Sen. Kirsten GillibrandKirsten GillibrandGillibrand says Schumer should bring military sexual assault bill up for a vote Gillibrand says it’s a ‘misstep’ for Democrats to wait for Republicans to negotiate infrastructure Sunday shows – Infrastructure, Jan. 6 commission dominate MORE (D-N.Y.) on Sunday called on Senate Majority Leader Charles SchumerChuck SchumerGillibrand says Schumer should bring military sexual assault bill up for a vote NY, NJ rail project gets key federal approval Senate votes to advance China bill after Schumer strikes deal MORE (D-N.Y.) to bring her military sexual assault bill up for a vote on the Senate floor.

Speaking to host Jake TapperJacob (Jake) Paul TapperGillibrand says Schumer should bring military sexual assault bill up for a vote Gillibrand says it’s a ‘misstep’ for Democrats to wait for Republicans to negotiate infrastructure Sunday shows – Infrastructure, Jan. 6 commission dominate MORE on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Gillibrand said the bill, which she reintroduced in April, is “how we build a military justice system that’s worthy of the sacrifice our men and women in the military make.”

Gillibrand lamented the current system under which military sexual assaults are investigated, which requires a commander to look at an investigation and decide whether it will go to trial. The New York Democrat pointed to bias against sexual assault survivors as well as Black and brown service members as a reason for a new system.

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“Take biases out of the system across the board, you need a trained military prosecutor to make these decisions about whether it should go to trial. That takes it out of the chain of command,” Gillibrand said. “The chain of command has bias because they may know the perpetrator, the accused. They may know the survivor. And they may have a certain lens about which service member is better for fighting a war or better for good order and discipline within the ranks.”

“Over the last 10 years, the number of sexual assaults have gone up, but the percentage of cases going to trial and ending in conviction have gone down. Under President TrumpDonald TrumpBarbra Streisand: Republicans ‘want an authoritarian state’ DOJ adds four defendants to Oath Keepers conspiracy case J.D. Vance emerges as wild card in Ohio GOP Senate primary MORE, the statistics and details got even worse. And so we are not moving in the right direction,” Gillibrand added. “And, last, our allies have already done this.”

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Gillibrand attempted to get a vote on her bill last week but was met with opposition from Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack ReedJack ReedGillibrand says Schumer should bring military sexual assault bill up for a vote Overnight Defense: Former Sen. John Warner dies at 94 | Sanders drops bid to block Israel arms sale | Japan-based carrier reportedly heading to Mideast for Afghanistan withdrawal Air Force secretary nominee: Gillibrand has ‘some persuasive arguments’ on military justice overhaul MORE (D-R.I.).

Reed argued that the issue would be included in a sweeping annual defense policy bill and that it should go through his committee instead.

Tapper asked Gillibrand why she thinks Reed is blocking her legislation.

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“You would have to ask Jack Reed,” Gillibrand responded. “But his insistence on narrowing this bill to one crime, the crime of sexual assault, you’re going to have — you’re going to basically break apart the criminal justice system within the military. You’re going to create one set of justice for one set of plaintiffs and defendants and the rest for everybody else. It’s not fair.”

The White House on Thursday batted down the prospect of President BidenJoe BidenWHO warns of continent-wide third wave of coronavirus infections in Africa 30 House Democrats urge Biden to do more for global vaccine distribution Manchin isn’t ready to support Democrats passing infrastructure on their own MORE appointing his own commission to investigate the events of Jan. 6, saying it is Congress’s duty to look into the riots at the Capitol that day.

“As the President has said, the events of January 6th were an unprecedented assault on our democracy — and he believes they deserve a full, and independent, investigation to determine what transpired and ensure it can never happen again,” press secretary Jen PsakiJen PsakiManchin isn’t ready to support Democrats passing infrastructure on their own Hillicon Valley: Biden steps up pressure on Russia to go after cyber criminals | All JBS facilities up and running after ransomware attack | Justice Dept. gives ransomware same priority as terrorism Maloney grills Colonial Pipeline on decision to pay ransom to hackers MORE said in a statement.

“Congress was attacked on that day, and President Biden firmly agrees with Speaker Pelosi that Congress itself has a unique role and ability to carry out that investigation. Because of that, the President doesn’t plan to appoint his own commission,” she added.

