2/22/2021

White House News (白宮消息) | Feb.22, 2021

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Lila Blanks reacts next to the casket of her husband, Gregory Blanks, 50, who died from complications from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), ahead of his funeral in San Felipe, Texas, U.S., January 26, 2021.
United States approaches grim milestone of 500,000 Covid-19 deaths

The United States faces a dark milestone this week despite a recent decline in COVID-19 cases as it prepares to mark a staggering half-million deaths, with President Joe Biden planning to memorialise the lives lost.


Feb. 22 - While the number of COVID-19 cases fell for the fifth straight week and officials scrambled to inoculate the population, the nation was poised to reach 500,000 deaths from the highly infectious respiratory disease.
It has been nearly a year since the pandemic upended the country with dueling public health and economic crises.

"It's nothing like we've ever been through in the last 102 years since the 1918 influenza pandemic. ... It really is a terrible situation that we've been through - and that we're still going through," Dr. Anthony Fauci, White House COVID-19 medical adviser and the nation's top infectious disease official, told CNN's "State of the Union" program on Sunday.

The White House said on Sunday it planned a memorial event in which Biden would deliver remarks.
A White House spokesman said the president along with first lady Jill Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff would hold a moment of silence on Monday and there would be a candle-lighting ceremony at sundown.

Biden last month observed America's COVID-19 deaths on the eve of his inauguration with a sundown ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial's Reflecting Pool.

Biden will use "his own voice and platform to take a moment to remember the people whose lives have been lost, the families who are still suffering ... at what is still a very difficult moment in this country," White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters on Friday.     more details


Biden to hold moment of silence for 500K COVID-19 deaths

Feb. 21 - President Biden will hold a moment of silence Monday evening for the Americans who have died of coronavirus, the White House said.

The nation is expected to surpass 500,000 coronavirus deaths Monday.

“In the evening, the President will deliver remarks on the lives lost to COVID-19 in the Cross Hall. The First Lady, the Vice President, and the Second Gentleman will be in attendance,” the White House said in a press release.

“Then, the President, the First Lady, the Vice President, and the Second Gentleman will hold a moment of silence and candle lighting ceremony at sundown in the South Portico.”

According to data from Johns Hopkins University, the U.S. has confirmed 498,879 deaths as of Sunday evening. Globally, the U.S. has reported the most deaths due to the coronavirus out of any other country. Brazil, the country with the second highest number of coronavirus deaths, has reported roughly half the amount the U.S. has.

The day before his inauguration day, Biden held a lighting ceremony at the Lincoln Memorial to honor those died from COVID-19. Biden has committed to vaccinating at least 100 million people in his first 100 days in office.     source



Bill Gates Reveals What Caused Deadly Power Outages in Texas
On Saturday, US President Joe Biden declared a major disaster in the Lone Star State allowing the government to allocate more funds to help millions of people affected by severe winter storms.


Feb. 22 - Bill Gates has revealed the reason behind the weather-induced crisis in Texas that resulted in power outages, leaving nearly half of the state's population under a boil advisory. In an interview with CNN, the Microsoft co-founder dismissed allegations made by Governor Gregg Abbott and other officials that solar panels and wind turbines were to blame for the massive outages in the state, noting that state's dependence on renewable energy isn't high enough.

Gates believes that the state's authorities should have spent money on weatherising energy plants. This, the software developer says, would have prevented the crisis.

"This is not because of renewable dependency. This is natural gas plants, largely, that weren't weatherised. They could've been. It costs money, and the trade-off was made, and it didn't work out, and it's tragic that it has lead to people dying", Gates told CNN.

Cataclysms, Instability,
the interview Bill Gates, who has donated over $50 billion to charitable causes, reiterated the need to address the global warming problem. Climate change is the root cause of all extreme weather events and the solution is green energy, Gates said. The philanthropist noted that without decisions on lowering carbon emissions and transition to renewable energy the world will face catastrophic consequences – the collapse of natural ecosystems as well as the inability to farm, which in turn will lead to war and instability.

According to the Microsoft co-founder, the deadline for the world to deal with the said issues is 2050. "2050 is literally the soonest it could get done given the scale and the number of things you have to change", Gates said.

The philanthropist believes that in an ideal world 80 percent of the energy will be renewable and come from solar panels and wind turbines, while 20 percent will come from nuclear plants. Gates even cited Texas as an example. When harsh climatic conditions make it unable to use green energy, a state can ramp up nuclear energy or draw from storage.     What happened in Texas?
In Their Own Words: U.S. Covid-19 Death Toll Hits 500,000 | NBC Nightly News
Feb 22, 2021
The Covid-19 death toll in the U.S. has passed 500,000. NBC News’ Kate Snow illuminates some of those we’ve lost through their own words.

