Key lawmakers on Monday expressed support for President BidenJoe BidenTrump: McConnell ‘helpless’ to stop Biden from packing court Biden, first lady send ‘warmest greetings’ to Muslims for Ramadan The business case for child care reform MORE’s picks to lead federal efforts on securing the nation against cyber threats.

Biden announced plans to nominate former National Security Agency Deputy Director Chris Inglis to fill the newly created role of national cyber director at the White House. He also named Jen Easterly as his pick to serve as director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

Both nominees will need to be approved by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee before heading to the full Senate for confirmation.

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“Filling these roles and ensuring these critical federal agencies have qualified, Senate-confirmed leadership continues to be a priority for our committee,” an aide for Committee Chairman Gary PetersGary PetersHillicon Valley: Biden nominates former NSA deputy director to serve as cyber czar | Apple to send witness to Senate hearing after all | Biden pressed on semiconductor production amid shortage Bipartisan lawmakers signal support for Biden cybersecurity picks The Hill’s Morning Report – Biden: Let’s make a deal on infrastructure, taxes MORE (D-Mich.) told The Hill on Monday. “Chairman Peters looks forward to moving quickly to review these nominees’ qualifications and advance them through the confirmation process so we can have qualified, Senate-confirmed leaders in place as soon as practicable.”

Sen. Rob PortmanRobert (Rob) Jones PortmanHillicon Valley: Biden nominates former NSA deputy director to serve as cyber czar | Apple to send witness to Senate hearing after all | Biden pressed on semiconductor production amid shortage Bipartisan lawmakers signal support for Biden cybersecurity picks GOP Ohio Senate candidate asked to leave RNC retreat MORE (Ohio), the panel’s top Republican, did not raise any objections to the nominees.

“As a former Cabinet official I believe that every nominee deserves a fair process and I look forward to reviewing the National Cyber Director and CISA Director nominees based on their merits,” Portman, who served as director of the White House Office of Management and Budget under former President George W. Bush, said in a statement provided to The Hill.

The position of national cyber director, who will serve as the federal government’s cyber czar and coordinate cybersecurity policy, was created as part of the most recent National Defense Authorization Act.

CISA has been without a Senate-confirmed director since former President TrumpDonald TrumpTrump: McConnell ‘helpless’ to stop Biden from packing court Romney on NRSC awarding Trump: Not ‘my preference’ McConnell sidesteps Trump calling him ‘dumb son of a b—-‘ MORE fired former Director Chris Krebs in November after the agency pushed back against claims of election disinformation and misinformation.

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Both Inglis and Easterly received almost unanimous praise from former federal cyber leaders on Monday. Krebs tweeted that they were “brilliant picks,” and Thomas Bossert, former homeland security adviser during the Trump administration, described them as “outstanding appointments to lead our Nation’s cybersecurity.”

The cyber czar position is an elevated version of the previous White House cybersecurity coordinator position, which was eliminated under the Trump administration by former national security adviser John BoltonJohn BoltonBipartisan lawmakers signal support for Biden cybersecurity picks On North Korea, Biden should borrow from Trump’s Singapore declaration Colin Kahl’s nomination will be a disaster for Israel and the region MORE in an effort to cut down on bureaucracy.

Bringing back and elevating the role to a Senate-confirmed position, and one with that comes with up to 75 staff members in the executive office, was a goal spearheaded by the Cyberspace Solarium Commission. The group is made up of lawmakers, federal officials and industry leaders who submitted recommendations to Congress last year on how to defend the nation against cyberattacks.

Lawmakers on the commission have increasingly pressured Biden to fill the cyber czar role. That pressure has intensified in the wake of both the SolarWinds hack, which compromised at least nine federal agencies, and the vulnerabilities in Microsoft’s Exchange Server program that allowed at least one Chinese hacking group to compromise thousands of businesses.

