
House Democrats praise Biden’s speech passing the torch
CNN
House Democrats Wednesday night praised President Joe Biden for his speech explaining his decision to step aside from the 2024 presidential race.
House Democrats Wednesday night praised President Joe Biden for his speech explaining his decision to step aside from the 2024 presidential race, putting an end to a bitter chapter of Democratic infighting over Biden’s future where many Democratic lawmakers publicly and privately pressured the president to not run for reelection. Biden’s disastrous debate performance on June 27 sent the Democratic Party into a tailspin, where concerns about the president’s mental acuity and the negative impact that could have on down ballot races culminated in 36 House and Senate Democrats publicly calling on Biden to end his presidential campaign. But in the wake of Biden’s heartfelt speech, the consensus among lawmakers was one of gratitude, ready to bury the hatchet. Democratic Rep. Mark Pocan of Wisconsin, who had called for Biden to step aside, praised the speech, saying “He did a great job of laying out why he did what he did.” Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who at one point told Biden that polling showed that the president cannot defeat Donald Trump and that Biden could destroy Democrats’ chances of winning the House in November if he continues seeking a second term, called Biden’s address on Wednesday, “great.” “I thought it showed his greatness and his goodness,” the California Democrat said.

Two top House lawmakers emerged divided along party lines after a private briefing with the military official who oversaw September’s attack on an alleged drug vessel that included a so-called double-tap strike that killed surviving crew members, with a top Democrat calling video of the incident that was shared as part of the briefing “one of the most troubling things” he has seen as a lawmaker.

Authorities in Colombia are dealing with increasingly sophisticated criminals, who use advanced tech to produce and conceal the drugs they hope to export around the world. But police and the military are fighting back, using AI to flag suspicious passengers, cargo and mail - alongside more conventional air and sea patrols. CNN’s Isa Soares gets an inside look at Bogotá’s war on drugs.

As lawmakers demand answers over reports that the US military carried out a follow-up strike that killed survivors during an attacked on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean, a career Navy SEAL who has spent most of his 30 years of military experience in special operations will be responsible for providing them.










