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*

9:00 a.m. EDT – THE PRESIDENT receives the President’s Daily Brief | Oval Office

12:35 p.m. EDT – THE PRESIDENT welcomes H.E. Moon Jae-in, President of the Republic of Korea, to the White House | East Room

2:15 p.m. EDT – THE PRESIDENT participates in a bilateral meeting with H.E. Moon Jae-in, President of the Republic of Korea | Oval Office

3:15 p.m. EDT – THE PRESIDENT participates in an expanded bilateral meeting with H.E. Moon Jae-in, President of the Republic of Korea | State Dining Room

5:00 p.m. EDT – THE PRESIDENT participates in a press conference with H.E. Moon Jae-in, President of the Republic of Korea | East Room

VPOTUS’ Schedule*

10:00 a.m. EDT – the Vice President will host H.E. Moon Jae-in, President of the Republic of Korea, for a bilateral meeting in the Vice President’s Ceremonial Office

1:00 p.m. EDT – the President will award the Medal of Honor to Army Colonel Ralph Puckett for conspicuous gallantry during the Korean War in the East Room.  H.E. Moon Jae-in, President of the Republic of Korea, the Vice President, the First Lady, and the Second Gentleman will also attend

White House Press Briefing Schedule*

11:00 a.m. EDT – Press Briefing by White House COVID-19 Response Team and public health officials | James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

12:00 p.m. EDT – Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki | James S. Brady Press Briefing Room

*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, May 20, 2021

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

The White House

  • Remarks by President Biden on the Middle East
  • Readout of President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Call with President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi of Egypt
  • Executive Order on Climate-Related Financial Risk
  • Fact Sheet: President Biden Directs Agencies to Analyze and Mitigate the Risk Climate Change Poses to Homeowners and Consumers, Businesses and Workers, and the Financial System and Federal Government Itself
  • Remarks by President Biden at Signing of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act
  • Bill Signed into Law:
    • 937, COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act
  • Readout of White House Meeting with Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Leaders
  • Transcript: Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, May 20, 2021
  • Statement by Press Secretary Jen Psaki on the Presidential Delegation to Ecuador to Attend the Inauguration of His Excellency Guillermo Lasso
  • Nomination Sent to the Senate

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 Virtual Meeting with France, Germany, and the UK
  • Article: DOD Official Discusses ‘Moral Obligation’ to Help Those in Afghanistan Who Helped U.S.
  • Article: Future of Warfare, Strategy Will Dictate Special Ops Action
  • Article: Energy, Water Resilience on Installations Critical to Operational Security
  • Transcript: Department of Defense Leaders Update Reporters on DOD COVID-19 Efforts
  • Press Release: DOD Memorandum – Methods to Enable and Encourage Vaccination Against Coronavirus Disease 2019
  • Publication: Memorandum on Methods to Enable and Encourage Vaccination Against COVID-19
  • Article: DOD Seeing Encouraging COVID-19 Vaccination Rates, Health Leaders Say
  • Contracts for May 20, 2021

Department of State

  • Daily Schedule | Friday, May 21
  • May 20: Readout | Secretary Blinken’s Calls with Israeli Foreign Minister Ashkenazi
  • May 20: Readout | Secretary Blinken’s Meeting with Greenlandic Premier Egede
  • May 20: Remarks | Secretary Antony J. Blinken, Greenlandic Premier Mute Egede, Greenlandic Foreign Minister Pele Broberg, And Danish Foreign Minister Jeppe Kofod At a Joint Press Availability
  • May 20: Remarks | Secretary Antony J. Blinken Intervention at Arctic Council Ministerial
  • May 20: Statement | Release of the 2021 Arctic Council Joint Declaration and Strategic Plan in Reykjavik, Iceland
  • May 20: Sanctions | The United States Designates Houthi Militants
  • May 20: Advisory | Department of State Participation in Taiwan-hosted Event on Open Government and Anti-Corruption
  • May 20: Statement | Secretary’s Message to the Cuban People
  • May 20: Statement | Cameroon National Day

US Agency for International Development (USAID)

  • Press Release: USAID Airlifts Urgent Health Supplies to Combat Deadly COVID-19 Surge in Nepal

US Mission to the United Nations (UN)

  • Remarks by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield at the UN General Assembly Stakeout Following the Announcement of a Ceasefire
  • Remarks by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield at a UN General Assembly Meeting on the Situation in the Middle East
  • Remarks at a UN Security Council Briefing on Sudan

Department of the Treasury

  • Press Release: Treasury Distributes $6.1 billion to Assist Renters and Landlords Through Emergency Rental Assistance Program | May 21, 2021
  • Remarks by Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen on the Executive Order on Climate-Related Financial Risks | May 20, 2021
  • Readout: Deputy Secretary Adeyemo Meets with Los Angeles Tenants and Landlords
  • Readout: S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Tax Policy Meetings
  • Press Release: Treasury Releases Report on the American Families Plan’s Tax Compliance Agenda
  • Sanctions: Treasury Sanctions Senior Houthi Military Official Overseeing Group’s Offensive Operations