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“Members of Congress swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States, and the President believes they can, and must, do that by putting politics aside and supporting a full and transparent investigation into January 6th.”

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Axios first reported the White House’s opposition to a presidential commission.

The House last month approved legislation to form a bipartisan commission to investigate the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, when hundreds of former President TrumpDonald TrumpFacebook to end policy shielding politicians from content moderation rules: reports US government found no evidence that Navy UFO sightings were alien spacecraft: report More than a dozen police officers still on medical leave from Jan. 6 injuries MORE‘s supporters overwhelmed law enforcement and stormed the complex to try and halt the certification of Biden’s electoral victory.

Thirty-five GOP lawmakers joined with Democrats to pass the bill, which would have established a 10-member commission with the power to appoint members split between both parties, similar to the panel created after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

But the bill failed to garner enough votes in the Senate to overcome the 60-vote legislative filibuster with a vote of 54-35. Republican Sens. Lisa MurkowskiLisa Ann MurkowskiPence: Trump and I may never ‘see eye to eye’ on events of Jan. 6 White House: Biden will not appoint presidential Jan. 6 commission Democratic divisions threaten Biden’s voting push MORE (Alaska), Mitt RomneyWillard (Mitt) Mitt RomneyPence: Trump and I may never ‘see eye to eye’ on events of Jan. 6 White House: Biden will not appoint presidential Jan. 6 commission Liz Cheney spent K on security in months after Trump impeachment vote MORE (Utah), Bill CassidyBill CassidyPence: Trump and I may never ‘see eye to eye’ on events of Jan. 6 White House: Biden will not appoint presidential Jan. 6 commission Bottom line MORE (La.), Rob PortmanRobert (Rob) Jones PortmanPence: Trump and I may never ‘see eye to eye’ on events of Jan. 6 White House: Biden will not appoint presidential Jan. 6 commission Top union unveils national town hall strategy to push Biden’s jobs plan MORE (Ohio), Susan CollinsSusan Margaret CollinsPence: Trump and I may never ‘see eye to eye’ on events of Jan. 6 White House: Biden will not appoint presidential Jan. 6 commission Top union unveils national town hall strategy to push Biden’s jobs plan MORE (Maine) and Ben SasseBen SassePence: Trump and I may never ‘see eye to eye’ on events of Jan. 6 White House: Biden will not appoint presidential Jan. 6 commission Democrats wage high-profile fight over military sexual assault MORE (Neb.) voted in favor of the bill.

The White House said in the aftermath of the vote that Biden remained committed to supporting an independent investigation into the attacks.

Speaker Nancy PelosiNancy PelosiWhite House: Biden will not appoint presidential Jan. 6 commission Poll: Majority of Republicans support Medicare negotiations for prescription drug prices New coalition lobbies Congress on ‘smarter’ infrastructure MORE (D-Calif.) has previously ruled out a presidential commission as a non-starter.

Happy Friday and welcome back to On The Money, where we cannot advise spending $100,000 on a chicken nugget. I’m Sylvan Lane, and here’s your nightly guide to everything affecting your bills, bank account and bottom line.

See something I missed? Let me know at slane@thehill.com or tweet me @SylvanLane. And if you like your newsletter, you can subscribe to it here: http://bit.ly/1NxxW2N.

Write us with tips, suggestions and news: slane@thehill.com,  njagoda@thehill.com and nelis@thehill.com. Follow us on Twitter: @SylvanLane, @NJagoda and @NivElis.

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THE BIG DEAL: Key takeaways from May jobs report: Politicians, economists and lawmakers are all pouring over the May jobs report that showed the U.S. added jobs as the unemployment rate fell.

Specifically, the economy gained 559,000 new workers and the jobless rate dropped to a pandemic-low of 5.9 percent.

Economists often caution that the monthly jobs report is just a snapshot of the labor market, particularly given the unique ways COVID-19 has damaged and shaped the economy, but May’s numbers still provide important insights into how the U.S. is recovering from the pandemic.

Here are five key takeaways from Friday’s Labor Department report.

