Politics

Yahoo News
Republicans lash out at CDC for 'conflicting, confusing guidance'
Sen. Bill Cassidy was one of several Republicans who used a Senate Health Committee hearing to argue that the nation was moving too cautiously to reopen, in part because caution continued to be the message from the Biden administration.
USA TODAY
Biden announces Uber, Lyft partnership providing free rides to COVID-19 vaccination sites through July 4
Biden announced efforts to encourage Americans to get vaccinated to meet his goal of 70% of the adult population getting at least one shot by July 4.
NBC News
Rep. Scalise, survivors of 2017 baseball shooting call for FBI to review investigation
The Republican lawmakers tied their call to recent pledges by the agency to investigate domestic extremism in the wake of the Jan. 6 riot.
USA TODAY
Obamacare sign-ups top 1 million during special enrollment period for COVID-19
More than 1 million Americans signed up for health insurance during the special enrollment period for COVID-19, according to the Biden administration.
Associated Press
AP source: Biden to tap Rahm Emanuel for ambassador to Japan
President Joe Biden is expected to nominate former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel to serve as the U.S. ambassador to Japan, according to a person familiar with the president's decision. The person, who was not authorized to comment publicly about the matter and spoke on condition of anonymity Tuesday, said the White House plans to announce Emanuel's nomination later this month. Emanuel is a former three-term congressman who served as Barack Obama’s first White House chief of staff and was a senior adviser in Bill Clinton’s administration.
Business Insider
The US has approved a huge offshore wind farm off the coast of Martha's Vineyard - the first of its kind
The project is estimated to cost $2 billion and is part of President Joe Biden's agenda to reduce carbon emissions in the US.
NBC News
Trump's blog isn't lighting up the internet
The ex-president’s blog has drawn a considerably smaller audience than his once-powerful social media accounts, according to engagement data.
USA TODAY
Kinzinger claims McCarthy ignored warning that Jan. 6 events could turn violent
Illinois Republican Rep. Adam Kinzinger told National Press Club on Monday that continued lying to voters will destroy the GOP.
HuffPost
Marjorie Taylor Greene Goes Full Tinfoil Hat With Latest Display Of Willful Ignorance
The QAnon-endorsing Georgia Republican took her conspiratorial musings over Dr. Anthony Fauci to a new low.
Reuters
Loyalty to Trump catapults Elise Stefanik into Republican stardom
U.S. Representative Elise Stefanik's first turn in the national limelight came when she mounted an impassioned defense of Donald Trump at his first impeachment trial in 2019, leading the then-president to declare that "a star is born." Stefanik's star could rise higher as Trump now pushes for her to be elected the No. 3 Republican in the House of Representatives, which is set to vote on Wednesday to remove Representative Liz Cheney from that role for rejecting his continued false claims that the 2020 presidential election was marred by widespread fraud. It is a profound change for Stefanik, a New York state Republican first elected in 2014 on a moderate platform, who avoided saying Trump's name publicly during the 2016 campaign season and did not vote for him in that year's Republican presidential primary.
Reuters
Biden: 1 million Americans sign up for healthcare in special enrollment period
One million Americans have signed up for health insurance on the U.S. government website Healthcare.gov during a special enrollment period that began on Feb. 15, President Joe Biden said in a statement on Tuesday. Biden, a Democrat, re-opened the country's online health insurance marketplace earlier this year to give more Americans a chance to take advantage of benefits provided under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. The special enrollment period is open through Aug. 15.
