President Joe Biden on Wednesday he announced he was sanctioning the company’s building Russiathe Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which Germany stopped certification on Tuesday – a coordinated response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“Today I ordered my administration to impose sanctions on Nord Stream 2 AG and its corporate employees,” the president said in a statement. “These steps are another part of our initial tranche of sanctions in response to Russia’s actions in Ukraine.”

The president also warned: “We will not hesitate to take further steps if Russia continues to escalate.”

State Department spokesman Ned Price said Wednesday afternoon that Nord Stream 2 was a “reward investment of $ 11 billion, which is now steel at the bottom of the sea.”

At a briefing Wednesday, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki did not say whether the project could be resurrected in the future.

“Well, not only has the German chancellor announced that he is not moving forward, we have also announced additional sanctions and this is not moving at the moment, no,” she said in response to a question from Peter Alexander of NBC.

When he asked if it was done “forever”, she replied: “Peter is dead at the bottom of the sea right now.”

President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday that he was sanctioning the company that is building Russia’s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, for which Germany suspended certification on Tuesday.

Nord Stream 2 was completed in September and would double the amount of Russian gas going to Germany

When White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki was asked at Wednesday’s briefing if Nord Stream 2 was built “forever,” she said, “He’s dead at the bottom of the sea right now.”

“I will not be ahead of where we are in the process, this is not happening, it is not moving forward, it has not acted for some time, so this is where it stands and this is all a result of the diplomatic commitment and leadership of the president and his commitment with Chancellor Scholz, “she said.

When new German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited the White House earlier this month, Biden told a joint news conference that they were one step closer to the pipeline as Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened Ukraine with a build-up of troops.

However, Scholz would not call Nord Stream 2 by name.

This week, when Putin declared separatist territories in eastern Ukraine “independent” and introduced “peacekeeping” forces, the United States and its European allies began sanctioning Russia.

The White House said Tuesday that among the first “tranches” of sanctions are sanctions for the complete blocking of two Russian banks, sanctions against the Russian elite and their families and sanctions that will prevent external financing of the country’s public debt.

Also Tuesday, Scholz announced that Germany would not certify the pipeline.

Construction of Nord Stream 2 was completed in September.

Nord Stream 2 AG is registered in Switzerland, but its parent company is the Russian state gas company Gazprom.

Nord Stream 2 would double the amount of Russian gas going to Germany.

“Through his actions, President Putin has given the world a huge incentive to move away from Russian gas to other forms of energy,” Biden said in a statement.

“I want to thank Chancellor Scholz for his close partnership and continued commitment to holding Russia accountable for its actions,” he said.

Biden has received rare praise from Republican Senator Ted Cruz for his initial move to lift sanctions on the bill.

“President Biden made the right decision today,” the Texas Republican said in a statement.

Cruz called on Biden to “close the sanctions”, which Biden did later Wednesday afternoon.

Regarding Biden’s actions, Cruz announced that he would unblock the candidates for the Biden administration in the State Department, which he holds in the Senate.

Cruz’s further comments came after former President Donald Trump on Tuesday praised Putin’s move to declare Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk districts “independent.”

Biden receives rare praise from Republican Sen. Ted Cruz for his initial move to lift sanctions

“I came in yesterday and there was a TV screen and I said, ‘That’s brilliant,'” Trump said. “Putin declares a large part of Ukraine – from Ukraine – Putin declares it independent. Oh, that’s wonderful.

“I said, ‘How smart is that?'” The former US president said continue. “And he will come in and be a peacemaker.” This is the strongest peaceful force … We can use this on our southern border. This is the strongest peacekeeping force I have ever seen. There were more army tanks than I saw. They will keep the peace well.

“No, but think about it.” Here is a man who is very understanding, “Trump continued. “I know him very well.” Very, very, very good. If I were in office, even unthinkable, this would never have happened.

Trump added: “But here’s a man who says, you know, ‘I’m going to declare much of Ukraine independent,’ he uses the word ‘independent’ and ‘we’re going to go in and out.’ and we will help keep the peace. You have to say that it is quite understandable. And do you know what Biden’s response was? There was no answer. They didn’t have one for that. No, it’s very sad. Very sad.’

Trump also called Biden “a man who has no idea what he’s doing.”

White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki responded to Trump at a news briefing on Tuesday.

“As a matter of policy, we try not to take advice from anyone who praises President Putin and his military strategy, which I think is what happened there,” Psaki said at a briefing on Tuesday when asked to respond to comments made earlier in Trump. The day.

She pointed out the comments Trump reportedly did to the leaders of the G7 in 2018, when the former president already said that Crimea, which was annexed by Russia after the invasion in 2014, is part of Russia because everyone there speaks Russian.

He said Trump had “expressed openness” to lifting sanctions on Russia over the 2014 invasion.

“So there are a little different tactics, a little different approach, and that’s probably why President Biden, not his predecessor, managed to unite the world and the world community in taking steps against Russian aggression,” Psaki said.

Most Republicans have said they want to see Russia punished for what the White House now calls an “invasion” of Ukraine – after Putin announced Monday that he would consider two Russian-backed separatist territories independent of Ukraine and ordered troops there under cover. of “peacekeeping functions”.

Asked if there were fears that comments like Trump’s could lead to Ukraine’s support becoming a more party issue among the American public, she pointed to the Republican Party.

“You know, I think it depends on the members of the Republican Party to make the decision, to make the decision,” she told DailyMail.com.

In contrast to the traditional hawk and pigeon roles of both political parties – with Republicans historically more hawkish – Republicans were less inclined to want the United States to play a major role in the Russia-Ukraine conflict by 10 points.

“There is a long history, decades of history of which President Biden was a part, when he was chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, of defending the efforts of any country to occupy the territory of another country, of defending the efforts of the United States to gather global support against inappropriate and illegal actions by another country, “she continued. “There is a long history of this, not in a partisan way – in a partisan way.”

“And it certainly depends on the Republicans to … determine,” she added.

New A study by the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs published on Wednesday, Americans have little appetite for the United States to play an important role in the Ukraine-Russia conflict.

