Published July 21. 2021 12:05AM
By Eugene Scott, Elise Viebeck and Felicia Sonmez, The Washington Post
WASHINGTON - The White House projected calm even as it confirmed a breakthrough infection on its own staff Tuesday, sticking to its message that vaccines and safety protocols would keep Americans safe from coronavirus as the Delta variant moves through the country.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday that a fully vaccinated staffer had tested positive for the coronavirus, shortly after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi s office confirmed one of her staff had tested positive.
The Pelosi staffer had contact with Texas lawmakers who are in Washington to prevent passage of a voting bill in their home state. Six members of that delegation have tested positive for the coronavirus in recent days.
White House, Pelosi staff members test positive for coronavirus
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Speaker of the House Adrienne Jones creates cannabis work group, support for cannabis legalization
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State Roundup: Frederick County exec race begins to heat up as Hough, Hagen spar; Gansler running for governor again
The front of the State House. Governor s Office photo
HOUGH, HAGEN SPAR AS FREDERICK COUNTY EXEC RACE HEATS UP: The race for Frederick County executive is only in its early stages but it has already begun to heat up. On Monday, state Sen. Michael Hough (Frederick and Carroll), the only Republican in the race, ripped one of the Democratic candidates as “far-left,” Bryan Renbaum reports in Maryland Reporter.
SALMON 1-YEAR EXTENSION MUDDIES SEARCH FOR NEW SUPER: State laws dating back to the 1860s are making the hunt for Maryland’s next state school superintendent more difficult because the state school board can’t appoint the next leader to a normal four-year term, since Superintendent Karen Salmon accepted a one-year extension to her final term to continue working during the pandemic, Liz Bowie reports for the Sun.
The Health 202: The FDA has until Thursday to respond to demands to ban menthol cigarettes Alexandra Ellerbeck
with Paige Winfield Cunningham It’s been a dozen years since Congress gave the Food and Drug Administration the power to regulate the contents of cigarettes. So far, the agency has never used it.
But that could change this week. The FDA has until Thursday to respond to a petition demanding a ban on menthol cigarettes. Past efforts to ban them have failed, but advocates say this time may be different and could even be the start of more aggressive tobacco regulation by the government.