Summary
- The CDC said fully vaccinated Americans no longer had to wear masks in most settings, marking a crucial moment in the country’s return to normalcy more than a year after the start of the coronavirus pandemic. “If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic,” said CDC director Rochelle Walensky.
- Joe Biden celebrated the new CDC mask guidance, saying, “Today is a great day for America.” The president delivered remarks on the CDC news in the White House Rose Garden, notably not wearing a mask as he spoke to the American people. “For now, after a year of hard work and so much sacrifice, the rule is very simple: get vaccinated or wear a mask until you do,” Biden said.
- Today’s u-turn from the CDC on mask requirements has caused confusion as state and local governments rush to reassess regional mask requirements. Many states had already eased mask mandates. Today, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Kentucky and Connecticut changed their requirements to fit with the new CDC guidelines, but other states, including New York and Virginia, have yet to adjust their policies.
- Biden said the Colonial pipeline is now reaching full operational capacity, after a ransomware attack shut down the pipeline for several days. The president warned that it may take a few days to see the effect of the pipeline coming back online, as there could be “hiccups” as it resumes normal operations. Several east coast states have suffered gasoline shortages in recent days, as Americans went into panic-buying mode because of the shutdown.
- House speaker Nancy Pelosi condemned Republicans’ “sick” efforts to downplay the violence of the 6 January insurrection. The Democratic speaker addressed the comments from Andrew Clyde, who said yesterday that the footage of the insurrection looked like “a normal tourist visit”. “I don’t know a normal day around here when people are threatening to hang the vice-president of the United States or shoot the speaker in the forehead,” Pelosi said. “It was beyond denial. It fell into the range of sick.”
- Liz Cheney did not rule out the possibility of launching a presidential bid against Donald Trump to prevent him from returning to the White House. Speaking to the Today show shortly after she was removed as House Republican conference chair, Cheney said of Trump, “He must not ever again be anywhere close to the Oval Office.”
- Chip Roy, a hardline conservative Republican congressman of Texas will run to replace Liz Cheney as GOP conference chair. Roy had raised concerns that Elise Stefanik, the New York representative who is poised to ascend to conference chair after Republicans in the House ousted Cheney over her refusal to endorse false Trump’s election fraud conspiracy theory, is too moderate.
– Joan E Greve and Maanvi Singh
Updated
Today’s u-turn from the CDC on mask requirements has caused confusion as state and local governments rush to reassess regional mask requirements.
Many states had already eased mask mandates. Today, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Kentucky and Connecticut changed their requirements to fit with the new CDC guidelines, but other states, including New York and Virginia, have yet to adjust their policies.
In Michigan, the Detroit Free Press reports that a spokesperson for the health department said they are “reviewing this newly released guidance” and didn’t respond to questions about when requirements would change.
California is another state where masks are required on public transit and other settings for both vaccinated and unvaccinated people. The state’s governor Gavin Newsom yesterday said that most mask requirements would be eased next month when businesses will be able to reopen to a fuller extent.
Retailers were also caught by surprise at the CDC announcement. Macy’s, Target and the Gap said they were reviewing their mask policies, and Home Depot said it would still require customers and staff to wear masks, for now.
Unions representing retail and food workers have said they worry about the risks and burden the new rules place on workers - who will have no standard way to verify whether unmasked customers are vaccinated.
Barriers to getting the vaccine still exist for many workers, especially people of color. A poll from the Kaiser Family Foundation found that among unvaccinated Hispanic adults, nearly two-thirds worried about missing work due to side effects. Language barriers and other difficulties signing up have also affected many workers’ ability to get the jab.
Updated
Philadelphia incinerated remains of police bombing victims without telling families
The public outcry over the handling of human remains retrieved from the ashes of the deadly 1985 bombing of a Black liberation organization in Philadelphia dramatically escalated on Thursday, with the revelation that the bones of an undisclosed number of Move victims were incinerated and dumped by the city without the knowledge or permission of living relatives.
In a bombshell disclosure, the mayor of Philadelphia, Jim Kenney, announced that he had fired the city’s health commissioner, Thomas Farley. The mayor said that Farley had told him earlier this week that several years ago he had become aware that remains of victims of the Move bombing – in which 11 people died – were still in the possession of the city’s medical examiner’s office.
It is understood that the health commissioner became aware of the bones’ existence in 2017. Instead of attempting to identify them and return them to the families of the deceased, Farley said “he made a decision to cremate and dispose of them”, the mayor said in a statement.
Kenney said he had asked the health commissioner to resign. “This action lacked empathy for the victims, their family, and the deep pain that the Move bombing has brought to our city for nearly four decades.”
The city’s medical examiner, Sam Gulino, was also placed on administrative leave pending an investigation
Read more:
The number of Americans seeking unemployment aid fell last week, as businesses reopened.
The AP reports:
The decline — the fourth in the past five weeks — coincides with a rash of states led by Republican governors that have blamed expanded jobless benefits for a slowdown in hiring and are acting to cut off the additional aid.
Thursday’s report from the Labor Department showed that applications declined 34,000 from a revised 507,000 a week earlier. The number of weekly jobless claims — a rough measure of the pace of layoffs — has fallen significantly from a peak of 900,000 in January.
Last week’s unemployment claims marked the lowest level since March of last year, when the viral pandemic erupted across the economy. The decline in applications is coinciding with a steadily improving economy. More Americans are venturing out to shop, travel, dine out and congregate at entertainment venues. The reopening has proceeded so fast that many businesses aren’t yet able to staff up as quickly as they would like.
In April, employers added 266,000 jobs, far fewer than expected. The surprisingly tepid gain raised concerns that businesses may find it hard to quickly add jobs as the economy keeps improving and that regaining pre-pandemic employment levels could take longer than hoped.
