News Wrap: Assad makes surprise visit to Russia

GWEN IFILL:

For Democrats, a season of uncertainty is at an end: Vice President Joe Biden will not join the presidential race after all.

He'd pondered the possibility at least since summer, and announced his decision today in the White House Rose Garden. Joined by his wife, Jill, and President Obama, he said he and his family took the time to consider all political options after his son Beau died of cancer in may.

JOSEPH BIDEN, Vice President of the United States: Unfortunately, I believe we are out of time, the time necessary to mount a winning campaign for the nomination.

But while I will not be a candidate, I will not be silent. This party, our nation will be making a tragic mistake if we walk away or attempt to undo the Obama legacy. The American people have worked too hard and we have come too far for that. Democrats shouldn't only defend this record and protect this record. They should run on this record.

GWEN IFILL:

The vice president urged his party to oppose the influence of unlimited campaign contributions and to support making college more accessible. He also warned against a partisan divide that he said is ripping the country apart.

JOSEPH BIDEN:

It's mean-spirited, it's petty, and it's gone on for much too long. I don't believe, like some do, that it's naive to talk to Republicans.

I don't think we should look at Republicans as our enemies. They are our opposition. They're not our enemies. And for the sake of the country, we have to work together.

GWEN IFILL:

The Biden decision removed a potential challenge to Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton. She, in turn, praised him as a good friend and a great man. We will look more deeply into the decision, and its implications, after the news summary. JUDY WOODRUFF: In other news, Syria's President Bashar al-Assad has made a surprise visit to Moscow, his first known trip abroad since civil war broke out in his country in 2011. Russia and Syrian officials now say that Assad held talks yesterday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, and that he expressed gratitude for Russian support, including from warplanes and military helicopters.

BASHAR AL-ASSAD, President of Syria (through interpreter): To begin with, thank you to the country of Russia. Terrorism which we see spreading today could have been more widespread and more harmful if not for your decisions and steps. With all certainty, a political solution decided upon by the people of Syria is the future of Syria in the way that we envision, and this is everyone's goal. JUDY WOODRUFF: News of the visit wasn't confirmed until Assad was safely back in Damascus. Also today, the Russians announced that Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will meet with Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday in Vienna. They will be joined by counterparts from Saudi Arabia and Turkey. GWEN IFILL: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu drew a storm of criticism today for linking the Holocaust to a Palestinian leader from World War II.

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, Prime Minister, Israel:

In Jerusalem yesterday, Netanyahu cited a 1941 meeting involving the grand mufti of Jerusalem, a known Nazi sympathizer. He had a central role in fomenting the final solution. He flew to Berlin. Hitler didn't want to exterminate the Jews at the time. He wanted to expel the Jews. And Haj Amin al-Husseini went there and said, "If you expel them, they will all come here."

"So, what should I do with them?" he asked.

He said, "Burn them."

GWEN IFILL:

Palestinians, along with Holocaust experts and survivors and the chancellor of Germany, said the comment was factually wrong, and could incite violence.

JUDY WOODRUFF:

Today, as Netanyahu left on a trip to Germany, he said he's not absolving Hitler, but he argued it's absurd to ignore the mufti's statements. President Obama called today for better physician training and other steps to battle an epidemic of prescription drug abuse and heroin use. He traveled to Charleston in West Virginia, the state with the highest rate of overdose deaths in the country. There, he said he will press for expanded treatment for addicts.

GWEN IFILL:

Toyota has ordered a new recall, this time for a faulty power window switch that can overheat and potentially cause a fire. The automaker says more than six-and-a-half million vehicles worldwide are affected. Some two million of those are in the U.S.

Toyota was hit by fines in the U.S. after a 2009 scandal over faulty floor mats, brakes and gas pedals.

JUDY WOODRUFF:

And Wall Street had another down day, after another batch of disappointing corporate earnings. The Dow Jones industrial average lost 48 points to close at 17168. The Nasdaq fell almost 41 points, and the S&P 500 slid nearly 12.