WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden is set to deliver his annual State of the Union address on Tuesday.

The speech will be broadcasted, like usual, at 9 p.m. ET, followed by the Republican response by Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders.

But does this annual tradition of addressing Congress still have the same impact that it used to?

A TRADITION

It's the phrase that kicks off the night: "Mr. Speaker, the President of the United States."

It is said traditionally by the sergeant of arms before the president walks into the House chamber.

The annual, prime-time speech doesn't actually have to happen, however.

While President George Washington delivered one in person — and so did President John Adams — President Thomas Jefferson stopped it.

Jefferson believed it felt too much like the King of England speaking to parliament. From 1801 until 1913 presidents delivered written annual reports to Congress instead in order to fulfill their constitutional obligations.

President Woodrow Wilson brought back the practice in 1913 and with the invention of the radio and television, the in-person tradition has happened in most years since then. When Biden speaks Tuesday, it will likely be his most-watched speech of the year.

Over 38 million watched last year's address, which is a chance for Biden to highlight past accomplishments, like legislation to boost computer chips. It's also a chance to express optimism for the year ahead.

Biden is expected to express that sentiment with the economy and with Ukraine's fight against Russia. It's also a chance for the president to demand bipartisanship from Congress, and he is expected to do so when it comes to the issue of the debt limit.

The United States could default for the first time this summer if Congress doesn't raise the debt ceiling. The State of the Union is typically the only time each year that every Republican member of Congress and every Democratic member of Congress is in the same room listening to a presidential speech.

Sometimes it can feel long. The longest ever was President Bill Clinton's in 2000. Clinton went 1 hour and 28 minutes.

The shortest address in modern times was President Richard Nixon's in 1972. Mr. Nixon spoke for just 28 minutes.

Biden's speech last year was 1 hour and 1 minute. There are critics though who say this speech isn't as influential as it used to be. Viewership has declined in recent years compared to the 1990s, and policy proposals have too.

According to data compiled by the non-partisan Congressional Research Service, from 1965 to 2015, on average only 39.4% of all policy proposals contained in a State of the Union address were approved by Congress that same year.

That means, statistically, most things Biden mentions and wants Congress to accomplish won't actually happen this year.

Not every important political figure will be in the House chamber on Tuesday night. In most years since the Cold War, one member of the president's cabinet has been designated the "designated survivor."

They are kept in a secure location and away from the Capitol to ensure the continuity of government in the event of a mass casualty event.

President Joe Biden delivered his second State of the Union address and heard directly from House Republicans during his speech who jeered several of his proposals. This was the first time Biden addressed a joint session of Congress with Republicans in the majority in the House.

Despite the jeering, several of Biden's proposals were met with approval from both sides of the aisle. Biden will now take his message to the road as he hopes he can form agreements with a split Congress.

Things get testy

At several points during Tuesday's speech, Republicans sneered the president. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia, was seen shouting at Biden during his comments on potential cuts to Social Security and Medicare.

"Republicans say if we don't cut Social Security and Medicare, they'll let America default on its debt for the first time in our history," Biden said to jeers from Republicans. "Instead of making the wealthy pay their fair share, some Republicans want Medicare and Social Security to sunset every five years."

Despite the catcalls, it seems Biden and the White House accomplished one of his goals going into the speech: To deliver a bipartisan message.

"So tonight, let's all agree to stand up for seniors. Stand up and show them we will not cut Social Security. We will not cut Medicare," he said.

Stand up for social security

The moment prompted both sides to stand up and applaud eagerly.

But that was not the only touchy moment.

As Biden called on Congress to pass comprehensive immigration reform, several members of Congress could be heard yelling "border." He said the issue needs a bipartisan solution.

Republicans have placed blame on fentanyl overdoses, which Biden said kills 70,000 annually. Republicans say fentanyl coming across the border from Mexico is driving the numbers.

republicans want to take the economy hostage, cut medicaire and social security

"America's border problems won't be fixed until Congress acts," Biden said. "If you won't pass my comprehensive immigration reform, at least pass my plan to provide the equipment and officers to secure the border. And a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, those on temporary status, farm workers, and essential workers."

Inflation not coming down 'fast enough'

Biden detracted from his prepared remarks when addressing falling, but still high, inflation.

"Inflation has been a global problem because of the pandemic that disrupted supply chains and Putin's war that disrupted energy and food supplies," Biden said. "But we're better positioned than any country on Earth. We have more to do, but here at home, inflation is coming down. Here at home, gas prices are down $1.50 from their peak. Food inflation is coming down, not fast enough, but coming down. Inflation has fallen every month for the last months."

Biden Speech Economy

While Biden intended to discuss inflation, it appears the comments "not fast enough" were a last-minute insertion.

The consumer price index is at 6.1%, down from a June 2022 high of 9.1%. The Federal Reserve said its goal is to get inflation down to 2% annually.

Capping insulin costs at $35 a month

After Congress passed legislation last year that capped insulin costs for Medicare recipients to $35 a month, Biden called on lawmakers to limit insulin costs for all Americans.

"There are millions of other Americans who are not on Medicare, including 200,000 young people with Type I diabetes who need insulin to save their lives," Biden said. "Let's finish the job this time."

Biden added that he would veto any bill that would increase the cost of prescription drugs.

Reforming tax system

Biden said the U.S. tax system is unfair to the working class and that those making under $400,000 should not pay any more taxes. His comments come as some Republicans have proposed replacing the United States' current income tax system with a nationwide sales tax.

He has called on Congress to implement a minimum tax on billionaires of 15%. According to the Internal Revenue Service, those in the top pay income brackets pay a 35% federal income tax.

Biden: No billionaire should pay lower taxes than a teacher or firefighter"

"Let's finish the job. Reward work, not just wealth. Pass my proposal for a billionaire minimum tax," Biden said.