In Thursday’s report on jobless claims, the government said nearly 16.9 million people were receiving unemployment aid during the week of April 24, the latest period for which data is available. That is up from 16.2 million in the previous week and suggests that hiring wasn’t strong enough last month to pull people off unemployment.
US officials confirm 130 incidents of mysterious Havana syndrome brain injury
There have been more than 130 incidents of unexplained brain injury known as Havana syndrome among US diplomats, spies and defence officials, some of them within the past few weeks, it has been reported.
The New York Times said three CIA officers have reported serious symptoms since December, following overseas assignments, requiring outpatient treatment at the Walter Reed military hospital in Washington. One episode was within the past two weeks.
Mark Zaid, who represents some former officials afflicted by Havana syndrome, said he had been contacted by more people who believe they have been affected.
“The numbers are definitely increasing,” he said.
US officials confirmed that there continued to be fresh cases under review but cautioned that the publicity given to previous Havana syndrome cases had led some people to reinterpret symptoms they were suffering and wonder whether they may have been victims of some form of attack they had not previously suspected. So the number of new cases did not necessarily reflect the number of new incidents.
Read more:
Unvaccinated Latinos in the US want the shot – but have trouble with access
Latinos in the US are reporting the lowest rates of vaccination. According to a new poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation, “one-third of unvaccinated Hispanic adults say they want a vaccine as soon as possible, about twice the share as among unvaccinated Black and white adults”.
Among unvaccinated Hispanic adults, nearly two-thirds were worried about missing work due to side effects, and half were worried they’d have to pay for it, the survey found. About 40% were worried they’d have to provide a social security number in order to get a vaccine and 35% were worried that signing up could affect them or their family’s immigration process – a holdover from the Trump administration’s “public charge” rule that held back green cards from immigrants who used public services.
Updated
Chip Roy, a hardline conservative Republican congressman of Texas will run to replace Liz Cheney as GOP conference chair.
Roy had raised concerns that Elise Stefanik, the New York representative who is poised to ascend to conference chair after Republicans in the House ousted Cheney over her refusal to endorse false Trump’s election fraud conspiracy theory, is too moderate.
Despite Stefanik’s more moderate record on policy issues, the congresswoman has whole-heartedly embraced Trump and Trumpism, earning the favor of the former president. Roy, a member of the Freedom Caucus, wrote a letter to colleagues advising against electing Stefanik, based on her votes against Trump’s border wall and tax cuts, and her votes for climate action.
Roy blamed members such as Stefanik for the party’s losses in 2018. It was members like her “playing footsie with Democrats on issues like HR5 (Equality Act) that led to Democrats steamrolling us in 2018” he said in his letter. The Equality Act would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity – most Republican lawmakers have staunchly opposed the anti-discrimination law, but Stefanik voted for it once.
Updated
Today so far
That’s it from me today. My west coast colleague, Maanvi Singh, will take over the blog for the next few hours.
Here’s where the day stands so far:
- The CDC said fully vaccinated Americans no longer had to wear masks in most settings, marking a crucial moment in the country’s return to normalcy more than a year after the start of the coronavirus pandemic. “If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic,” said CDC director Rochelle Walensky.
- Joe Biden celebrated the new CDC mask guidance, saying, “Today is a great day for America.” The president delivered remarks on the CDC news in the White House Rose Garden, notably not wearing a mask as he spoke to the American people. “For now, after a year of hard work and so much sacrifice, the rule is very simple: get vaccinated or wear a mask until you do,” Biden said.
- Biden said the Colonial Pipeline is now reaching full operational capacity, after a ransomware attack shut down the pipeline for several days. The president warned that it may take a few days to see the effect of the pipeline coming back online, as there could be “hiccups” as it resumes normal operations. Several east coast states have suffered gasoline shortages in recent days, as Americans went into panic-buying mode because of the shutdown.
- House speaker Nancy Pelosi condemned Republicans’ “sick” efforts to downplay the violence of the 6 January insurrection. The Democratic speaker addressed the comments from Andrew Clyde, who said yesterday that the footage of the insurrection looked like “a normal tourist visit”. “I don’t know a normal day around here when people are threatening to hang the vice-president of the United States or shoot the speaker in the forehead,” Pelosi said. “It was beyond denial. It fell into the range of sick.”
- Liz Cheney did not rule out the possibility of launching a presidential bid against Donald Trump to prevent him from returning to the White House. Speaking to the Today show shortly after she was removed as House Republican conference chair, Cheney said of Trump, “He must not ever again be anywhere close to the Oval Office.”
Maanvi will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
Updated
House speaker Nancy Pelosi told CNN that she will not be relaxing the rule requiring masks in the chamber because not all members have been vaccinated, even though they have been eligible for months.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi told me “no” she isn’t changing the rule requiring masks on the House floor.
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) May 13, 2021
“No,” Pelosi said. “Are they all vaccinated?”
The Democratic speaker said two weeks ago that about 75% of House members have been vaccinated, a number that was virtually unchanged from a month earlier.
The mayor of Washington said she and her public health team are reviewing the new CDC recommendations to determine whether to relax the city’s guidance on masks.
“Consistent with past practice, we are immediately reviewing the CDC guidance and will update DC Health guidance accordingly,” Muriel Bowser said on Twitter.
The Democratic mayor added it is “critical that every resident, worker and visitor get vaccinated to help us crush the virus”.
1/ Consistent with past practice, we are immediately reviewing the CDC guidance and will update DC Health guidance accordingly.
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) May 13, 2021
Joe Biden took a few questions from reporters after concluding his prepared remarks on the new mask guidance from the CDC.
