OnPolitics: The US-Africa Leaders Summit is underway. What we know and why it matters

The three-day Africa Leaders' Summit kicked off yesterday with heads of state and representatives from 49 countries. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

On Politics   Wednesday, December 14 OnPolitics: Biden to speak at US-Africa Leaders Summit The three-day Africa Leaders' Summit kicked off yesterday with heads of state and representatives from 49 countries. Happy Wednesday, OnPolitics readers! African leaders will meet with President Joe Biden today as the White House tries to draw the continent away from China and Russia – which have gained increasing footing in the region, USA TODAY's Joey Garrison and Rebecca Morin report. The three-day Africa Leaders' Summit kicked off yesterday with heads of state and representatives from 49 countries. Topping U.S. commitments, Biden will pledge $55 billion in financial aid, according to the White House. Why is the summit significant? Throughout his tenure, Biden has tried to repair relations with many world leaders following former President Donald Trump's "America First" foreign policy agenda. 🌍 Want to learn more? Joey and Rebecca break it down here.  Real quick: Stories you'll want to read • Respect for Marriage Act: President Joe Biden signed historic legislation yesterday protecting same-sex marriages nationally, marking a major milestone in the fight for gay rights that follows a seismic change in the nation's attitudes. • Life or death: Oregon Gov. Kate Brown will commute the death sentences of the 17 people on the state's death row to life sentences without parole, her office announced yesterday. • Paging Elon Musk: Americans overwhelmingly share concerns about the rise of antisemitism and white nationalism in the United States – and most say social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook have an obligation to curtail hate speech on their sites, a USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll found. • COVID-19 in Florida: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he plans to petition the state's Supreme Court to convene a grand jury to investigate "any and all wrongdoing" related to COVID-19 vaccines. 🏛️ The House committee investigating the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, will meet Monday to vote on potential recommendations to the Justice Department to prosecute suspects for their roles. In the meantime, catch up on what we learned in all nine congressional hearings about the Capitol attack here. Get our politics newsletter in your inbox by signing up here.🖅 Discover more with our newsletters: Get the latest headlines, things to do and more in your inbox. Sign up here.   Problem viewing email? View in browser Unsubscribe • Manage Newsletters • Terms of Service • Privacy Policy/Your California Privacy Rights • Privacy Notice • Do Not Sell My Info/Cookie Policy • Feedback © 2022 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. 7950 Jones Branch Drive, McLean, VA 22102