Happy Wednesday and welcome to Overnight Defense. I’m Rebecca Kheel, and here’s your nightly guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. CLICK HERE to subscribe to the newsletter.

THE TOPLINE: A Trump-era land mine policy is staying in place — for now.

The Pentagon said this week it’s keeping in place the previous administration’s policy while it conducts a review.

In a statement Tuesday, Pentagon spokesperson Mike Howard said the Defense Department still finds the weapon “a vital tool in conventional warfare” that the U.S. military “cannot responsibly forgo, particularly when faced with substantial and potentially overwhelming enemy forces in the early stages of combat.”

Amid blowback from human rights groups, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby clarified at a briefing that while Howard’s statement was “accurate and factual,” defense officials are analyzing the land mine policy and how the decision was made to change it last year.

“When we complete that analysis of that decision, then we’ll be able to have a better idea of whether or not further review of our land mine policy is warranted,” Kirby said.

Click Here: cheap nrl merchandise

Congressional reaction: Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said in a statement Wednesday that he had spoken to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin as recently as last week “about the need to return to the Obama policy on land mines.”

“I have spoken to President BidenJoe BidenManchin throws cold water on using budget reconciliation Moderate GOP senators and Biden clash at start of infrastructure debate Omar slams Biden admin for continuing ‘the construction of Trump’s xenophobic and racist wall’ MORE about this over many years, and I’m confident that his administration will do the right thing and renounce these indiscriminate weapons that have no place in the arsenal of civilized nations,” Leahy said.

Background: Former President Trump last year rolled back restrictions on land mines placed outside of the Korean Peninsula, nixing Obama’s 2014 directive to no longer produce or acquire the weapon in the region. The so-called persistent mines stay active indefinitely and are meant to protect South Korea from any threats from North Korea.

Shortly after Trump’s move, then-Defense Secretary Mark Esper announced a change to the Pentagon’s land mine policy, allowing the armament as long as it had self-destruct features or could self-deactivate.

The 164-country agreement known as the 1997 Ottawa Convention banned the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of older types of antipersonnel land mines as they are likely to kill and wound civilians.

Obama’s policy largely followed the convention, though the United States has not signed the international agreement.

SPENDING PROPOSAL COMING FRIDAY

After a brief delay, the administration is set to unveil its proposed top-line spending numbers for the 2022 government budget on Friday.

The discretionary proposal, which is expected to be short on details, will include proposed spending figures for defense as well as non-defense funding.

Background: The administration originally said last week would be when the numbers came out, but then delayed the release.

The hold up reportedly involved continued debate over what the defense budget request will be.

On defense: As noted in this newsletter before, defense watchers are expecting a relatively flat request compared to last year’s $740 billion defense budget. The overall defense budget includes both Pentagon funds and non-Pentagon programs such Department of Energy nuclear weapons funding.

The official release of the numbers is sure to kick into overdrive a fight that has already been heating up between progressives who want to slash defense funding and Republicans who want to continue the Trump-era plus-ups.

FLOTUS UNVEILS NEXT STEPS ON JOINING FORCES

First lady Jill Biden on Wednesday laid out the next steps of the military families initiative she started during the Obama administration, previewing a major focus of her work in the White House over the next few years.

Biden said that through the initiative, called Joining Forces, the Biden administration will prioritize employment of military spouses, military child education and the health and well-being of those who have served in the U.S. military and their families.

“You may not wear a uniform, but you serve and you sacrifice for us all,” Biden told a virtual gathering of military family members, advocates and other stakeholders at the White House. “Military families are as critical to our national defense as a rudder is to a ship and we must always act to that truth.”

Her plans: Biden said that the administration will work to ensure spouses of military members have access to employment opportunities and receive quality child care. Additionally, she said the initiative will be focused on partnering with educators to get military-connected children the tools they need to succeed in the classroom.

Finally, she said officials will support the health and well-being of service members and their families by bolstering access to mental health resources and ensuring they can put food on the table.

Biden said she has already received commitments from the Pentagon and the Labor and Education departments to support Joining Forces and that she expects “every agency to step up and be part of it.”

Background: Biden, along with then-first lady Michelle Obama, launched the initiative to support military and veteran families in 2011 and revived the initiative when she returned to the White House with President Biden in January.

Earlier this year, she named Rory Brosius, who served as deputy director of Joining Forces during the Obama administration, as the program’s new executive director.

The first lady has held virtual listening sessions with members of military families over the past few weeks, but Wednesday’s event represented the formal unveiling of the next phase of the program.

ON TAP FOR TOMORROW

Lt. Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, deputy chief of space operations for operations, cyber and nuclear, will participate in “The Space Policy Show” webcast hosted by the Aerospace Corporation’s Center for Space Policy and Strategy at  1 p.m. https://bit.ly/3fS7Pqi

James Helis, director of the Army Resilience Directorate, will speak about efforts to improve sexual assault and harassment prevention efforts at  an Association of the U.S. Army Thought Leaders webinar at 2 p.m. https://bit.ly/3dMZ65O

ICYMI

— The Hill: Biden speaks to Jordan’s king

— The Hill: Senate Republicans voice opposition to Biden on Iran

— The Hill: US restores $235 million in humanitarian assistance to Palestinians blocked by Trump

— The Hill: Opinion: Congress must address the toxic exposure our veterans have endured

— Defense News: Rejoining Open Skies would send ‘wrong message’ to Russia, State tells partners

— Washington Post: U.S. and Iraq conclude talks on troop presence

— Associated Press: US military cites rising risk of Chinese move against Taiwan

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a national rapid COVID-19 testing program on Monday as businesses begin reopening and restrictions put in place to stop the virus from spreading are relaxed.

