Tag Archives: Biden Administration

Roll Call reports: Deb Haaland, a former Democratic House member and Interior secretary under Joe Biden, launched a run for New Mexico governor on Tuesday. Haaland would be the nation’s first Native American woman to serve as a governor if she is elected to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, herself a former House lawmaker. In a video message …

The New York Times reports: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau moved on Tuesday to ban medical debt from appearing on credit reports, potentially lifting the credit scores of about 15 million Americans and making it easier for them to obtain loans. The finalized new rule would effectively prohibit loan providers from using medical information while making lending decisions. It is …

The Wall Street Journal reports: The labor market remains in decent health. The latest nonfarm payrolls data shows 227,000 positions were created in November, topping expectations for 214,000 new jobs. Unemployment edged up to 4.2%, matching consensus forecasts. October’s figure, which was affected by hurricanes and strikes, was increased to 36,000 from an initial tally of 12,000, the Bureau of …

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 …

Axios reports: The federal government plans to relaunch its free COVID-19 home testing program at the end of September after suspending the program in March. The Biden administration’s announcement Friday comes as the number of COVID infections grows in a summertime surge. The Food & Drug Administration approved new formulations of both Moderna and the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines on Thursday. …

Ars Technica reports: The US government will pay Moderna $176 million to develop an mRNA vaccine against a pandemic influenza—an award given as the highly pathogenic bird flu virus H5N1 continues to spread widely among US dairy cattle. The funding flows through BARDA, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, as part of a new Rapid Response Partnership Vehicle (RRPV) …

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 Christian Post reports: A nonpartisan national security think tank has filed a lawsuit in search of answers from the Biden administration about how taxpayers are supporting Jessica Stern, an LGBT activist who serves as the U.S. Special Envoy to Advance the Human Rights of “LGBTQI+ Persons.” The Center to Advance Security in America filed the lawsuit against the U.S. …

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 …

US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy writes: The mental health crisis among young people is an emergency — and social media has emerged as an important contributor. Adolescents who spend more than three hours a day on social media face double the risk of anxiety and depression symptoms, and the average daily use in this age group, as of the summer …

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 …

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 …

The Associated Press reports: The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will move to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, The Associated Press has learned, a historic shift to generations of American drug policy that could have wide ripple effects across the country. The DEA’s proposal, which still must be reviewed by the White House Office of Management and Budget, would …

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 …

Politico reports: Passengers whose flights are canceled or “significantly” delayed won’t have to fight to get a cash refund from the airline under a new Biden administration rule issued Wednesday. The rule comes after more than a year of promises by the administration to shore up protections for air passengers, who have suffered through a glut of delays, cancellations and …

NBC News reports: The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to consider whether the Biden administration can lawfully regulate so-called ghost guns — firearms that are made from kits available online that people can assemble at home. The justices took up a Biden administration appeal in defense of regulations that a lower court invalidated. The provisions in question are currently in …