The Justice Department will soon begin a 120 day review of cybersecurity challenges in the midst of escalating cyber threats. 

Newly confirmed Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco announced the review during virtual remarks at the Munich Cyber Security Conference, stressing that the U.S. was at a “pivot point” around how it approaches cybersecurity concerns. 

“We are launching this week, under my direction, a review of how the department is looking at exactly this set of challenges,” Monaco said. “We want to bring forth actionable recommendations in a 120 day time frame … on what can we be doing better, working with our partners across borders, to address these threats.”

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The review will focus on cybersecurity issues including digital currency, supply chain attacks such as the SolarWinds incident, which compromised nine federal agencies last year, and the ways countries such as China and Russia use cyber operations against other nations. 

“There is a great deal to do, and we are launching this review to make sure we are bringing all the tools we can to address it,” Monaco noted. 

A spokesperson for the Justice Department declined to give any further details on the review, but told The Hill that “we will have more to share in the coming days.”

The announcement of the review comes a week after the Justice Department convened a Ransomware and Digital Extortion Task Force to tackle the huge spike in ransomware attacks against critical organizations such as schools and hospitals over the past year. 

Additionally, a Texas court authorized the FBI earlier this month to remove malware stemming from the exploitation of vulnerabilities in Microsoft’s Exchange Server, which Microsoft said in early March were used by at least one Chinese state-sponsored hacking group to potentially compromise thousands of organizations. 

Monaco noted Friday that the increased ransomware attacks were another reason the new review was being launched, and the need to get ahead of nation states and cyber criminals planning the next attack in cyberspace. 

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“We are working every day with our partners to disrupt, to deter, and to hold accountable malicious cyber actors,” Monaco said. “We have got to move at the same speed that our adversaries are.”

Monaco previously served as national security adviser to former President Obama, during which time she spearheaded the daily briefing given to Obama on threats facing the nation. 

Monaco said Friday that during her four years in the position, she spent “more and more time” briefing Obama on cyber threats. 

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“You don’t need a presidential briefing every morning to understand that the cyber threat has exploded,” she noted.

The U.S. government has reached a nearly $44 million settlement in a 16-year-old age-discrimination lawsuit from hundreds of former Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) workers who claimed they did not receive their federal pensions after their jobs were outsourced. 

As part of the agreement, the federal government committed to paying $43.8 million for 25 individuals to qualify for an air traffic controller’s retirement, while more than 700 other workers will receive enough money to compensate for retirement benefits from 2016 to 2020, according to The Associated Press. 

The former employees’ lawyers had argued that the jobs were outsourced to Lockheed as part of a 2005 contract because several of the employees were older than 40 and would soon be eligible for retirement with full employment benefits, the AP noted. 

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While about 100 of the employees were allowed to stay at the FAA, 1,900 others were moved to Lockheed. 

According to the lawyers for the employees, who were each specialists who gave air traffic control orders to pilots of private planes, most were unable to keep their pensions once they were transferred. 

“We hope this will be a cautionary reminder to federal employers and other employers that, as we have an increasingly aged workforce, employers should be extra careful to avoid making personnel decisions like layoffs because of age,” Joseph Sellers, the lead attorney for the workers in the lawsuit, said in a statement to the AP. 

When reached for comment by The Hill, the FAA said in a statement that the “settlement speaks for itself.” 

The FAA also sent along a copy of a 2016 Transportation Department inspector general report, which found that the FAA avoided about $2.13 billion in costs over a 13-year period as a result of the contract with Lockheed.

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The United States has begun the process of preparing to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, months before President BidenJoe BidenEmmer: Vulnerable Democrats who vote to raise taxes will lose in 2022 West Virginia to offer coronavirus vaccines to attendees of state basketball tournament US has started preparing to withdraw from Afghanistan, top general says MORE’s goal of pulling all troops from the region.

U.S. Army Gen. Scott Miller, commander of US Forces Afghanistan and NATO’s Resolute Support Mission, confirmed to reporters in Kabul on Sunday that “all of our forces are now preparing to retrograde.”

“Officially, the notification date will be the first of May. But at the same time, as we start taking local actions, we’ve already begun that,” Miller continued, when asked during a news conference if American withdrawal from bases had begun.

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Earlier this month, Biden announced that the U.S. would withdraw all troops from Afghanistan by Sept. 11, the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that led to the longest war in American history.

In a speech from the White House, Biden said that the reasons for keeping troops in the war-torn country have become “increasingly unclear,” as the terrorist threat has become more dispersed in recent years.

