Biden Administration

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 Hill reports: The White House on Friday condemned what it called “shameful, hateful and dangerous” attacks on the LGBTQ community, and transgender people in particular, pointing to comments from a speaker at a major conservative conference last week and a barrage of bills introduced in GOP-led state legislatures. Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre spoke at Friday’s briefing about the rhetoric …

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 …

Politico reports: The U.S. government still has not reached a consensus on how the coronavirus pandemic started, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters Monday — despite news reports that the Energy Department has concluded the virus most likely leaked from a lab in China. “The intelligence community and the rest of the government is still looking at this,” …

The Hill reports: Attorney General Merrick Garland is scheduled to appear on Capitol Hill this week for the first time in the 118th Congress, testifying before a Senate panel as the Justice Department continues its investigations into the current and former presidents. The Senate Judiciary Committee has released little information regarding the hearing, which is titled “Oversight of the Department …

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 …

CNN reports: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken today announced $100 million in disaster relief aid for Turkey and Syria as the countries grapple with the aftermath of a powerful 7.8 magnitude earthquake that has killed at least 46,000 people. The top US diplomat, who took a helicopter tour Sunday of some of the hardest-hit areas alongside Turkish foreign minister …

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 …

Bloomberg News reports: U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh is leaving the Biden administration, according to people familiar with the matter. He has been offered the job as executive director of the NHL Players’ Association, which represents professional hockey players in Canada and the US. Walsh is the first member of President Joe Biden’s Cabinet to step down. His exit …

Via press release from the White House: Jill and I were deeply saddened by the news of the devastating earthquakes that have thus far claimed thousands of lives in Turkiye and Syria. My Administration has been working closely with our NATO Ally Turkiye, and I authorized an immediate U.S. response. At my direction, senior American officials reached out immediately to …

Reuters reports: The White House on Tuesday expressed outrage on Tuesday at Exxon Mobil Corp’s record net profit in 2022 of $56 billion, a historical high not just for the company but for the entire Western oil industry. Oil majors are expected to break their own annual records due to high prices and soaring demand, pushing their combined take to …

The New York Times reports: President Biden said on Friday that Jeffrey D. Zients, who served as the coronavirus response coordinator and a chairman of Mr. Biden’s transition, would take over as the White House chief of staff. The formal announcement came several days after it was reported that Mr. Zients had been tapped to replace Ron Klain, the longtime …

The New York Times reports: Economic growth remained solid at the end of last year as the strong job market and cooling inflation allowed Americans to keep spending despite fears of a recession. U.S. gross domestic product, adjusted for inflation, increased at an annual rate of 2.9 percent in the fourth quarter of 2022, the Commerce Department said Thursday. That …

CNN Business reports: The US Transportation Department said it is in the early stages of an investigation into the Southwest Airlines holiday travel meltdown in December. The probe includes an examination of whether Southwest is scheduling more flights than it can handle. “DOT is in the initial phase of a rigorous and comprehensive investigation into Southwest Airlines’ holiday debacle that …

Axios reports: Former COVID-19 czar Jeff Zients is expected to serve as President Biden’s next chief of staff, replacing Ron Klain, who plans to leave the post in February, a person familiar with the matter told Axios. Zients will be tasked with guiding the administration through Biden’s likely reelection campaign and as congressional Republicans have unleashed a battery of investigations …

Bloomberg News reports: President Joe Biden’s chief of staff, Ron Klain, is preparing to leave his post in the coming weeks, a high-profile departure as the White House faces two years of a divided Congress and prepares for an expected reelection bid, people familiar with the matter said. Klain has informed Biden of his plans to leave, but the timing …

The Washington Post reports:  The Biden administration began “extraordinary measures” Thursday to prevent the federal government from breaching its debt limit and hurtling toward default, a grim scenario with the potential to destabilize markets and devastate the economy. Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen told lawmakers that officials will alter certain federal investments to preserve the nation’s credit until summer — …

The New York Times reports: Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on Thursday appointed Robert K. Hur, a veteran prosecutor who worked in the Trump administration, to handle the investigation into how classified documents from President Biden’s time as vice president ended up at his private office and home. The appointment of Mr. Hur, who previously served as the U.S. attorney …