“‘Vaccine Passport’ Idea Ignites Chaos in FL” by The Floridian’s Jim McCool – After Governor Ron DeSantis’ (R-FL) latest press conference, Floridians have been up in arms over the fate of “Vaccine Passports.” These vaccine passports would provide a way of identifying people who have not been vaccinated, but the idea is still fluid across the country. DeSantis has already made it very clear that he will take action this week to prevent these passports from affecting the state of Florida. This issue even caught the eyes of rising GOP star in Florida, Rep. Anthony Sabatini (R-32) who responded to vaccine passports with a resounding “HELL NO”, and promised to, “Do everything in my power to BAN vaccine passports.” Meanwhile, endorsing vaccine passports would not be a good look by any means for Democrats, and they know that. That is exactly why they’ve resorted to focusing on the vaccine rollout. One Democrat, in particular, Rep. Carlos G. Smith (D-49) decided to mix things up by calling out Governor DeSantis for not publicly being vaccinated yet, implying that he lied about when he would get the vaccine. The debate over vaccine passports, however, has failed to remain within the borders of Florida, as national Republicans such as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green (R-GA) have made their COVID-19 vaccine opinions known, to say the least.

“Trump Launches ‘Official Website Of The 45th President’ To Stay Connected With Supporters” by The Floridian’s Mona Salama – Former President Trump and former First Lady Melania Trump announced the launch of their official website, designed to help supporters stay in touch with them and request personalized greetings or their participation at events as he continues to plot his return to political life. The website, 45office.com, according to a brief statement announcing the site launch will allow supporters and “individuals to submit correspondence, scheduling requests, and press inquiries.” The site’s “Home” page states Trump’s Office of 45 is “committed to preserving the magnificent legacy of the Trump Administration” and “advancing the America First agenda.” It explains how the former president’s office seeks to provide through “civic engagement and public activism” that would “strive to inform, educate, and inspire Americans from all walks of life as we seek to build a truly great American Future.” “Through this office, President Trump will remain a tireless champion for the hardworking men and women of our great country – and for their right to live in safety, dignity, prosperity, and peace,” the website home page states. The “About” page details Trump’s achievements and record in office, stating that he “launched the most extraordinary political movement in history, dethroning political dynasties, defeating the Washington Establishment.” It also shares the former president and first lady’s biographies prior to becoming the First couple and touts both of their records from the last four years.

“DeSantis Says ‘Never’ to Vaccine Passports, CFO Patronis Applauds Passage of SB 72” by The Floridian’s Jim McCool – Yesterday, Florida CFO Jim Patronis (R-FL) joined Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) as he signed SB 72 into law. CFO Patronis’ long battle for Florida businesses has finally proved successful with this COVID liability bill. Now Florida businesses will surely be provided with protections. Patronis issued a statement yesterday saying he was, “Proud”, of the legislation and called the bill, “A huge win for Florida.” Patronis elaborated, claiming SB 72 is, “No doubt, the single most important piece of legislation that unifies families in our state and a huge milestone for businesses and healthcare workers who no longer have to live in fear of frivolous COVID-19 litigation.” Patronis then extended his thanks to legislators and the governor in their efforts to pass this bill for Florida. At the same press conference, DeSantis also vowed publicly to never enact “Vaccine passports“. The idea that you must be vaccinated to travel. He called the practice, “Completely unacceptable” and intends to draft an executive order this week on that very issue.

“Patronis Announces Alleged Insurance Fraud Arrest” by The Floridian’s Daniel Molina – Florida’s Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis (R) announced today that Cheryl Denis Green has been arrested for an alleged disability insurance fraud scheme. Cheryl is alleged to have stolen more than $16,000 from American Family Life Assurance Company in a scheme that is said to have involved fraudulent medical documents related to fake hospitalizations. Between 2019 and 2019, Cheryl is alleged to have submitted forged and fraudulent paperwork that included billing receipts regarding hospitalizations for herself, her husband along with three dependents that totaled 18 fraudulent insurance claims. In turn, Patronis’ Division of Investigative & Forensic Services Bureau of Insurance Fraud was notified after Aflac flagged the claims. In a statement, Patronis informed that “insurance fraud is a crime that affects all Floridians while undermining the integrity of health care markets.” “As your CFO, I’m committed to leveraging every resource possible and maximizing our partnerships across the state to bring these criminals to justice,” Patronis asserted, praising his “dedicated insurance fraud detectives for their hard work on this case and the Palm Beach State Attorney’s Office for seeking to hold criminals like this accountable.”