Miller told reporters “I now have a set of orders” and “some very clear objectives,” adding that the U.S. will “conduct an orderly withdrawal from Afghanistan,” and “ensure that the Afghan security forces are in the best possible security posture.”

Miller, however, told reporters that the foreign forces will still have the “military means and capability” to remain protected during the withdrawal process, and support the Afghan security forces.

“We have the military means and capability to fully protect our force during retrograde as well as support the Afghan security forces,” Miller said.

Miller also said he warned the Taliban that a “return to violence” would be a “tragedy for Afghanistan and the Afghan people.”

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“I’ve had the opportunity to talk to Taliban members with the Taliban Political Commission, and I’ve told them a return to violence, an effort to force a military decision would be a tragedy for Afghanistan and the Afghan people,” Miller continued.

Miller said that during the withdrawal process, the U.S. will return military bases primarily to the Afghan Ministry of Defense and other Afghan forces.

“There’s certain equipment that we must take back to our countries. That’s a requirement. But wherever possible, if we do not have to, we’re looking to ensure that the Afghan security forces have the bases, pieces of equipment, parts that are necessary for the functioning of the military,” Miller said.

The withdrawal of all troops from Afghanistan will end America’s longest war, which has accounted for the deaths of more than 2,300 troops, and has cost the country as much as $1 trillion.

Biden’s goal of pulling out all troops by Sept. 11 pushed back former President TrumpDonald TrumpEmmer: Vulnerable Democrats who vote to raise taxes will lose in 2022 Joe Cunningham to enter race for South Carolina governor US has started preparing to withdraw from Afghanistan, top general says MORE’s deadline, which was May 1. The original date was set in an agreement with the Taliban signed last year by the Trump administration.

Updated: 11:41 p.m.

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Welcome to Monday’s Overnight Health Care. Want to book that long-delayed European vacation? If you’re vaccinated, it looks like you can this summer. 

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 U.S. finally said it will share excess COVID-19 vaccines with other countries, but questions remain as to the specifics. The CDC is poised to offer an updated guidance on masking, likely about being outdoors, with details outlined Tuesday. And a new poll found widespread concerns about Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine.

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We’ll start with Biden’s plan for AstraZeneca:  

US to share millions of AstraZeneca vaccine doses with other countries

The Biden administration on Monday announced that it will move to donate millions of doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine to other countries, after pressure from lawmakers and advocates.

The United States has millions of doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is not yet authorized in the US, but is in other countries, and could play a key role amid worsening spikes in cases abroad, particularly in India. 

“Given the strong portfolio of vaccines that the United States has already authorized, and that is available in large quantities, including two two-dose vaccines and one one-dose vaccine, and given AstraZeneca is not authorized for use in the United States, we do not need to use AstraZeneca in our fight against COVID over the next few months,” White House Press Secretary Jen PsakiJen PsakiOvernight Health Care: US to share millions of AstraZeneca vaccine doses with other countries | Biden speaks with Prime Minister Modi as COVID-19 surges in India Scalise won’t attend Biden’s first joint address to Congress White House defends Biden’s proposal to increase capital gains taxes MORE said Monday.

Pressure had been mounting: Reps. Ro KhannaRohit (Ro) KhannaOvernight Health Care: US to share millions of AstraZeneca vaccine doses with other countries | Biden speaks with Prime Minister Modi as COVID-19 surges in India US to share millions of AstraZeneca vaccine doses with other countries With federal support, the US can recreate Silicon Valley success nationwide MORE (D-Calif.) and Raja KrishnamoorthiSubramanian (Raja) Raja KrishnamoorthiOvernight Health Care: US to share millions of AstraZeneca vaccine doses with other countries | Biden speaks with Prime Minister Modi as COVID-19 surges in India US to share millions of AstraZeneca vaccine doses with other countries Krishnamoorthi calls on Biden to release AstraZeneca vaccine stores to ailing countries MORE (D-Ill.) had called on the administration to release the doses on Sunday, as had Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown School of Public Health, in a Washington Post op-ed on Saturday.

Still, doses not available right away: Psaki said the doses cannot be released immediately, as they will first have to undergo safety reviews by the Food and Drug Administration. A Baltimore plant that had been producing the vaccine has faced a string of problems and was cited by the FDA for multiple safety failures.

