The number of Americans testing positive for the coronavirus has dropped substantially from an early January zenith, easing the strain on hospitals across the nation that faced danger over the winter holidays.

But new and more transmissible strains of the coronavirus are circulating more widely across the world, and public health experts caution that, even with the beginnings of mass vaccination programs, the public must be more vigilant than ever in protecting themselves and reducing the spread.

“This is the calm before the real storm. I think the darkest days of the pandemic are just ahead of us,” said Michael Osterholm, who directs the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Prevention at the University of Minnesota. 

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More than 25 million Americans have tested positive for the coronavirus, in what is likely only a fraction of the true number of those who have been infected. More than 107,000 Americans are currently hospitalized with the virus. Almost 420,000 Americans have died of the virus, a toll far higher than any other nation on earth.

Nearly 20,000 people have died in just the week since President Biden was inaugurated.

“I think it potentially could get worse,” Anthony FauciAnthony FauciCOVID-19 cases drop, but variants point to dangers ahead First US cases of South Africa virus variant reported in South Carolina Fauci warns COVID-19 situation ‘potentially could get worse’ given new variants MORE, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, said Thursday morning on MSNBC.

The pace of infections has followed a steady and disturbing pattern in the year since the virus was first identified in the United States: Cases rise alarmingly, first in core epicenters and then across the nation, followed by a plateau and a slight decline, before the cycle begins again. 

What worries epidemiologists and health experts is that the declines have so far stalled at successively higher baselines, leading to larger spikes when infections begin accelerating anew.

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The current decline in case counts has an average of 162,000 people testing positive in the United States over the past week — the same level as were testing positive in late November, and nearly triple the number who were testing positive during the worst of the summer surge.

The pattern is likely to accelerate once again as two more transmissible strains — one known in the scientific literature as B.1.1.7 and first identified in the United Kingdom, the second known as B.1.351 and first identified in South Africa — begins spreading faster. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates those strains will become dominant in the United States in the coming weeks. On Thursday, the CDC said it had identified the first two strains of the South African variant in South Carolina.

“Unless we truly, as a nation, come together and follow public health guidance to flatten the curve, as that strain becomes more commonplace, we will see the numbers go up dramatically, we will see hospitalizations go up, and we will see deaths go up,” said Rich Besser, a former CDC director who now runs the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

The crisis situation that California hospitals experienced in December and January has ebbed as local governments have opened new surge facilities and case counts have eased. But the baseline from which a new surge may begin in the coming weeks is far higher than at any previous point in the outbreak.

More than 80 percent of intensive care unit beds are already occupied in 18 states and the District of Columbia, according to state data. Many hospitals are reporting critical staffing shortages. Test positivity rates have fallen, but they remain around 11 percent on average, far higher than epidemiologists say is acceptable. Despite the positive trajectory, a new surge in cases still threatens to overwhelm health care systems.

“If keeping our hospitals functional is the outcome we want, we’ve got a challenge because we’ve already got hospitals in this country that are under duress,” Osterholm said. “Just trying to keep hospitals whole is going to be a major challenge.”

There are early signs of a new surge in some parts of the country that have already gone through a mammoth outbreak. Models from the PolicyLab at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia forecast new surges in New York City and in Washington, D.C., and its surrounding suburbs. Parts of Texas and Florida show signs of increased transmission, the models suggest.

The glimmer of hope represented by the rollout of two groundbreaking vaccines has become an increasing source of frustration for state and local governments as they run into delays from the federal government, hesitancy from the most at-risk communities that are eligible to receive a shot, and errors or confusion in delivering shots once they are deployed.

The federal government has distributed about 47 million doses of vaccine, and just more than half of those doses have been administered, according to federal data. The Biden administration told governors earlier this week it would boost the number of vaccine doses it ships to states.

About 6 percent of Americans have received at least one shot, but just 1 in 100 has received both required doses — a pace that puts the goal of widespread vaccination back several months.

Several other vaccines are nearing the end of their final trials. One potentially promising candidate, developed by Johnson & Johnson, would require only one dose and can be stored more easily than the two already on the market, though it remains unclear exactly how effective that candidate is at preventing infection.