But away from the traditional hawk and pigeon roles of both political parties – with Republicans historically more hawkish – Republicans were less likely to want the United States to play a major role with 10 points.

The survey found that a total of 26% of older Americans said they wanted the United States to play a major role – with 32% of Democrats in the group and 22% of Republicans.

Former Princess Mako’s “ordinary” husband Kay Komuro showed a new queue when he was seen leaving his second attempt at the New York State Bar Exam – after failing his first attempt just months before his partner sensationally left the Japanese royal family. to start a new life with him in the United States.

Mako, 30, the eldest daughter of Crown Prince Fumihito and niece of the ruling Emperor Naruhito, relinquished her royal title to marry “ordinary” Komuro last October in a small civil ceremony.

The couple, who were engaged for eight years before getting married, have since moved into a one-bedroom apartment in New York City, where Komuro works for New Jersey-based Lowenstein Sandler LLP.

Komuro first took the New York Bar Exam last summer, months before his marriage to Mako, but it was revealed in November that he had failed; Tuesday’s test marked his second attempt at qualifying.

However, if Komuro felt more confident in his performance during his last exam, he certainly didn’t show it when he left the testing center; the novice lawyer looked incredibly gloomy as he stood outside and called Uber as he showed off his long locks, which were tied in a short tail.

The long style is a remarkable change from the neatly cut hairstyle that Komuro wore during his wedding to Mako four months ago – and he also seems to have adopted a much more casual wardrobe after moving to Manhattan.

Former Princess Mako’s “ordinary” husband Kay Komuro, 30, has been spotted waiting for Uber in front of a test center after taking his New York State Bar Exam for the second time this afternoon.

The lawyer was spotted on Tuesday calling Uber outside a test center after the exam – which he appeared for the first time last summer, but failed

Komuro has been seen wearing much longer locks than in the past, with the lawyer pulling his long hair into a ponytail.

Instead of an elegant suit and tie, Komuro wore a dark green Tommy Hilfiger jacket, which he wore with a denim shirt, faded navy blue pants, and a pair of colorful Vans sneakers.

He also carried a black-and-white bag over his shoulder and a white face mask as he left the testing center.

Komuro’s last attempt to pass a bar exam came less than a year after he first took the test in July 2021, when he had the opportunity to take the test remotely. This time there was no remote option for the candidates.

As he did last year, Komuro will now face a torturous wait of several months before finding out whether his second attempt at an exam was successful or not; Candidates who take the test in February usually receive their results only in April, which means that Komuro will not know whether it has passed or failed for two months.

The results of the July 2021 exam were published on the website of the U.S. Board of State Examiners last November. Komuro’s name was not among the successful candidates.

According to the Japanese TV operator NHKKomuro called lawyer Okuno Yoshihiko, the head of a company in Japan where he had worked before, to tell him he had failed the exam.

If he fails again, Komuro will have to wait until July this year to retake the exam, which is only offered twice a year, but he can take the test as many times as he wants until he passes, because New York State does not impose a limit on the number of attempts the candidate may make.

Former Princess Mako married Komuro in October 2018, eight years after the couple got engaged

The lawyer has adopted a much more casual look since moving to New York, and he is growing his hair away from the haircut style he had at his wedding (right).

Komuro and the first moved into a one-bedroom apartment in New York, where Komuro works as a lawyer for the New Jersey-based company Lowenstein Sandler LLP

Komuro will not know if he passed his second attempt at the bar exam by April; if he fails, he will have to wait until July before he gets another chance to take it again

Komuro was raised by his widowed mother, Cayo. His father died when he was still in elementary school. His work in Japan included working in a bank and a French restaurant.

He met Mako in 2013, when they were both studying at the International Christian University outside Tokyo.

The couple, both now 30, got engaged “unofficially” in 2017 and planned to get married in November 2018.

The news was initially greeted with delight in Japan, but then a scandal erupted when it was revealed that Kayo had not repaid a loan of 4 million yen ($ 35,000) from an ex-fiancé, in part to pay for her son’s education.

This has led critics to speculate that Komuro married the princess for money or fame.

Komuro issued a 24-page explanation of the money – claiming it was a gift, not a loan. In the end, he said he would return it, although it is not known if the money was returned.

But despite the turmoil, Kay and Mako’s love endured. In 2020, the former princess asked the Japanese public to support her decision.

“We are indispensable for each other – someone to rely on in both happy and unhappy moments,” she said, announcing that the wedding would continue.

Komuro was seen leaving the building with several other candidates after completing the first day of the two-day exam.

After leaving the test center, Komuro made his way to Uber, which may have taken him back to the Hells Kitchen apartment he shares with his wife.

Mako and Komuro (pictured in November) moved to New York just a few weeks after they got married, and they have since adjusted to their new lives as “commoners.”

“So marriage is a necessary choice to live while valuing and protecting our feelings.”

Komuro has not lived in Japan for three years – moving to New York shortly after their marriage was postponed for the first time.

He studied law at Fordham University in the Bronx and then worked as a clerk at Lowenstein Sandler in Manhattan, advising companies and investors on venture capital financing, mergers and acquisitions.

Only members of the Japanese imperial family are allowed to marry “commoners”, so Mako’s decision to marry for love means a lot of new things to her.

For a start, she is no longer considered a princess – even if the marriage ends in divorce, she can never return to the family.

For the first time in her life, she has a family name and will be known as Mako Komuro.

She will also have to apply for a passport – royals do not need it – to be able to move to the United States.

She can no longer live in the imperial palace. And all the sons the couple has will not be in the line of inheritance of imperial power only for men.

And this is a potential problem in Japan, where there are now only three people allowed by the Imperial Household Act to succeed 61-year-old Emperor Naruhito – and one of them, his uncle Masohito, is 85 years old.

The other two are Nauruhito’s 55-year-old brother, Akishino, Mako’s father, and Mako’s brother, Hisahito, 15.

The Ordinary Who Courts a Princess: How Kay Komuro Overcame the Scandal to Marry Mako

Komuro was raised by a single mother, with some media outlets reporting that part of his education was funded by his mother’s ex-fiancé.

