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On February 15, 2019, a national emergency was declared concerning the southern border of the United States to tackle issues related to border security and a humanitarian crisis. The ongoing situation continues to pose threats to national security, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To address these challenges, the national emergency has been extended for another year beyond February 15, 2021. This extension will allow further measures to control unlawful migration and the flow of narcotics and criminals across the border.

The Secretary of Homeland Security has decided to continue temporary travel restrictions at land ports of entry between the United States and Mexico due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These restrictions limit travel to "essential travel" only, which includes returning U.S. citizens, medical travel, educational travel, work-related travel, and certain other categories. The goal is to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 and protect public health. These limitations do not affect air, freight rail, or sea travel but do apply to passenger rail and ferry travel, and they will be in effect from January 22, 2021, to February 21, 2021.

The executive order signed by the President aims to strengthen Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) by making healthcare more accessible and affordable. It directs health officials to review existing policies and remove barriers that make it difficult for people to get health coverage. The order also revokes previous executive orders that minimized the ACA's impact and promotes a special enrollment period due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, it requires agencies to consider revising or canceling actions that do not align with this new healthcare policy.

This Executive Order, issued by President Biden, focuses on ensuring the safe reopening and ongoing operation of schools and early childhood education providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. It emphasizes the importance of providing high-quality education in a safe environment and highlights the federal government's role in achieving this goal. The order assigns responsibilities to the Secretaries of Education and Health and Human Services to provide guidance, technical support, and necessary resources for safe in-person learning and to address the educational disparities exacerbated by the pandemic. Moreover, it encourages increased connectivity for students lacking reliable internet access to support remote learning when needed.

The Department of Commerce, through the U.S. Census Bureau, intends to revise the Household Pulse Survey, which gathers information on household experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. These revisions will involve removing questions that have become less useful and adding new ones on topics like disability, child health access, telehealth, and childcare, based on previous public comments and consultations with other federal agencies. The survey, approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), will maintain the same level of public burden and is expected to start collecting data with the revised questions around March 1, 2021. The general public is invited to comment on these revisions within 30 days of the notice's publication.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has announced that the BOX Exchange LLC filed a proposed rule change to extend the period that certain individuals can act as principals without having passed applicable qualification exams. This change is in response to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which have made it difficult for candidates to take these exams. The proposal allows those acting as principals since before January 1, 2021, to continue in their roles until April 30, 2021, without completing the exams. This temporary rule aligns with similar measures by other self-regulatory organizations and aims to maintain operational stability during the pandemic while ensuring investor protection.

President Joe Biden issued Proclamation 10140 declaring January 20, 2021, as a National Day of Unity. This proclamation emphasizes the importance of unity to address significant challenges facing the nation, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, economic recovery, racial justice, and the climate crisis. President Biden urges Americans to come together and work towards rebuilding democracy with decency, dignity, love, and healing. This proclamation marks the beginning of his presidency, highlighting his commitment to being a leader for all Americans.

The Postal Service issued a document in the Federal Register on February 1, 2021, about the Outbound Commercial Provider Initiative (OCPI) program. This new document updates the expected start date of the OCPI program and clarifies that certain products like FCMI letters and Flats, Military Mail, IPA, ISAL, and CeP are not covered by this program. Additionally, the Postal Service is inviting comments via email due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, and all comments will become part of the public record. The information has been corrected in the sections regarding the implementation date and the scope of the OCPI program.

The Miami International Securities Exchange, LLC, known as MIAX Options, has proposed a rule change approved by the Securities and Exchange Commission due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The change temporarily extends the period from 120 days to April 30, 2021, for registered individuals to function as principals without passing a qualification exam. This extension applies only to those designated before January 1, 2021, in response to challenges like limited capacity at test centers and operational disruptions from the pandemic. The goal is to maintain the operation of firms while easing the burden on individuals affected by testing limitations.

The National Credit Union Administration is holding an open public meeting via live webcast due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The meeting is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, February 18, 2021. During the meeting, the agenda includes a briefing on the Share Insurance Fund Quarterly Report, a discussion of rules concerning Joint Ownership Share Accounts, and a briefing about the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021's Emergency Capital Investment Program. For more information, contact Melane Conyers-Ausbrooks, the Secretary of the Board, at the provided phone number.