Biden faces fresh scrutiny over handling of government secrets | First Thing
Another set of materials discovered at a separate location, as White House addresses first discovery at Biden’s institute. Plus, why are DVD menus trending on social media?
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Good morning.
Joe Biden was facing fresh scrutiny over his handling of government secrets after a second batch of classified materials was reportedly found at a location linked to him.
How were the documents discovered? Richard Sauber, special counsel to the president, has said “a small number of documents with classified markings” were discovered on 2 November 2022 in a locked closet at the centre as Biden’s personal lawyers were clearing out the offices. According to Sauber, the lawyers immediately alerted the White House counsel’s office, which notified the National Archives, which took custody of the documents the next day.
What has Biden said? At a press conference in Mexico on Tuesday, Biden said he takes classified documents “seriously” and his team acted appropriately by quickly turning the documents over. “They did what they should have done. They immediately called the Archives.”
Will the California storms ease the state’s drought? Experts say the precipitation will help relieve the drought somewhat. Exactly how much isn’t clear yet and some areas of the state will benefit more than others. It will take more than a few storms to fill the biggest reservoirs. Plus, the climate crisis is making California drier and hotter. Officials see less water in the state’s future, and these storms won’t fix that long-term problem.