Axios
Colorado Democrats ditch past bipartisan transportation deals in new bill
Inside Colorado's new 197-page transportation bill, state Democratic lawmakers are replacing bipartisan ideas with their own agenda.Why it matters: The lesser-noticed provisions of Senate Bill 260 — which won approval in its first committee Monday — void major elements of current law that drew broad support from Republicans.Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free.The legislation allows an additional $225 million in annual spending, which reverses a 2017 bipartisan deal in Senate Bill 267 to lower the spending caps under the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights.It also cancels a 2021 ballot measure to seek approval for $1.3 billion in bonds for road construction, as approved in 2018 under Senate Bill 1.Context: In 2017 and 2018, the General Assembly featured split partisan control that forced lawmakers to compromise on the two landmark road-funding bills.Now, Democrats control both chambers, so the new legislation to raise $3.8 billion in fees and spending on clean energy technology doesn't need broad GOP support.What they're saying: Democrats "campaigned on Senate Bill 1 — it was the end-all-be-all. And what happened? They came back and said, 'No, forget about that. We're going to do this other monster,'" said Sen. Ray Scott (R-Grand Junction).The other side: Democratic bill sponsors said those deals were made for political expediency — and now they want to go in a different direction for a more permanent fix.In an interview, Rep. Matt Gray, a Broomfield Democrat and bill sponsor, acknowledged the lack of more Republican support. "The politics inside this building can be hard admittedly," he told Axios.The bottom line: The latest transportation legislation is supported by just one Republican lawmaker and a few other GOP leaders outside the building. More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free
Associated Press
McConnell leads GOP in attack on Dems' voting rights bill
Republicans launched an all-out assault Tuesday on sweeping voting rights legislation, forcing Democrats to take politically awkward votes spotlighting the increasingly charged national debate over access to ballots. The measure would bring about the largest overhaul of U.S. elections in a generation, touching on almost every aspect of the electoral process. Democrats say the changes are even more important now as Republican-controlled states impose new voting restrictions after the divisive 2020 election.
HuffPost
Lindsey Graham: People Trying To Erase Donald Trump Will 'Wind Up Getting Erased’
The South Carolina Republican once warned the GOP "will get destroyed" by Trump.
Axios
State Rep. Ben Diamond announces run for Charlie Crist's House seat
Now that Rep. Charlie Crist is officially running for governor, a candidate for Crist's congressional seat has stepped forward. State Rep. Ben Diamond (D-St. Petersburg) announced his run Monday for the District 13 House seat. The seat covers most of Pinellas County and its beaches, including St. Petersburg, Pinellas Park, Seminole, Largo and most of Clearwater.Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for freeWho is he? A 42-year-old Pinellas County native, who formerly served as general counsel to then-Florida CFO Alex Sink before being elected to the Florida House. He lives in St. Petersburg with his wife and three children.His top concerns: "Climate change and the environment, criminal justice reforms to ensure everyone is treated equally regardless of race or ethnicity, and health care that is accessible and affordable," Diamond said in announcing his run.His opponent: Eric Lynn, a national security adviser from St. Petersburg, put in his bid for the seat last week. Lynn lost to Diamond in the primary for his current seat.1 cute thing: Diamond's 3-year-old daughter, Vera, decided it was playtime while he was still on stage. He accepted. Ben Diamond holds his daughter, Vera, after announcing his run for Congress. Photo: courtesy of Preston RudieLike this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free.
Associated Press
Louisiana Democrat sworn into Congress, replacing Biden aide
Democratic Rep. Troy Carter of Louisiana was sworn into the House on Tuesday, adding some breathing room to the party’s tight majority. Carter, 57, represents a majority-Black district centered in New Orleans that extends up the Mississippi River into Baton Rouge. The seat opened after Democratic Rep. Cedric Richmond left the position to work as a special adviser to President Joe Biden.
