Biden White House Aims To Advance Racial Equity With Executive Actions
Updated at 3:33 p.m. ET WASHINGTON – Saying it’s time to act “because that’s what faith and morality require us to do,” President Biden on Tuesday signed four executive actions aimed at advancing racial equity for Americans the White House says have been underserved and left behind. Biden said Tuesday that the measures follow one […]
Senate Confirms Antony Blinken As 71st Secretary of State
WASHINGTON — The Senate has confirmed President Joe Biden’s nominee to serve as secretary of state. Antony Blinken becomes the third Cabinet member to win approval as the Biden administration forges ahead with a foreign policy intended to reverse former President Donald Trump’s “America First” doctrine and restore U.S. global standing. The 58-year-old Blinken has […]
Biden Administration Announces Plans To Assess Domestic Violent Extremism
WASHINGTON – President Biden has asked the director of national intelligence to draw up a comprehensive threat assessment on domestic violent extremism in the country as the new administration seeks to tackle what it calls a “serious and growing national security threat.” The move is one of several the White House press secretary announced Friday to address […]
Lloyd Austin Confirmed As Defense Secretary, Becomes 1st Black Pentagon Chief
Updated 2:45 p.m. ET Lloyd Austin, a retired four-star Army general, has been confirmed by the Senate, making him the first Black defense secretary in U.S. history. The Senate approved President Biden’s nomination for Pentagon chief in a near-unanimous 93-2 vote Friday. “It’s an honor and a privilege to serve as our country’s 28th Secretary […]
Biden Focuses On COVID-19 Strategy With 10 Executive Actions
Updated at Thursday 3:36 p.m. ET WASHINGTON – President Biden signed a series of orders and directives on his second day in office to take charge of stopping the spread of the coronavirus — steps that he and his advisers say will start to boost testing, vaccinations, supplies and treatments. Accelerating the sluggish federal response to COVID-19 is Biden’s top […]
From The 21st: Illinoisans’ Hopes for the Biden Administration
WASHINGTON – Presidential inaugurations are by definition historic events. Joe Biden officially become the 46th president of the United States on January 20, 2021 just before noon Wednesday during a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol. The inauguration came two weeks after a violent mob of white nationalists brawled with police and smashed their way into the Capitol building, […]
‘It Was An Incredible Experience’: U of I Professor Tapped By Biden Administration To Transition USDA
URBANA – A University of Illinois professor helped the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) transition from the Trump to the new Biden-Harris administration. Jonathan Coppess is one of hundreds of people — including researchers, professors and scientists — who volunteered their time on the effort. Coppess, an assistant professor within the U of I’s agriculture […]
Senate Confirms Avril Haines As Director Of National Intelligence
WASHINGTON – The Senate has voted to confirm Avril Haines to be Director of National Intelligence, making her President Biden’s first Cabinet-level official to receive Senate confirmation. The vote was 84-10. Her confirmation comes after Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., briefly held up the process, asking for a written response from her about a question during her […]
Biden Moves To Have U.S. Rejoin Climate Accord
WASHINGTON – In one of his first acts in the Oval Office, President Joe Biden signed an executive order to have the United States rejoin the Paris climate agreement, the largest international effort to curb global warming. The U.S. officially withdrew from the accord to limit climate-warming greenhouse gas emissions late last year, after President Donald […]
Joe Biden Sworn In As Nation’s 46th President
WASHINGTON – Joe Biden has officially become the 46th president of the United States. Biden took the oath of office just before noon Wednesday during a ceremony at the U.S. Capitol. The presidential oath was administered by U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. Biden was sworn in using a Bible that has been in his […]
Minute By Minute Updates: America’s Change Of Power
WASHINGTON (AP) — Here are the latest details on Joe Biden’s presidential inauguration from the Associated Press (all times local): 7:15 p.m. White House press secretary Jen Psaki is delivering the first news briefing of Joe Biden’s presidency, a once standard part of past administrations that was largely sidelined during the Trump era. Psaki said Wednesday […]
Sen. Tammy Duckworth Asks Biden Administration To ‘Restore’ Renewable Fuel Standard
A group of senators is pushing the incoming Biden-Harris administration to “restore” the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) — a program aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions by requiring oil refineries to blend in a minimum volume of biofuels. Under the Trump administration, oil refineries were granted numerous waivers for meeting that requirement. Critics argue the […]
Photo Gallery: Biden Inauguration’s Field of Flags
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Capitol building is prepared for the inauguration ceremonies for President-elect Joe Biden as the “Field of Flags” are illuminated on the ground on the National Mall on Monday, Jan. 18, 2021. in Washington, DC. Approximately 191,500 flags will cover part of the National Mall and will represent the American people who […]
Biden To Propose 8-Year Citizenship Path For Immigrants
WASHINGTON — President-elect Joe Biden plans to unveil a sweeping immigration bill on Day One of his administration. It would provide an eight-year path to citizenship for an estimated 11 million people living in the U.S. without legal status, according to a person granted anonymity to discuss the legislation. It’s a massive reversal from the […]
Pritzker’s Daily COVID-19 Briefing Full Transcript And Audio — Jan. 15, 2021
Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Dr. Ngozi Ezike held a COVID-19 press briefing today as cases and hospitalizations in Illinois reach record highs. Read and listen to the latest update from the governor’s office on new cases, phased re-opening and closings of different regions and the state’s ongoing pandemic response. You can watch the most recent […]