 

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• Hard-hit sectors continue their strong recovery: May brought more sorely needed jobs to industries derailed by the COVID-19 pandemic that are beginning to recover as the virus comes under control in the U.S. The leisure and hospitality sectors gained 292,000 jobs, with 186,000 workers added to payrolls at restaurants and bars. The U.S. also added 53,000 jobs in local public schools, 50,000 in state schools, and 41,000 in private schools.

• Hard-hit demographics are still lagging: Some of the industries hindered the most by COVID-19 are rebounding, but many of the demographic groups who’ve suffered disproportionate burdens continue to trail the rest of their peers. The Black unemployment rate was 9.1 percent in May, well above the 5.1 percent unemployment rate for whites and 5.5 percent for Asian Americans. The Hispanic unemployment rate also remained high, at 7.3 percent.

• Labor force participation is stubbornly frozen: The percentage of working-age adults who are employed or actively seeking jobs was largely unchanged at 61.6 percent in May, sitting 1.7 percentage points below its February 2020 level.

• Wages are rising — but from pandemic depths: Average hourly earnings rose 0.5 percent in May, with wage growth hitting a 2 percent rate after falling sharply during the onset of the pandemic.

• Political battle over the recovery will rage on: The solid but unspectacular report has given both Democrats and Republicans ample ammunition to claim that their approach to the economy is better than the other’s.

 

I break it all down here.

LEADING THE DAY

Biden rejects new GOP offer as talks drag on: President BidenJoe BidenBipartisan lawmakers press Biden to ‘immediately’ evacuate Afghans who helped US forces Chris Wallace: Backlash over Fauci emails ‘highly political’ Democrats claim vindication, GOP cries witch hunt as McGahn finally testifies MORE and Sen. Shelley Moore CapitoShelley Wellons Moore CapitoOn The Money: Key takeaways from May jobs report | Biden rejects new GOP infrastructure offer as talks drag on Biden rejects new GOP offer as spending talks drag on OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Biden administration moves to reverse Trump endangered species rollbacks | Putin says Nord Stream 2 pipeline nearing completion | Climate a sticking point after Biden-Capito infrastructure talk MORE (W.Va.), the lead Republican negotiator on infrastructure, spoke by phone on Friday but didn’t announce any significant development or breakthrough in talks that have stretched past the initial deadline of Memorial Day. Instead, Biden and Capito have plans to speak again on Monday.

White House press secretary Jen PsakiJen PsakiOn The Money: Key takeaways from May jobs report | Biden rejects new GOP infrastructure offer as talks drag on Biden rejects new GOP offer as spending talks drag on OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Biden administration moves to reverse Trump endangered species rollbacks | Putin says Nord Stream 2 pipeline nearing completion | Climate a sticking point after Biden-Capito infrastructure talk MORE said in a statement that Capito upped the GOP counterproposal to Biden’s American Jobs Plan by $50 billion, which wasn’t nearly enough for the president.

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“The President expressed his gratitude for her effort and goodwill, but also indicated that the current offer did not meet his objectives to grow the economy, tackle the climate crisis, and create new jobs,” she said.

The impact: The lack of any reported progress is likely to further fuel mounting frustration among some Democratic lawmakers who have dismissed the latest Republican infrastructure offers as not serious.

The context: Capito, the lead GOP negotiator, and Biden missed an informal Memorial Day deadline to clinch a deal. Democratic lawmakers, who start returning to Washington next week, are now eager to move forward on an infrastructure package, with or without Republicans.

The Hill’s Morgan Chalfant explains why that might not be enough.

G-7 close to deal for global minimum tax rate of at least 15 percent: report: The Group of Seven (G-7) finance ministers are nearing an agreement to push in international tax negotiations for a global minimum tax of at least 15 percent, Bloomberg reported Friday, citing people familiar with the issue.

• A rate of at least 15 percent would match a proposal that the Treasury Department pitched last month.
• The G-7 finance ministers, including U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet YellenJanet Louise YellenOn The Money: Key takeaways from May jobs report | Biden rejects new GOP infrastructure offer as talks drag on G-7 close to deal for global minimum tax rate of at least 15 percent: report The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Citizens’ Climate Lobby – Biden floats infrastructure, tax concessions to GOP MORE, are currently meeting in London and are expected to release a statement at the end of their meetings. 
• The G-7 consists of the U.S, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan.