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Once the FDA clears the doses, “in the coming weeks,” Psaki said about 10 million doses will be available. An additional 50 million doses are in “various stages of production” and could be available across May and June, she said.

Read more here.

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Biden spoke with Modi as the situation in India worsens

President BidenJoe BidenOvernight Defense: Supreme Court to hear Gitmo detainee’s request for information on CIA-sponsored torture | General says preparations for Afghanistan withdrawal underway | Army replacing head of criminal investigations division How to get Americans on board with Biden’s bold climate goals OSHA sends draft emergency temporary standard for COVID-19 to OMB review MORE on Monday spoke with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and pledged to provide assistance as the world’s second most populous country grapples with soaring coronavirus infections.

“The two leaders resolved that the United States and India will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in the effort to protect our citizens and the health of our communities,” the White House said in a readout of the call.

The United States is sending India aid to help with depleted oxygen supplies, vaccine materials and therapeutics in an effort to help stem the surge in cases that has strained India’s health care system.

The crisis there: India on Sunday reported roughly 350,000 new cases, setting a single-day record for any country during the COVID-19 pandemic. The New York Times reported that India has vaccinated just under 2 percent of its population, even though the country is producing two shots domestically.

Read more here. 

 

Biden expected to announce updated mask guidance on Tuesday

President Biden is expected to announce on Tuesday updated guidance on masking from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), two sources confirmed to The Hill. The guidance is still being finalized, according to multiple sources, but is likely to ease recommendations about outdoor mask wearing. 

Biden is expected to outline the changes in a speech on Tuesday more broadly addressing where the country stands in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

CNN reported the announcement will focus on whether vaccinated people need to wear masks when outdoors.

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Fauci weighs in: Anthony FauciAnthony FauciOvernight Health Care: US to share millions of AstraZeneca vaccine doses with other countries | Biden speaks with Prime Minister Modi as COVID-19 surges in India Biden expected to announce updated mask guidance on Tuesday Few unvaccinated Americans willing to get Johnson & Johnson vaccine: poll MORE, Biden’s top medical adviser and the government’s leading infectious diseases expert, hinted in an interview Sunday that updated guidance on masks was in the works. “I think it’s pretty common sense now that outdoor risk is really, really quite low, particularly — I mean, if you are a vaccinated person, wearing a mask outdoors, I mean, obviously, the risk is minuscule,” Fauci said on ABC’s “This Week.”

But while experts have been saying this for months, much like the recommendations on double masking, Fauci and CDC are waiting until there is rock-solid data to back it up.

Read more here.

 

House Democrats call on Biden to add Medicare-related provisions to economic plan

A group of progressive and moderate House Democrats organized a letter calling on President Biden and Vice President Harris to lower Medicare’s eligibility age and expand its benefits as part of the upcoming American Families Plan.

“Now is a historic opportunity to also make an important expansion of Medicare that will guarantee health care for millions of older adults and people with disabilities struggling with the health and economic realities of the COVID-19 pandemic,” the Democrats wrote.

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The lawmakers pointed to a study from Stanford University that found many people under the age of 65 wait until they have Medicare coverage to undergo diagnostic tests to determine whether they have diseases like cancer.

They also argued for expanding the benefits offered by Medicare, citing reports that the majority of people who need hearing or dental devices do not have them.

Notable names: Progressive Democratic Rep. Pramila JayapalPramila JayapalOvernight Health Care: US to share millions of AstraZeneca vaccine doses with other countries | Biden speaks with Prime Minister Modi as COVID-19 surges in India House Democrats call on Biden to add Medicare-related provisions to economic plan Tensions rise as Democrats face Senate bottleneck on agenda MORE (Wash.) was joined by Joe NeguseJoseph (Joe) NeguseOvernight Health Care: US to share millions of AstraZeneca vaccine doses with other countries | Biden speaks with Prime Minister Modi as COVID-19 surges in India House Democrats call on Biden to add Medicare-related provisions to economic plan A proposal to tackle congressional inside trading: Invest in the US MORE (Colo.), who serves in House leadership, as well as moderates Jared Golden (Maine) and Conor Lamb (Pa.).

Context: Democrats are lobbying hard to influence the legislation ahead of President Biden’s speech to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday.

Campaign promise: Biden had vowed during his campaign to get rid of the “outrageous exception” that allowed pharmaceutical companies to avoid negotiating with Medicare over drug prices.

Read more here.

