1. Health: New analysis supports Paxlovid use — Superbugs are a "second punch" after pandemic — Some racial groups saw steeper life expectancy drops, CDC data shows.
2. Vaccines: Experts alarmed by COVID vaccination rates among America's youngest kids — Why we need to be talking about vaccines that offer "mucosal immunity" — Top health officials say COVID vaccines will likely become annual.
3. Politics: "Biden clarifies comments declaring "pandemic over."
4. States: New York City ends its vaccine mandate for private businesses.
5. Economy: Rural hospitals face funding cliff with $600 million on the line — End of government purchases may make COVID drugs less lucrative — Commercializing COVID likely means more out-of-pocket costs.
6. World: Pfizer to supply 6 million Paxlovid treatments to Global Fund.
7. Deep dive: The Long COVID crisis.
8. Variant tracker

Cases:

1. Global: Total confirmed cases as of 9:30 p.m. ET on Thursday: 613,998,185 — Total deaths: 6,533,735 — Total vaccine doses administered: 12,248,814,889
2. U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 9:30 p.m. ET on Thursday: 95,968,341 — Total deaths: 1,055,912

What should I do? Axios asked the experts:

• When you can be around others after contracting the coronavirus
• Traveling, asthma, dishes, disinfectants and being contagious
• Masks, lending books and self-isolating
• Exercise, laundry, what counts as soap
• Pets, moving and personal health
• Answers about the virus from Axios experts
• What to know about social distancing
• How to minimize your risk

Other resources:

• What to do if you get it
• The right mask to wear

Download our app and follow the Coronavirus channel to get the latest news.

Editor's note: Johns Hopkins University stopped reporting U.S. COVID-19 recoveries on its dashboard on Dec. 15, citing a Coronavirus Tracking Project post that explained the national data is incomplete since several states do not keep records of recovered patients. It stopped reporting global recoveries and began reporting doses administered in May.

President Biden will deliver a robust defense of America’s own democracy, and the broader power of democracies to face autocratic threats from China and Russia, during a virtual address Friday to the Munich Security Conference.

Why it matters: Biden is seeking to repair the transatlantic alliance after four years of President Trump, who harangued allies about their defense spending and questioned America’s commitment to NATO.

An administration official who briefed reporters said the new U.S. president is trying to reassure allies and adversaries America is committed to global alliances. Using a signature line, he'll also say it’s never safe to “bet against America,” the official said.

• Biden will be making his case after America’s democracy was shaken at home by the assault on the Capitol on Jan. 6, with many in his audience wondering if Trump was a populist, nationalist aberration or sign of things to come in the U.S.

The big picture: The conference convenes a national security who's who. Biden made numerous appearances as a senator and three as vice president.

• During another amid Trump’s presidency, he vowed, “We’ll be back. We’ll be back.”
• He received a standing ovation for that promise two years ago, speaking after then-Vice President Mike Pence articulated Trump’s "America-First" vision for the country and world.

Go deeper: During his speech, to be delivered late Friday morning from the East Room, Biden also will address Iran’s nuclear program, the economic and national security challenges posed by China and the nearly two-decade war in Afghanistan, the official said.

• Biden won’t get into a specific timetable for negotiations with Iran but generally express an openness to reengaging in diplomacy to bring Iran back into compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal.
• He will specifically single out Russia for its efforts to attempt to discredit and destabilize democracies.

Between the lines: Biden will participate earlier Friday morning in a virtual G-7 summit, where countries are expected to pledge to work together to combat COVID.

• They also are expected to agree to pursue expansionary fiscal policies that will help the global economy avoid a prolonged contraction.
• As of Friday, the U.S. will officially be a party to the Paris climate accord again, the administration official said. Trump withdrew the U.S. from the agreement in 2017.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had to wait a month for a call from President Biden, and while Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman got a call Thursday, it came not from Biden but from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

The big picture: Biden, Austin, Secretary of State Tony Blinken, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and national security adviser Jake Sullivan have together called officials from at least 43 countries, with Blinken alone calling 39 (there’s considerable overlap between their call lists).

• The administration’s first calls generally went to America’s neighbors, Canada and Mexico, followed by the U.K., France, Germany as well as leaders from the EU and NATO.
• Major U.S. partners in the Pacific (Australia, India, Japan and South Korea) have also taken priority, while Biden and Blinken have both spoken with their “great power” counterparts in China and Russia.
• Biden’s 12th and most recent call went to Netanyahu, but he otherwise hasn’t spoken with any U.S. partners in the Middle East. And while Blinken has spoken with officials in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, there has yet to be a single call announced with Egypt.