At one point, he made money working to promote tourism near Tokyo.

Problems erupted months after he and Mako announced their engagement in 2017, when tabloids reported a financial dispute between Komuro’s mother and her ex-boyfriend, with the man claiming that the mother and son had failed to pay about $ 35,000 in debt. .

Komuro later said the money was a gift, not a loan. But in 2021, he presented a 24-page explanation and later announced that he would pay a settlement.

In September 2018, he went to study at Fordham University in New York and did not return until September this year, after graduating from law school and starting work at a New York law firm.

When he returned to Japan, he was dressed casually and with long hair pulled back in a ponytail, causing media outrage because he was considered “disrespectful.”

But on Tuesday morning, trimmed with a ponytail and dressed in a fresh dark suit and tie, he set out to pick up his bride. Most of his face was covered in a mask according to the Japanese coronavirus protocol, but he looked happy.

Lisa Lukyanova may seem an unlikely recruit for the country’s army, which is facing a battle for survival from a military machine with 2.9 million troops and reserves.

She is 43, a mother of two and learning to become a website developer.

But she is also a trained doctor and has seen the chilling reality of Russian aggression after she was forced to leave her home eight years ago.

“I know what it’s like to run away,” Lukyanova said. “But now we have nowhere to run. Besides, I don’t want to run.

Yesterday, she joined thousands of other Ukrainians in responding to their president’s call for military reservists to move forward as the country goes to war.

President Volodymyr Zelensky ordered the move – which could double the size of Ukraine’s army by an additional 250,000 troops – and said: “We are ready for anything.”

Pictured: 43-year-old Lisa Lukyanova, a trained doctor, is among thousands who responded to a call by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who called on military reservists to move forward.

His government is also preparing to impose a state of emergency in Ukraine as Moscow moves troops and tanks closer to the conflict’s front line.

Zelenski’s original proposal – to temporarily ban political parties, restrict the movement of people, ban strikes, seize cars from citizens, restrict mass rallies and impose curfews – was returned by parliament yesterday. as it was considered too draconian.

Last night, an amended measure was adopted to ban strikes and mass events.

Lukyanova fled her hometown of Luhansk after a 2014 Moscow-backed separatist uprising led to the region being declared an independent pro-Russian “republic.”

I met her in front of the military enlistment building in Kiev, where she joined others in preparing for frontline duties. In front of her was an engineer, behind her came a woman in her early 20s.

Under a new law, women in key positions are included in the list of reservists, along with all men under the age of 60, including servicemen who have served in the armed forces.

Yaroslav, 21, soldier, 25th airborne brigade of the Ukrainian army in Avdievka, Ukraine

“If there is a full-scale war, I will be sent to a military unit as a medic, so I will have to leave my studies,” Lukyanova said.

Her 21-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son do not want her to join the army.

“They are worried that I will be in danger, but I try to explain to them that we are all in danger and I am doing it for them.”

Her husband, who is fighting separatists and Russians in Donbas, is also rejoining the army.

The volunteer reservists were praised by Ukraine’s military leader, Valery Zaluzhny, who called on people to go “en masse” to recruitment centers.

A 41-year-old man named Victor said it was difficult to leave his three children as a divorced father who stays at home.

Elena (center) 26, learns how to handle automatic weapons, while civilian volunteers from Obukhov’s Civil Defense Forces train together in preparation for a possible Russian invasion

He served in the army 20 years ago and explained: “Recent events leave me no choice – I have to defend the country.”

He was joined by his girlfriend, a 33-year-old psychology student, Yana Kaminska, who fears Ukraine will be attacked from all sides by Putin’s forces.

As further signs of a possible invasion, Russia evacuated its diplomats from Kiev with a video showing officers loading suitcases into cars in the capital and burning documents at the consulate in the Black Sea port of Odessa – a possible target for its armed forces.

The government in Kiev told all Ukrainians living in Russia – about three million people

Meanwhile, another cyberattack targeted Kiev’s parliament, security services, the defense ministry, Kiev’s mayor’s office and several banks – the second major attack in eight days.

The previous attack traced Russia, China, the Czech Republic and Uzbekistan.

It can be seen that a column of Russian military vehicles is moving towards the Donbass region of Ukraine

Police also detained 34 people after it was found that up to 1,000 had to be paid to protest violence in prison in front of the Kiev Ministry of Justice headquarters, according to reports.

The plan follows the pattern of recent weeks with the previous discovery of a secret conspiracy to destabilize Ukraine by provoking violent clashes – with hundreds of people paid to fight police and fake blood used to create propaganda videos of allegedly beaten protesters.

Such incidents are linked to fears of events under a false flag, organized by Moscow to inflame tensions and provide a possible pretext for invasion.

Meanwhile, President Zelensky met with 50 leading business figures and announced a package of measures to strengthen the economy, which has been hit hard by the effects of Russia’s hybrid war.

His advisers say the crisis – estimated to have left Ukraine with a £ 206bn bill since 2014 – currently costs the country £ 2bn a month as its currency plummets and troubled companies relocate staff to safety. place.

No wonder many Ukrainians fear that their nation is facing an existential crisis on several fronts.

“We are facing a military invasion and I have two teenage children to defend,” said Sergei Shchevelev, 43, a rescue diver who was at the army’s recruiting center in Kiev.

In an unshakable statement echoed throughout Ukraine, he said: “This is my land and I will defend it at all costs.”

Additional report by Kate Baklitskaya

A surveillance video captured the moment a Florida a woman confronted a driver who stole her daughter’s parking lot, seconds before he hit the gas and hit her with his car, dragging her through the parking lot to her death.

Olga Fernandez, 57, was hit by a car around 3:30 a.m. Sunday in front of her apartment near 1st Avenue and 4th Street in Hialeah, Florida.

Fernandez, a mother of two, ran to her 24-year-old daughter’s aid after she returned to find someone in her designated parking space.

Surveillance footage from the parking lot shows her standing in front of a dark Toyota Corolla, waving her arms and shouting at the driver before he drove the car into it and drove off.