'What happened to Tyre in Memphis happens too often'

Biden welcomed Tyre Nichols' parents RowVaughn and Rodney Wells to his address while calling on Congress to implement additional reforms to policing. Nichols died on Jan. 10, three days after being severely beaten by Memphis Police officers following a traffic stop. Five of the officers involved in the incident were charged with murder.

Two years ago, Congress attempted to pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, which would have made it easier to prosecute officers for misconduct in uniform.

"There's too many Black and brown kids being murdered by the police. If they had passed [the George Floyd Act]... maybe my son would've come home."

Tyre Nichols family

While the bill passed the House, it could not get through the Senate due to the filibuster.

"More resources to reduce violent crime and gun crime; more community intervention programs; more investments in housing, education, and job training," Biden said.

Despite the previous GOP opposition to reforms, many Republicans cheered on Biden when the topic of police reform was brought up.

Republicans listened intently

Before heading into the House chambers, newly elected Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, told Scripps News he hopes Biden addresses the economic anxiety being felt by many Americans. Although the U.S. unemployment rate is at its lowest level in five decades, inflation and interest rates remain elevated. A CBS News poll released this week indicated nearly two out of three Americans believe the U.S. economy is bad.

Vance also said he wanted to hear the president talk about plans to stop the flow of fentanyl into the U.S.

While the White House stressed bipartisanship as a major theme in the address, Vance is concerned about Biden's posture on negotiations over the debt ceiling. Republicans have wanted to negotiate to raise the U.S. debt ceiling in conjunction with spending cuts. Biden has wanted to keep those issues separate.

"One of the things I do worry about is the president's posture right now is we're not going to negotiate on the debt ceiling, we're not going to negotiate on the budgetary picture in the United States," Vance said. "That's not the right thing to do. That is not what the American people want. We need the president to negotiate with Republicans."

New: Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) tells @ScrippsNews he believes Pres. Trump is still the leader of the GOP and "a person that a lot of people look to."

Watch our interview with J.D. Vance here: pic.twitter.com/nX3sDsI4Tz

— Nathaniel Reed (@ReedReports) February 8, 2023

Huckabee Sanders offers GOP's rebuttal

Newly elected Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders gave the Republican Party's official response to the speech. She previously served as President Donald Trump's White House press secretary.

She called Biden "unfit" to be president.

"And while you reap the consequences of their failures, the Biden administration seems more interested in woke fantasies than the hard reality Americans face every day. Most Americans simply want to live their lives in freedom and peace, but we are under attack in a left-wing culture war we didn’t start and never wanted to fight," she said.

CINCINNATI —

Bob Herring wears his love of Kharkiv, Ukraine — Cincinnati's sister city — on his sleeve wherever he goes.

It was on full display out in front of his home Monday. The blue and yellow Ukrainian flag flies there around the clock.

When news of a surprise visit to Ukraine by President Joe Biden was announced Tuesday, he felt an even deeper resolve.

"To take that risk, you know, to fly into the country, it's incredible," Herring said. "And very much appreciated."

Herring chairs the Cincinnati/Kharkiv sister city partnership. He will address City Council on Wednesday and review the support generated within the local community during the past year.

On Friday, Herring will join Mayor Aftab Pureval, Congressman Greg Landsman, and other dignitaries to mark the one-year anniversary of Russia's incursion.

No further fundraising event is imminent as far as the partnership is concerned, at least not yet.

"We're waiting for the dust to settle, if you will, after the anticipated Russian assault in the Spring," Herring said. "What will conditions be like on the ground in Kharkiv when that assault is over? What will their needs be? And that's when we'll be in direct communication with the Kharkiv Red Cross. Tell us what you need and we'll do what we can to provide funding for that."

Herring and others are cognizant about not going to the well too often. They do not want to unwittingly create donor fatigue.

So, they are biding their time as the start of a second year of war in Ukraine approaches. But, it is not easy for Herring to wait while so much suffering is going on.

He shared a number he received from the Kharkiv Red Cross right before Christmas. It is the type of number that war produces in a lasting manner.

"Seven hundred and fifty kids that they're working with, that they know, whose dads are dead or missing," Herring said.

As he started to say more, his eyes started to fill with water.

"Seven...hundred and fifty," he said.

As a grandfather of five, the enormity of the number seemed etched on his face.

"That's tough at the holidays. And the future for those kids," Herring said.

He shared a picture of five high school kids he met when he was in Kharkiv in 2019.

"I don't know where they are," he said in a low tone. "I don't know if they're dead or alive."

What he knows, what he carries deep within him, is a conviction that Vladimir Putin must not be permitted to prevail in the war on Ukraine.

The war has interrupted daily life in Ukraine and even the technical bond between the two cities.

The Memorandum of Understanding has been renewed every five years.

The last signing was in May 2017 when then-Mayor John Cranley was joined at City Hall by Ihor Terekhov, then Vice Mayor, now Mayor of Kharkiv, and Irina Backumenko, President of the Partnership, currently in Great Britain.

Now, it has expired.

Getting the MOU re-signed will have to wait for a cessation of hostilities.

Herring still considers local support for Ukraine to be strong, although he doesn't get as many questions about it as he used to.

The week will conclude with a Friday night candlelight vigil at Wyoming Presbyterian Church.

Herring's hoping Cincinnati will keep its support on full display in a second uncertain year of the war.

U.S. law requires major phone companies to wait seven days before letting users know about a data breach.

It's a rule that FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel is hoping to change.

In January, she sent out a proposal that would eliminate "the current seven business day mandatory waiting period for notifying customers of a breach," along with several other changes designed to help people protect their data.