Between the lines: While Netanyahu had to wait a few weeks for a call, Blinken, Austin and Sullivan all held early calls with their Israeli counterparts. If any longtime U.S. partner should be wary of a “snub,” it’s probably the Egyptians.

• The Biden administration has already raised concerns about human rights abuses by the Egyptian government, in a clear break from Trump’s “my favorite dictator” approach to Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. However, the State Department still approved a big arms deal with Egypt this week.

Why it matters: The calls give some sense of Biden’s early priorities.

• Excluding Israel, there have been fewer calls to the Middle East (seven total to Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE) than to Southeast Asia (eight calls to Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam).
• The administration’s focus on the Indo-Pacific was further underlined by Blinken’s participation Thursday in discussions with his counterparts from the “Quad” strategic dialogue: Australia, India and Japan.
• Blinken also met virtually Thursday with officials from France, Germany and the U.K. to discuss issues including Iran, the administration’s one genuine priority in the Middle East.

Worth noting: There have been relatively few calls thus far to Latin America or Africa. Leaders in both regions are hoping for more attention from Biden than they received from Trump.

What to watch: Biden will address the Munich Security Conference on Friday and also take part in the virtual G7 summit, two of his first “international” engagements as president.

The U.S. is committing $2 billion for the global COVAX vaccine initiative within days (using funds already allocated by Congress), plus an additional $2 billion over the next two years, the White House announced ahead of Friday's virtual G7 summit.

Why it matters: Senior administration officials told reporters Thursday evening that they'll use those commitments to "call on G7 partners Friday both to make good on the pledges that are already out there" and to make further investments in global vaccine manufacturing and distribution.

Yes, but: The discussion around COVID-19 aid is beginning to shift from dollars to doses. French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that it's time for Europe and the U.S. to begin supplying developing countries with COVID-19 vaccines.

The state of play: The U.S. has purchased 1.2 billion doses — enough to fully vaccinate every American adult 2.5 times over, assuming additional vaccines like Johnson & Johnson's are approved.

• The situation is similar in other rich countries. Doses remain scarce for now, but supply will eventually far outstrip demand.

What they're saying: Macron told the FT that the U.S. and EU should begin sharing before that happens, sending 3–5% of all available doses to poor countries in parallel with the domestic rollout. He said the proposal already had German Chancellor Angela Merkel's support, and he hoped to convince Biden as well.

• “We are allowing the idea to take hold that hundreds of millions of vaccines are being given in rich countries and that we are not starting in poor countries,” Macron said.
• That "unprecedented acceleration of global inequality" was paving the way for "a war of influence over vaccines," Macron said, and playing into the hands of Russia and China, which are exporting state-funded vaccines around the world.

The other side: The White House said on Thursday's briefing call that the administration planned to turn to donations only after all U.S. demand was met.

• "When we have a sufficient supply, it is our intention to consider donating surplus vaccines," one senior official said.
• Asked about Macron's comments and the timeline on donations, another official said, "There are a lot of options on the table, but I don't think we should get locked down in what we might do once the U.S. population is vaccinated."

Go deeper: America’s extra vaccine doses could be key to global supply

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin called Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Thursday to reaffirm the "strategic defense partnership" between the two nations and discuss recent changes to U.S. policy on Yemen, the Pentagon said.

Why it matters: The call comes just days after the White House said it would "recalibrate" its relationship with Saudi Arabia, and return to "counterpart to counterpart" engagement, with President Biden's counterpart being King Salman, not MBS.

• White House press secretary Jen Psaki's comments were widely seen as a snub to the crown prince, who is considered by many as the de facto leader of Saudi Arabia.

The big picture: Since taking office, the Biden administration has announced the end to U.S. support for the Saudi-led coalition's offensive operations in Yemen, reversed the Trump administration's decision to designate Yemen’s Houthi rebels as a terror group, and paused an arms deal with the kingdom.

• The Biden administration is also set to release a U.S. intelligence report that concluded that MBS ordered the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, per the Washington Post.
• Yes, but: Axios' Barak Ravid reported last week that "the Saudi government was sending signals that it's ready to cooperate on Yemen and make improvements on human rights in an effort to avoid a crisis with Biden."

What they're saying: "The Secretary condemned the recent Houthi cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabia and expressed his commitment to assisting Saudi Arabia in the defense of its borders," the Pentagon said in a readout of the call between Austin and MBS.

