It’s Thursday…
President Biden’s public schedule for 01/04/2024:
| 9:00 AM Presidential Daily Briefing | The President receives the Presidential Daily Briefing The White House Closed Press |
| 10:00 AM | In-Town Pool Call Time The White House In-Town Pool |
| 1:00 PM Press Briefing | Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and NSC Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby James S. Brady Press Briefing Room |
Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and John Kirby @ 1:00 p.m. D.C., time:
Gas Prices/Economic Tweets
From Wednesday…
Gas prices across America have declined by an average of $1.93 since their peak in 2022.
— President Biden (@POTUS) January 3, 2024
That's a decrease of 38%.
From Thursday…
Right now, the average driver in America is spending over $100 less than if gas prices had stayed at their peak.
— President Biden (@POTUS) January 4, 2024
When I came to office, the pandemic was raging, the economy was reeling.
— President Biden (@POTUS) January 4, 2024
But because of the American people, we've achieved record job creation, historic economic growth, and among the lowest inflation rates of any major economy.
Gas Buddy Guy from yesterday:
Today's #gasoline stats:
— Patrick De Haan ⛽️📊 (@GasBuddyGuy) January 3, 2024
National average $3.08/gal
Most common US #gasprices: $2.99, $2.79, $2.89, $2.69, $3.09
Lowest 10% avg $2.48/gal
Highest 10% avg $4.58/gal
Median price $2.48/gal
Lowest city avg: Casper, WY $2.26/gal
Highest city avg: San Francisco, CA $4.93/gal
Today's #diesel stats:
— Patrick De Haan ⛽️📊 (@GasBuddyGuy) January 3, 2024
National average $3.96/gal
Most common US #dieselprices: $3.99, $3.89, $3.79, $3.69, $3.59
Lowest 10% avg $3.26/gal
Highest 10% avg $5.15/gal
Median price $3.89/gal
Lowest city avg: Sherman, TX $3.16/gal
Highest city avg: San Luis Obispo, CA $5.82/gal
AAA Gas Prices as of this morning:
“New” from the White House…
01/03/2024:
Recognizing the broad consensus as expressed by 44 countries around the world on December 19, 2023, as well as the statement by the UN Security Council on December 1, 2023, condemning Houthi attacks against commercial vessels transiting the Red Sea, and in light of ongoing attacks, including a significant escalation over the past week targeting commercial vessels, with missiles, small boats, and attempted hijackings,
We hereby reiterate the following and warn the Houthis against further attacks:
Ongoing Houthi attacks in the Red Sea are illegal, unacceptable, and profoundly destabilizing. There is no lawful justification for intentionally targeting civilian shipping and naval vessels. Attacks on vessels, including commercial vessels, using unmanned aerial vehicles, small boats, and missiles, including the first use of anti-ship ballistic missiles against such vessels, are a direct threat to the freedom of navigation that serves as the bedrock of global trade in one of the world’s most critical waterways.
These attacks threaten innocent lives from all over the world and constitute a significant international problem that demands collective action. Nearly 15 percent of global seaborne trade passes through the Red Sea, including 8 percent of global grain trade, 12 percent of seaborne-traded oil and 8 percent of the world’s liquefied natural gas trade. International shipping companies continue to reroute their vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, adding significant cost and weeks of delay to the delivery of goods, and ultimately jeopardizing the movement of critical food, fuel, and humanitarian assistance throughout the world.
Let our message now be clear: we call for the immediate end of these illegal attacks and release of unlawfully detained vessels and crews. The Houthis will bear the responsibility of the consequences should they continue to threaten lives, the global economy, and free flow of commerce in the region’s critical waterways. We remain committed to the international rules-based order and are determined to hold malign actors accountable for unlawful seizures and attacks.
White House.gov. 01/03/2024.
AP News said yesterday:
[snip]
For weeks, the Houthis have claimed attacks on ships in the Red Sea that they say are either linked to Israel or heading to Israeli ports. They say their attacks aim to end the Israeli air-and-ground offensive in the Gaza Strip that was triggered by the Palestinian militant group Hamas’ Oct.7 attack in southern Israel.
However, the links to the ships targeted in the rebel assaults have grown more tenuous as the attacks continue.
The attacks have targeted commercial shipping vessels transiting through the critical Bab el-Mandeb Strait that links markets in Asia and Europe since the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas and Israel’s subsequent war against the militant group in Gaza.
AP News. 01/03/2024.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin issued the following statement on 12/18/2023:
The recent escalation in reckless Houthi attacks originating from Yemen threatens the free flow of commerce, endangers innocent mariners, and violates international law. The Red Sea is a critical waterway that has been essential to freedom of navigation and a major commercial corridor that facilitates international trade. Countries that seek to uphold the foundational principle of freedom of navigation must come together to tackle the challenge posed by this non-state actor launching ballistic missiles and uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) at merchant vessels from many nations lawfully transiting international waters.
