White House News (白宮消息) | Mar. 5, 2021

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Al Franken
The two words the GOP wants you to forget

Mar. 5 - With Joe Biden in the White House, the disloyal opposition is not unreasonably seeking ways to chip away at his legitimacy. One way is make-believing he didn't win. Another is make-believing the moral foundation by which the Democrats held the former Republican president accountable suddenly doesn't matter now that the president is a Democrat. This is the reason everyone's talking about Andrew Cuomo.

As you know, he's the Democratic governor of the state of New York. What you might not know is that a third woman has emerged to accuse him of sexual misconduct of some variety. (This time, he allegedly tried to kiss her without her consent.) Last year, the press corps cast Cuomo as Donald Trump's antipode, a state leader stepping up to combat the covid pandemic when the president failed to do any such thing. It has since been revealed that the governor did a terrible job, specifically that his administration allowed an estimated 9,000 covid patients to enter nursing homes around the state     continue to read

Al Franken, Giant of the Senate

MARCH 4, 2021

White House Daily Briefing
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki and Veterans Affairs Secretary McDonough held a briefing. Secretary McDonough discussed what the VA has done to help veterans through the pandemic and how the president’s proposed COVID-19 relief package would further benefit veterans. Press Secretary Psaki reiterated the president’s stance on masks after the governor’s of Texas and Mississippi announced they will end their mask mandate, and she highlighted the administration’s continued efforts to pass COVID-19 relief.

US Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday, March 4, 2021
US Vice President Kamala Harris Casts Tie-Breaker Senate Vote in $1.9 Trillion Pandemic Relief Bill

Mar. 5 - ​The US Senate voted to take up a $1.9 trillion pandemic relief bill backed by President Joe Biden, setting off a lengthy and partisan debate expected to end this weekend with approval of the nation’s sixth stimulus since the pandemic-triggered lockdowns that began a year ago.
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The 51-50 vote Thursday, with Vice President Kamala Harris providing the tie-breaker, reflected the solid opposition of Senate Republicans, who say the drive by Democrats to pass it on their own has resulted in a far-too-costly measure that will further boost US debt and could spark inflation.     continue to read

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The Biden Administration Proving to Be More of the Same Old Discredited Policies as its Predecessor

Mar. 5 - ​There were a number of political commentators who urged us to give newly elected United States president Joe Biden a chance to show that he would offer a new approach to the multiple problems facing the United States alliance. Well, he had an opportunity to do so. But the speech that Biden gave on 19th of February of this year that “an attack on one is an attack on all” tells a different story. This “attack” was going to be made by either Russia or China, whom he declared to be the greatest enemy of both the United States and Europe.

What Biden hoped to achieve, beyond gratifying the exorbitant United States military budget, in attacking Russia and China as the United States’ main threats is unclear. Certainly, any kind of military attack on those two nations, or either of them, is a fantasy invoked by more than a few of the United States strategic planners. This fantasy has not stopped the United States from using its military to continue to threaten both Russia and China.     continue to read

White House News (白宮消息) | Mar. 4, 2021

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​U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivers remarks about priorities for administration of U.S. President Joe Biden in the Ben Franklin room at the State Department in Washington, March 3, 2021.
China is World's 'Greatest Geopolitical Test', Blinken Says

​Mar. 4 - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken declared Wednesday that the relationship between the United States and China is the world’s “biggest geopolitical test” of the century.
  
In his first major foreign policy speech, Blinken said the new Biden administration would “manage” ties with China “from a position of strength.”
“That requires engaging in diplomacy and in international organizations, because where we have pulled back, China has filled in,” Blinken said at the State Department in Washington.
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The top U.S. diplomat said Washington would continue to compete, collaborate and be “adversarial,” if necessary, with China, “the only country with the economic, diplomatic, military, and technological power to seriously challenge the stable and open international system — all the rules, values, and relationships that make the world work the way we want it to.”    more details

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MARCH 3, 2021
White House Daily Briefing
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki held a briefing on news of the day. She addressed Neera Tanden requesting to withdraw her nomination for Office of Management and Budget director saying Ms. Tanden did not see a path forward to confirmation and they do not have a replacement for her yet. She also spoke about reports of President Biden agreeing to reducing income thresholds for stimulus payments saying the president is open to ideas as negotiations are ongoing. 

