The White House announces steps to try to ease backlogs at U.S. ports

President Biden on Wednesday will address ongoing supply chain problems, as major retailers warn of shortages and price hikes during the upcoming holiday season.

Biden is expected to blame the pandemic, which has caused factories to close and disrupted ports around the world, for the issues, but also tout agreements the White House has brokered with private sector entities to get goods flowing again.

"The supply chain is essentially in