Ukraine Press Conference By Parliamentarians Tie Hunter & Joe Biden To Massive Corruption Scheme

 

Zero Hedge/American Thinker: Ukraine Press Conference Explicitly Ties Hunter & Joe Biden To Corruption 

A video from a press conference in Ukraine is going viral. It is the follow-up to a video press conference that Ukraine released over a year ago, in which Members of the Ukraine Parliament demanded that President Zelensky and President Trump investigate billions of dollars of corruption in Ukraine that is tied to the U.S. 

The newly released video is meant to provide documentary and eyewitness information about the corruption – and the Biden family figures prominently in the story. The video is long – over an hour – and not all of it involves the Biden family. This post quotes those portions of the press conference that address Biden family corruption. The gist of it is that, while Democrats obsess about Trump’s purported criminality, despite the absence of any evidence, their chosen standard-bearer is extraordinarily corrupt.  

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: This is a story that WNU covered last year .... Ukraine Government Reveals How Millions Were Sent To Hunter Biden And The John Kerry Family (November 15, 2019), including how Joe Biden used his office to protect his son and the money that they were making in Ukraine .... Ukraine Lawmaker Releases Audio Of A Phone Call Between Ukrainian President Poroshenko, VP Biden, And Secretary of State Kerry On Dismissal Of Prosecutor Investigating Biden's Son (May 20, 2014). But Biden's ties to Ukraine go back years, starting 6 years ago when the Ukraine war broke out .... With Fighting Continuing In The Region, Ukraine Is Still Proceeding To Develop It's Shale Gas Deposits (July 26, 2014). 

So why rehash the story now? 

This corruption was revealed last year and it did not change anything. The media ignored it, focusing instead on President Trump and his Ukraine phone call and why he should be impeached. 

Bottom line. President-elect Biden will be sworn in a few weeks, and this corruption will be swept under the rug .... again.

A Biden Administration Will Reverse All Of President Trump's Changes At The Pentagon

President Donald Trump boards Air Force One on Oct. 13. Jonathan Ernst/Reuters file 

Politico: The White House is making big changes at the Pentagon — but Biden can reverse them 

The Trump administration is using its last weeks in office to carry out a slew of changes at the Pentagon. The new president can cancel all of them on Day One. 

Troop drawdowns. Advisory board firings. Navy budget overhauls. 

The Trump administration is using its last weeks in office to carry out a slew of changes at the Pentagon. But they all have one thing in common: The new president can cancel them on Day One. 

Under acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller, whom President Donald Trump appointed to the job after firing his predecessor, Mark Esper, in November, the Pentagon has announced plans to draw down troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and Somalia, and has elevated the senior civilian overseeing special operations. Then the White House abruptly fired longtime members of the Defense Policy and Defense Business Boards, replacing them with Trump loyalists. 

On Thursday, the White House unveiled a sweeping plan to build new Navy ships by drastically cutting Army and Air Force priorities. The same day, the Pentagon said it was considering withdrawing support for all CIA counterterrorism missions early next year. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: I do not only expect a Biden administration reversing all of President Trump's changes at the Pentagon. I also expect big changes in the State Department .... Progressives, trying to sway Biden, send list with 100 potential foreign policy hires (VOX).

What Does A Biden Presidency Mean For Defense?

Joe Biden for President photo 

Jon Harper, National Defense: What a Biden Presidency Means for Defense  

With Democratic President Joe Biden in the White House and Republicans maintaining sway over the Senate, observers shouldn’t expect a radical change in military spending or strategy, analysts say.

Biden is set to be inaugurated Jan. 20, and the GOP is slated to have at least 50 seats in the Senate in the next session, depending on the results of a Jan. 5 runoff election in Georgia. 

Defense spending in fiscal year 2020 stood at $738 billion. 

Many prognosticators have forecasted declining military budgets in coming years in response to the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and ballooning federal deficits. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: I think this is what is gong to happen in a Biden administration .... Will a Biden Administration Mean a Smaller Military Budget? Preventing future pandemics, and addressing long-standing inequalities, will require cutting our bloated Pentagon budget (William D. Hartung and Mandy Smithberger, The Nation).

