The White House is laying out a new set of guidelines to ensure it will be informed any time a Cabinet head can’t carry out their job.

The White House has apologized to former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson for a Democratic National Committee statement a day earlier that mocked the end of his long-shot 2024 bid for the Republican presidential nomination.

Top Biden administration officials have ramped up their involvement in the recent border talks on Capitol Hill.

The Biden administration is closing out a three-week push to highlight big infrastructure investments in local communities, awarding nearly $300 million to help repair or replace more than a dozen bridges.

The White House chief of staff is at the fulcrum of the federal government as gatekeeper to the most powerful leader on Earth.

President Joe Biden’s top economic adviser, Brian Deese, is leaving his post.

Outgoing White House chief of staff Ron Klain burst into tears Wednesday as he talked about his boss, President Joe Biden, and his decades of work with him.

President Joe Biden has announced Jeff Zients as his next White House chief of staff, tapping an experienced technocrat who headed his administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients and his deputy Natalie Quillian are leaving the administration next month.

President Joe Biden's White House is outlining a strategy it says will allow Americans to return to many normal activities safely after two years of pandemic disruptions.

Facing growing pressure to ease up on pandemic restrictions, the White House is insisting it is making plans for a less-disruptive phase of the national virus response.

The White House COVID-19 Response Team held a briefing to update Americans on the effectiveness of the booster shot against the omicron variant and the free COVID test that is being administered by mail.

U.S. health officials say they are not changing the definition of being “fully vaccinated” against COVID-19.

The White House says about 10% of eligible kids aged 5 to 11 have received a dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine since its approval for their age group two weeks ago.

The campaign to vaccinate elementary school age children in the U.S. is off to a strong start, health officials said Wednesday.

The White House says President Joe Biden is extending the federal government’s 100% reimbursement of COVID-19 emergency response costs to states, tribes and territories through April 1, 2022.

The White House says the Biden administration is already assembling and shipping millions of doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11.

The White House COVID Response Team said that if you’ve been hesitant to get vaccinated, now is the time.

Vaccinations are beginning to rise in some states where COVID-19 cases are soaring.

The U.S. government is stepping up efforts to get younger Americans vaccinated for COVID-19 amid growing concern about the spread of a new variant that threatens to set the country back in the months ahead.

President Joe Biden has announced new employer tax credits and other steps to encourage people reluctant to be inoculated to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

The White House COVID Response Team said it is working with states to minimize any impact of the Johnson & Johnson pause.

President Joe Biden’s vaccination campaign hit a snag when federal regulators recommended a “pause” in administering Johnson & Johnson shots.

President Joe Biden’s vaccination campaign hit a snag when federal regulators recommended a “pause” in administering Johnson & Johnson shots.

North Korea continues to claim a perfect record in keeping out the coronavirus in its latest report to the World Health Organization.

Doug Ducey said the site switch will maintain the state’s vaccination program’s presence in southeastern Maricopa County while protecting staff, volunteers and people getting vaccinated. Greece is currently grappling with a surge in coronavirus infections which has seen many hospitals run by the state health system reach capacity. 23, a total of 42,028 COVID-19 cases have been diagnosed on the island nation of around 900,000 people, of which 248 died due to COVID-19. Kate Brown said those groups will now be eligible to sign up for the COVID-19 vaccine on April 5. ___PHOENIX — Arizona on Friday reported 571 new coronavirus cases and 24 deaths as the number of virus-related hospitalizations remained fairly stable.

With the nation now administering about 2.5 million shots per day, Biden, who promised to set a new goal for vaccinations next week, teased the possibility of setting a 200 million dose goal by his 100th day in office. Coronavirus coordinator Jeff Zients said Friday that 2.5 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine would go to Mexico and 1.5 million would be sent to Canada. The World Health Organization on Thursday issued a report that fewer than 7 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in Africa thus far. By the time Biden was inaugurated on Jan. 20, the U.S. had already administered 20 million shots at a rate of about 1 million per day, bringing complaints at the time that Biden's goal was not ambitious enough. He quickly revised it upward to 150 million doses in his first 100 days.

Whitmer releases Executive Directive on state separation agreementsDETROIT – After the controversy surrounding the abrupt resignation and separation agreement involving former Michigan health chief Robert Gordon, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has ordered changes to the use of these agreements in state government. Whitmer released an Executive Directive on Friday on how state agencies can end employee contracts. “I’m pleased to announce the addition of a new FEMA-supported site in Detroit,” said White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients. “This site, located at Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions, has the ability to administer 6,000 shots per day.”Click here to read more.

“I’m pleased to announce the addition of a new FEMA-supported site in Detroit,” said White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeff Zients. “This site, located at Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions, has the ability to administer 6,000 shots per day.”UPDATE March 15: You can now register to get vaccinated against COVID at Ford FieldREAD: FEMA to convert Ford Field into regional mass vaccination siteIt was initially reported in February that officials from FEMA were touring Ford Field and were planning to turn the home of the Detroit Lions into a massive vaccination site. “Protect lives and move Michigan and Detroit forward.”The way forward, she said, is the the vaccination site at Ford Field. I am thrilled that the recently enacted American Rescue Plan Act will deliver resources -- that I secured -- directly to the federal vaccination program at Ford Field. Having this new mass vaccination site operated by FEMA will be a significant step forward for our city and our region toward that goal.

(AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)NEW YORK – Fully vaccinated Americans can gather with other vaccinated people indoors without wearing a mask or social distancing, according to long-awaited guidance from federal health officials. The CDC is continuing to recommend that fully vaccinated people still wear well-fitted masks, avoid large gatherings, and physically distance themselves from others when out in public. The CDC guidance did not speak to people who may have gained some level of immunity from being infected, and recovering from, the coronavirus. AdOfficials say a person is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the last required dose of vaccine. But some people who are fully vaccinated were pleased by Monday's news.

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON – Days after marking a solemn milestone in the pandemic, President Joe Biden is celebrating the pace of his efforts to end it. On Thursday, Biden marked the administration of the 50 millionth dose of COVID-19 vaccine since his swearing-in. “We’re halfway there: 50 million shots in 37 days," Biden said. “We’ll have the vaccine waiting,” Biden said, predicting that point could come within 60 to 90 days. “We have a plan to roll it out as quickly as Johnson & Johnson can make it," Biden said.

The National Weather Service forecasts temperatures barely hovering at 20 degrees Fahrenheit, and likely slipping into the single digits by Tuesday morning. After her appointment for a vaccine on Saturday was canceled, Dohogne said a neighbor's friend has been helping her navigate the vaccine enrollment process. Some shipments of the vaccine made by Pfizer were delayed in the South because of the bad weather, but the company was unaware of any vaccine spoilage, said spokesman Eamonn Nolan. Fran Goldman, 90, of Seattle, told The Seattle Times she walked 6 miles (9.7 kilometers) round trip in the snow to get her vaccine. In other developments, Pennsylvania is facing a temporary shortage of second shots of the Moderna vaccine after providers inadvertently used them as first doses.

(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)The Latest on winter weather across the U.S. (all times local):OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma Gov. Stitt’s disaster declaration request for all 77 Oklahoma counties comes a day after the governor spoke with Biden by phone. ___NEW ORLEANS — Rolling power blackouts necessitated by severe winter weather hit water systems in at least two Louisiana cities. He implored residents to stop running water, noting that temperatures had risen above the freezing mark___RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina Gov. — The Louisiana Department of Health on Wednesday confirmed three deaths related to winter weather this week.

The U.S. is scrambling to expand DNA mapping of coronavirus samples to identify potentially deadlier mutations starting to spread around the country. But the more significant action is on Capitol Hill, where a House bill headed for floor debate would provide $1.75 billion for genomic sequencing. The U.S. now maps only the genetic makeup of a minuscule fraction of positive virus samples, a situation some experts liken to flying blind. Baldwin says the U.S. should be analyzing at least 15% of positive virus samples. “Genomic sequencing testing is how we will spot variants early before they spread,” said White House COVID response coordinator Jeff Zients.

Since he took office three weeks ago, Biden’s team has attacked the problem on multiple fronts. Much of the improvement in vaccination deliveries so far has been due to long-planned manufacturing ramp-ups, not the actions of the Biden team, aides acknowledge. Biden’s team pledged to give states three weeks notice on what's coming their way. Two weeks into Biden’s administration, a Quinnipiac poll showed 61% of Americans approving of the way the president is handling the coronavirus pandemic. The Biden team is already actively working with pharmaceutical companies to prepare “booster” shots for the variants, potentially annually, like flu vaccines.

(AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)MEXICO CITY — Mexico reported a near-record 1,707 confirmed coronavirus deaths Wednesday, as the country runs out of vaccines. Ad___THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:Spain surpasses 60,000 confirmed virus deaths. British officials say Oxford study backs up their decision to delay second vaccine shot for up to 12 weeks. Ad___OKLAHOMA CITY -- About 11,500 doses of the coronavirus vaccine will be shipped to pharmacies across Oklahoma next week, state health officials said. ___MANAGUA, Nicaragua — Nicaragua’s government says it has approved Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine for emergency use.

Pharmacies have become a mainstay for flu shots and shingles vaccines, and the industry is capable of vaccinating tens of millions of people monthly. — Pressure is building on U.S. school systems to reopen classrooms to students who have been learning online for nearly a year. Outdated tests failed to detect that some of the transferred inmates were already infected, and two of them later died. Suddenly, that organic lentil and mushroom soup that didn’t sound so appealing pre-pandemic has become part of weekly meal routines. ___Find AP’s full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic: https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic

Starting next week, 1 million doses will be distributed to some 6,500 pharmacies across the country, the White House said. The administration is also boosting by 500,000 the weekly allocation of vaccines sent directly to states and territories for the coming weeks, up to 10.5 million. It is allowing state and local governments to receive additional federal dollars to cover previously incurred expenses relating to the pandemic. The number of participating pharmacies and the allocation of vaccines are expected to accelerate as drug makers increase production. The Biden administration has sought to increase certainty to state governments on their upcoming allocations to streamline deliveries and prevent stockpiling of second doses for the two-dose regimens.

