Tag Archives: Biden Administration

The Associated Press reports: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Beijing early Sunday on a high-stakes diplomatic mission to try to cool exploding U.S.-China tensions that have set many around the world on edge. Blinken was to begin two days of talks with senior Chinese officials in the afternoon. He is the highest-level American official to visit China …

Via press release from the Justice Department: The Justice Department issued the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in honor of Pride Month: “As we recognize Pride Month and celebrate the LGBTQI+ community, the Justice Department renews its commitment to protecting the rights of every person to live free from discrimination and persecution based on who they are …

Congress Minutes reports: Former Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney has been nominated by President Joe Biden to serve as a U.S. ambassador for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, according to a White House press statement. If confirmed, the New York Democrat will be heading to Paris for the gig, replacing former Delaware Gov. Jack Markell, who was appointed to …

USA Today reports: The Biden administration will take the first step Monday toward potentially requiring airlines to offer compensation beyond refunds for “controllable” flight cancellations or significant delays, according to a White House official. President Joe Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will announce the government is beginning the rulemaking process to examine whether airlines must also provide compensation and …

CNBC reports: Job growth fared better than expected in April despite bank turmoil and a decelerating economy, the Labor Department reported Friday. Nonfarm payrolls increased 253,000 for the month, beating Wall Street estimates for growth of 180,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The unemployment rate was 3.4% against an estimate for 3.6% and tied for the lowest level …

Politico reports: The Biden administration is updating the nation’s main health privacy law to offer stronger legal protections to people who obtain abortions in their state or who cross state lines for the procedure, as well as their doctors and loved ones. The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights on Wednesday will issue a Notice of …

The Hill reports: HHS Sec. Xavier Becerra said the move by a federal judge in Texas to block the approval of a type of abortion medication could have far-reaching effects on the status of other federally-approved medications and vaccinations. “When you turn upside down the entire FDA approval process, you’re not talking about just mifepristone,” Becerra said on CNN. “You’re …

The Huffington Post reports: The Department of Justice filed an immediate appeal following a Texas federal judge’s shocking decision Friday to pull the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of mifepristone, one of two drugs used in medication abortion. The Justice Department appealed directly to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit on Friday night, only a few hours …

The Washington Post reports: The White House will shut down its covid response team after the public health emergency ends in May, with some staffers already departing and national coordinator Ashish Jha likely to leave the administration once his team is disbanded. The move to disband the White House covid team, created in February 2020 and expanded to about three …

Courthouse News reports: The White House is warning that a proposed Ugandan bill that would outlaw identifying as LGBTQ+ could threaten U.S. aid to the African country. John Kirby, coordinator of strategic communications for the National Security Council, said Wednesday that if the law passes, the Biden administration would consider potential “repercussions, perhaps in an economic way.” “That would be …

NBC News reports: The Biden administration is threatening a potential ban on TikTok in the United States if the video sharing app’s Chinese owners refuse to sell their stakes in it, a source close to the company told NBC News on Thursday. The source, however, cautioned that the company did not see the administration’s move as a final order. Talks …

USA Today reports: The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday proposed limiting the amount of harmful “forever chemicals” in drinking water to the lowest level that tests can detect, a long-awaited protection the agency said will save thousands of lives and prevent serious illnesses, including cancer. The plan marks the first time the EPA has proposed regulating a toxic group of …

The Washington Post reports: The Biden administration announced Sunday night that all depositors at the failed Silicon Valley Bank would have access to all their money on Monday morning, approving an extraordinary intervention aimed at averting a crisis in the financial system. Authorities said they were also extending protection to depositors of a second bank, Signature Bank of New York, …

CNBC reports: After regulators shuttered Silicon Valley Bank and seized its deposits Friday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Sunday that she has been working “to address the situation in a timely way,” but that a major government bailout is not on the table. “Let me be clear that during the financial crisis, there were investors and owners of systemic …

The New York Times reports: Employers added 311,000 jobs in February, the Labor Department reported Friday, continuing a hotter-than-anticipated streak that has created abundant opportunities for job seekers while frustrating the Federal Reserve in its drive to contain stubborn inflation. The unemployment rate ticked up to 3.6 percent, still an exceptionally low level brought about both by robust job creation …

Reuters reports: The White House is jumping into state-level battles for women’s reproductive rights, lending legal and messaging advice to allies in states pushing restrictions as the Biden administration seeks to make abortion access a rallying cry in next year’s presidential election. By leaning on key local lawmakers and backing legislation to expand abortion rights, the White House is hoping …

Congress Minutes reports: Attorney General Merrick Garland is set to testify before the Judiciary Committee today, in what marks his first trip to Capitol Hill this year. The hearing will broadly cover oversight of the Justice Department. But expect Republicans to grill the AG on his oversight of multiple special counsel investigations, along with the DOJ’s probe of classified documents …

The Associated Press reports: Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg wants the nation’s freight railroads to immediately act to improve safety while regulators try to strengthen safety rules in the wake of a fiery derailment in Ohio that forced evacuations when toxic chemicals were released and burned. Buttigieg announced a package of reforms Tuesday — two days after he warned the railroad …

ABC News reports: Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg sent a letter Sunday to the CEO of Norfolk Southern, warning that the freight rail company must “demonstrate unequivocal support for the people” of East Palestine, Ohio, and surrounding areas after a fiery train derailment. “Norfolk Southern must live up to its commitment to make residents whole — and must also live up …

PBS reports: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre holds a news briefing on Monday with National Security Council spokesman John Kirby after 3 more unidentified flying objects were shot down over the weekend. A U.S. fighter jet shot down an “unidentified object” over Lake Huron on Sunday on orders from President Joe Biden. It was the fourth such downing in …