White House officials said Wednesday that the Biden administration has formally stood up a task force of government and private sector groups as it works to investigate and respond to the recently uncovered cyber espionage incident involving a Microsoft email application.

Press secretary Jen PsakiJen PsakiThe Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – Biden faces GOP’s immigration and filibuster offensive Biden says he supports return to ‘talking filibuster’ Biden: Cuomo should resign if harassment probe confirms allegations MORE confirmed in a statement that the National Security Council (NSC) has established a “unified coordination group” (UCG) to respond to Microsoft Exchange Server vulnerabilities, first announced by the company earlier this month, and which have potentially victimized thousands of organizations.

Psaki said the group includes the FBI, the Cybersecurity and Information Security Agency (CISA), the National Security Agency, and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and had met earlier this week with private sector companies to respond to the ongoing incident. 

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“We invited the private sector partners based on their specific insights to this incident, an approach the NSC will take going forward as appropriate,” Psaki said in a statement. “The UCG discussed the remaining number of unpatched systems, malicious exploitation, and ways to partner together on incident response, including the methodology partners could use for tracking the incident, going forward.”

Psaki noted that small businesses were particularly hard-hit by the vulnerabilities, which Microsoft announced earlier this month had been exploited by a state-sponsored Chinese hacking group, and said that the UCG had discussed the number of unpatched servers and how to respond to the incident. 

“The cost of cyber incident response weighs particularly heavily on small businesses,” she said. “Hence, we requested that Microsoft help small businesses with a simple solution to this incident. In response, Microsoft has released a one-click mitigation tool. We encourage every business or organization that has not yet fully patched and scanned their Exchange Server to download and run this free tool.”

Microsoft warned last week that more than 80,000 servers around the world were still unpatched, and that other cyber criminals were quickly taking advantage of the vulnerabilities to go after the groups, including through launching ransomware attacks to demand payment. The company described the incident as a “broad attack” and urged all groups running Exchange Server to protect their systems. 

CISA and the FBI put out a joint alert last week warning that the Exchange Server vulnerabilities posed a “serious risk” to both federal and private sector systems, and that groups targeted included private businesses in the agriculture, biotechnology, aerospace, defense, legal service, power utilities and pharmaceutical sectors.

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Anne Neuberger, the deputy national security advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology, also stressed on Wednesday the attention the administration is giving to the Microsoft vulnerabilities. 

“This Administration is committed to working with the private sector to build back better — including to modernize our cyber defenses and enhance the nation’s ability to respond rapidly to significant cybersecurity incidents,” Neuberger said in a separate statement. 

The response to the Microsoft incident, which may have been ongoing since as early as January, comes as the administration is still in the midst of investigating what has become known as the SolarWinds hack.

The SolarWinds incident, which involved Russian hackers infiltrating software from IT group SolarWinds and other organizations to go after as many as 18,000 customers. As of February, the White House confirmed that nine federal agencies and 100 private sector groups had been breached, potentially for up to a year prior to discovery in December. 

A senior administration official told reporters last week that President BidenJoe BidenBiden and Congress must take bold action to prevent violent extremism The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – Biden faces GOP’s immigration and filibuster offensive Democrats play defense on border crisis MORE is still weighing his response to the SolarWinds hack, and that all federal agencies were due to wrap up a four-week security review by the end of March to ensure the hackers were out of their systems. The official noted that new technology would also shortly be rolled out to address “gaps” in federal cybersecurity. 

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Both major cybersecurity incidents have forced the Biden administration to put an early spotlight on strengthening the nation’s cybersecurity. 

While Neuberger currently serves as the top official in the executive branch leading response to both cyber incidents, Biden has not yet nominated an individual to serve as national cyber director, a position established by the most recent annual defense appropriations bill. 

Psaki addressed the delay in nominating someone to fill the role of cyber czar on Tuesday, noting that the administration is in the middle of a 60-day review of the position. The position is intended to serve as a coordinating force for federal cyber policy, and is Senate-confirmed. 