Asked about his meeting with Senate Republicans today to discuss his infrastructure plan, the president said they had a “very, very good” conversation.
“I am very optimistic that we can reach a reasonable agreement,” Biden said, adding that both sides have engaged in a “good-faith effort” to find a compromise on an infrastructure package.
With that, Biden and Kamala Harris walked out of the Rose Garden without wearing masks.
Joe Biden reiterated the new CDC guidance that fully vaccinated people are no longer required to wear masks in most settings.
“For now, after a year of hard work and so much sacrifice, the rule is very simple: get vaccinated or wear a mask until you do,” Biden said.
The president was also careful to encourage people to be kind to those who still feel more comfortable wearing masks.
“We’ve had too much conflict, too much bitterness, too much anger, too much politicization of this issue about wearing masks,” Biden said. “Let’s put it to rest. Let’s remember we’re all Americans. Let’s remember that we are all in this together.”
Updated
Joe Biden celebrated the new CDC guidance on mask-wearing, but he also emphasized that the country had much more work to do to get the virus completely under control.
“The safest thing for the country is for everyone to get vaccinated,” Biden said.
The president noted it was easier than ever to get vaccinated, as all American adults are now eligible to receive a shot.
“We’re still losing too many Americans because we still have too many unvaccinated people,” Biden said.
Joe Biden noted that this “great day” has come at a great cost to country, which has lost more than 580,000 people to coronavirus.
The president expressed his condolences to all Americans who had lost loved ones to coronavirus, and he expressed hope that their memories would soon bring more happiness than sadness.
'Today is a great day for America,' Biden says as CDC relaxes mask guidance
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris walked out to the Rose Garden without wearing masks, after the CDC announced that fully vaccinated people did not have to wear masks in most settings.
As Biden walked up to the podium with an uncovered face, Harris could be heard telling him, “Great smile.”
Biden began his remarks by saying, “Today is a great day for America in our long battle against coronavirus.”
Today is a great day for America in our long battle with COVID-19.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) May 13, 2021
Just a few hours ago, the CDC announced they are no longer recommending that fully vaccinated people need to wear masks.
The president said this “great milestone” was made possible by the country’s great success in getting hundreds of millions of vaccine doses to the American people.
As of today, more than 250 million shots have been administered since Biden took office in January.
Updated
The White House Rose Garden is all set up for Joe Biden’s remarks on the coronavirus pandemic and the CDC’s new guidance on mask-wearing.
Nice day in the Rose Garden pic.twitter.com/FBMi7DjzC5
— Steve Holland (@steveholland1) May 13, 2021
It’s 70 degrees Fahrenheit and sunny in Washington, so it’s a beautiful day to announce that fully vaccinated people no longer have to wear masks in most settings.
Biden was supposed to start speaking about 15 minutes ago, but as per usual, he is running late, so stay tuned for updates.
Shelley Moore Capito said her group of Senate Republicans had a “very productive” meeting with Joe Biden to discuss the president’s infrastructure plan.
“We did talk specifics,” Capito said. “And the president asked has asked us to come back and rework an offer so that he could then react to that and then re-offer to us, so we’re very encouraged.”
She added that she was “grateful to the president and his staff for the give and take that we shared in the Oval Office”. Capito described Biden as being “very much desirous of striking a deal”.
Updated
Joe Biden and Republican senators took their masks off during their infrastructure meeting after hearing about the new CDC guidance, according to Shelley Moore Capito.
“We heard all about it,” Capito said of the CDC update after leaving the meeting. “The president took his [mask] off too.”
“We did,” @SenCapito tells me when I asked of they all took their masks off in Oval. “We heard all about it” she said of new CDC guidance. pic.twitter.com/LHJM5BlWv9
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) May 13, 2021
Updated
Ben Wakana, a member of the White House pandemic response team, said the CDC could relax the mask guidance for vaccinated Americans because the vaccines have proven effective and those who have been vaccinated are unlikely to spread coronavirus.
Here are the reasons why the masks can come off now:
— Ben Wakana (@benwakana46) May 13, 2021
1. Vaccines are effective in the real world
2. Vaccines work against the variants
3. Vaccinated people are unlikely to spread COVID
Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell was seen exiting the chamber without a mask on, after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention relaxed its mask guidance for fully vaccinated Americans.
“Free at last,” the Republican leader told reporters on Capitol Hill.
“Free at last,” says a maskless Mitch McConnell, as he exits the Senate for the week. pic.twitter.com/YfbWekZ9BW
— Nicholas Fandos (@npfandos) May 13, 2021
The White House has informed staffers that they no longer need to wear masks at work if they are fully vaccinated, according to the Washington Post.
NEWS: The White House just sent an email to staff that masks are no longer required on campus for those who are fully vaccinated.
— Tyler Pager (@tylerpager) May 13, 2021
This is the exact wording from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the new guidance for fully vaccinated Americans:
Risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection is minimal for fully vaccinated people. The risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission from fully vaccinated people to unvaccinated people is also reduced. Therefore, fully vaccinated people can resume activities without wearing a mask or physically distancing, except where required by federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial laws, rules and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance. Fully vaccinated people should also continue to wear a well-fitted mask in correctional facilities and homeless shelters. ...
CDC prevention measures continue to apply to all travelers, including those who are vaccinated. All travelers are required to wear a mask on all planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation traveling into, within, or out of the United States and in U.S. transportation hubs such as airports and stations.
This new graphic from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention demonstrates the importance of the agency’s new guidance for fully vaccinated people.
On the righthand side of the visual, it shows that fully vaccinated people can safely go without masks in almost all settings.