• "Secretary Austin reiterated recent changes in U.S. policy toward the Saudi-led Coalition in Yemen, discussed the importance of ending the war, and thanked the Crown Prince for Saudi Arabia’s commitment to a political settlement," it added.
• Austin "underscored Saudi Arabia’s role as a pillar of the regional security architecture in the Middle East and the importance of sharing the responsibility of regional security and stability. "
• "Secretary Austin noted US and Saudi shared commitment to countering Iran’s destabilizing activities and defeating violent extremist organizations in the region."

Go deeper: Saudi Arabia moves to ease tensions with Biden on Yemen, human rights

Secretary of State Antony Blinken told his counterparts from the E3 — France, Germany and the U.K. — in a video conference on Thursday that the U.S. is prepared to engage in discussions with Iran in an attempt to reach an agreement on returning to full compliance of the 2015 nuclear deal, according to a joint readout of the call.

Why it matters: The U.S. and Iran still haven't engaged in direct talks since President Biden assumed office. Both sides are exchanging public messages demanding the other take the first step to move forward with the nuclear deal.

• This was the second video conference call between Blinken and his counterparts in recent weeks. The goal of the consultations is to coordinate positions on Iran and discuss ways to reengage on the nuclear deal.

What they're saying: According to the joint statement, the U.S. and the E3 stressed that Iran must return to full compliance with its commitments under the nuclear deal. Blinken reiterated that if Iran resumes strict compliance with its commitments, the U.S. will do the same.

• Blinken and his counterparts called on Iran not to move forward with its plan to stop implementing the “additional protocol” of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty starting Feb. 23, that would see Iran curtail its cooperation with UN inspectors, suspending their ability to conduct unannounced visits to nuclear sites.
• "The E3 and the United States are united in underlining the dangerous nature of a decision to limit IAEA access, and urge Iran to consider the consequences of such grave action, particularly at this time of renewed diplomatic opportunity," the statement read.
• In their statement, Blinken and his counterparts also expressed concern over Iran's production of both 20% enriched uranium and uranium metal — both violations of the nuclear deal and steps toward the development of nuclear weapons.
• Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif pushed back on the joint statement by the U.S. and the E3, saying, "Instead of putting onus on Iran, they must abide by own commitments and demand an end to Trump's legacy of economic terrorism against Iran."

What’s next: During the call, Blinken and the European leadership agreed to hold future consultations on Iran with the foreign ministers of Russia and China.

• They recognize the role of the High Representative of the European Union Josep Borrell as coordinator of the nuclear deal joint commission.  

Russia has brokered an unusual prisoner swap that saw Syria release an Israeli woman who crossed into the country on Thursday, Israeli officials say.

The big picture: The two weeks leading up to the deal involved a call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the capture of two Syrian shepherds by Israel as bargaining chips, and the refusal of a Syrian prisoner to leave prison as part of the deal.

The backstory: An Israeli woman in her 20s crossed into Syria two weeks ago via the Golan Heights, entered a village and began speaking with local people.

• Someone apparently alerted the Syrian military that an Israeli had wandered into the village, because she was arrested and taken for questioning by Syrian intelligence officers.
• The Syrians initially suspected that she was a spy, as did Israeli officials who heard an Israeli woman had been captured. But it soon became clear that she was a civilian.
• The Syrians notified Russian forces in Syria, who informed the Israelis of the full situation. At that point the Israelis made clear that they viewed this as a humanitarian issue and asked the Russians to facilitate a deal.

The Syrians quickly agreed to the idea of a prisoner exchange, but the process was dragged out over two weeks due to a series of complications.

• The Russians initially tried to broaden the discussions, asking Israel to restrain its airstrikes in Syria on the grounds that they make it more difficult to transport humanitarian aid. In addition to Netanyahu's call with Putin, the Israeli defense and foreign ministers also spoke to their Russian counterparts.
• A deal was eventually reached: Israel would release two Syrians convicted of terrorism-related offenses.
• On Wednesday, Israeli national security adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat traveled to Moscow, where the Israeli woman had already been taken. An Israeli doctor deemed her in good health and ready to travel.

But then there was a snag. One of the prisoners said he would rather remain in an Israeli prison for the 14 years left in his term than be deported to Syria, the Israeli officials say.

• However, Israeli soldiers had already been sent to the buffer zone between Israel and Syria in search of bargaining chips. They had waited for two shepherds to cross into an Israeli enclave and captured them.
• Syria ultimately agreed to swap the Israeli woman for the shepherds. They were released on Thursday, and a jet departed from Israel to bring the woman home.