“Clearly, addressing cyber, ensuring there’s an across-government approach is a priority for the President and something that he feels there’s a role for many components of the federal government to play,” Psaki told reporters. “So we’re going to pursue that role and ensure that we’re approaching it in the right way, in a way that will address the threats we’re facing.”

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) said Tuesday that $29 million in electric bills will be forgiven after electricity provider Griddy filed for bankruptcy Monday. 

“My office sued Griddy Energy, under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, to hold them accountable for their escalation of last month’s winter storm disaster by debiting enormous amounts from customer accounts as Texans struggled to survive the storm,” Paxton said in a statement.

“I ensured that Griddy’s proposed bankruptcy plan takes an important step forward by offering releases to approximately 24,000 former customers who owe $29.1 million in unpaid electric bills. Griddy and my office are engaged in ongoing good faith negotiations to attempt to address additional relief for those Griddy customers who have already paid their storm-related energy bills.” 

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Paxton specified that through its bankruptcy plan, Griddy will “release all outstanding payment obligations for those Texas consumers who were unable to pay their energy bills due to the high prices charged during the storm” and that “Texas and Griddy will work in good faith to address relief for Texans who have already paid.”

Paxton had filed suit against Griddy under the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act after some Texans were hit with abnormally high electric bills during last month’s severe winter weather even as power was knocked out in broad swaths of the state.

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Dozens of people in Texas and surrounding states died during the freezing conditions last month, and millions were left without power for days. Officials have said frozen machinery at natural gas plants fueled the outages. 

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) hailed the news and said he “will continue working with the legislature to resolve remaining claims.”

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthyKevin McCarthyOvernight Health Care: A number of Republican lawmakers are saying no to COVID-19 vaccines | European AstraZeneca suspensions threaten global COVID-19 response | OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma proposes B bankruptcy exit A number of Republican lawmakers are saying no to COVID-19 vaccines GOP leader calls out House Democrat for troop ‘stunt’ MORE (R-Calif.) accused Guam Del. Michael San Nicolas (D) of using members of the National Guard for a “political stunt” after the House Democrat brought a group of troops with him to deliver cookies and books to Rep. Marjorie Taylor GreeneMarjorie Taylor GreeneRep. Marjorie Taylor Greene says she’s meeting with Trump ‘soon’ in Florida QAnon site shutters after reports identifying developer Republicans head to runoff in GA-14 MORE (R-Ga.).

San Nicolas, who said he was giving members of the Guam National Guard a tour, visited Greene’s office after the GOP lawmaker mistakenly referred to the U.S. territory as a foreign land during a speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference last month.

McCarthy took to social media on Monday to call on Defense Secretary Lloyd AustinLloyd AustinThe Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – Biden faces GOP’s immigration and filibuster offensive Overnight Defense: 50 House Democrats urge Biden to ‘significantly’ slash defense budget | Blinken, Austin put China on warning | Pentagon could extend Guard mission at border GOP leader calls out House Democrat for troop ‘stunt’ MORE to bar the use of military personnel for what he called partisan efforts.

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“.@DeptofDefense is being politicized. Uniformed service members recently criticized a private citizen for his First Amendment rights, & today a Dem lawmaker used soldiers in a political stunt against a GOP member,” he wrote.

“@SecDef Austin—This sets a dangerous precedent. It must stop now,” the California Republican added.

San Nicolas has defended his decision to deliver the basket filled with local cookies and information on the territory, arguing that he was simply looking to inform and spread goodwill.

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“That criticism is unfounded, we were not at all using military service members for political props. I was taking my guardsmen on a tour of the Capitol and we stopped by several members’ offices and we delivered some goodies. Cookies should never be considered a political prop and neither should our military. But goodwill is absolutely something that we wish to extend from Guam to everybody,” he told CNN.

Greene has slammed the move, tweeting Tuesday, “It’s time for our great men and women of the National Guard to go home and be with their families.”

“The Democrats need to stop using them as political theatre and drama on Capitol Hill. Shame on Democrats for disrespecting our military,” she added.

