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Joe Biden diagnosed with prostate cancer

Rebecca Morin   Paste BN

Happy Monday! Rebecca Morin here. SNL’s 50th season has come to a close, but not before spoofing President Donald Trump’s recent trip to the Middle East. 

Joe Biden’s cancer diagnosis

The former president of the United States has cancer. Joe Biden was diagnosed with an "aggressive form" of prostate cancer that has spread to the bone, a spokesperson said in a statement on Sunday. The 82-year-old was diagnosed on May 16 after "experiencing urinary symptoms," and a "nodule" was discovered on his prostate, the statement said. While the diagnosis indicates Biden has one of the worst forms of the disease, it "appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management," the spokesperson said. The news comes as a new book has revived questions about Biden's physical and mental fitness when he ran in 2024 to serve a second term. What to know about Biden’s diagnosis. 

  • In his first message after being diagnosed with prostate cancer, Biden issued a thank you for all the support and love he and his wife, Jill Biden, have received. "Cancer touches us all. Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places," Biden wrote in a social media post that includes a smiling picture of the Bidens and their cat, Willow.
  • President Donald Trump said he was "saddened" to hear about his political adversary’s diagnosis and in a statement wished Biden “a fast and successful recovery." Former Vice President Kamala Harris, who became the Democratic presidential nominee after Biden dropped out last year, said Biden “will face this challenge with the same strength, resilience, and optimism that have always defined his life and leadership.”
  • Even as some political leaders expressed their support of Biden, there have been allegations of a cover-up, including by the current president’s own son, Donald Trump Jr. An explosive book out Tuesday by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios’ Alex Thompson has added fuel to the fire. Their book, titled "Original Sin," details how an innermost circle of White House aides protected Biden amid his health decline. 
  • Biden’s cancer diagnosis came on the same day audio was published of his 2023 interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur. In the recording, Biden appears to have halting speech and repeated memory lapses as he speaks about his handling of classified documents as vice president.

A politics pit stop

Trump tax bill passes in key US House committee vote

President Donald Trump scored a big win on Capitol Hill on Sunday. The president’s sweeping tax-cut bill, which had been stalled for days over infighting among Republican lawmakers over spending cuts, cleared the House Budget Committee and will advance toward possible passage in the House of Representatives later this week. Days before the bill was approved by the committee, there was a dispute among hardline Republican conservatives over spending cuts to the Medicaid healthcare program for lower-income Americans and the repeal of green energy tax credits. What to know about the bill.

Got a burning question, or comment, for On Politics? You can submit them here or send me an email at rdmorin@usatoday.com.

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