Commission co-chairs Sen. Angus KingAngus KingBipartisan lawmakers signal support for Biden cybersecurity picks Groups petition EPA to remove ethane and methane from list of compounds exempt from emissions limits Lack of cyber funds in Biden infrastructure plan raises eyebrows MORE (I-Maine) and Rep. Mike GallagherMichael (Mike) John GallagherBipartisan lawmakers signal support for Biden cybersecurity picks Republicans downplay military’s extremism issue in hearing Bipartisan House bill would repeal decades-old war authorizations MORE (R-Wis.), along with members Sen. Ben SasseBen SasseBipartisan lawmakers signal support for Biden cybersecurity picks To encourage innovation, Congress should pass two bills protecting important R&D tax provision Maine GOP rejects motion to censure Collins MORE (R-Neb.) and Rep. Jim LangevinJames (Jim) R. LangevinBipartisan lawmakers signal support for Biden cybersecurity picks Hillicon Valley: Grid security funding not included in Biden’s infrastructure plan | Russia fines Twitter | Lawmakers call for increased school cybersecurity Lawmakers urge Education Department to take action to defend schools from cyber threats MORE (D-R.I.), put out a joint statement Monday strongly supporting both Easterly and Inglis, a fellow commission member.

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“We are pleased that President Biden has nominated our fellow Solarium Commissioner Chris Inglis to be the country’s first National Cyber Director,” the lawmakers said.

“His wealth of experience in the highest ranks of government cyber operations and policy making ensured that our proposal was grounded in the reality of today,” they added.

Inglis was previously confirmed by the Senate for his role at the NSA. 

The lawmakers noted that Easterly was also involved in the commission’s work on strategy development.

“Her incisive mind and tenacity will be great assets to CISA as it continues to mature,” the four lawmakers said. “Strengthening CISA is an essential part of the Solarium strategy, and Jen is just that – a strong pick.”

The four bipartisan commission leaders pointed to the SolarWinds and Microsoft incidents Monday in stressing that “as our adversaries’ attempts to probe our networks become bolder, the need for a leader with statutory authority to coordinate the development and implementation of a national cyber strategy to defend and secure everything from our hospitals to our power grid could not be more clear.” 

Langevin was particularly key in establishing the position, having introduced legislation for the past 10 years to create a Senate-confirmed cyber czar. 

But the position could face hurdles when it comes to funding, with money for the cyber czar office left out of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan signed into law last month. Langevin told The Hill on Monday that he saw this as a temporary problem. 

“I have high confidence that the office will be adequately funded, that is part of my job,” Langevin said during a phone interview. “There are other avenues coming up, particularly the Capitol Police supplemental under consideration … or regular appropriations process, but I think it will be funded sooner rather than later.”

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Former President TrumpDonald TrumpTrump: McConnell ‘helpless’ to stop Biden from packing court Romney on NRSC awarding Trump: Not ‘my preference’ McConnell sidesteps Trump calling him ‘dumb son of a b—-‘ MORE‘s personal lawyers on Monday urged a federal judge to find that a New York state law on congressional tax return requests no longer pertains to the former president because he’s out of office.

“While the TRUST Act is not the clearest statute, the best reading is that it does not apply to former Presidents,” Trump’s lawyers wrote in a court filing.

New York in 2019 enacted a law, called the TRUST Act, that allows the chairs of Congress’s tax committees to request public officials’ state tax returns. Trump then filed a lawsuit in an effort to prevent the House Ways and Means Committee from obtaining his state tax returns.

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Judge Carl Nichols, a federal district court judge in Washington, D.C., appointed by Trump, has ordered the Ways and Means Committee to give the court and Trump’s lawyers contemporaneous notice if it requests Trump’s state tax returns. He also ordered the committee to not receive any requested state tax returns until 14 days after it makes a request.

Trump’s lawyers argued that if Nichols does not determine that the TRUST Act no longer applies to Trump, Nichols should keep this order in place. Trump’s lawyers said that the Ways and Means Committee won’t agree to the proposition that the New York law doesn’t pertain to Trump anymore.

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Richard NealRichard Edmund NealDemocrats offer competing tax ideas on Biden infrastructure Top Democrat calling for expansion of child care support DOJ asks for more time to make decision on turning over Trump taxes MORE (D-Mass.) has not requested Trump’s state tax returns and has been more focused on obtaining his federal tax returns from the Treasury Department and IRS. Neal’s effort to obtain Trump’s federal tax returns is the subject of a separate lawsuit.