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During her speech at CPAC, Greene cited Guam — which has been a U.S. territory since 1899 — while listing places she argued the U.S. should not provide additional aid.

“I’m a regular, normal person. And I wanted to take my regular – normal person, normal, everyday American values, which is: We love our country,” she said in her remarks. “We believe our hard-earned tax dollars should just go for America – not for what, China, Russia, the Middle East, Guam – whatever, wherever.”

Democratic Sen. Chris MurphyChristopher (Chris) Scott MurphyIt’s March: It’s madness Democratic lawmaker ‘fought back tears’ during visit to border facility Democrats play defense on border crisis MORE (Conn.) on Friday said he “fought back tears” during a visit to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facilities with a bipartisan group of senators and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro MayorkasAlejandro MayorkasTrump attacks Biden on border Biden says he will visit border ‘at some point’ There’s a five-alarm crisis on the border — and Team Biden imposes a media blackout MORE amid a rapid surge in migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border. 

Murphy, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, on Twitter Friday detailed his experience, including when he visited a border processing facility in El Paso, Texas, where he said hundreds of children were “packed into big open rooms.” 

“In a corner, I fought back tears as a 13 yr old girl sobbbed [sic] uncontrollably explaining thru [sic] a translator how terrified she was, having been separated from her grandmother and without her parents,” he tweeted. 

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Murphy clarified in a follow-up tweet that while kids are no longer being separated from their parents at the border, as they had been under former President TrumpDonald TrumpThe Hill’s Morning Report – Biden: Back to the future on immigration, Afghanistan, Iran Juan Williams: Biden flips the script The Memo: Two months in, strong Biden faces steep climbs MORE’s zero-tolerance policy, relatives traveling with the children who are not their parents are not allowed to stay with them. 

The Connecticut senator further detailed his experience in the facilities, at which reporters were denied access, writing in another tweet that the “memory of that 13 yr old girl will be w [with] me forever.” 

“The desperation these kids and families are fleeing is hard to describe,” he added. “So long as conditions are abysmal in places south, people will find a way to get here, no matter how high the wall is or how many border agents.” 

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While some lawmakers have argued that President BidenJoe BidenAstraZeneca says COVID-19 vaccine found 79 percent effective in US trial with no safety concerns The Hill’s Morning Report – Biden: Back to the future on immigration, Afghanistan, Iran This week: Senate works to confirm Biden picks ahead of break MORE could be doing more to ensure safe access to asylum for young people at the border, Murphy tweeted Friday that he believed the administration is “trying their best to uphold the rule of law with humanity.” 

“They have a ton of work ahead to clean up the mess Trump left them, but their intentions are true,” he added. 

Murphy said that the trip Friday included a visit to Trump’s unfinished border wall, which the senator described as “unexpectedly devastating.” 

“How did it come to this, that a country defined by our warm embrace of immigrants now must be defined by our irrational fear of them?” he tweeted. “We must be better.”

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The recent surge in migrants, especially unaccompanied minors, at the southern border is on track to reach the highest number of attempted migrant crossings in two decades, Mayorkas said Tuesday. 

Democrats have cited a variety of factors behind the recent surge, including economic hardships exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic and border smugglers encouraging migrants to come to the U.S. under the new presidential administration. 

However, Republicans have largely argued that Biden’s immigration policies are to blame, with GOP members of the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday calling for a hearing on “what the Biden Administration is doing to address the criminal activity caused by the Biden Administration’s radical policies.”

Sen. Jeff MerkleyJeff MerkleyOVERNIGHT ENERGY: Graham, Sullivan signal possible support for Haaland confirmation | Agency says Biden leasing pause won’t impact 2021 energy production | Senate panel unanimously advances Biden pick for deputy Energy chief Lawmakers aim to incentivize weatherizing power lines Senate Democrat on detained migrant children: ‘It’s approaching a crisis’ MORE (D-Ore.) on Thursday said the surge in migrant children being held at the U.S.-Mexico border is “approaching a crisis” that could be exacerbated by further waves of families from Latin American countries. 

