US executive branch text over image of White HouseThis report provides a snapshot of the US Executive Branch priorities via daily schedules and the prior day’s press releases.

POTUS’ Schedule*

8:00 a.m. EST – The President receives the President’s Daily Brief | Oval Office

11:15 a.m. EST – The President delivers remarks at the virtual Munich Security Conference | East Room

12:15 p.m. EST – The President departs Joint Base Andrews en route Kalamazoo, Michigan

1:45 p.m. EST – The President arrives in Kalamazoo, Michigan | Kalamazoo Battle Creek International Airport, MI

2:25 p.m. EST – The President tours Pfizer manufacturing site and meets with workers who are producing the COVID-19 vaccine | Pfizer Kalamazoo Manufacturing Site, Kalamazoo, MI

3:10 p.m. EST – The President delivers remarks at Pfizer manufacturing site | Pfizer Kalamazoo Manufacturing Site, Kalamazoo, MI

3:50 p.m. EST – The President departs Kalamazoo, Michigan, en route Washington, DC

5:20 p.m. EST – The President at Joint Base Andrews

5:40 p.m. EST – The President arrives at the White House

VPOTUS’ Schedule*

The Vice President and Mr. Douglas Emhoff will travel to Los Angeles, California, where they will remain overnight through the weekend. There are no public events scheduled.

White House Press Briefing Schedule*

11:45 a.m. EST – Press Briefing by White House COVID-19 Response Team and public health officials | The White House

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki will gaggle aboard Air Force One en route Kalamazoo, MI

*The US President (POTUS) and Vice President’s (VPOTUS) daily schedules are subject to change, as is the White House press briefing schedule.

Recap of Thursday, February 18, 2021

Note: Bold hyperlinks spotlight COVID-19 and reopening developments.

The White House

  • Statement by President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. on Introduction of the S. Citizenship Act of 2021
  • Readout of President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Call with Governor Greg Abbott of Texas
  • Transcript: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki and Homeland Security Advisor Liz Sherwood-Randall, February 18, 2021 (re:  situation in Texas; Q&A covered other topics)
  • Fact Sheet: President Biden to Take Action on Global Health through Support of COVAX and Calling for Health Security Financing
  • Readout of National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s Call with Chancellor Sebastian Kurz of Austria
  • Readout of National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s Call with Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan of Singapore
  • Readout of the White House’s Meeting with Young Community Violence Prevention Advocates
  • Disaster Declaration: President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Louisiana Emergency Declaration
  • Disaster Declaration: President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves Oklahoma Emergency Declaration

Department of Defense (DOD)

  • Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III’s Call With Saudi Minister of Defense His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman
  • Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III’s Remarks at Day Two of the NATO Defense Ministerial
  • Article: NATO Defense Leaders Agree to Increase Iraqi Mission, Defer Decision on Afghanistan
  • Contracts for February 18, 2021

Department of State

  • Daily Schedule | Friday, February 19
  • February 19: Statement | The United States Officially Rejoins the Paris Agreement
  • February 18: Statement | Public Health and the Draw Down of the Migrant Protection Protocols Program
  • February 18: Transcript | Briefing with Senior State Department Officials on Diplomacy to Constrain Iran’s Nuclear Program

US Agency for International Development (USAID)

  • Press Release: Afghan Agricultural Exporters Prepare for World’s Largest Trade Show

US Mission to the United Nations (UN)

  • Remarks at a UN Security Council Briefing on the Situation in Yemen (via VTC)

Department of the Treasury

  • Press Release: Settlement Agreement between the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control and BitPay, Inc.

Department of Justice

  • Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) | Daily Press Releases
  • Press Release: Political Donor Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Lobbying and Campaign Contribution Crimes, Tax Evasion, and Obstruction of Justice
  • Press Release: Vessel Operator and Engineers Sentenced for Oil Waste Discharge Offenses
  • Press Release: Justice Department Settles Sex Discrimination Lawsuit Alleging Disparate Treatment Against Female Correctional Officers by the Michigan Department of Corrections

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)/Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

  • Press Release: CISA Releases New Global Strategy for International Engagement
  • Press Release: CBP Makes 2 Apprehensions Through Facial Biometrics at Canada Preclearance locations (Canada)
  • Press Release: CBP Announces New Facial Biometric Comparison Technology at Calexico (California)
  • Press Release: Agents intercept vehicle containing several illegal aliens (Arizona)
  • Press Release: Brownsville CBP Officers Seize $743K Worth of Narcotics in Two Seizures (Texas)
  • Press Release: Laredo Sector Border Patrol Agents Stop Multiple Narcotics Smuggling Attempts (Texas)
  • Press Release: CBP Officers Disrupt a Smuggling Attempt of Over $254K in Unreported Currency at Eagle Pass Port of Entry (Texas)
  • Press Release: 108,000 Counterfeit 3M Surgical Masks Stopped by Cincinnati CBP (Ohio)
  • Press Release: 1,569 Counterfeit Items Worth Over $800K Snatched by CBP Louisville (Kentucky)
  • Press Release: Virgin Islands CBP Apprehends Wanted Man from Kentucky (U.S. Virgin Islands)

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

  • Advisory: Opening of FEMA-Supported Vaccination Center in Dover Delayed Due to Weather (Delaware)
  • Press Release: FEMA Allocates $45 Million for Police Facilities (Puerto Rico)

Department of Commerce

  • Blog: Spotlight on Commerce | Llauryn D. Iglehart, Director, Decennial Investigations and Adjudication Office of Civil Rights
  • Blog: Spotlight on Commerce | Shareen Bundy, Program and Management Analyst, Office of General Counsel, Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP)

Department of Agriculture (USDA)

  • Press Release: COVID-19 Update | USDA, FDA Underscore Current Epidemiologic and Scientific Information Indicating No Transmission of COVID-19 Through Food or Food Packaging

Department of Energy (DOE)

  • Press Release: DOE Announces Teams to Compete in the 2022 Collegiate Wind Competition

Department of Labor

  • Press Release: Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report
  • Press Release: US Labor Department finds Guam construction contractor illegally attempted to avoid paying overtime by misclassifying workers as independent contractors
  • Press Release: Myrtle Beach Ben & Jerry’s franchisee to pay $21,360 in back wages, fines after US Department of Labor investigation finds wage, child labor violations
  • Press Release: Twin Cities area grocer will pay $212K in overtime back wages to 81 workers after US Department of Labor investigation

Health & Human Services (HHS)

  • Press Release: HHS Acting Secretary Norris Cochran Declares Public Health Emergency for State of Texas Due to Winter Storms

Food & Drug Administration (FDA)

  • Press Release: USDA, FDA Underscore Current Epidemiologic and Scientific Information Indicating No Transmission of COVID-19 Through Food or Food Packaging

US Government (USG) COVID-19 Webpages

Non-USG COVID Webpages

Johns Hopkins University & Medicine