Behind the scenes: The incident was kept under a strict gag order for the past two weeks due to concerns that any press reports could sabotage the deal.

• On Tuesday, the Israeli Cabinet convened urgently under a veil of secrecy. The ministers themselves didn’t know what it was about until they arrived at the Prime Minister’s office and were asked to sign nondisclosure forms.
• The Israeli military censor banned Israeli media from reporting any details about the Cabinet meeting beyond the fact that it took place, leading to speculation across the country about what had happened.

Between the lines: It's still unclear what led the Israeli citizen to cross the border.

• Israeli officials say she had studied Arabic and was previously stopped trying to cross the border fence into Gaza.
• “She seems like a person in need of adventure," an Israeli official told me.

What's next: She's expected to be interrogated by Israeli security services upon her return to assess why she traveled to Syria.

The world's debt-to-GDP ratio rose to 356% in 2020, a new report from the Institute of International Finance finds, up 35 percentage points from where it stood in 2019, as countries saw their economies shrink and issued an ocean of debt to stay afloat.

Why it matters: The increase brings numerous countries, including the U.S., to extreme debt levels, well beyond what economists have called untenable in the past.

• Nonfinancial private sector debt alone now makes up 165% of the entire world's economic output.

What they're saying: "The upswing was well beyond the rise seen during the 2008 global financial crisis," IIF economists said in the report.

• "Back in 2008 and 2009, the increase in global debt ratio was limited to 10 percentage points and 15 percentage points, respectively."

By the numbers: Global debt increased to $281 trillion last year, with total private and public sector debt rising by $24 trillion in the 61 countries IIF follows.

• That rise accounts for more than a quarter of the $88 trillion increase in debt that has been accumulated over the past decade.
• Government debt accounts for 105% of global GDP, up from 88% in 2019, rising by $12 trillion in 2020 or nearly triple its $4.3 trillion increase in 2019.
• Debt in the financial sector rose by more than 5 percentage points to 86% of GDP in 2020. This was the largest increase since 2007 and the first annual increase since 2016.

Why the debt matters: While worries about significantly pushing up inflation and borrowing costs have not come to pass, slow growth and diminishing returns have, and the world's already high debt levels look to be inhibiting economic growth and threaten to hold back a full recovery from the pandemic in the long run.

• Further, almost all of the debt issued in 2020 was to deal with present circumstances rather than to invest in forward-looking projects or growth, making future investments in such projects more difficult and potentially more costly.

Where it stands: The CBO projected U.S. GDP growth over the next 10 years will be largely below 2% (with the notable exclusion of 2021), and that annual budget deficits will increase.

• The federal debt is set to exceed the size of the economy this year for only the second time since the end of World War II and grow to 107% of GDP by 2031.
• That projection was made without including President Biden's proposed $1.9 trillion stimulus package.

The U.K. plans to intentionally infect healthy volunteers with the coronavirus in the world's first "human challenge trial," the goal being to enhance understanding of the virus, the Washington Post reports.

Why it matters: The effort is controversial, but the government says the study will help with developing new treatments and vaccines for the virus.

Details: The government-funded effort will, in the first stage, expose up to 90 young adults to the coronavirus "in a safe and controlled environment" to evaluate the amount of virus needed to cause infection.

• The government hopes in later stages to quickly study vaccines and be able to compare them against one another.

What they're saying: Some experts question whether such a study is necessary, given the existence of highly-effective vaccines.

• But others say that new vaccines will continue to be developed, and will need to be tested.
• The human challenge trials could "give ourselves the potential to test new vaccines very quickly, and that’s really the primary purpose of this effort," Robert Read, a professor of infectious diseases at the University of Southampton, told the Post.

Indonesia's government has made COVID-19 vaccines mandatory for anyone who's eligible and warned of punishments for those who refuse, as authorities move to curb Southeast Asia’s largest coronavirus outbreak, Bloomberg reported Thursday.

The big picture: Sanctions include fines and social assistance program delays. Local authorities will decide on penalties. The government is providing the vaccines for free. Over 1.2 million Indonesians have tested positive for the virus, per Johns Hopkins.

All New Zealand schools will from June provide students with access to free menstrual products following a successful trial, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Thursday.

Why it matters: It's the latest sign a global push to stamp out period poverty by providing menstrual products at no cost or tax-free is gaining momentum.

• While NZ is one of the world's wealthiest nations, it's an expensive place to live and there's a housing shortage crisis.