(Peter Meecham/New Zealand Herald via AP)WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Travelers returning to New Zealand will face stricter rules at quarantine hotels as health authorities investigate how up to three people got infected with the coronavirus while isolating at Auckland’s Pullman Hotel. The record increase of 65 deaths is three more than the previous one-day record reported on Jan. 6, according to health department records. The university and county health department are asking students to limit leaving their residence to going to classes, getting food, work and other necessary in-person activities. The health department said in the news release that if the case counts continues to rise, stricter measures will have to be applied. The previous one-day record of 62 was reported Jan. 6, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health.

It marked a sharp contrast to what had become the Trump show in the past administration, when public health officials were repeatedly undermined by a president who shared his unproven ideas without hesitation. The deaths projection wasn't much different from what Biden himself has said, but nonetheless served as a stark reminder of the brutal road ahead. The new briefings, beginning just a week into Biden’s tenure, are meant as an explicit rejection of President Donald Trump's approach to the coronavirus outbreak. Dr. David Hamer, a professor of global health and medicine at Boston University’s School of Public Health, said having briefings from health officials that are “based on serious science” would go a long way toward improving public perceptions of the vaccine. Those messages found few champions in the former administration, as Trump openly flouted science-based guidance from his own administration.

President Joe Biden speaks about the coronavirus in the State Dinning Room of the White House, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021, in Washington. “We need to ask average Americans to do their part," said Jeff Zients, the White House official directing the national response. Biden officials say they're hampered by lack of cooperation from the Trump administration during the transition. As part of his COVID-19 strategy, Biden will order the establishment of a COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force to ensure that minority and underserved communities are not left out of the government's response. Below is Biden’s “National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness” plan, announced on Jan. 21.

President Joe Biden speaks about the coronavirus in the State Dinning Room of the White House, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021, in Washington. “We didn’t get into this mess overnight, and it will take months to turn this around,” Biden said at the White House. Asked about that at the White House on Thursday, Biden told a reporter: “When I announced it, you all said it’s not possible. But administration officials stressed that reopening schools safely depends on increased testing. “We do not have nearly enough testing capacity in this country,” said White House coronavirus coordinator Jeff Zients.

New York officials are pushing for more COVID-19 vaccine doses as the effort to speed up inoculations collides with a lack of vaccine. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday that the city will run out of first doses of COVID-19 vaccine sometime Thursday without fresh supplies. The U.S. mask order for travel being implemented by Biden will apply to airports and planes, ships, intercity buses, trains and public transportation. As part of his COVID-19 strategy, Biden will order the establishment of a COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force to ensure that minority and underserved communities are not left out of the government's response. Biden is ordering FEMA to reimburse states for the full cost of using their National Guards to set up vaccination centers.

President-elect Joe Biden is nominating former President Barack Obama's White House chief of staff Denis McDonough as secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs. Increasingly deep into the process of selecting Cabinet members and other senior staff, the incoming Biden administration has a distinctly Obama feel. There's Denis McDonough, former President Barack Obama's chief of staff who Biden announced on Thursday would be nominated as the secretary of veterans affairs. Susan Rice, Obama's former U.N. ambassador and national security adviser, was named the director of Biden's White House Domestic Policy Council. Jeff Zients, who did stints as acting Office of Management and Budget director and a top economic adviser in the Obama White House, will return as Biden’s coronavirus response coordinator.

(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)WASHINGTON – President-elect Joe Biden's choices for his health care team point to a stronger federal role in the nation’s COVID-19 strategy, restoration of a guiding stress on science and an emphasis on equitable distribution of vaccines and treatments. “We are still going to have a federal, state and local partnership,” commented Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the nonprofit American Public Health Association. “These are not turf-conscious people,” said Drew Altman, CEO of the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation, a clearinghouse for health care information and analysis. A Secretary Becerra “can't get up every morning and think only COVID,” she said. That challenge faces widespread skepticism among minorities that the health care system has their best interests in mind.

(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, File)WASHINGTON – President-elect Joe Biden's choices for his health care team point to a stronger federal role in the nation’s COVID-19 strategy, restoration of a guiding stress on science and an emphasis on equitable distribution of vaccines and treatments. “We are still going to have a federal, state and local partnership,” commented Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the nonprofit American Public Health Association. “These are not turf-conscious people,” said Drew Altman, CEO of the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation, a clearinghouse for health care information and analysis. A Secretary Becerra “can't get up every morning and think only COVID,” she said. That challenge faces widespread skepticism among minorities that the health care system has their best interests in mind.

WASHINGTON – Up soon for President-elect Joe Biden: naming his top health care officials as the coronavirus pandemic rages. Members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus made a fresh push during a virtual conference call Thursday for Biden to nominate Lujan Grisham as HHS secretary. Biden is expected to announce his choice for HHS secretary next week. In the running for a top health job is former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, co-chair of Biden's coronavirus task force. Alongside his health secretary, Biden is expected to name a top-level White House adviser to coordinate the government’s extensive coronavirus response.