White House apologizes to former 2024 candidate Asa Hutchinson as Biden courts anti-Trump GOP
The White House has apologized to former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson for a Democratic National Committee statement a day earlier that mocked the end of his long-shot 2024 bid for the Republican presidential nomination.
Biden will head to Israel and Jordan as concerns mount that Israel-Hamas conflict will spread
President Joe Biden will travel to Israel and Jordan Wednesday to meet with both Israeli and Arab leadership, as concerns increase that the raging Israel-Hamas war could expand into a larger regional conflict.
White House lawyer who advised Biden on pandemic and GOP investigations is set to leave next month
The top White House lawyer will leave next month after a nearly three-year run helping President Joe Biden weigh legal considerations as he implemented his pandemic response, battled Republican investigations and crafted major legislation.
US faces a double coronavirus surge as omicron advances
The new omicron coronavirus mutant speeding around the world may bring another wave of chaos, as it threatens to further stretch hospital workers already struggling with a surge of delta cases and upend holiday plans for the second year in a row.
A retro feel to Biden's plan for covering OTC virus testing
The Biden administrationโs plan for health insurers to reimburse consumers for over-the-counter COVID-19 tests is recalling the model of a bygone era when the companies processed large volumes of claims from individuals โ with paper receipts.
The Latest: Mississippi hospital to require masks
Mississippiโs only level-one trauma hospital and academic medical center will require all employees and students who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 to wear an N95 mask while inside, a decision that a top official acknowledged would not be popular with everyone in the countryโs least vaccinated state and may result in the loss of employees.
White House calling out critics of door-to-door vaccine push
The Biden White House is no longer refraining from criticizing Republican officials who play down the importance of coronavirus vaccinations or seek to make political hay of the federal governmentโs all-out effort to drive shots into arms.
Next slide, please: Inside wonky White House virus briefings
Walensky is making an impassioned plea to Americans not to let their guard down in the fight against COVID-19. If the Trump briefings made for more stirring television, the Biden ones are designed to showcase the science-based side of the crisis, with a tone based more on facts than flourish. Thereโs a political aim too, as the White House works to maintain its high approval ratings with the public for Bidenโs handling of the virus. Next slide.โAdFauci and Walensky have autonomy as to what theyโre briefing on, according to a senior administration official, with the White House only having a sense of what they plan to discuss. The Biden administration sessions typically livestream on whitehouse.gov at midday and sometimes donโt make the cut on cable TV.
Tourism groups push US to eliminate travel restrictions
Airlines and other tourism-related businesses are pushing the White House to draw up a plan in the next five weeks to boost international travel and eliminate restrictions that were imposed early in the pandemic. More than two dozen groups made their request in a letter to the White House on Monday, March 22, 2021. More than two dozen groups made their request in a letter to the White House on Monday. They set a May 1 target for the government โto partner with usโ on a plan to rescind year-old restrictions on international travel. The White House did not comment but referred to remarks by CDC Director Rochelle Walensky on Monday.
Biden's top aides unlikely to qualify for relief payments
WASHINGTON โ At least one group in America is unlikely to get any money from President Joe Bidenโs $1.9 trillion economic rescue plan โ his own top aides. Most of Bidenโs senior West Wing advisers made far more than the threshold that would qualify them for direct payments from the presidentโs COVID-19 relief bill, according to White House financial disclosure forms released Saturday. Others in the West Wing โ whose positions don't require Senate confirmation โ have had deep ties to the business world. He was listed as having a salary of $1.8 million, according to his disclosure form. Brian Deese, head of the national economic council, was previously global head of sustainable investing at BlackRock, according to his disclosure.
Governors applaud Biden's vaccine timeline, but need supply
In Virginia, state vaccine coordinator Dr. Danny Avula said the state could hit Bidenโs goal earlier. But several governors cautioned it must come with a dramatic increase in vaccine supply. โIt could be a delay for people to actually get a vaccine because of the operational constraints," she said. We canโt disappoint people who eagerly want a vaccine,โ said Pat Allen, director of the Oregon Health Authority. Elsewhere, governors met Biden's goal with enthusiasm.
Airline industry pushes US to standardize health papers
Airlines hope such a document would allow countries to relax travel restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the virus. More than two dozen airline and business groups including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce wrote to the White House about the matter on Monday, March 8, 2021. However, the groups said that vaccination should not be a requirement for domestic or international travel. The groups include the main U.S. and international airline trade organizations, airline labor unions and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The White House did not immediately comment.
