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*

8:15 a.m. EDT – The President departs the White House en route Joint Base Andrews

8:35 a.m. EDT – The President departs Joint Base Andrews en route North Kingstown, Rhode Island

9:00 a.m. EDT – The President receives the President’s Daily Brief

9:40 a.m. EDT – The President arrives in North Kingstown, Rhode Island | Quonset Point Air National Guard

10:30 a.m. EDT – The President departs North Kingstown, Rhode Island, en route New London, Connecticut

10:45 a.m. EDT – The President arrives at the United States Coast Guard Academy

11:00 a.m. EDT – The President participates in the United States Coast Guard Academy’s Commencement Exercises and delivers the keynote address

2:05 p.m. EDT – The President departs the New London en route North Kingstown, Rhode Island

2:55 p.m. EDT – The President departs North Kingstown, Rhode Island, en route Joint Base Andrews

4:15 p.m. EDT – The President arrives at Joint Base Andrews

4:35 p.m. EDT – The President returns to the White House

Looking ahead, the President will welcome His Excellency Moon Jae-in, President of the Republic of Korea, to the White House on Friday, May 21.  Also, on Thursday, May 20, The First Lady and Dr. Anthony Fauci will visit the vaccination clinic at Children’s National Hospital in Washington D.C.

VPOTUS’ Schedule*

4:15 p.m. EDT – the Vice President will meet virtually with Guatemalan justice sector leaders | Vice President’s Ceremonial Office

6:00 p.m. EDT – the Vice President will deliver remarks at the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Unity Summit | South Court Auditorium

White House Press Briefing Schedule*

9:05 a.m. EDT – Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre will gaggle aboard Air Force One en route North Kingstown, Rhode Island

*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 Tuesday, May 18, 2021

Note: Bold hyperlinks spotlight COVID-19, the American Jobs Plan and reopening developments.

The White House

  • Remarks by President Biden on a Future Made in America
  • Readout of Jake Sullivan’s Bilateral Meeting with UK National Security Advisor Stephen Lovegrove
  • Memorandum on Restoring the Department of Justice’s Access-to-Justice Function and Reinvigorating the White House Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable
  • Transcript: Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Jen Psaki Aboard Air Force One En Route Detroit, MI
  • Transcript: Press Briefing by White House COVID-19 Response Team and Public Health Officials
  • Proclamation on National Hepatitis Testing Day, 2021

Department of Defense (DOD)

  • Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III’s Phone Call With Israeli Minister of Defense Benjamin “Benny” Gantz
  • Readout of Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Dr. Colin Kahl’s Call With Canadian Deputy Minister of National Defence Jody Thomas
  • Article: Military Committee Enthusiastically Welcomes NATO 2030 Proposals
  • Article: General Says U.S.-South Korea Alliance Is Ironclad
  • Article: Afghanistan Retrograde Continues, Vaccine Mission Winding Down
  • Press Release: DOD Awards $56 Million Contract to Rhino Health, Inc. to Increase Domestic Production Capacity of Nitrile Gloves
  • Contracts for May 18, 2021

Department of State

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is on travel to Iceland and Greenland from May 19-20.

  • Daily Schedule | Wednesday, May 19
  • May 18: Readout | Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Icelandic President Johannesson
  • May 18: Readout | Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Icelandic Prime Minister Jakobsdottir
  • May 18: Remarks | Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Iceland Foreign Minister Gudlaugur Thor Thordarson Before Their Meeting
  • May 18: Remarks | Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Icelandic Foreign Minister Gudlaugur Thor Thordarson at a Joint Press Availability
  • May 18: Readout | Secretary Blinken’s Call with Moroccan Foreign Minister Bourita
  • May 18: Statement | Rewards for Justice – Reward Offer for Information on Kidnapping of Cydney Mizell
  • May 18: Readout | Secretary Blinken’s Call with German Foreign Minister Maas
  • May 18: Readout | Secretary Blinken’s Call with Bahraini Foreign Minister Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid al-Zayani
  • May 18: Statement | Turkish President Erdogan’s Anti-Semitic Remarks
  • May 18: Remarks | Secretary Antony J. Blinken to Embassy Iceland Staff and Families
  • May 18: Statement | U.S. Citizenship Transmission and Assisted Reproductive Technology
  • May 18: Statement | The United States Announces New Assistance to Respond to the Rohingya Humanitarian Crisis
  • May 18: Advisory | Acting Assistant Secretary of State Joey Hood and Special Envoy Richard Norland Visit to Libya

US Agency for International Development (USAID)

  • Press Release: U.S. Airlifts Relief Supplies to Help the People of Palau Affected by Typhoon Surigae
  • Press Release: United States Announces Nearly $155 Million in New Funding for the Burma and Bangladesh Regional Crisis

US Mission to the United Nations (UN)

  • Remarks by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield at a Virtual Briefing Hosted by the U.S. Department of State’s Africa Regional Media Hub
  • Remarks by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield at a UN Security Council Briefing on the G5 Sahel Joint Force
  • Remarks at the Closing Session of the Committee on Information