“Rep. Matt Gaetz Under Investigation for Alleged Sexual Relationship With Underage Girl” by WSJ’s Sadie Gurman and Siobhan Hughes – The Justice Department since last year has been investigating whether Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl and paid her to travel with him, people familiar with the matter said. Investigators are examining whether Mr. Gaetz, a close ally of former President Donald Trump, violated federal sex-trafficking laws, the people said. Those laws make it illegal to transport someone younger than 18 across state lines to engage in sex. The investigation, first reported by the New York Times, began last year when Mr. Trump was president, the people said. Senior Justice Department officials, including some Trump appointees, were briefed in the summer, they said. “No part of the allegations against me are true,” Mr. Gaetz, 38, said in a statement that alleged they were part of a concerted effort to blackmail him. On Fox News later Tuesday, Mr. Gaetz elaborated, saying that “providing for flights and hotel rooms for people that you are dating who are of legal age is not a crime.” A Justice Department spokesman declined to comment. The probe is looking in part at whether Mr. Gaetz had inappropriate contact with a girl about two years ago when she was 17, the people said. The Justice Department’s examination of Mr. Gaetz is connected to an investigation of Joel Greenberg, a local official in Florida who court documents show was indicted in August on sex-trafficking charges related to a girl between the ages of 14 and 17. Mr. Greenberg pleaded not guilty last year and is scheduled for trial in June. He couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.

“Florida proposes new barrier to citizen ballot proposals” by News 4 Jax/AP’s Brendan Farrington – Florida Republicans are once again trying to make it more difficult for citizens to amend the state constitution through petition drives, this time by limiting contributions to political committees proposing a ballot initiative. A bill setting the limit was approved by the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee on a party-line vote Tuesday. Political committees seeking to change the constitution would be limited to $3,000 individual contributions until their proposal is approved for the ballot — a limit that could have made it impossible for medical marijuana and an increase in minimum wage to get before voters. Medical marijuana was approved by voters in 2016 and a gradual increase of the minimum wage to $15 an hour was approved last year. Trial lawyer John Morgan spent millions of dollars of his own money to get the items on the ballots. Republicans in the Legislature opposed those issues. “The minimum wage...yes, a Floridian, John Morgan, spent $6 million of his own money to try to get that passed because we couldn't get it done at the Legislature,” said Democratic Sen. Annette Taddeo. “We don't listen to the voters. The voters have told us time and time again, ‘These are the things we want you to do,’ and yet we turn around and do exactly the opposite.” But Republicans say they want to eliminate out-of-state money from contributing to changes in the constitution, and that many items approved by voters should be legislative issues, not constitutional issues.

“Proud Boys member arrested in Central Florida for role in US Capitol riot” by WESH 2 – A member of the Proud Boys has been arrested in Central Florida and is facing federal charges for his role in the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol riot. Arthur Jackman is accused of entering the Capitol building alongside other members of the Proud Boys, including Central Florida resident Joseph Biggs, who is accused of helping plan the riot. Jackman is charged with obstruction of an official proceeding and knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority. Jackman’s wife is a deputy with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. Officials with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said the FBI has told them there is no evidence or indication that she had anything to do with the events at the Capitol on Jan. 6 or is a member of any extremist organization. Jackman is in custody in Orlando and will make his first court appearance Tuesday afternoon. According to an arrest affidavit, Jackman texted people a photo he took of himself inside the Senate chamber. Jackman told federal investigators that he was a Proud Boys member and had been since 2016. He said he’d become involved in the group to support Donald Trump, according to the affidavit.