“Having potentially a third vaccine, and then hopefully a fourth vaccine assuming that many of those doses will be available here could be huge,” Besser said. “We need an urgency around vaccinating people quickly.”

A part of the recent decline in cases, some suggest, is widespread behavior changes among members of the public. Many may see the light at the end of the tunnel, and may be hunkering down just a little more to reach the end safely. Health experts hope those behavior changes continue, though they caution that there is still plenty of tunnel to traverse before it ends.

Osterholm cast the initial tunnel as leading to the summer and fall of 2021.

“Our race is a marathon here,” Osterholm said. “Our job is to get the country vaccinated by next summer and next fall.”

The European Union has cleared the Boeing 737 Max for a return to flights in Europe following a nearly two-year ban.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) said on Wednesday that it approved a modified version of the jet, mandating a package of software upgrades, electrical work, operations manual updates and crew training.

“We have every confidence that the aircraft is safe, which is the precondition for giving our approval,” EASA Executive Director Patrick Ky said in a statement.

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“But we will continue to monitor 737 MAX operations closely as the aircraft resumes service. In parallel, and at our insistence, Boeing has also committed to work to enhance the aircraft still further in the medium term, in order to reach an even higher level of safety.”

The Boeing 737 Max was grounded in March 2019 after crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia killed a combined 346 people. The accidents were both attributed to software that was intended to make the plane easier to handle.

Changes to the plane include software updates to the flight control computer and the software. The agency is also mandating training for pilots before they fly the plane.

The EASA decision comes a couple months after the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration cleared the plane for flight. Canada and Brazil have also returned the plane for service.

Sen. Ron WydenRonald (Ron) Lee WydenHillicon Valley: Robinhood restricts trading of companies targeted by Reddit users | Facebook reverses some decisions on removed posts | Lawmakers introduce bill to massively increase mail-in voting Lawmakers introduce legislation to massively expand mail-in voting What the shift in Senate control means for marijuana policy reform MORE (D-Ore.) and Rep. Earl BlumenauerEarl BlumenauerHillicon Valley: Robinhood restricts trading of companies targeted by Reddit users | Facebook reverses some decisions on removed posts | Lawmakers introduce bill to massively increase mail-in voting Lawmakers introduce legislation to massively expand mail-in voting Inauguration parties lose the glitz and glamour in 2021 MORE (D-Ore.) on Thursday introduced legislation to allow all registered voters to have the option to vote from home.

The Vote at Home Act would require all registered voters to be sent mail-in ballots prior to Election Day, guarantee that voters had the option to either vote by mail or vote in person at the polls and enact automatic voter registration for all citizens with driver’s licenses or permits. 

It would be a significant expansion of mail-in voting.

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It would also address concerns around paying for mail-in voting by providing funding to the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to cover the costs of mailing the ballots. 

“Our democracy is stronger when every American can vote, without standing in ridiculous lines or having to take time off work or school to exercise their Constitutional rights,” Wyden, who led over a dozen other Democratic senators in introducing the bill, said in a statement Thursday.

The bill was first introduced in 2017, but did not see passage. The lawmakers reintroduced it following a general election that saw a huge spike in mail-in voting due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic, with just less than half of voters mailing their ballots in 2020. 

Oregon is among the states that had allowed mail-in voting prior to 2020, and was the first state to move to voting almost entirely by mail. Wyden has been among the most vocal senators on election reform and security issues, including pushing hard over the past year to expand mail-in voting during the pandemic.

“To get the big things done that really improve Americans’ lives, our country needs the government to represent all Americans,” Wyden said. “Oregonians know that voting at home is a time-tested, secure and accessible way to vote. It’s high time the rest of the country had the chance to vote the way we do.” 

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Blumenauer warned in a separate statement that the right to vote is “under threat in communities across America.”

“Last year we saw a widespread expansion of vote-at-home access as a safe and secure way to participate during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Blumenauer said. “We should continue to make voting easier, not harder. This important bill would strengthen and clarify the right to vote at home, the most secure and convenient way for voters to exercise the franchise.”