This is China: Misadventures in the Middle Kingdom: Part 1: The North

This first instalment of This is China: Misadventures in the Middle Kingdom covers the author’s initial move to China in 2007, his first years working at a renowned university in Beijing and several primary schools in the northern city of Tianjin, all whilst struggling to survive his first Chinese winter and come to terms with a serious case of culture shock. Not forgetting the students that drove him to booze and the women that drove him crazy.

If you have any interest in China, teaching English abroad, or the dynamics of cross-cultural relationships, these books are for you because...

This is China.     quoted from

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White House News (白宮消息) | Mar. 3, 2021

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Gray Day: My Undercover Mission to Expose America's First Cyber Spy

A cybersecurity expert and former FBI “ghost” tells the thrilling story of how he helped take down notorious FBI mole Robert Hanssen, the first Russian cyber spy.

“Both a real-life, tension-packed thriller and a persuasive argument for traditional intelligence work in the information age.”—Bruce Schneier, New York Times bestselling author of Data and Goliath and Click Here to Kill Everybody

SolarWinds: Intern leaked passwords on GitHub

Mar. 3 - Last week, SolarWinds’ CEO testified in front of Congress on the hack that is largely considered the most damaging in US history. Representatives chastised the company over how the now infamous password “solarwinds123” was used for a file server. Even more damaging, that password was found in publicly available repos on GitHub.
From CNN: “Confronted by Rep. Rashida Tlaib, former SolarWinds CEO Kevin Thompson said the password issue was “a mistake that an intern made.”

“They violated our password policies and they posted that password on an internal, on their own private Github account,” Thompson said. 
While it’s unclear what, if any, the role the password played in this disaster, it obviously shows how critical code security has become. Code can be an open door to your enterprise.     more details

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March 2, 2021
White House Daily Briefing
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki took questions at today’s briefing on issues including the COVID vaccines, Russia, and immigration.

Biden administration may let families separated at Mexican border reunite in US

Mar. 3 - WASHINGTON – Parents separated from their children at the border under the Trump administration could be allowed to live in the USA after they're reunited, the Biden administration announced Monday.

 
"We are hoping to reunite the families either here or in the country of origin," Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said at a White House news briefing.

If the families choose to reunite in the USA, he said, the administration will "explore lawful pathways for them to remain."
Families will be provided assistance, such as health care, transportation, legal aid and career and educational services.    
Siblings and other family members will be considered for reunification "where there is a compelling humanitarian interest in doing so," the Department of Homeland Security announced after Mayorkas spoke.     continue to read

FBI Director Christopher A. Wray on March 2 said that the Jan. 6 Capitol riot was an act of domestic terrorism. 
FBI director says domestic terrorism ‘metastasizing’ throughout U.S. as cases soar

Mar. 3 - FBI Director Christopher A. Wray on Tuesday defended the bureau’s handling of alarming intelligence leading up to the Jan. 6 mob attack on the U.S. Capitol, saying he has long warned about the rising tide of such threats as the domestic terrorism caseload roughly doubled over the past year.

“We have significantly grown the number of investigations and arrests,” Wray told the Senate Judiciary Committee, his first testimony since the riot involving supporters of President Donald Trump. The FBI director testified in September that the number of such cases was about 1,000. By the end of 2020, there were about 1,400 such cases, and after Jan. 6 the figure ballooned again, the director said.

Domestic terrorism “has been metastasizing around the country for a long time now, and it’s not going away anytime soon,” Wray said. “Whenever we’ve had the chance, we’ve tried to emphasize that this is a top concern.”     continue to read

March 2, 2021
FBI Director Christopher Wray Testifies on January 6 Capitol Attack
FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the department’s preparations and response to the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. In his opening remarks, Director Wray said he was “appalled” at the attack on the U.S. Capitol and told members the “siege was criminal behavior plain and simple.” He later said the January 6 event was not an isolated issue and answered several questions on the rise of domestic terrorism and white supremacist violence in the country. Committee Chair Dick Durbin (D-IL) said in his remarks, “the insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol on January 6 did not wear white robes and hoods. They might as well have. They are the latest incarnation of a violent white supremacist movement that has terrorized fellow Americans on the basis of their race, religion, and national origin for more than 150 years.” Other questions focused on the diversity in the department, rising cases of hate crimes against Asian Americans, and cybersecurity concerns in the wake of the SolarWinds breach.