The committee’s lawyers said in Monday’s court filing that they think Nichols’s order doesn’t properly respect the Constitution’s separation of powers principle. They also noted that Trump didn’t pursue any claims challenging the TRUST Act in a New York court once Nichols dismissed New York officials from the lawsuit for lack of jurisdiction.

“That non-action by him should now serve as a clear signal to this Court that he did not and does not have any claim worth pursuing about the New York state statute,” the committee’s lawyers wrote. “This Court should therefore now immediately dismiss this case, leaving plaintiff Trump with whatever remedies he might wish to pursue in an appropriate court against an appropriate defendant.”

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IT’S MONDAY! Welcome to Overnight Energy, your source for the day’s energy and environment news.

Please send tips and comments to Rachel Frazin at rfrazin@thehill.com. Follow her on Twitter: @RachelFrazin . Reach Zack Budryk at zbudryk@thehill.com or follow him on Twitter: @BudrykZack . Signup for our newsletter and others HERE. 

Today we’re looking at President BidenJoe BidenTrump: McConnell ‘helpless’ to stop Biden from packing court Biden, first lady send ‘warmest greetings’ to Muslims for Ramadan The business case for child care reform MORE’s meeting with bipartisan lawmakers on infrastructure, a forthcoming GOP climate package and ways in which advocates are hoping the infrastructure package contributes to sustainability.

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DO YOU LIKE EVENTS? Check out The Hill’s The Sustainability Imperative April 14-16:

Environmental sustainability is no longer optional; it’s become an imperative. Join The Hill for a national multi-day virtual event including multiple tracks of programming featuring fireside chats with policy leaders and practitioners in the sustainability ecosystem including WH Climate Advisor Gina McCarthyGina McCarthy OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Biden seeks GOP support for infrastructure plan | House GOP’s planned environmental bills drop Democratic priorities | Advocates optimistic Biden infrastructure plan is a step toward sustainability The Hill’s 12:30 Report: Biden meets with bipartisan lawmakers for infrastructure negotiations Biden climate officials make case for infrastructure based on jobs, environment MORE, former GE CEO Jeff Immelt, Gov. Jay InsleeJay Robert Inslee OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Biden seeks GOP support for infrastructure plan | House GOP’s planned environmental bills drop Democratic priorities | Advocates optimistic Biden infrastructure plan is a step toward sustainability The Hill’s 12:30 Report: Biden meets with bipartisan lawmakers for infrastructure negotiations Inslee signs bill restoring voting rights to parolees in Washington state MORE, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, fashion designer Tracy Reese and many more. View the full schedule and RSVP today.

 

IT’S STILL INFRASTRUCTURE WEEK: Biden seeks GOP support for infrastructure plan

President Biden on Monday intensified his effort to win broad congressional support for his massive infrastructure plan, huddling with eight lawmakers from both chambers in search of that rarest of things in today’s hyperpolarized Washington: bipartisanship. 

The gathering marked the first time the president has met with a bipartisan group of lawmakers on infrastructure since he introduced his American Jobs Plan on March 31 in Pittsburgh. He previously hosted a small cadre of Republican and Democratic senators in the Oval Office in February. 

But the two parties remained far apart after the nearly two-hour meeting. 

What did Republicans say after the meeting? Mississippi Sen. Roger WickerRoger Frederick Wicker OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Biden seeks GOP support for infrastructure plan | House GOP’s planned environmental bills drop Democratic priorities | Advocates optimistic Biden infrastructure plan is a step toward sustainability On The Money: Biden seeks GOP support for infrastructure plan | Democrats debate tax hikes on wealthy | Biden, Congress target semiconductor shortage Against mounting odds, Biden seeks GOP support for infrastructure plan MORE, the top Republican on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, called it a “good discussion,” one in which Biden did most of the talking. But Wicker said pieces of Biden’s proposal would be “non-starters” for Republicans, particularly his idea to pay for the package through big corporate tax increases.  

Wicker said it “would be an almost impossible sell for the president to come to a bipartisan agreement that included the undoing” of the GOP’s 2017 tax cuts law. 

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“I did tell him that,” Wicker told reporters after the meeting. “Whether we’ll be able to come to a bipartisan agreement that gets as expansive and as massive as he would like to, I don’t know.” 