President-Elect Joe Biden Unleashes Scathing Attack On President Trump's Refusal To Concede The Election

 

Daily Mail: Biden tears into Trump for refusing to accept the 'will of the people', calls his 'extreme' fraud claims an 'assault on democracy' and says he won by a landslide as he urges the US to 'turn the page' 

 * President-elect Joe Biden addressed the nation Monday night from Wilmington, Delaware 

 * Shortly before 5:30 p.m. EST California's Electoral College votes put him over the needed 270 vote threshold to officially win the White House 

 * Biden said it's 'time to turn the page' on the election, as the Electoral College confirms Monday that he's the winner 

 * 'In this battle for the soul of America, democracy prevailed,' Biden said 

 * Biden noted his own Electoral College win equaled Trump's 

 * He had to clear his throat repeatedly even as he denounced failed efforts 

 * Said not even 'an abuse of power' can extinguish the nation's flame 

President-elect Joe Biden delivered a forceful attack on President Donald Trump's barrage of lawsuits and claims of electoral fraud – demanding in a prime-time speech Monday that the 'will of the people' be honored. 

Biden spoke from Wilmington, Delaware hours after his win in the Electoral College became official and he passed the 270 Electoral Vote threshold. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: President-elect Joe Biden's speech responding to the Electoral College vote is as angry and divisive as you can get. Instead of reaching out to President Trump and/or his supporters, he continues to argue his case. Here is an easy prediction. Joe Biden's Presidency will not be a unifying one. 

 More News On President-Elect Joe Biden's Speech Unleashes A Scathing Attack On President Trump's Refusal To Concede The Election 

Biden rips Trump's refusal to concede after Electoral College vote -- The Hill 

After Electoral College cements win, Biden unleashes scathing attack on Trump's refusal to concede -- NBC Biden’s message to nation: ‘It’s time to turn the page’ -- FOX News 

'Democracy prevailed,' Biden says after U.S. Electoral College confirms his win -- Reuters 

'Democracy prevailed': Biden tries to close the door on a tumultuous election -- Politico 

  Biden calls for unity and healing after Electoral College cements his victory -- CNBC 

Biden Lashes Out At Trump In Post-Electoral College Speech -- Zero Hedge

Joe Biden Urges Unity In Thanksgiving-Eve Address

 

The Guardian: Biden appeals for resilience and unity in Thanksgiving address to America 

President-elect urges shared sacrifice amid hardship of restricted holiday, and says: ‘We’re at war with the virus, not each other’ 

In an eve-of-Thanksgiving address on Wednesday, Joe Biden drew on historic hardships and his deep personal loss to make a passionate appeal for resilience, asking Americans to endure a national holiday amid restrictions on travel and gatherings imposed to fight the pandemic. 

More than 12.6m cases of Covid-19 have been recorded in the US and more than 260,000 people have died. 

Vaccines are imminent but hospitalizations and deaths are surging, straining infrastructure to breaking point as leaders warn of impending disaster. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: Almost half of the country sees Joe Biden as illegitimate in the same manner that half of the population did not view Trump as a legitimate President when he was elected 4 years ago. Did Joe Biden and his allies called for unity then. No. On the contrary they inflamed it. Here is an easy prediction. It is not going to be an easy four years for the Biden-Harris administration. 

 More News On Joe Biden Urging Unity In Thanksgiving-Eve Address 

 Joe Biden appeals for unity in Thanksgiving-eve address -- AP 

Biden urges Americans to be safe during holiday, fight coronavirus pandemic -- Reuters 

'Hang on': Biden Thanksgiving address calls for hope amid steep rise in Covid-19 cases -- NBC 

In Thanksgiving message, Joe Biden reminds Americans "we're at war with a virus, not with each other" -- CBS 

Biden urges Americans to recommit to fighting pandemic in Thanksgiving address -- CNN

Will Trump And Biden Have A Traditional Oval Office Sit-Down?

