Tag Archives: Biden Administration

Buttigieg Swats Down Talk Of Running For US Senate

Politico reports: Pete Buttigieg said Thursday that he’s planning on staying in his job as Transportation secretary, which he called “the best job in the federal government.” “I don’t have any plans to do any job besides the one I’ve got,” Buttigieg said in an interview with Punchbowl News on the two-year anniversary of his confirmation. He swatted aside questions …

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Commerce Dept: Economy Saw Solid Growth In Q4

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 …

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Biden To Name COVID Czar As Next WH Chief Of Staff

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 …

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REPORT: Biden Chief Of Staff Ron Klain To Step Down

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 …

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US Takes “Extraordinary Measures” To Prevent Default

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 — …

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Garland Appoints Special Counsel In Biden Docs Probe

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 …

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Buttigieg Monitors Airlines During Chaotic Travel Week

Politico reports: Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said he is watching how airlines perform amid a winter storm that will sock most of the country and create blizzard conditions in some states — a storm that was already snarling travel Thursday morning in advance of its path. Buttigieg this week praised the airline industry for what he suggested was a seamless …

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Feds Plan Crackdown On Medicare Advertising Scams

ABC News reports: The rule, proposed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, would ban ads that market Medicare Advantage plans with confusing words, imagery or logos. The new regulation would also prohibit ads that don’t specifically mention a health insurance plan by name. Nationwide TV commercials featuring celebrities have also misled some customers by telling viewers they’ll get …

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Biden Administration Again Offers Free COVID Test Kits

The Associated Press reports: The Biden administration is again making some free COVID-19 tests available to all U.S. households as it unveils its contingency plans for potential coronavirus surges this winter. After a three-month hiatus, the administration is making four rapid virus tests available through covidtests.gov starting Thursday, a senior administration official said. The administration is putting personnel and equipment …

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Labor Dept Issues Strong Jobs Report For November

The New York Times reports: America’s jobs engine kept churning in November, the Labor Department reported Friday, a show of continued demand for workers despite the Federal Reserve’s push to curb inflation by tamping down hiring. Employers created 263,000 jobs, even as a wave of layoffs in the tech industry made headlines. That was only a slight drop from the …

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Biden Admin To End Emergency Declaration On MPOX

Politico reports: The Biden administration is eyeing an end to its public health emergency declaration for MPOX, a sign that officials believe they’ve brought the monthslong outbreak under control. Health officials are likely to issue a 60-day notice later this week for winding down the declaration, two people with knowledge of the matter told POLITICO. Such a move would put …

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Live Video: Garland Discusses “National Security Cases”

NBC News reports: Attorney General Merrick Garland will hold a news conference Monday afternoon to discuss “significant national security cases addressing malign influence schemes and alleged criminal activity by a nation-state actor in the United States,” the Department of Justice announced in an advisory. Garland will speak at 1:30 p.m. ET, and will be joined by Deputy Attorney General Lisa …

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Coney Barrett Rejects Challenge To Student Debt Relief

The New York Times reports: Justice Amy Coney Barrett on Thursday rejected a challenge to President Biden’s student debt relief program from a taxpayers’ association in Wisconsin that said he had overstepped his authority in adopting the sweeping measure, one that could cost the government hundreds of billions of dollars. Justice Barrett denied the association’s challenge without comment, which is …

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Feds To Study How Extreme Weather Impacts Insurance

CNN reports: The Treasury Department announced on Tuesday it is launching an assessment of worsening extreme weather and its impact on the cost of insurance. As climate change is making storms stronger and more destructive, Treasury officials told CNN they want to take a hard look at how climate-related disasters are driving up insurance rates around the country. The department’s …

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Over-The-Counter Hearing Aids Sales Begin Today

Reuters reports: Major U.S. retailers will begin selling lower-cost hearing aids without a prescription or medical exam under final Biden administration rules that take effect Monday. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in August approved the sale of over-the-counter hearing aids, allowing millions of Americans to buy hearing aids without seeing an audiologist and potentially saving individuals thousands of dollars. …

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HHS Purchases Drug For Use In “Nuclear Emergencies”

Via press release from the Department of HHS: As part of long-standing, ongoing efforts to be better prepared to save lives following radiological and nuclear emergencies, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is purchasing a supply of the drug Nplate from Amgen USA Inc; Nplate is approved to treat blood cell injuries that accompany acute radiation syndrome in …

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New Rule Would Force Transparency On Airline Fees

From the Transportation Department: Under the proposed rule, airlines and travel search websites would have to disclose upfront—the first time an airfare is displayed—any fees charged to sit with your child, for changing or cancelling your flight, and for checked or carry-on baggage. The proposal seeks to provide customers the information they need to choose the best deal. Otherwise, surprise …

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US To Resume Processing Immigrant Visas For Cubans

Via press release from the US Embassy in Havana: Consistent with our commitments under the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection to facilitate safe, orderly, humane, and regular migration, the United States is today announcing an expansion of regular pathways available to Cubans wishing to come to the United States and an increase in personnel at the U.S. Embassy …

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Garland Bans DOJ Appointees From Campaign Events

The Washington Post reports: Justice Department political appointees cannot participate in campaign-related activities in any capacity, Attorney General Merrick Garland said Tuesday, describing the change as necessary “to maintain public trust and ensure that politics — both in fact and appearance — does not compromise or affect the integrity of our work.” The new policy underscores the intense political scrutiny …

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FTC Sues Company For Selling Location Tracking Data

Via press release from the FTC: The Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against data broker Kochava Inc. for selling geolocation data from hundreds of millions of mobile devices that can be used to trace the movements of individuals to and from sensitive locations. Kochava’s data can reveal people’s visits to reproductive health clinics, places of worship, homeless and domestic …

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