"The idea that I could have my phone hijacked by somebody else, and used in a way that appears to be me, puts a lot of other systems at risk," said Karen Worstell, a senior cybersecurity strategist at VMware, a company which provides multi-cloud services for all apps.

"That's the reason why the FCC is looking at notifying customers early. Customers have to make a choice about what they're going to do about their phone security."

It's an idea echoed by Rosenworcel.

"[T]hese rules need updating to fully reflect the evolving nature of data breaches and the real-time threat they pose to affected to consumers," Rosenworcel said in a written statement about the proposal.

"Customers deserve to be protected against the increase in frequency, sophistication and scale of these data leaks."

Not everyone agrees.

There are currently only four people serving on the five-person Federal Communications Commission, and they are split along party lines: two Democrats and two Republicans.

President Joe Biden's nominee to join the FCC, Gigi Sohn, has been stalled in the Senate for several months.

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation is scheduled to vote on her nomination Wednesday.

If approved, she would still have to pass a vote of the full Senate.

FCC action can't come soon enough to save most Americans from having their personal information exposed.

By one estimate, every person in the U.S. had their data stolen four times during 2019.

Breaches have become more common since then.

"We do seem to still have an under-reporting of breaches," Worstell said.

"I'm not exactly sure why. But the understanding is that there are breaches occurring that are not currently being reported. There's a few ways that companies can avoid doing a reporting of a breach. And so many of them may be taking advantage "

Worstell said it's important for all of us to keep an eye out for unfamiliar transactions on our bank or credit card accounts.

She recommended setting up alerts with your bank.

But the most important thing consumers can do, according to Worstell, is activating two-factor authentication on any apps containing personal data.

"Two-factor authentication just means that you have your name, your user id, your password, and another code, usually something that was sent to your phone," Worstell said.

"I would implement that everywhere. Everywhere. Passwords are absolutely worthless at this point in time. If you want to put in 17-character, complex passwords on all of your accounts, go ahead and do that. They're still breakable."

Private health insurers will soon be required to cover up to eight home COVID-19 tests per month for those on their plans starting Saturday, the White House Office of COVID-19 Response confirmed during a press briefing Wednesday.

The Biden administration announced the change Monday as it looks to lower costs and make testing for the virus more convenient amid high frustrations. Under the new policy, Americans will be able to either obtain home testing kits for free or purchase them and then submit receipts for the tests for subsequent reimbursement, up to the monthly per-person limit.

A family of four, for instance, could be reimbursed for up to 32 tests over-the-counter tests per month. Only tests purchased on or after Jan. 15 will be required to be reimbursed.

Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a Monday news release that the administration is "requiring insurers and group health plans to make tests free for millions of Americans. This is all part of our overall strategy to ramp-up access to easy-to-use, at-home tests at no cost."

During a White House press briefing on Monday, press secretary Jen Psaki said that the Biden administration plans to begin to have free coronavirus tests available to Americans and "out the door in the coming weeks," she said. Psaki continued elaborating on the delay up until now saying "the contracts [for testing companies] are structured in a way to require that significant amounts are delivered on an aggressive timeline, the first of which should be arriving early next week."

As NPR reported, the Biden administration says it is working to incentivize insurers, along with group health plans, to try and get over-the-counter PCR and rapid tests from preferred pharmacies and other retailers into the hands of Americans with no out-of-pocket costs incurring.

The first and second families held a menorah lighting ceremony to celebrate Hanukkah at the White House on Wednesday evening, marking the first time the holiday has been celebrated at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. with the Jewish spouse of a president or vice president."This is a White House tradition, but for the first time in history it is a family tradition," President Joe Biden said during the event in the East Room. He said the White House was honored to have second gentleman Doug Emhoff, who is Jewish, leading the lighting.During remarks at the ceremony, the president said, "The Hanukkah story provides a powerful lesson and nourishes the wellspring of hope. In darkness there's light. In cynicism there's hope, and optimism, and the unyielding belief that miracles are possible."He also recalled something the late Democratic Rep. Tom Lantos of California once said: "The veneer of civilization is paper thin. We are its guardians and we can never rest.""Well, it's paper thin and we are its guardians," Biden added, referencing recent anti-Semitic acts. "All it takes is an opening -- a silver, a crack, the briefest nod of acceptance or legitimacy -- for ancient evils that long plagued our society to come rushing in."During the event, Emhoff recalled a recent visit to his New Jersey childhood home, saying, "I actually got to peer into the house, and I saw the windowsill where our family menorah sat.""And then to think that today I'm here before you as the first Jewish spouse (of) an American president or vice president, celebrating Hanukkah in the people's house — it's humbling," Emhoff said. "And it's not lost before me that I stand before you all on behalf of all the Jewish families and communities out there across our country. I understand that and I really appreciate it."Emhoff underscored that "our history, our values as Jews, are an essential part of who we are as Americans. Jewish values are American values, and I believe this deeply."First Lady Jill Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris also spoke. Both emphasized the significance of the holiday's symbolic story of light amid darkness."Every year our family, like so many around the world, gather to reflect on the lessons of the Hanukkah story," Harris said. "The power of the people. The possibility of the future. That even in despair, there is hope. That even in darkness, there is light."According to the White House, the menorah used during the ceremony is the Liberty Bell menorah, on loan from the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia."The artist, Manfred Anson (1922-2012), was a Holocaust survivor and collector of Judaica, who designed this menorah in honor of Philadelphia's very own Liberty Bell," a White House description says. "The bells were cast from a souvenir tchotchke that Anson collected after immigrating to the U.S., and each is inscribed with the name of a Jewish American."A phrase inscribed on the Liberty Bell, "Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Land Unto All the Inhabitants thereof," is also featured prominently on the menorah.Along with Emhoff, the menorah was lit by Dr. Rabbi Aaron Glatt, Jewish community leader Susan Stern and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat.