The remarks came in response to new federal data obtained by The Washington Post Wednesday that found a record number of nearly 3,500 migrant teenagers and children are currently being detained in adult detention centers following a surge in migrants in February. 

When asked by CNN’s Alisyn Camerota if it is “fair to call what we’re seeing today at the border a crisis,” Merkley argued that while it could get to that point, a large number of the children being detained were “stranded, some for months, some for years, by the Trump administration in Mexico under completely intolerable circumstances.” 

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“Now that the border is not closed, they’re knocking on our door, and you had a set of policies that were determined to treat children very poorly so you didn’t have essentially the systems in place under the Trump administration, and the Biden administration is creating those systems and they’re doing it with a completely different vision,” the senator added. 

After Camerota suggested that the more open border policies being pursued by the Biden administration could be seen as an “invitation” for more migrants to come to the border, Merkley pushed back on the assertion. 

“I wouldn’t call it an invitation because the Biden administration has been saying the message, ‘do not send, do not come north,’ and they’ve been talking to governments throughout the region on their strategies,” the senator added, referring to continued remarks from the White House that now is “not the time” to migrate into the U.S. amid the pandemic. 

Merkley, however, said the Biden administration is committed to ensuring migrant children “spend the minimum amount of time in these Border Patrol stations where the circumstances are totally inappropriate for children.” 

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President Biden throughout his campaign and in his first months in office has committed to shifting away from the more stringent policies put in place by the Trump administration, including the widely condemned zero-tolerance policy of separating families at the border and repeatedly turning back migrants throughout the pandemic without offering the opportunity to claim asylum. 

White House press secretary Jen PsakiJen PsakiWhite House faces challenge overcoming GOP vaccine hesitancy Bill would block Biden from delisting Cuba as state sponsor of terrorism The Hill’s 12:30 Report – Presented by Johns Hopkins University – Biden sets optimistic tone for summer MORE on Tuesday said the Biden administration is looking at new facilities to house unaccompanied children, enabling officials to move thousands of children out of temporary Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facilities and into housing managed by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). 

Psaki said children moved to HHS housing would have access to education, health care and legal services.

“We don’t want them to be in the CBP facilities,” she said. “We want them to be in shelters as quickly as possible and ultimately in families and homes where their applications can be processed.”

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The World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday issued emergency use authorization for Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus vaccine, paving the way for the one-shot dose to be used as part of the United Nation’s international vaccine distribution effort.

The greenlight from WHO, which comes a day after the European Union approved the shot, means countries that receive shots through the UN’s COVAX effort, which promotes equitable distribution of vaccines, could cite the new endorsement in distribution of the shot. The vaccine provides fewer logistical hurdles than other shots given that it requires just one dose instead of two and does not need to be stored in ultra-cold temperatures. 

“Every new, safe and effective tool against COVID-19 is another step closer to controlling the pandemic,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement. “But the hope offered by these tools will not materialize unless they are made available to all people in all countries.
Click Here: Corinthians soccer tracksuit “I urge governments and companies to live up to their commitments and to use all solutions at their disposal to ramp up production so that these tools become truly global public goods, available and affordable to all, and a shared solution to the global crisis,” he added.

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WHO, in its statement announcing the approval, cited “ample data from large clinical trials” showing that the Johnson & Johnson shot was effective among adults.

Studies have shown that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is 66 percent effective in protecting any cases of moderate to severe illness and 85 percent effective against severe cases of COVID-19. It completely prevented hospitalizations and death four weeks after inoculation. 

COVAX has already announced an initial deal with the pharmaceutical firm to obtain and distribute 500 million vaccine doses, though the arrangement is not legally binding.

WHO has also granted emergency use authorizations for vaccines from Oxford/AstraZeneca and Pfizer/BioNTech. COVAX is in the process of distributing doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine and preparing to roll out doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech shot.

A bill that would allow news outlets to bargain with tech platforms over the distribution of their content was reintroduced in both chambers by a bipartisan group of lawmakers on Wednesday.

The Journalism Competition and Preservation Act is being touted as a way to “save local news” and comes as lawmakers push forward with broader efforts to rein in the market power of the top tech companies.