Driving the news: A 2020 report by the charity KidsCan found up to 20,000 Kiwi students struggled to afford period products.

• There was concern that some students were avoiding attending class because they couldn't afford menstrual items.
• "Young people should not miss out on their education because of something that is a normal part of life for half the population," Ardern said in a statement.
• The schools scheme is expected to cost nearly US$18 million over three years.

Go deeper: Scotland becomes first nation to make period products free

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin signaled a new era of cooperation during a NATO meeting Wednesday while warning of the threat from "strategic competitors," per a news conference with Pentagon press secretary John Kirby.

Why it matters: Austin's first meeting with NATO defense ministers marks a clear shift from the previous administration. Relations with European allies became so strained under former President Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron referred to NATO as "brain dead."

• It's clear from the message that NATO leaders should become more concerned about the threat posed by not only China, but also Russia, which enjoyed friendlier relations under Trump, per CNN.

What they're saying: Austin reaffirmed President Biden's message that the U.S. "intends to revitalize our relationship with the alliance," Kirby said.

• "Secretary Austin emphasized that NATO's most important task is protecting our populations and territories by presenting credible deterrence and a strong military."

The big picture: In the first of the two-day virtual meeting, the defense chiefs examined proposals including strengthening allied commitment to deterrence and defense by providing incentives to contribute more capabilities and ensure fairer burden sharing, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said in Brussels, per a statement.

President Joe Biden spoke on the phone today with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, one month after taking office.

Why it matters: In recent weeks, the White House faced questions over Biden’s decision to call the leaders of a dozen allies and world powers before calling Netanyahu. 

The White House denied that Biden was snubbing Netanyahu and said Biden hadn’t called as many leaders as he would have liked because of other pressing issues.

• On Tuesday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Netanyahu would be the first Middle Eastern leader to get a call from Biden.
• Netanyahu has faced many questions himself on the delayed call and attempted to downplay the issue. 

Driving the news: Netanyahu’s office said the leaders spoke for an hour and had a friendly and warm conversation. 

• They discussed Iran, the Abraham Accords and COVID-19, the statement said.

Khartoum — After several months of political wrangling, Sudanese Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has unveiled his new Cabinet.

Why it matters: The Sudanese government is facing a deepening economic crisis that is fueling street protests and criticism from political allies.

• Sudan is also in a de facto state of war with Ethiopia on its southeastern border that is showing no signs of abating.
• Then there is the contentious issue of normalization with Israel, which seems to be moving forward gradually.

Driving the news: The much-anticipated Cabinet reshuffle saw former rebel leaders becoming ministers, most notably Finance Minister Gibril Ibrahim, who leads Darfur's Justice and Equality Movement.

Who to watch: The new foreign minister is Mariam Sadiq al-Mahdi, the daughter of former Prime Minister and Umma Party leader Sadiq al-Mahdi, who passed away from COVID-19 in the UAE late last year.

• Her father and the party were fierce opponents of the normalization deal with Israel, and Mariam was quoted last year as assailing the prospect of ties with the Jewish state.
• Ironically, Mariam’s grandfather al-Sideeg al-Mahdi was the first Sudanese politician to open direct channels of communications with the Israelis in the 1950s, seeking their help to kick out the Egyptians and secure Sudan’s independence.
• Her comments led to questions about how she'd handle the Israeli dossier as foreign minister.

Yes, but: Sudanese media reported that Hamdok warned the incoming ministers and their parties that they must either agree to adhere to the government's policies, including with respect to Israel, or steer clear of the Cabinet.

• Later, the Umma Party issued a statement affirming that Mariam will comply with the government's position on normalization.

The big picture: Hamdok has effectively ceded the Israel issue to the military wing of Sudan's governing council, led by Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.

• A surprise visit from Israeli Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen last month to meet with Burhan was met with silence from the government.
• Hamdok himself made a curious statement during a press conference to introduce the new Cabinet, saying the legislative assembly would have the final say on normalization with Israel.

What to watch: Sudan promised the Trump administration that it would amend laws related to boycotting Israel and sign an agreement to establish diplomatic relations, but it hasn't yet followed through.

• Blinken spoke on the phone with Hamdok last week. Both sides said the call addressed bilateral relations, the political situation in Sudan and economic cooperation — but neither statement mentioned the normalization process with Israel.

Google on Wednesday said that it finally struck a multiyear deal with News Corp, the largest owner of newspapers by circulation in Australia, to pay for its content.