 

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Post-pause hesitation? Poll shows few unvaccinated Americans willing to get Johnson & Johnson vaccine

Few Americans who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 say they are willing to take the Johnson & Johnson vaccine following the temporary pause in its distribution due to rare blood clots. 

Just 22 percent of unvaccinated Americans in a Washington Post-ABC News poll conducted before the pause ended said that they would be willing to get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Almost three in four — 73 percent — said they were unwilling. 

Slightly fewer than half of all the adults surveyed also said they consider the Johnson & Johnson vaccine very or somewhat safe.

Additionally, more than 7 in 10 respondents say they regard each of the other two vaccines that have been approved in the U.S., one by Moderna and another by Pfizer and German partner BioNTech, to be very or somewhat safe.

Background: The CDC and FDA lifted their recommended pause of Johnson & Johnson vaccinations last Friday after analyzing data from less than 20 rare cases of blood clots out of the millions of vaccinations administered. 

What this means: Concerns about how the pause would affect vaccine hesitancy may have been justified, although polls from last week indicated the decision wouldn’t affect most people’s willingness to get their COVID-19 shot. 

Read more here. 

 

What we’re reading

Two die and more than 100 test positive in coronavirus outbreak among US diplomatic staff in India (CNN)

Amid ‘heartbreaking’ coronavirus surge in India, government orders Twitter to remove posts critical of response (Washington Post)   

Latin America’s vaccine shortage threatens fragile revival as pandemic rages (Reuters) 

 

State by state

Spike in COVID-19 hospitalizations in Washington state at a ‘worrisome’ rate (NBC 5) 

Black Cleveland Churches Serve as a Sanctuary from COVID Vaccination Disparity (WKSU) 

Minnesota reports third COVID-19 death of a child (Star Tribune)

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.

Acting Federal Trade Commision Chair Rebecca Kelly Slaughter was back on Capitol Hill Tuesday, urging Congressional action to revive the commission’s authority in light of a Supreme Court decision last week. Meanwhile, Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Mark WarnerMark Robert WarnerSenate Democrats push Biden over raising refugee cap Hillicon Valley: Acting FTC chair urges Congress to revive agency authority after Supreme Court ruling | Senate Intel panel working on breach notification bill Senate Intelligence panel working on legislation around mandatory cyber breach notification MORE (D-Va.) announced upcoming legislation from his committee around mandatory data breach notification, and two key senators hinted at renewed action to create federal standards on self-driving cars. 

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SLAUGHTER SEEKS CONGRESSIONAL ACTION: Acting Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Chair Rebecca Kelly Slaughter on Tuesday called for Congress to pass legislation that would revive the agency’s ability to return money to constituents harmed by companies found to engage in deceptive practices. 

Slaughter testified before the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on consumer protection and commerce roughly a week after the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the FTC’s authority under a provision known as Section 13(b) does not grant the agency the ability to obtain equitable monetary relief. 

“These recent decisions have significantly limited the Commission’s primary and most effective tool for providing refunds to harmed consumers, and, if Congress does not act promptly, the FTC will be far less effective in its ability to protect consumers and execute its law enforcement mission,” Slaughter testified. 

Read more about the hearing.

 

INCOMING BREACH NOTIFICATION BILL: The Senate Intelligence Committee is working on a bill to create some form of limited data breach mandatory reporting for the private sector, with the goal of preventing future major foreign cyberattacks on critical organizations. 

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Committee Chairman Mark Warner (D-Va.) said Tuesday that the legislation had grown out of public and private hearings held by the committee following the SolarWinds breach, which was believed to be carried out by Russian hackers and compromised nine federal agencies. 

The federal government was made aware of the massive breach only when cybersecurity group FireEye, also compromised by the hackers, came forward in December to report the incident voluntarily, a move that wasn’t legally required. 

“This is what the committee is working on in a very bipartisan way,” Warner said during a virtual event hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “Can we create a structure that would allow some limited mandatory reporting for government contractors and critical infrastructure that doesn’t get to the full data breach negotiations?”

Read more about the legislative effort here. 

 

WHEELS BEGIN TO ROLL: Two key bipartisan senators are ramping up efforts to create standards for testing and deploying autonomous vehicles, with the renewed effort coming after years of roadblocks in the Senate to create a nationwide framework around self-driving cars. 