President Joe Biden said Wednesday the guilty verdicts in the trial for the killing of Ahmaud Arbery "reflect our justice system doing its job," but added, "That alone is not enough.""Nothing can bring Mr. Arbery back to his family and to his community, but the verdict ensures that those who committed this horrible crime will be punished," Biden said in a statement."While the guilty verdicts reflect our justice system doing its job, that alone is not enough. Instead, we must recommit ourselves to building a future of unity and shared strength, where no one fears violence because of the color of their skin," he continued. "My administration will continue to do the hard work to ensure that equal justice under law is not just a phrase emblazoned in stone above the Supreme Court, but a reality for all Americans."Vice President Kamala Harris similarly said in a statement Wednesday evening that the verdicts "send an important message, but the fact remains that we still have work to do.""The defense counsel chose to set a tone that cast the attendance of ministers at the trial as intimidation and dehumanized a young Black man with racist tropes. The jury arrived at its verdicts despite these tactics," Harris said.Their comments came after a jury found three white men charged in the killing of Arbery, a 25-year-old Black man, guilty on multiple murder counts, as well as other charges. The verdict, delivered by nine white women, two white men and one Black man, followed more than 11 hours of deliberation spanning two days.The defendants in the case -- Travis McMichael, his father, Gregory McMichael, and their neighbor William "Roddie" Bryan Jr. -- had been arrested last year after the shooting of Arbery in the Satilla Shores neighborhood outside Brunswick, Georgia, on Feb. 23, 2020.Arbery had been on a jog -- a common pastime, according to those who knew him -- when the McMichaels grabbed their guns and pursued him.The men said they believed Arbery had committed a crime. Evidence introduced in the trial showed the men had chased Arbery through the streets as he repeatedly tried to elude them. The McMichaels, who were armed, were in one vehicle, while Bryan, who joined while the chase was underway, followed in his own truck, assisting in and recording the chase. Arbery was unarmed and on foot.Video of the killing showed Travis McMichael exit his truck and confront Arbery before fatally shooting him as the two tussled."The video is clear: Ahmaud Arbery was killed in cold blood," Biden had tweeted in May 2020. "My heart goes out to his family, who deserve justice and deserve it now. It is time for a swift, full, and transparent investigation into his murder."In the lead-up to the verdicts, the White House had declined to weigh in on the trial. White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Monday, "I'm not going to speak to, obviously, an ongoing trial.""I will note, though, that the president has spoken many times to this horrific event in the past. And it's not just about this case, in his view; we have a lot of work to do as a nation," she added. "And it's just a reminder of why the president has prioritized rooting out systemic racism."

CINCINNATI —

With the stroke of a pen, President Joe Biden ignited a flurry of interest in design plans that show what an improved Brent Spence Bridge corridor might look like.

"Being there and being a part of it, it was just incredible, history in the making," Jill Meyer said.

Meyer is president of the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber. She was in Washington for Monday's infrastructure bill signing ceremony.

Now that it's law, Ohio and Kentucky will get billions of dollars for a host of projects. The betting money is that a chunk of that cash will help pay for a new Brent Spence companion bridge.

"This is a real opportunity, a once-in-a-lifetime generational opportunity for us to finally get some funding for projects like this," said Brent Cooper, president of the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.

On both sides of the Ohio River, there's a real sense that a better Brent Spence Bridge is close at hand, even if it does take several years to build.

One set of design concepts created several years ago show what the current bridge and a companion span might look like.

The plans show one side of a companion bridge carrying all traffic on Interstate 75 southbound and southbound Interstate 71 as well as local drivers. The other side shows the existing Brent Spence, with local cars on the lower deck and drivers heading on 71 northbound on the upper deck.

Meyer and other bridge advocates point out the designs were unveiled seven years ago. And things could change when engineers find out how much money the bridge project will receive.

Even with those new unknowns, the old design concepts illustrate how much attention the functionally obsolete Brent Spence Bridge has received over the years.

"The hold back has been when can we start?" Meyer said. "This influx of money at this time is critically important and at the right time."

Mark Policinski, CEO of the Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana Regional Council of Governments said a companion bridge, if approved, would be built next to the Brent Spence, on the western side of the bridge.

One reason for that is the western side has the same environmental footprint as the existing bridge, which means construction could possibly start in 2023.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — In Washington, DC, the buzz of the town is President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better bill. But one thing that’s not being talked about is something called SALT.

“The problem is, this policy is very, very expensive and regressive,” said Maya MacGuineas, the president of the non-partisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

MacGuineas has been very focused on SALT in recent weeks.

So, what is SALT? Clearly, we're not talking about the table seasoning, but "state and local taxes" and deductions you may or may not be able to take on your federal tax return. Before 2017, there was no limit on how much of the state and local taxes an individual paid that they could deduct from the federal tax return but in 2017, former President Donald Trump’s tax cuts changed that.

“You add all those state and local taxes together and they were capped at a deduction of $10,000,” said Sharon Lassar, the director of The School of Accountancy at the University of Denver.

She has been following the news around SALT and the bill. The most recent proposal would increase the SALT cap from $10,000 to more than $72,000, reducing the overall tax burden for some.

“In this package, 80% of the benefits go to people making over $200,000 per year,” said MacGuineas. “This is not the targeted low-income people that a lot of people expect in this bill.”

So, who exactly benefits from the SALT cap repeal? It’s individuals with high incomes in states with high-income taxes. So, think New York, New Jersey, and California.

“The average person probably doesn’t pay more than $10,000 in state and local taxes,” said MacGuineas. “About 50% of this is going to the very richest 1% and they, on average, would be getting an annual tax break of over $35,000.”

