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In the news today: Biden insists on staying in the race and flubs names at a NATO news conference; the Republican group behind Project 2025 floats a conspiracy theory about the president; and cleaning up poisonous groundwaters from old coal mines. Also, some tips to help you save on your groceries.

President Joe Biden speaks at a news conference on Thursday. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

POLITICS

Key takeaways from Biden’s news conference

Joe Biden faced a test Thursday that he had avoided so far this year — a solo news conference with questions from the White House press corps. The news conference was meant to reassure a disheartened group of Democratic lawmakers, allies and voters that Biden still has the strength and stamina to be president. Read more.

What to know:

• Biden tried to make the case that what he’s doing matters more than how he talks about it. He praised the just finished NATO summit as elevating America’s standing, drilled down on the easing of inflation, and said he would cap rent growth for tenants in tax-credit programs for low-income housing.
  
  

• Biden made at least two notable flubs, referring to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as “President Putin” and then calling Kamala Harris “Vice President Trump” when asked about her by a reporter.
  
  

• There were few fireworks in Biden’s answers. While it didn’t erase the stumbles and blank stares from the debate, it showed that he could engage with reporters’ questions on a range of issues without losing focus.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

• Biden says pressure on him is driven by elites. Voters paint a more complicated picture
  
  
• Biden’s challenge: Will he ever satisfy the media’s appetite for questions about his ability?
  
  
• Zelenskyy says to win the war, US needs to lift limits on striking military targets inside Russia

POLITICS

Biden could use ‘force’ to keep power, the group behind Project 2025 suggests

A conservative think tank planning for an overhaul of the federal government in the event of a Republican presidential win is suggesting that Joe Biden might try to hold the White House “by force” if he loses the November election. Read more.

Why this matters:

• The report, issued just ahead of the Republican National Convention, shows how conservative groups supportive of Donald Trump are promoting the same false claims of election fraud that fueled Trump’s attempts to stay in office and are turning the tables on the narrative of which candidate represents the greatest threat to the country’s democratic traditions.
  
  

• The Biden campaign on Thursday denounced the claim. It noted that the group is the same one pushing Project 2025, a nearly 1,000-page blueprint for dismantling parts of the federal government pushing for changes including rolling back protections for the LGBTQ community and infusing Christianity more deeply into society. It said the group was “laying the groundwork to try and steal another election.”

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

• Trump lawyers press judge to overturn hush money conviction after Supreme Court immunity ruling
  
  
• Republicans are gathering in Milwaukee to nominate Donald Trump again. Here’s what to expect
  
  
• Ron DeSantis is now expected to speak at the Republican National Convention, AP source says

CLIMATE

The demand for rare elements could help clean up Appalachia’s abandoned coal mines

Researchers are hoping to realize a long-term dream of cleaning up toxic groundwaters that flow out of old coal mines. They've long wanted to do this to address pollution in waterways, but now there's another reason: pioneering methods for extracting rare earth minerals and valuable metals from the drainage. Read more.

Why this matters:

• Coal that powered steel mills and locomotives and helped industrialize America is blamed for contributing to global warming, and coal mine drainage has poisoned waterways across Appalachia. 
  
  

• The pilot project run by West Virginia University is now part of an intensifying worldwide race to develop a secure supply of the valuable metals and, with more federal funding, it could grow into a commercial-scale enterprise.
  
  

• For the U.S., which is beholden to a Chinese-controlled supply of these valuable metals, the pursuit of rare earth elements is also a national security priority.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

• Cavers exploring in western Virginia rescue ‘miracle’ dog found 40 to 50 feet down in cave
  
  
• US miners’ union head calls House Republican effort to block silica dust rule an ‘attack’ on workers
  
  
• ‘War on coal’ rhetoric heats up as Biden seeks to curb pollution with election looming

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IN OTHER NEWS

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Today in History: In 1862, Abraham Lincoln authorizes the Army Medal of Honor

WATCH

Name mix-up: Biden accidentally refers to Ukraine’s Zelenskyy as ‘President Putin’

Mass stranding: Dozens of whales die in mass stranding on beach in Orkney Islands

Hollywood stuntman: Estonian man walks across Italy’s Strait of Messina on a slackline

Wedding anniversary: 90-year-old skydives in memory of his late wife

Iconic animated series: ‘SpongeBob’ celebrates 25 years by hosting Kids’ Choice Awards

A CHANGE OF PACE

A customer checks prices while shopping at a grocery store. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Groceries are expensive, but they don’t have to break the bank
Unlike other items, you can’t just stop buying groceries when they get pricey. There’s nothing you can do about inflation, but you can find ways to save on groceries so they don’t heavily impact your wallet or your eating habits.

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