Speaking to NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt in Wilmington, Delaware on Tuesday, Biden also revealed that he has not spoken to President Donald Trump directly since the election 

Daily Mail: Talk to Trump? Why bother! Joe Biden's aides say traditional Oval Office sit-down between the two is 'not mission critical' but president-elect will talk if president wants to 

 * Joe Biden's team said it's not necessary for the president-elect to speak with Donald Trump but will if president wants to 

 * 'In terms of whether it is mission critical to being able to move the transition forward efficiently. No,' said Biden spokeswoman Kate Bedingfield 

 * Biden will start receiving the presidential daily briefing on Monday 

 * Biden and Kamala Harris taking a long weekend for Thanksgiving 

 * More Cabinet announcements coming - economic team is next 

 * Trump continues to refuse to concede the election 

 * 'Look, the election is over. Virtually everyone on Earth has accepted that truth except for Donald Trump and Rudy Giuliani,' Bedingfield said

Joe Biden's team said it's not necessary for the president-elect to speak with Donald Trump but they are willing should the president want the sit-down. 

It's not 'mission critical,' Kate Bedingfield, Biden's deputy campaign manager said on Wednesday.

Trump has refused to concede the election to his Democratic rival, a stance that held up the transition process from formally beginning until Monday. 

The president also has not yet invited Biden to a meeting in the Oval Office, a traditional sit-down between the outgoing and incoming commanders in chief. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: They are not going to have a sit-down.

Biden Discusses Plans For First 100 Days In An Exclusive Interview With NBC

 

ABC News (Australia): Joe Biden's first 100 days as US president — this is what he promises to do 

Joe Biden will be sworn in as US president on January 20 and he already has a lot to get on with. 

The first 100 days of a new presidency has become something of a benchmark for how a president will get things done in their administration, after Franklin Roosevelt set a first 100-day standard when he took office in 1933.

Like many before him, the president-elect has promised a plethora of changes. 

Here are some of the key things he's promised to do once he takes office. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: No hard questions or pushback in the above interview. This has all the looks of being scripted.

Another Look At Joe Biden's National Security Team

Democratic President-elect Joe Biden began naming members of his Cabinet, appointing experienced foreign policy and national security experts to key posts in line with his pledge to restore the United States' global ties and standing as a world leader. The new appointees also reflect Biden's promise to build an administration that reflects the nation's diversity. Here are some recent important picks for prominent positions: REUTERS/Joshua Roberts 

Zero Hedge: "America Is Back": Beltway Hawks Giddy Over Biden's National Security 'A-Team'

Biden's message Tuesday as he unveiled the first six members of his national security and foreign policy team and let them speak for the first time is that "America is back" and is "ready to lead the world" once again. 

He reflected in making the in-person introductions that "It's a team that will keep our country and our people safe and secure," and that it— 

  "Reflects the fact that America is back, ready to lead the world, not retreat from it. Once again, sit at the head of the table." 

"We cannot meet these challenges with old thinking and unchanged habits," Biden said further of the nominees and appointees which CNN noted (no doubt approvingly): 

"...offered implicit rebukes of President Donald Trump and his isolationist and 'America First' worldview." 

"The team meets this moment," Biden said of those standing with masks in a 'socially distanced' set-up behind him on the stage of the Queen theater in Wilmington. 

He emphasized among the "firsts" on the team includes Avril Haines as first woman to serve as director of national intelligence, as well as Alejandro Mayorkas - the first Latino and first immigrant to lead the Department of Homeland Security. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: Still no Biden nominee for U.S. Secretary of Defense. There are also reports that CIA Director Haspel will be fired .... Joe Biden Wants A New CIA Director (November 24, 2020). I am also reading some blogs speculating that FBI Director Wray may be replaced in a Biden administration. No confirmations yet, but I suspect we will know about the fate of the CIA and FBI Director in the coming weeks (or sooner).

Joe Biden Unveils His National Security Team

 

Daily Mail: 'America is back.' Joe Biden unveils his national security team including John Kerry as climate czar - with promise of radical change from Trump era and welcome for refugees 

 * President-elect Joe Biden unveiled his national security team 

 * 'It's a team that reflects the fact that America is back,' Biden said 

 * He made clear his intention to do away with Trump's 'America first' philosophy 

 * Biden touted diversity of his national security team, which includes two women and African American and Latino minorities 

 * All his picks have ties to Obama administration and decades of government experience President-elect 

Joe Biden unveiled his national security team on Tuesday, declaring 'America is back' and ready to lead the world, demonstrating the changed diplomatic tone his administration will take compared to President Donald Trump's. 