Fernandez was rushed to hospital, where he died of his injuries.

Police hope the video will help them find the driver and look for a dark-colored Toyota Corolla with a dent in the front.

Surveillance footage captures a woman from Florida colliding with a driver furious on the road who stole her daughter’s parking space in her apartment near 1st Avenue and 4th Street in Hialeah

Police are looking for a dark-colored Toyota Corolla with a dent in the front after the driver hit Fernandez and drove off early Sunday.

Olga Fernandez died on Sunday (February 13th) after being hit by a car in front of her home in Hialea after a dispute over a parking space

Fernandez’s best friend, Ileana Aho, explained to local news what happened early this morning.

She explained that Fernandez’s daughter had just returned home when she noticed that someone was in the parking lot.

“Her daughter said, ‘Mom, there’s someone in the parking lot,’ and her mother went downstairs and she went to the bathroom. “When he came out of the bathroom, he heard his mother screaming,” Ajo said.

Earlier this week, another set of surveillance footage was taken by paramedics trying unsuccessfully to rescue Fernandez after she was hit by a car.

Footage from WESH – pixelated to keep Fernandez confidential – shows her being treated on the tarmac before being lifted onto a stretcher and placed in an ambulance.

Police hope the new surveillance footage will help them find the driver they believe is a man driving a black or dark Toyota Corolla (pictured).

This video shows paramedics working frantically to save the life of a mother from Florida who has just been hit by a car and dragged after an argument over a parking space.

It was still dark on Sunday when the video shot half a dozen lifeguards working on Fernandez in front of her apartment near First Avenue and Fourth Street in Hialeah, Florida

Unfortunately, these urgent efforts were unsuccessful and she succumbed to her injuries shortly afterwards.

Family and friends are shocked by Fernandez’s tragic death.

A neighbor, identified only as Janet, told Local NBC 10 that she heard the commotion that day, but was afraid to look.

She remembers Fernandez as a wonderful person and attributes it to her saving her daughter’s life.

“My daughter had stopped breathing and it was getting dark,” Janet said. “My mother went out to run, but she doesn’t know how to drive. Olga saw my mother, dialed 911 and gave her a CPR.

Ajo said that the children of her best friend, Diana, 24, and Freddy, 18, have a broken heart.

“The girl says she can’t close her eyes because she sees her mother on the floor bleeding from her mouth, saying, ‘I can’t breathe,'” she said.

“I feel like half of me has been taken away,” Ajo continued. “Yesterday I realized that I will become a grandmother again and I am far from happy. I was sad because I wanted to call her and tell her, but she wasn’t there.

A GoFundMe was created to help the family with funeral expenses.

Fernandez was described as a hardworking, caring woman who lived for her children

GoFundMe was created to help the family with funeral expenses

Former White House physician and current Texas Republican Congressman Ronny Jackson doubled-down Wednesday on his repeated claims that Joe Biden is ‘not fit to be our president right now.’

Jackson told Fox News in a phone interview: ‘The whole country is seeing his mental cognitive issues on display for over a year now, and there’s really no question in most people’s minds that there’s something going on with him.’

‘He’s not cognitively the same as he used to be and, in my mind, not fit to be our president right now,’ he added of the 79-year-old White House occupant.

The increased criticism comes amid the Ukraine-Russia crisis and as politicians slam Biden for not doing enough in response to President Vladimir Putin‘s disregard for U.S. warning in going ahead with invading Ukraine.

Biden issued sanctions on the two new regions in Eastern Ukraine that Putin declared Moscow now recognizes as independent states and also announced punishment on Russian banks and elites.

But some feel this still isn’t tough enough and that Biden looks weak on the world stage with continued gaffes and slip ups in speech.

‘Every time he gets up and talks to the American people, it’s not just the American people that are watching him speak, it’s the whole world, and that’s part of what the problem is here,’ Representative Jackson said.

He added: ‘[Biden] looks tired, he looks weak, he looks confused, he’s incoherent, and it sends a message of weakness all over the world, and they’re seizing up on that.’

Jackson, who was White House Physician under Donald Trump and Barack Obama, has been critical of Biden’s mental cognition and fitness for office since the 2020 campaign and claimed the former vice president has ‘always been prone to gaffes.’

Two-thirds of likely voters want to see Biden complete the same cognitive ability test Donald Trump took when he was in office, a new poll revealed last week.

Representative Ronny Jackson – a former White House physician under Trump and Obama – is doubling-down on his claims that Joe Biden is not fit for office amid the Russia-Ukraine crisis

‘Every time he gets up and talks to the American people, it’s not just the American people that are watching him speak, it’s the whole world, and that’s part of what the problem is here,’ Jackson said of President Biden, who has long been known to be gaffe-prone

A poll released last week shows 66% of likely voters want to see Biden take a cognitive test and release the results to prove he is mentally fit for office – including 43% of Democrats

A Rasmussen Reports survey released Thursday shows 56 percent of respondents don’t think Biden’s fit for office and 43 percent of Democrats want to see Biden take the mental abilities test and release the results.

This is compared to the 47 percent of Democrats who say the president should not give into pressures to take the test.

‘Should Biden take a cognitive test, similar to the one former President Trump took in 2018, and release the results?’ the poll asked the 1,000 likely voters who participated in the survey.

A whopping 86 percent of Republicans said yes to the only 9 percent who said no.

Among all voters, 66 percent want Biden to take the cognitive test to 26 percent who do not.

Earlier this month, a group of 38 GOP House lawmakers signed a letter to Biden urging him to take the test. The letter was led by Jackson, who now represents Texas’ 13th congressional district.

The letter points to recent examples of the elderly president’s ‘mental decline’, including forgetting numbers and names as well as recent gaffes and hot mic moments.

‘The American people should have absolute confidence in their President. They deserve to know that he or she can perform the duties of Head of State and Commander-in-Chief,’ the letter states.

It adds: ‘They deserve full transparency on the mental capabilities of their highest elected leader. To achieve this, we urge you to submit to a cognitive test immediately.’