Axios
Explosions in Tel Aviv and Gaza as Israeli-Palestinian crisis escalates
Tel Aviv — The Hamas and Islamic Jihad militant groups fired dozens of rockets from the Gaza Strip toward Tel Aviv and other cities in central Israel on Tuesday night, a new step in the current conflict that is likely to be followed by increased Israeli air strikes in Gaza.Why it matters: The current crisis began in Jerusalem but has evolved into a military conflict across Israel and Gaza that remains on a path of escalation.Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free.Zoom in: Air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv at 8:45pm local time (1:45pm ET), and sounded again five more times over the next half hour.Most of the rockets were intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome aerial defense system but several hit populated areas. At least one Israeli civilian was killed and several dozen injured. The barrage of rockets forced the closure of Israel's international airport for landings and departures for two hours.The state of play: At least 28 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli strikes over the past 24 hours, including 10 children, according to health officials in Gaza.The Israeli air force continued its air strikes in Gaza throughout the day, including on several high-rise buildings it claimed hosted Hamas facilities. One thirteen-story tower was destroyed after residents were warned to evacuate, and several senior Hamas and Islamic Jihad commanders were killed.Meanwhile two Israeli women were killed by rocket attacks on southern Israel earlier in the day from Hamas and Islamic Jihad. At least 95 Israelis have been treated for injuries.Hamas claimed to have fired 137 rockets during that earlier flurry in an attempt to overwhelm the Iron Dome system.The exchange of fire began on Monday after Hamas threatened military action if Israeli police didn't leave the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, or Temple Mount, a holy site for both Muslims and Jews where Israeli security forces had carried out a raid earlier on Monday.After Hamas fired rockets toward Jerusalem, Israel undertook a series of airstrikes and warned of a military campaign that could last several days.The Israeli military said it had struck 130 "terror targets" in Gaza overnight, including two attack tunnels being dug under the border with Israel.What they're saying: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said after the latest barrage from Gaza that Israel would continue its attacks on Gaza with "full force," while Defense Minister Benny Gantz said the military campaign was just beginning and would be designed to restore calm for the long term.A spokesman for Hamas' military wing said that if the Israeli strikes continue, Hamas will undertake a missile assault that exceeds what was seen on Monday afternoon in Southern Israel.Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh said the Palestinians had already won the confrontation: "Gaza stood up for the victory of Jerusalem, he said. He added that Egypt, Qatar and the UN had been in touch with Hamas about restoring calm, and said he'd replied that Israel bore responsibility for the escalation.The White House urged de-escalation while condemning the Hamas attacks and stating Israel's right to defend itself, Press Secretary Jen Psaki said.Secretary of State Blinken also condemned the rocket attacks from Gaza in a call on Tuesday with Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, the State Department said.Meanwhile President Biden sent a letter to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas which also touched on the need to de-escalate the current crisis with Israel, per a White House national security council spokesman.More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free
Yahoo News
Exclusive: Attorney General to detail new guidelines for domestic terrorism investigations and cases
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland is expected in his testimony before Congress Wednesday morning to highlight new Department of Justice guidelines for investigations and cases related to domestic terrorism. The new guidelines, as outlined in a Justice Department memo obtained by Yahoo News, represent significant changes to how cases and investigations with a nexus to domestic violent extremism are handled by federal prosecutors around the country, and puts in place procedures for tracking those cases.
Business Insider
How Biden's stimulus could cause some large companies to raise wages and bring childcare to the forefront
Big firms like Chipotle are hiking pay and expanding incentives amid concerns of a labor shortage. Biden's policies could encourage others to follow.
USA TODAY
Most unvaccinated adults don't want the shot; Biden touts free Uber/Lyft rides; bodies buried in India's Ganges River: Live COVID-19 updates
President Biden announces a deal with Uber and Lyft to take people to and from vaccination sites for free from May 24-July 4. Latest COVID-19 news.
HuffPost
Missouri Becomes Latest GOP-Run State To Cut Federal Unemployment Benefits
Mike Parson is the third Republican governor to yank the extra $300 and other benefits Congress put in place during the pandemic.