The bill is not the only effort by Democrats to widen the ability for Americans to vote. Democrats in both the House and Senate have reintroduced the For the People Act, a sweeping piece of voting reform legislation that would expand voting access and increase election security, among many other measures. 

Other election-related bills are also likely to see reintroduction, with Sens. Mark WarnerMark Robert WarnerDemocrats introduce measure to boost privacy, security of health data during pandemic Lawmakers introduce legislation to massively expand mail-in voting Warner to quarantine after coronavirus exposure MORE (D-Va.) and Amy KlobucharAmy KlobucharLawmakers introduce legislation to massively expand mail-in voting Senators spar over validity of Trump impeachment trial Sunday shows – Biden agenda, Trump impeachment trial dominate MORE (D-Minn.) intending to reintroduce the Honest Ads Act this year, which would increase the transparency around election advertisements on social media. 

Klobuchar will soon become chairwoman of the elections-focused Senate Rules Committee, telling The Hill earlier this month that she has a full slate of actions planned, including enhancing election security and expanding the use of paper ballots. 

“Some of my key priorities as the Chair of the Rules Committee … will be to make voting easier and more secure and to halt the flood of special interest and dark money that is drowning out the voices of the American people,” Klobuchar said in a statement.

Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev told CNBC on Thursday that the company restricted trading of GameStop stocks to protect the company and users. 

“In order to protect the firm and protect our customers we had to limit buying in these stocks,” Tenev told CNBC’s Andrew Ross Sorkin. 

GameStop stock collapsed Thursday morning by 62 percent, shortly before 11:30 a.m., triggering trade freezes.

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Multiple online trading platforms including Robinhood and TD Ameritrade blocked or restricted trades of the GameStop stock, which has seen major ebbs and flows in recent days after being targeted by users on Reddit. 

Tenev described it as a “difficult decision” to limit users’ buying power, but said they were still allowed to sell those stocks or trade in. 

“We absolutely did not do this at the direction of any market maker or hedge fund or anyone,” Tenev said during an interview segment with CNBC host Sorkin on Thursday evening. 

“Robinhood is a brokerage firm, we have lots of financial requirements. We have SEC net capital requirements and clearing house deposits. So that’s money that we have to deposit at various clearing houses,” Tenev continued.

“Some of these requirements fluctuate quite a bit based on volatility in the market and they can be substantial in the current environment where there’s a lot of volatility and a lot of concentrated activity in these names that have been going viral on social media,” he added. 

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Robinhood’s decision to restrict trades garnered immediate backlash by traders and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle Thursday who argued that the restriction leaves smaller investors at a disadvantage, as major investors and firms have more ways to access GameStop stock. 

Robinhood is a trading app popular among new investors and young people, and the move to restrict buying capacity affected many amateur traders.

A lawsuit has already been filed against Robinhood for restricting buying stocks that were seeing unprecedented levels of growth. 

The company will allow limited buying of these stocks on Friday. 

Sixteen states have used less than half of their distributed coronavirus vaccines even as the country at large faces a crunch in the number of shots going into arms, according to data released Thursday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

According to the CDC’s vaccine tracker, Alabama, Wisconsin, Kansas, Hawaii, Arizona, Pennsylvania, California, Maryland, Minnesota, Idaho, Missouri, Mississippi, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nebraska and Ohio have all administered less than 50 percent of the vaccine doses they’ve received.

The data is the latest sign of a vaccine rollout that started slow and is gradually ramping up. Of the 48,386,275 total doses that have been distributed, just 26,193,682 have thus far been administered.

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Several states, meanwhile, have warned that they are running out of enough doses to keep up with their vaccine appointments.

California has requested the help of Blue Shield of California to allocate vaccines, and Minnesota implemented a lottery to schedule 8,000 appointments for more than 226,000 people who sought one.

The Biden administration has vowed to work to get 100 million doses administered in its first 100 days, a goal some critics say is not big enough. 

To boost the number of shots available, the White House announced this week that it is upping the weekly supply of COVID-19 vaccine doses sent to states by about 16 percent, bringing the supply of doses up from 8.6 million to 10 million. 