Reuters reported that Johnson said his aim is to provide enough COVID-19 rapid antigen tests to make it possible for U.K. residents to be tested twice a week, a move that officials hope will help catch asymptomatic cases and stop new outbreaks.

“As we continue to make good progress on our vaccine program and with our roadmap to cautiously easing restrictions underway, regular rapid testing is even more important to make sure those efforts are not wasted,” said the prime minister.

ADVERTISEMENT

The news service reported that the U.K. is likely to reopen salons and other businesses where close contact between customer and employee occurs within the next week. Other restrictions, such as the ban on nonessential international travel, will likely continue, however.

Click Here: Cheap QLD Maroons Jersey

Johnson’s efforts to reopen Britain’s economy comes as more than half of adults in the U.K. have received at least a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, compared to roughly one-third in the U.S.

His efforts are also occurring as many of Britain’s European neighbors have struggled to obtain enough vaccine doses to immunize large segments of their adult populations, hindering economic recoveries across the continent.

A number of countries also suspended distribution of the AstraZeneca vaccine due to health concerns, further complicating the rollout across Europe.

President BidenJoe BidenBiden taps California workplace safety leader to head up OSHA Romney blasts end of filibuster, expansion of SCOTUS US mulling cash payments to help curb migration MORE’s budget proposal on Friday kicked off what’s likely to be a long, drawn-out fight in Congress over how to fund the federal government starting Oct. 1.

Biden’s first budget request as president calls for raising annual discretionary spending to $1.52 trillion. That amount includes a 15.7 percent increase in domestic spending and a 1.7 percent boost in defense.

Although the spending plan omitted details on taxes and mandatory spending programs, as well as the usual 10-year projection for spending and revenues, it nonetheless offers valuable insights into Biden’s priorities.

ADVERTISEMENT

Here are five key takeaways from the Biden budget proposal.

Austerity is out, big government is in

Biden’s budget affirmed his embrace of government spending and comes on the heels of a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill, a proposed $2.3 trillion infrastructure package and subsequent $2 trillion measure focused on issues like child care and college tuition.

The $1.52 trillion budget request, up $118 billion from current levels, is 25 percent higher than discretionary spending was at the end of the Obama administration.

The Biden administration is making the argument that the pendulum has swung too far toward austerity over the years, resulting in a lack of resources that exacerbated inequality, left the country’s infrastructure in an unenviable state of disrepair, created educational stagnation and allowed social ills to fester.

White House press secretary Jen PsakiJen PsakiMcConnell, GOP slam Biden’s executive order on SCOTUS Five takeaways from Biden’s first budget proposal Overnight Defense: Biden proposes 3B defense budget | Criticism comes in from left and right | Pentagon moves toward new screening for extremists MORE said Friday that the administration’s push comes amid a major economic and health crisis, while arguing that the difficulties the nation faces go beyond the current emergencies.

“We’re also inheriting a legacy of chronic underinvestment, in our view, in priorities that are vital to our long-term success and our ability to confront the challenges before us, so the president is focused on reversing this trend and reinvesting in the foundations of our strength,” she said.

ADVERTISEMENT

Rather than keep government spending on its current trajectory, leaving the major increases to his “Build Back Better” agenda, Biden’s proposal supersized the things the federal government does every day, from investing in health research to funding Pell grants.

His proposal also coincides with the expiration of a decade’s worth of budget caps from the 2011 Budget Control Act.

The defense budget is still a sacred cow

Budget watchers had expected Biden to keep defense spending flat, and progressives sought a 10 percent cut, but Biden surprised both by increasing the Pentagon’s budget.

His proposal would add $12.3 billion to the defense budget, a 1.7 percent increase, which in a typical year would just keep pace with inflation. At a total of $753 billion, it leaves in place significant increases to defense spending that former President TrumpDonald TrumpRomney blasts end of filibuster, expansion of SCOTUS McConnell, GOP slam Biden’s executive order on SCOTUS US raises concerns about Iran’s seriousness in nuclear talks MORE set in motion.

As a point of comparison, the defense budget was $590 billion when Biden left office as vice president in 2017.

But even the unexpected increase in Friday’s budget proposal highlighted the political sensitivities around defense spending.

A joint statement by top Republicans, including those on defense and budget committees in the Senate, characterized the 1.7 increase as a virtual cut and accused Biden of ceding ground to China and Russia.

“President Biden’s budget proposal cuts defense spending, sending a terrible signal not only to our adversaries in Beijing and Moscow, but also to our allies and partners,” they said.