“I certainly appreciated the words in the room, but obviously the follow-up actions are … most important,” Rep. Garret GravesGarret Neal Graves OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Biden seeks GOP support for infrastructure plan | House GOP’s planned environmental bills drop Democratic priorities | Advocates optimistic Biden infrastructure plan is a step toward sustainability On The Money: Biden seeks GOP support for infrastructure plan | Democrats debate tax hikes on wealthy | Biden, Congress target semiconductor shortage Against mounting odds, Biden seeks GOP support for infrastructure plan MORE (R-La.), a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, told The Hill after the meeting.

What’s the plan, Stan? Democrats are leaning toward a plan to separate the package into two smaller proposals: one featuring the more conventional infrastructure projects, which party leaders believe have a better chance of winning Republican support; and the other focused on the family care provisions, which face stronger headwinds from the right.

And some of the challenges? Internally, Democrats are at odds over the size of the package, with liberals urging Biden to go bigger while moderates are more wary of deficit spending.

Across the aisle, the president is also facing heavy resistance from conservatives who say the package is too large, leans heavily on tax increases and covers too many issues outside the realm of traditional infrastructure.

“You can’t just make up words and add ‘infrastructure’ at the end,” Graves said in the phone interview, panning what Democrats are calling “social infrastructure.”

In the interview Graves, the top Climate Committee Republican,  also told The Hill that infrastructure *can* entail: Major waterways that go through multiple states, flood protection “in some cases” and broadband “in some cases.”

Read more about the meeting here. 

GREEN RIGHT: House GOP’s planned environmental bills drop Democratic priorities

Congressional Republicans are set to unveil environmental legislation in the coming weeks that eschews the Biden administration’s focus on energy and carbon emissions in favor of reducing U.S. dependence on so-called critical minerals and an initiative to plant 1 trillion trees worldwide. 

A spokesperson for Republicans on the House Natural Resources Committee on Monday confirmed to The Hill that Republicans in the chamber will reintroduce the Trillion Trees Act in the weeks ahead.

What else does the package involve?: The spokesperson told The Hill on Monday that a separate bill will also seek to reduce American dependence on critical minerals obtained from China and African nations.

In February, President Biden signed an executive order requiring a 100-day review of critical product supply chains, including critical and rare-earth minerals.

Republicans plan to unveil the measures next week to coincide with Earth Day, ahead of a planned White House-hosted climate summit with other world leaders next Thursday.

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The GOP measures are not expected to include mandatory greenhouse gas emissions caps or carbon pricing, according to Bloomberg. The latter, once ferociously opposed by the energy industry, has moved into the mainstream over the past decade, with the American Petroleum Association endorsing such a plan earlier this year.

Read more about the bills here:

RAILING TO GO: Advocates optimistic Biden infrastructure plan is a step toward sustainability

Environmental advocates are hopeful that parts of the White House’s multi-trillion-dollar infrastructure package’s sustainability measures can gain traction with lawmakers in Congress despite GOP claims that they fall outside the definition of infrastructure.

Advocates have long called expansion of rail infrastructure a major opportunity to reduce the environmental impact of transportation and improve its sustainability.

Sierra Club legislative director Melinda Pierce told The Hill the organization is particularly pleased with the legislation’s provisions on rail transportation.

What does the package do for rail?: The $2.25 trillion plan includes $85 billion to modernize public transit, including updating and replacing rail cars, station repairs and railway expansion. Another $80 billion would address Amtrak’s repair backlog and increase the cities connected by Amtrak routes along the rail system’s northeastern corridor.

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Biden is the “best salesman for building out a transportation infrastructure,” Pierce said. “Now might be that moment — now we might see bold investments in rail as an option and an option to take freight off the roads.”

Read more here: 

IT’S PERSONNEL: Nixed Interior nominee appointed to different department role 

An official who President Biden originally wanted to nominate to be the second-in-command at the Interior Department has found a new political position in the agency after reported opposition from swing-vote senators. 

Elizabeth Klein, who had been slated to be nominated as Interior’s deputy secretary, will now instead be senior counselor to the secretary. 

Read more about the appointment here. 

ON TAP TOMORROW:

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The House Committee on Natural Resources’ Subcommittee on Indigenous Peoples of the United States will hold a hearing on H.R. 1884, the “Save Oak Flat Act.”

