Live from NPR News in Washington, I'm Jack Spear. President Biden is making his pitch

to voters about his handling of the U.S. economy and drawing a contrast with Republicans.

His NPR's Tamar Keith explains he delivered the remarks shortly after news broke that his

son Hunter had been indicted on three gun-related charges.

Biden was upbeat, both in disposition and about the state of the U.S. economy.

He didn't address his son's situation, but did say this.

Biden touted job gains and improved inflation, and he promised to work hard to get gas prices

back down.

As for Republicans, he criticized their ideas for tax and spending cuts, and said House

Republicans have gone back on their word, as they threaten another government shutdown.

Tamar Keith and P.R. News

A growing number of states and cities are moving to return benefit checks to children in

foster care. California is the latest, more of M.P.R.s. Joseph Shapiro.

States routinely take the checks of children in foster care who get Social Security benefits

because they are orphans or disabled.

The money is used to pay back the cost of foster care, although no other children get

charged for their foster care.

In 2021, an investigation by NPR in the Marshall Project found that at least 49 states in the

District of Columbia take that money.

Since then, 15 states and cities have taken steps to preserve the money for kids when they

go home or age out of foster care.

This week, lawmakers in California expanded on steps they'd already taken and passed

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