Biden named his staff for the nation's security first, stressing the importance of the positions, but additional Cabinet picks are expected to be announced in the next few weeks. 

'It's a team that reflects the fact that America is back,' the president-elect said as his six choices stood behind him on a stage at The Queen theater in downtown Wilmington, spread out in order to socially distance and wearing face masks. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: Where is the nominee for the Secretary of Defense???? 

 More News On Joe Biden Unveiling His National Security Team

Biden signals stark shift with new national security team -- AP 

Biden says U.S. 'ready to lead' again on global stage -- Reuters 

Biden’s foreign policy team lays out a national security vision that differs sharply from Trump’s -- CNBC 

'America is back': Biden says US 'ready to lead' again as he unveils cabinet picks -- The Guardian 

Key lines from the unveiling of Biden's top national security and foreign policy team -- CNN 

Joe Biden's cabinet picks - who they are and why they matter -- SKY News

Tensions Rise Amid Scramble For Jobs In A Biden Administration

President-elect Joe Biden smiles as he speaks about health care and the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) at the theater serving as his transition headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, November 10, 2020. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst 

Politico: 'People are pissed': Tensions rise amid scramble for Biden jobs 

Veterans of the Democratic primary campaign fear they're being squeezed out of plum posts by later arrivals. 

In late 2008, during the transition from George W. Bush to Barack Obama, there was a mantra that took hold among Washington insiders: Obama won the election but Hillary won the transition. 

The most loyal denizens of the Obama campaign — the people who were with him from Springfield to Grant Park — watched with deep trepidation as the Obama administration was staffed at the highest levels with the same Clintonites — including Hillary herself — they thought they had vanquished in the Democratic primaries the previous summer. 

It is still early in the Biden transition. There are thousands of jobs to fill. But a similar sense of dread is starting to bubble up from veterans of the Biden campaign, particularly those who were there with the president-elect from the Philadelphia announcement speech to the Wilmington victory speech. The target of their ire? The Obama establishment, which has eclipsed the Clinton name as shorthand for yesterday’s Democratic Party. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: To the winner goes the spoils. But it looks like it is not going to happen to the campaign staff.

Joe Biden Announces His National Security Team

Politico: Biden reveals national security team stacked with Obama veterans 

His picks for DHS secretary and director of national intelligence would become the first Latino and woman to serve in those roles, respectively. 

President-elect Joe Biden formally announced a slate of Cabinet nominations on Monday, stacking his incoming foreign policy and national security team with experienced public servants and veterans of former President Barack Obama’s administration. 

Biden’s selections include Alejandro Mayorkas as secretary of Homeland Security, Avril Haines as director of national intelligence and John Kerry as special presidential envoy for climate. 

The transition team’s announcement also confirmed reports from over the weekend that Biden had chosen Antony Blinken as secretary of State, Jake Sullivan as national security adviser and Linda Thomas-Greenfield as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. 

Mayorkas, who was born in Cuba and moved to the United States when he was a year old, was the former deputy DHS secretary in the Obama administration. He is currently a partner at the law firm WilmerHale. 

Read more .... 

More News On Joe Biden Announcing His National Security Team 

Joe Biden names picks for secretary of State, Homeland Security chief, director of national intelligence -- CNBC 

Biden announces national security team -- CBS 

Biden Will Nominate First Woman to Lead Intelligence, First Latino to Run Homeland Security -- NYT 

Biden Makes Historic Picks In Naming Foreign Policy, National Security Teams -- NPR 

Joe Biden nominates first woman to lead intelligence and first Latino to head homeland security -- CNN 

Biden officially names Homeland Security secretary and director of national intelligence -- The Week 

John Kerry, Alejandro Mayorkas, Avril Haines among Joe Biden’s cabinet picks -- NYPost

Joe Biden Will Name His Cabinet Tomorrow

 

Daily Mail: Biden turns to familiar faces for his cabinet: President-elect 'will name confidant Tony Blinken as his Secretary of State and longtime Democrat adviser Michele Flournoy as Secretary of Defense' 

 * Tony Blinken, 58, is currently Joe Biden's foreign policy adviser 

 * Blinken was the deputy Secretary of State under Barack Obama from 2015 

 * On Sunday night Bloomberg reported Blinken will be Biden's Secretary of State 

 * His appointment makes another longtime Biden aide with a foreign policy background, Jake Sullivan, the top candidate to be U.S. national security adviser 

 * Speculation is also mounting that Michele Flournoy will be Secretary of Defense 

 * Flournoy, 59, served in the Clinton White House as deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy, and was secretary of defense policy under Obama 

 * Linda Thomas-Greenfield, an expert on Africa, may well be UN ambassador 

Joe Biden is expected to nominate his close confidant Antony Blinken as Secretary of State and longtime Democrat Michele Flournoy as the first female Secretary of Defense, sources said Sunday. 