“Cutting America’s defense budget completely undermines Washington Democrats’ tough talk on China and calls into question the administration’s willingness to confront the Chinese Communist Party,” they added.

The split reactions between progressives and conservatives underscore the delicate balancing act Biden will have to pull off to reach a spending deal, but his proposal serves as a reminder that defense spending remains a sacred cow in Washington.

Pay-fors are an afterthought

In one important way, Biden’s budget proposal matched the one Trump put out during his first months in office: The proposal was more emaciated than skinny due to its limited details.

Like Trump, Biden only released a very limited set of specifics and sidestepped questions about the long-term budget effects. The White House said a full proposal is due later this spring.

ADVERTISEMENT

Only then will it become clear how Biden intends to pay for the new spending in his budget, whether he has a plan to lower the deficit, whether he expects spending to keep rising, stabilize or eventually drop down, and how he intends to deal with mandatory programs.

The mandatory spending, which includes programs like Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid and a slew of anti-poverty programs such as nutritional assistance, account for about two-thirds of annual government spending, making them a far more significant driver of spending and deficits than the discretionary side of the ledger covered in Biden’s $1.52 trillion proposal.

“We can’t truly evaluate the president’s agenda until we know how he’ll address the other two-thirds of the budget and what he will do on the other side of the ledger with taxes,” said Maya MacGuineas, president of the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.

“We hope the full budget plan will include policies to not only offset new spending, but secure the trust funds and improve the country’s long-term fiscal path,” MacGuineas said. 

But the focus on spending without discussion of taxes, deficits or the country’s fiscal outlook is a reminder that the issue of debt has lost some of its political sway over both politicians and voters.

Sen. Chris CoonsChris Andrew CoonsFive takeaways from Biden’s first budget proposal The Hill’s Morning Report – Biden assails ‘epidemic’ of gun violence amid SC, Texas shootings Biden-GOP infrastructure talks off to rocky start MORE (D-Del.), a close friend and confidant of Biden, admitted as much when discussing where Democrats and Republicans might find common ground on potential infrastructure pay-fors.

“In the choice between raising taxes significantly and simply looking at each other and saying ‘we need a robust recovery,’ I think it’s more likely we’ll have a package that is not paid for, and that is less robust but still putting hundreds of billions of dollars into infrastructure,” he said earlier this week.

ADVERTISEMENT

Biden wants to reclaim America’s role on the global stage

Whereas Trump famously promised to put “America First” in his policy agenda, antagonizing allies and retreating from global institutions in the process, Biden’s budget shows the president aims to put America back on the world stage in a much different way.

Biden’s request of $63.5 billion for the State Department and international programs, a 12 percent increase over current levels, stems from his view that some of the biggest problems the country faces require global cooperation.

He seeks to quadruple the funding for international climate programs and is requesting a four-year commitment of $4 billion to stabilize Central America, home to many of the migrants arriving at the southern border.

He also would boost the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention budget to $8.7 billion, from $7.9 billion, with a focus on international preparedness to help tackle future pandemics. The budget would fully fund U.S. commitments to United Nations peacekeeping, including payments missed under the Trump administration.

International programs at the Treasury Department would get a 73 percent boost, just as Secretary Janet YellenJanet Louise YellenFive takeaways from Biden’s first budget proposal Biden defense budget criticized by Republicans, progressives alike Biden proposes .2B increase in IRS budget MORE is calling for a summer agreement on a global minimum tax to clamp down on tax avoidance by multinational corporations.

The filibuster still reigns supreme

ADVERTISEMENT

While presidential budget requests shape the debate around annual spending, Congress usually has its own ideas, and those views matter most since lawmakers have the power of the purse.

In the 50-50 Senate, the filibuster means the minority party still has significant say over annual spending. Without 10 GOP senators joining Democrats, Biden will not be able to pass a single spending bill to fund the government when fiscal 2022 starts in October.

Click Here: International football tracksuit

That could add more pressure on Biden and Senate Majority Leader Charles SchumerChuck SchumerThe first Southern state legalizes marijuana — what it means nationally H.R. 1/S. 1: Democrats defend their majorities, not honest elections McCarthy asks FBI, CIA for briefing after two men on terror watchlist stopped at border MORE (D-N.Y.) to push for weakening or nixing the legislative filibuster altogether, a move to which centrist Sen. Joe ManchinJoe ManchinRomney blasts end of filibuster, expansion of SCOTUS Five takeaways from Biden’s first budget proposal Parkland parent pressures Manchin on gun reform: ‘You represent the nation’ MORE (D-W.Va.) reiterated his opposition in a Washington Post op-ed this week.

So long as the filibuster remains in place, stern statements from Sen. Richard ShelbyRichard Craig ShelbyFive takeaways from Biden’s first budget proposal Overnight Defense: Biden proposes 3B defense budget | Criticism comes in from left and right | Pentagon moves toward new screening for extremists Biden defense budget criticized by Republicans, progressives alike MORE (R-Ala.), the vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, will carry significant weight.

“We’ve just spent several trillion dollars domestically, and the administration is determined to spend several trillion more,” Shelby said in response to Biden’s proposal, focusing on the disparity between defense and non-defense spending. “Shortchanging America’s defense in the process is unacceptable and dangerous.”

