Monday, April 5

á           The Supreme Court dismissed as moot a suit and a federal appeals court ruling that former President Donald Trump violated the First Amendment when he blocked critics from following his Twitter account. The ruling was based on the fact that Trump is no longer president

á           Head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have been on the rise in the country for the fourth week in a row, but the number of deaths has been decreasing.

á           State Department spokesman Ned Price said the United States expects indirect talks with Iran regarding resuming the 2015 nuclear deal to be difficult and said he did not foresee any breakthroughs anytime soon.

á           Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen made the case for a global minimum corporate tax rate to help ensure companies pay their fair share and to prevent companies from fleeing to countries with lower corporate tax rates.

á           An attorney for the National Labor Relations Board notified two fired Amazon workers that it will pursue unfair labor practices claims against the company unless it settles the case with the women, who claim they were fired for speaking out against the company.

á           The State Department requested that Russia explain recent ÒprovocationsÓ on the Ukrainian border, after reported increases in Russian troops in the area and movements that drew international concern the week prior.

Tuesday, April 6

á           President Joe Biden announced all U.S. adults will be eligible for the vaccine by April 19, about two weeks sooner than previously announced.

á           An Amnesty International report on global human rights found that the Trump administration and its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated pre-existing concerns on human rights in the country in 2020, including unlawful killings of citizens, the deterioration of LGBTQ rights and the right to peaceful assembly.

Wednesday, April 7

á           Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the U.S. will provide $150 million in humanitarian assistance to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, which Trump cut off U.S. funding to in 2018. The agency provides aid and other services like healthcare and education to about 5.7 million Palestinian refugees in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip, as well as Lebanon and Jordan.

á           Biden called on congressional Republicans to open bipartisan negotiations on his proposed $2 trillion infrastructure plan. ÒItÕs not a plan that tinkers around the edges,Ó Biden said. ÒItÕs a once in a generation investment in America.Ó

á           The U.S. warned China against naval and aerial activities in and over the South China Sea perceived as aggressive by the governments of the Philippines and Taiwan, saying that arguments with those two countries would require U.S. action in response.

Thursday, April 8

á           Biden introduced a series of executive actions to address gun violence in the U.S. in his first major action on gun control as president. This included a rule closing a loophole in the proliferation of Òghost guns,Ó or kits that allow a gun to be assembled from pieces, and a model Òred flagÓ legislation published by the Justice Department to allow police officers and family members to petition a court to temporarily remove firearms from people deemed unsafe. He also announced he would nominate gun control advocate and former federal agent David Chipman to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

á           Customs and Border Protection released records showing over 172,000 migrants were captured along the U.S.Õs southern border in March, with nearly 570,000 apprehended during the first three months of the year altogether, already more than 2020Õs final total of about 458,000.

á           The National Intelligence Council released a report, a version of which is compiled every four years, about the potential fragmentation of global society, saying that the coronavirus pandemic has highlighted weaknesses in international organization and that efforts to contain the virus have Òreinforced nationalist trends globally, as some states turned inward to protect their citizens and sometimes cast blame on marginalized groups.Ó

Friday, April 9

á           Biden ordered the creation of a bipartisan commission on Supreme Court reform to consider the Òmerits and legalityÓ of high court reform proposals like whether to expand its number of justices on the bench, which has skewed conservative following TrumpÕs three appointments.

á           A report from the nonprofit humanitarian group the International Rescue Committee revealed the Biden administration is on track to accept the fewest refugees this year of any year for a modern president despite BidenÕs promises to reverse Trump-era immigration policies. At its current pace, the Biden administration will admit about 4,510 refugees this fiscal year, fewer than half the number Trump allowed in 2020.

á           The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee introduced new legislation called the Strategic Competition Act of 2021 that mandates diplomatic and strategic initiatives to counteract ChinaÕs growing global influence.

á           The House Committee on Ethics opened an investigation into allegations that Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) engaged in sexual misconduct with a teenage girl, violated rules against accepting gifts and engaged in illicit drug use.

á           BidenÕs southern border coordinator Roberta Jacobson announced she will leave her position at the end of April. Jacobson was expected to leave within 100 days of Biden taking office.

Saturday, April 10

á           The State Department updated it guidance to ÒliberalizeÓ and loosen restrictions for Taiwanese officials to meet with their U.S. counterparts, which spokesperson Ned Price said Òunderscores TaiwanÓ as Òa vibrant democracy and an important security and economic partner that is also a force for good in the international community.Ó The move defies pressure from China, which would prefer to be the channel through which the U.S. deals with Taiwan.

Sunday, April 11

á           Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin arrived in Israel on the Biden administrationÕs first senior representative visit to the country. Austin said the U.S.Õs alliance with Israel is central to regional security and Òenduring and ironclad.Ó