The Daily Beast
Local Oregon GOP Invited Proud Boy Security Team to Guard a Secret Meeting
Paula Bronstein/APOn May 1, ahead of a secret meeting to oust their chairman for being too inclusive, the Republican Party of Multnomah County, Oregon signed a contract to receive security forces from a local man named Daniel Tooze.“We were greatly pleased to discover you, and your extensive experience with church events, weddings, and various patriotic events,” three of the party’s top leaders wrote Tooze in a letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Daily Beast. “Dan, as we have discussed our focus is on having a safe event with no problems.”But Tooze was not your average security guard, as Willamette Week first reported. He was, as a quick Google search would have shown, a prominent associate of the Proud Boys, the far-right paramilitary group deeply implicated in the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. He has previously shared pictures of himself in the group’s uniform, with a caption identifying the group by name.And as the Multnomah County Republican Party charted a more Trumpist path one night last week, members of Tooze’s security force patrolled the quiet residential area, where they argued with locals who were uncomfortable with their presence.Photos Refute Ex-Navy SEAL’s Claim His Son Wasn’t in CapitolOregon is a frequent hotspot for Proud Boy antics—and now, at least twice this year, for collaboration between Proud Boys and their associates and local Republican parties. This latest incident took place last Thursday, May 6, when the Multnomah County GOP held a private meeting to expel its chairman, Stephen Lloyd. Lloyd did not return a request for comment, but Tim Sytsma, a committee member of the Multnomah GOP, told The Daily Beast that the party had followed its bylaws to the letter while ousting the now-ex chair.Still, as Willamette Week reported earlier in the month, Lloyd’s expulsion signaled a rift in the party, particularly his recent call for diversity in the group. “The Chairman should promote the Party Platform, and not state [that] ‘Diversity is an extremely important part of society and diversity of ideas is what we should be striving for,’” an internal party petition read.The petition also took issue with Lloyd’s support for public Multnomah County Republican Party meetings, due to what petitioners claimed was a threat of infiltration from anti-fascists.“We dare not announce where and when we are meeting in the city of the original Antifa group, Rose City Antifa, which continues to actively hurt people and damage property nightly in Portland!” the read. (The original anti-fascist groups organized in opposition to German and Italian fascism in the 1920s.) “Stephen [Lloyd] must acknowledge the danger of Antifa attempting to interfere or infiltrate MCRP.”Those preferences were on display last Thursday, when the party held the key meeting at a church without advertising it. A spokesperson for the church, which rents out space for a number of causes, including recently as a vaccination center, told The Daily Beast it hadn’t known the nature of the meeting when it agreed to host the event.“What we were aware of the event on May 6 was just a policy meeting according to the paperwork,” the spokesperson said. “They didn’t mention anything about [a] Republican group. We’re so regretful that we allowed the group to use it.”In a Sunday letter to the church, reviewed by The Daily Beast, the Multnomah GOP conceded that the church had been unaware of the meeting’s “content and activity.”But most remarkable was local party leaders soliciting free services from Tooze, the letter shows. “We appreciate that you are a proficient, private volunteer security group with vast experience in event security,” they wrote. “We are thankful moreover that you are a volunteer security group, it is very important that we work as a teem to keep our event calm and peaceful.”Sytsma told The Daily Beast that he’d been unaware of the Tooze’s affiliations. “I don’t know the membership of the group we contracted with, but no money exchanged hands,” he said. “It was voluntary.”In fact, Tooze is a known associate of the Proud Boys, and told The Daily Beast via text message that he did not object to that very characterization. On Facebook, he has repeatedly promoted the Proud Boys and advertised their events, often describing the group as a physical countermeasure against the left. In one representative post, he shared a picture of anti-fascists with the caption “the infection” and a group of Portland Proud Boys with the caption “the disinfectant.” Elsewhere, he characterized a Portland council member as “antifa” because she supported cuts to the police budget.A Portland man who lives near the church told The Daily Beast that Tooze’s security force patrolled the neighborhood until approximately midnight, to the discomfort of some locals. The man, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal but provided video footage of interactions with the group, alleged that members had stopped and questioned one of his neighbors while she was out exercising, sparking an argument.