HELPFUL VISUAL AID via @CDCgov: pic.twitter.com/PYfmEbgwu1
— Ed O'Keefe (@edokeefe) May 13, 2021
Despite the encouraging new guidance, Dr Rochelle Walensky said fully vaccinated Americans should continue to wear masks when on modes of public transportation, such as airplanes, buses or trains.
But fully vaccinated people are not required to wear masks in almost any other setting, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
Asked how fully vaccinated people should handle situations where they are not sure if everyone around them has been vaccinated, Walensky noted it is the unvaccinated people (not the vaccinated people) who are assuming some risk in that scenario.
Vaccinated people can participate in indoor activities without masks or distancing, CDC says
The director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention described the agency’s new guidance for fully vaccinated people as a pivotal moment in the country’s fight against coronavirus.
Speaking at the White House pandemic response team briefing, Dr Rochelle Walensky said the declining number of coronavirus cases in the US allowed the CDC to recommend that fully vaccinated Americans can participate in most indoor activities without wearing a mask.
BREAKING: CDC Dir. Walensky: "If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic."
— ABC News (@ABC) May 13, 2021
"We have all longed for this moment...That moment has come for those who are fully vaccinated." https://t.co/wjQTAjWb8N pic.twitter.com/6eU70Hi90r
“Anyone who is fully vaccinated can participate in indoor and outdoor activities, large or small, without wearing a mask or physical distancing,” Walesnky said. “If you are fully vaccinated, you can start doing the things that you had stopped doing because of the pandemic.”
The CDC director added, “We have all longed for this moment when we can get back to some sense of normalcy. Based on the continuing downward trajectory of cases, the scientific data on the performance of our vaccines and our understanding of how the virus spreads, that moment has come for those who are fully vaccinated.”
Updated
In Gaetz-gate there are developments. Here’s the wire headline: Friend of embattled US Congressman Matt Gaetz readies guilty plea.
Reuters reports:
A former Florida official central to the federal investigation of Republican US Representative Matt Gaetz in connection with possible sex trafficking of a minor will plead guilty on Monday, a court filing showed, in a potentially troublesome development for the congressman.
The plea deal in a federal court in Orlando, Florida, will resolve some charges against Joel Greenberg, a former tax collector in Florida’s Seminole County, Greenberg’s attorney Fritz Scheller said in an interview on Thursday.
Greenberg has been accused of sex trafficking of a child, aggravated identity theft and wire fraud, among other federal charges,
Greenberg, 37, is a friend of staunch Donald Trump supporter Gaetz, who also faces a federal investigation into a relationship with an underage girl, a law enforcement source has said.
Gaetz has not been charged with any crimes and has denied any wrongdoing.
Gaetz spokesman Harlan Hill questioned Greenberg’s credibility.
“The first indictment of Joel Greenberg alleges that he falsely accused another man of sex with a minor for his own gain. That man was apparently innocent. So is congressman Gaetz,” Hill said.
The charges Greenberg faces include having letters sent to a school where a political rival worked, falsely accusing the man of sexual misconduct with a student, according to federal prosecutor.
At an April 8 court hearing, prosecutors indicated that a plea deal with Greenberg was imminent, according to local media reports.
Asked at the time by reporters whether Gaetz should be worried about a Greenberg plea, Greenberg attorney Scheller replied, “I’m sure Matt Gaetz is not feeling very comfortable today.”
Scheller may have been referring to media reports that Greenberg might cooperate with federal investigators in their investigation of Gaetz.
Government to ease up guidance on indoor mask-wearing
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is expected to announce the new guidelines later this afternoon for those who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.
The Associated Press reports:
In a striking move to send the country back toward pre-pandemic life, the CDC will ease indoor mask-wearing guidance for fully vaccinated people, allowing them to safely stop wearing masks inside in most places, according to a person briefed on the announcement.
The new guidance will still call for wearing masks in crowded indoor settings like buses, planes, hospitals, prisons and homeless shelters, but could ease restrictions for reopening workplaces, schools, and other venues — even removing the need for masks or social distancing for those who are fully vaccinated.
The CDC will also no longer recommend that fully vaccinated people wear masks outdoors in crowds.
The new guidance comes as the aggressive US vaccination campaign begins to pay off. US virus cases are at their lowest rate since September, deaths are at their lowest point since last April and the test positivity rate is at the lowest point since the pandemic began.
Just two weeks ago, the CDC recommended that fully vaccinated people continue to wear masks indoors in all settings and outdoors in large crowds.
Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the CDC, was set to announce the new guidance on Thursday afternoon at a White House briefing.
Evidence from the U.S. and Israel shows the vaccines are as strongly protective in real-world use as they were in earlier studies, and that so far they continue to work even though some worrying mutated versions of the virus are spreading.
As coronavirus cases and deaths decline across the US amid vaccination efforts, a prominent teachers union leader said on Thursday its members are “all in” on returning to in-person learning this fall.
One health expert declared that of the current situation in the US: “We have in effect tamed the virus.”
On average, the US saw fewer than 40,000 new Covid-19 new confirmed cases daily over the past week, a 21 percent improvement compared to the week prior, Axios reported Thursday.
The news site’s well known graphic of a state-by-state coronavirus map is currently showing all US states with either steady or declining rates of infection.
“Conditions have changed,” said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, in prepared statements obtained by The Associated Press. “We can and we must reopen schools in the fall for in-person teaching, learning and support. And keep them open. Fully and safely, five days a week.”
Weingarten, who supports the continuation of mask mandates, social distancing, and contract tracing at schools, said vaccines were key to her support for re-opening, noting that 89 percent of AFT’s 1.7m members are fully vaccinated or wish to be.
“The fear that they will bring the virus home decreases the moment they get their shot,” Weingarten said in these remarks, also pointing to $123bn in federal aid to assist with schools’ recovery. The aid was part of a $1.9tn aid package Joe Biden signed in March.
