Biden talks election, economy and Middle East in surprise news briefing

After 1,080 days as president, Joe Biden on Friday decided to pop in and take questions in the White House briefing room for the first time. He strode in with a grin after a strong monthly jobs report and the temporary settlement of a strike by ports workers. The president has been less available than his recent predecessors to questions from the White House press corps. That made his surprise appearance welcome to the gathered reporters who waited as his press secretary’s daily briefing was moved up 15 minutes, then delayed for more than 50 minutes. Biden proceeded to answer questions about the 2024 presidential election, the latest jobs numbers and the escalating conflict in the Middle East.