Sens. Gary PetersGary PetersHillicon Valley: Acting FTC chair urges Congress to revive agency authority after Supreme Court ruling | Senate Intel panel working on breach notification bill Senators ramp up efforts to create standards for self-driving cars Senate Democrats’ campaign arm taps Ossoff to chair environmental council MORE (D-Mich.) and John ThuneJohn Randolph ThuneSchumer warns Democrats willing to go it alone on infrastructure Pandemic casts shadow over Biden’s first address to Congress Hillicon Valley: Acting FTC chair urges Congress to revive agency authority after Supreme Court ruling | Senate Intel panel working on breach notification bill MORE (R-S.D.) on Tuesday strongly argued for the need to advance legislation around autonomous vehicles in order to decrease traffic fatalities and increase the mobility of the elderly and those with disabilities.

“One of the most important opportunities we can seize is autonomous vehicle technologies,” Peters, chair of the Senate Commerce Committee’s subcommittee on Surface Transportation, Maritime, Freight, and Ports, said during a hearing on the future of automotive mobility Tuesday afternoon.  

Read more here.

 

POLICE DATA EXPOSED: Washington D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) acknowledged Tuesday that its systems had been breached by hackers, who claimed to have stolen some of the department’s data files while demanding a ransom.

In a statement to NBC News, a police spokesperson confirmed the breach and indicated that the FBI was assisting in the investigation.

“We are aware of unauthorized access on our server,” said the spokesperson. “While we determine the full impact and continue to review activity, we have engaged the FBI to fully investigate this matter.”

Read more here. 

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GOOGLE IN HOT WATER: Sens. Amy KlobucharAmy KlobucharSenate Democrats push Biden over raising refugee cap Hillicon Valley: Acting FTC chair urges Congress to revive agency authority after Supreme Court ruling | Senate Intel panel working on breach notification bill Democrats press IRS to reverse Trump-era rule limiting donor disclosure MORE (D-Minn.) and Mike LeeMichael (Mike) Shumway LeeParler app risks charges of selling out with Apple return Hillicon Valley: Acting FTC chair urges Congress to revive agency authority after Supreme Court ruling | Senate Intel panel working on breach notification bill Senators question alleged Google contact with critic before testimony MORE (R-Utah) are questioning whether Google tried to influence one of its critics to change his testimony before a hearing last week on dominant app stores.

Jared Sine, chief legal officer at Match Group, testified during the hearing that a Google employee had called his company the night before and asked “why our testimony was different than what we’d said about the situation in our earnings call earlier this year.”

In a letter to Google’s senior director of government affairs and public policy, Wilson White, the top two senators on the panel that held the hearing said they “are deeply troubled by the possibility that Google may have attempted to influence another witness’s testimony.”

Read more.

 

MORE WAYS TO MONETIZE: Facebook CEO Mark ZuckerbergMark Elliot ZuckerbergApple revenue up 54 percent for start of 2021 Facebook beats revenue expectations with .2B in first quarter Immigration advocates push for pathway to citizenship with M campaign MORE announced on Tuesday that Instagram will soon launch new features for creators to generate revenue on the app. 

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Zuckerberg told Adam Mosseri, head of the Facebook-owned social platform, in an Instagram live that monetization is an important step in the platform’s future.

“If this is going to be people’s job, they need to be able to make money doing it,” Zuckerberg said.

Creator shops are one of the way Zuckerberg sees creators making money on the platform.

Read more about the announcement. 

 

STRONG START: Alphabet, Google’s parent company, reported big earnings for the start of 2021 during a call Monday. 

The Silicon Valley giant reported a total revenue of $55.3 billion, marking a 34 percent increase from the end of the first quarter of 2020. 

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Alphabet also reported a net income of $17.9 billion, up from the $6.8 billion reported at the end of the first quarter of 2020. 

In part, Alphabet’s big earnings were driven by YouTube and Google advertising. 

Read more here. 

 

TWO CAN PLAY AT THAT GAME: Spotify announced Tuesday that it will launch a paid subscription service for podcasters, allowing hosts to monetize their shows and letting the company compete with Apple’s premium podcast library.

Variety reported that Spotify will allow creators to host their podcasts on the platform with subscription fees for two years without charging them anything to host the shows; beginning in 2023, the platform will take a 5 percent cut of all subscriber revenue.

Premium podcasts will be available through the platform through three payment tiers, according to Variety, at $2.99, $4.99 or $7.99 per month.

The announcement comes a week after Apple announced that it was launching its own “global marketplace” for premium, subscription-only podcasts. 

Read more about the plan.

 

TOYOTA’S ACQUISITION: Toyota’s Woven Planet announced Tuesday that it has acquired Lyft’s self-driving division, Level 5, in a $550 million deal.