The Hill’s Naomi Jagoda has more here.

ON TAP NEXT WEEK

Tuesday:

• IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig testifies before the Senate Finance Committee on the agency’s fiscal 2022 budget at 10 a.m.
• Acting Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young testifies before the Senate Budget Committee on President Biden’s fiscal 2022 budget proposal at 11 a.m.
• Commerce Secretary Gina RaimondoGina RaimondoOn The Money: Key takeaways from May jobs report | Biden rejects new GOP infrastructure offer as talks drag on The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Citizens’ Climate Lobby – Deal or no deal? Biden, Capito continue infrastructure talks Top union unveils national town hall strategy to push Biden’s jobs plan MORE testifies before a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on the Commerce Department’s fiscal 2022 budget request at 2 p.m.
• A Senate Banking subcommittee holds a hearing on connecting rural communities through transit at 2:15 p.m.

Wednesday:

• The Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center hosts a webinar entitled “What Are the Effects of the Biden Administration’s Corporate Tax Proposals?” at 9:30 a.m.
• Acting Office of Management and Budget Director Shalanda Young testifies before the House Budget Committee on President Biden’s fiscal 2022 budget proposal at 11 a.m.
• The House Financial Services Committee holds a hearing entitled “Universal Vouchers: Ending Homelessness and Expanding Economic Opportunity in America” at 12 p.m.
• A Senate Banking subcommittee holds a hearing on central bank digital currency at 2:30 p.m.
• The Joint Economic Committee holds a hearing on the gender wage gap at 2:30 p.m.

Thursday:

• Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia FudgeMarcia FudgeOn The Money: Key takeaways from May jobs report | Biden rejects new GOP infrastructure offer as talks drag on The Hill’s 12:30 Report: Biden faces pressure amid infrastructure negotiations Fudge, Buttigieg pitch housing infrastructure push to skeptical GOP MORE testifies before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee on the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s fiscal 2022 budget request at 10 a.m.

Former CIA chief Leon Panetta said that Russian hackers behind recent crippling cyberattacks are “terrorists” as the Biden administration ramps up efforts to curtail the intrusions.

“From my point of view, they’re terrorists. When they come at us with ransomware, even though they’re a criminal operation, they’re operating out of Russia, and they are going after some very important infrastructure in this country,” Panetta, who is also a former defense secretary, said on MSNBC Friday. “And yeah, they’re doing it for money. But it is weakening the United States every time this infrastructure gets impacted.”

The remark comes after devastating cyberattacks from a criminal group of hackers based in Russia.

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Colonial Pipeline, which supplies around 45 percent of the East Coast’s fuel, temporarily shut down its operations last month after a ransomware attack carried out by a Russia-based criminal group targeted some of its data. JBS USA, the nation’s largest beef supplier, was hit by a similar ransomware attack this week that is believed to have also originated from Russia.

Ransomware attacks overall have increased during the coronavirus pandemic as hackers target vulnerable and critical organizations they believe are more likely to pay up to regain access to their networks and data.

In response to the intrusions, the Justice Department this week said it will give investigations into ransomware attacks the same priority as those into terrorist attacks.

“It’s a specialized process to ensure we track all ransomware cases regardless of where it may be referred in this country, so you can make the connections between actors and work your way up to disrupt the whole chain,” John Carlin, the acting deputy attorney general at the Justice Department, said this week.

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The Coast Guard said it has suspended its search for ten missing Cuban migrants whose boat capsized off Florida’s coast.

The Coast Guard said in a statement on Sunday that its Cutter Resolute crew had found multiple people in the sea on Thursday and alerted the Sector Key West watchstanders. 

Eight survivors said they had been traveling from Puerto de Mariel, Cuba, when their boat sank sometime on Wednesday, according to the Coast Guard. Two people were recovered deceased and the survivors said there were 10 people still missing.

With assistance from other search agencies, the Coast Guard searched for more than 123 hours before ending its search early Sunday morning, officials said. 

“The Coast Guard, partner Department of Defense and local agency crews searched continuously the past three days to locate the missing 10 people,” Commander of Sector Key West Capt. Adam Chamie said in the statement. “The decision to suspend a search is always difficult and is made after careful consideration of all the facts. Our deepest condolences go out to the families and loved ones impacted by this tragedy.”