In nominating Blinken and Flournoy, Biden would be turning to familiar faces for his cabinet. 

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the assistant secretary of state for African affairs from 2013-17, is being touted as his UN ambassador. Blinken, 58, is currently Biden's foreign policy adviser. He served as deputy secretary of state and deputy national security adviser during the Obama administration and has close ties with Biden. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: We will know officially on who are Joe Biden's cabinet nominees tomorrow .... President-elect Joe Biden to announce Cabinet picks Tuesday (CNN). 

 More News On Joe Biden's Cabinet Picks 

Transition Highlights: Biden Plans to Name Blinken, Sullivan and Thomas-Greenfield to Cabinet -- NYTimes 

Biden likely to pick Antony Blinken as secretary of state, Linda Thomas-Greenfield as UN ambassador -- France 24 

Biden expected to pick longtime diplomat Linda Thomas-Greenfield as U.S. ambassador to U.N. -- CBS

Biden's team takes shape as Trump's hopes of overturning election fade -- Reuters

Joe Biden Loses His Cool When A CBS Reporter Asks Him A Simple Question

 

Daily Mail: 'Why are you the only guy who shouts questions?' Biden loses it at CBS correspondent who asked if he'll help get more kids back to school after his COVID task force said classrooms are safe - then tells the press to leave 

 * President-elect Joe Biden lost his cool at a CBS News reporter on Friday 

 * Biden was wrapping up meeting with Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer 

 * Meeting took place in president-elect's office in Wilmington, Delaware * As press corps was asked to leave, Bo Erickson asked Biden a question 

 * Erickson asked if Biden would urge teachers to allow kids to return to class 

 * 'Why are you the only guy who shouts questions?' Biden said in response 

 * Last month, Biden snapped at Erickson for asking a question about Hunter Biden 

 * New York Post obtained emails about Hunter's foreign business dealings 

 * The exchange came as Biden celebrated his 78th birthday, meaning he will be sworn in as the oldest president in the nation's history 

President-elect Joe Biden got testy with a CBS News reporter who asked him a question on Friday about his plan to get children back into classrooms during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The tense exchange took place just as Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris were wrapping up a meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in Wilmington, Delaware. 

'In my Oval Office, mi casa, you casa,' Biden, who turned 78 years old on Friday, is heard telling the senior Democratic Party leaders. 

At that point, a Biden aide asked the assembled gaggle of reporters to leave as the photo op concluded.

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: The question was a good one and it was asked calmly and respectfully. Joe Biden's response was the opposite. Joe Biden obviously does not like to be questioned by reporters in a setting that is not controlled. Rumors that Joe Biden is a "nasty person" have been circulating for years. We saw a small glimpse of that character yesterday.

Reports Are Saying That Tony Blinken Will Be Joe Biden's Pick For U.S. Secretary Of State

Vice President Joe Biden talks to South Korean and Japanese leaders alongside Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken during trilateral talks at the Defense Department’s Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies in Honolulu, July 14, 2016. 

Axios: Biden aims to deflect fights over first Cabinet picks 

President-elect Joe Biden has made his choice for secretary of state, three people familiar with the matter tell Axios, moving quickly to assemble a Senate-confirmable Cabinet even as President Trump refuses to concede the election. 

The big picture: Biden already has said he's made his choice for Treasury, and both picks may be aimed at defusing confirmation fights with Senate Republicans and internal battles with Democratic progressives. 

 * Biden is expected to roll out several top Cabinet picks next week, long before two runoff elections in Georgia on Jan. 5 determine which party will control the Senate. 

 * Teasing his upcoming Treasury announcement yesterday in Delaware, he said his selection "will be accepted by all elements of the Democratic Party, from the progressive to the moderate coalitions."