“Study questions Florida COVID death count as experts express trust in state data” by WEAR TV’s Jay O’Brien – A study published this month in the American Journal of Public Health suggests Florida has undercounted the number of COVID-19 deaths. Florida's death rate -- compared to other states -- is a metric frequently cited by Governor Ron DeSantis and Republican allies. The study, titled Analysis of Excess Deaths During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the State of Florida, compared pre-pandemic monthly death rates to current mortality trends and found that coronavirus may have indirectly led to a number of "excess deaths" in people who did things like delay medical care because of overcrowded hospitals. But, the authors of study also argue their data shows the state undercounted deaths that were directly linked to COVID-19, leading to headlines suggesting the state's data may have been inaccurate. "I am sure that COVID-19 is responsible for most of these excess deaths,” Moosa Tatar, a public health expert at the University of Utah who led the research team, told Yahoo. Florida experts, however, assert state data is reliable and question the conclusions made in the study. "I've just seen nothing that stands out [in state data] that I’m like, man, that is a smoking gun," said Jason Salemi, an Associate Professor of Epidemiology at USF College of Public Health.

“Florida Enacts COVID-19 Business Liability Shield” by National Law Review’s Kate L. Pamperin and Brooke C. Bahlinger – On March 29, 2021, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law SB 72, a bill granting liability protections to businesses against COVID-19-related injury and death lawsuits. Effective immediately, the law applies to various business entities (including corporations, joint ventures, etc.) hospitals, nursing homes, schools, government entities, and churches. The law creates an extremely high threshold for Plaintiffs to overcome in bringing a successful claim. Defendants are shielded from liability absent a showing of gross negligence. In addition, the law dictates that Plaintiffs who file suit will need to provide a physician’s affidavit of merit. This affidavit requires physicians to essentially “vouch” for a Plaintiff’s injury claim and its connection to the Defendant’s acts or omissions. The new law also places the burden of proof on Plaintiffs to establish that the Defendant did not make a “good faith effort” to comply with public health standards and/or guidance. If a court determines that the Defendant made a “good faith effort” to comply (including substantially complying with any one of the standards and/or guidance applicable if multiple sources were controlling at the time), then the Defendant is immune from civil liability. The law applies retroactively, creating a one-year statute of limitations for all claims. Back in November, we reported on a number of states that had passed, or were considering passing, legislation aimed at limiting COVID-19 liability for employers. Florida joins a multitude of states, including Ohio, Georgia, and Wisconsin, that have passed COVID-19 indemnity laws and is now the most populous state to implement such strong business protection rules in response to the pandemic.

“Many Florida graduate programs grab high marks in U.S. News ranking” by Tampa Bay Times’ Divya Kumar – A number of university programs in Florida placed within the top 10 of U.S. News and World Report’s latest edition of “Best Graduate Schools.” The rankings, released Tuesday, compared more than 2,000 graduate programs and were based on expert opinions as well as statistical measures that varied by discipline, including incoming test scores and starting salaries of graduates. Florida schools that ranked in the Top 10 include: The University of Florida, which ranked No. 2 for tax law, No. 3 for biological/agricultural engineering, No. 4 for special education, No. 5 for pharmacy, No. 5 for student counseling and personal services, and No. 9 for veterinary medicine. Florida State University, which ranked No. 1 in school library media, No. 3 in services for children and youth (in the Library and Information Studies program), No. 7 for criminology and No. 10 for local government management. The University of Central Florida, which ranked No. 2 for homeland security and emergency management and No. 9 for nonprofit management. Florida International University, which ranked No. 3 for international business schools and No. 3 in the most diverse medical schools category. Stetson University, which ranked No. 2 in trial advocacy and No. 5 in legal writing. The University of South Florida, which ranked No. 2 in industrial and organizational psychology. The University of Miami, which ranked No. 7 in the most diverse medical schools category.

“What would ban on vaccine passports in Florida mean for businesses, theme parks?” by WESH – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is promising an executive order banning vaccine passports in the state. "We are not supporting doing any vaccine passports in the state of Florida," DeSantis said on Monday. An executive order banning vaccine passports would mean no one would have to show proof of vaccination to enter a property. After speaking with local small business owners in Osceola County, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said he's not sure government should be telling business owners what to do. "You know on the one hand you have property rights and that is, private business rights to decide the conditions by which people can come in or not come in," Rubio said. "On the flip side of it of course there are concerns about civil liberties." Some of the business owners who spoke with WESH 2 News said they're not sure a ban on vaccine passports is needed. Central Florida Democratic leaders said it should be up to businesses, like theme parks and other attractions, to make a decision as to whether someone should be vaccinated before entering their properties.

