy continued to question Jean-Pierre about President Biden's comments about his uncle, acknowledging that Second Lieutenant Ambrose Jay Finnegan was a war hero, but stating that the Pentagon said, for unknown reasons, the plane was forced to ditch in the ocean.
"Both engines failed at low altitude."
"Why is President Biden saying he was shot down?"
"There's no evidence of that."
"And why is he saying that his uncle was eaten by cannibals?"
"That is a bad way to go," Doocy questioned.
"He lost his life."
"It's not."
"Look, I'm not, we should not make jokes about this," Jean-Pierre said.
Doocy reiterated that it wasn't a joke, but said again, that is what Biden said.
"I mean, your last line is, it's for a laugh, it's for a funny statement."
"And he takes this very seriously."
"His uncle, who served and protected this country, lost his life serving."
"And that should matter."
"You have a president that lifts our U.S. troops, our American veterans every day."
"Who thinks about them?"
"Who actually thinks they're all heroes?"
"And they are," Jean-Pierre sparred back.
Doocy asked one more time why he used the term "cannibalism" as Jean-Pierre gave her last comment.
"I think you're missing the point."
"The point is you have a president that lifts up American veterans, who lifts up our U.S. service members."
"And that's what matters."
"He understands how critical and how important it is to be commander in chief," Jean-Pierre finished.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/white- ... make-jokes