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A2   UP FRONT
                       Tuesday 9 July 2024
            Biden tells Hill Democrats he won't step aside, says of party drama:

            'It's time for it to end'



            Continued from Front                                                                                                the White House as part of
                                                                                                                                his  annual  physical  exams
                                                                                                                                — and no more — and said
            "Any weakening of resolve                                                                                           the president has not been
            or lack of clarity about the                                                                                        diagnosed with or treated for
            task ahead only helps Trump                                                                                         Parkinson's.
            and hurts us. It's time to come                                                                                     It's a tenuous and highly vola-
            together, move forward as                                                                                           tile juncture for the president's
            a unified party, and defeat                                                                                         party. Democrats who have
            Donald Trump."                                                                                                      worked alongside Biden for
            Anxiety  is  running  high  as                                                                                      years  —  if  not  decades  —
            top-ranking Democratic law-                                                                                         and cherished his life's work
            makers are joining calls for                                                                                        on policy priorities are now
            Biden to step aside despite                                                                                         entertaining uncomfortable
            his  defiance.  At  the  same                                                                                       questions about his political
            time, some of the president's                                                                                       future. And it's unfolding as
            most  staunch  supporters                                                                                           Biden hosts world leaders for
            are redoubling the fight for                                                                                        the NATO summit this week
            Biden's presidency, insisting                                                                                       in Washington.
            there's no one better to beat                                                                                       The  drama  is  playing  out
            Trump in what many see as                                                                                           with  just  over  a  month  un-
            among the most important                                                                                            til the Democratic National
            elections of a lifetime.                                                                                            Convention and just a week
            Biden followed up the letter   President Joe Biden attends a church service at Mt. Airy Church of God in Christ, Sunday, July 7,   before Republicans gather
            with a phone interview with   2024, in Philadelphia.                                               Associated Press  in Milwaukee to renominate
            MSNBC's "Morning Joe" show,                                                                                         Trump  as  their  presidential
            in which he insisted that "av-  gaging veterans and military  of the House's Congressional  cuss the situation. Lawmak-  pick. Many Democrats are
            erage Democrats" want him  families.                      Progressive  Caucus,  Rep.  ers  particularly  bristled  at  arguing the attention needs
            to stay in the race and said  "For  all  the  talk  out  there  Pramila  Jayapal,  who  was  being cast as out of touch  to be focused not on Biden
            he was frustrated by the calls  about  this  race,  Joe  has  not ready to cast aside Bi-  with voters since representa-  but on the former president's
            from party officials for him to  made it clear that he's all in,"  den, saying that the threat of  tives in particular have been  felony conviction in the hush
            step aside.                  she told a military crowd in  a second Trump presidency  home in their districts listening  money  case  and  pending
            "They're  big  names,  but  I  Wilmington, North Carolina.  remains too high. Yet one of  to voters.                federal charges in his effort
            don't  care  what  those  big  "That's the decision that he's  the most endangered Demo-  Biden planned to meet virtu-  to overturn the 2020 election.
            names think," Biden said.    made, and just as he has al-  crats this election cycle, Sen.  ally Monday with the Con-  In  an  effort  to  "get  on  the
            He threw the gauntlet at his  ways supported my career,  Jon Tester of Montana, said  gressional Black Caucus —  same page," House Demo-
            critics, saying if they're seri-  I am all in, too."      in a statement, "President Bi-  one of his staunchest blocs of  cratic leader Hakeem Jeffries
            ous they ought to "announce  Democratic voters are split  den has got to prove to the  supporters in Congress. The  is convening lawmakers for
            for president, challenge me  on whether Biden should re-  American people—including  White House would not say  private meetings before he
            at  the  convention"  or  rally  main the Democratic Party's  me—that he's up to the job  whether Biden would meet  shows  his  own  preference,
            behind him against Trump.  nominee  for  president,  or  for another four years."      with all Democratic lawmak-  according  to  a  person  fa-
            Later, Biden joined a call with  whether there should be a  However,  Biden's  letter  left  ers in person at the Capitol  miliar with the situation and
            members of his national fi-  different Democratic nomi-   some House Democrats, who  this week.                     granted anonymity to discuss
            nance committee, while first  nee,  according  to  a  New  want  to  hear  directly  from  Meanwhile, press secretary  it. He planned to gather on
            lady Jill Biden campaigned  York  Times/Siena  College  Biden  himself,  furious,  ac-  Karine  Jean-Pierre  said  Bi-  Monday  some  Democrats
            for her husband in a three-  poll. More voices spoke up  cording to one House aide  den  had  undergone  three  whose  bids  for  reelection
            state swing focused on en-   Monday, including the chair  granted  anonymity  to  dis-  neurological exams while in  are most vulnerable.q


                                                                      More than 3 million pass through US airport

                                                                      security in a day for the first time as travel surges



                                                                      gers have been screened in  2001,  and  replaced  a  col-  tion data. Those costs have
                                                                      a single day as travel surges,  lection  of  private  security  been  trending  lower  since
                                                                      according to the U.S. Trans-  companies that were hired  the beginning of the year.
                                                                      portation  Security  Adminis-  by airlines. The agency oper-  While  most  U.S.  airlines  lost
                                                                      tration.                     ates under the Department  money in the first quarter —
                                                                      The record, which was wide-  of Homeland Security, which  traditionally the weakest time
                                                                      ly  predicted to happen at  said that agents on Sunday  of year for travel — they were
                                                                      some point over the July Four  checked 35 passengers ev-  all  expecting  a  summer  of
                                                                      holiday  weekend,  topped  ery second.                    full planes.
            A traveler walks through the departure area as airline catering   the  June  23  mark  of  more  While Americans continue to  This  spring,  American  and
            workers who are employed by Gate Gourmet picket with their   than  2.99  million  screened  grapple with inflation, travel  Southwest said they expect-
            supporters,  calling  for  a  new  union  contract  with  raises  and   passengers. Eight of the 10  costs including airline tickets  ed solid second quarter prof-
            affordable health insurance, Wednesday, July 3, 2024, at Miami   busiest days in TSA's history  and hotel prices have eased  its. They joined Delta Air Lines
            International Airport in Miami.                           have come this year as the  significantly  from  a  year  and United Airlines in giving
                                                     Associated Press  number of travelers tops pre-  ago. Hotel rooms were 1.2%  an  upbeat  outlook  for  the
            By MATT OTT                  passed through U.S. airport  pandemic levels.             cheaper in May compared  April-through-June  period,
            AP Business Writer           security on Sunday, the first  TSA  was  created  after  the  with a year ago, according  which  includes  the  start  of
            More than 3 million people  time that number of passen-   terror  attacks  on  Sept.  11,  to recent government infla-  peak season for carriers. q
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