National:

“Inside the border crisis: Press tours packed Texas facility with 4,000+ migrants” by Fox News’ Adam Shaw – Reporters on Tuesday were allowed into a packed migrant facility in Texas, where thousands of migrants are housed as the Biden administration scrambles to deal with the crisis at the southern border -- and officials warning that the U.S. could see a million migrants encounters at the border this year. A press pool was allowed into the center in Donna, Texas, after journalists and Republicans have criticized the administration for refusing entry into the site as images emerged showing cramped conditions of children side-by-side in pods. There are 4,100 migrants in the facility, 3,400 of whom are unaccompanied minors. Thirty-nine of those have been at the facility for more than 15 days. Its capacity was just 250 during the pandemic, and 1,000 before the pandemic. There are eight "pods" in total -- critics have called them "cages" in reference to criticism leveled at the Trump administration -- each containing 500-600 migrants. Guidelines say there should only be 32 migrants in each pod. Donna’s temporary facility is 140,000 square feet. Children sleep on three-inch gym mats and lie under metallic foil blankets. Kids are given masks but many don’t wear them. In one room, pool reporters saw a purple and pink pen surrounding a group of 27 children on an alphabet rug, ranging from 3-9 years old. The youngest child is just four months old. The packed conditions have led to concerns about COVID-19 spread, with Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, saying last week that he was told 10 percent of the migrants test positive. The pool reported that several dozen of those preparing to leave had tested positive and were now separated -- but were in the same pods as other minors until this morning. The pool was told that there are over 500 Border Patrol agents working at the facility. While it should cost $6 million to run the facility each month, officials said it costs $16 million in reality.

“AOC: Anyone who uses term 'surge' about border crisis is invoking a 'militaristic frame'” by Fox News’ Joseph A. Wulfsohn – Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is condemning the use of the term "surge" when discussing the ongoing border crisis at the southern border. "They wanna say, 'But what about the surge?'" Ocasio-Cortez said on Tuesday night during an Instagram Live session. "Well, first of all, just gut check, stop. Anyone who's using the term 'surge' around you consciously is trying to invoke a militaristic frame." "And that's a problem because this is not a surge, these are children and they are not insurgents and we are not being invaded, which by the way is a white supremacist idea- philosophy, the idea that if another is coming in the population that this is an invasion of who we are," the congresswoman continued. Her comments raised eyebrows on social media. One of her critics, Townhall.com senior writer Julio Rosas, who's been reporting from the border, defended the "surge" term. "I’ve been using the term 'surge' because there’s a higher than usual amount of people illegally crossing into the U.S. I’ve seen it with my own eyes on a nightly basis for the past week," Rosas reacted.

“Rep. Matt Gaetz denies allegations of sexual misconduct in 'Tucker Carlson Tonight' exclusive” by Fox News’ Charles Creitz – In what Tucker Carlson called "one of the weirdest interviews" he's ever conducted, Florida Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz reacted on "Tucker Carlson Tonight" to a report from the New York Times that broke late Tuesday afternoon alleging Gaetz is the subject of a federal sex trafficking investigation involving a then-17-year-old girl. The Times cited three anonymous sources "briefed on the matter," which alleges that the 38-year-old had a relationship with the girl and paid for her travel at one point. The Pensacola lawmaker pushed back strongly against the allegations, saying that he is the victim of "extortion" involving an ex-Justice Department official seeking a $25 million payoff. Gaetz told Carlson in an exclusive TV interview that the Times story was leaked in order to "quell" what the lawmaker claimed would be a planned $25 million payoff on Wednesday that would implicate this former official. "What was supposed to happen was the transfer of this money that would have implicated the former colleague of these current DOJ officials. But that's obviously not going to happen tomorrow because [of the leak]," Gaetz said.