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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning people with seafood allergies not to eat cicadas.

The agency acknowledged that the guidance may seem unusual, though it comes as some have tried to take advantage of the swarm of cicadas this year by cooking and eating the insects. The bugs can be prepared and eaten like other foods and protein sources.

“Yep! We have to say it!” the FDA tweeted Wednesday, cautioning people not to eat cicadas if they have seafood allergies because “these insects share a family relation to shrimp and lobsters.”

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Social media users were quick to jab the FDA’s guidance — and come up with solutions of their own. 

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Trillions of Brood X cicadas are emerging from below ground and swarming in Washington, D.C., and 15 states across the Eastern U.S. These noisy insects spend the first 17 years of their life underground before emerging to breed and lay eggs, although there are different generations and cycles of the bugs.

The FDA similarly warned pet owners last month that, although cicadas do not sting or bite, their exoskeleton can irritate the stomach lining if eaten and pose a choking hazard for smaller dogs. 

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South African President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on Sunday that the country will tighten COVID-19 restrictions due to a surge of new infections. 

Ramaphosa said in a press conference that the country will be placed on an “Adjusted Alert Level 2” – out of five – starting on Monday, which means that a curfew will be in place from 11 p.m to 4 a.m. 

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Non-essential businesses like restaurants, bars and fitness centers will be closed at 10 p.m., according to Ramaphosa’s statement. Gatherings in the country will be limited to 100 people indoors and 250 people outdoors. 

Ramaphosa also said that provinces of Free State, Northern Cape, North West and Gauteng are on the threshold of a third wave of infections. 

“Because rates of infection have been low for some time, and because we are all suffering from pandemic fatigue, we have tended to become complacent,” Ramaphosa said in his statement. 

South Africa is seeing a surge in coronavirus infections, recording an average of 3,745 daily cases over the past week. Ramaphosa said the number marked an increase of 31 percent over the previous week and 66 percent over the week before that.

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“While the country is headed towards a third wave of infections, we do not yet know how severe this wave will be or for how long it will last,” he said, urging people to “think about all the people we come into contact with each day and do everything we can to limit those contacts.”

Since the pandemic started, there have been more than 1.6 million COVID-19 cases and 56,000 deaths in the country, according to The Associated Press.

About 963,000 people in South Africa have received their vaccine shots.

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The Transportation Department on Friday greenlit the Hudson Tunnel Project’s environmental impact statement and will allow it to move on toward final design and construction. 

The approval marks a key step in the Gateway Program effort that will repair tunnels that were damaged by Superstorm Sandy in in 2012 and boost rail access between New York and New Jersey.

The approval allows officials driving the project to begin laying the groundwork for construction, including acquiring property and requesting federal money. 

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“This long-awaited step brings us much closer to beginning the critical work of constructing the new Hudson Tunnel,” said New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D). “Today’s action is a key step forward to building rail infrastructure that will be dependable for decades to come. We look forward to working with our regional and federal partners to complete the Hudson Tunnel Project and continue to advance the Gateway Program in order to provide much needed relief to commuters and businesses in New Jersey and New York.” 

The breakthrough comes after the project spent years in limbo after the Trump administration didn’t approve the environmental impact statement.

However, the Biden administration recommitted to moving the project forward this year.

Transportation Secretary Pete ButtigiegPete ButtigiegNY, NJ rail project gets key federal approval The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Uber – One year later — has George Floyd’s killing changed the world? Bipartisan infrastructure talks on life support MORE said in March that the environmental impact statement would be approved by the middle of 2021.  

The actual construction of the project is still under debate, however. The current plan would involve building a new tunnel underneath the Hudson River and build two new tracks heading into Penn Station before repairs on existing infrastructure are made.

However, New York Gov. Andrew CuomoAndrew CuomoNY, NJ rail project gets key federal approval Minnesota offering state fair tickets, fishing licenses to promote coronavirus vaccines Cuomo: New York state troopers to provide security at Jewish institutions MORE (D) has previously suggested that the tunnels that already exist under the Hudson River could be kept in service and repaired simultaneously. 