Read more .... 

Update: Biden decides on pick for secretary of State (The Hill) 

WNU Editor: Their working relationship goes back years, and Tony Blinken has been advising Joe Biden during the campaign. For more info on Tony Blinken, you can go here .... Tony Blinken (Wikipedia). As to what is my take on his selection. You cannot get more Washington D.C. establishment than him. 

Joe Biden Tells Advisers To Avoid Investigations Of Donald Trump

NBC: Biden hopes to avoid divisive Trump investigations, preferring unity 

Biden has told aides that he's concerned that investigations would divide the country but that he would leave decisions up to an independent Justice Department. 

WASHINGTON — President-elect Joe Biden has privately told advisers that he doesn't want his presidency to be consumed by investigations of his predecessor, according to five people familiar with the discussions, despite pressure from some Democrats who want inquiries into President Donald Trump, his policies and members of his administration. 

Biden has raised concerns that investigations would further divide a country he is trying to unite and risk making every day of his presidency about Trump, said the sources, who spoke on background to offer details of private conversations. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: Democrats have been doing nothing but investigate President Trump for the past four years .... and they are going to stop now because Joe Biden says so?!?!?!? They are not going to stop. They can't stop. What I expect next is Joe Biden's Treasury Department releasing and/or leaking President Trump's tax returns to other agencies and allies in the media .... thereby guaranteeing more investigations.

Is Joe Biden Openly Violating The Logan Act?

.@brhodes: Biden is already “having phone calls” with foreign leaders about “the agenda they’re going to pursue January 20th” pic.twitter.com/ynHspaEDxE

— Tom Elliott (@tomselliott) November 9, 2020

BizPacReview: Ben Rhodes raises eyebrows, touts ‘foreign leaders already having phone calls with Joe Biden’ 

Democrats did not even blink over the revelation that Joe Biden is already “having phone calls” with foreign leaders about policy. 

The same party that destroyed the career of General Michael Flynn for a 2016 conversation with a Russian official paid no mind to comments Monday revealing that the Democratic presidential nominee is speaking with leaders overseas before the 2020 election is even certified. 

Read more .... 

 Update: Obama Security Adviser Admits Biden Is Already Talking With Foreign Leaders; A Breach Of The Logan Act (Summit News) 

WNU Editor: I know that Biden and Trudeau talked policy yesterday .... Trudeau and Biden lay out shared commitment to fight pandemic, climate change in first post-election chat (CBC). This is the exact same scenario/situation that Democrat's and the media accused Gen. Flynn of doing prior to Trump’s inauguration in 2016, when the former national security advisor was communicating with foreign officials, including the then Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Events led to him being charged for perjury and basically the ruination of his life.

What can I say. 

One rule for me, and one rule for thee.

Will President-elect Biden's Economic Measures Hurt Or Boost The Economy?

Noah Smith, Bloomberg: Biden Will Need to Get Creative to Save the Economy 

(Bloomberg Opinion) -- Joe Biden has been elected to be the next President of the United States. Now he'll have to get creative. 

When the President-elect takes office, he’ll confront the country’s two most acute challenges: an ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and the economic damage it's wrought. But he'll have an uphill battle to enact the sort of bold policy agenda that many supporters were hoping for. 

Barring a January surprise in Georgia's runoff election, Republicans are likely to retain control of the Senate, denying Biden the unified control of government that his predecessors enjoyed when they came into office. With traditional relief and stimulus measures limited by opposition party intransigence, Biden might still be able to pass policies designed to resuscitate the stricken service sector directly. 

The U.S. economy has bounced rapidly back since April, but only partially. Employment has only recovered about halfway to where it was before Covid-19 struck, giving it the shape of a reverse square-root sign: 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: Buried in the election news last week was this incredible US jobs report .... Markets dip as unemployment falls to 6.9 percent (The Hill). A one percent drop in unemployment with much of the country still under lockdown! And the there is this .... Before The Covid-19 Pandemic, U.S. Income Growth Soared And Poverty Fell To The Lowest Rate Since 1959 (November 3, 2020). 

Why change a policy that has (and is) producing results?

