Biden says Nord Stream pipeline damage was "a deliberate act of sabotage"
CBSN
President Biden called the damage to the Nord Stream natural gas pipelines "a deliberate act of sabotage," rebuking Russia's claim that the West was responsible for the explosions. The president said Friday that divers would eventually be sent to the pipelines, which were designed to bring gas from Russia to Europe, to determine what happened.
"It was a deliberate act of sabotage and the Russians are pumping out disinformation and lies," Biden said.
"At the appropriate moment, when things calm down, we're going to be sending divers down to find out exactly what happened. We don't know that yet exactly," he added.
President Biden on Monday signed into law a defense bill that authorizes significant pay raises for junior enlisted service members, aims to counter China's growing power and boosts overall military spending to $895 billion despite his objections to language stripping coverage of transgender medical treatments for children in military families.
It's Christmas Eve, and Santa Claus is suiting up for his annual voyage from the North Pole to households around the world. In keeping with decades of tradition, the North American Aerospace Command, or NORAD, will once again track Santa's journey to deliver gifts to children before Christmas 2024, using an official map that's updated consistently to show where he is right now.
An anti-money laundering law called the Corporate Transparency Act, or CTA, appears to have been given new life after an appeals court on Monday determined its rules can be enforced as the case proceeds. The law requires small business owners to register with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, or FinCEN, by Jan. 1, or potentially pay fines of up to $10,000.