It follows the passage of an Australian law late last month that forces tech giants to pay publishers for content and subjects the tech companies to mandatory price arbitration if a deal cannot be reached. 

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The Australian bill initially faced fierce pushback from top tech companies, including Facebook and Google. Facebook even implemented a restriction on news content in Australia, but later reversed after last-minute negotiations with the Australian government.

The Journalism Competition and Preservation Act would not go quite as far as the Australian approach.

It would establish a temporary four-year safe harbor from antitrust laws for news outlets that allows publishers to negotiate collectively with the digital content distributors, such as Google and Facebook. 

The bill was reintroduced by House Antitrust Subcommittee Chairman David CicillineDavid CicillineHouse passes sweeping protections for LGBTQ people The Hill’s 12:30 Report – Presented by Facebook – J&J A-OK, Tanden in Trouble Six ways to visualize a divided America MORE (D-R.I.),  subcommittee ranking member Rep. Ken BuckKenneth (Ken) Robert BuckAn antitrust agenda that builds upon bipartisan ideas  House to launch antitrust hearings starting next week Congress faces news showdown with Facebook, Google MORE (R-Colo.), Rep. Mark DeSaulnierMark James DeSaulnierPelosi wins Speakership for fourth time in dramatic vote Dozens of Democrats plan to vote remotely in a first for the House Rep. DeSaulnier leaves ICU after 3 weeks to continue treatment for pneumonia MORE (D-Calif.), and Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust, and Consumer Rights Chairwoman Amy KlobucharAmy KlobucharDemocrats near pressure point on nixing filibuster  Hillicon Valley: China implicated in Microsoft breach | White House adds Big Tech critic | QAnon unfazed after false prediction FDA signals plan to address toxic elements in baby food MORE (D-Minn.).

“This bill will give hardworking local reporters and publishers the helping hand they need right now, so they can continue to do their important work,” Cicilline said in a statement. 

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Buck similarly said the bill is an “important start to remedying the results of Google, Facebook, and other’s anticompetitive conduct” toward news outlets. 

Klobuchar said the legislation would help “improve the quality of reporting” by giving outlets a “fighting chance when negotiating for fair treatment by the digital platforms.” 

“We must enable news organizations to negotiate on a level playing field with the big tech companies if we want to preserve a strong and independent press,” Klobuchar said in a statement. 

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Klobuchar and Republican Sen. John KennedyJohn Neely KennedyMORE (La.) first introduced the bill last session and the bill gained top Senate Republican Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellTrump praises retiring Blunt, who opposed his conviction The Hill’s 12:30 Report – Presented by Johns Hopkins University – Trump’s relationship with GOP worsens Dozens of Trump appointees ‘burrow’ into Biden government MORE (Ky.) as one of three GOP co-sponsors. 

The reintroduction of the bill comes ahead of two antitrust hearings this week, one in the Senate on Thursday and one in the House on Friday. 

Microsoft president Brad Smith, who wrote a blog post last month urging the U.S. to adopt a policy similar to Australia’s, is expected to testify at the House hearing, Axios reported.

After a brutal year fighting COVID-19, the country is seeing some glimmers of hope on the horizon.

President BidenJoe BidenPentagon takes heat for extending Guard’s time at Capitol Booker to try to make child tax credit expansion permanent Sullivan says tariffs will not take center stage in talks with China MORE put forward new specific dates in a prime-time address Thursday night, saying all American adults will be eligible for the vaccine by May 1 at the latest, and that the country will be closer to normal by the Fourth of July. 

What will it take to hit those targets? Vaccinations are ramping up, but what it is needed to make vaccinations truly widespread? Here are five key areas to watch. 

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Increase vaccine supply

President Biden says the country is on track to have enough doses for every American adult by the end of May. To hit that goal, supply needs to continue to ramp up. The number of vaccine doses being sent to states each week has already more than doubled from the 8.6 million doses per week when the Biden administration began. 