While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in February that schools can reopen with new safety initiatives, many large US school districts have continued to operate largely or entirely online.
And in districts that have reopened to in-person learning, many students have decided to study at home, among them a disproportionate number of non-white students.
The decline in coronavirus cases also marks the first time since September that daily averages fell below 40,000.
In 37 states, there were declines in new cases last week, and “not a single state moved in the wrong direction,” Axios reported. The daily peak was nearly 250,000 daily cases in early January.
Coronavirus deaths in the US have also dropped to an average of approximately 600 daily. In more than half of US states, Covid-19 deaths have fallen to the single digits while some states have had days without any coronavirus deaths.
The number of US coronavirus deaths per day has not been this low since July 2020. Deaths peaked in mid-January, with daily averages totaling more than 3,400.
Today so far
Here’s where the day stands so far:
- Joe Biden said the Colonial Pipeline is now reaching full operational capacity, after a ransomware attack shut down the pipeline for several days. The president warned that it may take a few days to see the effect of the pipeline coming back online, as there could be “hiccups” as it resumes normal operations. Several east coast states have suffered gasoline shortages in recent days, as Americans went into panic-buying mode because of the shutdown.
- House speaker Nancy Pelosi condemned Republicans’ “sick” efforts to downplay the violence of the January 6 insurrection. The Democratic speaker addressed the comments from Andrew Clyde, who said yesterday that the footage of the insurrection looked like “a normal tourist visit”. “I don’t know a normal day around here when people are threatening to hang the vice-president of the United States or shoot the speaker in the forehead,” Pelosi said. “It was beyond denial. It fell into the range of sick.”
- Liz Cheney did not rule out the possibility of launching a presidential bid against Donald Trump to prevent him from returning to the White House. Speaking to the Today show shortly after she was removed as House Republican conference chair, Cheney said of Trump, “He must not ever again be anywhere close to the Oval Office.”
The blog will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
Jen Psaki once again refused to say whether anyone in the Biden administration was aware of a payment from Colonial Pipeline to the ransomware attackers.
“I’m just not going to have any more on that,” the White House press secretary said.
According to Bloomberg News, Colonial paid nearly $5 million to the hackers, contradicting FBI guidance to avoid payments to ransomware attackers.
A reporter asked Jen Psaki about whether the US is considering retaliatory actions against Russia, where the Colonial Pipeline hackers are believed to live.
The White House press secretary noted there is an “ongoing investigation” into the ransomware attack, and she said any retaliatory measures would likely be considered by US Cyber Command.
“We’re just not quite there yet,” Psaki said.
Joe Biden told reporters shortly before Psaki’s briefing that he is not currently considering retaliatory cyberattacks against Russia. He said the US does not believe the Russian government was involved in the Colonial attack.
The White House press secretary, Jen Psaki, is now holding her daily briefing with reporters.
Psaki deflected questions about whether Colonial Pipeline paid nearly $5 million to the hackers who carried out the ransomware attack, as Bloomberg News has reported.
The press secretary referred questions about any potential payment to Colonial, while arguing that paying ransoms “incentivizes these actions”.
Joe Biden also declined to offer a comment when asked if he had been briefed about Colonial paying the hackers.
One reporter also asked Joe Biden about the ongoing attacks in Gaza, which have killed more than 80 Palestinians and at least seven Israelis.
The president said he has not yet seen a “significant overreaction” from Israel, adding that the goal is to reduce the number of attacks occurring in the region.
Biden received some criticism from progressives yesterday after he said, “My expectation and hope is this will be closing down sooner than later, but Israel has a right to defend itself.”
Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez accused the president of taking “the side of occupation”.
By only stepping in to name Hamas’ actions - which are condemnable - & refusing to acknowledge the rights of Palestinians, Biden reinforces the false idea that Palestinians instigated this cycle of violence.
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 12, 2021
This is not neutral language. It takes a side - the side of occupation.
Joe Biden took a few questions from reporters after concluding his prepared remarks on the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack and shutdown.
Asked whether he was considering retaliatory cyberattacks to shut down the ransomware hackers, Biden said he was not.
Another reporter asked the president if he was briefed on the fact that Colonial Pipeline paid nearly $5 million to the hackers, as Bloomberg News reported this morning.
“I have no comment on that,” Biden replied.
Joe Biden said the US government does not believe the Russian government was involved in the Colonial Pipeline attack, although the hackers who carried out the attack do appear to be based in Russia.
“We do not believe the Russian government was involved in this attack,” Biden said. “But we do have strong reason to believe that the criminals who did the attack are living in Russia.”
The president has previously said that the Russian government bears some responsibility for hosting the hackers who carry out these kinds of attacks.
Updated
Joe Biden once again urged Americans not to buy more gasoline than necessary as Colonial Pipeline gets back up to full operational capacity.
“Don’t panic,” the president told American drivers. “This is a temporary situation. Don’t get more gas than you need in the next few days.”
Biden also issued a strict warning to gas suppliers not to exploit panicked customers who are worried about the pipeline shutdown.
“Nobody should using this situation for financial gain,” the president said. “That’s what the hackers are trying to do. That’s what they’re about, not us.”
Updated
Colonial Pipeline now reaching full operational capacity but 'hiccups' likely, Biden says
Joe Biden is now delivering his remarks on the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack and shutdown, which has now come to an end.
“This morning Colonial reported that fuel is beginning to flow to the majority of the markets that they service, and they should be reaching full operational capacity as we speak,” the president said. “That is good news.”
But Biden warned that customers at gas stations in impacted states may not see an immediate impact from the pipeline coming back online.
“This is not like flicking on a light switch,” Biden said. “It’s going to take some time, and there may be some hiccups ... along the way here.”
