News Wrap: Biden, Xi set to meet at economic summit in San Francisco

Geoff Bennett:

In the day's other headlines: President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet next Wednesday for the first time in nearly a year.

The White House announced the high-stakes talks on trade, Taiwan and other disputes will come during an Asian-Pacific summit in San Francisco. A statement said the leaders will discuss ways to — quote — "responsibly manage competition and work together where our interests align."

President Biden has formally entered the first primary on the Democratic presidential calendar for 2024. Vice President Harris filed the paperwork today to get the ticket on the South Carolina ballot next February 3.

The vice president was in Columbia, joined by Congressman Jim Clyburn. His endorsement in the state's 2020 primary set Mr. Biden on the path to victory after early primary losses.

Kamala Harris, Vice President of the United States: So I'm here to first and foremost thank everybody. Because of what you did in 2020, we have then come into office and, with your support, done a number of things that have been transformational for our country, because of the work of the folks here in South Carolina.

Geoff Bennett:

The Biden team pushed for having South Carolina kick off the primary schedule to give Black voters and other voters of color a bigger say in picking the nominee.

New York Mayor Eric Adams has confirmed that the FBI seized phones and an iPad from him this past week. It's part of an investigation into his campaign finances. Agents had already searched the home of his top fund-raiser. In a statement today, Adams said he has nothing to hide and is cooperating with the probe.

In Northern France, more than 100 towns faced severe flooding danger today after days of downpours. Overflowing rivers have spilled into streets and inundated homes. Some 200 schools have closed and miles of farmland are also underwater.

Jean-Loup Mionnet, Strawberry Farmer:

The next season in April is compromised. I risk having oxidized strawberries, diseases, fungi. These are 1-year-old plants, so I surely risk having zero production or a really low one, at minimum.

Geoff Bennett:

Forecasters say the region will stay on red alert for flooding through Saturday.

The U.N. now says catastrophic flooding across East Africa is a once-in-a-century event. Unprecedented rain touched off deluges this week that killed at least 29 people in Somalia and forced more than 300,000 others from their homes. Skies cleared today in Mogadishu, but roads and residential areas were still underwater along with more than three million acres of farmland. Northern Kenya has also been hard-hit.

Back in this country, Las Vegas hotel workers reached a tentative contract deal today with Wynn Resorts just hours before a strike deadline. The five-year deal follows similar agreements with Caesars and MGM, covering some 40,000 hotel and food service workers. Negotiations are continuing with 24 smaller casinos.

The Big Ten Conference banned Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh today from the final regular season games, starting with Penn State tomorrow. It's punishment for allegedly using scouts to steal play-calling signs from rivals. Michigan said it will ask a court to block the ban.

On Wall Street, stocks recouped Thursday's losses, and then some, as interest rate worries eased a bit. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 391 points to close at 34283. The Nasdaq rose 276 points. The S&P 500 added 68.

And the National Toy Hall of Fame has a new class of inductees, led by the Fisher-Price Corn Popper. Fans voted to add the push toy designed to help babies walk. It had been a finalist more than once. The other inductees are baseball cards, Cabbage Patch Kids, and Nerf foam toys. But Barbie's friend Ken was passed over, despite the summer blockbuster movie.