A big advocate for the removal of the SALT cap is Rep. Thomas Souzzi from New York. He recently said in a statement, “This fix will put money back in the pockets of hardworking, middle-class families in our districts,” but would not respond to our requests for an interview.

One thing to keep in mind: no text draft of this bill has been released to the public yet. So, we are only getting this from people working on the bill.

President Joe Biden and Democrats are getting low marks from the public as they try to get a roughly $2 trillion spending package over the finish line.

It’s a troubling sign for a party that hopes to make the social spending investments the hallmark of their midterm election campaigns next year.

Fewer than half of Americans approve of how they have handled negotiations, and many say they know little to nothing about the bill.

Overall, 36% say they approve of Biden’s handling of the talks, while 41% disapprove. Another 23% say they neither approve nor disapprove, according to The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll.

Fewer than half say they know a lot or some about the proposals.

Ratings of Republicans’ role in the situation are even worse. Just 18% percent approve of how Republicans in Congress are handling negotiations over the spending package, while 49% disapprove.

Republicans, who have been shut out from the talks over the bill, are expected to overwhelmingly, if not unanimously, oppose the Democratic package.

Predicting the outcome of elections can sometimes be easy. Other years, it is not. Professor Allan Lichtman has predicted every election since 1984, using a model he developed alongside Soviet Union scientists.

One of Lichtman's proudest achievements was accurately predicting the 2016 election. President Donald Trump signed a Washington Post article about Lichtman in recent years with his autograph and the phrase "good call."

THE METHOD

Lichtman doesn't look at polls.

"Polls are not predictors, they are misused as predictors," Lichtman said.

Instead, Lichtman looks at the political party currently controlling the White House. Then he uses 13 keys to gauge whether the party controlling the White House will lose or not.

They are: midterm gains, no contest in the primary, incumbency, no third party, strong short-term economy, strong long-term economy, major policy change, no social unrest, no scandal, no overseas failure, major overseas achievement, charismatic incumbent, uncharismatic opponent.

"If six or more, any six more, turn against the party holding the White House, they are a predicted loser," Luchtman said.

2020 PREDICTION

Lichtman says before 2020, Trump appeared to be heading to a reelection. However Trump has now lost seven keys.

In Lichtman's opinion, Trump has lost midterm gains, short term economy, long-term economy, no social unrest, no scandal, major overseas achievement, and charismatic incumbent.

"Could I be wrong? Of course human beings are wrong. But my keys have quite a track record," Lichtman said.

WASHINGTON —

President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that the United States is doubling its purchase of Pfizer's COVID-19 shots to share with the world to 1 billion doses as he embraces the goal of vaccinating 70% of the global population within the next year.

The stepped-up U.S. commitment marks the cornerstone of the global vaccination summit Biden convened virtually on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, where he encouraged well-off nations to do more to get the coronavirus under control.

World leaders, aid groups and global health organizations are growing increasingly vocal about the slow pace of global vaccinations and the inequity of access to shots between residents of wealthier and poorer nations.

The U.S. purchase of another 500 million shots brings the total U.S. vaccination commitment to more than 1.1 billion doses through 2022. About 160 million shots supplied by the U.S. have already been distributed to more than 100 countries, representing more donations than the rest of the world combined. The remaining American doses will be distributed other the coming year.

"To beat the pandemic here, we need to beat it everywhere," Biden said. He added that with the new commitments, "For every one shot we've administered to date in America, we have now committed to do three shots to the rest of the world."

The latest purchase reflects only a fraction of what will be necessary to meet a goal of vaccinating 70% of the global population — and 70% of the citizens of each nation — by next September’s U.N. meeting. It's a target pushed by global aid groups that Biden threw his weight behind.

Biden is pressing other countries to do more in their vaccine sharing plans.

"We need other high income countries to deliver on their own ambitious vaccine donations and pledges," Biden said. He called on wealthy countries to commit to donating, rather than selling the shots to poorer nations, and to provide them "with no political strings attached."

Biden said the U.S. would also increase its funding to global aid groups that are administering shots

The American response has come under criticism for being too modest, particularly as the administration advocates for providing booster shots to tens of millions of Americans before vulnerable people in poorer nations have received even a first dose.

"We have observed failures of multilateralism to respond in an equitable, coordinated way to the most acute moments. The existing gaps between nations with regard to the vaccination process are unheard of," Colombian President Iván Duque said Tuesday at the United Nations.

More than 5.9 billion COVID-19 doses have been administered globally over the past year, representing about 43% of the global population. But there are vast disparities in distribution, with many lower-income nations struggling to vaccinate even the most vulnerable share of their populations, and some yet to exceed 2% to 3% vaccination rates.

Chilean President Sebastian Piñera said the "triumph" of speedy vaccine development was offset by political "failure" that produced inequitable distribution. "In science, cooperation prevailed; in politics, individualism. In science, shared information reigned; in politics, reserve. In science, teamwork predominated; in politics, isolated effort," Piñera said.

The World Health Organization says only 15% of promised donations of vaccines — from rich countries that have access to large quantities of them — have been delivered. The U.N. health agency has said it wants countries to fulfill their dose-sharing pledges "immediately" and make shots available for programs that benefit poor countries and Africa in particular.

COVAX, the U.N.-backed program to ship vaccines to all countries has struggled with production issues, supply shortages and a near-cornering of the market for vaccines by wealthy nations.

The WHO has urged companies that produce vaccines to prioritize COVAX and make public their supply schedules. It also has appealed to wealthy countries to avoid broad rollouts of booster shots so doses can be made available to health care workers and vulnerable people in the developing world. Such calls have largely gone ignored.

