Biden to address Sharpton group after missing deadline on menthol ban it opposed

President Joe Biden will speak to a group headed by civil rights leader Al Sharpton just days after missing the deadline to finalize a menthol cigarette ban that the organization opposed.

Sharpton founded the National Action Network, which for years has opposed bans on flavored cigars and menthol cigarettes, citing the potential for racial targeting by the police. Biden’s Food and Drug Administration first proposed banning menthols in April 2022 but missed a deadline for finalizing the rule at the end of March.