Psaki all but admitted that the proposal was an opening bid in what promises to be an arduous year of negotiations, mostly with Senate Republicans.

“I will say we’re at the beginning of our process,” she said Friday.

“This is the beginning of what we know is a long journey.”

Welcome to Friday’s Overnight Health Care. Check out this video of Sen. John KennedyJohn Neely KennedyMORE (R-La.) singing (not amazingly) about why you should get the vaccine. 

If you have any tips, email us at nweixel@thehill.com, psullivan@thehill.com and jcoleman@thehill.com follow us on Twitter at @NateWeixel, @PeterSullivan4, and @JustineColeman8 

Today: The White House committed to sending a surge of resources to Michigan and other states hardest hit by a new wave of COVID-19 infections — just not a surge of vaccines. States should expect much smaller shipments of J&J’s vaccine going forward, and new documents obtained by House Democrats show the extent to which former Trump officials interfered at the CDC. 

ADVERTISEMENT

We’ll start with vaccines: 

White House to Michigan: Sorry, no extra doses for you

The White House on Friday said it planned to send additional staff to help with vaccinations in hard-hit states but rebuffed calls to send more doses of the vaccine.

“We will be offering to states with significant increases in cases a set of additional tools to help them to stem the spread,” White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff ZientsJeff ZientsOvernight Health Care: White House rebuffs call to send more vaccine doses to certain states | White House warns states to expect low weekly J&J vaccine shipments White House warns states to expect low weekly J&J vaccine shipments White House rebuffs call to send more vaccine doses to certain states MORE said Friday.

That includes additional federal personnel to help with vaccinations, as well as more testing capacity and more therapeutics to treat people with the virus.

However: The offer will not include more doses of the vaccine itself, something that officials in Michigan, in particular, have been calling for.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen WhitmerGretchen WhitmerOvernight Health Care: White House rebuffs call to send more vaccine doses to certain states | White House warns states to expect low weekly J&J vaccine shipments White House rebuffs call to send more vaccine doses to certain states Bipartisan lawmakers urge Biden to send more vaccines to Michigan amid spike MORE (D) called on President BidenJoe BidenBiden taps California workplace safety leader to head up OSHA Romney blasts end of filibuster, expansion of SCOTUS US mulling cash payments to help curb migration MORE to send more doses given the worrying spike in cases in the state, as have several prominent public health experts and members of the state’s congressional delegation.

ADVERTISEMENT

Zients argued the vaccine is still needed everywhere in the country.

“There are tens of millions of people across the country in each and every state and county who have not yet been vaccinated and the fair and equitable way to distribute the vaccine is based on the adult population by state, tribe and territory,” he said.

Read more here. 

 

Democrats say: Documents show Trump officials helped suppress coronavirus CDC reports

Top former Trump administration advisers helped suppress scientific information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) they felt was harmful to President TrumpDonald TrumpRomney blasts end of filibuster, expansion of SCOTUS McConnell, GOP slam Biden’s executive order on SCOTUS US raises concerns about Iran’s seriousness in nuclear talks MORE, and attacked the agency’s credibility, according to documents obtained by House Democrats.

“Our investigation has shown that Trump Administration officials engaged in a persistent pattern of political interference in the nation’s public health response to the coronavirus pandemic, overruling and bullying scientists and making harmful decisions that allowed the virus to spread more rapidly,” said Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.), chairman of the subcommittee.

Specifically, the committee found former science adviser Paul Alexander attempted to alter or block at least 13 CDC reports related to the coronavirus. 

Yippee: When it worked, as in the instance where CDC leaders reportedly changed the opening sentence of a report about the spread of the virus among younger people, Alexander bragged about it. 

“Small victory but a victory nonetheless and yippee!!!” he reportedly wrote in an email.

The Trump administration has denied that there was any political interference impacting CDC reports, and claimed Alexander’s emails “absolutely did not shape department policy or strategy.”

Read more here.

 

Vaccines for youths: Pfizer-BioNTech request emergency authorization to vaccinate 12- to 15-year-olds

ADVERTISEMENT

Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech requested to amend their emergency use authorization with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to get approval to administer their COVID-19 vaccine to 12- to 15-year-olds.

The move would expand the FDA’s emergency authorization for the vaccine, which is currently only available for those 16 and older. With the other two vaccines authorized in the U.S. only for adults, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine would become the first available to 12- to 15-year-olds in the U.S.

The two companies said they plan to request similar age extensions from other regulatory authorities worldwide in the coming days.

Follows: Pfizer and BioNTech released research last month that determined their vaccine is 100 percent effective in the age group. At the time, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said he hoped to start vaccinating 12- to 15-year-olds before the start of the next school year. This could go a long way towards making that happen.

Read more here. 

 

Bye bye bye: White House warns states to expect low weekly J&J vaccine shipments

ADVERTISEMENT

White House officials said Friday that states will receive substantially fewer doses of Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine over the coming weeks, until the Food and Drug Administration can authorize the company’s production facility in Baltimore.

