Biden Administration

The Associated Press reports: President Joe Biden won’t enforce a ban on TikTok that is set to take effect a day before he leaves office on Monday, a U.S. official said Thursday, leaving its fate in the hands of Trump. Congress last year, in a law signed by Biden, required that TikTok’s China-based parent company ByteDance divest the company by …

The Associated Press reports: Millions of Americans with obesity would be eligible to have popular weight-loss drugs like Wegovy or Ozempic covered by Medicare or Medicaid under a new rule the Biden administration proposed Tuesday morning. The costly proposal from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services immediately sets the stage for a showdown between the powerful pharmaceutical industry …

CBS News reports: This Thanksgiving week could see record travel numbers according to federal leaders. The Transportation Department says its coordinating with federal agencies and airlines to try to ensure the holiday season goes smoothly despite the uptick in travelers. “These will likely be some of the busiest travel days in U.S. history,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said. “We can …

Gothamist reports: MTA officials hope the outgoing Biden administration gives New York a parting gift: the speedy approval of congestion pricing. During a hastily rescheduled meeting on Monday, the MTA board approved a new version of the tolls, which aim to charge drivers a $9 daytime fee to enter Manhattan south of 60th Street starting Jan. 5 — 40% lower …

From the Department of Transportation: The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) today announced the immediate availability of $100 million in Emergency Relief funds for the North Carolina Department of Transportation to help pay for the costs of immediate emergency work resulting from Hurricane Helene flood damage. “Working in close coordination with North Carolina, we are providing this …

CNBC reports: The Department of Justice and eight states on Friday accused software company RealPage of unlawfully scheming to undermine competition among landlords and create a monopoly that harms millions of renters. RealPage “allows landlords to manipulate, distort, and subvert market forces,” the Justice Department said in a civil complaint in U.S. District Court in North Carolina. “At bottom, RealPage …

Via press release from the Justice Department: The Justice Department issued the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on the Supreme Court’s decision in Fischer v. United States: “January 6 was an unprecedented attack on the cornerstone of our system of government — the peaceful transfer of power from one administration to the next. I am disappointed by …

CNBC reports: An important economic measure for the Federal Reserve showed Friday that inflation during May slowed to its lowest annual rate in more than three years. The core personal consumption expenditures price index increased just a seasonally adjusted 0.1% for the month and was up 2.6% from a year ago, the latter number down 0.2 percentage point from the …

The Associated Press reports: Nearly 200 people have been charged in a sweeping nationwide crackdown on health care fraud schemes with false claims topping $2.7 billion, the Justice Department said on Thursday. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the charges against doctors, nurse practitioners and others across the U.S. accused of a variety of scams, including a $900 million scheme in …

From the State Department: In honor of Pride Month, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will host a convening and reception for U.S. leaders championing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex (LGBTQI+) equality across the U.S. government and around the world on Thursday, June 27, at the Department of State. The convening will begin at 1:00 p.m. EDT in …

CNBC reports: The Biden administration on Wednesday said it will impose inflation penalties on 64 prescription drugs for the third quarter of this year, lowering costs for certain older Americans enrolled in Medicare. President Joe Biden has made lowering U.S. drug prices a key pillar of his health-care agenda and reelection platform for 2024. A provision of Biden’s Inflation Reduction …

“In honor of Pride Month, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will host a convening and reception for U.S. leaders championing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex (LGBTQI+) equality across the U.S. government and around the world on Thursday, June 27, at the Department of State. “The convening will begin at 1:00 p.m. EDT in the Burns Auditorium, and …

Politico reports: The Biden administration is setting up new tripwires for Donald Trump at America’s premier health research agency to safeguard against political interference if Trump wins in November. The White House fears Trump could try to advance an ideological agenda at the National Institutes of Health, like the ones he’s suggested on everything from vaccines to diversity policies. In …

Axios reports: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is scheduled to undergo a medical procedure Friday and will be temporarily relinquish his duties, the Pentagon said. The announcement comes after criticism to the initial secrecy surrounding Austin’s two-week hospitalization earlier this year following complications from prostate cancer treatment. The non-surgical procedure is elective and a minimally invasive follow-up to a bladder issue …

Axios reports: Department of Justice officials said Tuesday unprecedented threats against election workers are being “supercharged by advanced technologies” including artificial intelligence. Attorney General Merrick Garland said at a briefing ahead of a DOJ Election Threats Task Force meeting there has been “a dangerous increase in violent threats against public servants” ahead of November’s election. In a “particularly disturbing trend,” …

Reuters reports: Major U.S. airlines are suing the U.S. Transportation Department over a new rule requiring upfront disclosure of airline fees, the latest clash between air carriers and the Biden administration. Airlines for America, along with American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, JetBlue Airways, Hawaiian Airlines. and Alaska Airlines filed suit against the department (USDOT) in the U.S. Fifth …

Axios reports: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said today at the World Economic Forum in Riyadh that Israel has given “a very generous” hostage deal proposal that could lead to a ceasefire in Gaza and urged Hamas to accept it soon. White House officials say they are extremely focused on getting a deal and that the war in Gaza …

The New York Times reports: The Biden administration announced expansive new protections on Friday for gay and transgender medical patients, prohibiting federally funded health providers and insurers from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. The new rule reverses a policy instituted by the Trump administration and helps to fulfill part of President Biden’s vow to restore …

Roll Call reports: The Biden administration on Friday finalized new rules designed to bolster legal protections at colleges and universities for LGBTQ+ and pregnant students and victims of sexual misconduct. The new rules do not address the politically contentious issue of transgender athletes competing on women’s sports teams, however. The rules released Friday update Title IX, the 1972 law that …

The Daily Beast reports: The Biden administration on Thursday announced that it is moving to close the so-called gun-show loophole in which people selling guns online, at shows, and other informal venues have been able to do so without conducting background checks on their customers. The Justice Department said it has submitted a final rule to the federal register that …