But we all know what is going to happen. Many Americans voted for Biden to stop the coronavirus pandemic. He made the commitment to do it, even if it means shutting down the economy. A position that President Trump refused to take. Joe Biden was also elected on an economic platform that is at odds with President Trump's policies. Green deal. Transitioning from fossil fuels. Massive government support, high taxation, and deficit spending. Joe Biden's campaign was very open on what they were going to do, and the American people heard and voted. Bottom line. Elections have consequences, and there is going to be a lot of that for the US economy in the next four years.

Biden Plans To Immediately Issue Executive Orders To Reverse President Trump's Policies When He Becomes President

Joe Biden and Kamala Harris celebrate outside the Chase Center after Biden accepted the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination during the largely virtual Democratic National Convention, in Wilmington, Delaware, August 20, 2020. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque 

Washington Post: Biden plans immediate flurry of executive orders to reverse Trump policies

President-elect Joe Biden is planning to quickly sign a series of executive orders after being sworn into office on Jan. 20, immediately forecasting that the country's politics have shifted and that his presidency will be guided by radically different priorities. 

He will rejoin the Paris climate accords, according to those close to his campaign and commitments he has made in recent months, and he will reverse President Donald Trump's withdrawal from the World Health Organization. He will repeal the ban on immigration from many Muslim-majority countries, and he will reinstate the program allowing "dreamers," who were brought to the United States illegally as children, to remain in the country, according to people familiar with his plans. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: No surprises in the above Washington Post report. After inauguration day President Biden's focus will be on issuing executive orders to reverse everything that President Trump has done. Even though the Washington Post downplays it, I also expect mass firings. 

After the State of the Union address in February 2021, it then gets interesting. To pursue their legislative agenda the Biden administration will need 2 Republican Senators to support their policies (I expect the Republicans will win both senate seats in Georgia in January). I give them a 50-50 chance that they may succeed. 

I also expect the following. 

After the State of The Union, President Biden's public appearances are going to be completely scaled back.

We will only see him in choreographed and controlled settings with a friendly journalist. 

Expect a lot of cool pictures. Definitely expect a lot of cool pictures.

Do not look forward to a Biden press conference. 

There will definitely be no daily scrums with the press that President Trump always enjoyed when walking to Marine One. 

We are definitely entering a different Presidency from the Trump Presidency. 

President Trump said it best after his Covid-19 diagnosis. As President of the United States you cannot hide in the basement. 

I expect President Biden will hide in the White House. 

You cannot run the United States like that in today's world. But that is what is going to happen.

Joe Biden: Voters Have 'Given Us A Mandate For Action On COVID, The Economy, Climate Change, Systemic Racism'

BIDEN: Voters have “given us a mandate for action on COVID, the economy, climate change, systemic racism....”pic.twitter.com/BwMNrBmnYU

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) November 7, 2020

PELOSI: "I am so officially pleased with the outcome...His election is historic...President-elect Biden has a strong mandate to lead." pic.twitter.com/lH3VNGQUMD

— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) November 6, 2020

WNU Editor:  It is true that 74 million+ Americans have given soon to be President Biden a mandate. It is also true that the American voter gave Republicans a large number of House seats and the Democrats the lowest number of House seats for a governing party since the New Deal almost 85 years ago. And while the US Senate still needs to be determined, I will not be surprised if Republicans will maintain their majority there, a remarkable achievement in view of the fact that a huge number of them were up for re-election this year. So this is what I expect from a Biden administration in 2021 on the four issues that Joe Biden raised yesterday.

1) On the Covid-19 pandemic, the development of a vaccine that President Trump's administration initiated will continue, and I expect a vaccine will be produced and distributed in the coming months. What will be different in a Biden administration will be the government's response to limit the spread of the disease. Epidemiologists are forecasting a very bad winter and spring. I expect the Biden administration will impose mandatory lockdowns when they take over the government at the end of January. They have to do something in order to differentiate themselves from the previous administration. The pandemic was their number one issue, and it resonated with voters, especially seniors. To do nothing will take away from them any claim that their actions were successful in stopping the pandemic. 