“The next couple of weeks of supply overall are relatively flat before supply really starts to accelerate towards the end of the month and then into April and into May,” White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff ZientsJeff ZientsBiden to commit to working with ‘Quad’ countries to expand vaccine access Airlines asking US to standardize COVID-19 travel documents White House COVID-19 coordinator: Administration focused on expanding vaccine access MORE said Friday. 

While the projections show plenty of doses in the pipeline, vaccine manufacturing carries some uncertainty. 

“We know that manufacturing vaccines is a complex process and things can go wrong, where large batches need to be discarded,” said William Moss, executive director of the International Vaccine Access Center at Johns Hopkins University. “So [May 1 is] an ambitious goal but I think it’s also a realistic goal, and I think it’s something we should strive to.”

States have long been clamoring for more doses. 

“In order for wide-spread and comprehensive vaccination to work, the federal government will need to come through with increased doses and infrastructure,” Washington Gov. Jay InsleeJay Robert InsleeA year with the coronavirus: How we got here Washington state officials warn providers offering VIP vaccine access Legislators go after governors to rein in COVID-19 powers MORE (D) tweeted in response to Biden’s speech Thursday night. 

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Get shots in arms, including in hard-to-reach communities

Having enough doses is only half the battle. Those doses actually need to get into people’s arms in communities across the country. 

“What we often describe as hesitancy for getting vaccinated in the Black and Latino communities is actually much more about access,” said Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health. “There isn’t access to vaccines and when there isn’t access, that’s what’s hindering things.”

The Biden administration announced a range of steps on Thursday to try to make the vaccine more accessible. 

It will send the vaccine to an additional 750 community health centers, bringing the total to 950. It will double the number of pharmacies receiving vaccines to more than 20,000. The administration has opened 20 federally-run mass vaccination centers, and announced plans to double that number. 

To add more people to administer vaccinations, Biden also announced an additional 4,000 active-duty troops and opened up eligibility to be a vaccinator to groups such as dentists, paramedics and veterinarians.  

Overcome vaccine hesitancy

While the current problem is there are more people who want a vaccine than there are shots available, if supply increases stay on target, that situation is likely to flip as soon as April, experts say. That means the problem will be not enough demand, instead of not enough supply. 

To increase the number of people who want shots, resistance to vaccination among a significant portion of the population will need to be overcome. 

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An NPR-PBS-Marist poll released this week found 30 percent of U.S. adults overall did not want the vaccine, a number that spiked to 49 percent among Republican men. 

In a bid to urge the public to take the vaccine, four former presidents released a public service announcement this week touting vaccinations. But notably, former President TrumpDonald TrumpPentagon takes heat for extending Guard’s time at Capitol Fundraising spat points to Trump-GOP fissures Trump rally organizer claims Alex Jones threatened to throw her off stage: report MORE did not participate, and got the vaccine himself away from the cameras. 

“We are not always the best messenger, here, a Democratic administration, to communicate to everyone in the public about the safety, the efficacy and the importance of taking the vaccine and so we are very open to working with a range of partners and messengers, outside groups, outside organizations,” White House press secretary Jen PsakiJen PsakiWhite House faces challenge overcoming GOP vaccine hesitancy Bill would block Biden from delisting Cuba as state sponsor of terrorism The Hill’s 12:30 Report – Presented by Johns Hopkins University – Biden sets optimistic tone for summer MORE said Friday. 

Make signing up for an appointment easier

Some state sign-up efforts have been plagued with technical problems and frustrations for those trying to get an appointment online, who have often been older people in the early rounds of vaccinations. 

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In Massachusetts, the sign-up website crashed in February as thousands of newly-eligible people over 65 were trying to book appointments. 

Washington, D.C., has also had technical problems plague its website, later switching to a system of pre-registration to be notified of a chance to book an appointment. 

The Biden administration said Thursday that it will set up a federal website showing people the locations near them that have vaccines available, starting by May 1.

That website will be closely watched for any technical problems. The healthcare.gov website to sign up for ObamaCare coverage famously broke down when launched in 2013. Some of the people brought in to fix the site are now working on the Biden administration’s coronavirus response. 