This is an international challenge that demands collective action. Therefore, today I am announcing the establishment of Operation Prosperity Guardian, an important new multinational security initiative under the umbrella of the Combined Maritime Forces and the leadership of its Task Force 153, which focuses on security in the Red Sea.
Operation Prosperity Guardian is bringing together multiple countries to include the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain, to jointly address security challenges in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, with the goal of ensuring freedom of navigation for all countries and bolstering regional security and prosperity.
Defense.gov. 12/18/2023.
Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and NSC Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby; the YouTube is 1 hour and 4 minutes long.
NSC Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby’s opening statement:
As Karine said, it’s been a little bit of a while here since we’ve had a chance to talk, so I just wanted to give you a laydown of where things stand in the Middle East.
Over the holidays, the President received regular updates from his National Security Advisor, Mr. Sullivan, as well as the national security team. And as you all know, he had the chance to speak again with Prime Minister Netanyahu.
Yesterday, Mr. Sullivan held a phone call with Israel’s Minister of Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer, where they discussed ongoing Israeli military operations and ongoing efforts to see if we can secure the release of the remaining hostages.
The United States remains focused on working with a range of partners to help Israel defend itself, to surge humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza, and, of course, to defend our national security interests in the region.
That most certainly includes protecting the free flow of international commerce in the Red Sea.
To accomplish these goals, we have established and will continue to maintain a significant force presence in the Middle East.
This includes an aircraft carrier strike group, centered around the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, with its embarked air wing of some 80 aircraft, as well as an amphibious ready group, with its embarked 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit.
That amphibious ready group, led by the assault ship USS Bataan, was moved into the Eastern Mediterranean in recent days, coinciding with the departure of the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford.
Now, between the Bataan and the two other ships of her group, the USS Mesa Verde and the USS Carter Hall, this consolidates in that part of the Mediterranean more than 4,000 sailors and marines and more than 50 aircraft.
An amphibious ready group with an embarked Marine expeditionary unit is capable of a wide range of operations and, because it is sea-based, remains a highly flexible option to any Commander-in-Chief when it comes to the potential use of force.
These ships and their Marines are augmented by three additional squadrons of fighter and attack aircraft that are based ashore and additional highly capable warships at sea, including a number of destroyers that are specifically designed for ballistic missile defense.
Some of those warships are operating in the Red Sea, where they — alongside the ships, aircraft, and capabilities of more than 20 other nations — continue to counter Houthi attacks on civilian maritime shipping. You’ve all seen in the last few — a couple of days what these ships have been able to do in terms of knocking things out of the sky.
All told, these U.S. and coalition ships and aircraft contribute to an impressive array — I’m sorry — impressive air and missile defense capability, as well as robust intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities, not to mention offensive and defensive military power.
As the President has made clear, the United States does not seek conflict with any nation or actor in the Middle East, nor do we want to see the war between Israel and Hamas widen in the region. But neither will we shrink from the task of defending ourselves, our interests, our partners, or the free flow of international commerce.
That’s why, earlier today, we released a joint statement alongside 12 — I’m sorry — 11 countries condemning Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea — one of the world’s most critical waterways — and reiterating that these attacks must cease immediately. And just after we released that statement, Singapore came on board, so now there’s 13 nations that have signed up to that statement.
As we have made clear, these actions directly threaten freedom of navigation and global trade and they put innocent lives at risk.
This joint statement demonstrates the resolve of global partners against these unlawful attacks and underlines our commitment to holding malign actors accountable for their actions.
Lastly, as you’ve seen, now in — in addition to this release — well, I think that’s it.
White House.gov. 01/03/2023.
01/04/2023:
Forth.News Updated Media Advisory From the White House…
01/03/2023:
UPDATED Advisory: President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden to Travel to Pennsylvania:
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden to Travel to Pennsylvania On Friday, January 5, the President and the First Lady will travel to the Philadelphia area, Pennsylvania. Additional details to follow.
I spent way too many minutes tracking down someone official to confirm that President Biden’s speech for Saturday has been moved up to Friday…
After several different attempts to ask google the same thing only worded slightly different I found via The Hill, Kevin Munoz a Biden Campaign Spokesman…
Original Announcement:
On Saturday, January 6, the President will deliver a campaign speech about the stakes of this election for our freedoms and the fate of our democracy near Valley Forge.
— Kevin Munoz (@munozka315) January 3, 2024
Next week, he’ll take that message to Mother Emanuel Church in SC.
https://t.co/lFlqwYXlI5
Hours later…
Due to impending inclement weather in the Philadelphia area this weekend, the President's campaign speech near Valley Forge on Saturday, January 6 will be moved to Friday, January 5. https://t.co/kaAxT7qPlx
— Kevin Munoz (@munozka315) January 4, 2024
This is an open thread