2) On the economy the Biden campaign was very clear on what they were going to do. Eliminate the Trump tax cuts. Impose more taxes on those who are earning a certain income. Bail out certain cities and states who are now facing a budget and debt crisis. Biden's team have also talked about bailing out insolvent pension funds, but I have not read that in their platform. On the issue of the trade war with China and tariffs, again, no mention in their platform but Biden campaign supporters have stated that they want to follow a policy contrary to President Trump's. 

To impose this platform a Biden administration will need to work with a Republican Senate. The media and the Republicans are talking that they are going to block a lot of these initiatives. I am not sure. When I look at how the Republican Senate worked with the previous Obama administration, they almost always gave the Obama administration what they wanted. I expect they will do the same for a Biden administration. 

3) The Biden campaign was very clear on what they are going to do when it comes to climate change. Transition away from oil and gas. Revoke the license to build the Keystone pipeline. Rejoin the Paris accords on climate change. Impose mandated environmental regulations on targeted industries. Adopt a number of the measures proposed by progressive House Democrats in their "Green Deal". This should concern everyone. The Green Deal does not only involve the environment, it is also a document calling for major changes in the U.S. economy, health care, affordable housing, etc.. It is socialism on steroids. You can read it all here .... What is the 'Green New Deal,' and how would it work? (NBC). I do not expect the Republican Senate to accept this. But many of these measures can be imposed by executive action. I also expect that these executive mandates are going to end up in the courts for a long time.

4) Early this year candidate Joe Biden talked a lot about "white privilege". Talked that ended around February when his team realized that it was not working. The new language is "systemic racism". Will the Biden administration impose quotas/affirmative action. I do not know. There is talk about "slave reparations". But will they do something? Again I do not know. But I do know that they are not going to consider President Trump's economic plan to boost Black businesses and employment which is unfortunate because it is a good one .... President Trump Unveils $500 Billion Economic Plan For Black Americans And Will Designate The KKK And Antifa As 'Terrorist Organizations'. Also Promised To Make Juneteenth A Federal Holiday (September 26, 2020).

What To Expect From President Biden When It Comes To Foreign Policy

Image: U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden pulls down his face mask as he speaks during a campaign event in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., November 1, 2020. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Mark Episkopos, National Interest: Why Joe Biden Gets it Wrong on Foreign Policy 

If nothing else, Biden’s recent foreign policy statements are par for the course of his four-decade-long political career—one that has long been characterized by intermittent attempts to seize short-term political advantages by rewriting his own policy history. 

The Biden campaign has worked tirelessly over the past year to channel the image of Joe Biden as a “serious person,” particularly on foreign policy matters. Biden, according to this narrative, is an elder statesman who grasps the intricacies of international politics. Trump, by contrast, is presented as an inept bull in a china shop who only speaks the language of “fire and fury.” Only Biden, we are told, can bring back stability around the globe. 

Don’t believe a word of it. This carefully curated image of Joe Biden’s strategic acumen and geopolitical foresight is at odds with the former vice president’s own stated views and policy track record. His statements about a variety of countries suggest that they are based less on a strategic view of world affairs than snap judgments. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: I agree with the above analysis that Joe Biden's past foreign policy decisions and positions have not been impressive. But I do not think they can be applied to the Joe Biden of today or to his administration. As I have repeated more than once in this year's Presidential campaign, Joe Biden is not the same man when compared to who he was 8 years ago. One only needs to look at his debate with Paul Ryan in the 2012 Presidential election, and his debates this year, to see how much he has mentally declined during this time. 

People like myself who have had to spend years dealing with family members who are suffering with cognitive decline know what to see and expect, and the soon to be President-elect Joe Biden is flashing all the signs. But Washington must continue. The foreign policy that I expect from a Joe Biden administration will be more of a collaborative affair where aides, National Security officials, the Secretary of State, other Cabinet members, and probably Vice-President Harris herself will be involved in the strategy and decision process. President Biden will (of course) provide some input, but with time I expect his input will decrease. 

My biggest concern right now is how will Russia and China respond to a Biden Presidency. They know who Joe Biden is, and they know he is no Donald Trump. I predict Russia is going to wait and see. China will be different. The Chinese have a habit of testing new leaders within 6 months after they  come into power. I am speculating now, but it will be military incident. Something like what happened in the first 3 months of the Bush Presidency in 2000 when a Chinese fighter jet collided with an American reconnaissance plane off the coast of China (see Hainan island incident).