From Joe Biden to the border, it’s been a busy week in American politics. Here are some of the biggest stories you might have missed (and some links if you’d like to read further).
___________________
Joe Biden’s #MeToo moment.
A former Nevada legislator, Lucy Flores, accused former Vice President Joe Biden late last week of inappropriately touching and kissing her during a campaign event in 2014. Mr. Biden scrambled to defend himself and contain the crisis, the first of his possible presidential bid.
On Monday, a second woman accused Mr. Biden of touching her in a way that made her feel uncomfortable, intensifying the scrutiny of the former vice president’s physical interactions with women.
It wasn’t until Wednesday that Mr. Biden addressed the allegations in a video, saying he realized that “social norms have begun to change.” But it wasn’t an apology.
He made a convoluted, joking attempt to deal with the issue on Friday, at a conference in Washington. “I’m sorry I didn’t understand more,” Mr. Biden said of his hands-on style of politicking over the years. “I’m not sorry for any of my intentions.”
Additional Reading
• Who Is Lucy Flores, the Woman Accusing Joe Biden of Kissing Her?
• Biden’s Tactile Politics Threaten His Return in the #MeToo Era
• Finding Biden in Familiar Fix, President Trump Adds a Jab
Trump heads back to the border.
On Sunday, White House officials defended Mr. Trump’s threat to end assistance to three Central American countries and to close parts of the border with Mexico, despite evidence showing that smuggling largely takes place at ports of entry.
The president acknowledged Tuesday that closing the border could damage the economy, but he said protecting America’s security was more important.
On Thursday, however, he backed down from his threat to shut the border, saying he would give Mexico a “one-year warning.” Mr. Trump visited a small border town in California on Friday, with the goal of highlighting what he and his aides say…