WHAT WE’RE READING:

A California county, despite the state’s climate goals, further embraces fossil fuels, The Washington Post reports

How a shocking environmental disaster was uncovered off the California coast after 70 years, CBS News reports

Early environmental activist John Topping dies at 77, The New York Times reports

Old documents fuel latest bid to halt Nevada lithium mine, according to The Associated Press

 Leaked calls show ALEC’s secret plan to fight Biden on climate, GRIST reports

ICYMI: Stories from Monday and the weekend…

House GOP’s planned environmental bills drop Democratic priorities

New Oregon laws aim to reduce whale deaths from crab fishing lines

Advocates optimistic Biden infrastructure plan is a step toward sustainability

Companies face pressure to promote sustainable products, avoid ‘green washing’

Iran launches advanced centrifuges at nuclear plant

Nixed Interior nominee appointed to different department role 

Against mounting odds, Biden seeks GOP support for infrastructure plan

FROM THE HILL’S OPINION PAGES: 

‘Suspicious’ blackout at Iranian nuclear site almost certain to prompt retaliation by Simon Henderson of the Bernstein Program on Gulf and Energy Policy at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

And lastly: Hold me closer, tiny Prancer

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Top U.S. health officials on Tuesday called for a pause in the use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine while they review cases of rare blood clots in people receiving the shots.

The officials said they are reviewing six cases of a “rare and severe type of blood clot” out of more than 6.8 million people in the U.S. who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

All six cases were in women between ages 18 and 48.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will meet on Wednesday to review the cases, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will look into them as well.

“Until that process is complete, we are recommending a pause in the use of this vaccine out of an abundance of caution,” said Peter Marks, a top FDA official, and Anne Schuchat, a top CDC official, in a joint statement. “This is important, in part, to ensure that the health care provider community is aware of the potential for these adverse events and can plan for proper recognition and management due to the unique treatment required with this type of blood clot.”

The type of blood clot in question, called cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, requires different treatment than blood clots usually do. The agencies said they want health providers to be able to plan for them.

Marks and Schuchat stressed that “these adverse events appear to be extremely rare.”

“COVID-19 vaccine safety is a top priority for the federal government, and we take all reports of health problems following COVID-19 vaccination very seriously,” the officials added. “People who have received the J&J vaccine who develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain, or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination should contact their health care provider.”

The move is sure to send shockwaves through the U.S. vaccination effort and could worsen vaccine hesitancy, which was already a problem as some people refused to be inoculated.

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Still, two other vaccines, from Pfizer and Moderna, have made up the bulk of U.S. supply so far, and no serious safety issues have been raised with them.

About 7 million Johnson & Johnson shots have been administered in the U.S. so far, compared to much higher numbers for Pfizer and Moderna, about 98 million and 85 million, respectively.

Johnson & Johnson had also been struggling with its manufacturing, as problems at a Baltimore plant delayed the distribution of more doses. But there are about 9 million more Johnson & Johnson shots that have been distributed, according to CDC data, that are now subject to a pause.

“While unfortunate, it’s the right step,” Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown School of Public Health, wrote of the pause on Twitter. “Central to vaccination success is ensuring people have confidence they are safe. These events (central venous thrombosis) are VERY rare. 6 out of 7 million. No vaccine (or drug) is perfect. But confidence is built on having a system that takes adverse events seriously, investigates them, makes data-driven decisions.”

The move brings home to the U.S. some of the back-and-forth that has played out in Europe over a different vaccine, from AstraZeneca, that has been subject to a pause in some countries due to rare blood clots as well. That vaccine has not yet been approved by the FDA for use in the U.S. 

Updated at 7:55 a.m.

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The Pentagon is touting its rollout of coronavirus vaccines even as it is unable to say how many service members have actually received COVID-19 vaccinations. 

Defense Department (DOD) officials say they have delivered more than 2 million shots, but a lack of hard numbers has made it difficult to determine how many of those have gone into the arms of troops versus military families and civilian employees.

The uncertainty was apparent on Friday when the Navy’s 7th Fleet claimed 96 percent of its personnel were fully vaccinated, only to pull back that assertion after it appeared it had overstated the results. 