“We expect a relatively low level of weekly doses distributed to states, tribes, territories and our federal channels” until the manufacturing facility is authorized, Jeff Zients, White House coronavirus response coordinator, said Friday.

Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that Johnson & Johnson doses sent out will drop from about 4.9 million this week to 700,000 next week, a cut of 85 percent.

Only 5 million Johnson & Johnson shots have been administered nationwide, according to CDC data, compared with 170 million shots of the other two authorized vaccines.

Unmet goals? J&J previously said it expects to deliver 24 million doses by the end of April, but it’s not clear if that can happen without the Baltimore plant’s authorization. But the last time it mentioned those numbers was March 31. Since then, the company in public statements has said only that it will meet, or nearly meet, a target of 100 million doses delivered by the end of May.

Click Here: All Blacks rugby store

Read more here.

 

ADVERTISEMENT

Variant concerns rise: CDC documents increase in Brazil strain in US

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that cases of the COVID-19 variant first detected in Brazil are on the rise in the United States.

Data released Thursday showed 434 reported cases of the P.1 variant across 28 jurisdictions. 

States seeing the variant: Most of the cases are reported in Massachusetts, where there are 102 cases. Other states hardest hit by the P.1 variant include Illinois with 93 cases, Florida with 87 cases and California with 39.

The P.1. variant is the second most common variant in the U.S. behind the B.1.1.7 variant first identified in the U.K., which CDC Director Rochelle WalenskyRochelle WalenskyOvernight Health Care: White House rebuffs call to send more vaccine doses to certain states | White House warns states to expect low weekly J&J vaccine shipments Watch live: White House COVID-19 response team briefing CDC data shows rise in Brazil variant detected in US MORE said Wednesday is the dominant strain in the country. A total of 19,554 strains of the B.1.1.7 variant have been reported across 52 jurisdictions in the U.S.

The U.S. has recorded 424 cases of the third variant, B.1.351, which was first discovered in South Africa.

Read more here. 

 

What we’re reading

CDC ramps up scrutiny of rare post-vaccination ‘breakthrough infections’ (Washington Post) 

To speed vaccination, some call for delaying second shots (New York Times) 

Scientists work toward an elusive dream: a simple pill to treat COVID-19 (Stat News)

They tested negative for COVID. Still, they have long COVID symptoms (Kaiser Health News) 

 

State by state

Wisconsin reports most daily COVID-19 cases in nearly 2 months; deaths, hospitalizations also up (Wisconsin State Journal)

Shift to Phase 2 could mean dip in vaccine doses sent to Northern Virginia (WTOP)

Proposed new Indiana vaping products tax blasted as ‘measly’ (Chicago Tribune)

The Pentagon said it will keep in place a Trump-era policy allowing the use of certain antipersonnel land mines that were restricted under former President Obama while it conducts a review.

The announcement comes as the Biden administration faces increasing pressure to immediately reinstate the Obama-era limits that Trump lifted in January of 2020.

Click Here: Manchester City soccer tracksuit

A Pentagon spokesman on Tuesday said the Defense Department still finds the weapon “a vital tool in conventional warfare” that the U.S. military “cannot responsibly forgo, particularly when faced with substantial and potentially overwhelming enemy forces in the early stages of combat.”

ADVERTISEMENT

“Withholding a capability that would give our ground forces the ability to deny terrain temporarily and therefore shape an enemy’s movement to our benefit irresponsibly risks American lives,” spokesman Mike Howard said in a statement on Tuesday.

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said later on Tuesday that while Howard’s statement was “accurate and factual,” Defense officials are analyzing the land mine policy and how the decision was made to change it last year.

Former President TrumpDonald TrumpGaetz trip to Bahamas part of federal sex trafficking investigation: report Omar slams Biden admin for continuing ‘the construction of Trump’s xenophobic and racist wall’ Biden to announce executive action on ghost guns, red flag laws MORE last year rolled back restrictions on land mines placed outside of the Korean Peninsula, nixing Obama’s 2014 directive to no longer produce or acquire the weapon in the region. The so-called persistent mines stay active indefinitely and are meant to protect South Korea from any threats from North Korea.

Shortly after Trump’s move, then-Defense Secretary Mark EsperMark EsperOvernight Defense: Trump-era land mine policy unchanged amid review | Biden spending outline coming Friday | First lady sets priorities for relaunched military families initiative Biden to keep Trump-era land mine policy in place during review Overnight Defense: Report urges sweeping changes to Capitol security | Biden touts female general nominees on International Women’s Day | US stands by Saudis after ‘heinous’ Houthi attacks MORE announced a change to the Pentagon’s land mine policy, allowing the armament as long as it had self-destruct features or could self-deactivate.

“We are analyzing Secretary Esper’s decision, his policy of January of 2020… When we complete that analysis of that decision, then we’ll be able to have a better idea of whether or not further review of our land mine policy is warranted,” Kirby said on Tuesday.

ADVERTISEMENT

The 164-country agreement known as the 1997 Ottawa Convention banned the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of older types of antipersonnel land mines as they are likely to kill and wound civilians.