“This is going to allow millions more Americans to get vaccinated sooner than previously anticipated,” President Biden said Tuesday in remarks at the White House. “We’ve got a long way to go, though.”

Still, detractors said the increase would make little difference. 

“So we get, instead of 10,000 a day, we get another 1,000 a day?” said Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R). “We’re doing 18,000 a day, so that’s not going to make much of a difference to us at all.”

A group of Democratic lawmakers in the House and Senate on Thursday introduced legislation intended to increase the privacy and security of personal health data collected in connection to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Public Health Emergency Privacy Act would ensure that health data collected during the pandemic could not be used for anything other than public health efforts, along with addressing a slew of potentially discriminatory practices.

These include banning the use of personal health data from contact tracing apps to prohibit voting or to limit housing, education, and employment opportunities. 

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The bill would also require tech groups to delete health data collected after the COVID-19 pandemic is over, for organizations collecting the data to institute strong data security practices, and mandate regular reports on the impact of tools used to collect health data on civil rights.

The legislation was introduced last Congress, but failed to pass either the House or Senate. 

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), who introduced the legislation in the Senate alongside incoming Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark WarnerMark Robert WarnerDemocrats introduce measure to boost privacy, security of health data during pandemic Lawmakers introduce legislation to massively expand mail-in voting Warner to quarantine after coronavirus exposure MORE (D-Va.), described the bill Thursday as “an investment in our public health.”

“Legal safeguards protecting consumer privacy failed to keep pace with technology, and that lapse is costing us in the fight against COVID-19,” Blumenthal said in a statement. “This measure sets strict and straightforward privacy protections and promises: Your information will be used to stop the spread of this disease, and no more.”

Warner noted in a separate statement that as COVID-19 vaccines are given to more Americans, with more data collected, he had “fear” that without new privacy protections for health data, “creeping privacy violations and discriminatory uses of health data could become the new status quo in health care and public health.”

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 The bill was introduced in the House by more than 20 Democrats led by Reps. Suzan DelBeneSuzan Kay DelBeneDemocrats introduce measure to boost privacy, security of health data during pandemic Moderate Democrats press for auto-stabilizers in COVID-19 aid package Democrats eye bill providing permanent benefits of at least K per child MORE (Wash.), Anna EshooAnna Georges EshooDemocrats introduce measure to boost privacy, security of health data during pandemic Hillicon Valley: Intelligence agency gathers US smartphone location data without warrants, memo says | Democrats seek answers on impact of Russian hack on DOJ, courts | Airbnb offers Biden administration help with vaccine distribution Democrats urge tech giants to change algorithms that facilitate spread of extremist content MORE (Calif.), and Jan SchakowskyJanice (Jan) Danoff SchakowskyDemocrats introduce measure to boost privacy, security of health data during pandemic Existing technology can eliminate drunk driving There’s no excuse for the government to put dangerous cars on the road MORE (Ill.). The sponsors highlighted the lack of a federal data privacy law in further making the case for passage of the bill. 

“Data privacy should not end with the pandemic,” DelBene said in a statement. “We need comprehensive privacy reform to protect Americans at all times, including state preemption to create a strong, uniform national standard. I hope that this crisis has shed light on the lack of adequate digital privacy policies in our country and look forward to working with these lawmakers and others to create the necessary standards moving forward.” 

The issue of a federal data privacy law has been one that has been a hotly contested topic on Capitol Hill for years, in particular following the passage of California’s landmark privacy law and the implementation of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation. 

Democrats and Republicans have butted heads over what to include in any federal bill, with the debate likely to gain renewed focus this year. 

President Biden plans to keep FBI Director Christopher Wray in his position, allowing him to continue serving out his 10-year term.

