Wednesday morning news - April 28, 2021

Biden to make first address to joint session of Congress » President Biden tonight will address a joint session of Congress for the first time.

Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the president will touch on a range of issues.

PSAKI: Including police reform, immigration, gun safety, his ongoing work to get the pandemic under control, and to putting Americans back to work.

He will also pitch the final piece of his $4 trillion dollar spending proposal. The initiative, which he calls the American Family Plan, would spend hundreds of billions of dollars on Democratic priorities.

The president will address Congress and the nation at 8 p.m. Eastern Time tonight.

Biden signs $15 minimum wage for federal contract workers » On Tuesday, President Biden signed an executive order to raise the minimum wage for federal contractors.

Jen Psaki told reporters,

PSAKI: The executive order will increase the hourly minimum wage for federal contractors to $15 in new and renewed contracts and contract options starting in January 2022. This increase must be implemented by March 30th 2022.

She said minimum wage will also be indexed to an inflation measure to keep up with the cost of living.

The current minimum is $10.95 an hour.

The tipped minimum wage of $7.65 an hour for federal contractors would also be replaced by the standard minimum by 2024.

The White House says hundreds of thousands of workers will receive raises. Critics of the move say it will likely lead contractors to eliminate jobs.

New guidance on masks » The CDC says Americans who are fully vaccinated no longer need masks outdoors—unless they’re in a large crowd.

For most of the past year, the CDC had recommended wearing face coverings outdoors if you’re within 6 feet of other people.

But CDC Director Rochelle Walensky added,

WALENSKY: We know that the virus spreads very well indoors. Until more people are vaccinated, and while we still have more than 50,000 cases a day, mask use indoors will provide extra protection.

The change comes as more than half of U.S. adults have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

New guidance for drugs to fight opioid addiction » The Biden administration also moved on Tuesday to ease decades-old rules that made it tough for doctors to treat opioid addiction with medication. WORLD’s Anna Johansen Brown has more.

ANNA JOHANSEN BROWN: The new guidelines announced yesterday mean that doctors will no longer need extra hours of training to prescribe buprenorphine. That’s a medication that helps with cravings.

And prescribers will no longer have to refer patients to counseling services.

Under the loosened guidelines, prescribers will be able to treat up to 30 patients at a time with the drug.

Because of how opioids act on the brain, people dependent on them get sick if they stop using. Withdrawal can feel like a bad flu with cramping, sweating, anxiety, and sleeplessness.

Buprenorphine helps by moving a patient from powerful painkillers or an illicit opioid like heroin to a regular dose of a legal opioid-based medication.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Anna Johansen Brown.

Montana gov. Signs pro-life bills into law » Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte has signed three new pro-life bills into law.

The Republican governor signed legislation into law this week that will protect the lives of unborn babies after 20 weeks of gestation.

The new laws will also require healthcare providers to give pregnant women the opportunity to view an ultrasound before performing an abortion, and place several restrictions on abortion pills.

The pro-life victory comes after 16 years under Democratic governors, who vetoed past attempts to pass similar laws.

Russian court restricts Navalny’s anti-corruption foundation » A Moscow court on Tuesday moved to silence opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s anti-corruption organization. WORLD’s Leigh Jones reports.

LEIGH JONES: The Moscow City Court restricted the activities of an organization founded by the imprisoned opposition leader. The move effectively suspends the Foundation for Fighting Corruption pending a decision on whether it and other affiliated organizations should be outlawed as extremist groups.

Tuesday’s ruling was another step in the sweeping crackdown on Navalny and his allies, who are highly critical of President Vladimir Putin.

A lawyer for the foundation said it’s no longer allowed to use the media or the internet to distribute content or organize public events.

But the director of the Foundation for Fighting Corruption, Ivan Zhdanov, struck a defiant tone, saying the group will carry on its work.

Alexei Navalny has been behind bars since January, and many of his aides and associates were arrested or face criminal charges.

Reporting for WORLD, I’m Leigh Jones.

I’m Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: the Senate wildcard.

Plus, Janie B. Cheaney on the search for perfection.

This is The World and Everything in It.

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