President Biden’s campaign said today that it was planning to use his State of the Union address as a launchpad for a newly aggressive effort to defeat Donald Trump, now that the general election contest has begun in earnest. The president delivered a campaign speech in Pennsylvania this afternoon, and he will speak tomorrow in Georgia — two swing states that he is counting on for re-election.
Biden’s campaign also announced a $30 million advertising blitz and said it expected to open 100 new offices in battleground states over the next month. Vice President Kamala Harris and several cabinet secretaries will also begin making campaign trips.
The push is meant to capitalize on momentum from last night’s address, in which Biden delivered a series of fiery attacks against Trump, casting him as a threat to American democracy and stability in the world. The partisan speech, which was met with heckling from his Republican opponents, made for a spectacle that exemplified the raucous nature of modern American politics. Roughly 28 million people watched on major cable and broadcast networks, according to preliminary numbers, a bigger prime-time audience than last year.
The speech also allowed Biden, 81, to respond to doubts about his age with impassioned lines that were clearly intended to demonstrate vigor. It remains unclear if he can repeat that energetic 67-minute performance as he barnstorms the swing states in the coming weeks.
For more: My colleague Zolan Kanno-Youngs explained in a short video what we learned from the State of the Union address.
U.S. employers added 275,000 jobs last month
The American labor market exceeded expectations again in February, adding 275,000 jobs, according to new government data. It was the third consecutive month of gains above 200,000, and the 38th consecutive month of growth. Economists said it was a sign that the U.S. jobs engine still had plenty of steam.
At the same time, the unemployment rate increased to a two-year high of 3.9 percent, from 3.7 percent in January. Historically, that is still quite low, but our economics reporter Ben Casselman said the increase was cause for at least mild concern. “Even small increases in unemployment have been associated with recessions,” he said.
The Pentagon found no evidence of an alien cover-up
A recent increase in claims that the military was hiding U.F.O. evidence prompted Congress to order a report. Today, the Pentagon released its findings: There is no evidence of hidden alien technology or programs, and the unusual sightings were simply ordinary objects that had been misidentified.
Nevertheless, people who are convinced the government is covering up something aren’t likely to be swayed, even when the government releases a 63-page report that says otherwise. Congress has mandated a second report, ordering the National Archives to declassify more U.F.O. records.
The SAT is going fully digital
For 98 years, high school students have been taking the SAT on paper. Tomorrow, that will change. A newly revamped exam will be administered entirely digitally. It will also be much shorter, which its creators said would reduce stress.
Try your hand at five sample questions from the new format.
More top news
Gaza: Britain, the E.U. and the United Arab Emirates joined a U.S. effort to bring aid to Gaza by sea. The first shipments could arrive this weekend.
Trump: Donald Trump posted a $91.6 million bond in a defamation case he lost to E. Jean Carroll, which will let him appeal without paying her.
Politics: The centrist group No Labels said that it planned to nominate a presidential ticket, a move that could complicate the November election.
G.O.P.: The Republican National Committee elected Michael Whatley, an ally of Donald Trump, as its chair and Lara Trump, Trump’s daughter-in-law, as co-chair.
Honduras: A jury in a U.S. federal court found former President Juan Orlando Hernández guilty of drug trafficking.
New York: A federal appeals court revived corruption charges against the state’s former lieutenant governor, Brian Benjamin.
Health: The F.D.A. decided to delay action on a closely watched Alzheimer’s drug, donanemab, which was expected to be approved this month.
Iran: U.N. investigators said that Iranian authorities killed, tortured and raped civilians in a 2022 crackdown on protests over the death of a young woman in police custody.
Film: The involuntary manslaughter conviction of the armorer on the film “Rust” offered a preview of the case against Alec Baldwin.
Food: New York-style bagels are making it big in London.
A banner year for the Oscars
Hollywood’s biggest night of the year, the Academy Awards, is this Sunday. This time, the show has an unusually high level of mainstream appeal. “The Oscars always dream of a situation where the biggest films of the year are also the most nominated, and they got their wish twice over this year,” Kyle Buchanan, our awards season columnist, told us.
He’s talking about “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer,” the two titanic blockbusters that are now dominating the competition for best picture. “Oppenheimer” is expected to come out on top, but other categories like best actress are full of suspense. (Check out all of Kyle’s predictions).
Before the show, catch up on the nominated films that you missed, take our quiz and fill out your own predictions ballot.
Are travel agents worth it?
Decades ago, your vacation most likely began with a visit to a travel agent, who would help you find deals and book tickets. Now you can do that and more with a few taps of a smartphone. But that doesn’t mean travel professionals can’t be helpful: You may want to consider an agent for international journeys with multiple itineraries, or for specialist trips like bike tours or safaris.
For more travel hacks and hints, check out our Travel 101 series.
Are you a floor person?
Josh Patner, a 61-year-old from Brooklyn, finds it relaxing to stretch out on the floor of his home, or even at his friends’ places. Lily Bishop, a 27-year-old from Chicago, and Kara Lennon, a 24-year-old from Boston, both feel the same.
It turns out it’s not all that unusual for people to find particular peace in lying on the floor. But more people are catching on to the practice thanks to hashtags like #floortime on social media. It’s like “pressing the reset button for a second,” Lennon said.
Have a grounded weekend.
Thanks for reading. I’ll be back on Monday. — Matthew
Daniel E. Slotnik contributed to this newsletter.
We welcome your feedback. Write to us at [email protected].