White House News (白宮消息) | Mar. 2, 2021

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Where We Go from Here

New Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas
Trump 'Gutted' US Immigration System: Homeland Security Secretary

A day earlier, Trump at an event in Florida had alleged that the Biden administration has put the national security at risk by opening up the borders to illegal immigrants.

Mar. 2 - "We are working hard to replace the cruelty of the Trump administration", said New Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas on Monday and allegedly accused ex-US president Donald Trump for dismantling the country's immigration system. He also said it will require time to "rebuild it from scratch".

The previous US government implemented rigid immigration rules on those allowed to seek asylum in the US and advocated a merit-based immigration system to protect US workers.

"We are dedicated to achieving and, quite frankly, are working around the clock to replace the cruelty of the past administration with an orderly, humane, and safe immigration process. It is hard and it will take time, but rest assured we're going to get it done," Mayorkas told reporters at a White House news conference.

The changes are likely to take time, because of the immigration system that the Biden administration has inherited from its predecessor, he said.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary rued the "lack" of proper facilities to administer the humanitarian laws that the Congress had passed.

"Entire systems are not rebuilt in a day or in a few weeks...     continue to read

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MARCH 1, 2021
White House Daily Briefing
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas joined White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki in the press briefing room to address immigration issues. Secretary Mayorkas criticized the previous Trump administration saying it, “dismantled the nation’s immigration system in its entirety.” He said the Biden administration was working on rebuilding the system and encouraged migrants heading to the boarder to wait. He also addressed the Trump administration’s family separation policy and said the Biden administration will give families a choice to reunify either in the United States or in their country of origin. Press Secretary Psaki answered a variety of questions on the Biden administration’s response to the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the decision to order airstrikes in Syria, the coronavirus pandemic, and the push to raise the minimum wage. 

MARCH 1, 2021
Senate Judiciary Committee Votes on Attorney General Garland's Nomination
The Senate Judiciary Committee joined by several Republican members voted to advance the nomination of Merrick Garland to be the next attorney general to the full body for consideration.

Attorney General nominee Merrick Garland testifies during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Washington, DC, February 22, 2021.
Merrick Garland’s nomination to be attorney general advances to full Senate

• The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced federal Judge Merrick Garland’s nomination to be attorney general to the full Senate on Monday, paving the way for his confirmation to head the Department of Justice.
• Garland’s hearings before the committee last week focused on the sprawling investigation into the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
  
• The largely cordial question-and-answer session indicated that the nomination of the centrist former Supreme Court nominee was likely to be approved on a bipartisan basis. It was, 15-7.
  

Mar. 2 - The Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday advanced federal appeals court Judge Merrick Garland’s nomination to be attorney general to the full Senate, paving the way for his confirmation to head the Department of Justice.

The bipartisan vote was 15-7. A full Senate vote has not been scheduled but could come early this week.

Garland’s hearings before the committee last week focused on the sprawling investigation into the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. The largely cordial question-and-answer session indicated that the nomination of the centrist former Supreme Court nominee was likely to be approved on a bipartisan basis.

The nominee is expected to be crucial to accomplishing President Joe Biden’s agenda on a number of fronts, particularly with regard to civil rights and criminal justice reform, but also on antitrust enforcement, climate change progress, financial regulation and other areas.     more details

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White House News (白宮消息) | Mar. 1st, 2021

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Disloyal: A Memoir: The True Story of the Former Personal Attorney to President Donald J. Trump

Trump calls for Republican party unity; says Biden administration 'anti-jobs', 'anti-science'

Mar. 1 - In his first public speech since leaving office in January, former US president Donald Trump indicated he might launch a third presidential bid in 2024, called for Republican Party unity and slammed the Joe Biden administration, saying it was "anti-jobs" and "anti-science".     continue to read

February 28, 2021 | Part Of Former President Trump Speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference Former President Trump Addresses CPAC
Former President Donald Trump made his first public speech since leaving office at the 2021 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Florida.