Obama’s policy largely followed the convention, though the United States has not signed the international agreement.

Lawmakers and human rights advocacy groups in recent days have criticized Biden for not signing the treaty, after indicating on the campaign trail that he would do so if elected.

“This landmine policy starkly sets the U.S. apart from its allies. It is in direct opposition with President BidenJoe BidenManchin throws cold water on using budget reconciliation Moderate GOP senators and Biden clash at start of infrastructure debate Omar slams Biden admin for continuing ‘the construction of Trump’s xenophobic and racist wall’ MORE’s aspirations to be a global human rights leader – for the United States to truly be a leader, it must change its land mines policy as soon as possible,” Adotei Akwei, advocacy director of Amnesty International USA, said in a statement.

Sen. Patrick LeahyPatrick Joseph LeahyOvernight Defense: Trump-era land mine policy unchanged amid review | Biden spending outline coming Friday | First lady sets priorities for relaunched military families initiative Biden to keep Trump-era land mine policy in place during review Biden under pressure to spell out Cuba policy MORE (D-Vt.) said in a statement Wednesday that he had spoken to Defense Secretary Lloyd AustinLloyd AustinOvernight Defense: Trump-era land mine policy unchanged amid review | Biden spending outline coming Friday | First lady sets priorities for relaunched military families initiative Biden to keep Trump-era land mine policy in place during review With salami-slicing and swarming tactics, China’s aggression continues MORE as recently as last week “about the need to return to the Obama policy on landmines.”

“I have spoken to President Biden about this over many years, and I’m confident that his administration will do the right thing and renounce these indiscriminate weapons that have no place in the arsenal of civilized nations,” Leahy said.

The percentage of Americans who prioritize protecting the environment over strengthening the economy has dropped in recent years, according to a new poll. 

The Gallup survey released on Thursday showed that 50 percent of adults in the U.S. say “protection of the environment should be given priority, even at the risk of curbing economic growth.” That percentage is down from 60 percent who said the same early last year and 65 percent in 2019. 

The new survey found that 42 percent of U.S. adults said that “economic growth should be given priority, even if the environment suffers to some extent.” That percentage is up from 30 percent who agreed in 2019.

ADVERTISEMENT

Click Here: mens wallabies jersey

Gallup noted that Americans’ views on protecting the environment, even “at the risk of curbing economic growth,” typically reflects the unemployment rate in the country, with more survey respondents choosing the economy as unemployment ticks up. 

The unemployment rate has been higher in 2020 and 2021 than in recent years in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on businesses across the country. 

When broken down by party, Republican voters are significantly more likely to prioritize the economy over the environment when asked to pick between the two. Sixty-eight percent of Republicans chose “economic growth” rather than “protection of the environment” in in the poll released Thursday, compared to 23 percent of Democrats who agreed.

President BidenJoe BidenManchin throws cold water on using budget reconciliation Moderate GOP senators and Biden clash at start of infrastructure debate Omar slams Biden admin for continuing ‘the construction of Trump’s xenophobic and racist wall’ MORE has long viewed his climate plan as part of a larger economic vision. Biden during his presidential campaign said his administration’s response to climate change could create more than 10 million jobs.

The Gallup survey was conducted March 1-15 with a random sample of 1,010 adults in the U.S. The margin of sampling error is 4 percentage points.

Archaeologists uncovered a 3,000-year-old “lost golden city” in Egypt, the biggest ancient city yet discovered in the country.

“The Egyptian mission under Dr. Zahi Hawass found the city that was lost under the sands,” the excavation team said in a statement Thursday, CBS News reported. “The city is 3,000 years old, dates to the reign of Amenhotep III, and continued to be used by Tutankhamun and Ay.”

Betsy Bryan, a member of the mission team and an Egyptology professor at Johns Hopkins University, said in the statement that this is the second most important discovery in nearly a century since the tomb of Tutankhamun was discovered.

ADVERTISEMENT

“What they unearthed was the site of a large city in a good condition of preservation, with almost complete walls, and with rooms filled with tools of daily life,” the statement said.

The city was discovered near Luxor, Egyptologist Zahi Hawass said. 

The items discovered already include jewelry, pottery vessels, scarab beetle amulets and mud bricks that have the seals of Amenhotep III, according to CBS News.

Click Here: Bape Men 1st Camo Applique Oxford shirt

“The mission expects to uncover untouched tombs filled with treasures,” the statement said.

The city “will give us a rare glimpse into the life of the ancient Egyptians at the time where the empire was at his wealthiest,” Bryan said.

Welcome to Hillicon Valley, The Hill’s newsletter detailing all you need to know about the tech and cyber news from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. If you don’t already, be sure to sign up for our newsletter by clicking HERE. 

Welcome! Follow our cyber reporter, Maggie Miller (@magmill95), and tech team, Chris Mills Rodrigo (@chrisismills) and Rebecca Klar (@rebeccaklar_), for more coverage.

Facebook and Instagram are both offline as we send this out. The cause of the current outage is unknown. Also today, the Commerce Department added seven Chinese supercomputing groups to its “entity list”; CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield’s Community Health Plan District of Columbia (CHPDC) told customers it suffered a data breach carried out by a “foreign cybercriminal” group in January; and more than half of the employees at Amazon’s Bessemer, Ala., warehouse voted in the hotly anticipated union election. 

