Biden news - live: Trump Jr deposed over inaugural funds as White House defends migrant camp after AOC attack

China’s commerce minister has appealed to Washington for “joint efforts” to revive trade but gave no indication when tariff war talks might resume or whether Beijing might offer concessions.

“Co-operation is the only correct choice,” Wang Wentao said at a news conference.

US President Joe Biden has yet to announce a strategy for dealing with Beijing but is widely expected to renew pressure on trade and technology complaints that prompted his predecessor, Donald Trump, to raise taxes on Chinese imports.

Mr Wang said he looked forward to “joint efforts” to “push bilateral economic and trade relations back to the track of co-operation”.

He noted that President Xi Jinping talked with Mr Biden by phone on February 11 but gave no indication when negotiations might resume.

AP

A Trump-appointed federal judge has indefinitely blocked President Joe Biden’s 100-day moratorium on most deportations.

District Court Drew Tipton in Houston issued a preliminary injunction put forward by the state of Texas, preserving the status quo before a final judgement can be made, writes The Independent’s Gustaf Kilander.

The Biden administration has announced it will be sending more than 25 million “American-made” masks to food banks and community health sites in an effort to reach the country’s most vulnerable.

Joe Biden had originally discussed sending masks to all Americans, but instead chose to focus on sending masks to 1,300 community health sites and 60,000 food pantries and soup kitchens.

"Many low-income Americans still lack affordable access to this basic protection," White House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients said during a press briefing on Wednesday.

The Independent’s Danielle Zoellner has the breaking news from today’s White House Covid briefing.

The Biden administration will begin shipping the new doses of coronavirus vaccine to the states as soon as next week, the White House said.

Covid response coordinator Jeff Zients told Hill reporters on Wednesday that they were “ready to roll out this vaccine without delay” if it receives authorization by the Food and Drug Administration this weekend.

The FDA is scheduled to meet on Friday to discuss the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which the company aims to have 20 million doses of by the end of March.

As the Biden administration comes under sustained fire for re-opening migrant camps for kids on the Mexico border, the conditions in Central American countries only continue to worsen due to worldwide Covid lockdowns.

The Covid-induced economic crisis has contributed to 8 million left chronically hungry in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.

The Independent’s Louise Hall has more, including on how climate change is contributing to the “emergency” level of food insecurity.

Press secretary Jen Psaki has entered the building.

Peter Harrell, Senior Director for International Economics and Competitiveness, says the president’s executive order to be signed later today will cover computer chips, large capacity batteries, pharmaceuticals and critical minerals.

“Last year in the early months of the pandemic, frontline healthcare workers couldn’t find the masks, gloves and PPE that they needed to keep themselves safe,” he says.

“Our supply chain should not be vulnerable to manipulation by competitor nations.”

Asked if the Senate’s delay in a confirmation quote for Biden’s nominee for OMB, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said they were committed to fighting for Tanden.

I wouldn’t put it in those terms, we are committed to continuing to fight for all of our nominees,”

“It’s a numbers game, right, it’s a matter of getting one Republican to support her nomination. We’re continuing to do that outreach,” she added.

Psaki wouldn’t say if Tanden has offered to withdraw.

USPS Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said there was "no path to totally eliminating" the United States' Postal Services' annual financial losses during a meeting of the House Oversight Committee.

“Our dire financial trajectory, operational and network misalignment to mail trends, outdated pricing, infrastructure underinvestment, inadequate people engagement, and an insufficient growth strategy – all demand immediate action,” Mr DeJoy said.

Mr DeJoy addressed the committee on Wednesday, where provisions of the Postal Service Reform Act were being discussed, specifically the USPS's mandate to pre-fund retirement of its workers up to 75 years in advance.

Graig Graziosi reports.

The former vice has been calling Donald Trump “often” to maintain their personal friendship, says GOP rep Jim Banks.

The Indiana Republican told CNN that a group of conservative lawmakers met with Mike Pence on Tuesday, where they discussed his plans for launching a political action group.

"He spoke very favourably about his relationship with President Trump," Banks told CNN. "I got the sense they speak often and maintain the same personal friendship and relationship now that they have for four years."

Pence had no ill will over the 6 January riot and that it never came up in conversations, Banks said. The PAC would defend the Trump-Pence record.