President Biden at the White House on Feb. 27.
Biden’s Saudi Arabia problem

Mar. 1 - In the early stages of his candidacy, President Biden was emphatic. Under his administration, Saudi officials implicated in the operation that led to the grisly death of dissident Jamal Khashoggi should “pay the price,” Biden said during a Democratic debate, adding that his government would “make them in fact the pariah that they are.” This wasn’t just a barbed jab at a particular coterie of Saudi elites, most prominently Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Biden said he found “very little social redeeming value” in the Saudi government, a longtime U.S. ally, as a whole.      continue to

A view of the city after airstrikes by the US bombers.
American airstrikes on Syria sheer overkill

Mar. 1 - “America is back. America is back!” proclaims US President Joe Biden. Indeed, America is back, back bombing eastern Syria. Bombing pro-Iranian militias which Biden accuses of mounting strikes on Iraqi bases housing US forces and on Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone where the US embassy is located. However, the militiamen targeted were far from the sites of the attacks and were not involved. Biden chose to hit them in Syria because to bomb them in Iraq would ruffle Iraqi feathers. Syria has become a shooting gallery for US leaders seeking to demonstrate that they are prepared to be tough with those they deem enemies.

The first airstrikes in Biden’s presidency are likely to ramp up rather than de-escalate tensions between Washington and Tehran at a time of rising friction due to the uncertainty of the US return to the 2015 agreement limiting Iran’s nuclear programme in exchange for lifting sanctions. Biden has repeatedly given the impression this would be a priority once he took office but he is wavering, creating new problems, and delaying.

US spokesmen say Biden’s strikes were intended to send a message to Tehran to curb Iraqi Shia militias which have mounted numerous rocket salvos on sites hosting US military and civilian personnel. The US has blamed Kataeb Hizbullah and has retaliated with aerial bombings on Iraqi soil.     more details

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Biden administration disappointed after Iran rejects invite to discuss nuclear deal with US and other nations

Feb. 28 - (CNN)The Biden administration is disappointed after Iran rejected an offer by the European Union to partake in nuclear talks with the US and the other signatories of the nuclear deal on Sunday, but said they remain open to diplomacy with Iran.

"While we are disappointed at Iran's response, we remain ready to reengage in meaningful diplomacy to achieve a mutual return to compliance with JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) commitments," a White House spokesperson said.

"We will be consulting with our P5+1 partners on the best way forward," the spokesperson added. The P5+1 refers to the permanent members of the UN Security Council -- China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States -- and Germany.The Wall Street Journal first reported on Iran's rejection.     more details

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The US Wall Street Journal claimed that Islamic Republic of Iran has rejected Europe's offer to directly negotiate with United States over nuclear deal, JCPOA.
Iran rejects Europe offer to negotiate directly with US: Wall Street Journal

Mar. 1 - The US Wall Street Journal claimed that Islamic Republic of Iran has rejected Europe's offer to directly negotiate with United States over nuclear deal, JCPOA.

The Wall Street Journal quoted two senior Western diplomats as saying on Sunday that Iran has rejected a direct nuclear talk with the United States and Europeans involved in the nuclear talk.     quoted from

PBS NewsHour Weekend Full Episode February 28, 2021
Mar 1, 2021
On this edition for Sunday, February 28, Johnson & Johnson says it expects to start shipping the first doses of its newly FDA-approved vaccine on Monday. Also, the story behind the resurgence of America’s oldest independent Black-owned bookstore, and why Richmond, Virginia has one of the highest eviction rates in the nation. Hari Sreenivasan anchors from New York.

Vials of a Covid-19 vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson.
Johnson & Johnson’s Covid-19 vaccine to start shipping soon, but early supply could be uneven

Mar. 1 - WASHINGTON — Health care providers will begin receiving the first 3.9 million doses of Johnson & Johnson’s newly authorized Covid-19 vaccine as early as Tuesday morning, though supply will be uneven in the coming weeks, senior Biden administration officials said.

The first shipments account for the entirety of J&J’s current inventory. Officials expect another 16 million doses to be available by the end of March, though J&J told the federal government that the doses will be delivered mostly toward the second half of the month.

“We do not expect any additional deliveries next week and we expect deliveries to be uneven during the weeks of March. We’re getting doses out the door as soon as they’re available to ensure vaccines get into the arms as quickly as possible,” one senior administration official said.

The federal government has purchased 100 million doses of the J&J vaccine, which requires only a single shot, but supplies are expected to be scarce until at least April. The vaccine will be sent beginning Sunday night, one day after its emergency use authorization by the Food and Drug Administration.     source fr