Jackson penned a similar letter in June that did not appear to receive a public reply from the White House.

When questions emerged from Democrats during Trump’s presidency over his mental fitness for office, he defended himself by sharing that he scored a perfect 30 out of 30 on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, which was administered by then-White House Physician Jackson in 2018.

The purpose of that specific test is to assess mild cognitive impairment or early signs of dementia.

Many made fun of Trump’s boasting of a perfect score as the tests asks questions like identifying animals by their image and drawing a clock.

The same poll shows 56% of Americans are either ‘not very confident’ or ‘not at all confident’ that Biden is fit for office – only 27% of likely voters are ‘very confident’ in his fitness

US President Joe Biden’s medical history 

Age: 78

Heart: Atrial fibrillation detected in 2003 (an irregular heart beat); 

Brain: Two cerebral aneurysms in 1988 (bulging blood vessels in the brain that burst);

Lungs: pulmonary embolism in 1988 (a blood clot in his lung)

Other ailments: In addition to several sinus surgeries, Biden has had his gallbladder removed and has had several non-melanoma skin cancers removed.

The polling question from Rasmussen is specifically in reference to Republican lawmakers’ continued efforts to get the president to take a test to make sure he is mentally sound enough to serve.

Some wording in the polling question notes: ‘Republican members of Congress have called on President Biden to take a test of his cognitive abilities and make the results public.’ 

Only 27 percent of Thursday’s poll respondents are ‘very confident’ that Biden is fit for the office of the presidency and 15 percent are ‘somewhat confident.’ On the other hand, 11 percent are ‘not very confident’ in his fitness for office and another 45 percent are ‘not at all confident.’

Sixty-three percent of likely voters said Biden’s mentally decline has become more apparent in the last two years – one of which he was running for president and another he was already in office.

The survey was conducted February 13-14 and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.

The results of lowering faith in mental and physical abilities come as Biden’s approval rating continues to diminish going into the 2022 midterms.

Forgetting numbers, confusing Libya and Syria, calling Kamala ‘president’ and hot mic blunders: Biden’s gaffes that have raised health concerns

As the oldest person ever sworn in to the White House, President Joe Biden has faced questions and concerns over his mental as well as physical acuity since taking one one of the most stressful jobs in the world.

But aside from his advanced age, Biden, 79, has worried even supporters with numerous gaffes over the year he’s been in office.

Most recently, Rep. Ronny Jackson pointed out in a letter demanding Biden take a cognitive test that one of the first signs of Alzheimer’s Disease is erratic changes in mood or personality.

January 24, 2022 – Biden calls Peter Doocy a ‘stupid son of a b*****’

‘You displayed this type of mood change during a cabinet meeting on when you apparently did not know your microphone was on after finishing your opening remarks, and you called a White House reporter a ‘stupid son of a b****’in response to a question asked on inflation,’ Jackson claimed.

He was referring to a hot mic moment in late January during which Biden criticized Fox News reporter Peter Doocy, after which the president personally apologized to the journalist. 

Biden has also been known to have trouble with the names of his most senior officials, foreign leaders and even countries. 

At last year’s G7 in June, the president bungled the names of Syria and Libya multiple times when discussing security efforts with Russia. The White House was later forced to issue a clarification.

Another embarrassing foreign policy faux pas occurred in September 2021, when Biden appeared to forget the name of Australia’s prime minister — who was appearing via video link right beside him. 

While announcing a historic security deal between the UK, US and Australia, Biden told Britain’s Boris Johnson, ‘Thank you, Boris,’ before turning to Australia’s Scott Morrison and saying: ‘And I want to thank that fella down under. Thank you very much pal.’

Biden has seemingly even struggled with names of people he speaks to more regularly. He gave a speech marking International Women’s Day in March of last year, during which he was promoting two female officers to four-star generals.

March 8, 2022   – Slipping and forgetting Lloyd Austin’s name 

The president slipped up during the March 8 speech while trying to remember Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s name.

‘I want to thank Sec-, the former general, I keep calling him ‘General.’ My – the guy who runs that outfit over there,’ Biden said, before quickly adding, ‘I want to make sure we thank the secretary for all he’s done.’

A trip to Texas that same month to visit a Houston-area vaccination center saw Biden apparently lose his train of thought and become confused. He even asked, ‘What am I doing here?’ while trying to get himself back on track. 

On multiple occasions Biden has also appeared to refer to Vice President Kamala Harris as the ‘president.’ During a commencement speech at South Carolina State University in late December, Biden remarked: ‘Of course, President Harris is a proud Howard alum.’

He made the mistake again more recently, declaring during a voting rights speech in Georgia on January 11 that ‘President Harris and I stood on the United States Capitol.’

Biden has been known to get dates confused as well — in May 2021 he recalled traveling via Amtrak to see his mother while he was vice president in 2013. But his mother had died in 2010.  

The apparent issues began long before Biden took the White House. When he was on the campaign trail in September 2020, then-candidate Biden was widely mocked for saying ‘200 million people have died’ from COVID-19 under Donald Trump’s watch. The number was around 200,000 at the time.

And while president, Biden had to be corrected on a statistic regarding COVID-19 vaccinations. During a COVID-19 White House press conference, Biden attempted to say, ’57… excuse me… 570… I don’t want to read it, I’m not sure I got the right number…’ Chief Medical Adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci aided him to say the figure was ’57 million.’

 Confusing Libya and Syria 

‘I’m hopeful that we can find an accommodation where we can save the lives of people in — for example, in — in Libya,’ the president said, mentioning the north African country for the third time instead of Syria, in the Middle East. Biden is pictured in Cornwall, United Kingdom on June 13

The White House later brushed the confusion off, confirming that it was indeed, Syria, the country where Russia and the US have been involved in a decade-long civil war, which the president was referring to

Biden repeatedly confused Syria with Libya while discussing ways of working with Russia during a press conference at the G7 on June 13.

The 78-year-old gaffe machine spoke of working with Russian President Vladimir Putin to provide economic assistance to the people of Libya, prompting some confused glances from the press pack at the G7 summit in Cornwall, England.

