Biden steps to State of the Union lectern at fraught moment

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will deliver his first State of the Union address at a precipitous moment for the nation.

Biden is aiming to navigate the country out of a pandemic, reboot his stalled domestic agenda and confront Russia’s aggression.

The speech Tuesday night had initially been conceived by the White House as an opportunity to highlight the improving coronavirus outlook and rebrand Biden’s domestic policy priorities as a way to lower costs for families grappling with soaring inflation.

But the speech has taken on new significance with last week’s Russian invasion of Ukraine and nuclear saber-rattling by Vladimir Putin.