President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin are facing off in a high-stakes meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, Wednesday. A slew of topics is on the agenda. Senior White House officials said, “nothing is off the table for an American president.” One key issue is cybersecurity. Despite icy relations between both sides and disagreements on a range of topics, both sides said they are looking at areas of possible cooperation. Such areas include Afghanistan, the Iran Nuclear Deal, arms control, and the environment.
A federal judge in Louisiana is blocking Biden’s suspension on new oil and gas leases on federal land and water. Biden signed executive orders on climate change on his first day in office. Thirteen states filed a lawsuit to overturn Biden’s memo. They said the Biden administration overstepped the bureaucratic steps required and argued the move would cost the states money and jobs. It’s a stance shared by the judge, who said in a memo: “The Plaintiff States’ claims are substantial. Millions and possibly billions of dollars are at stake.”
California is announcing millions in prize money for getting the shot: six vacation packages for vaccinated residents. The six winners can take up to 4 people each to Anaheim, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and Rancho Mirage. This comes as the state announced masks are still required for everyone in some settings, such as on public transit, in schools, and in hospitals. And California Gov. Gavin Newsom worked to allay fears of vaccine passports. He said the electronic proof of vaccination is voluntary and added: “It’s not a passport. It’s not a requirement. It’s just the ability now to have an electronic version of that paper version.”
Tune into Deep Dive as we explore these topics and more.
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