Why it matters: The deal, along with several others reached between Google and Australian publishers in recent days, will likely allow the tech giant to avoid a sweeping new Australian law that would have forced it and rival Facebook to pay publishers on terms set by third-parties if they were unable to reach agreements themselves.

Details: Google has agreed to pay News Corp an undisclosed amount for content to be featured in a new product called the Google News Showcase.

• Among the News Corp publications joining will be The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, MarketWatch, and the New York Post in the U.S.; The Times and The Sunday Times, and The Sun in the U.K; The Australian, news.com.au, Sky News, and multiple metropolitan and local titles in Australia.
• The 3-year agreement also includes the development of a subscription platform for News Corp outlets, according to a statement, as well as the sharing of ad revenue via Google’s ad technology services, and "the cultivation of audio journalism and meaningful investments in innovative video journalism by YouTube."

Over the past week, Google has struck deals with several Australian publishers, including Nine Entertainment, Junkee Media and Seven West Media.

• Australian lawmakers have said they would avoid passing the law if Google and Facebook reached payment terms with Australian news publishers on their own.
• The law was brought to Parliament for consideration this week.
• If deals like this weren't struck this week, passage would've inevitably happened in coming days, although lawmakers haven't said for certain that the law is 100% off.

Be smart: The deal with News Corp. was the last remaining agreement with a publisher that Google needed in order to really be able to skirt the proposed law.

• News Corp owns about 70% of the Australian newspaper business and is known for having a strong lobbying influence in Australia on this issue.
• “The deal simply would not have been possible without the fervent, unstinting support of Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch, and the News Corp Board," News Corp. CEO Robert Thomson said in a statement. Thomson also thanks Australian lawmakers for standing firm "for their country and for journalism.”

The big picture: What's happening in Australia serves as a litmus test for other countries looking to rein in the power of Big Tech companies globally.

• The law would've made Australia the first country to force both Google and Facebook to pay news publishers for their content or else be subject to hefty fines.
• Both Facebook and Google have said they can't run their businesses as usual if the law takes effect and warn that if Australia passes it as expected, they'll pull some of their services from the country.
• Other countries in Europe and even the U.S., are also considering measures to help even the playing field between tech firms and legacy industries, like newspapers.

These types of global threats have forced tech giants to create new features that steer money to news outlets without having to totally reimagine their businesses.

• Google said last fall it would pay publishers $1 billion for their content to appear in Google News Showcase.
• Facebook has spent millions of dollars paying publishers to be a part of its Facebook News tab. Facebook News launched last week in the U.K.

Go deeper: Tech coughs up money for news as regulatory threats loom

Federal investigators levied new charges Wednesday against three North Korean computer programmers accused of wide-ranging cyberattacks, including the 2014 Sony Pictures hack and schemes to extort more than $1.3 billion of money and cryptocurrency.

The big picture: The charges expand on the FBI's 2018 case on the cyberattacks targeting Sony Pictures and the WannaCry 2.0 ransomware attack.

Driving the news: The Justice Department outlined a range of criminal cyber activities it says were undertaken by operatives working for a North Korean military intelligence agency. The attacks include:

• Cyberattacks on the entertainment industry, including the attack on Sony Pictures in retaliation for the release of "The Interview," a satire that made fun of North Korea's dictatorship.
• Attempts to steal more than $1.2 billion from banks in multiple countries by hacking their computer networks.
• Developing malicious cryptocurrency applications — including Celas Trade Pro, WorldBit-Bot, iCryptoFx, Union Crypto Trader, Kupay Wallet, CoinGo Trade, Dorusio, CryptoNeuro Trader, and Ants2Whale — to give the North Korean hackers backdoors into victims’ computers.

What they're saying: "The scope of these crimes by the North Korean hackers are staggering," said Tracy L. Wilkison, acting U.S. attorney for the central district of California. "The conduct detailed in the indictment are the acts of a criminal nation-state that has stopped at nothing to extract revenge and obtain money to prop up its regime."

Go deeper: North Korea's hackers are robbing banks

Qatar is trying to facilitate a dialogue between the U.S. and Iran, advocating that both sides return to the 2015 nuclear deal and reduce tensions, Qatari officials say.

Why it matters: In 2012 and 2013, it was Oman that facilitated the secret talks between the U.S. and Iran that paved the way to the nuclear deal. It seems the Qataris want to play a similar role.

Driving the news: Qatari Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani spoke last week with U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Iran envoy Rob Malley.

• On Monday, Thani met in Tehran with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif to discuss possible re-engagement with the Biden administration. He also gave Rouhani a letter from the emir of Qatar.