“They said something to the effect of, ‘If antifa shows up, we’ll know who called them,’” the Portland man said of the group’s interactions with his neighbor. Afterward, several of his neighbors agreed to sit outside “having the weirdest block party” and watching groups of three and four patrol his street. Although none wore official uniforms, he said, at least one wore a flannel shirt in the Proud Boys’ colors (yellow and black), which Proud Boys have previously worn at rallies. Footage reviewed by The Daily Beast confirms his claim.One of the men was openly carrying a pistol, the neighborhood man alleged.A post on the neighborhood-based social media platform NextDoor and previously reviewed by Willamette Week contains further allegations.“The effect of this was that Proud Boys were patrolling our blocking groups from 5pm to midnight,” the May 7 post read, going on to refer to people “displaying weapons” and claiming that they “vandalized our block with Proud boys stickers.”At least one local tweeted a picture of one such sticker across from the church while the event was ongoing. In a letter to the church, reviewed by The Daily Beast, the Multnomah County Republican Party’s new chair Alan Conner addressed the stickers.Infiltrators Are Sabotaging the Proud Boys’ ‘White Lives Matter’ Day“Recently, there have been reports of stickers left in the neighborhood,” Conner wrote. “We are following up with both our security consultant and with members of our group to see that, if true, these items are removed.” Conner did not respond to a request for comment for this story, and attempts to reach the other two signatories to the local GOP’s deal with Tooze—Secretary Sean Yates and Sergeant at Arms Curt Schultz—were not immediately successful.For his part, Tooze denied that members of his group had carried guns, placed stickers, been violent, or broken the law in any way.“I do not believe so,” he texted The Daily Beast. “Those stickers were put there by people to try to make the members at the meeting look like a proud boys [sic] and that’s the way the propaganda works in Portland.” (At the time a neighbor tweeted a picture of the sticker, the then-ongoing GOP meeting was still a secret, per the group’s own insistence.) Police who visited the scene that evening found no evidence of a crime, Willamette Week reported.The May 6 event was not the first collaboration between prominent Proud Boys or their fans and local Republican parties. In February, Proud Boy Tusitala “Tiny” Toese was seen acting as sergeant-at-arms for a Clark County Republican Party meeting, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported at the time. Toese has been convicted multiple times in connection to his role in far-right brawls, including a Jan. 2020 conviction for assault and a subsequent conviction for attending a Portland rally last summer, in violation of his probation terms.Near the end of the evening last Thursday, the man who lives near the church said, members of the patrolling group stopped to speak with neighbors who’d been watching them from their lawns. Footage from the conversation shows multiple locals telling the men that they were uncomfortable with their presence."I'm sorry you guys feel intimidated by people walking around your neighborhood,” one member of the patrolling group replies.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.
HuffPost
White House Partners With Uber, Lyft For Free Rides To Vaccine Sites
“We have to make it easier and more convenient for all Americans to get vaccinated,” President Joe Biden said.
The New York Times
To Vaccinate Younger Teens, States and Cities Look to Schools, Camps, Even Beaches
The race is on to vaccinate the nation’s nearly 17 million 12- to 15-year-olds against COVID-19. The Food and Drug Administration’s decision Monday to authorize the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for younger adolescents presents a bright new opportunity in the push for broad immunity against the coronavirus in the United States, but the challenges of getting them vaccinated are more daunting than for older, more independent teenagers. In Connecticut, health and school officials recently created a party-like atmosphere to successfully vaccinate busloads of high school seniors, complete with a DJ and a selfie backdrop — and no hovering mothers or fathers. But they say they will need to tweak their strategy for younger students — doing more, for example, to educate and reassure parents, many of whom are anxious about vaccinating this age group. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times “The game changes when you go down as young as 12 years old,” said Nathan Quesnel, the superintendent of schools in East Hartford, adding, “You need to have a different level of sensitivity.” A recent survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation’s Vaccine Monitor found that many parents — even some who eagerly got their own COVID shots — are reluctant to vaccinate pubescent children. Yet doing so will be critical for further reducing transmission of the virus, smoothly reopening middle and high schools and regaining some sense of national normalcy. Vaccination for these children is expected to begin later this week. Sites are anticipating an initial surge in demand before an inevitable softening, much as happened with adults. States, counties and school districts around the country are trying to figure out the most reassuring and expedient ways to reach younger adolescents as well as their parents, whose consent is usually required by state law. They are making plans to offer vaccines not only in schools, but also at pediatricians’ offices, day camps, parks and even beaches. Children’s Minnesota, a Minneapolis-based hospital system where the main COVID vaccination site has offered stress balls, colored lights and images of playful dolphins projected on the ceiling, is planning to provide shots beginning later this week in at least a dozen middle schools and a YWCA. In Columbus, Ohio, public health nurses will drive a mobile vaccination unit around neighborhoods “just like you would an ice cream truck,” said Dr. Mysheika Roberts, the city health commissioner. In Connecticut, Community Health Center, a statewide primary care provider that vaccinated the busloads of high school seniors, is aiming to reach younger adolescents by offering shots at amusement parks, beaches and camps, among other locales. “You’re going to Dollar General?” said Yvette Highsmith-Francis, a vice president of Community Health Center. “Guess what? We’re in the parking lot.” But with the school year ending soon, many health officials are racing against the academic clock to schedule both recommended doses, seeing schools as the best place to reach many students at once. “We have a very finite amount of time,” said Dr. Anne Zink, the chief medical officer for Alaska. “In Alaska, kids go to the wind as soon as summer hits, so our opportunity to get them is now.” A number of places are revving up vaccination efforts in schools. In Colorado, Denver Health will expand clinics it operates in six public schools to middle school students. For the last few weeks, it has provided 150 to 400 vaccines every Saturday and Sunday, reaching not just high school juniors and seniors but sometimes their parents and older siblings, too. “It’s been really successful because we are doing it in their communities, where the kids are familiar,” said Dr. Sonja O’Leary, the medical director for Denver Health’s school-based health centers. Other states believe pediatricians’ and family doctors’ offices will be the best places to catch teenagers — and children as young as infants as companies plan eventually to seek authorization for the shots to be given to the youngest children. Until recently, few doctors had vaccines on hand for patients. But in recent weeks, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has made a major push to enroll pediatricians to give the shots. The thinking is that pediatricians are in the best position to field questions from parents and children. Not only are they experienced in giving routine childhood vaccinations, but they are also often a household’s most trusted source of health information. President Joe Biden announced plans last week to ship doses of the Pfizer vaccine directly to pediatricians’ offices, and he said that about 20,000 pharmacy sites were also ready to administer the vaccine to younger adolescents. There are also practical issues. Staggering COVID shots around the routine vaccines required for school in September — which many children are behind on because of the pandemic — will be complicated. According to the CDC, no vaccines can be given two weeks before and after a COVID vaccine. Pediatricians are used to talking to nervous parents about vaccines, but they concede that the COVID shot poses unique persuasion challenges. To help these conversations, the American Academy of Pediatrics has posted answers to frequently asked questions and has been holding virtual training workshops. Pediatricians say they have been getting vaccine questions for months. Many parents and teenagers have been stirred by false information coursing across the internet about the shots’ impact on fertility and menstrual cycles, said Dr. Hina Talib, an adolescent medicine specialist at Children’s Hospital at Montefiore in New York City, who posts on Instagram as @teenhealthdoc. “With hormones floating around during puberty, parents ask if it’s dangerous for their child to be given a vaccine during that time,” Talib said. The questions reflect the parents’ thoughtfulness, she said, and need to be addressed respectfully. Talib, whose patients are often Black or Latino and recent immigrants, said that many hear vaccine resistance at home. “We have to validate parental anxiety and mistrust of medicine and be very open to listening to what their experiences have been,” she said. Garrett Bates and Precious Wright, who live in Hollywood, Florida, have tentatively decided to get themselves vaccinated, but they are holding off on their four children, ages 12 through 19, for now. It has been a tough year: Two of the children attended school in person, two were remote. Yet, even though vaccination offers the possibility that all their children will have a more engaged, carefree life, Wright wants to see how others their age fare first. “From what I know, you take the vaccine and some people feel sick and it lasts a couple of hours or a day,” she said. “My immune system is stronger than the kids’. I don’t know if they could shake off those effects as quickly as mine.” For some teenagers, anxious about bringing the virus home to vulnerable relatives, the vaccine represents liberation — from those worries as well as constraints on seeing friends. “The kids have ‘shot envy,’” Talib said. Dr. Nicole Baldwin, a pediatrician in Cincinnati whose health-related TikTok videos now feature one for the Pfizer vaccine, said she was surprised by how excited many of her teenage patients were about the vaccine. “I’ll ask, ‘Have your friends gotten it?’ And they’re saying, ‘Yes!’” But she also has patients, including those with high-risk medical conditions that make them vulnerable to COVID, who are not getting it. “Their parents say no,” she said. When parent and child are at odds about the vaccine, the pediatrician has a tricky path to walk. And when divorced parents disagree over whether their child should get the vaccine, those discussions become even more difficult. Not all teenagers long for the vaccine. Many hate getting shots. Others say that because young people often get milder cases of COVID, why risk a new vaccine? Patsy Stinchfield, a nurse practitioner who oversees vaccination for Children’s Minnesota, has stark evidence that some cases in young people can be serious. Not only have more children with COVID been admitted to the hospital recently, but its intensive care unit also has COVID patients who are 13, 15, 16 and 17 years old. The FDA’s new authorization means all those patients would be eligible for the shots, she noted. “If you can prevent your child ending up in the ICU with a safe vaccine, why wouldn’t you?” she said. Quesnel, the East Hartford, Connecticut, superintendent, said the most powerful message for reaching older adolescents would probably appeal just as much to younger ones. Rather than focusing on the fact that the shot will protect them, he said, they seize on the idea that it will keep them from having to quarantine if they are exposed. “They’re not so afraid of the health care dangers from COVID but the social losses that come along with it,” he said, adding that 60% of his district’s seniors, or about 300 students, got their first dose at a mass vaccination site run by Community Health Center on April 26. “Some of our greatest leverage right now is that social component — ‘You won’t be quarantined.’” Michael Jackson of North Port, Florida, cannot wait for his 14-year-old son, Devin, to get the vaccine. During the past year, he said, his son’s beloved Little League games went on hiatus and the family had to suspend their regular Sunday suppers with grandparents. And Devin, an eighth grader, had to quarantine three times after being exposed to COVID. Other parents have challenged Jackson about his plans to get Devin vaccinated. “They say to me, ‘How can you put that in your body?’” he said, adding, “And meanwhile they’re eating a Big Mac and drinking a can of soda?” Before any younger adolescents can receive the shots, the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee will meet in the coming days to review the clinical trial data and make recommendations for the vaccine’s use in the 12-to-15 age group. Within months, eligibility for the vaccines is expected to expand to even younger children. Pfizer expects to seek emergency authorization in September to administer its vaccine to children between the ages of 2 and 11. Moderna’s clinical trial results for its vaccine in 12- to 17-year-olds are expected in the next few weeks, and those from a trial of its vaccine in children 6 months to 12 years old in the second half of this year. All 50 states require certain vaccines for children who attend school, but those mandates apply only to vaccines that have been fully approved by the FDA, a status the COVID shots have not yet achieved. And even when the FDA approves the vaccines, any state-legislated mandates would most likely allow students to opt out for medical, religious and sometimes even philosophical reasons, as they do for other childhood shots. In Columbus, Roberts already has a good sense of the challenge ahead. Her department worked with the local children’s hospital to offer vaccinations to older teenagers at high schools over the last month, hoping to reach up to 6,000 of them. “We only got about 600,” she said, noting that parental fears about infertility were the most common reason for refusing the shots. Now she and her staff are considering offering incentives like free meals and grocery store gift cards to parents, and perhaps prizes for children as well. “We’re committed to getting this population vaccinated,” she said, “so we’re going to look at anything and everything.” This article originally appeared in The New York Times. © 2021 The New York Times Company
CBS News
Biden lets undocumented college students access pandemic aid
The Trump administration had barred undocumented students, including those known as "Dreamers," from accessing aid that Congress allocated in COVID-19 relief packages.