Department of the Treasury

  • Remarks by Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen on A Better Deal for Americans to The U.S. Chamber of Commerce
  • Readout: Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen’s Meeting with the American Bankers Association Board of Directors
  • Readout: Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo’s Meeting with Racial Equity Experts and Civil Rights Organizations on Biden Administration Tax Policies
  • Advisory: Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen to Chair Meeting of the Financial Literacy and Education Commission (May 26)
  • Press Release: Report Pursuant to Section 5(b) of the Hong Kong Autonomy Act
  • General Licenses: Issuance of Communist Chinese Military Companies General License 1B

Department of Justice

  • Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) | Daily Press Releases
  • Press Release: Attorney General Launches Review to Reinvigorate the Justice Department’s Commitment to Access to Justice
  • Press Release: Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIS and Attempting to Commit an Attack at a Toledo-Area Synagogue
  • Press Release: Hawaii Couple Indicted in Tax Fraud Scheme

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/ Customs and Border Protection (CBP)/U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services (USCIS)

  • Press Release: DHS mejora el proceso de excepciones humanitarias bajo el Título 42

[Note:  No English version provided.  Rough translation:  DHS improves the humanitarian waiver process under Title 42]

  • Press Release: Stolen Vehicle Recovered with Hidden Narcotics at Checkpoint (California)
  • Press Release: Wanted Homicide Suspect Arrested in Smuggling Event (California)
  • Press Release: CBP Officers Seize More Than a Ton of Methamphetamine in Medical Supply Shipment (California)
  • Press Release: CBP Field Operations at Mid-Valley International Bridges Nab Men Wanted on Sexual Assault Charges (Texas)
  • Press Release: Border Patrol Discovers 162 Migrants in Stash Houses in the Rio Grande Valley (Texas)
  • Press Release: Rio Grande Valley Border Patrol Agents Arrest Three Gang Members (Texas)
  • Press Release: $685K of Counterfeit Currency Seized by Chicago CBP (Illinois)
  • Press Release: Florida Marine Agents Collaborate with U.S. Marshals to Arrest Fugitive (Florida)
  • Press Release: DHS Issues Final Rule to Remove Vacated H-1B Rule from Code of Federal Regulations [USCIS]

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

  • Press Release: FEMA Awards Indian River County $2.33 Million for Hurricane Dorian Beach Renourishment (Florida)
  • Press Release: FEMA Awards $2.67 Million for Hurricane Irma Recovery in Florida
  • Press Release: FEMA and VDH Partner with Virginia Beach Public Schools and Portsmouth Public Schools to Expand Access to Vaccines for 12+ (Virginia)
  • Press Release: More Than $41 Million Grant Provided to Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency for COVID-19 Response
  • Press Release: FEMA approves $36.3 million in Hurricane Michael Public Assistance grants (Florida)
  • Press Release: FEMA Reimburses Bridgeport Hospital $8 Million for Emergency COVID-19 Work (Connecticut)
  • Press Release: COVID-19 vaccine now widely available; Community Vaccination Centers to close soon (Florida)
  • Press Release: Vermont’s Emergency Feeding Program Receives Grant for More Than $1.9 Million
  • Press Release: FEMA, State approve $6.6 million for Orange Beach debris removal after Hurricane Sally (Alabama)
  • Press Release: COVID-19 vaccine now widely available; Community Vaccination Center to close soon (North Carolina)

Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR)

  • Remarks of Ambassador Katherine Tai Opening the First USMCA Free Trade Commission

Department of Commerce

  • Press Release: U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo to host virtual SelectUSA Investment Summit: June 7-11
  • Blog: Spotlight on Commerce | Thomas Choi, International Program Specialist, Commercial Law Development Program (CLDP)

US International Trade Commission (USITC)

  • Press Release: USITC Makes Determinations in Five-Year (Sunset) Reviews Concerning Steel Nails from Korea, Malaysia, Oman, Taiwan, and Vietnam

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

  • Press Release: FCC Demands Two Companies Cease-and-Desist Illegal Robocall Campaigns

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

  • Press Release: EPA Announces the Selection of Three Municipalities in Puerto Rico to Receive $900,000 for Brownfields Cleanup and Assessment
  • Link:  Other Daily EPA Press Releases

Department of Labor

  • Press Release: U.S. Department of Labor recovers more than $150K in wages after investigation finds federal contractor failed to pay employees properly
  • Press Release: OSHA finds three California contractors failed to conduct inspections, identify hazards in investigation of fatal incident at Agua Caliente Casino

Department of Education

  • Press Release: Washington State’s Melito Ramirez Named America’s First ‘Recognizing Inspiring School Employees (RISE)’ Awardee

Health & Human Services (HHS)

  • Press Release: HHS Announces $3 Billion in American Rescue Plan Funding for SAMHSA Block Grants to Address Addiction, Mental Health Crisis

Food & Drug Administration (FDA)

  • Press Release: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update | May 18, 2021
  • Press Release: Science Forum Highlights Regulatory Science Advancements in Protecting and Promoting Public Health

US Government (USG) COVID-19 Webpages

Non-USG COVID Webpages

Johns Hopkins University & Medicine