2/20/2021

White House News (白宮消息) | Feb.20, 2021

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FEBRUARY 19, 2021
President Biden Delivers Remarks at Pfizer Plant
President Biden delivered remarks at a Pfizer plant in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The president was introduced by Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, who praised the Biden administration for its work on increasing the vaccine supply and distribution. President Biden spoke about progress made in getting people vaccinated, the need for Congress to pass his COVID-19 relief package and the importance of reopening schools.
Biden says the United States could be ‘approaching normalcy by the end of this year.’

After touring a Pfizer manufacturing facility in Kalamazoo, Mich., on Friday, President Biden emphasized the safety of approved coronavirus vaccines and said there would be enough available for all Americans by the end of July.

I came here because I want the American people to understand the extraordinary, extraordinary work that’s being done to undertake the most difficult operational challenges this nation has ever faced. And let me say parenthetically that it’s not enough that we find cures for Americans. There needs to be cures that the world is able to take part in because you can’t build a wall or fence high enough to keep a pandemic out. We’re now on track to have enough vaccine supply for all Americans by the end of July. It doesn’t mean will be in all Americans’ arms, but enough vaccine will be available by that time. And I know people want confidence that it’s safe. Well, I just toured where it’s being made. It takes more time to do the check for safety than it does actually to make the vaccine. That’s how fastidious they are. But if there’s one message to cut through to everyone in this country is this, the vaccines are safe. Please, for yourself, your family, your community, this country, take the vaccine when it’s your turn and available. That’s how to beat this pandemic.     source
FEBRUARY 19, 2021
President Biden Tours Pfizer Plant
President Biden toured a Pfizer plant in Kalamazoo, Michigan, with Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D) and Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla. The president was shown freezers storing the vaccine and demonstrations of the packing process.
Rocket attack hits US and coalition forces in Erbil, Iraq
Feb 16, 2021
A civilian contractor was killed and a US service member was injured along with eight other contractors when rocket fire landed on coalition forces near Erbil International Airport in Iraq, said Col. Wayne Marotto, the spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve.


Pfizer seeks to store vaccine at higher temperatures, easing logistics

Feb. 20 - Approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) could send a strong signal to other regulators around the world that may ease distribution of the shot in lower-income countries.


The companies have submitted new temperature data to the FDA to support an update to the current label that would allow vials to be stored at -25 to -15 degrees Celsius (-13°F to 5°F) for a total of two weeks.

The current label requires the vaccine to be stored at temperatures between -80ºC and -60ºC (-112ºF to -76ºF), meaning it has to be shipped in specially designed containers.
The shot’s cold-storage requirements set off a scramble among U.S. states at the beginning of the rollout for dry ice, in which it can be stored temporarily when there are no specialized freezers available, for instance in rural areas.     more details
Biden says U.S. will seek to ‘end cancer as we know it’ after Covid pandemic

​Feb. 21 - President Joe Biden said Friday that once the coronavirus pandemic has been defeated, his administration will target another deadly disease: cancer.


“I want you to know that, once we beat Covid, we’re going to do everything we can to end cancer as we know it,” Biden said in a speech after touring Pfizer’s massive coronavirus vaccine manufacturing site in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the National Center for Health Statistics, with nearly 600,000 people dying of cancer in 2019. Almost 1.9 million new cancer cases will be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2021, American Cancer Society researchers estimate.

One of Biden’s sons, Beau Biden, died at age 46 from an aggressive form of brain cancer.

Biden said that two White House offices, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology and the Office of Science and Technology Policy, will be involved in developing an “advanced research effort on cancer and other diseases.”     more details

2/19/2021

White House News (白宮消息) | Feb.19, 2021

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FEBRUARY 18, 2021
White House Daily Briefing (Audio Only)
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki held her daily news conference over the phone due to the winter weather in the Washington, DC area. She was joined by Homeland Security Advisor and Deputy National Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall.


Overnight Defense: NATO expanding troops in Iraq

Feb. 18 - NATO will expand its security training mission in Iraq by thousands of troops following a deadly rocket attack on a military air base earlier this week.

The 30-member alliance will increase its personnel in Iraq from 500 to around 4,000, a move to prevent the war-torn country from becoming a breeding ground for terrorists, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg announced Thursday.

“ISIS still operates in Iraq and we need to make sure they’re not able to return,” Stoltenberg told reporters at the end of a two-day virtual NATO defense ministers meeting.

What the increase means: 
He said NATO’s efforts will now include more Iraqi security institutions and areas beyond Baghdad, though their presence “is conditions-based and increases in troop numbers will be incremental.”

He added that the Iraqi government had made a request for the expanded mission, which will begin in the coming months.     more details
Rocket attack hits US and coalition forces in Erbil, Iraq
Feb 16, 2021
A civilian contractor was killed and a US service member was injured along with eight other contractors when rocket fire landed on coalition forces near Erbil International Airport in Iraq, said Col. Wayne Marotto, the spokesman for Operation Inherent Resolve.