‘I’m hopeful that we can find an accommodation where we can save the lives of people in — for example, in — in Libya,’ the president said, mentioning the north African country for the third time instead of Syria, which is in the Middle East. The White House later brushed the confusion off, confirming that the president was indeed referring to Syria, the country where Russia and the US have been involved in a decade-long civil war.

Tripping while climbing the Air Force One stairs

Over the years, President Joe Biden has made numerous gaffes and mix-ups and has even been caught falling. Pictured: Biden falling while walking up the stairs of Air Force One on March 19

On March 19, he was caught tripping up the stairs as he boarded Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews

On March 19, video captured Biden tripping up the stairs as he boarded Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews. 

In the clip, Biden stumbles as he walks up the airstairs. He grabs the hand railing to catch his balance, but then loses his footing two additional times.

During the third stumble, he falls to his knees. However, after brushing off his leg, he reaches the top of the plane and gives a salute before disappearing inside.

White House Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre later told reporters that Biden was ‘100 percent fine’ and preparing for his trip in Atlanta. 

‘It’s pretty windy outside. It’s very windy. I almost fell coming up the steps myself,’ she said. 

Just one day earlier, during a press conference on March 18 (pictured), he referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as ‘President Harris’

Just one day earlier, Biden accidentally referred to Vice President Kamala Harris as ‘President Harris.’

The gaffe occurred during a press conference on March 18, during which he lauded his administration for being close to meeting their goal of 100 million COVID-19 vaccine doses in his first 100 days in office.

‘Now when President Harris and I took a virtual tour of a vaccination center in Arizona not long ago, one of the nurses on that, on that tour injecting people, giving vaccinations, said that each shot was like administering a dose of hope,’ Biden said.

Harris was standing behind Biden as the president carried on with his speech, but did not correct himself.

Later that day, when the White House released the transcript of his speech, Harris’s proper title was inserted with brackets.

On March 9, while making a speech, Biden seemed to forget the name of Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (above)

In a speech on March 9, Biden seemed to fumble with his words and forget the name of his Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.

‘I want to thank Sec – the former general – I keep calling him ‘General,” Biden said.

‘My – the guy who runs that outfit over there. I want to make sure we thank the Secretary for all he’s done to try to implement what we’ve just talked about, and for recommending these two women for promotion.’  The slip-occurred despite the fact that just a few minutes earlier, he had mentioned Austin’s name in the speech without an issue.

On Election Day, in November, Biden introduced a crowd to his granddaughter, but referred to her as his son

During an Election Day speech in Philadelphia, Biden stumbled over his words and confused his granddaughter with his late son, Beau Biden. 

Biden told the crowd: ‘I want to introduce you to two of my granddaughters…this is my son, Beau Biden who a lot of you helped elect to the Senate in Delaware.’

The commander-in-chief had meant to introduce the crowed to Natalie, Beau’s daughter, but hadn’t just mixed up the name but the person – he also put his arm around Finnegan Biden, Hunter’s daughter.

He finally corrected himself as he draped his arm around Natalie’s shoulder and said: ‘This is Natalie, this is Beau’s daughter.’  

Beau Biden passed away in 2015 after a months-long battle with glioblastoma, one of the deadliest types of brain cancer. 

TOLD STATE SENATOR IN WHEELCHAIR TO STAND UP

In 2008, Biden told then-Missouri state senator Chuck Graham to stand up for the crowd at a rally, before realizing he was in a wheelchair

Not all of Biden’s gaffes occurred in the 2020s or even the 2010s. In fact, some happened in the early aughts.

In September 2008, after Biden had been named former President Barack Obama’s running mate, he attended a campaign rally in Missouri.

It was there that he called on then-Missouri state senator Chuck Graham, who passed away last year. to stand up for the crowd.

‘I’m told Chuck Graham, state senator, is here. Stand up Chuck, let ’em see you,’ Biden said.

It was at that moment he realized Graham was in a wheelchair due to muscular dystrophy.

‘Oh, God love you. What am I talking about. I’ll tell you what, you’re making everybody else stand up, though, pal.’

According to the Columbia Tribune, Graham said he was never offended by the mistake.        

A new CIVIQS poll released this week shows Biden’s approval sitting at 34 percent from the 165,786 respondents surveyed.

His disapproval is at 57 percent and 9 percent neither approve nor disapprove.

House Republicans’ letter to Biden earlier in February cites instances of the president forgetting the names of senior Cabinet officials, misreading clearly-marked figures and even suggested Biden has shown symptoms of Alzheimers’ Disease.

‘The Alzheimer’s Association lists ‘changes in mood and personality,’ including being more ‘easily upset’ as one of ten signs of mental decline,’ Jackson wrote in the letter.

‘You displayed this type of mood change during a cabinet meeting on January 24, 2022, when you apparently did not know your microphone was on after finishing your opening remarks, and you called a White House reporter a ‘stupid son of a b****’in response to a question asked on inflation.’

He was referring to a hot mic moment at a press conference where Biden called Fox News reporter Peter Doocy a ‘stupid son of a b****’, after which the president personally called to reconcile with the journalist.

‘As a former physician to three Presidents of the United States, I know what it takes mentally and physically to execute the duties of Commander-in-Chief and Head of State,’ Jackson told Fox News of his letter.

A group of 38 House Republican co-signed a letter to Joe Biden, his physician and Dr. Anthony Fauci, demanding that the president take a cognitive test and release the results to the American people. The letter was led by Rep. Ronny Jackson, who was Trump’s physician

‘Joe Biden has continually proven to me and to the world that something isn’t right.’ 

President Biden’s health battles have been well-documented.

He suffered two brain aneurysms in 1988 while vying for the Democratic presidential nomination, which went to Michael Dukakis. He had surgery to treat the life-threatening conditions.

He also had a heart condition which makes the muscle beat too fast, causing dizziness and confusion — known as atrial fibrillation.

As America’s oldest President, risk factors that come naturally with age are also a concern. The chance of dementia doubles every five years after age 65, and one in six people have it by age 80.