Local pharmacists step up in COVID-19 vaccination effort
In some small towns across the U.S., an independent pharmacy is the only local place where residents can get a COVID-19 vaccination. President Joe Biden recently celebrated the injection of the 50 millionth dose of COVID-19 vaccine since his inauguration. They donโt have to pay for the COVID-19 vaccine, unlike flu and other vaccines, but they do have administrative costs they may be able to recover when patients have insurance. All told, the Federal Retail Pharmacy program has 21 companies taking part including big drugstore and grocery chains and mass merchandisers like Costco and Walmart. Besides giving COVID-19 shots in their stores, pharmacists have also set up mass immunization clinics.
Biden stands by May timeline for vaccines for all US adults
States will also receive 2.8 million doses of the J&J shot this week. Psaki said the Biden administration was using its powers under the Defense Production Act to help Merck retool to work on the production. The J&J vaccine can be stored for months at refrigerated temperatures, rather than frozen. Now, with a global clamor for more vaccine doses, those heavyweights are helping manufacture doses for less-experienced rivals whose vaccines won the first emergency authorizations from regulators. Merck has since said it was in talks to help other drug companies with vaccine production, but wouldnโt say Tuesday whether other deals are imminent.
States easing virus restrictions despite experts' warnings
Employees with the McKesson Corporation scan a box of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine while filling an order at their shipping facility in Shepherdsville, Ky., Monday, March 1, 2021. AdThe push to reopen comes as COVID-19 vaccine shipments to the states are ramping up. Johnson & Johnson shipped out nearly 4 million doses of its newly authorized, one-shot COVID-19 vaccine Sunday night to be delivered to states for use starting on Tuesday. The company will deliver about 16 million more doses by the end of March and a total of 100 million by the end of June. White House vaccination coordinator Jeff Zients also acknowledged that scheduling of vaccination appointments โ remains too difficult in too many places."
Biden aims to distribute masks to millions in 'equity' push
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON โ President Joe Biden plans to distribute millions of face masks to Americans in communities hard-hit by the coronavirus beginning next month as part of his efforts to ensure โequityโ in the governmentโs response to the pandemic. Bidenโs plan will distribute masks not through the mail, but instead through Federally Qualified Community Health Centers and the nationโs food bank and food pantry systems, the White House announced Wednesday. AdโNot all Americans are wearing masks regularly, not all have access, and not all masks are equal,โ said White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients. The White House is not distributing safer N95 masks, of which the U.S. now has abundant supply after shortages early in the pandemic. Biden has also required the use of masks around the White House, unlike Trump, whose White House was the scene of at least three outbreaks of the virus.
States rush to catch up on delayed vaccines, expand access
States are scrambling to catch up on coronavirus vaccinations after bad weather last week led to clinic closures and shipment backlogs. Nevada health officials are working overtime to distribute delayed shots. But limited supply of the two approved COVID-19 vaccines hampered the pace of vaccinations even before extreme weather delayed the delivery of about 6 million doses. Steve Sisolak said Monday that 46,000 doses of Modernaโs COVID-19 vaccine that were delayed by weather began arriving in the state. Looking ahead to summer, Pfizer and Moderna executives said they expect to complete delivery of 300 million doses each, and J&J aims to provide an additional 100 million doses โ more than enough to vaccinate every American adult.
Beyond 100M: Biden team aiming for bigger vaccine numbers
WASHINGTON โ It sounded so ambitious at first blush: 100 million vaccination shots in 100 days. The company is set to double its pace of vaccine deliveries in the coming weeks. Biden first set his target of 100 million doses in 100 days on Dec. 8, days before the first vaccines received emergency use authorization. The National Association of Chain Drug Stores estimates its members alone have the capability to deliver more than 3 million doses per day. That figure has risen from fewer than 9 million doses per week to 13.5 million in Bidenโs first weeks in office.
Biden defends progress on COVID as weather delays 6M shots
He went on to say that by the end of July his administration can deliver 600 million doses for Americans. But โit's one thing to have a vaccine available, the problem was how to get to people's arms.โThe Pfizer plant Biden toured, near Kalamazoo, produces one of the two federally approved COVID-19 shots. "I wouldโve gotten there some way.โAdWhite House adviser Slavitt said the 6 million doses delayed wonโt spoil and the vaccine is โsafe and soundโ under refrigeration. Slavitt said about 1.4 million doses were being shipped Friday as the work of clearing the backlog begins. The Virginia Department of Health reported that it was expecting delays on about 90% of its expected 120,000 doses this week and warned that delays could cascade into next week.