The environmental impact statement that was approved by the Transportation Department approves the original plan for construction.

Fox News’s Chris WallaceChristopher (Chris) WallaceChris Wallace: Backlash over Fauci emails ‘highly political’ Kevin McCarthy should meet the Ronald Reagan of 1978 Sunday shows – Infrastructure, Jan. 6 commission dominate MORE came to the defense of White House chief medical adviser Anthony FauciAnthony FauciChris Wallace: Backlash over Fauci emails ‘highly political’ Overnight Health Care: Biden ‘very confident’ in Fauci amid conservative attacks | House Dems press Biden on global vaccinations | CDC director urges parents to vaccinate adolescents The biggest revelations from Fauci’s inbox MORE on Friday as the nation’s leading infectious disease expert faces scrutiny from conservatives over newly released emails.

Wallace told colleague John Roberts during a discussion on the network about COVID-19’s origins that he had read reports on Fauci’s emails and “a number of the emails” himself, concluding, “There’s no smoking gun there.”

“This is highly political. … You’re seeing it as a major talking point for Republicans,” Wallace said, predicting that former President TrumpDonald TrumpChris Wallace: Backlash over Fauci emails ‘highly political’ ‘So interesting’: Trump pitched on idea to run for House, become Speaker Erik Prince involved in push for experimental COVID-19 vaccine: report MORE would go after Fauci during an appearance in North Carolina on Saturday.

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The “Fox News Sunday” anchor called Fauci a “devoted public servant for 40 years.”

Conservatives have criticized Fauci and accused him of not being forthcoming about the origins of the coronavirus following the release of email correspondence between him and others early on in the pandemic that seemed to question whether the virus was manmade.

While Fauci had cast doubt on the prospect of the virus originating from a lab, the emails do not show the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director rejecting the theory outright.

Wallace argued that political motivations are playing a mayor role in how people are reacting to the theory that COVID-19 originated from a lab in Wuhan, China, which has gained new attention.

“We outta take the politics out of this,” Wallace said. “I think there certainly has been too much politics already.”

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“When Donald Trump — back when he was president — suggested that China may have played a role in it, that it wasn’t a naturally occurring virus, I think there was a knee-jerk reaction from some Democrats, from some people in the media, to say, ‘Well, if Trump says this is a possibility, it can’t be a possibility,'” Wallace said.

“That was a mistake then, I think it’s a mistake now to over-politicize it,” he added.

During the segment, Wallace emphasized the importance of figuring out how the virus originated, but stressed the need for unity.

“We all outta be on the same side,” he said.

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President BidenJoe BidenBipartisan lawmakers press Biden to ‘immediately’ evacuate Afghans who helped US forces Chris Wallace: Backlash over Fauci emails ‘highly political’ Democrats claim vindication, GOP cries witch hunt as McGahn finally testifies MORE on Friday reiterated his confidence in Fauci as his chief medical adviser amid the rising attacks from conservatives.

Biden has ordered the U.S. intelligence community to further study the origins of the coronavirus and submit a report within 90 days outlining the evidence for whether it came from a lab accident or spread naturally.

 

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.

Former President TrumpDonald TrumpChris Wallace: Backlash over Fauci emails ‘highly political’ ‘So interesting’: Trump pitched on idea to run for House, become Speaker Erik Prince involved in push for experimental COVID-19 vaccine: report MORE will not be allowed back on Facebook for at least two years, according to the company’s Friday announcement that also included new enforcement protocol. Meanwhile, FBI Director Christopher Wray compared the increasing ransomware hacks to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. And Facebook was hit with new antitrust probes abroad from the European Union and the United Kingdom. 

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CHECK BACK IN TWO YEARS: Facebook announced Friday that it is suspending former President Trump until Jan. 7, 2023, a full two years after he was first barred from the platform.

After that date, Facebook will evaluate whether the “risk to public safety” of restoring Trump’s account has abated.

If the suspension is then lifted, Trump will be subject to a “strict” set of sanctions for future policy violations, Facebook said.

“We know that any penalty we apply — or choose not to apply — will be controversial,” Facebook’s Nick Clegg said in a blog post. “We know today’s decision will be criticized by many people on opposing sides of the political divide — but our job is to make a decision in as proportionate, fair and transparent a way as possible, in keeping with the instruction given to us by the Oversight Board.”