COVAX has missed nearly all of its vaccine-sharing targets. Its managers also have lowered their ambitions to ship vaccines by the end of this year, from an original target of some 2 billion doses worldwide to hopes for 1.4 billion now. Even that mark could be missed.

As of Tuesday, COVAX had shipped more than 296 million doses to 141 countries.

The 70% global target is ambitious, not least because of the U.S. experience.

Biden had set a goal of vaccinating 70% of the U.S. adult population by July 4, but persistent vaccine hesitance contributed to the nation not meeting that target until a month later. Nearly 64% of the entire U.S. population has received at least one dose and less than 55% is fully vaccinated, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

U.S. officials hope to increase those figures in the coming months, both through encouraging the use of vaccination mandates and by vaccinating children once regulators clear the shots for the under-12 population.

Aid groups have warned that the persistent inequities risk extending the global pandemic, and that could lead to new and more dangerous variants. The delta variant raging across the U.S. has proved to be more transmissible than the original strain, though the existing vaccines have been effective at preventing nearly all serious illness and death.

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Associated Press writers Jamey Keaten in Geneva, Josh Boak at the United Nations and David Biller in Rio de Janeiro contributed to this report.

Some Greater Cincinnati business owners are preparing to file lawsuits that challenge the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate. The president’s order will require businesses with 100 or more employees to mandate the COVID-19 vaccine or weekly testing.

Attorney Chris Wiest, who successfully led a parent group's suit against Gov. Andy Beshear's statewide school mask mandate, said one Northern Kentucky business and one in Cincinnati have already retained him to file on their behalf.

“Until there's a rule, I don’t think we can challenge it, so we're waiting for that,” Wiest said.

The Department of Labor must draft the exact policy, Wiest explained, before the local businesses file court documents arguing it violates any rights.

The president announced Thursday he wants businesses to require employees to be vaccinated or submit to weekly COVID-19 testing. Wiest expects the final policy to allow for medical and religious exemptions for workers.

However, he plans to argue for religious exemption for at least one business.

“The owner's got a religious problem with the vaccines, and you know, some people do because of their development and testing protocols,” said Wiest. “So, we will probably be asserting Religious Freedom Restoration Act claims.”

Many business leaders anticipate following the president’s order.

“We've been very compliant because we were, early on, designated as essential workers,” Freestore Foodbank president and CEO Kurt Reiber said.

He said the company does need to see the final policy the Occupational Safety and Health Administration comes up with before making a final decision.

“There's a need for clarity in all of the areas that the president talked about,” said Reiber. “I think getting advice and council from OSHA will be very helpful.”

Once the Department of Labor makes the mandate official, Wiest says, businesses will have 60 days to file a suit with the 6th Circuit Court in Cincinnati to try to avoid it.

President Joe Biden gave his first network interview since his inauguration on Friday, covering a wide array of topics with CBS News’ Norah O’Donnell.

During an excerpt of the interview released by CBS on Friday, Biden covered the future of his proposed economic stimulus bill and whether former President Donald Trump should hold a security clearance.

Biden told O’Donnell that he believes that his proposed increase to the federal minimum wage will likely not be included in the final stimulus bill. Biden cited Senate rules that limit the type of bills that can be passed using the budget reconciliation process. Using budget reconciliation allows the stimulus package to be passed by a simple majority in the Senate instead of 60 out of 100.

“Well, apparently, that's not going to occur because of the rules of the United States Senate,” Biden told O’Donnell. “I don't think it's going to survive."

But Biden says he remains committed to passing a minimum wage increase down the road in a standalone vote.

As Congress continues debate on Biden’s proposed $1.9 trillion stimulus package, there are still questions on who exactly will get the $1,400 checks Biden has pitched for most Americans. While originally, it appeared individuals making less than $75,000 per year would get the checks, Biden says he is open to negotiate. Some in Congress have suggested lowering the threshold to $50,000 annually.

What Biden told O’Donnell was that a decision needs to be made soon.

“I am prepared to negotiate on that, but here is the deal, middle class folks need help,” Biden said. “But you don’t need to give any help to someone making $300,000 or ($250,000).”

On the topic on whether Trump, like all former presidents, should continue receiving intelligence briefings, Biden said, “I think not.”

“Because of his erratic behavior unrelated to the insurrection,” Biden added.

When asked what his worst fear is if Trump continues to receive intelligence briefings, Biden responded, “I would rather not speculate out loud. I just think there is not a need for him to have an intelligence briefing.”

The full interview with Biden will air before the Super Bowl on Sunday.

Justin Boggs is a writer for the E.W. Scripps National Desk. Follow him on Twitter @jjboggs or on Facebook.

After much delay, senators unveiled a nearly $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package, wrapping up days of painstaking work on the inches-thick bill and launching what is certain to be a lengthy debate over President Joe Biden's big priority.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act clocked in at some 2,700 pages, and senators could begin amending it soon. Despite the hurry-up-and-wait during a rare weekend session, emotions bubbled over once the bill was produced Sunday night. The final product was not intended to stray from the broad outline senators had negotiated for weeks with the White House. 

"We haven't done a large, bipartisan bill of this nature in a long time," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. He said a final vote could be held "in a matter of days." 

A key part of Biden's agenda, the bipartisan bill is the first phase of the president's infrastructure plan. It calls for $550 billion in new spending over five years above projected federal levels, what could be one of the more substantial expenditures on the nation's roads, bridges, waterworks, broadband, and the electric grid in years.

Senators and staff labored behind the scenes for days to write the massive bill. It was supposed to be ready Friday, but by Sunday, even more glitches were caught and changes made.

Late Sunday, most of the 10 senators involved in the bipartisan effort rose on the Senate floor to mark the moment.

"We know that this has been a long and sometimes difficult process, but we are proud this evening to announce this legislation," said Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., a lead negotiator.

