Biden is going to the site of last year’s train derailment in Ohio. Republicans say he took too long

By JOSH BOAK
Associated Press

PITTSBURGH (AP) — President Joe Biden is visiting East Palestine, Ohio, over a year after a deadly explosive fire there caused by a 2023 train derailment. The president’s visit Friday to the village of 5,000 is at the invitation of its mayor. The White House says Biden waited for the right moment to visit East Palestine but he has faced criticism that he has ignored the victims. The Environmental Protection Agency is on the verge of finishing an extensive cleanup paid for by the train company, Norfolk Southern. Republicans have blasted Biden for not visiting sooner and there are some enduring tensions in the community.