Tag Archives: Biden Administration

CNN reports: The Biden administration is extending the pause on federal student loan payments one last time until January 31. The pandemic relief benefit was set to expire on September 30 after an unprecedented 19-month suspension. The freeze was initially put in place by Congress and then extended by both the Trump and Biden administrations. “As our nation’s economy continues …

The Associated Press reports: The U.S. has donated and shipped more than 110 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to more than 60 countries, ranging from Afghanistan to Zambia, the White House announced Tuesday. President Joe Biden was expected to discuss that milestone and more later Tuesday in remarks updating the public on the U.S. strategy to slow the spread of …

The New York Times reports: Vaccinations and federal aid helped lift the U.S. economy out of its pandemic-induced hole this spring. The next test will be whether that momentum can continue as coronavirus cases rise, masks return and government help wanes. Gross domestic product, the broadest measure of economic output, grew 1.6 percent in the second quarter of the year, …

Mediaite reports: The Department of Homeland Security reminded Floridians ahead of a flotilla scheduled to travel near Cuba on Thursday that it was “illegal” to travel to the island nation without permission from the federal government. “It is illegal for boaters to depart with the intent to travel to Cuba for any purpose without a permit,” the department said in …

The Washington Post reports: Attorney General Merrick Garland on Monday formally prohibited federal prosecutors from seizing the records of journalists in leak investigations, with limited exceptions, reversing years of department policy. The new policy largely codifies the commitment Garland made in June, when he said the Justice Department would abandon the practice of seizing reporters’ records in leak investigations. It …

The Associated Press reports: The Biden administration on Monday blamed China for a hack of Microsoft Exchange email server software that compromised tens of thousands of computers around the world earlier this year. The administration and allied nations also disclosed a broad range of other cyberthreats from Beijing, including ransomware attacks from government-affiliated hackers that have targeted companies with demands …

The New York Times reports: Facebook and the Biden administration engaged in an increasingly rancorous back and forth over the weekend after the administration denounced the social media giant for spreading misinformation about the Covid-19 vaccines. On Sunday, the surgeon general, Vivek Murthy, reiterated warnings that false stories about the vaccines had become a dangerous health hazard. “These platforms have …

Reuters reports: The State Department on Tuesday called for calm in the republic of Georgia after the death of a cameraman beaten up during violence against LGBT activists and said those who attacked peaceful protesters and journalists should be prosecuted. State Department spokesman Ned Price told a regular news briefing that Washington was following the situation in Georgia and was …

Via press release from the Department of Education: The U.S. Department of Education (Department) announced today the approval of over 1,800 borrower defense to repayment (borrower defense) claims for borrowers who attended three institutions: Westwood College, Marinello Schools of Beauty and the Court Reporting Institute. This is the first time the Department has announced approved borrower defense claims for students …

The Washington Post reports: The Biden administration on Thursday announced the formation of “surge response” teams intended to combat the fast-moving delta variant of the coronavirus by deploying additional expertise and supplies to hot spots. “These are dedicated teams working with communities at higher risk for, or already experiencing, outbreaks due to the spread of the delta variant and their …

NBC News reports: Attorney General Merrick Garland ordered a temporary stop Thursday to scheduling further federal executions. In a memo to senior officials, he said serious concerns have arisen about the arbitrariness of capital punishment, its disparate impact on people of color, and “the troubling number of exonerations” in death penalty cases. “The Department of Justice must ensure that everyone …

Democracy Docket reports: On Friday, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced that the Department of Justice (DOJ) will form a criminal task force to investigate threats made against election workers across the country. The task force will put the resources of multiple DOJ divisions, including the Criminal Division, Civil Rights Division and the FBI, behind efforts to protect the workers who …

The Hill reports: President Biden on Friday named Jessica Stern as the State Department’s U.S. special envoy to advance the human rights of LGBTQI+ persons, an announcement that coincides with the White House’s celebration of Pride month. The position was left vacant under the administration of former President Trump. Biden will introduce Stern during remarks in the East Room Friday afternoon …

CNN reports: States across the country are scrambling to close their government offices Friday after President Joe Biden signed legislation establishing Juneteenth as a US federal holiday. While June 19 — which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States — falls on a Saturday this year, governors across the country announced in quick succession a range of plans …

Law & Crime reports: The U.S. Department of Justice on Thursday filed court documents to support two separate lawsuits filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) which argue that recently passed anti-transgender laws in West Virginia and Arkansas violate the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution. The filing aligned with a memo put out by the DOJ’s Division …

Axios reports: The Biden administration on Tuesday released the first-ever “National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism,” following a 100-day comprehensive review ordered by President Biden on his first day in office. Why it matters: It’s the first national plan for countering what the White House is calling “the most urgent terrorism threat the United States faces today,” echoing previous assessments …

The Washington Post reports: Attorney General Merrick Garland said Monday that the Justice Department would beef up its policies for obtaining lawmakers’ records and vowed “strict accountability” for officials who let politics affect their work, issuing a lengthy statement amid a metastasizing controversy over department efforts during the Trump administration to obtain the data of congressmen, journalists and even the …

NBC News reports: Attorney General Merrick Garland announced Friday that he plans to double the number of staff within the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division dedicated to protecting voting rights. “There are plenty of things up for debate in America, but the right of all eligible Americans to vote is not one of them,” Garland said. The staffing surge would …

CNN Business reports: The developer of the Keystone XL pipeline announced Wednesday it is pulling the plug on the controversial project after the Biden administration revoked its permit in January. TC Energy, the Canadian company behind the project, said it decided to terminate the project after a comprehensive review of its options and consulting with the government of Alberta, Canada. …

The Wall Street Journal reports: President Biden’s administration plans to donate 500 million coronavirus vaccine doses produced by Pfizer Inc. to the rest of the world, according to people familiar with the plans. The administration expects 200 million of the Pfizer doses will go to other countries this year and 300 million across the first half of next year, one …