Kamala Harris news - VP meets Trudeau, refugees in Poland as White House says Russian economy ‘crushed’

During her trip to Warsaw, Vice President Kamala Harris announced nearly $53m in new humanitarian assistance from the United States government, through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), to support innocent civilians affected by Russia’s unjustified invasion of Ukraine.

This additional assistance includes support to the UN World Food Program (WFP) to provide lifesaving emergency food assistance to meet immediate needs of hundreds of thousands affected by the invasion, including people who are displaced from their homes and who are crossing the border out of Ukraine. In addition, it will support WFP’s logistics operations to move assistance into Ukraine, including to people in Kyiv.

This assistance builds on the US announcement less than two weeks ago of nearly $54m in humanitarian assistance to provide critically needed health supplies, food assistance, high thermal blankets, and other relief.

So far, the US is the largest provider of humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and has provided $159m since October 2020.

To date, two million people have been forced to flee Ukraine due to the conflict, an estimated one million are displaced inside Ukraine, and at least 12 million people are in need of humanitarian aid.

A reporter at this morning’s press conference with Poland’s President Andrzej Duda asked if the US would do more to help Poland set up a more robust infrastructure for handling Ukrainian refugees and if the US would be willing to accept a specific allocation into the US.

Vice President Harris laughed and said: “A friend in need is a friend indeed.”

President Duda tackled the first question saying that the whole of Polish society was facing up to thie challenge and he was in discussions with the UN concerning it.

Referring to refugees perhaps heading to America, he said: “We discussed the refugees from Ukraine who have got relatives and families in the United States, and who would be willing — at least for the time when the war is still waging, they would like to visit those families, to stay with their families in the United States, and to wait there until the war is over and then come back to their homes. “I asked to speed up and simplify the procedures for such people — the consular procedures to be simplified for those people who would like to leave for the United States, to give the opportunity to these people to see their families as soon as possible, to be reunited with their families, to help them to survive this time.”

Ms Harris added that the US was absolutely willing to help Poland with the burden of taking in so many refugees. She shied away from saying the US would take in a share of the refugees fleeing Ukraine, saying that they will look at the issue, but claimed that so far most wanted to stay in Europe. She added: “You probably know that we have made a decision as it relates to TPS — the Temporary Protected Status. So for Ukrainians that are in the United States whose visa may expire or has expired: If they were in the United States before — I believe it’s March; I don’t have the exact date — they will be able to stay; they won’t be required to leave, even though their visa has expired because, of course, we would not send them back to what is a warzone.”

Inflation hit another 40-year high as the Consumer Price Index jumped 7.9 per cent in the past year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Thursday.

Increases for food, gasoline and shelter contributed the most to inflation, with gas prices increasing 6.6 per cent and accounted for nearly a third of the all items monthly increase.

Eric Garcia reports from Washington, DC.

Today’s economic data tells the tale of two recoveries.

Our jobs recovery remains strong. New unemployment claims remain low, as jobs are created at a record level. The rate of people on unemployment insurance is the lowest since 1970 – more than 50 years. And, private sector job growth is strong, boosted by the steps we took in the American Rescue Plan a year ago this week.

At the same time, today’s inflation report is a reminder that Americans’ budgets are being stretched by price increases and families are starting to feel the impacts of Putin’s price hike. A large contributor to inflation this month was an increase in gas and energy prices as markets reacted to Putin’s aggressive actions. As I have said from the start, there will be costs at home as we impose crippling sanctions in response to Putin’s unprovoked war, but Americans can know this: the costs we are imposing on Putin and his cronies are far more devastating than the costs we are facing.

I know that higher prices impact a family’s budget, which is why I am fighting to bring down the everyday prices that are squeezing Americans. Last week, in coordination with our allies, the US secured a release of 60 million barrels of oil from our strategic reserves. My Administration is pushing for investments so we can manufacture more in America, strengthen our supply chains, and move goods to market at lower cost. I’m promoting competition to make sure big corporations are offering consumers fair prices, and I’m pressing Congress to pass my plan to lower the cost of essentials like prescription drugs and energy.

Finally, I want to be clear: we can do all this, and reduce the huge federal budget deficit that I inherited from my predecessor. Earlier this week, we learned that after reducing the deficit last year -- for the first time since 2015 – CBO reported that we are on track to cut the deficit this year by over $1 trillion – the largest one year reduction in the deficit in US history.

Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is speaking on the Senate floor about the House-passed $1.5 trillion omnibus spending package that funds the government through September and includes $13.6bn in Ukraine aid.

“Once this bill arrives at the Senate, Republicans must work with Democrats to pass the bill as soon as possible, hopefully tonight.”

He continues: ““I am deeply disappointed, deeply disappointed the administration’s request for more Covid funding failed to make it into the House bill. But we’re gonna keep fighting to make sure we get that money approved as soon as possible.”

Mr Schumer adds: “This year Congress has been able to work together on a bipartisan basis to fund the government in a serious way. The Senate must follow through in finishing the job by approving this bill quickly, and sending it to the president’s desk.”

Goldman Sachs has chosen to close their business in Russia, becoming the first Wall Street bank to leave the country following the invasion of Ukraine.

“Goldman Sachs is winding down its business in Russia in compliance with regulatory and licensing requirements,” the bank said in a statement to multiple media outlets. “We are focused on supporting our clients across the globe in managing or closing out pre-existing obligations in the market and ensuring the well-being of our people.”

The bank still facilitates debt securities trades connected to Russia, Bloomberg reported.

Gustaf Kilander reports.

Former Vice President Mike Pence and former Second Lady Karen Pence visited the Ukraine border today to meet with refugees and fleeing Ukraine and encourage donations to relief organisations.

The surging price of gasoline in America is showing no signs of slowing or reversing, and President Joe Biden is facing pressure to take further steps to protect the US energy economy.

Gas prices surged past $4.20 a gallon on average nationwide this week; in California, which has higher local taxes on fuel, the average price is above $5.50 a gallon. And there’s no sign the problem will abate any time soon; quite the opposite, actually, as Mr Biden said in a speech announcing his administration’s ban on Russian oil that prices would likely continue to rise.

John Bowden reports.

No, really...

From The Associated Press:

Some social media users suggest that soaring fuel prices in the U.S. aren’t the result of Russia‘s invasion of Ukraine, increased consumption or supply chain issues as daily life resumes after two years of stagnation brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

Instead, the flurry of Facebook and Twitter posts offer, without evidence, that a nefarious scheme is underway: President Joe Biden’s administration is intentionally driving up the price of gas to get more American drivers behind the wheel of an electric car.

Dozens of protesters flooded the Guggenheim museum in New York City with paper planes in a show of solidarity with Ukraine.

The protesters assembled in the atrium of the Upper East Side museum on Saturday armed with 350 paper planes and fliers explaining the reasons behind their stunt, which took place on the 10th day of Russia’s invasion.

Gino Spocchia reports.