In a news release, the Toyota subsidiary said that the deal would “bring together world-class scientists and software engineers” from Woven Planet, Level 5 and Toyota’s own research division.

“The resulting combined ‘dream team’ of approximately 1,200 will represent one of the most diverse, well-resourced and talented groups in this field,” according to a statement by Woven Planet.

Read more here. 

 

Lighter click: Rules are rules 🙂

 

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An op-ed to chew on: When it comes to ransomware, it’s time to think globally and act now

 

NOTABLE LINKS FROM AROUND THE WEB: 

Union leaders in Japan say Amazon is weaponizing “performance improvement plans” to weed them out (Rest of World / Kaoruko Ishibushi and Louise Matsakis)

‘Treated like sacrifices’: Families breathe toxic fumes from California’s warehouse hub (NBC News / Olivia Solon and April Glaser)

Are algorithms to blame for extremism? Yes. But so are we. (Protocol / Issie Lapowsky)Extremists Find a Financial Lifeline on Twitch (New York Times / Kellen Browning)

India is experiencing a shortage of oxygen as it grapples with surpassing the global record for daily coronavirus cases.

India’s Supreme Court said on Thursday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has a week to come up with a “national plan” to distribute oxygen supplies, The New York Times reported.

India set another global record for daily coronavirus cases on Friday, one day after breaking the previous record.

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The country has seen more than 330,000 new cases in the past 24 hours, according to the Times.

The death toll also hit a new high in India, with more than 2,200 deaths from the virus in one day.

Hospitals have resorted to tweeting to the government about their need for oxygen. 

Fortis Healthcare, a top hospital chain in India, said one of its hospitals only had the equivalent of 45 minutes of oxygen left.

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India’s health ministry is reportedly purchasing 55,000 additional tons of oxygen amid the shortage.

Factors contributing to the spikes in India are believed to include more contagious variants of the virus, as well as a lack of adherence to preventative measures such as social distancing.

India has had 15.3 million reported cases of the coronavirus and more than 180,000 deaths so far.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced on Monday it has sent a draft emergency temporary standard (ETS) on the coronavirus pandemic to the Office of Management and Budget, defending the extra time the agency took to move on establishing a standard.

OSHA, a division of the Department of Labor (DOL), took “the appropriate time” to get the standards right, according to the DOL. President BidenJoe BidenOvernight Defense: Supreme Court to hear Gitmo detainee’s request for information on CIA-sponsored torture | General says preparations for Afghanistan withdrawal underway | Army replacing head of criminal investigations division How to get Americans on board with Biden’s bold climate goals OSHA sends draft emergency temporary standard for COVID-19 to OMB review MORE issued an executive order in January on protecting worker health and safety, which called on OSHA to issue an ETS by March 15.

“OSHA has been working diligently on its proposal and has taken the appropriate time to work with its science-agency partners, economic agencies, and others in the U.S. government to get this proposed emergency standard right,” a DOL spokesperson said in an email on Monday.

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Democratic Michigan Reps. Debbie DingellDeborah (Debbie) Ann DingellOSHA sends draft emergency temporary standard for COVID-19 to OMB review Why the US needs a successful federal green bank Progressive lawmaker to introduce bill seeking more oversight of Israel assistance MORE, Rashida TlaibRashida Harbi TlaibOSHA sends draft emergency temporary standard for COVID-19 to OMB review Imperative that Democrats figure out what went wrong in 2020 House rejects GOP resolution to censure Waters MORE and Andy LevinAndrew (Andy) LevinOSHA sends draft emergency temporary standard for COVID-19 to OMB review OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Obama NOAA leader joins Biden White House in climate role | Study: Climate change could reduce more than 60 countries’ credit ratings | NASA climate official says agency has ‘renewed emphasis’ on practical science applications 14 Republicans vote against resolution condemning Myanmar military coup MORE wrote a letter to Biden earlier on Monday calling for ETS implementation as COVID-19 cases in the state are rising again.

“What a difference a President Joe Biden and Secretary of Labor Marty WalshMarty WalshOSHA sends draft emergency temporary standard for COVID-19 to OMB review Koch groups call on administration to release all temporary worker visas Biden’s policies are already hurting workers — and there’s more hurt coming MORE make. I’ve been calling for an emergency temporary standard to protect against COVID-19 for over a year now. I’m glad to see DOL acting to move us closer to issuing the ETS, and POTUS needs to approve it swiftly and get this standard into effect,” Levin told The Hill on Monday following the announcement.

