"The President authorized an immediate US response in addition to the US personnel currently on the ground," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre tells reporters after US President Joe Biden promised his country's assistance after a major 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit Turkey and Syria, killing thousands of people. "We are in the process of deploying additional teams to support Turkish search and rescue efforts and address the needs of those injured and displaced by the earthquake," she adds. SOUNDBITE