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And on Saturday, reports emerged that nearly 40 percent of active duty and reserve Marines declined the vaccine.

The ambivalence lies in the Pentagon’s policy to not track how many military members reject the vaccine. But even without the hard data, officials are insistent that more soldiers, sailors and airmen are taking the inoculation.

“Regarding declinations, that is something that is always a little bit challenging to track,” admitted Air Force Deputy Surgeon General Maj. Gen. Robert Miller.

But there has been an overall trend of “more people accepting the vaccine” due to efforts to educate service members on the benefits of the shot, Miller added.

Maj. Gen. Jill Faris of U.S. Army Medical Command, who spoke alongside Miller, backed up that assertion, saying officials have witnessed “an overall trend in a positive way with more people accepting the vaccine.” 

“As the vaccines have been around, as people have been getting vaccinated, we’re seeing an increase of the take of the vaccine. … We believe that that’s due in large part to the education and the materials we put out,” she said.

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But she also allowed that DOD does “not keep track of declinations.” 

About 42 percent of the U.S. general population 18 years old and older have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, with 24 percent fully vaccinated, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

But among the military’s population, that information for months has remained hazy due to a Trump administration policy to not reveal any information other than the top-line numbers of vaccines delivered, the same numbers sent to the CDC. The Biden administration hasn’t publicly discussed changing that policy.

Making the information all the more inscrutable is vaccination rates that differ from service to service.

About 35 percent of the Navy and Marine Corps active duty force has been vaccinated, with the distribution of around 650,000 doses, according to the Navy’s Deputy Surgeon General Rear Adm. Gayle Shaffer.

Breaking it down further, about 75,500 Marines have received the vaccine and 48,000 have declined it, with an overall acceptance rate in the service of 61.1 percent, according to the data obtained by CNN. 

In the Air Force, only 11 percent of airmen have received at least one dose of the vaccine and about 7 percent are fully vaccinated, with 499,000 shots total sent out. 

The Army, meanwhile, has given 688,000 shots so far, with about 461,000 receiving both doses, but that number includes troops as well as their family members and Army civilians or contractors. 

“It took us 70 days to administer the first million vaccines, 35 days for the next million, and with more than a quarter of a million doses administered in the last eight days we’re on track for the next million in somewhere between 25 and 30 [days],” Defense Health Agency Director Lt. Gen. Ronald Place said Thursday.

What’s more, the military cannot require that service members get vaccinated, as the Food and Drug Administration has only given coronavirus vaccines emergency use authorization. 

That voluntary status goes for all service members whether they are soon to deploy or remaining stationary.

“It is a voluntary vaccination,” Faris said. “However, prior to deploying we provide the opportunity for all individuals to have access to be able to be vaccinated. It is not a mandatory requirement for readiness.”

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Maj. Gen. Jeff Taliaferro, the Joint Staff vice director for operations, first told lawmakers in February that a third of service members had decided not to receive a COVID-19 vaccine when offered.

Since then, the Pentagon has amped up its messaging to troops with the goal of coaxing more into getting the shot.

Defense Secretary Lloyd AustinLloyd AustinPentagon insists vaccine rollout a success despite spotty data Blinken to return to Brussels to discuss Russia, Ukraine tensions Defense secretary boasts ‘ironclad’ commitment to Israel during trip to Tel Aviv MORE released a video promoting the safety of the coronavirus vaccine and encouraging military personnel to seek out credible information on the inoculation from agencies like the CDC. And multiple high-ranking officials including Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark MilleyMark MilleyPentagon insists vaccine rollout a success despite spotty data Overnight Defense: US reportedly considering sending warships to Black Sea to support Ukraine | Intel community warns of fragile future | Austin traveling to Israel, Europe Pentagon may send warships to Black Sea in support of Ukraine MORE have publicly received the vaccine.  

Officials have also insisted that figures aren’t certain as the Pentagon does not gather data on how many of those offered the vaccine have turned it down.

“We don’t have a system in place across the services to specifically track data for those individuals who for whatever reason are declining or deferring the vaccine,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told reporters in February. 

The Pentagon expects to open up vaccine eligibility to all service members, their families and DOD civilians over the age of 16 on April 19, with every volunteer fully vaccinated by summer.

