A reporter asked Anne Neuberger, the deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technology, how long it would take to complete the investigation of the SolarWinds hack.
Neuberger would not offer an exact timeline because the investigation is ongoing, but she said it would likely take “several months”.
“Day by day, hour by hour, we’re making progress,” Neuberger said.
White House says SolarWinds hack was ‘likely of Russian origin’
Joe Biden’s press secretary, Jen Psaki, is now holding her daily briefing at the White House.
Psaki was joined in the briefing room by Anne Neuberger, the deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technology, who offered an update on the SolarWinds hack.
Neuberger said the administration is continuing its work to understand how the attack happened, noting that the exact culprit has not yet been determined.
But Neuberger said the hack was done by an actor “likely of Russian origin”.
The Fox News anchors offered no pushback or follow-up questions when Donald Trump falsely claimed that he had won the 2020 presidential election.
The anchors also repeatedly referred to Trump as “president number 45,” rather than as the former president.
Trump’s allies have avoided acknowledging that Joe Biden fairly won the presidential election and is now the commander-in-chief.
Donald Trump was asked about the origins of his friendship with conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh, who died this morning. Trump said a friend told him during his first presidential campaign that Limbaugh liked his politics.
“I have a very beautiful weakness,” the former president told Fox News. “I tend to like people who like me.”
Trump described Limbaugh as a “legend” who was beloved by his fans. “There aren’t too many legends around, but he is a legend,” Trump said.
When asked about what he and Limbaugh had spoken about in recent weeks, the president said they discussed the presidential election results.
“Rush thought we won, and so do I, by the way,” Trump said. “I think we won substantially.”
That is, of course, entirely false. Joe Biden fairly won the presidential race, and there has been no evidence of widespread voter fraud in the election.
Donald Trump told Fox News that he spoke to Rush Limbaugh about three or four days before the radio host’s death this morning.
The former president described Limbaugh, who died of lung cancer, as a “fighter”. “He was very brave,” Trump said.
Limbaugh announced early last year that he had been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer.
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Trump calls Fox News to praise ‘fantastic’ Limbaugh
Donald Trump called in for a Fox News interview to discuss the death of radio host Rush Limbaugh.
The conversation marked Trump’s first interview since he left the White House last month.
The former president described Limbaugh, who was a loyal supporter of Trump, as a “fantastic man” and a “fantastic talent”.
“Whether [people] loved him or not, they respected him,” Trump said.
The network then showed Trump awarding Limbaugh the Presidential Medal of Freedom during the State of the Union last year.
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A historian who wrote a book about the rise of conservative talk radio shows said that Rush Limbaugh “just might be the most important figure in late 20th and early 21st century politics,” because of how the radio host reshaped the media landscape and the Republican party.
Rush Limbaugh’s wife, Kathryn, announced his death from lung cancer on his radio show today.
“It is with profound sadness I must share with you directly that our beloved Rush, my wonderful husband, passed away this morning due to complications from lung cancer,” Limbaugh said.
Rush Limbaugh dies at 70
Controversial conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh has died at 70, his wife Kathryn announced on his program today.
Limbaugh had been suffering from stage four lung cancer.
The longtime radio personality was the source of numerous controversies over his comments on abortion, feminism and race, among other issues.
Donald Trump gave Limbaugh the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor a president can bestow, last year.
Dr Anthony Fauci reiterated that he did not think it should be a requirement to have all teachers vaccinated before a school can reopen.
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have both said that they believe teachers should be prioritized in vaccine distribution, a sentiment that Fauci echoed.
Jeff Zients, the coordinator of the White House coronavirus response team, said Biden and Harris support the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on reopening schools.
On the question of whether all teachers need to be vaccinated before a school can reopen, Zients said, “The president and the vice-president agree with the CDC guidelines that it’s not a requirement to reopen.”
The White House coronavirus response team’s briefing has now concluded.
Dr Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was asked about when US high schools may be able to safely reopen.
Walensky said that much of the focus so far has been on elementary schools because high school students are more likely to develop symptoms when they contract coronavirus.
But the CDC director said there are opportunities for in-person learning for middle school and high school students.
Walensky also noted that the number of US schools in the “red zone” for community spread has dropped from 89% last week to 75% now.
Jeff Zients, the coordinator of the White House coronavirus response team, acknowledged that the winter storm hitting the Central US is impacting vaccine delivery in some regions.
Zients encouraged states to expand hours at vaccine distribution sites once the weather improves, in order to make up for “lost ground” due to the storm.
Jeff Zients, the coordinator of the White House coronavirus response team, was asked about the Food and Drug Administration’s review of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Zients said the FDA would be considering the Johnson & Johnson vaccine for emergency use authorization “across the next couple of weeks”.
The senior official said the Biden administration is focused on fairly and efficiently distributing the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, as the FDA considers whether to authorize a third vaccine for emergency use.
Biden administration to invest $1.6 billion to expand coronavirus testing
The White House has announced that it is investing $1.6 billion to expand coronavirus testing in the US.
The Biden administration plans to spend $650 million to support testing in schools and expand testing to underserved populations, such as those living in homeless shelters.
Another $815 million will be spent to increase the domestic manufacturing of testing supplies, addressing shortages in certain products needed to mass-produce tests.
And $200 million will be invested in expanding virus genome sequencing, allowing health officials to better track coronavirus variants as they emerge.
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Dr Anthony Fauci addressed questions over whether those who have been vaccinated can still transmit coronavirus to others.
The infectious disease expert said that question is still being studied, but he said initial research has shown promising evidence that transmission is much less likely once someone has been vaccinated.
Fauci said the research emphasized the need for all Americans to get vaccinated once they are able to.