Democrats, unions and worker advocates have called for official OSHA COVID-19 standards since the onset of the pandemic. Former President TrumpDonald TrumpFox News says Smartmatic lawsuit should be dismissed DC settles lawsuit over Trump inauguration mass arrests CNN: Trump advisers urge him to make pro-vaccine PSA MORE’s OSHA refused to impose a nationwide safety standard, arguing that OSHA guidance was sufficient.

OSHA can authorize an emergency standard if it determines workers are in grave danger. That standard can only be challenged in a U.S. court of appeals as opposed to OSHA guidance, which allows for flexibility and lets the administration officials change it as they see fit.

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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.

Happy Monday! A bipartisan group of representatives think a key cybersecurity agency is in need of more funding after responses to SolarWinds and new Microsoft vulnerabilities. Also, Apple rolled out its long awaited privacy feature, which has already received significant criticism from Facebook.

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CYBER BUDGET DEFENDERS: A pair of House lawmakers are urging legislators to appropriate more funding for a key federal cybersecurity agency after a year in which cyber threats skyrocketed. 

Reps. Jim LangevinJames (Jim) R. LangevinHillicon Valley: New cyber budget request | Apple rolls out anticipated privacy update | And gets a new antitrust challenge Lawmakers call for increasing the budget of key federal cybersecurity agency Hillicon Valley: Tech companies duke it out at Senate hearing | Seven House Republicans vow to reject donations from Big Tech MORE (D-R.I.) and Mike GallagherMichael (Mike) John GallagherHillicon Valley: New cyber budget request | Apple rolls out anticipated privacy update | And gets a new antitrust challenge Lawmakers call for increasing the budget of key federal cybersecurity agency With federal support, the US can recreate Silicon Valley success nationwide MORE (R-Wis.) sent a letter, provided to The Hill on Monday, to the leaders of the House Appropriations Committee asking them to carve out at least $400 million in additional funding for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) upcoming budget allocation. 

The representatives pointed to CISA’s leadership role in responding to both the recent SolarWinds hacking incident, which involved Russian hackers compromising nine federal agencies, and to new vulnerabilities in Microsoft’s Exchange Server that allowed Chinese hackers to potentially breach thousands of organizations.

President BidenJoe BidenOvernight Defense: Supreme Court to hear Gitmo detainee’s request for information on CIA-sponsored torture | General says preparations for Afghanistan withdrawal underway | Army replacing head of criminal investigations division How to get Americans on board with Biden’s bold climate goals OSHA sends draft emergency temporary standard for COVID-19 to OMB review MORE earlier this month proposed a budget of just over $2.1 billion for CISA in fiscal 2022, around $110 million more than the agency was given in fiscal 2021. An additional $650 million was also appropriated to CISA as part of the American Rescue Plan Act, signed into law in March. 

Read more about the budget concerns here.

 

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AT LONG LAST: Apple released its long awaited anti-tracking tool for iPhones on Monday as part of its new operating system update. 

The iOS 14.5 update includes Apple’s app-tracking Transparency Feature, which will require apps to ask users for permission before tracking them across the web. 

“Your information is for sale. You have become the product. That’s why iPhone users will now be asked a single simple question — allow apps to track you or not,” a narrator says in a video Apple released Monday along with the launch of the feature. 

Apple unveiled the feature over the summer and it was set to be released in September, but it was delayed amid backlash over the tool. 

Facebook has fiercely pushed back on the feature. The social media platform, which thrives off the sale of targeted ads, has branded the move as being harmful for small business. It’s further fueled an ongoing feud between Facebook and Apple. 

Read more about the feature. 

 

EVERYONE’S A CRITIC: Apple is still facing challenges over the feature, including an antitrust complaint filed by the German Advertising Federation shortly before the launch of the update.

The ZAW, the advertising federation, filed the complaint with a German competition regulator, arguing Apple is abusing its market power and violating antitrust law through the launch of its anti-tracking feature, according to the federation’s press release. 

In France, a competition watchdog last month rejected a similar challenge from advertising groups over Apple’s plans to release the update. The French watchdog said at the time the feature “did not appear as an abusive practice.”

Read more about the complaint. 

 

HEADING TO N.C.: Apple on Monday said that it will invest $430 billion across the U.S. and add 20,000 new jobs nationwide over the next five years, including establishing a new North Carolina campus. 