Biden’s also experienced accidents since becoming president, including falling while climbing up the stairs of Air Force One in March.

Last November he suffered hairline fractures in his food when playing with one of his dogs and had to wear a protective boot for weeks.

Trump took the Montreal Cognitive Assessment in 2018 and got a perfect 30 out of 30 score. The purpose of the test is to assess mild cognitive impairment or early signs of dementia

Explosions are heard in the port city of Mariupol in Ukraine: fears that the shelling is ongoing, as residents were awakened by explosions at 3:30 am 30 miles from the Russian border hours after warnings that Putin is “ready to start” an invasion

from Rachel Bunyan for Mailonline

Published: 01:59 GMT, 24 February 2022 | Updated: 2:06 AM GMT, February 24, 2022

Explosions were heard in the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol as fears grew that shelling was under way.

Residents of the city, located in the southeast Ukrainewere woken up at 3.30am this morning by bombings 30 miles from the Russian border.

The videos show clouds of smoke rising in the night sky in Mariupol, but it has not been confirmed whether this was the result of shelling.

The blasts came hours after the United States warned the Ukrainian government that Putin’s troops were “ready to go now” with an invasion of Ukraine, with 80 percent of Russian troops already gathered around the country to attack.

It is Breaking news history, follow more …

Explosions were heard in the Ukrainian port city of Mariupol as fears grew that shelling was under way.

Advertising

Share or comment on this article:

When the first reports of Russian troop movements began to appear in the Ukrainian media a few months ago, Vironika Jakki, who runs a jewelry store in Manhattan, signed up for a first aid course near her Staten Island home. If Russia launches a full-scale invasion, she said, she would return to Ukraine and volunteer as a nurse.

“I love Ukraine, this is my country, and if there is a need to defend it, I will definitely return.”

More than 150,000 Ukrainians live in New York, the largest such community in the country, with pockets in the East Village in Manhattan and Brighton Beach in Brooklyn, and the population is scattered across five boroughs. There are Ukrainian banks, restaurants, bars, schools, churches, synagogues and cultural centers.

Some arrived in the 1970s or 1980s knowing Ukraine only as part of the Soviet Union. Others, millennials of the fourth wave of immigration, grew up after independence with global connections via the Internet. Many have Russian relatives or Russian friends and get their news from the Russian media.

They left very different countries and arrived with different relationships with Ukraine, Russia and their new home. “The biggest difference is whether you were going somewhere or leaving somewhere,” said Dora Khomyak, president of Razom, a non-profit organization created in 2014 to support the independence movement in Ukraine. “People who came in the 70s and 80s, refuseniks, they left for a better life. People who recently emigrated because Google hired them here or something like that, they’re going somewhere.”

Ms. Jakka’s Red Cross class was filled with Ukrainians, and this highlighted some divisions within the community. Several people shared her rejection of Russian aggression. “But there are a lot of different opinions and it can be very hot,” she said. “I didn’t want any arguments, so I didn’t ask others.”

At the New Wave School of Ukrainian Heritage in Brooklyn, students drew postcards for Ukrainian fighters who died during the 2014 uprising against the country’s allied government. Michael Rozdolska, 8, whose grandmother is a school principal, said he didn’t know any of his classmates who were afraid. But if that were the case, he said, “I would tell them that Ukraine will win. Or maybe the Russian president dies and they get better.”

Last week, tensions were felt in the Ukrainian church cafeteria “Stricha” in the East Village. These days, the TV in the hall shows Ukrainian news without interruption, but this is still not enough for customers, says manager Dmitry Kovalenko.

“We all check for updates every 10 to 15 minutes,” he said. “Worry Time”

Mr Kovalenko, 41, emigrated from eastern Ukraine amid a previous clash with Russia and pro-Russian forces in 2014. He said that the current situation is even more tense.

“Back then, in 2014, we didn’t know what was in store for us, so we didn’t worry too much,” he said. “When they invaded Crimea and started a real war, shelling, killing people, now we know what can happen. There is more tension because we know what will happen after the first steps.”

Ukraine has become a technology hub in Eastern Europe, and many of the new arrivals work for technology companies that keep them connected to their former homeland. Anna Polishchuk, who splits her time between New York and the Bay Area, is a co-founder and product director at Allset, a startup that has offices in the US and Ukraine. Part of her work is now connected with the unknown.

What to do if the Internet connection is interrupted? What if she had to move her operations to safer parts of Ukraine or somewhere else in Europe?

“Communications in Ukraine can be easily attacked, so there is always a risk that there will be no communication,” Ms Polishchuk said. “If something happens and it shuts down, we need to move people very quickly. You never know before it happens. We need to have a plan just in case who goes where.”

Even if Russian troops don’t get past the separatist territories they entered on Monday, Russia could cause financial damage to Ukraine, said Bogdan Globa, an LGBTQ rights activist who was granted asylum in the US in 2016 and is still actively promoting LGBTQ ideas in Ukraine . .

“Ukraine will not receive much investment this year,” he said. “This will have a huge economic impact on Ukraine. This is what Russia wants. They need this mess forever on the border. People will leave Ukraine, the economy will be in a deplorable state. They don’t need to invade Ukraine. They can take over Ukraine politically with pro-Russian parties and win elections.”

The invasion warnings coincided with New York Fashion Week, when Russian and Ukrainian models, photographers and others gathered for the same shows and parties. Models Sasha Knysh and Helga Khytko, who moved to New York from Dnipro in eastern Ukraine, said their Russian counterparts have been very supportive.

“This is one of the hottest topics of discussion right now,” Ms. Knysh said. “They want to know how my family is. But it’s hard to tell them because no one knows.”

Like others interviewed, they said they felt uncomfortable talking to their relatives in Ukraine who refused to think about leaving.

“They choose not to believe it,” Ms. Knysh said. “They believe that there are many Russian troops on the border, but they do not believe that anything will happen. They think it’s all a huge provocation. I said maybe they want to move to the west of Ukraine, because it’s more stable there, but they don’t want to talk about it, because their whole life is there. They’re trying to keep hope, but you also have to see the reality.”