Crippling weather hampers vaccine deliveries, distribution
The National Weather Service forecasts temperatures barely hovering at 20 degrees Fahrenheit, and likely slipping into the single digits by Tuesday morning. After her appointment for a vaccine on Saturday was canceled, Dohogne said a neighbor's friend has been helping her navigate the vaccine enrollment process. Some shipments of the vaccine made by Pfizer were delayed in the South because of the bad weather, but the company was unaware of any vaccine spoilage, said spokesman Eamonn Nolan. Fran Goldman, 90, of Seattle, told The Seattle Times she walked 6 miles (9.7 kilometers) round trip in the snow to get her vaccine. In other developments, Pennsylvania is facing a temporary shortage of second shots of the Moderna vaccine after providers inadvertently used them as first doses.
The Latest: Hong Kong ease pandemic rules as cases decline
FILE - In this Feb. 7, 2020 file photo, people wearing masks attend a vigil for Chinese doctor Li Wenliang, in Hong Kong. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)HONG KONG โ Hong Kong is reducing social distancing rules following a sharp drop in new coronavirus cases, including restarting indoor dining and reopening gyms. More than two-thirds of the new cases were in Seoul area, home to half of South Koreaโs 51 million people. The company has contracted to provide 100 million doses โ enough for 100 million Americans โ by the end of June. โWe just need the vaccine to arrive.โ___ATLANTA โ Snowy and icy weather across much of the nation has โsignificantlyโ delayed shipments of COVID-19 vaccine to Georgia, state health officials said Wednesday.
Government rushes virus gene-mapping as mutations spread
The U.S. is scrambling to expand DNA mapping of coronavirus samples to identify potentially deadlier mutations starting to spread around the country. But the more significant action is on Capitol Hill, where a House bill headed for floor debate would provide $1.75 billion for genomic sequencing. The U.S. now maps only the genetic makeup of a minuscule fraction of positive virus samples, a situation some experts liken to flying blind. Baldwin says the U.S. should be analyzing at least 15% of positive virus samples. โGenomic sequencing testing is how we will spot variants early before they spread,โ said White House COVID response coordinator Jeff Zients.
Tight supply creates reluctance over federal vaccine sites
With vaccine supplies running tight, they want assurances that the doses will come from a separate federal supply and not their own. Eager to protect more people against the coronavirus, health officials in Oklahoma jumped at the chance to add large, federally supported vaccination sites. The Biden administration's virus response plan calls for opening 100 federally supported vaccination sites by the end of February. โWe just opened our first two federal vaccination centers, in California this week," Klain told NBC News. Officials in New York and Texas said the federal government told them that the vaccines distributed in the federal sites there would not count against the statesโ allocations.
Airlines push White House to reject testing for US flights
U.S. airlines are pressing their case against requiring coronavirus testing of passengers on domestic flights. The CEOs of several major airlines met Friday, Feb. 12, with the White House's coronavirus-response coordinator to lobby against a testing requirement. They say it would further undermine air travel, which is still running at less than half its pre-pandemic level. Airlines reacted with alarm, however, when CDC officials raised the possibility of testing the much larger number of passengers on domestic flights. Airline unions have joined the push against testing domestic passengers.
'Overwhelm the problem': Inside Bidenโs war on COVID-19
Since he took office three weeks ago, Bidenโs team has attacked the problem on multiple fronts. Much of the improvement in vaccination deliveries so far has been due to long-planned manufacturing ramp-ups, not the actions of the Biden team, aides acknowledge. Bidenโs team pledged to give states three weeks notice on what's coming their way. Two weeks into Bidenโs administration, a Quinnipiac poll showed 61% of Americans approving of the way the president is handling the coronavirus pandemic. The Biden team is already actively working with pharmaceutical companies to prepare โboosterโ shots for the variants, potentially annually, like flu vaccines.
