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For the first time, the Biden administration is commenting on the Food and Drug Administration's long-time blood donation guidelines, which are impacting the LGBTQ+ community by preventing gay and bisexual men from being eligible blood donors. The statement, made by a White House official exclusively to ABC News, acknowledges the painful origins of the policy and comes on the heels of the American Red Cross declaring their first-ever national blood crisis last week, as supplies at hospitals and blood banks become dangerously low. (Morrison, 1/18)

A new study currently underway could ease eligibility requirements for gay and bisexual men seeking to donate blood. The study, funded by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, aims to evaluate alternatives to the blood donor deferral policy known as men who have sex with men, or MSM, put in place to reduce the transmission of Human Immunodeficiency Virus, or HIV. Under current FDA guidelines, men who have sex with men are ineligible to donate blood if they have had sexual contact with another man less than three months prior to donation. (Migdon, 1/18)

After CBS News reported on the historic blood shortage leading the Red Cross to declare the first ever "national blood crisis," many viewers were inspired to sign up to donate blood, including "CBS Evening News" anchor and managing editor Norah O'Donnell. In some parts of the country, blood drives are completely booked this week. (1/18)

The critical need for blood donations is now even more urgent. A desperate need for blood donations in the mountains has been made even worse by the winter storm that hit the area over the weekend. Officials with The Blood Connection said they were forced to cancel blood drives because of the snow and ice. Those closures meant they couldn't collect the 800 units of blood needed every day across the Carolinas and Georgia. (1/18)