Make clear what vaccinated people can do 

The final step of the vaccination process is giving guidance to people on what it is safe to do after they are vaccinated. The guidance can also help with messaging in convincing people to sign up, highlighting the activities that will be safe again. 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance released on Monday stirred a debate, with some critics saying it was too conservative. The guidance said that vaccinated people can gather with each other without masks or distancing, and with one unvaccinated household, but continued to advise against travel. 

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Jha, of Brown University, said he largely agreed but thinks that vaccinated people could travel with precautions. 

“The reason why I gently disagree on travel is of course I think right now people if they need to travel and have been fully vaccinated can, but they’ve got to continue wearing their face masks, they’ve got to continue doing all the public health measures,” he said. 

Still, the Biden administration says it will be updating the guidance as the situation in the country improves, to allow for more activities, including travel. 

Tying into the goal of a more normal Independence Day, the White House said the guidance would be expanded “as we approach July 4th.”

 

The Biden administration on Thursday formally rescinded the Trump-era “public charge” rule, which tightened restrictions on poorer immigrants seeking U.S. residency, as a dozen GOP state attorneys general scrambled to preserve it.

The move by Biden’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to repeal his predecessor’s policy seemed, at least for the moment, to calm the controversy that surrounded the measure this week. 

“Today, DHS closed the book on the public charge rule,” Alejandro MayorkasAlejandro MayorkasDHS grants temporary legal status to Myanmar citizens in US Mayorkas torpedoes Biden administration’s stance on asylum seekers Biden rescinds Trump’s ‘public charge’ rule MORE, the secretary of Homeland Security, said in a statement.

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The announcement came after a dozen top GOP state attorneys in recent days asked a federal appeals court for permission to defend the rule, seeking to take up a similar legal position to that of Trump’s Department of Justice before he left office.

The latest development also comes after the Supreme Court on Tuesday granted Biden’s request to drop a Trump administration appeal that sought to revive the immigration restrictions.

It was not immediately clear whether GOP attorneys would continue to pursue their legal fight to preserve the Trump-era policy. 

Enacted in 2019, Trump’s public charge rule imposed stricter financial requirements on would-be immigrants to the U.S. The rule directed federal immigration authorities to decline green cards and visas to applicants who were likely to become reliant on public aid — and expanded the universe of immigrants who fell into that category.

The policy sparked a number of legal challenges that were in various stages of litigation when Biden took the White House after pledging to roll back Trump’s hardline immigration stance if elected.

After the Biden administration made clear this week that it would not defend Trump’s expansive public charge rule, a dozen GOP state attorneys general stepped forward.

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Led by Arizona, the Republican lawyers asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit for permission to defend the rule. 

Hours before the Biden administration rescinded Trump’s policy, Arizona attorney general Mark Brnovich (R) defended the rule in an interview with The Hill.

“All we are trying to do is uphold common sense immigration rules that ensure that folks that come to this country can truly be self-sufficient,” Brnovich said. “This policy ensures our government welfare programs won’t be overrun.”

Brnovich’s office did not respond when later asked whether the GOP legal strategy would change in light of Biden’s policy shift.

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— TNA newcomer Consequences Creed was unable to appear at this week’s set of Impact tapings because he still attends college and he had some classes to attend to. His role in TNA has been limited as of late due to college and thus he can’t work a full-time schedule.

— TNA taped several vignettes with Abyss at this week’s tapings to set up his return. Also, TNA is looking to scale back his reliance on thumbtacks and blood & gore. A few of his peers believe that he relies too frequently on gimmick matches and doesn’t have enough confidence in his actual wrestling ability.

— TNA officials are hopeful that former WWE star Bobby Lashley signs with them because they see him as another big name with star power. Kurt Angle and Booker T have been doing their best to recruit him for the company. Most sources believe that it’s only a matter of time before Lashley joins TNA. Lashley has also had some discussions with the NWE promotion (the promotion Ultimate Warrior is returning to) and Mexico’s AAA promotion.

See pics of Roxxi Laveaux getting SHAVED BALD at the TNA PPV