Because of the time difference, events in Ukraine reach New York in the middle of the night, adding insomnia to other stressors, says Marina Prikhodko, who works with Ukrainian women’s organizations at the UN.

“The fact that I open my eyes and wake up in the morning means that I have to look at my phone and potentially see that my idea of ​​​​my home country no longer exists, and the people I love and know are dead or dying,” — she said. said. “That’s quite a lot to wake up to.”

According to her, stress does not go away during the day.

“I can be at a crosswalk in New York and calculate how long my family has to get to the basement before a bomb destroys their house, I calculate how long a Russian tank has to get to the doorstep. my home in Ukraine is from the Russian border,” she said. “When I get these updates on my phone at 4 am that something has happened somewhere, I am immediately alert and at that moment there is no hope of functional sleep.”

Katya Shokalo, a Ukrainian lawyer, planned to spend a year getting her degree from New York University and then return home with her husband, Vitaliy Peretyatko. All plans are currently on hold.

“It is very difficult to think about the future,” she said. “This is a real change. It’s one thing to plan when you’re planning just for yourself. But now you worry every day about what will happen to your family. Planning is no longer possible.”

A senator from Texas Ted Cruz revealed that it is in Donald TrumpThe Mar-a-Lago Club on Wednesday, along with a number of nationals republican figures who gathered at the Florida resort for high-profile fundraising.

The Republican MP published two photos of himself Twitter in Palm Beach, both promising a “red wave” in the November midterm elections.

On Thursday, he will speak at the Conference on Conservative Political Action in Orlando, where Trump will deliver a speech on Saturday.

“I was pleased to visit with President Trump today in Mar-A-Lago,” Cruz signed a photo of himself standing next to the former president in a highly decorated lobby. “Red wave is coming!”

While Cruz chose a suit and tie, Trump was more casual in a white golf polo shirt, black pants and a red MAGA hat.

The second photo shows Cruz sitting at a table with Republican Senate nominee and former football star Herschel Walker.

Walker was persuaded by Trump, his longtime friend, to challenge the new Democratic senator Rafael Warnock, who won his seat in a special election early last year.

“I had a fantastic time visiting today with the greats[Herschel Walker]and then interviewed him in front of hundreds of supporters and patriots in Mar-A-Lago. A red wave is coming! Cruz wrote on Twitter.

Cruz posted two photos of himself in Mar-a-Lago the day before speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando

During a fundraiser for Trump’s midterm elections, Cruz held a “chat by the fire” event with Georgia Senate nominee Herschel Walker (left).

Behind them hung a picture of what looked like a young Donald Trump sitting in a richly decorated gold frame.

The Texas senator’s face-to-face meeting with Trump comes the same day as he shared rare praise for former President’s rival, President Joe Biden, for imposing sanctions on Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline in retaliation for Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. .

Cruz’s hawkish stance against Putin is a rare departure from Trump, who on Tuesday praised Putin’s move to declare Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine “independent.”

“I came in yesterday and there was a TV screen and I said, ‘That’s brilliant,'” Trump said. “Putin declares a large part of Ukraine – from Ukraine – Putin declares it independent. Oh, that’s wonderful.

Cruz was at the former president’s home the same day, and donors and candidates flocked to the Trump Take Back forum.

Extremely wealthy GOP donors can pay up to $ 250,000 on the spot for the glamorous event, NBC News reported. Basic access costs $ 3,000.

This was announced as a way for Trump-backed congressional candidates to increase their chances of helping Republicans regain a majority in the interim.

But reports say the money goes directly to Trump’s Super PAC, which is holding the “Make America Great Again,” event!

Tennessee House nominee and former State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus (right) was also photographed at the event along with former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi (left)

It takes place one day before the annual Conference on Conservative Political Action in Orlando, a multi-day program with numerous speeches by prominent GOP MPs. Trump will head the event again, as he did years ago.

Many of the former president’s high-ranking guests on Wednesday, including Cruz, will also speak at the CPAC.

Other images released by Wednesday’s fundraising campaign show Tennessee House nominee and former Trump State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus posing with former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi.

“It’s great to be with my friend [Pam Bondi] in Mar A Lago! She is a true American patriot and I am grateful for our friendship! ‘ Ortagus signed the photo on Twitter.

Ryan Zinke, a former Trump interior minister who is now running for a seat in the Montana House of Representatives, posted a photo of himself speaking at the event on Instagram.

Zinke also shared an image of Ohio spokesman Jim Jordan interviewing Liz Cheney contender Harriet Hedgeman during some of the Q&A events.

Hedgeman, once an ardent supporter of Cheney, now has the support of Trump to take over the conservative incumbent for his seat as the only Wyoming representative in the House of Representatives. In a sign of Trump’s continued dominance over the Republican Party, senior lawmakers such as Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy have also pledged to support Hedgeman’s candidacy.

Former Trump Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, who is running for a seat in the Montana House of Representatives, also posted photos of the event.

This image, shared by Zinke, shows Liz Cheney contender Harriet Heigman (left) speaking at an event with Ohio Representative Jim Jordan (right).

Another image shows a donor (right) with former acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker (left)

Another photo from the event appears to show a GOP donor along with former Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker.

Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn, Trump-backed Nevada Senate nominee Adam Laxalt and Florida envoy Mike Waltz also reportedly attended the event.

Republicans appear confident they are heading for this year’s midterm elections, with reports that they have already drawn up plans for 2023 if they are to win back a majority in the House of Representatives and Senate.

The recent reshuffle has given Democrats in the House of Representatives a slight advantage in the upcoming more seats, which are likely to turn blue, according to Cook’s non-partisan political report.

However, the failure to adopt key parts of Biden’s agenda, such as reform of voting rights, and the decline in presidential polls threaten to lead to the red wave predicted by Cruz on Wednesday.

According to the latest data from the sociological program FiveThirtyEight, Republicans are constantly leading in the general polls against the Democrats.

Currently, an average of 45 percent of voters would vote for a candidate in the GOP Congress, compared to 42.5 percent who support Democrats.