Joe Biden will soon deliver remarks on the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack and subsequent shutdown, which caused supply shortages at many east coast gas stations as Americans went into panic-buying mode.
Colonial said yesterday that it has now resumed use of the pipeline, but it may take several days to return to normal operations.
The president will also likely be asked about the latest report from Bloomberg News that Colonial paid nearly $5 million to the ransomware hackers.
In rather typical fashion for this president, Biden was scheduled to start speaking about 30 minutes ago, but he hasn’t appeared yet, so stay tuned for updates.
Congressman Adam Kinzinger criticized his fellow House Republican, Marjorie Taylor Greene, for aggressively confronting congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez yesterday.
“While I may not agree with @AOC on issues, I’ve never seen her confront a colleague like this,” Kinzinger said on Twitter. “The house was created to debate emotional issues professionally, and it seems some just want attention or cannot handle their emotions.”
Kinzinger has been criticizing his own party a lot this week, as he has also condemned House Republicans’ decision to oust Liz Cheney as conference chair over her conflicts with Donald Trump about the “big lie” of widespread fraud in the presidential election.
While I may not agree with @AOC on issues, I’ve never seen her confront a colleague like this. The house was created to debate emotional issues professionally, and it seems some just want attention or cannot handle their emotions. https://t.co/QtKV8qnAqH
— Adam Kinzinger (@AdamKinzinger) May 13, 2021
Two Washington Post reporters saw Marjorie Taylor Greene confront Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as the two congresswomen left the House floor yesterday.
The Post reports:
Two Washington Post reporters witnessed Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.) exit the House chamber late Wednesday afternoon ahead of Greene (Ga.), who shouted ‘Hey Alexandria’ twice in an effort to get her attention. When Ocasio-Cortez did not stop walking, Greene picked up her pace and began shouting at her and asking why she supports antifa, a loosely knit group of far-left activists, and Black Lives Matter, falsely labeling them ‘terrorist’ groups. Greene also shouted that Ocasio-Cortez was failing to defend her ‘radical socialist’ beliefs by declining to publicly debate the freshman from Georgia.
‘You don’t care about the American people,’ Greene shouted. ‘Why do you support terrorists and antifa?’
Ocasio-Cortez did not stop to answer Greene, only turning around once and throwing her hands in the air in an exasperated motion. The two reporters were not close enough to hear what the New York congresswoman said, and her office declined to discuss her specific response.
Pelosi suggests ethics investigation of Greene over 'verbal assault' of AOC
House speaker Nancy Pelosi also suggested that the House ethics committee may investigate Marjorie Taylor Greene for her confrontation with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez yesterday.
Pelosi suggests House Ethics Committee should investigate Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene for "verbal assault" and "abuse" of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in a confrontation outside House chamber: "This is beneath the dignity of a person serving in the Congress of the United States" pic.twitter.com/0X29i9Jdf7
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 13, 2021
Pelosi said Greene’s “verbal assault” and “abuse” of Ocasio-Cortez had been reported to her office yesterday.
“It’s so beyond the pale of anything that is in keeping with bringing honor to the House,” the Democratic speaker said. “It probably is a matter for the ethics committee.”
She added, “This is beneath the dignity of a person serving in the Congress of the United States and is a cause for trauma and fear among members, especially on the heels of an insurrection.”
Updated
Andrew Clyde was one of several Republican congressmen who downplayed the violence of the Capitol insurrection during a committee hearing on the attack yesterday.
Congressman Paul Gosar accused the justice department of “harassing peaceful patriots across the country” by bringing charges against those who carried out the insurrection.
“Outright propaganda and lies are being used to unleash the national security state against law-abiding US citizens, especially Trump voters,” Gosar said.
“The FBI is fishing through homes of veterans and citizens with no criminal records and restricting the liberties of individuals that have never been accused of a crime.”
Those who participated in the Capitol insurrection forced their way into a federal building, ignoring security barriers and often breaking windows to gain access. Many of them also injured law enforcement officers who were trying to protect the Capitol and members of Congress.
Congressman Andrew Clyde was asked about his widely criticized comments downplaying the Capitol insurrection earlier today.
“You didn’t take what I said in context at all,” the Republican lawmaker told NBC News this morning. “So you go listen to what I said.”
This morning @LACaldwellDC @DaniellaMicaela gave Rep Andrew Clyde a chance to explain his comments yesterday that Jan 6 looked like a “normal tourist visit.”
— Haley Talbot (@haleytalbotnbc) May 13, 2021
Take a listen—> pic.twitter.com/wf99KjRvzT
Here’s exactly what he said during that committee hearing yesterday: “Watching the TV footage of those who entered the Capitol and walked through Statuary Hall showed people in an orderly fashion staying between the stanchions and ropes, taking videos, pictures.”
He added, “You know, if you didn’t know the TV footage was a video from January the 6th, you would actually think it was a normal tourist visit.”
That is absolutely false. Footage from the Capitol insurrection shows rioters breaking windows to get into the building and making their way to the House and Senate chambers carrying weapons, coming within minutes of confronting Vice-President Mike Pence.
Pelosi condemns Republicans' 'sick' comments downplaying Capitol insurrection
House speaker Nancy Pelosi is now holding her weekly press conference, and she condemned her Republican colleagues for downplaying the violence of the Capitol insurrection during a committee hearing yesterday.
The Democratic speaker mocked congressman Andrew Clyde’s comments that footage from the insurrection looked like “a normal tourist visit”.
“I don’t know a normal day around here when people are threatening to hang the vice-president of the United States or shoot the speaker in the forehead,” Pelosi said. “I don’t consider that normal. Multiple people were killed.”