The suspension is being made under new enforcement protocols announced Friday in response to the company’s independent Oversight Board ruling that the initial indefinite suspension was not appropriate.

What’s changing: Facebook also announced Friday that it will be providing more clarity about its newsworthiness policy, which allows posts that would otherwise violate platform policy to stay on the site “if it’s newsworthy and if keeping it visible is in the public interest.” The platform claims that, moving forward, it will no longer apply the newsworthiness standard differently to politicians.

The platform is also publicly publishing its strike system that it uses to determine the severity of punishment that can be doled out to successive infringements of Facebook policies.

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Read more here.

Trump’s take: Trump in a statement called the decision “an insult” to Americans who voted for him while repeating his false claim that the 2020 presidential election was rigged.

“They shouldn’t be allowed to get away with this censoring and silencing, and ultimately, we will win,” the former president said. “Our Country can’t take this abuse anymore!”

Read more. 

And Psaki’s: White House press secretary Jen PsakiJen PsakiOn The Money: Key takeaways from May jobs report | Biden rejects new GOP infrastructure offer as talks drag on Biden rejects new GOP offer as spending talks drag on OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Biden administration moves to reverse Trump endangered species rollbacks | Putin says Nord Stream 2 pipeline nearing completion | Climate a sticking point after Biden-Capito infrastructure talk MORE on Friday suggested it is unlikely Trump will change his behavior to warrant reinstatement on Facebook after the platform suspended him for two years.

“As we look at it, we learned a lot from President Trump, the former president, over the last couple of years about his behavior and how he uses these platforms,” Psaki said at a White House briefing.

“Feels pretty unlikely that the zebra’s going to change his stripes over the next two years. We’ll see,” she added.

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Read more about her comments. 

IT’S GETTING SERIOUS: FBI Director Christopher Wray is compared the increasing ransomware hacks on critical U.S. companies to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. 

“There are a lot of parallels, there’s a lot of importance, and a lot of focus by us on disruption and prevention,” Wray told The Wall Street Journal in an article published Friday. “There’s a shared responsibility, not just across government agencies but across the private sector and even the average American.”

Wray told the Journal that his agency is investigating around 100 types of ransomware, pointing to Russia as the origin for many of the attacks.

Wray’s comments came in the wake of multiple high-profile ransomware attacks, including one earlier this week on JBS USA, the largest supplier of beef in the nation, which forced all its U.S. facilities to shut down for a day.

Read more about the ransomware concerns here.

TO UNDERLINE THE PROBLEM: Cox Media Group, which owns television and radio stations in 20 media markets around the U.S., was the victim of a ransomware attack Thursday, according to several reports.

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TV and radio streams for stations across the country were taken offline Thursday, according to trade publication Inside Radio, TV news gossip site FTVLive and computer security site The Record. 

Reportedly, a number of the sites were back up and running as of Friday, but a check of several websites of the company radio stations Friday morning revealed streams that were not working.

Media spokespeople for Cox Media Group did not immediately respond to questions from The Hill about the issue.

Read more about the new attack here.

HERE WE GO AGAIN: The European Union and the United Kingdom on Friday hit Facebook with new antitrust probes over the platform’s use of data from advertisers.

The European Commission said in a statement that it was looking into whether Facebook violated competition rules by using data gathered from advertisers to compete with them in markets where Facebook is active — particularly classified ads.

The investigation is also probing whether the platform ties its “Facebook Marketplace” service to its social network in violation of EU competition rules.

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Separately, the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said it will probe whether Facebook has gained an unfair advantage over competitors in services for online classified ads and online dating through how it gathers and uses data from digital advertising services. 

Read more about the probes. 

Lighter click: There’s just something in our eye…

An op-ed to chew on: DARPA pioneered the internet — its model can change how our future unfolds

NOTABLE LINKS FROM AROUND THE WEB: 

Biden has quietly deployed an app for asylum seekers. Privacy experts are worried (LA Times / Molly O’Toole)

As offices open back up, not all tech companies are sold on a remote future (The Washington Post / Heather Kelly and Rachel Lerman)

India’s social media crackdown could go global (Protocol / Ben Brody)