Biden warns gas stations not to price gouge: "That's not who we are"
13 May 2021
President Biden on Thursday warned gas companies to not price gouge amid major shortages following the Colonial Pipeline cyberattack.
The big picture: Biden added that the FBI does not believe the Russian government is behind the attack, but they do know that those responsible "are living in Russia."
- The president noted that the Justice Department launched a new task force that will specifically prosecute ransomware hackers "to the full extent of the law."
- Biden on late Wednesday signed an executive order in an attempt to bolster the country's cybersecurity defenses following the cyberattack.
What he's saying: "I'm going to work with governor's the affected states to put a stop price gouging wherever it arises and asking our federal agencies to stand ready to provide assistance to state level efforts to monitor address any price gouging," Biden said.
- "Nobody should be using this situation for financial gain. That's what the hackers are trying to do. That's what they are about, not us," he added.
- Biden also said that people should avoid getting "more gas than you need the next few days" because "panic buying will only slow the process," as it will likely take a few days for the pipeline to return to normal operations.
Context: "Reports of price gouging have circulated in states most impacted by the closure of the 5,500-mile Colonial Pipeline. The pipeline runs from Texas to New Jersey, transporting more than 100 million gallons of fuel per day along the US Southeast," the Independent writes.
Go deeper:
Transcripts show George Floyd told police "I can't breathe" over 20 times
Section2Newly released transcripts of bodycam footage from the Minneapolis Police Department show that George Floyd told officers he could not breathe more than 20 times in the moments leading up to his death.
Why it matters: Floyd's killing sparked a national wave of Black Lives Matter protests and an ongoing reckoning over systemic racism in the United States. The transcripts "offer one the most thorough and dramatic accounts" before Floyd's death, The New York Times writes.
The state of play: The transcripts were released as former officer Thomas Lane seeks to have the charges that he aided in Floyd's death thrown out in court, per the Times. He is one of four officers who have been charged.
- The filings also include a 60-page transcript of an interview with Lane. He said he "felt maybe that something was going on" when asked if he believed that Floyd was having a medical emergency at the time.
What the transcripts say:
- Floyd told the officers he was claustrophobic as they tried to get him into the squad car.
- The transcripts also show Floyd saying, "Momma, I love you. Tell my kids I love them. I'm dead."
- Former officer Derek Chauvin, who had his knee on Floyd's neck for over eight minutes, told Floyd, "Then stop talking, stop yelling, it takes a heck of a lot of oxygen to talk."
Read the transcripts via DocumentCloud.