Bidens made more than $15M after Obama term
WASHINGTON — Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, took in more than $15 million since leaving the Obama White House, according to documents released Tuesday. Federal tax returns and a financial disclosure show that since Biden left public office, his income has surged thanks to a lucrative book deal and constant publicity tours. Since leaving the White House, Biden and his wife signed a multibook deal with Flatiron Books valued at $8 million, according to Publishers Weekly. Biden earned $540,000 as a professor and namesake of the University of Pennsylvania’s Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement. Jill Biden made at least $700,000 in her own speaking engagements, the disclosure shows. Joe Biden’s basic speaking fee was reportedly $100,000 a speech, but his disclosure showed that while some appearances were priced as low as the $40,000 range, others ranged as high as $190,000 for a lecture at Drew University in New Jersey.
McConnell firm on reparations despite family history
WASHINGTON — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said his family’s history of slave ownership doesn’t change his opposition to reparations. The Kentucky Republican said Tuesday that he and former President Barack Obama have opposed reparations, and
“both are the descendant of slave owners.” NBC News this week used census records to show that two of McConnell’s great-greatgrandfathers were slave owners before the Civil War. Obama has white ancestors who were slave
owners, according to reports.
Steyer joins 2020 race
WASHINGTON — Tom Steyer, the billionaire investor and activist, said Tuesday he’s joining the race for the Democratic presidential nomination after deciding earlier this year that he would forgo a run. “The other Democratic candidates for president have many great ideas that will absolutely move our country forward, but we won’t be able to get any of those done until we end the hostile corporate takeover of our democracy,” Steyer said in a statement.
Court: Illegal for Trump to block critics on Twitter
NEW YORK — President Donald Trump lost a major Twitter fight Tuesday when the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said that his daily musings and pronouncements were overwhelmingly official in nature and that he violated the First Amendment whenever he blocked a critic to silence a viewpoint. The Department of Justice is disappointed by the ruling and is exploring possible next steps, agency spokesperson Kelly Laco said.
Rip Torn dies at 88
LAKEVILLE, Conn. — Awardwinning television, film and theater actor Rip Torn has died at age 88, according to his publicist.
Publicist Rick Miramontez said
Torn died Tuesday afternoon at his home with his wife,
Amy Wright, and daughters Katie
Torn and Angelica Page by his side. No cause of death was given.