Top White House Covid official urges Americans to follow expert guidance as pace of vaccinations slows By: CNN
By Jason Hoffman, CNN (CNN) The White House Covid-19 response coordinator on Sunday said the country is turning the corner on the pandemic, but stressed that despite some Covid fatigue, Americans must get vaccinated and follow the science. I would say we are turning the corner, Jeffrey Zients told CNN s Jake Tapper on State of the Union.
Zients comments come on the heels of President Joe Biden setting a new goal last week of administering at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose to 70% of the US adult population and having 160 million US adults fully vaccinated by July 4 and as the administration continues to target all Americans as the pace of vaccinations has slowed.
McCarthy confirms he’s backing Stefanik for No. 3 House Republican post
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy confirmed on Sunday that he backs Rep. Elise Stefanik for the role of House Republican conference chair, as Rep. Liz Cheney faces a vote to oust her from the influential GOP leadership post.
“Yes, I do,” McCarthy told Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo when asked if he supports the New York Republican for the No. 3 role in the House Republican conference. Stefanik thanked McCarthy for his support in a tweet later Sunday.
CNN reported last week that McCarthy has been privately supporting Stefanik to replace Cheney, and the No. 2 member of House Republican leadership, Rep. Steve Scalise, publicly endorsed Stefanik’s bid for the job on Tuesday.
May 3, 2021 / 05:29 PM EST
(CNN) Sen. Susan Collins is the latest Republican with an alternative suggestion for Washington, D.C.’s push for statehood: Join another state.
“There is a way to ensure that the residents of D.C. have voting representation in Congress, and that is for D.C. to become part of Maryland, just as parts of D.C. became parts of Virginia many years ago,” the Maine Republican told Jake Tapper on “State of the Union” Sunday.
“That would give the residents of D.C. a new House member, and they would be represented in the Senate by Maryland senators,” Collins said.
Confusion over masks sparks new political showdown CNN 1 hr ago Analysis by Stephen Collinson, CNN
America s emerging limbo between a full-blown pandemic and a return to normal is throwing up new public health dilemmas that spark instant political fires like a fresh round of grandstanding over mask wearing.
Top White House adviser Anita Dunn Sunday defended President Joe Biden over his continued use of a mask outdoors even though the practice appears to conflict with new and relaxed administration guidelines for fully vaccinated citizens.
In comments that didn t necessarily clarify the situation, Dunn told CNN s Jake Tapper on State of the Union that extra precautions were being taken for the President and that mask wearing was a matter of habit.
Moderna to supply up to half-billion Covid-19 vaccine doses to low and middle income countries
From CNN Health s John Bonifield
Vials of the Moderna Covid-19 disease vaccine are seen in Monts, France, on April 22. Guillaume Souvant/AFP/Getty Images
Biotech company Moderna on Monday announced an agreement with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to supply up to 500 million Covid-19 vaccines doses in low and middle income countries.
The doses are being offered at Moderna s lowest tiered price, the company said. An initial 34 million doses are to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2021, with an option for 466 million doses in 2022.
The agreement covers 92 countries partnered with COVAX, a global initiative to buy coronavirus vaccines in bulk and send them to poorer nations that can t compete with wealthy countries in securing contracts with the major drug companies. COVAX is an entity run by Gavi, the World Health Organization and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, an