'Don't panic,' Biden tells Americans facing gasoline shortages from pipeline attack

President Joe Biden on Thursday aimed to ease concerns from Americans over high gas prices and fuel shortages after the Colonial Pipeline cyberattack.

Hoping to ease concerns of millions of Americans experiencing gasoline shortages and rising prices following the ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline, President Joe Biden gave an update on the situation Thursday, looking to deal with a potentially damaging political problem and on the heels of his new executive order aimed to prevent future attacks. He pleaded with Americans to be patient as the pipeline company returns to full operations. "I want to be clear -- we will not feel the effects at the pump immediately," Biden said in remarks from the White House and carried on national television. "This is not like flicking on a light switch. This pipeline is 5,500 miles long." Biden said that he expects to see a "region-by-region return to normalcy" starting this weekend and into next week, but told Americans not to be alarmed or hoard gasoline.