Wray was nominated by then-President TrumpDonald TrumpIran’s leader vows ‘revenge,’ posting an image resembling Trump Former Sanders spokesperson: Biden ‘backing away’ from ‘populist offerings’ Justice Dept. to probe sudden departure of US attorney in Atlanta after Trump criticism MORE to helm the FBI in June 2017, after Trump abruptly fired James ComeyJames Brien ComeyBiden to keep Wray as FBI director Comey: ‘Republican Party has to be burned to the ground’ Juan Williams: The real ‘Deep State’ is pro-Trump MORE from the position as the bureau was investigating his campaign’s communications with Russia.

White House press secretary Jen PsakiJen PsakiOvernight Defense: House approves waiver for Biden’s Pentagon nominee | Biden to seek five-year extension of key arms control pact with Russia | Two more US service members killed by COVID-19 Biden to seek five-year extension of key arms control pact with Russia White House communications director: ‘Biden is not going to be breaking news at 1am on Twitter’ MORE did not directly answer when asked at a briefing Wednesday evening whether Biden had confidence in Wray, saying she had not spoken with Biden about Wray specifically “in recent days.”

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Psaki tweeted Thursday that her remarks caused an “unintentional ripple” and that she “wanted to state very clearly President Biden intends to keep FBI Director Wray on in his role and he has confidence in the job he is doing.”

It is unclear if Biden and Wray have spoken since the new president was sworn in on Wednesday. An FBI official said that all interactions between the bureau and Biden’s team have been “very positive.”

The move had been expected after The New York Times reported in December that Biden intended to keep Wray at the helm of the FBI.

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The FBI director is appointed to a 10-year term, but does not necessarily serve the full term and can be fired by the president or choose to resign. Wray is currently in the fourth year of his term.

Wray has been credited with maintaining the bureau’s independence amid pressure and attacks from Trump, who regularly criticized the FBI’s role in the Russia investigation. Trump publicly criticized Wray last year for his congressional testimony about antifa and Russian election meddling efforts.

Trump considered removing Wray from the position following the election last year but never went through with it, with Wray maintaining strong support from some of Trump’s Republican allies.

The association representing the 14,000 active and retired FBI agents last year voiced support for Wray and urged Biden to keep him in the position.

Biden’s decision to keep Wray means that the director stays on as the bureau withstands scrutiny for its role responding to the riot at the U.S. Capitol earlier this month. The matter is currently under investigation by the Justice Department inspector general.

The decision was welcomed by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam SchiffAdam Bennett SchiffBiden to keep Wray as FBI director Biden urged to reverse Pompeo-Trump move on Houthis Angus King warns of ‘grave danger’ of Trump revealing classified information MORE (D-Calif.), who commended Wray for serving with “great professionalism and integrity.”

“I am glad to see that President Biden intends to keep Director Wray in his position, and restore the 10-year terms for FBI Directors. Such terms, which transcend administrations, were intended to insulate a director from the kind of improper personal or political considerations that led Donald Trump to fire former Director James Comey,” Schiff said.

“I look forward to our continuing work with Director Wray, as we analyze the intelligence and security failures that led to the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol, and the need to dramatically expand the focus and resources devoted to the threat of domestic terrorism,” Schiff continued. 

— Updated at 1:03 p.m.

A new bill introduced Friday by a Democratic lawmaker would double the prison time faced by rioters like those who stormed the Capitol, upping the maximum penalty for insurrection from 10 to 20 years.

The bill, named Stopping Domestic Terrorists Act and introduced by Rep. Josh GottheimerJoshua (Josh) GottheimerTensions running high after gun incident near House floor Lawmaker introduces bill doubling penalty for insurrection following Capitol riots GOP Problem Solvers Caucus co-chairman says he’ll vote in favor of ,000 checks MORE (D-N.J.), comes as the White House has directed agencies to undertake a sweeping interagency effort to root out domestic extremism.

“Two weeks ago, the world witnessed a deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol, incited to overturn our democracy and the will of the American people,” Gottheimer said on a call with reporters.

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“With the new Congress in place and with the new administration in the White House, we must redouble our efforts to prioritize the serious threat domestic terrorism is in our nation,” he said.

“We are not a land of lawless thugs and if you attempt to overthrow it, through violence, you will pay the price,” he added.

If enacted, the doubled sentence would accompany increased efforts by the Biden administration to root out domestic extremism. 

