Biden talks to California woman in weekly address

President Joe Biden gave a pep talk to a California woman who was laid off because of coronavirus pandemic during a conversation White House said is part of an effort to help him eng more consistently with regular Americans.

White House on Saturday released a two-and-a-half-minute video of Biden's long-distance telephone conversation with a woman identified only as Michele.

After losing her job at a startup clothing company in July, she wrote Biden a letter.

He read it, n called her.

Roseville, California, woman told Biden "it's been a tough time" trying to find work.

Biden, who spoke from his Oval Office desk, replied that his far used to say a job is about dignity and respect as much as it is about a paycheck.

He described his $1.9 trillion (US dollar) coronavirus relief plan, which calls for $1,400 payments to people like Michele, and or ecomic aid for individuals and small businesses.

re's also money to help distribute coronavirus vaccines.

"I've been saying a long time, idea that we think we can keep businesses open and moving and thriving without dealing with this pandemic is just a nstarter," Biden said.

conversation is part of an effort to help Biden communicate directly with Americans, White House said.

Biden, 78, has largely limited his travel because of pandemic, though he did fly to Wilmington, Delaware, on Friday to spend weekend at home with his family.

"re is a time-houred tradition in country of hearing from president in this way," press secretary Jen Psaki said Friday in previewing video.

She referenced Franklin D. Roosevelt's "fireside chats" and Ronald Reagan's establishment of a weekly radio address.

radio address eventually grew to include a video version viewed over internet.

practise, however, became moribund under former President Donald Trump.

Psaki said Biden's weekly address would be produced in a variety of forms.