White House national climate adviser Gina McCarthy expressed optimism Thursday about the utility of a “whole-of-government approach” to tackling climate change. McCarthy said that despite the daunting challenges posed by climate issues, a much broader consensus about the fact of climate change would change the calculus. McCarthy went on to discuss how the administration’s environmental agenda would go beyond just climate change and into broader biodiversity concerns. She specifically invoked the administration’s “30 by 30” plan to preserve 30 percent of public U.S. lands and waters by 2030.

Attorney General Merrick Garland on Friday rescinded a Trump-era near-ban on the Justice Department’s use of consent decrees to force the restructuring of local law enforcement agencies, signaling a push from the Biden administration to resume use of the tactic amid a continued outcry from liberal groups about abusive policing. In a four-page memo to staff, Garland said he would rescind the 2018 order from former attorney general Jeff Sessions that imposed strict new measures aimed at drastically limiting the use of the settlement agreements with local police. Under Garland’s memo, Justice Department lawyers who are leading the litigation, including the assistant attorneys general or U.S. attorneys, will be authorized to approve the consent decrees.

The chief executives of the six largest U.S. banks will testify before Congress in back-to-back May hearings before the Senate Banking and House Financial Services committees, the panels announced Thursday. The CEOS of JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup, Wells Fargo, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs will appear for virtual hearings with the Senate Banking Committee on May 26 and the House Financial Services Committee on May 27, according to the announcement. The leaders of those six banks, plus State Street and Bank of New York Mellon, appeared before the Financial Services panel in 2019, shortly after Democrats took control of the House and handed the committee gavel to Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.). President Biden’s election and the Democratic takeover of the Senate have since boosted the political pressure on the banking industry, with Democrats eager to reverse four years of regulatory rollbacks under former President Trump and hold banks to tougher standards on climate, diversity and fighting racism within the financial sector.

The House Judiciary Committee late Wednesday night formally approved a report on monopoly power in digital marketplaces. The over 400-page document depicting ways that Alphabet, Amazon, Apple and Facebook allegedly abuse their market power was approved on a 24-17 party-line vote. The report was released in October by Democrats on the committee but was the result of a bipartisan investigation, and some Republicans have signaled support for antitrust initiatives drawing on the report. Democrats on the committee are now expected to move forward with legislation. The report includes several potential changes to antitrust law, spanning from structural separation to providing more funding for antitrust enforcers.