The bill showed "we can put aside our own political differences for the good of the country," she said.

Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio, a Republican negotiator, said the final product will be "great for the American people."

Over the long weekend of starts and stops, Schumer repeatedly warned that he was prepared to keep lawmakers in Washington for as long as it took to complete votes on both the bipartisan infrastructure plan and a budget blueprint that would allow the Senate to begin work later this year on a massive, $3.5 trillion social, health and environmental bill.

Among the major new investments, the bipartisan package is expected to provide $110 billion for roads and bridges, $39 billion for public transit, and $66 billion for rail. There's also set to be $55 billion for water and wastewater infrastructure as well as billions for airports, ports, broadband internet, and electric vehicle charging stations.

The spending is broadly popular among lawmakers, bringing long-delayed capital for big-ticket items that cities and states can rarely afford on their own.

Paying for the package has been a challenge after senators rejected ideas to raise revenue from a new gas tax or other streams. Instead, it is being financed from funding sources that might not pass muster with deficit hawks, including repurposing some $205 billion in untapped COVID-19 relief aid, as well as unemployment assistance that was turned back by some states and relying on projected future economic growth.

"I've got real concerns with this bill," said Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah.

Bipartisan support from Republican and Democratic senators pushed the process along, and Schumer wanted the voting to be wrapped up before senators left for the August recess.

Last week, 17 GOP senators joined all Democrats in voting to start work on the bipartisan bill. That support largely held, with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., voting yes in another procedural vote to nudge the process along in the 50-50 Senate, where 60 votes are needed to overcome a filibuster and advance legislation.

Whether the number of Republican senators willing to pass the bill grows or shrinks in the days ahead will determine if the president's signature issue can make it across the finish line.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said he expects Schumer to allow all senators to have a chance to shape the bipartisan bill and allow for amendments from members of both parties.

"I hope we can now pump the brakes a little bit and take the time and care to evaluate the benefits and the cost of this legislation," Cornyn said.

The bipartisan bill still faces a rough road in the House, where progressive lawmakers want a more robust package but may have to settle for this one to keep Biden's infrastructure plans on track. 

The outcome with the bipartisan effort will set the stage for the next debate over Biden's much more ambitious $3.5 trillion package, a strictly partisan pursuit of far-reaching programs and services including child care, tax breaks, and health care that touch almost every corner of American life. Republicans strongly oppose that bill, which would require a simple majority for passage. Final votes on that measure are not expected until fall.

This story was originally published by Alex Livingston and Simon Kaufman at Newsy, with contributions from The Associated Press.

WASHINGTON —

President Joe Biden on Thursday congratulated the NASA team responsible for last month’s successful landing of an unmanned rover on Mars and for giving the country a “dose of confidence” at a moment when the nation's reputation as a scientific leader has been tattered by the coronavirus pandemic.

Speaking in video conference call with the leadership of space agency’s jet propulsion laboratory team, Biden expressed awe over the Feb. 18 landing of Perseverance.

Perseverance, the biggest, most advanced rover ever sent by NASA, became the ninth spacecraft since the 1970s to successfully land on Mars, traveling some 300 million miles in nearly seven months, as part of an ongoing quest to study whether there was once life on the planet.

“It’s so much bigger than landing Perseverance on Mars," Biden told members of the NASA team. “It’s about the American spirit. And you brought it back”

Biden watched on television as Perseverance’s touched down on Mars last month and called NASA’s Acting Administrator Steve Jurczyk to pass on his congratulations to the Perseverance team. But Biden said he wanted to speak directly to the team, which he said deserved credit not only for the astronomical feat but also with boosting the United States' reputation at a moment when it's sorely needed.

He recalled that another nation's leader recently told him that the U.S., once seen as competent, saw its standing fall with its response to coronavirus pandemic.

But Biden, who has made stemming a pandemic that has killed nearly 520,000 Americans his top priority, said that the Mars landing offered the nation a bit of inspiration at a moment when it's sorely needed.

“We can land a rover on Mars, we can beat a pandemic," Biden said. “And with science, hope and vision, there’s not a damn thing we can’t do as a country.”

The Perseverence landing comes amid a recent mad dash to Mars among rival space programs.

The NASA team landing on Feb. 18 marked the third visit to Mars in just over a week. Two spacecraft from the United Arab Emirates and China swung into orbit around Mars on successive days earlier in February. All three missions lifted off in July to take advantage of the close alignment of Earth and Mars.

NASA's car-size, plutonium-powered vehicle arrived at Jezero Crater, hitting NASA’s smallest and trickiest target yet: a 5-by-4-mile strip on an ancient river delta full of pits, cliffs and rocks. Scientists believe that if life ever flourished on Mars, it would have happened 3 billion to 4 billion years ago, when water still flowed on the planet.

Over the next two years, the rover, nicknamed Percy, will use its 7-foot arm to drill down and collect rock samples containing possible signs of bygone microscopic life.

Three to four dozen chalk-size samples will be sealed in tubes and set aside to be retrieved eventually by another rover and brought homeward by another rocket ship.

President Joe Biden campaigned on the promise of offering a more compassionate America for immigrants. But just months into his presidency, his administration faces a situation at the southern border that’s forcing more and more unaccompanied children into what some describe as jail-like conditions.

During a briefing Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki declined to call the situation a crisis. CNN reports that more than 100,000 migrants have been encountered at the border in the last four weeks alone — the highest that figure has been in the past five years.

The New York Times and CBS News report that about 3,200 migrant children are currently being held in U.S. custody after crossing the border unaccompanied. More than half of those children have been held longer than three days — the maximum amount of time allowed under the law.

So, how did the Biden administration find itself in such a situation, and does it have a plan moving forward?

