This report provides a snapshot of the US Executive Branch priorities via daily schedules and the prior day's press releases.

POTUS' Schedule*

9:30 a.m. EDT – The President receives the President's Daily Brief | Oval Office

2:00 p.m. EDT – The President signs the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act into law; The President and The Vice President deliver remarks | East Room

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.

VPOTUS' Schedule*

2:00 p.m. EDT – the Vice President will join the President when he signs the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act into law | East Room

White House Press Briefing Schedule*

12:30 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 Wednesday, May 19, 2021

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

The White House

  • Transcript: Background Press Call by A Senior Administration Official on the Official Working Visit of the Republic of Korea | May 20, 2021
  • Readout of President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel
  • Remarks by President Biden at United States Coast Guard Academy's 140th Commencement Exercises
  • Remarks by Vice President Harris Before Meeting with Guatemalan Justice Sector Leaders
  • Readout of Jake Sullivan's Bilateral Meeting with UK National Security Advisor Stephen Lovegrove
  • Memorandum for the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the Secretary of Energy on the Presidential Determination Pursuant to Section 1245(d)(4)(B) and (C) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012
  • Press Release: President Biden Announces Presidential Delegation to the Republic of Ecuador to Attend the Inauguration of His Excellency Guillermo Lasso Mendoza
  • Nominations: President Biden Announces his Intent to Nominate Jennifer Homendy for Chair of the National Transportation Safety Board
  • Press Release: President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. to Award the Medal of Honor
  • Transcript: Press Gaggle by Principal Deputy Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre

Department of Defense (DOD)

  • Readout of Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III's Phone Call With Israeli Minister of Defense Benjamin "Benny" Gantz
  • Article: Austin Urges Israeli Counterpart to De-escalate Conflict With Hamas
  • Article: President Speaks at U.S. Coast Guard Academy Graduation
  • Article: Air Force Can Retire KC-135, Transcom Commander Says
  • Article: Rapid Acquisition Benefits Special Operations, DOD Official Says
  • Publication: COVID-19 Travel Restrictions Installation Status Update, May 19, 2021
  • Contracts for May 19, 2021

Department of State

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is on travel to Greenland.

  • Daily Schedule | Thursday, May 20
  • May 19: Readout | Secretary Blinken's Call with Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi
  • May 19: Readout | Secretary Blinken's Meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov
  • May 19: Remarks | Secretary Antony J. Blinken And Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov Before Their Meeting
  • May 19: Statement | Nord Stream 2 and European Energy Security
  • May 19: Readout | Secretary Blinken's Meeting with U.S.-based Permanent Participants in the Arctic Council
  • May 19: Fact Sheet | Reinforcing the U.S. Commitment to the Arctic at the Arctic Council Ministerial May 19-20, 2021
  • May 19: Readout | Secretary Blinken's Meeting with Sweden's Minister for Foreign Affairs Linde
  • May 19: Remarks | Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Swedish Foreign Minister Ann Linde Before Their Meeting
  • May 19: Readout | Secretary Blinken's Meeting with Norway's Minister for Foreign Affairs Søreide
  • May 19: Remarks | Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Marie Eriksen Soreide Before Their Meeting
  • May 19: Readout | Secretary Blinken's Meeting with Finnish Foreign Minister Haavisto
  • May 19: Remarks | Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Finnish Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto Before Their Meeting
  • May 19: Readout | Secretary Blinken's Meeting with Canadian Foreign Minister Garneau
  • May 19: Remarks | Secretary Antony J. Blinken and Canadian Foreign Minister Marc Garneau Before Their Meeting
  • May 19: Sanctions | Public Designation of Albanian Sali Berisha Due to Involvement in Significant Corruption
  • May 19: Interview | Secretary Antony J. Blinken With Birta Bjornsdottir of Rikisutvarpio
  • May 19: Statement | Timor-Leste National Day
  • May 19: Transcript | Briefing with Senior State Department Official to Traveling Press
  • May 19: Transcript | Department Press Briefing

US Agency for International Development (USAID)

  • Press Release: Administrator Samantha Power's Meetings On Climate Change
  • Press Release: Administrator Power's Meeting With UN Under Secretary-General And Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock

US Mission to the United Nations (UN)

  • Remarks at a UN Security Council Open Debate on Addressing Root Causes of Conflict While Promoting Post-Pandemic Recovery in Africa
  • Remarks at the ECOSOC Operational Activities Segment Dialogue with Secretary-General Guterres
  • Remarks at the ECOSOC Operational Activities Segment Dialogue with Deputy Secretary-General Mohammed

Department of the Treasury

  • Press Release: In First 11 Days, Treasury Distributes $105.3 Billion through Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds
  • Guidance: Issuance of amended Terrorism List Governments Sanctions Regulations

Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC)

  • Press Release: SEC Charges Healthcare Company and Its Founder with Multimillion Dollar Fraud
  • Press Release: SEC Awards More Than $28 Million to Whistleblower Who Aided SEC and Other Agency Actions

Department of Justice

  • Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) | Daily Press Releases
  • Readout of Attorney General Merrick B. Garland's Call with Bill Blair, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness of Canada
  • Press Release: Owner of Wedding Planning Company Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Relief Fraud
  • Press Release: Supplement Retailers Plead Guilty in Cases Involving Distribution of Designer Steroids as Dietary Supplements
  • Press Release: Former Georgia Supervisory Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Offenses for Assaulting Inmates
  • Press Release: Four Ohio Individuals Charged with Gambling and Tax Offenses

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

  • Press Release: CISA and Local Partners Conduct Tabletop Exercise in Preparation for the U.S. Olympic Team Track and Field Trials
  • Press Release: CBP Officers at Pharr International Bridge Arrest Local Woman with $1.5 Million in Heroin (Texas)
  • Press Release: RGV Border Patrol Agents Seize Over 900 Pounds of Abandoned Marijuana (Texas)
  • Press Release: Two Large Groups of Migrants Enter Near Hidalgo (Texas)
  • Press Release: Brownsville CBP Officers Seize $156K Worth of Cocaine in Two Seizures (Texas)
  • Press Release: $1.3M in Designer Face Masks Seized by CBP in Indianapolis (Indiana)

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

  • Press Release: FEMA approves $1.3 million for Gulf Breeze Hurricane Sally debris removal (Florida)
  • Press Release: Town of Oak Island Awarded $1.3 Million for Debris Removal After Hurricane Isaías (North Carolina)
  • Press Release: Department of Housing and Community Development Receives Nearly $7 Million FEMA Grant (Massachusetts)

Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR)

  • Readout of Ambassador Tai's Virtual Meeting With The President of Switzerland Guy Parmelin
  • Readout of Ambassador Katherine Tai's Call with Japan Foreign Minister Motegi

Department of Commerce

  • Blog: CALL FOR | 2021 Sustainability, Energy, and Environmental Ambassador Nominations
  • Blog: Spotlight on Commerce | Ava Jamerson, International Trade Specialist, International Trade Administration

US International Trade Commission (USITC)

  • Press Release: USITC Makes Determinations in Five-Year (Sunset) Reviews Concerning Carbazole Violet Pigment 23 from China and India
  • Press Release: USITC Makes Determinations in Five-Year (Sunset) Review Concerning Barium Chloride from China

Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

  • Press Release: Response from FTC Acting Chairwoman Slaughter to Letter from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Regarding Section 13(b) of the Federal Trade Commission Act
  • Press Release: FTC Sues Frontier Communications for Misrepresenting Internet Speeds
  • Press Release: FTC Sending More than $147,000 in Refunds to People Affected by Student Loan Debt Relief Scam

Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

  • Press Release: Commissioner Simington on Digital Speech Regs with Federalist Society

Department of Agriculture (USDA)

  • Press Release: U.S. Department of Agriculture Announces Key Leadership in Natural Resources and Conservation Areas
  • Fact Sheet: Update on USDA Activities to Contain the COVID-19 Pandemic

Department of Energy (DOE)

  • Press Release: DOE Announces $40 Million to Reduce Fuel Waste From Advanced Nuclear Reactors

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

  • Press Release: EPA Adds New PFAS to its Drinking Water Treatability Database
  • Press Release: EPA Announces Over $620,000 in Grant Funding for Beach Water Quality Monitoring in the Caribbean
  • Press Release: EPA Approves Air Permit for Construction & Operation of Vineyard Wind Offshore Wind Project
  • Link:  Other Daily EPA Press Releases

Department of Transportation

  • Press Release: U.S. Department of Transportation Announces Expanded Local Hire and Workforce Development Pilot Programs

Health & Human Services (HHS)

  • Press Release: More Than 10 Million COVID-19 Vaccine Doses Administered by Community Health Centers

Food & Drug Administration (FDA)

  • Press Release: FDA Authorizes Longer Time for Refrigerator Storage of Thawed Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine Prior to Dilution, Making Vaccine More Widely Available
  • Press Release: FDA Advises Against Use of SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Test Results to Evaluate Immunity or Protection From COVID-19, Including After Vaccination
  • Press Release: FDA Issues Draft Guidance on Early Clinical Studies for Certain Medical Devices to Improve Glycemic Control for Type 2 Diabetes

US Government (USG) COVID-19 Webpages

Non-USG COVID Webpages

Johns Hopkins University & Medicine

The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.