According to data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least 50% of adults are fully vaccinated in 25 states, including Washington D.C. “Across the country, cases of COVID-19, serious illness, and loss of life are all down dramatically,” Andy Slavitt, White House senior COVID-19 adviser, said. …
Read More »States Are Using Vaccine Lotteries To Get More People Vaccinated
States are offering different incentive programs to increase the rate of vaccinations, including vaccine lotteries. On Thursday, both New York and Maryland announced a new lottery. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that any adult who gets vaccinated at any of the ten state-run sites from May 24 to May …
Read More »McCarthy Effort To Lift Mask Mandate On House Floor Fails
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy filed a privileged resolution challenging the mask mandate in the House of Representatives, which failed Wednesday night after being blocked by Democrats. The vote was split among party lines 218-210. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says that the rules will not change until all members of …
Read More »U.S. Attorney General Announces COVID-19 Fraud Task Force
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland today directed the establishment of the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across the government to enhance enforcement efforts against COVID-19 related fraud. “The task force will augment and incorporate the existing coordination …
Read More »Texas Governor Bans Schools, Local Governments From Issuing Mask Mandates
Texas Governor Greg Abbott has signed an executive order that bans local governments and schools from issuing mask mandates. The Executive Order prohibits governmental entities in Texas — including counties, cities, school districts, public health authorities, or government officials — from requiring or mandating mask-wearing. Public schools may continue to follow current …
Read More »The Biden-Harris Administration Wants To Invest In Black Neighborhoods And HBCUs
In an interview with theGrio, Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm discussed President Joe Biden’s interest in investing in Black neighborhoods and Black educational institutions. “My first venture out in this COVID environment was to Howard University… it was to announce a $17 million opportunity to DOE [Department of Energy] offering to …
Read More »100% Of Congressional Democrats Are Fully Vaccinated
Democratic lawmakers in both the Senate and House have a 100% vaccination rate, according to a CNN Survey of Capitol Hill. On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated the COVID-19 mask guideline — fully vaccinated people do not need to wear a face mask or practice social …
Read More »CDC Eviction Moratorium To Remain In Place For Now
A federal judge has agreed to keep the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) eviction moratorium in place while the Biden administration appeals the judge’s May 5 decision. U.S District Court Judge Dabney Friedrich said that controlling the spread of COVID-19 is more important than the potential loss of revenue …
Read More »Only 658,000 Black Floridians Are Vaccinated; A Mere 7% Of Population
Out of the roughly 9 million people vaccinated for COVID-19 in Florida, Black people only account for 658,000. Governor Ron DeSantis administration officials and advocates are working to boost vaccination rates in Black communities around Florida. Larry Robinson, president of Florida A&M and Statewide Coronavirus Vaccination Community Education and Engagement …
Read More »DOJ Appeals Federal Judge’s Eviction Moratorium Ruling
The Biden administration is appealing a federal judge’s ruling that strikes down the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention‘s moratorium on evictions. On Wednesday, Judge Dabney Friedrich of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the CDC had exceeded its authority when it extended the …
Read More »Education Secretary Expects Schools To Fully Reopen In The Fall
Education Secretary, Miguel Cardona, told MSNBC that all schools are expected to fully open in the fall. “Students don’t learn as well remotely,” Cardona said. “There is no substitute for in-person learning.” According to a survey from the Education Department, 54% of public schools below high school were providing full-time …
Read More »Biden Administration Supports Waiving Vaccine Intellectual Property Rules
The Biden administration on Wednesday announced its support for waiving intellectual property protections for coronavirus vaccines with the aim of getting “as many safe and effective vaccines to as many people as fast as possible.” U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai wrote in a statement that the coronavirus pandemic calls for …
Read More »Federal Judge Cancels CDC’s Eviction Moratorium
A federal judge on Wednesday struck down a nationwide moratorium on evictions that was implemented as the pandemic raged through the United States. In a 20-page order, a federal judge ruled that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention did not have the legal authority to issue the eviction moratorium. …
Read More »President Biden Wants 160 Million US Adults Fully Vaccinated By July 4
President Joe Biden wants 160 million US adults to be vaccinated by July 4. President Joe Biden: "Our goal by July 4 is to have 70 percent of adult Americans with at least one shot, and 160 million Americans fully vaccinated." pic.twitter.com/9CBkBXDwFp — USA TODAY (@USATODAY) May 4, 2021 “We’re …
Read More »Vaccine Hesitancy Among Lawmakers Slows Return To Normalcy; 75% Of House Members Have Been Vaccinated
While 75% of House members have been vaccinated, Speaker Nancy Pelosi says that the House won’t return to normal until more members get vaccinated. Several Republicans have spoken out against the COVID-19 vaccine. Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky says that he’s not getting the vaccine because he tested positive for …
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