Biden to speak on Afghanistan amid US troop withdrawal and Taliban gains
CNN
President Joe Biden will receive an update Thursday on the swiftly concluding war in Afghanistan, where a near-complete withdrawal of American troops is coinciding with major Taliban gains.
Facing the prospect of a Taliban takeover within a year -- accompanied, most likely, by devastation and suffering -- Biden hopes to convey continued support for the country. White House officials say he will detail US security and humanitarian assistance that will carry on once the troop presence ends. But the deteriorating security situation, while troubling, has not deterred Biden from pushing ahead with his plans to bring US troops home.Senate Democrats have confirmed some of President Joe Biden’s picks for the federal bench this week in the face of President-elect Donald Trump’s calls for a total GOP blockade of judicial nominations – in part because several Republicans involved with the Trump transition process have been missing votes.
Donald Trump is considering a right-wing media personality and people who have served on his US Secret Service detail to run the agency that has been plagued by its failure to preempt two alleged assassination attempts on Trump this summer, sources familiar with the president-elect’s thinking tell CNN.