“It's possible to reach herd immunity, then lose it. Repeatedly. Here's what you can do to help prevent that from happening” by CNN’s Holly Yan – If you think herd immunity is the finish line to this pandemic, it's time for a reality check. Herd immunity with Covid-19 could come and go, scientists say. Or we might never reach it at all. "There's a lot of things that have to go our way to actually get to herd immunity," said Dr. Christopher Murray, director of the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. But don't panic. Here's why it's possible to dip in and out of herd immunity, and what you can do now to maximize the chances of snuffing out Covid-19 for good. "Herd immunity is the point where there's enough people that have been either infected or vaccinated that you basically can't sustain transmission in the community," Murray said. "And if one case leads to less than one new infection, then eventually it peters out." Estimates vary on how much of the population needs to have immunity to reach that goal. Dr. Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has said herd immunity might be reached if 70-85% of people are immune. Board-certified internist Dr. Jorge Rodriguez estimates that number is about 85-90%. "If we vaccinate 70% of the whole US population, including kids, and then another 15-20% have already gotten (infected), I think we're pretty close to reaching a normalcy with the virus," he said.

“Two US Capitol Police officers sue Trump and say he should be held responsible for January 6 attack” by CNN’s Marshall Cohen and Katelyn Polantz – Two US Capitol Police officers who say they were injured during the January 6 insurrection are suing former President Donald Trump for inciting the crowd. The officers -- the first police to sue in court following the riot -- say they suffered physical and emotional damages because Trump allegedly "inflamed, encouraged, incited (and) directed" the violent mob that stormed the Capitol. Capitol Police Officers James Blassingame and Sidney Hemby, who have been with the force for a combined 28 years, said they were injured during the attack. Hemby "was crushed against the doors" of the Capitol, was "sprayed with chemicals" and bled from his face, the lawsuit says. Blassingame claims he was slammed against a stone column, injuring his head and back. Each of the officers are seeking at least $75,000 in damages. They accuse Trump of aiding and abetting their assaults and directing his supporters to assault them, according to their new complaint. Trump hasn't yet responded to the lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in Washington, DC. He has previously denied any responsibility for the violent attack and falsely claimed last week that the rioters posed "zero threat" and were "hugging and kissing the police" at the Capitol.

“G. Gordon Liddy, convicted Watergate conspirator, dies at 90” by CNN’s Carolina Kelly – G. Gordon Liddy -- a former FBI agent, organizer of the Watergate break-in and radio show host -- has died at age 90, his son confirmed to CNN. Liddy died Tuesday morning in Mt. Vernon, Virginia, and though he suffered from a "variety of ailments," his death was not Covid-19 related, his son, Thomas Liddy, told CNN in a phone call. He had received the coronavirus vaccine three weeks ago. Liddy, who worked for the reelection committee for President Richard Nixon, is infamously known for having overseen the break-in at Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate office complex on the night of June 17, 1972, saying later that "I certainly regret that the mission failed." He was convicted for his part in organizing the break-in on charges of burglary, conspiracy and wiretapping and served four-and-a-half years after President Jimmy Carter commuted his original 20-year sentence to eight. Liddy later went on to host a radio show and hold an acting career. He is survived by his sister Margaret McDermott, and his five adult children: Thomas, Alexandra Liddy Bourne, Grace Liddy, James Liddy, and Raymond Liddy. The Watergate break-in became the ostensible reason for Nixon's political downfall, and in the days following the arrests Nixon would be the architect of a series of schemes to insulate the White House from responsibility for the bungled political espionage plot.

“U.S. Pledges Nearly $600 Million in Aid to Syria” by WSJ’s Jessica Donati – The U.S. on Tuesday said it would provide almost $600 million in humanitarian assistance to Syria aimed at helping the millions of refugees in neighboring countries as well as the Syrian population. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield announced the aid at a U.N. conference on Syria’s future. It comes as the war passes its 10th year and remains one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. A U.N.-coordinated effort is seeking some $4.2 billion to help Syrians inside the country and $5.8 billion for countries hosting refugees. The U.S.’s announcement marked a break from the Trump administration’s repeated efforts to cut aid to Syria, part of its broad effort to slash U.S. foreign-assistance funding. Congress opposed those efforts. Despite former President Trump’s opposition to foreign aid, U.S. assistance to Syria remained steady through the Trump administration, and even rose slightly in 2020, according to U.S. foreign-assistance data. While the U.N. is seeking pledges for Syrian assistance, it faces a challenge delivering aid to the Syrian population. Just one cross-border route remains open, limiting the U.N.’s reach. As an added concern, the cross-border route has to be reauthorized through a U.N. mechanism each year and has become the focus of a contest between the U.S. and Russia. Moscow backs the Assad regime in the capital Damascus, while the U.S. is supporting opposition groups in the northeast.