She added, “It was beyond denial. It fell into the range of sick.”
Rep. Andrew Clyde said January 6th resembled “a normal tourist visit.” A tourist visit of hell maybe. Republicans are straight up pretending the Capitol riot didn’t happen. We play their comments alongside the riot they say didn’t happen. pic.twitter.com/rsunOis6G6
— Brianna Keilar (@brikeilarcnn) May 13, 2021
During a hearing on the Capitol insurrection yesterday, Clyde suggested it was a “boldfaced lie” to describe the events of January 6 as an “insurrection”.
“Watching the TV footage of those who entered the Capitol and walked through Statuary Hall showed people in an orderly fashion staying between the stanchions and ropes, taking videos, pictures,” Clyde said.
“You know, if you didn’t know the TV footage was a video from January the 6th, you would actually think it was a normal tourist visit.”
That is completely false. The January 6 insurrection resulted in five deaths and extensive property damage to the Capitol. Footage of that day shows insurrectionists breaking windows to gain access to the building, waving Confederate flags in Statuary Hall and attacking Capitol Police officers.
Pelosi noted that House appropriations committee chairwoman Rosa DeLauro may file the supplemental bill to provide more funding for Capitol security later today. The bill could come up for a floor vote next week.
Updated
The acting director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Brandon Wales, said he did not know if Colonial Pipeline paid any money to the ransomware attackers.
“I have no knowledge of whether a ransom was paid, how much was paid, if it was paid, when it was paid,” Wales told reporters, per Politico.
Wales added that Colonial has shared some of its hacking data with CISA, and the agency is “working with the FBI to get that information out today in a more broad way”.
New: Colonial has shared hack data with CISA, acting CISA Director Brandon Wales just told reporters.
— Eric Geller (@ericgeller) May 13, 2021
“Late last night, we … received some indicators of compromise from the incident at Colonial. We are working with the FBI to get that information out today in a more broad way."
In a statement released early this morning, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the Biden administration will remain in close contact with Colonial Pipeline as it resumes operations over the next several days.
“President Biden and the White House will monitor the situation closely in the coming days, and continue to urge Americans to just purchase what they need, and not hoard fuel, as supply is restored,” Psaki said.
She added, “This incident demonstrates that Federal agencies and the private sector must work collaboratively to learn the lessons of this incident, strengthen cybersecurity practices, and deploy technologies that increase resilience against cyberattacks.”
White House officials deflected questions on Monday about whether Colonial Pipeline had paid any of the ransom to the hackers who forced the company to shut down its pipeline.
Anne Neuberger, deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technologies, told reporters during Monday’s White House briefing that the Biden administration was leaving it up to Colonial to decide whether to pay the ransom.
"That is a private sector decision": White House officials say they have not offered advice to Colonial Pipeline on whether to pay ransom to hackers who shut down a vital U.S. pipeline https://t.co/5QoCH046As pic.twitter.com/mAnhcfLiQ8
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 10, 2021
“We recognize that victims of cyberattacks often face a very difficult situation,” Neuberger said. “And they have to just balance off, in the cost-benefit, when they have no choice with regard to paying a ransom. Colonial is a private company, and we’ll defer information regarding their decision on paying a ransom to them.”
When asked if the White House had any advice for Colonial on whether to pay the ransom, Neuberger said, “Typically that is a private-sector decision, and the administration has not offered further advice at this time. Given the rise in ransomware, that is one area we’re definitely looking at now to say, ‘What should be the government’s approach to ransomware actors and to ransoms overall?’”
Those comments appeared to be slightly at odds with previous FBI recommendations that companies not pay ransomware attackers.
Colonial Pipeline paid hackers nearly $5 million - report
Colonial Pipeline reportedly paid nearly $5 million to the hackers who carried out a ransomware attack, forcing the company to shut down its pipeline for several days.
Bloomberg News reports:
Colonial Pipeline Co. paid nearly $5 million to Eastern European hackers on Friday, contradicting reports earlier this week that the company had no intention of paying an extortion fee to help restore the country’s largest fuel pipeline, according to two people familiar with the transaction.
The company paid the hefty ransom in untraceable cryptocurrency within hours after the attack, underscoring the immense pressure faced by the Georgia-based operator to get gasoline and jet fuel flowing again to major cities along the Eastern Seaboard, those people said.
Once they received the payment, the hackers provided the operator with a decrypting tool to restore its disabled computer network. The tool was so slow that the company continued using its own backups to help restore the system, one of the people familiar with the company’s efforts said.
Joe Biden will likely be asked about the report in about an hour when he addresses the attack on the pipeline, which has now resumed operation.
Despite previous FBI guidance not to pay ransomware hackers, the White House had avoided offering direct advice to Colonial on whether to give money to the attackers, instead emphasizing the difficulty of the decision.
Updated
The Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack and subsequent shutdown caused long lines at gas stations in several east coast states, as Americans went into panic-buying mode.
White House and state officials urged Americans not to “hoard” gasoline, but that guidance appeared to fall on deaf ears, if this warning from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission yesterday is any indication.
Do not fill plastic bags with gasoline.
— US Consumer Product Safety Commission (@USCPSC) May 12, 2021
Now that the pipeline is pumping again, lawmakers are urging their constituents to remain calm as gas stations return to normal operations.
Republican congressman Jeff Duncan of South Carolina, where about half of gas stations are reporting fuel outages, said on Twitter, “Colonial now has fuel arriving via pipeline to all SC terminals, and will be operational system wide by noon today. Please do NOT hoard fuel. We have an adequate supply as long as folks slow the panic buying.”