Department of Justice

  • Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) | Daily Press Releases
  • Statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act
  • Readout of Attorney General Merrick B. Garland’s Call with the United Kingdom’s Home Secretary Priti Patel
  • Press Release: Former Managing Director and Two Former Loan Officers Plead Guilty for Roles in Widespread Bank-Fraud Scheme
  • Press Release: U.S. Government Seizes 68 Protected Big Cats and a Jaguar from Jeffrey and Lauren Lowe
  • Press Release: North Carolina Man Sentenced to 78 Months for Money Laundering and Filing False Tax Return in Tobacco Smuggling Scheme
  • Press Release: Owner of Montana Construction Company Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Employment Tax Fraud
  • Press Release: Owner of a Tanker Truck Repair Company Pleads Guilty to Lying to OSHA During Explosion Investigation
  • Press Release: Broiler Chicken Producer Indicted for Price Fixing and Bid Rigging

Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/ Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

  • Press Release: ICE to Close Two Detention Centers
  • Press Release: Three Human Smuggling Attempts Yield 56 Migrant Arrests in the RGV (Texas)
  • Press Release: RGV Border Patrol Agents Find Marijuana in Tunnel (Texas)
  • Press Release: Fugitive Migrant Arrested at the Border in Rio Grande Valley (Texas)
  • Press Release: CBP Officers Seize Mixed Narcotics Worth Over $224K at Del Rio Port of Entry (Texas)
  • Press Release: Phone Scam Alert – Callers Impersonating CBP Officers/Agents (Florida)
  • Press Release: CBP and NIKE, Inc. partner to prevent counterfeit shipments from entering the United States (Washington, D.C.)
  • Press Release: CBP announces additional partnerships for new and expanded services (Washington, D.C.)

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

  • Press Release: FEMA Urges Hawaii Residents to Prepare for Hurricane Season
  • Press Release: FEMA Provides an Additional $13.3 Million to Utah for COVID-19 Response
  • Press Release: FEMA Provides $4.7 Million to the Minnesota Department of Health
  • Press Release: FEMA Provides $16.3 Million to Michigan for COVID-19 Response
  • Press Release: FEMA Provides $4 Million to Northwood University
  • Press Release: Renters Affected by March 25-26 Severe Storms and Tornadoes May Apply for Disaster Assistance (Alabama)

Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR)

  • Press Release: Ambassador Katherine Tai Applauds Enactment of the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act

Department of Commerce

  • Statement from U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina M. Raimondo Following Meetings with Semiconductor Industry Leaders
  • Press Release: NOAA Predicts Another Active Atlantic Hurricane Season

US International Trade Commission (USITC)

  • Press Release: USITC Institutes Section 337 Investigation of Certain Wearable Electronic Devices with ECG Functionality and Components Thereof

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

  • Press Release: FTC Challenges Merger of Two Pennsylvania Cement Producers, Alleging It would Harm Regional Competition
  • Statement of FTC Acting Bureau of Competition Director Maribeth Petrizzi on Bureau’s Motion to Dismiss Request for Preliminary Relief in Illumina/GRAIL Case

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

  • Press Release: Over One Million Households Enroll for Emergency Broadband Benefit
  • Press Release: FCC Issues Fines for Misuse of Radio Location Spectrum
  • Press Release: Rosenworcel Announces Changes to Auctions Team Leadership
  • Press Release: FCC Relieves Certain Affiliates from Mixed-Support Merger Condition
  • Press Release: FCC Proposes New STIR/SHAKEN Date for Possible Robocall Facilitators
  • Press Release: FCC Lowers Interstate and International Prison Phone Rates

US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC)

  • Press Release: DFC and FMO Launch $75 Million Co-Financing Facility to Boost COVID-19 Response in Developing Countries

US Export-Import Bank (EXIM)

  • Readout: EXIM’s Chairman’s Council on China Competition Meets to Discuss Implementation of Program on China and Transformational Exports

Department of Agriculture (USDA)

  • Press Release: USDA Announces Assistance for Coastal Communities; Priority for National Scenic Areas Hit by Wildfire
  • Press Release: USDA Releases 90-Day Progress Report on Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

  • Press Release: EPA and Partners Make Progress on the National Radon Action Plan, Saving Nearly 2,000 Lives Yearly from Radon-Induced Lung Cancer
  • Link:  Other Daily EPA Press Releases

Department of Transportation

  • Press Release: U.S. Department of Transportation Issues New Guidance for Transit-Oriented Development Projects Seeking Loans Through the Build America Bureau | May 21, 2021

Department of Labor

  • Press Release: Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report
  • Press Release: U.S. Department announces OSHA rule proposal to clarify handrail, stair rail system requirements in general industry Walking-Working Surfaces standard
  • Press Release: U.S. Department of Labor cites Columbus chemical company for exposing workers to host of safety hazards at manufacturing facility
  • Press Release: U.S. Department of Labor to host webinar for teens, parents, employers, educators on how federal, state laws protect Pennsylvania’s teen workers
  • Press Release: OSHA’s strategic partnership with Holder Construction, Georgia Tech results in improved workplace safety conditions and increased involvement from workers with their safety

Health & Human Services (HHS)

  • Press Release: HHS Announces $14.2 Million from American Rescue Plan to Expand Pediatric Mental Health Care Access

Food & Drug Administration (FDA)

  • Press Release: FDA Solicits Public Feedback on Discussion Paper as Part of its Ongoing Commitment to Patient Safety
  • Press Release: FDA Alerts Patients and Health Care Providers About Possible Problems with Mammograms Performed at Capitol Radiology LLC

US Government (USG) COVID-19 Webpages

Non-USG COVID Webpages

Johns Hopkins University & Medicine