“U.S. Home Prices Rise at Fastest Pace in 15 Years” by WSJ’s Nicole Friedman – U.S. home prices are rising at the fastest pace in 15 years, reflecting how fiercely buyers are competing for a limited supply of homes in nearly every corner of the country. From small cities like Bridgeport, Conn., to large ones like Seattle, prices have been steadily moving higher. Two closely-watched house-price indicators released Tuesday posted double-digit national price growth, demonstrating the widespread strength of the market. A number of forces have merged to fuel the red hot housing market, including mortgage rates dropping below 3% in July for the first time ever. Millions of millennials are aging into their prime-homebuying years in their 30s. New-home construction has lagged behind demand and homeowners are holding on to their houses longer. The coronavirus pandemic has turbocharged this demand. Many Americans sought homes with more space to work remotely during Covid-19, or felt freed to move farther from their offices. At the same time, the pandemic worsened the already severe shortage of homes for sale. Low interest rates prompted more homeowners to refinance and stay put instead of moving. Others delayed their moves due to concern about virus exposure, according to real-estate agents. Even as home builders have ramped up the pace of new construction in an effort to keep up with demand, they are limited by rising material costs and shortages of land and labor.

“White House Briefs Lawmakers on $2 Trillion Infrastructure Plan” by WSJ’s Andrew Restuccia and Andrew Deuhren – The White House briefed lawmakers on a roughly $2 trillion infrastructure plan that also calls for raising taxes on companies, according to people familiar with the matter, ahead of President Biden’s announcement of the proposal. The infrastructure package is the first of a two-part program aimed at reshaping the country’s economic policy and competing with China. Mr. Biden is expected to outline the first section, including plans to spend billions on roads, bridges and broadband, in a Wednesday afternoon speech in Pittsburgh, where he kicked off his presidential campaign. White House officials said in a briefing with lawmakers on Capitol Hill on Tuesday that the plan would provide for roughly $2 trillion in infrastructure investments over eight years, according to people familiar with the meeting. Tax increases such as raising the corporate tax rate to 28% from 21% and increasing taxes on companies’ foreign earnings would cover the cost of much of the package over 15 years, one of the people said. The person also said that the infrastructure spending was split into several buckets, including transportation funding for electric vehicles, highways and public transit. The bill will also include funding for upgrading the electrical grid, improving water systems, expanding access to broadband internet and research efforts on semiconductors, among other measures. The White House, which didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment, said this week that Mr. Biden would propose a plan to pay for his infrastructure proposal.

“Russia suspected of stealing thousands of State Department emails” by Politico’s Betsy Woodruff Swan and Natasha Bertand – Suspected Russian hackers stole thousands of State Department officials’ emails last year, according to two Congressional sources familiar with the intrusion, in the second known Kremlin-backed breach on the department’s email server in under a decade. The hackers accessed emails in the department’s Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs and Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, the congressional sources said. It does not appear at this point that the classified network was accessed, a third official said. It is not clear whether the theft of State Department emails was part of the SolarWinds espionage campaign, in which Russian hackers burrowed into federal and private sector networks by exploiting a piece of software — developed by the IT company SolarWinds — that is used across the government and private sector. The State Department used SolarWinds software and was exposed in that breach, according to The Washington Post. This specific incident has not been previously reported. In response to questions about the hack, a State Department spokesperson said in a statement that “the Department takes seriously its responsibility to safeguard its information and continuously takes steps to ensure information is protected. For security reasons, we are not in a position to discuss the nature or scope of any alleged cybersecurity incidents at this time.” Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology Anne Neuberger said in a statement that the White House is “not commenting on specific agencies.”