Biden Administration

Christine Wormuth, pictured testifying on Capitol Hill in March 2015 during her tenure as defense undersecretary for policy, is President Biden's pick for secretary of the Army.

Biden To Nominate Christine Wormuth As 1st Female Secretary Of The Army

12:39pm April 13, 2021

by Rachel Treisman

With an extensive background in foreign policy and national security, Christine Wormuth would be the first woman to serve as secretary of the Army if confirmed by the Senate.

Regina LaBelle is the acting director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. During a Thursday morning briefing, LaBelle said drug overdose deaths are up about 27% compared to the previous year.

National

White House Says Drug Overdose Deaths Spiked To 88,000 During The Pandemic

2:18pm April 01, 2021

by Brian Mann

The Biden administration points to fentanyl as the major culprit for the increase in deaths. Officials unveiled a new one-year strategy to reduce the number of fatalities from drug overdoses.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby, seen here at the Pentagon last week, announced the military's new policies on Wednesday, International Transgender Day of Visibility.

Pentagon Releases New Policies Enabling Transgender People To Serve In The Military

5:09pm March 31, 2021

by Laurel Wamsley

President Biden signed an executive order repealing the Trump transgender ban in his first week in office, directing the Pentagon to begin the process to allow transgender people to serve openly.

Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud proposed a ceasefire for Yemen on Monday, speaking from Riyadh, the Saudi capital.

Yemen: Saudi Arabia Proposes A Peace Deal, But Houthis Say It's Not Enough

2:50pm March 22, 2021

by Laurel Wamsley

The Saudi proposal includes a nationwide ceasefire and reopening the airport in the Yemeni capital. But the Iranian-backed Houthis say the plan stops short of lifting a blockade.

A student gives her coronavirus swab to Helenann Civian, the principal of South Boston Catholic Academy in Boston in January. The White House announced $10 billion to expand testing in K-12 schools.

White House Announces $10 Billion For COVID-19 Testing In Schools

3:59pm March 17, 2021

by Laurel Wamsley

The new funds will enable K-12 schools to ramp up screening testing, which can "identify asymptomatic disease and prevent clusters before they start," said CDC Director Rochelle Walensky.

Xavier Becerra, President Biden's nominee for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, contended with critics of abortion rights on the first day of his confirmation hearings Tuesday.

'It's a Minefield': Biden's Pick For Health Secretary Faces Abortion Politics

2:32pm February 24, 2021

As California's attorney general, Xavier Becerra fought Trump-era restrictions on reproductive health. If confirmed, he'll navigate an even more difficult legal and political landscape.

Columns along the sides of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool pay tribute to victims of COVID-19 at a Jan. 19 memorial. Just over a month later, a Monday evening ceremony will pay tribute to 500,000 Americans lives lost.

National

As U.S. Death Toll Surpasses Half A Million, Biden Plans To Order Flags To Half-Staff

6:56pm February 22, 2021

by Rachel Treisman

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said that at a Monday event marking 500,000 COVID-19 deaths, President Joe Biden will order flags on federal property to be lowered to half staff for five days.

The Biden administration announced on Wednesday a range of initiatives to expand testing capacity in the U.S. A COVID-19 testing site in Seattle is seen here on Saturday.

White House Announces Expanded COVID-19 Testing, Manufacturing And Virus Sequencing

2:15pm February 17, 2021

by Laurel Wamsley

The administration says there will only be a few million doses of Johnson & Johnson's vaccine available to distribute right away, assuming the company gets FDA authorization in the next few weeks.

Health & Safety

As Biden Reopens ACA Enrollment, Are You Eligible To Sign Up Or Switch Health Plans?

1:06pm February 15, 2021

by Michelle Andrews

The federal insurance exchange, HealthCare.gov, has reopened for changes and new sign-ups until May 15. But states with their own exchanges have different rules. Here's what you need to know.

Protesters hold images of de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Wednesday in Yangon, Myanmar. As fallout from the Feb. 1 military coup continues, U.S. President Joe Biden announced plans to sanction the leaders who directed it.

U.S. To Impose Sanctions On Myanmar Military Officials Over Coup

2:36pm February 10, 2021

by Rachel Treisman

President Joe Biden announced a series of actions aimed at imposing consequences on the Myanmar military officials responsible for the country's coup, including sanctions and stronger export controls.