Pipeline Update: Colonial now has fuel arriving via pipeline to all SC terminals, and will be operational system wide by noon today. Please do NOT hoard fuel. We have an adequate supply as long as folks slow the panic buying. pic.twitter.com/5XtoTzHbya
— Rep. Jeff Duncan (@RepJeffDuncan) May 13, 2021
Joe Biden will address the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack and shutdown in a speech later this morning at the White House.
The president’s remarks come as Colonial resumes sending gasoline to stations along the east coast, after a ransomware attack forced them to shut down for six days.
Reuters has more details on the news:
The Colonial pipeline, which carries 100 million gallons per day of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, resumed computer-controlled pumping late Wednesday after adding safety measures. It will take several days for deliveries to fully recover and interruptions are possible, the company said.
The shutdown caused gasoline shortages and emergency declarations from Virginia to Florida, led two refineries to curb production, and had airlines reshuffling some refueling operations.
The pipeline’s restart should bring supplies to some hard-hit areas as soon as Thursday, said energy secretary Jennifer Granholm. She predicted gasoline shortages could end in a couple of days.
Updated
Vaccinated people seriously do not have to wear masks outside, Fauci says
Dr Anthony Fauci has offered a positive message to Americans wondering how many coronavirus-related precautions they can abandon now that they are fully vaccinated.
Speaking to CBS News this morning, the president’s chief medical adviser said Americans who are fully vaccinated can ditch their masks when they are outdoors, unless they are in extremely crowded settings for long periods of time.
Dr. Anthony Fauci confirms, "If you are vaccinated, you don't have to wear a mask outside." 😷 pic.twitter.com/Wcy3AsPnnP
— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) May 13, 2021
CBS anchor Gayle King noted that she is fully vaccinated, but she still wears her mask in New York because everyone else around her still wears them.
“We’ve got to make that transition,” Fauci said. “If you are vaccinated, you don’t have to wear a mask outside.”
The infectious disease expert added, “It would be a very unusual situation, if you were going into a completely crowded situation where people are essentially falling all over each other, then you wear a mask. But any other time, if you’re vaccinated and you’re outside, put aside your mask. You don’t have to wear it.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued similar guidance, but some Americans -- including many people in my city of Washington -- are still hesitant to abandon masks after more than a year of wearing them.
Perhaps Fauci’s words will encourage Americans to finally put them aside for their outdoor activities.
House Republicans are expected to hold an election tomorrow to determine who will replace Liz Cheney as conference chair.
Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, who emerged as one of Donald Trump’s fiercest defenders during his first impeachment inquiry, has already announced her candidacy, and she is considered the frontrunner in the race.
However, some conservatives have raised concerns about Stefanik’s voting record, noting that she was viewed as a moderate Republican when she first came to Congress in 2015.
Congressman Chip Roy, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, is reportedly considering a run against Stefanik, which he would have to announce today because of the timing of the vote.
Politico reported yesterday:
Roy sent a memo to every Republican office in the conference on Tuesday arguing that Stefanik should not be serving in leadership and ticking off a long list of issues with her voting record. He also had been pushing for a delay in the election to replace Cheney (R-Wyo.), which will take place later this week.
‘I don’t believe there should be a coronation,’ Roy told reporters on Wednesday. ‘I believe that if the leader wants us to be united, then he should take the time to do this the right way.’
Roy declined to say whether he was considering an official bid for the position, saying ‘let’s see what happens over the next 24 hours.’ But his spokesperson said in a statement that they’re not “’ruling anything out.’
Donald Trump’s hold on the Republican party is the “most important issue that we are facing right now as a country, and we’re facing a huge array of issues, so he must not ever again be anywhere close to the Oval Office”, Liz Cheney told the Today show.
“Right now I’m very focused on making sure that our party becomes again a party that stands for truth and stands for fundamental principles that are conservative and mostly stands for the constitution, and I won’t let a former president or anyone else unravel the democracy,” she told NBC’s Savannah Guthrie.
“For reasons I don’t understand leaders in my party have embraced the president who launched that attack,” Cheney said. “I think you’ve watched over the course of the last several months, the former president get more aggressive, more vocal, pushing the lie.”
She added: “This isn’t about looking backwards, this is about the real-time current potential damage that he’s doing, that he continues to do. It’s an ongoing threat, silence is not an option.”
Cheney said that Kevin McCarthy, the Republican House minority leader, is “not leading with principle right now”, calling his actions to push her out of her No. 3 position “sad and dangerous”.
Liz Cheney does not rule out running for president to stop Trump
Greetings from Washington, live blog readers.
Congresswoman Liz Cheney spoke to the Today show yesterday, shortly after House Republicans ousted her as conference chair because of her criticism of Donald Trump and his lies about widespread fraud in the presidential election.
The interview aired this morning, and in it, Cheney did not rule out the possibility of running for president to help stop Trump from returning to the White House.
JUST IN: “I'm going do everything that I can — both to make sure that that never happens, but also to make sure that the Republican party gets back to substance and policy.” -Rep. Liz Cheney on if she would run for president to keep former President Trump out of the Oval Office pic.twitter.com/s3fRBhdiBV
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) May 13, 2021
“He must not ever again be anywhere close to the Oval Office,” Cheney told Savannah Guthrie when asked if she’s considering a presidential run.
When Guthrie pressed her again on the question, Cheney said, “I’m going to do everything that I can — both to make sure that that never happens, but also to make sure that the Republican party gets back to substance and policy.”
If she were to launch a 2024 White House bid, Cheney would almost certainly not win because most of the Republican base remains very loyal to Trump. However, she might have enough sway as a third-party candidate to prevent Trump from winning.
If Cheney is willing to do “whatever it takes” to prevent Trump from getting a second term, as she told Guthrie, then a presidential campaign may not be the worst idea.
The blog will have more coming up, so stay tuned.