Manufacturer 3M has filed a lawsuit against a Florida company claiming trademark infringement and fraud for allegedly selling fake N95 masks to a Massachusetts hospital. 

The company claimed in the lawsuit filed in federal court late last month that MM Medical Supply illegally sold thousands of counterfeit N95 masks to South Shore Health System that were made to look like the ones produced by 3M, according to The Associated Press. 

Representatives of 3M said in the legal filing that the Florida company improperly led the Massachusetts hospital to believe that it was an authorized 3M distributor and that it sold masks at “exorbitantly inflated” prices.

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The AP added that the suit accused MM Medical Supply of “pandemic profiteering,” adding that its alleged sale of counterfeit masks “not only jeopardizes the health and safety of those fighting the pandemic on the front lines, but also seeks to divert precious public and other funds from the purchase of genuine personal protective equipment [PPE].”

3M in the suit requested the company to be barred from selling the products in the future, and to donate all profits to COVID-19 relief efforts, according to the AP. 

The Hill has reached out to MM Medical Supply, based in Tarpon Springs, Fla., for comment. 

3M has filed more than 30 similar suits throughout the pandemic. 

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro MayorkasAlejandro Mayorkas3M files lawsuit against Florida company over fake N95 masks Omar slams Biden admin for continuing ‘the construction of Trump’s xenophobic and racist wall’ Biden review could reveal additional families separated under Trump ‘zero tolerance’ policy MORE in February announced that federal agents had seized more than 11 million fake N95 masks made to mimic those produced by 3M over the course of several weeks. 

Mayorkas said in a news conference at the time that counterfeit masks had been seized in five states “from coast to coast.” 

“We are at a vulnerable time, with the pandemic costing so many lives and causing so much harm,” Mayorkas added. “Criminals [who] exploit our vulnerability for a quick buck is something that we will continue to aggressively pursue.”

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Shops, restaurants, bars and a number of other non-essential businesses will reopen in England on Monday, as the country continues its coronavirus vaccination effort.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the eased restrictions in a statement last week. Hairdressers, beauty and nail salons, gyms and spas are also among the non-essential retail locations set to reopen.

Public buildings such as libraries and community centers, and outdoor settings and attractions, including zoos, theme parks, drive-in cinemas and drive-in performance events, will also be permitted to reopen on Monday.

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Restaurants and bars will also be permitted to reopen only for outdoor service, without the requirement that customers purchase a substantial meal alongside alcohol. Additionally, curfews at locations will be lifted.

Customers will, however, still be required to remain seated while eating and drinking.

Outdoor gatherings will still be limited to six people or two households, and indoor gatherings are still prohibited with “anyone you do not live with or have not formed a support bubble with.”

According to Johnson, the country decided to move into the next phase of reopening after data confirmed the government’s “four tests” required for easing restrictions.

The assessment, according to the statement, was based on the country’s vaccine deployment program, evidence showing the vaccine’s effectiveness in reducing hospitalizations and deaths, infection rates that do not risk a surge in hospitalizations and if an “assessment of the risks is not fundamentally changed by new Variants of Concern.”

The statement also noted that before easing restrictions, the government “studied the latest data to assess the impact of the first step, which began when schools reopened on 8 March.”

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Johnson, The Associated Press, previously promised to visit a pub for a pint to mark the reopening, but has since postponed the celebration following the death of Prince Philip, the husband of Queen Elizabeth II.

More than 27 million first vaccine doses have been administered in England, according to the United Kingdom’s coronavirus website.

According to The New York Times, more than 4.3 million coronavirus cases have been reported in the United Kingdom, and more than 127,000 deaths have been confirmed.

Jobless claims ticked up to a seasonally adjusted 744,000 in the week ending April 3, an increase of 16,000 from the previous week, remaining stubbornly high as the economy reopens.

Two weeks ago, claims dipped below 700,000 — their pre-pandemic record — for the first time since COVID-19 shuttered the economy last year, but have since bounced back.

Last week’s figures were also revised up to 728,000, an increase of 9,000.

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The latest weekly figures, well above the 694,000 economists expected, are a reminder of the difficult path to recovery the economy still faces.

