Biden signs series of executive actions reversing course on immigration, climate change
US President Joe Biden has signed a series of executive orders from the Oval Office hours after his inauguration. According to the report by The Associated Press, the first order Biden signed was related to the coronavirus pandemic. It requires the use of masks and social distancing in all federal buildings, on federal lands and by federal employees and contractors. He also signed an order reentering the US into the Paris climate accord.
While his predecessor Donald Trump broke long-standing practice by skipping Biden's inauguration, he did follow through on one tradition and left behind a letter for Biden. The new Democratic president said Trump "wrote a very generous letter." But Biden said he wouldn't reveal its contents until he had a chance to speak with Trump.
Biden also is directing the government to rejoin the World Health Organization, which Donald Trump withdrew from earlier this year after accusing it of incompetence and bowing to Chinese pressure over the coronavirus.