Things to Know: Catholic Church got $1.5B in US virus relief
Overall, the nearly 200 dioceses in the U.S. and other Catholic institutions received at least $3 billion from the federal governments small business emergency relief program. That makes the Roman Catholic Church perhaps the biggest beneficiary of the paycheck program, according to data the U.S. Small Business Administration released following a public-records lawsuit by AP and other news organizations. Church officials say they needed government relief to pay staff because donations from the faithful slowed when churches were ordered to close. AdON THE HORIZON: As the U.S. economy undergoes an uneven recovery from the coronavirus, many small business owners face a tough decision on whether and when to take on employees. ___Find APโs full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic: https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic
Things to Know: Vaccine shipments coming to US pharmacies
Pharmacies have become a mainstay for flu shots and shingles vaccines, and the industry is capable of vaccinating tens of millions of people monthly. โ Pressure is building on U.S. school systems to reopen classrooms to students who have been learning online for nearly a year. Outdated tests failed to detect that some of the transferred inmates were already infected, and two of them later died. Suddenly, that organic lentil and mushroom soup that didnโt sound so appealing pre-pandemic has become part of weekly meal routines. ___Find APโs full coverage of the coronavirus pandemic: https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic
Virus will kill many more, WH projects as briefings resume
It marked a sharp contrast to what had become the Trump show in the past administration, when public health officials were repeatedly undermined by a president who shared his unproven ideas without hesitation. The deaths projection wasn't much different from what Biden himself has said, but nonetheless served as a stark reminder of the brutal road ahead. The new briefings, beginning just a week into Bidenโs tenure, are meant as an explicit rejection of President Donald Trump's approach to the coronavirus outbreak. Dr. David Hamer, a professor of global health and medicine at Boston Universityโs School of Public Health, said having briefings from health officials that are โbased on serious scienceโ would go a long way toward improving public perceptions of the vaccine. Those messages found few champions in the former administration, as Trump openly flouted science-based guidance from his own administration.
White House begins talks with lawmakers on COVID-19 relief
At least a dozen senators met for an hour and 15 minutes in a virtual call with White House National Economic Council director Brian Deese and other senior White House officials Sunday. Many hope to approve a relief package before former President Donald Trump's trial, which is set to begin in two weeks, overtakes Washingtonโs attention. Senators also wanted more data on how the White House reached the $1.9 trillion figure. โIt was about how can we work together to help the people of this country.โWhite House coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients and White House legislative affairs director Louisa Terrell also joined the call. โWeโre going to continue to push because we canโt wait,โ said White House principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
Biden puts forth virus strategy, requires mask use to travel
But Biden officials say they're hampered by lack of cooperation from the Trump administration during the transition. AdThe U.S. mask order for travel being implemented by Biden will apply to airports and planes, ships, intercity buses, trains and public transportation. The Biden plan estimates that a national vaccination strategy with expanded testing requires $160 billion, and he wants another $170 billion to aid the reopening of schools and universities. As part of his COVID-19 strategy, Biden will order the establishment of a COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force to ensure that minority and underserved communities are not left out of the government's response. Biden is ordering FEMA to reimburse states for the full cost of using their National Guards to set up vaccination centers.
President Biden signs burst of virus orders, requires masks for travel
President Joe Biden speaks about the coronavirus in the State Dinning Room of the White House, Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021, in Washington. โWe didnโt get into this mess overnight, and it will take months to turn this around,โ Biden said at the White House. A key difference is that under Biden, the federal government is assuming full responsibility for the COVID response. The U.S. mask order for travel implemented by Biden applies to airports and planes, ships, intercity buses, trains and public transportation. Biden is seeking to expand testing and vaccine availability, with the goal of 100 million shots in his first 100 days in office.
On day one, Biden to undo Trump policies on climate, virus
The 15 executive actions, and two directives, amount to an attempt to rewind the last four years of federal policies with striking speed. Only two recent presidents signed executive actions on their first day in office โ and each signed just one. Among the executive actions signed Wednesday was one requiring masks and physical distancing on federal property and by federal employees. But Biden's blitz of executive actions went beyond the pandemic. His press secretary, Jen Psaki, held a briefing for reporters, a practice the Trump White House had all but abandoned in the final two months of the presidency.
Bidenโs first act: orders on pandemic, climate, immigration
(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)In his first official acts as president, Joe Biden is signing executives orders on a broad range of issues, from the coronavirus pandemic to climate change and immigration, to fulfill campaign promises. Biden also is setting in motion an evaluation of another Trump move that cut boundaries and protections for some national monuments. ___IMMIGRATIONENDING BAN ON MUSLIM TRAVELERS: Biden is ending what is variously known as the โtravel banโ or the โMuslim ban,โ one of the first acts of the Trump administration. Congress paused student debt payments last March as part of a virus relief package, and the Trump administration extended it twice. Biden's order does not include the type of mass debt cancellation that some Democrats asked him to orchestrate through executive action.
Plunged into virus 'dark winter,' Biden must lead US out
(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)WASHINGTON โ President-elect Joe Biden predicted he would take office amid a โdark winter,โ and the outlook is only getting bleaker. โThe virus is going to get worse before it gets better,โ he warned. โThe virus is the virus. But the biggest challenge, in their view, was years in the making by the Trump administration: declining confidence in government and institutions. โAt least (Biden) has surrounded himself with excellent people and heโs doing it on the basis of science,โ said Offit.