“Unemployment claims took a step backward in the latest week, as the numbers continue to be whipsawed by fraud in some states and by filing backlogs,” said Robert Frick, a corporate economist at Navy Federal Credit Union.

“Also, increases in COVID-19 cases could be causing regional and state-wide advances in layoffs,” he noted.

But there are also hopeful signs in the data.

Pandemic Unemployment Assistance, an emergency program for the self-employed, freelance workers and gig economy workers, saw a drop of over 85,000 initial claims, or 36 percent, falling to 151,752.

“Today’s Labor Department report delivered mixed messages,” said Andrew Stettner, senior fellow at The Century Foundation.

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“Even if the labor market can repeat the bang up performance it delivered in March, there are still many months ahead until this growth will reach a majority of the long-term unemployed.”

The official jobs report for March, released last week, showed an unexpected surge in hiring, with the economy adding 916,000 jobs.

As of late March, there were 18.2 million people on unemployment programs of any kind, and the unemployment rate dropped to 6 percent, though labor force participation has not yet recovered.

Stettner noted on Thursday that the improvements to employment appear concentrated among the short-term unemployed, a typical trend in recoveries.

“While short-term unemployment is steadily decreasing, long-term unemployment remains high,” he said.

“There are a total of 14 million on one of three extended benefits programs.”

–Updated at 9:18 a.m.

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Iran doubled down on its uranium enrichment program while unveiling a slate of advanced centrifuges at an underground nuclear plant on Saturday to mark its National Nuclear Technology Day.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in a statement touted the introduction of “133 national nuclear achievements and projects” at the underground Natanz facility during a video conference and said more centrifuges and other materials were being inaugurated at the country’s plant in Arak.

“I reiterate that all our nuclear activities are peaceful and for civilian purposes. As Leader [of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei] has repeatedly stated, in our religion, pursuing a weapon that can be a great danger to a large community is forbidden,” Rouhani said, according to state-owned Press TV.

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Saturday’s announcements appeared to mark new violations of the Obama-era nuclear deal. 

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 in 2018 withdrew the U.S. from the pact, after which Iran broke the agreement’s limitations on its uranium enrichment. 

Washington and Tehran are currently in the middle of indirect negotiations through European intermediaries in Vienna to try to come to an agreement on rejoining the deal. However, the sides have refused to budge over the first steps necessary for talks to move forward, with Iran insisting that U.S. sanctions be lifted first, while the U.S. maintains penalties will only be removed if the uranium enrichment limits are honored.

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Anthony FauciAnthony FauciVaccinated Fauci hosts people at home, but stays away from crowded indoor spaces Trump endorses Rand Paul for reelection The Hill’s Morning Report – Biden: Let’s make a deal on infrastructure, taxes MORE, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert, said he will allow his fully vaccinated neighbors into his house without masks but that he is staying away from crowded indoor spaces.

“I don’t think I would — even if I’m vaccinated — go into an indoor, crowded place where people are not wearing masks,” Fauci told Business Insider during an interview published this week.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 179 million doses of vaccine have been administered in the U.S. as of Saturday afternoon.

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However, Fauci said Americans should not yet claim victory over the virus as case counts surge in several states. 

Michigan in particular has seen a spike in cases, with the coronavirus ripping through workplaces, churches and other public areas, according to The New York Times. 

“It’s kind of a race between the vaccine and the possibility that there’ll be another surge,” Fauci said.

Fauci said 70 to 85 percent of the population needs to be vaccinated to reach herd immunity, which could happen by June if the U.S. continues to administer an average of 3 million vaccines per day, Business Insider reported.

“If we could just hold on for a while,” he told Business Insider, “we’ll reach a point where the protection of the general community by the vaccine would really make it very unlikely that we’re going to have another surge.”

Although Fauci is not going to indoor spaces or traveling, he is allowing neighbors who are vaccinated into his home without masks.

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“We feel very comfortable in the house with no masks, and we can have physical contact and things like that,” Fauci said.

Fauci said his cautious lifestyle could be due to how busy he is as well.

“To be honest with you, I don’t really have time to do anything else,” he said. “I haven’t gotten the day off in a year and three months.”

The CDC has put out guidelines for vaccinated people, stating that they can travel domestically without having to quarantine and can meet with other vaccinated people without masks.

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