President Biden has asked the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to develop a “comprehensive threat assessment” in coordination with the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security.

“The key point here is that we want fact-based analysis on which we can base policies,” White House press secretary Jen PsakiJen PsakiBiden under pressure to deliver more COVID-19 shots Biden, Trudeau agree to meet next month Democrats seek answers on impact of Russian cyberattack on Justice Department, Courts MORE told reporters at a press conference Friday.

“So this is really the first step in the process, and we’ll rely on the appropriate law enforcement and intelligence officials to provide that analysis,” she added. 

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Gottheimer and others have asked the White House to up the funding for the Office of Community Partnerships, which was renamed the Office of Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention under the Trump administration, when its staffing and funding was reduced.

Doing so “deprioritiz[ed] critical support for efforts to counter the domestic far right, white supremacy extremists, as well as ISIS inspired lone wolf terrorists,” Gottheimer said.

The White House provided few details of its plans, but early efforts will address information sharing between agencies and how to monitor extremist groups. 

National Security Council (NSC) has been directed to undertake a review about how the government can better share information about potential domestic terror threats, deter radicalization and disrupt extremist networks.

The NSC will also lead a governmentwide effort to crack down on “evolving threats and radicalization,” with an eye on the role that social media plays in fomenting extremism.

President-elect Joe BidenJoe BidenCotton: Senate lacks authority to hold impeachment trial once Trump leaves office Marjorie Taylor Greene says she will introduce impeachment articles against Biden ICE acting director resigns weeks after assuming post MORE‘s transition team on Wednesday announced three key national security appointments, including tapping Anne Neuberger, a top official at the National Security Agency (NSA), to serve in a new cybersecurity-focused role on the National Security Council. 

Neuberger, who currently serves as director of cybersecurity at the NSA, will take on the position of deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technology, a new position created as the nation continues to grapple with the fallout of a major Russian cyberattack on federal agencies.

The Biden transition team also announced the selection of Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, the former deputy secretary of the Department of Energy under former President Obama, to serve as deputy national security adviser and homeland security adviser. Russ Travers, the former acting director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), was appointed to serve as deputy homeland security adviser.

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“These dedicated public servants will be integral in keeping the American people safe and building capacity to prepare for and respond to the full spectrum of threats we face — from cyber intrusions to grid attacks, from possible future pandemics to deliberate acts of terror,” Biden said in a statement Wednesday. 

“They will strengthen our resilience to natural disasters, and work with our allies and friends to ensure the cyber rules of the road are made by democracies,” he added. “Our collaborative, cross-agency approach to national security, including our close work with critical infrastructure and the private sector to protect against threats to the American people, will deliver strong results for all Americans.”

Vice President-elect Kamala HarrisKamala HarrisStates and businesses are essential for the US to become a climate leader Biden formally appoints NSA’s Anne Neuberger to key national security position The Hill’s 12:30 Report: House moves toward second impeachment MORE also praised the appointments.

“This outstanding team of dedicated public servants will be ready to hit the ground running on day one to address the transnational challenges facing the American people — from threats at our borders to threats from violent domestic extremists to cyber and disaster preparedness,” Harris said in a separate statement. “They reflect the very best of our nation and they have the knowledge and experience to help build our nation back better for all Americans.”

Politico first reported last week that Neuberger would take on the new position on the National Security Council. The role was created by the incoming Biden administration following the discovery of a Russian cyberattack on IT company SolarWinds that compromised much of the federal government, including the Defense, Homeland Security, Justice and Treasury departments. 

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Neuberger has held multiple positions at the NSA for more than a decade, previously leading the agency’s election security efforts and serving as the assistant deputy director of the NSA’s Operations Directorate and as the NSA’s first chief risk officer. 

The NSA tweeted its congratulations Wednesday, noting Neuberger’s selection by the incoming Biden administration “is a testament to the cybersecurity and technology expertise found in the halls of NSA. We look forward to working with her as she continues her government service.”

Sherwood-Randall has also served extensively in government, including as the White House coordinator for defense policy, countering weapons of mass destruction and arms control in the Obama administration and as the deputy assistant secretary of Defense for Russia, Ukraine and Eurasia during the Clinton administration. 