The $430 billion commitment raises Apple’s original five-year goal of $350 billion set in 2018 by 20 percent, the company said. 

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The investment includes a plan for $1 billion to go towards establishing Apple’s new campus in North Carolina that the company said will create at least 3,000 new jobs in machine learning, artificial intelligence and software engineering.

Read more about the announcement. 

Lighter click: All time great

An op-ed to chew on: To defend democracy, we must protect truth online

 

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NOTABLE LINKS FROM AROUND THE WEB: 

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Is an Activist’s Pricey House News? Facebook Alone Decides. (New York Times / Ben Smith)

Intelligence community creating hub to gird against foreign influence (Politico / Martin Matishak) 

Before SolarWinds, US officials say SVR began stealthily targeting cloud services in 2018 (CyberScoop / Sean Lyngaas) 

Breaking point: How Mark ZuckerbergMark Elliot ZuckerbergHillicon Valley: New cyber budget request | Apple rolls out anticipated privacy update | And gets a new antitrust challenge Hillicon Valley: Apple approves Parler’s return to App Store | White House scales back response to SolarWinds, Microsoft incidents | Pressure mounts on DHS over relationship with Clearview AI Facebook unveils new audio features MORE and Tim Cook became foes (The New York Times / Mike Isaac and Jack Nicas)

Former President Obama on Monday said he was “appalled” by the violence against civilians in Myanmar following a military coup in February.

“The world’s attention must remain on Myanmar, where I’ve been appalled by heartbreaking violence against civilians and inspired by the nationwide movement that represents the voice of the people,” Obama said in a statement. “The military’s illegitimate and brutal effort to impose its will after a decade of greater freedoms will clearly never be accepted by the people and should not be accepted by the wider world.”

Ever since the military removed the democratically elected government from power, widespread protests have broken out across Myanmar, leading to hundreds of people, including children, being killed by the military.

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Obama voiced his support for the sanctions the Biden administration has imposed on Myanmar’s military in response to the violence against civilians. The sanctions have targeted high ranking military members as well as government-owned businesses that support the military regime.

“Myanmar’s neighbors should recognize that a murderous regime rejected by the people will only bring greater instability, humanitarian crisis, and the risk of a failed state,” Obama, who spent part of his childhood in Southeast Asia in Indonesia, said.

“These are dark times, but I have been moved by the unity, resilience, and commitment to democratic values demonstrated by so many Burmese, which offers hope for the kind of future Myanmar can have through leaders who respect the will of the people,” Obama added.

On Saturday, the the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) announced that it had reached an agreement with Myanmar’s military junta in an effort to end the ongoing violence in the country, drafting a “Five-Point Consensus.”

The consensus agreed on an “immediate cessation of violence,” peaceful solutions in the interest of the people, a mediated dialogue process with a special envoy from the ASEAN Chair, humanitarian aid from ASEAN and a visit by a delegation to meet with concerned parties.

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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is reviewing the death of a woman that occurred after she received the Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine.

The Oregon Health Authority said in a statement on Thursday that it was informed that the CDC is investigating the death of a woman in her late 50s, who received the vaccine before the state ordered the pause on its use.

Two weeks after getting the vaccine, the woman developed a rare but serious blood clot that was seen with very low platelets.

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“Until the investigation is complete, it cannot be concluded whether her death is related to the vaccine,” the OHA said.

The agency said it was notified about the death on April 20, two days after the CDC was notified on April 18.

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The investigation comes roughly a week after the CDC and Food and Drug Administration recommended a nationwide pause on the vaccine due to reports of six rare blood clots following vaccination.

A CDC advisory panel met on April 14 but postponed making a recommendation because they wanted to gather more evidence about the risk of rare blood clots and its possible link to the vaccine.  The panel is expected to meet again on Friday.

Meanwhile in Texas, the CDC and FDA are investigating after another woman was hospitalized following receiving the vaccine.

The Department of State Health Services told local ABC affiliate KUVE on Thursday that it was notified “about a possible case in Texas.” However, the agency didn’t provide details about the case to protect the patient’s privacy.

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“The patient is an adult female who was hospitalized after receiving the J&J vaccine with symptoms that appear to be consistent with those few other reported cases,” the agency said.

Both the OHA and Texas DSHS asked vaccine providers to immediately stop providing the vaccine after federal regulators recommended doing so. 

The Hill has reached out to DSHS and Johnson & Johnson for comment.