PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN is suggesting that getting his program passed is more important than its duration (White House photo).

As President Joe Biden and Congress wrestle with his proposed $3.5 trillion package of social services and climate change programs, a shorter duration is better than no programs at all.

That’s the position of Biden, who is trying to win support from centrist Democrats who want to spend less money and progressives in his party who want to keep some parts of his program that might otherwise be cut.

According to the Associated Press, Biden on Friday said, “I’m of the view that it’s important to establish the principle on a whole range of issues without guaranteeing to get the whole 10 years. It matters to establish it.”

The New York Times is reporting that Sen. Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) is opposed to the clean energy program that’s part of the package, so the White House is working to find other policies that would cut pollution.

Democrats hold 50 seats in the Senate, and Republicans 50. They can pass legislation with the tie-breaking vote of Vice President Kamala Harris, but only if there are no defections from their ranks

Boosters from one brand to others?

A BOOSTER shot for J&J vaccine is recommended by an FDA advisory panel (Shutterstock).

If you got the one-shot Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine, you should consider getting a booster shot at least two months after your original “jab.”

That’s the advice from the Food and Drug Administration’ vaccine advisory board on Friday, according to The New York Times.

Some officials at FDA also said that a booster shot of Moderna or Pfizer vaccines might be appropriate for J&J recipients.

“It was always going to be a two-shot dose,” said Dr. James Hildreth of the advisory group, according to USA Today.

Also in the news…

• Former president Bill Clinton is being treated at UCI Medical Center in Orange for a urological infection not related to the coronavirus
• White House Press Secretary Jeni Psaki has been accused of an ethics violation for her comments in support of Terry McAuliffe, who is running for governor of Virginia.

Sports: Dodgers in NLCS on Saturday

Fresh from a dramatic – if controversial – win over the San Francisco Giants in the National League Division Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers will seek to defend their 2020 league title when they begin the NL Championship Series on Saturday in Atlanta.

The Braves will be the home team Saturday and Sunday. The scene will shift to Dodger Stadium on Tuesday and Wednesday – and if needed – on Thursday. Games Six and Seven would be played in Atlanta.

Weather: The heat is still on

The unseasonably warm weather toasting the West Orange County area will continue through Saturday with a daytime high of 88 (overnight low of 56). But the thermometer will drop to 77 on Sunday and 68 on Monday as partly cloudy skies move in. In coastal Huntington Beach, Saturday’s high will be 84, dropping to 72 on Sunday and 67 on Monday.