U.S. ‘Prepared’ for Talks with Iran

Feb. 18 - On February 18, the United States told its European allies that it was ready for talks with Iran over returning to the 2015 nuclear deal. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken met with the foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany to discuss Iran, Yemen, ISIS and Iraq, among other issues. “If Iran comes back into strict compliance with its commitments under the [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action], the United States will do the same and is prepared to engage in discussions with Iran toward that end,” read a joint statement released after the virtual meeting. But the Biden administration reiterated its demand that Tehran return to compliance before Washington rejoined the deal.

The four diplomats urged Iran to abandon its threat to suspend compliance with the Additional Protocol, a voluntary agreement that grants international inspectors greater access to declared nuclear sites. “The E3 and the United States are united in underlining the dangerous nature of a decision to limit [International Atomic Energy Agency] access, and urge Iran to consider the consequences of such grave action, particularly at this time of renewed diplomatic opportunity,” the joint statement read.
​ 
The four diplomats also criticized Iran’s past breaches of the deal, particularly its decision to enrich uranium up to 20 percent and to produce uranium metal. “These activities have no credible civil justification,” the statement read. “Uranium metal production is a key step in the development of a nuclear weapon.” Iran resumed enriching uranium to 20 percent on January 4 and announced that it would produce uranium metal on January 13.      more details

FEBRUARY 18, 2021
House Speaker Weekly Briefing
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) held her weekly legislative briefing on Capitol Hill. She spoke about creating a commission looking into the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, saying it would closely resemble the 9/11 Commission and have subpoena power. She also said the federal government should provide help for Texas as the state deals with the aftermath of a recent deadly storm. 


2/18/2021

White House News (白宮消息) | Feb. 18, 2021

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FEBRUARY 17, 2021
White House Daily Briefing
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki held her daily briefing with reporters. She was joined by Anne Neuberger, the deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technology. Ms. Neuberger provided an update on the administration’s response to the SolarWinds cyber hack. Following her remarks, Press Secretary Psaki answered reporters' questions on a range of topics. She was asked about winter storm power outages in Texas and neighboring states, COVID-19 vaccine distribution, CDC guidelines for reopening schools, proposals to cancel student loan debt, and slavery reparations legislation. 

Biden Administration May Tap Amazon for COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution
The idea is that Amazon and other tech companies may have abilities to assist in the effort that government agencies do not.


Feb. 18 - The Biden administration is considering turning to an unlikely source when it comes to vaccine distribution: Silicon Valley, according to a new report this week.

Politico reported Tuesday that the new president’s administration is considering “taking Silicon Valley up” on its offers to help out with the vaccine rollout. Amazon has reportedly offered “IT and operations,” with Airbnb offering “vaccine depots” at its real estate locations, and Google offering free ad space.

The administration is, in fact, “in talks” with Amazon and other tech companies.

“We are consulting with many companies, including Amazon, about specific ways they can help execute the president’s national strategy against COVID,” White House spokesperson Kevin Munoz told Politico. “Companies with logistics and technical expertise could help Americans get vaccinated more efficiently and more equitably.”

“We are committed to assisting governments with vaccination efforts as we work together to protect our workers and continue to provide essential services during the pandemic,” Amazon spokesperson Jodi Seth told the site.

The idea is that Amazon and other tech companies may have abilities to assist in the effort that government agencies do not.     more details


Former US President Donald Trump waves as he arrives at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Fla., Jan. 20, 2021.
​Despite Senate Acquittal, Trump Faces Many Legal Problems


Feb. 18, WASHINGTON - As president, Donald Trump was immune from criminal prosecution and civil liability.

But now that he is a private citizen, he no longer enjoys the cloak of presidential immunity — and his legal troubles are starting to pile up.

On Tuesday, just three days after the Senate acquitted him of an impeachment charge of inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, Trump was sued over the riot in federal court by a prominent U.S. Democratic representative.

The suit by Congressman Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, accuses Trump, his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani and two far-right groups of conspiring to incite the riot to prevent congressional certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s presidential election victory.

The lawsuit is likely to be the first of many. But Trump’s legal troubles are not limited to his role in the riot. Ongoing investigations in New York and other lawsuits are likely to keep him “wrapped up” for years, said Sarah Tuberville of the Project on Government Oversight.     more details
NBC Nightly News Broadcast (Full) - February 17th, 2020 | NBC Nightly News
Feb 18, 2021
Growing frustration as millions still without power in Texas, winter storms delay Covid vaccinations, and President Biden says the vaccine will be available to all Americans by the end of July.