What they're saying: Rouhani told Thani that Iran will fully implement its commitments under the nuclear deal only after the U.S. removes all nuclear-related sanctions imposed by the Trump administration, according to Iranian media.

• Thani told Rouhani he hopes the U.S. will remove sanctions and return to the deal and stressed that Qatar would try to help make that happen.
• It's unclear if the Qatari foreign minister passed on any messages from the Biden administration to Iran.

Between the lines: Unlike in 2012, many in the Biden administration know their Iranian counterparts and how to contact them, so the Qatari facilitation might not be necessary.

What to watch: Iran’s ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency sent a letter this week notifying the IAEA's director general of Iran’s intention to stop implementing the “additional protocol” of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty starting Feb. 23.

• That would see Iran curtail its cooperation with UN inspectors, suspend their ability to conduct unannounced visits to nuclear sites.
• The message to Biden is that the window to save the nuclear deal is closing.

What's next: The director general of the IAEA is expected in Tehran on Saturday.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made great efforts ahead of Israel's March 23 elections to ensure that Jewish supremacists from the Jewish Power party will make it into Israel's parliament, the Knesset.

Why it matters: This move is equivalent to a U.S. president cutting a political deal with David Duke, the former KKK leader. Netanyahu and the ruling Likud party are legitimizing a racist, xenophobic and homophobic fringe party in hopes that their right-wing bloc will reach a 61-seat majority.

Between the lines: With a parliamentary majority, Netanyahu could pass laws aimed at stopping his corruption trial.

Driving the news: Netanyahu was involved in the negotiations to form a new electoral list called “The Religious Zionism,” which combines three radical parties.

• Jewish Power is led by Itamar Ben-Gvir, who was convicted in 2007 of supporting a terror organization and inciting racism. Ben-Gvir is best-known for ripping the Cadillac emblem off of then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin’s car in 1995 and declaring, “We reached Rabin’s car, we will get to Rabin too." Rabin was assassinated later that year.
• The National Union is led by Bezalel Smotrich, who has a history of racist remarks about Israeli Arabs, said the murder of a Palestinian family by Jewish settlers was not terrorism, and organized an anti-gay parade in Jerusalem, which he called “the beast parade." Smotrich is a moderate by the standards of the list.
• Noam is a radical religious party that focuses primarily on opposing LGBT rights.
• To sweeten the deal, Netanyahu saved a spot on the Likud electoral list for a member from Smotrich’s party to ensure their election.

But the most dramatic step happened when Netanyahu’s Likud party signed a “surplus agreement” with the new radical right-wing list.

• In Israel's proportional representation system, such agreements allow parties to combine surplus votes in hopes of gaining an additional seat.
• Thus, Likud voters could effectively hand another seat to the Jewish supremacists.

Flashback: Netanyahu has done this once before. Ahead of the April 2019 elections, he helped form a list that included Jewish Power and two other radical right-wing, pro-settler parties.

• The Supreme Court banned one of Jewish Power’s candidates before the elections, and while the list won enough votes to enter the Knesset, no Jewish Power candidates qualified.
• In 2019, the pro-Israel lobby group AIPAC issued an unusual statement condemning Netanyahu. This time AIPAC hasn't said anything.

The backstory: Jewish Power was formed by the followers of Rabbi Meir Kahane, who was elected to the Knesset in 1984 and proposed laws to strip non-Jews of citizenship and segregate beaches, among other steps.

• His Kach party was boycotted by all other parties in the Knesset, banned from running in Israel's 1988 elections, and later designated a terror organization by Israel, the U.S., Canada and the EU.
• At the time, senior Likud members compared Kahane's policies to the Nuremberg Laws passed by the Nazis before the Holocaust.

What’s next: If the right-wing bloc does win at least 61 seats, Netanyahu will be dependent on the Jewish supremacists to form a coalition.

• Netanyahu said Ben-Gvir will be a member of his coalition but not a minister in the government.

The man holding the Israel-Palestine file at the State Department, Hady Amr, isn't working on a sweeping plan for peace, but on incremental steps to improve the situation on the ground, several Israeli, Palestinian and U.S sources tell me.

Why it matters: American presidents have for decades arrived in office hoping to reach a historic peace deal. President Biden doesn't see that as achievable under the current circumstances.

