1/ Biden invoked the Defense Production Act to boost the domestic production of solar panels and their parts in an effort to shift the country toward clean energy. Biden also declared a 24-month tariff exemption for solar panels from four Southeast Asian nations after an investigation froze imports. The Commerce Department’s inquiry into possible trade violations involving Chinese solar panel- and cell-makers had cut solar installation forecasts nearly in half. In 2020, 89% of the solar panels used in the U.S. were imported. Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden invoked the Defense Production act “to make sure that he’s delivering for the American people.” (NPR / Associated Press / New York Times / NBC News / Reuters / Washington Post / CNN)

2/ Biden is expected to decide in July or August whether to partially forgive student-loan debt for 40 million borrowers who owe about $1.6 trillion. Earlier this year, Biden extended the pandemic-related pause in federal student loan payments through the end of August. Officials say Biden is likely to announce his plans closer to when the pause is scheduled to lapse. (Wall Street Journal)

3/ The U.S. has wasted 82.1 million Covid-19 vaccine doses – just over 11% of the doses the federal government distributed. CVS and Walmart were responsible for over a quarter of the doses thrown away. (NBC News / Axios)

4/ Pence’s chief of staff reportedly warned the Secret Service on Jan 5th that Trump was going to publicly turn against the vice president, and there could be a security risk because of it. It is unclear what the agent, Tim Giebels, did with Marc Short’s message. The next day, however, more than 2,000 pro-Trump rioters stormed the Capitol, with some chanting “Hang Mike Pence.” (New York Times / Axios)

5/ The Justice Department charged the former top leader of the Proud Boys extremist group and four other members with seditious conspiracy for their role in the Jan. 6 insurrection. The men were previously charged in a March indictment with conspiring to obstruct the certification of the 2020 presidential election, and the sedition charges add to the Justice Department’s allegations of an organized plot to use force to either to overthrow the government or to interfere with the execution of federal law. The Justice Department previously charged 11 members of the Oath Keepers and their leader Stewart Rhodes in January 2022 with similar seditious conspiracy charges. (Associated Pre...