ADVERTISEMENT

 

BLACKLISTED: The Commerce Department on Thursday blacklisted seven Chinese supercomputing groups, adding the companies to its “entity list” as potential national security threats. 

The agency in its announcement said that the groups were involved in building supercomputers for Chinese military activities, “destabilizing” modernization efforts and the nation’s weapons of mass destruction programs. 

The groups added to the entity list: Tianjin Phytium Information Technology, Shanghai High-Performance Integrated Circuit Design Center, Sunway Microelectronics, the National Supercomputing Center Jinan, the National Supercomputing Center Shenzhen, the National Supercomputing Center Wuxi and the National Supercomputing Center Zhengzhou. 

“Supercomputing capabilities are vital for the development of many – perhaps almost all – modern weapons and national security systems, such as nuclear weapons and hypersonic weapons,” Commerce Secretary Gina RaimondoGina RaimondoHillicon Valley: Facebook and Instagram both offline | Commerce adds to blacklist | Major DC insurance provider hacked | Over half turn out for Amazon union vote in Alabama Commerce blacklists seven Chinese supercomputing groups Hillicon Valley: Twitter will not allow Trump account archive on platform | Commerce Dept. still weighing approach to Huawei, TikTok | Dating apps work to reinvent amid COVID-19 pandemic MORE said in a statement Thursday. “The Department of Commerce will use the full extent of its authorities to prevent China from leveraging U.S. technologies to support these destabilizing military modernization efforts.”

Read more about the Commerce actions here.

 

ADVERTISEMENT

HEALTHCARE HACKING: CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield’s Community Health Plan District of Columbia (CHPDC) suffered a data breach carried out by what it described as a “foreign cybercriminal” group in January that potentially impacted sensitive data, the company told customers this week.

The insurance provider notified customers in writing through a letter obtained by The Hill and through an online announcement on Monday.

What happened: The company wrote that the breach had taken place Jan. 28, and that the company had notified both the FBI and the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia, and was working with cybersecurity group CrowdStrike in responding to the security incident. 

After analysis, CHPDC assessed the attack was likely carried out by a “sophisticated, foreign cybercriminal enterprise,” and that it was too early to say how many customers had been impacted or what data was taken.

A written notification to customers went further, with the company noting that some of the stolen information may have included names, addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, Medicaid identification numbers, and other medical information. 

Read more about the incident here.

 

THE VOTES ARE IN: More than half of the employees at Amazon’s Bessemer, Ala., warehouse voted in the high-stakes union election, according to the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU).

Turnout exceeded the labor group’s expectations, with more than 3,200 ballots submitted to the National Labor Relations Board. More than 5,800 workers were eligible to vote.

But the turnout does not give any clear indication of whether a majority of workers cast ballots to unionize.

The public portion of the vote count started Thursday afternoon.

Read more here. 

 

FACEBOOK FACES NEW SUIT: A new lawsuit from civil rights group Muslim Advocates claims Facebook deceived Congress and users over its commitment to remove content that violates the platform’s policies, thus fueling anti-Muslim rhetoric.

ADVERTISEMENT

The lawsuit filed in D.C. Superior Court on Thursday alleges that over the past three years Facebook’s top executives have violated the D.C. Consumer Protection Procedures Act by falsely testifying to Congress and promising civil rights leaders that the company removes content that violates its policies when it is flagged.

The bold allegation: The complaint alleges that despite what Facebook executives have claimed, the platform “routinely fails” to follow through on the promise.

A spokesperson for Facebook denied the allegations in the lawsuit. 

“We do not allow hate speech on Facebook and regularly work with experts, non-profits, and stakeholders to help make sure Facebook is a safe place for everyone, recognizing anti-Muslim rhetoric can take different forms. We have invested in AI technologies to take down hate speech, and we proactively detect 97 percent of what we remove,” the spokesperson said in a statement. 

Read more about the lawsuit. 

 

Click Here: shopskm

TWITTER’S NEW MILK TEA ALLIANCE EMOJI: Twitter has launched a new emoji in honor of the online pro-democracy movement Milk Tea Alliance that has gained popularity among protesters in places like Hong Kong, Taiwan, Thailand and Myanmar. 

ADVERTISEMENT

The Twitter Public Policy account announced the emoji late Wednesday in a thread to “celebrate the first anniversary of the #MilkTeaAlliance.” 

Tweets that include the hashtag will now also feature an image of a white cup set against a background that features “3 different types of milk tea colours from regions where the Alliance first formed online,” the platform wrote. 

Read more here. 