Sherwood-Randall also previously served as Biden’s chief adviser on foreign and defense policy while he previously represented Delaware in the U.S. Senate. 

Prior to serving as acting director at the NCTC, Travers was deputy director of the agency for seven years and also served on the National Security Council during the Obama administration as a special assistant to the President and senior director for Transnational Threat Integration.

The appointments to key national security positions come weeks after Biden announced his nomination of Alejandro MayorkasAlejandro MayorkasBiden briefed by federal officials on security concerns regarding inauguration Biden formally appoints NSA’s Anne Neuberger to key national security position The Hill’s Morning Report – How many Republicans will vote for Trump’s impeachment? MORE to serve as the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and appointed Jake SullivanJake SullivanBiden formally appoints NSA’s Anne Neuberger to key national security position How should Biden respond to the EU-China deal? After attack on the Capitol, we need a new way to think about America MORE as his national security adviser. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee is set to consider Mayorkas’s nomination at a hearing next week. 

The Biden transition team has not yet announced who will fill the recently created national cyber director role at the White House, or leadership picks for DHS’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, whose leadership was hollowed out after President TrumpDonald TrumpCotton: Senate lacks authority to hold impeachment trial once Trump leaves office Marjorie Taylor Greene says she will introduce impeachment articles against Biden ICE acting director resigns weeks after assuming post MORE fired former director Christopher Krebs and other leaders were asked to step down in November.

Anthony FauciAnthony FauciOvernight Health Care — Fauci: Lack of facts ‘likely’ cost lives in coronavirus fight | CDC changes COVID-19 vaccine guidance to allow rare mixing of Pfizer, Moderna shots | Senate chaos threatens to slow Biden’s agenda Fauci infuriated by threats to family Poll: Plurality of voters say coronavirus vaccine rollout slower than expected MORE, the federal government’s leading infectious disease expert, said it was “chilling” to see the pressure put on scientists during the Trump administration by officials seeking to project rosy messaging on the coronavirus.

Fauci recounted on “The Rachel MaddowRachel Anne MaddowA vaccine, a Burrito and more: 7 lighter, memorable moments from 2020 Klobuchar: Trump ‘trying to burn this country down on his way out’ DC attorney general: Ivanka Trump ‘highly misleading’ on lawsuit deposition MORE Show” on Friday night that officials under Trump pressed government scientists in what he said was an unusual dynamic compared to his work under past administrations, describing “a situation where science was distorted and/or rejected.”

“I didn’t want to be at odds with the president because I have a lot of respect for the office of the presidency, but there was conflict at different levels with different people and different organizations and a lot of pressure being put on to do things that just are not compatible with the science,” he said.

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“It’s a real aberrancy,” he later added. “This is my seventh administration, Rachel, and I’ve been advising administrations and presidents on both sides of the aisle, Republicans and Democrats, people with different ideologies, and even with differences in ideology, there never was this real affront on science. So it really was an aberrancy that I haven’t seen in almost 40 years that I’ve been doing this. So it’s just one of those things that is chilling when you see it happen.”

The remarks are just the latest Fauci has given indicating his relief to be working under President Biden.

The public health expert became an early face of the Trump administration’s response to the pandemic, but he was eventually pushed out of the spotlight after adopting stances that ran afoul of the White House’s messaging that the virus would “disappear.”

“I can tell you I take no pleasure at all in being in a situation of contradicting the president, so it was really something that you didn’t feel you could actually say something and there wouldn’t be any repercussions about it,” Fauci said at a press briefing this week.

“The idea that you can get up here and talk about what you know, what the evidence and science is, and know that’s it — let the science speak — it is somewhat of a liberating feeling.” 

Fauci said despite conflicts that agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) faced with the Trump White House, many officials resisted pressure applied to them.

“People were influenced, unfortunately. But I’ve got to tell you, at the same time that some might have been, a lot of people weren’t,” he said. “There were a lot of people in the CDC and the FDA who were really suffering under that.”