• With Israel-Palestine far down the priority list at the White House, the issue will be handled mainly by the State Department, where Amr serves as deputy assistant secretary for Israeli-Palestinian affairs (unlike Barack Obama, Biden declined to appoint a special envoy for Middle East peace).
• Secretary of State Tony Blinken has made clear that he doesn't expect a Nobel Peace Prize. Instead, Amr has been tasked with building trust from the bottom up.
• Based on my conversations with a dozen current and former Israeli, Palestinian and U.S. officials, Amr appears to be the embodiment of this more pragmatic approach.

Amr was the "bottom-up" guy during his four years of dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian issue during the Obama administration.

• He worked closely with the Israelis to advance projects like 3G networks for Gaza or sewage systems in the West Bank.
• During the 2014 Gaza War, Amr worked around the clock to redistribute all U.S. assistance to the Palestinians into humanitarian aid for Gaza.
• It fell to Amr to implement policies agreed to at the top level — often between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-Secretary of State John Kerry — in a very difficult political environment.

The backstory: Amr was born in Beirut in 1967 and grew up mostly in New Jersey and Virginia.

• An economist and foreign policy expert, he joined the Department of Defense during the Clinton administration, spent time in the private sector and then joined the Brookings Institution in 2006, founding its Doha Center.
• Amr returned to government during the Obama administration, first at the Department of Homeland Security and then as deputy assistant administrator for the Middle East at the U.S. Agency for International Development.
• In 2013, he was brought in by then-Middle East peace envoy Martin Indyk — also Amr's former boss at Brookings — to work on economic issues relating to the Palestinians. Amr stayed on through the end of Obama's second term.
• He was a foreign policy adviser to Biden's campaign and involved in its outreach to the Arab American community.

What they're saying: Gen. Yoav (Poli) Mordechai, the Israeli government's former coordinator in the West Bank and Gaza, says he found Amr to be a knowledgeable professional who didn't engage in political arguments but rather wanted to get things done.

• Israeli deputy national security adviser Reuven Azar, who was a close interlocutor of Amr's while serving in the Israeli Embassy in Washington, found him to be pragmatic, humane and focused on improving the living conditions of the Palestinians, a source familiar with his thinking says.
• An Israeli official who has spoken to Amr since his appointment describes him as intelligent with a very sober view of what's achievable at the moment.

The other side: Palestinian officials tell me they've been impressed with Amr based on their engagements so far.

• “We would always joke that new American envoy would never know the difference between Sheikh Jarrah and Kafr 'Aqab [two neighborhoods in East Jerusalem]," one Palestinian official said.
• "He knows. We haven’t spoken to the Americans for years and finally there is someone who listens."

The state of play: Amr is developing plans to re-engage with the Palestinian Authority, roll back some of Trump's policies and resume financial aid to the Palestinians, likely beginning with $75 million already allocated by Congress for aid and development projects.

• Those issues are at the top of his to-do list until Israel's election on March 23.
• Amr will have two short-term political challenges: resetting U.S. policy on West Bank settlements without sparking a fight with the Israeli government and drafting a policy on the Palestinian parliamentary elections planned for May 22.
• He has already held calls with officials from both sides, including the Israeli ambassador to Washington, the Israeli deputy national security adviser, the Palestinian prime minister and the Palestinian director of intelligence.

What’s next: Amr’s debut on the world stage will be at the meeting of international donors to the Palestinian Authority on Feb. 23 to discuss steps to improve the Palestinian economy. Israelis, Palestinians and members of the international community will be watching closely.

Worth noting: Due to unusual circumstances, Amr is wearing at least two other hats beyond his deputy assistant secretary role.

• Without a special envoy for the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, Amr will represent the U.S. in formats like the Quartet, which includes diplomats from Russia, the UN and the EU. That group met over Zoom on Monday.
• Amr is also the de facto U.S. head of mission to the Palestinians because the U.S. Consulate in Jerusalem was merged by the Trump administration into the embassy to Israel in 2019.
• The Palestinians ceased almost all communications with U.S. diplomats in the embassy at that time, so Amr will be the key point of contact for Palestinians hoping to communicate with the administration.

Former and current U.S. officials praise Amr's knowledge of the nitty-gritty and skill at moving difficult issues forward, and they say he was a mentor to the young foreign service officers who worked with him on the Israeli-Palestine file.

• Indyk, Amr's former boss, tells me he's "the right person for these times because he knows the mechanics, the concerns and sensitivities of both sides, and his job is to improve the situation and that builds on the experience he has."

The bottom line: Amr has a much lower profile than others who have held this portfolio, most recently Jared Kushner. But that fits with the Biden administration's more modest objectives.