 

Lighter click: Just picking up some groceries

An op-ed to chew on: Biden offers American science a fresh way to prove its value to society

ADVERTISEMENT

 

NOTABLE LINKS FROM AROUND THE WEB: 

Google Has a Secret Blocklist that Hides YouTube Hate Videos from Advertisers—But It’s Full of Holes (The Markup / Leon Yin and Aaron Sankin)

Politicians dread the sting of #KHive, the fervent online fans of Kamala HarrisKamala HarrisHillicon Valley: Facebook and Instagram both offline | Commerce adds to blacklist | Major DC insurance provider hacked | Over half turn out for Amazon union vote in Alabama Poll: 56 percent have confidence in Harris’s ability to handle border crisis Residencies are a key tool to diversifying the nation’s teacher force MORE (Los Angeles Times / Noah Bierman)

The quiet war to be China’s next WeChat (Protocol / Shen Lu) 

A closely watched gauge of U.S. service sector activity hit a record high in March as the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic kicked into another gear, according to a report released Monday.

The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) said Monday that its purchasing managers’ index for non-manufacturing businesses rose to 63.7 in March. The index rose 8.4 percentage points to eclipse the previous record of 60.9 percent set in October 2018. 

March’s increase was the tenth consecutive rise in the ISM service sector index which investors and analysts track carefully for insight on the strength of the economy. An index reading above 50 points indicates expansion and a reading below 50 indicates contraction.

ADVERTISEMENT

Click Here: adelaide crows guernsey

“There was a substantial increase in the rate of growth in the services sector in March,” said Anthony Nieves, chair of the  ISM’s services business Survey Committee.

“The lifting of coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic-related restrictions has released pent-up demand for many of their respective companies’ services.”

The record-breaking ISM report is the latest sign of surging economic activity in the U.S. fueled by accelerating COVID-19 vaccinations, loosening restrictions, and rising confidence in the outlook.

The U.S. added 916,000 jobs in March, the Labor Department reported Friday, far exceeding the consensus 675,000 gain projected by economists. The ISM manufacturing index also rose to its highest level since 1983 in March.

ISM reported growth in each of the 18 economic sectors it tracks, and noted that companies were struggling with supply lags and shortages as activity ramped back up.

Production-capacity constraints, material shortages, weather and challenges in logistics and human resources continue to cause supply chain disruption,” Nieves said. 

The U.S. economy is strongly rebound from the coronavirus pandemic, which caused the steepest and quickest economic decline since the Great Depression. Roughly 8 million of the more than 20 million jobs lost to the pandemic have not yet been replaced, and millions of U.S. households are still struggling to pay for basic expenses after more than a year.

The strengthening economy also helps President BidenJoe BidenBiden should look to ‘Ostpolitik’ to negotiate with autocrats The Hill’s Morning Report – Biden’s infrastructure plan triggers definition debate The Memo: Biden’s bet on taxes MORE and Democrats make the case for Biden’s $2.5 trillion infrastructure proposal funded by corporate tax hikes. Republicans, who are no fans of tax hikes generally, have argued that the U.S. economy is too weak to handle higher taxes, though many economists disagree.

CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield’s Community Health Plan District of Columbia (CHPDC) suffered a data breach carried out by what it described as a “foreign cybercriminal” group in January that potentially impacted sensitive data, the company told customers this week.

The insurance provider notified customers in writing through a letter obtained by The Hill and through an online announcement on Monday.

The company wrote that the breach had taken place Jan. 28, and that the company had notified both the FBI and the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia, and was working with cybersecurity group CrowdStrike in responding to the security incident. 

ADVERTISEMENT

After analysis, CHPDC assessed the attack was likely carried out by a “sophisticated, foreign cybercriminal enterprise,” and that it was too early to say how many customers had been affected or what data was taken.

A written notification to customers went further, with the company noting that some of the stolen information may have included names, addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, Medicaid identification numbers, and other medical information. 

CHPDC stressed that Social Security numbers were not compromised, and that it immediately called in experts from CrowdStrike to further protect personal information and understand how the hack successfully occurred. 

“We’ve taken immediate steps to limit the impact of the attack and protect and secure our systems and the information of our enrollees,” CEO George Aloth said in a statement provided to The Hill. “We’re angry and troubled that anyone would target our enrollees. We’re taking aggressive action on behalf of all those we serve to ensure they are supported and notified as more information becomes available.”

The company is offering free two-year credit and identity theft monitoring to all enrolled customers potentially impacted, and a website with more information on the breach. 

Click Here: FC Bayern München soccer tracksuit

The breach is the third to hit CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield in the past six years, which overall serves around 3.4 million customers in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C., and is one of the largest health insurance providers in the region. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Around 1.1 million current and former enrollees had information compromised as part of a major breach in 2014 that was disclosed by the company in 2015. A second data breach took place in 2018, when almost 7,000 customers had information compromised as part of an email phishing attack.

The FBI and CrowdStrike did not respond to The Hill’s request for comment. Washington, D.C.’s Department of Health Care Finance, which partially funds the CHPDC, also did not respond to a request for comment. 

Cyberattacks against health care groups have multiplied over the past year in particular during the COVID-19 pandemic, with many groups seen as vulnerable targets by malicious cyber criminals. 

The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency put out an alert in October warning that hackers were stepping up attacks on hospitals and health care providers. 

Hospitals across the nation have seen services impacted by cyberattacks, while foreign hackers have also targeted researchers and medical professionals involved in COVID-19 treatment and research.