Why are more immigrants coming to the U.S.?

It’s impossible to determine every migrant’s reason for choosing to make the dangerous trek to the U.S., but immigration from Central American countries like Nicaragua and Honduras has been on the rise in recent years as many from the region flee poverty and gang violence. Those immigrants travel through the entirety of Mexico and attempt to enter the U.S. at the southern border, many of them claiming asylum.

It’s also possible that many migrants are choosing now to enter America because Biden campaigned on being more compassionate to undocumented immigrants.

Biden's predecessor, former President Donald Trump, sought to deter immigration by separating families at the border, limiting asylum claims, making asylum seekers wait for their hearings in Mexico or another country, and giving Immigration and Customs Enforcement more leeway to deport immigrants already in the country.

With promises to undo some of those policies, immigration to the U.S. may seem more attractive to those seeking to flee their countries.

Last week, Sec. of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas asked migrants to hold off on journeying to the U.S., saying that it would “take time” for the Biden administration to build out its new immigration policies. But Mayorkas’ pleas have done little to slow immigration.

Why is the Biden administration keeping children in custody?

Unlike the Trump administration, Biden is not separating children from their families. However, when unaccompanied minors are encountered at the border, the administration has adopted a policy of keeping them in custody rather than letting them roam Mexico or other Central American countries alone.

When Customs and Border Protection encounters an unaccompanied minor, they bring them back to a Border Patrol station for processing, where they can be held for up to three days. After that, the migrant children are supposed to be transferred to a facility run by the Department of Health and Human Services, which is said to be a more humane environment. From there, the children are then matched with vetted sponsor families in the U.S.

However, under COVID-19 pandemic guidelines, the Health and Human Services resettlement camps are operating under capacity restrictions, cutting the number of beds available to migrants.

The lack of room in the HHS resettlement camps means Customs and Border Protection have been forced to hold children in their Border stations.

Does the Biden administration have a plan?

In the short term, HHS has said it will allow its resettlement facilities to return to pre-pandemic capacity levels, so long as they implement mitigation measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. CBP has also constructed tent complexes in the hopes of moving more children out of the Border stations. The tents offer more accommodations but aren’t suitable long-term solutions.

In addition, Psaki said Tuesday that the administration is “working to implement changes” that would allow the U.S. to safely house more children at the border.

In the long term, the Biden administration has proposed an immigration reform bill that would study the root causes of migration and could potentially offer foreign aid to Central American countries in hopes of stemming it in the future.

The White House picked a serious fight with Facebook Friday. The Biden administration wants social media giants to take down posts that officials flag as COVID-19 misinformation.

President Biden leveled an incredibly serious charge. 

A reporter asked him: "What's your message to platforms like Facebook?" 

President Biden said: "They're killing people. I mean, really, look, the only pandemic we have is among the unvaccinated. And they're killing people." 

Facebook was quick to fire back, saying, "We will not be distracted by accusations which aren't supported by the facts." 

A spokesperson added, "More than 3.3 million Americans have also used our vaccine finder tool to find out where and how to get a vaccine. The facts show that Facebook is helping save lives. Period." 

Biden's comments come one day after his Surgeon General issued a warning about health misinformation and directly called out Facebook.

President Joe Biden is slated to hold his first formal presidential news conference on March 25, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Tuesday.

Taking more than two months to hold his first news conference, Biden has frustrated members of the White House Correspondents Association for not taking their questions. While Biden does on occasion respond to reporters’ questions in informal settings, he has been far less available than his predecessor Donald Trump.

“Press conferences are critical to informing the American people and holding an administration accountable to the public,” said Associated Press reporter Zeke Miller, president of the White House Correspondents’ Association. “As it has with prior presidents, the WHCA continues to call on President Biden to hold formal press conferences with regularity.”

While Biden has not held a formal news conference, Psaki has met with reporters nearly every weekday since Biden took office. Although she did not have a formal news conference in the White House briefing room on Tuesday, she met with reporters during Biden’s trip to Pennsylvania.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Joe Biden isn't changing his mind. On Thursday, he promised to have all American troops out of Afghanistan by August 31.

Earlier this year, Biden said he wanted it done by September 11.

"We did not go to Afghanistan to nation-build," Biden said Thursday.

AMERICA'S SACRIFICE

Afghanistan is the longest war in American history, lasting nearly 20 years.

In that time, 2,448 Americans have died in Afghanistan, according to the president. Another 20,722 Americans have been wounded.

The United Nations estimates at least 35,000 Afghan civilians were killed from 2001 to 2019.

American taxpayers have paid at least $825 billion for operations and recent expenses have totaled around $3 billion/month.

VETERAN REACTION

As the United States finishes its operation, many veterans are reacting and have mixed feelings, mainly because the Taliban is continuing to regain regions of the country.

As a reminder, the U.S. entered Afghanistan because the Taliban was cooperating with Al Qaeda, the terrorist organization behind the September 11 attacks.

Toyia Tucker is an Air Force veteran who lives in Columbus, Georgia. Tucker worries about what will happen to women's rights in the country. The Taliban previously banned high-heel shoes and even reading.

"The Taliban right now is terrorizing those citizens. No, I don't think it will get better for women," said Tucker, an Air Force veteran whose mother and ex-husband served on the ground in Afghanistan.

Robert Couture is a veteran who retired as a Master Sergeant.

"It’s a concern, I remember being in Afghanistan and seeing little girls that were sick in the village and I wasn’t allowed to pick up and hug them, and that always stays with me," Couture said.

Both veterans, however, recognize why Biden has decided to bring the war to a conclusion.

"You have mixed feelings, 20 years is a long time," Tucker said.

"Afghanistan is a sovereign nation," Couture said.