2/17/2021

White House News (白宮消息) | Feb. 17, 2021

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FEBRUARY 16, 2021
White House Daily Briefing
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki answered questions about Covid relief, a lawsuit against former President Trump, and Iraq at a briefing.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, meet with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, on March 9, 2016, during Biden's official visit to Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
White House: Netanyahu to be first Middle East leader Biden will call

“Israel is a country where we have an important strategic security relationship, and our team is fully engaged—not at the head-of-state level yet but very soon,” said White House press secretary Jen Psaki.

Feb. 17 - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will be the first Middle East leader President Joe Biden will call, the White House said on Tuesday.

“His first call with a leader in the region will be with Prime Minister Netanyahu,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters, adding that she did not have an exact timeline for the call, but that “it will be soon.”

The comments by Psaki come amid mounting speculation, especially by Israeli pundits, on the delay in calling the Israeli leader by Biden, who took office nearly a month ago.


The president has spoken with a number of close U.S. allies, including leaders in Canada, Britain, France, Japan, Mexico, Germany, South Korea and even some foes, such as China’s Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin. He has not yet spoken with a Mideast leader.

“Israel is, of course, an ally,” Psaki said. “Israel is a country where we have an important strategic security relationship, and our team is fully engaged—not at the head-of-state level quite yet but very soon.”

For his part, Netanyahu has downplayed the fact that he has not received a personal call from Biden.

The president is “making calls to world leaders according to the order he sees fit,” Netanyahu said last week. “The Israel-U.S. alliance is strong and so is our friendship of almost 40 years, though we may not agree on everything.”

Last week, former Israeli ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon, who now serves as chairman of World Likud, made a much blunter remark on the situation via tweet: “Might it now be time to call the leader of Israel, the closest ally of the U.S.?”     source from JNS
Construction on the Nord Stream 2 pipeline resumed in earnest on Feb. 6 after more than a year. A gas-line facility in Germany was photographed in September.
Biden Administration Reviews Nord Stream 2 Gas Pipeline

U.S. considers whether to waive or impose sanctions on builders of Russian gas pipeline

Feb 17 - WASHINGTON—The Biden administration is reviewing U.S. policy toward a pipeline designed to carry Russian natural gas to Germany beneath the Baltic Sea, under new pressure after construction on the $11 billion project resumed this month, according to people with knowledge of the deliberations.

The undersea pipeline, Nord Stream 2, is more than 90% completed, with about 100 miles remaining. Construction resumed in earnest on Feb. 6, more than a year after it came to a halt in the face of opposition from the Trump administration and acts of Congress authorizing sanctions on companies and individuals involved in the project. The Biden administration hasn’t thus far imposed sanctions required by law.


The Biden administration has opened talks with Berlin on the future of the pipeline, including “threats of sanctions against companies involved in the construction of Nord Stream 2,” a German official said.

The administration on Tuesday faces a deadline to report a list of companies it deems in violation of the U.S. laws aimed at halting the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. Those companies would be potential targets for U.S. sanctions. The Biden administration could also waive the application of sanctions under a national-interest clause, placating Germany, a critical European ally, handing Russia a geopolitical victory, and crossing a bipartisan coalition in Congress.      source


Workers at the construction site of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline near the town of Kingisepp, Leningrad Region, Russia, June 5, 2019.
Putin’s Corrupt Pipeline Is on Life Support

Unless the Biden administration refuses to enforce the law, the Nord Stream 2 project is going to die. The question is who gets credit for killing it.

Feb. 16 - With the detention and sentencing of Alexei Navalny and the arrest of thousands of peaceful Russian protesters, the divisive Nord Stream 2 (NS2) pipeline has once again returned to the forefront of political discourse in Europe and the United States.

The new Biden team has struck the right rhetorical note, arguing that NS2 is “a bad deal for Europe” and promising that the U.S. will not “roll over” for Russia. Since Navalny’s arrest and sentencing, key European figures have stepped up their rhetoric as well. Tom Tugendhat, who chairs the Foreign Affairs Committee in the U.K.’s House of Commons, has on multiple occasions advocated for NS2 to be killed. By an overwhelming 581–50 margin, the European Parliament passed a resolution calling on the EU to “immediately” halt work on NS2. Even the French, who up until recently backed Germany in support of the project, have changed their tune. When asked earlier this month if France was in favor of abandoning the project, Secretary of State for European Affairs Clément Beaune confirmed that it was.

At this point, the international leaders who support NS2 could very likely be counted on one hand. Among them are German chancellor Angela Merkel; Merkel’s likely successor, Armin Laschet, the leader of Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU); Russian president Vladimir Putin; and the ex-Stasi intelligence officer who is now the pipeline project’s CEO, Matthias Warnig. On February 5, Laschet insisted that Germany would not abandon NS2 in the wake of Navalny’s sentencing and the mass detention of protesters in Russia. “Feel-good moralizing and domestic slogans are not foreign policy,” he said with an obvious note of disdain.     continue to read

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