Johnson & Johnson vaccine was 72 percent effective in U.S. trial

Johnson & Johnson vaccine was 72 percent effective in U.S. trial-politico:  Johnson & Johnson's coronavirus vaccine was 72 percent effective in the first data from a late-stage U.S. trial, the company said Friday. But the vaccine's efficacy fell to 52 percent against a virus variant first identified in South Africa.

Biden takes first step toward bolstering Obamacare

Biden takes first step toward bolstering Obamacare-politico:  President Joe Biden is taking the first step toward rebuilding Obamacare, ushering in a new era for the health care law after a decade of Republican attacks.

Democrats planning swift moves on budget resolution next week

Democrats planning swift moves on budget resolution next week-rollcall:  Democratic leaders plan to take the initial steps next week that are necessary for developing a filibuster-proof coronavirus relief package. The Senate's expected to make the first move, bringing a fiscal 2021 budget resolution to the floor early next week. House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer late Tuesday adjusted his chamber's schedule, notifying lawmakers that the House's session next week would potentially stretch into the weekend.

Sen. Rob Portman’s exit leaves void in chamber and 2022 map

Sen. Rob Portman’s exit leaves void in chamber and 2022 map-politico:  Gov. Ohio Sen. Rob Portman’s announcement Monday that he would not run for reelection sent shockwaves through GOP circles, as Republicans grappled with losing a senator with his stature and history of winning campaigns.

Newsom to lift stay-at-home orders across California

Newsom to lift stay-at-home orders across California-politico:  Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to lift stay-at-home orders statewide Monday, allowing restaurants to reopen for outdoor dining and salons to resume appointments indoors, according to two sources close to the governor and a restaurant industry email.

US issues national pandemic plan, a year after its first COVID-19 case

US issues national pandemic plan, a year after its first COVID-19 case-rollcall:  On the one-year anniversary of the first COVID-19 case detected on U.S. shores, President Joe Biden released a national strategy aimed at curbing the coronavirus pandemic.

Biden to sign 10 executive orders aimed at turning around the pandemic

Biden to sign 10 executive orders aimed at turning around the pandemic-politico:  President Joe Biden will sign 10 more executive orders on Thursday aimed at ramping up Covid testing and vaccinations, tightening enforcement of workplace safety rules and funneling more federal dollars to states struggling through the pandemic and economic crisis.

In dozens of orders, Biden aims at four ‘converging crises’

In dozens of orders, Biden aims at four ‘converging crises’-politico:  President-elect Joe Biden’s first day agenda has a pretty clear subtext: We’ve got this.  The incoming administration released a fact sheet hours ahead of Wednesday’s inauguration ceremony detailing immediate steps that it will take to tackle the still-raging coronavirus pandemic and other “converging crises” facing the country.

Biden rejects Trump’s move to lift coronavirus travel bans for Europe, Brazil

Biden rejects Trump’s move to lift coronavirus travel bans for Europe, Brazil-politico:  U.S. President-elect Joe Biden's team rejected a move Monday by outgoing President Donald Trump to lift coronavirus restrictions for European and Brazilian travelers.

The crash landing of Operation Warp Speed

The crash landing of Operation Warp Speed-politico:  As the nation’s Covid-19 response was careening off the rails in March and April 2020, about a dozen top health and defense department officials huddled in antiseptic meeting rooms to devise what they believed would be the Trump administration’s greatest triumph — a vaccine program so fast, so special, so successful that grateful Americans would forgive earlier failures and business schools would teach classes about it for decades.

Biden pushes for $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package

Biden pushes for $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package-rollcall: President-elect Joe Biden began lobbying Congress to quickly approve a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 aid plan to improve vaccine distribution, provide direct payments to Americans and bolster state and local government coffers.

Biden looks to Obama alums for help selecting temporary Cabinet secretaries

Biden looks to Obama alums for help selecting temporary Cabinet secretaries-politico:  Joe Biden’s transition team is working with its agency review staff and Obama administration alumni to pinpoint federal officials who could be elevated to key administration positions until the president-elect’s nominees are confirmed.

Flawed vaccine rollout will create political stars — and has-beens

Flawed vaccine rollout will create political stars — and has-beens-politico: Just about everything in the U.S. coronavirus response has been politicized. Now it’s vaccination's turn.  A successful rollout can burnish a politician, creating the Andrew Cuomo of the needle jab.

Governors’ red tape blamed as vaccine doses pile up

Governors’ red tape blamed as vaccine doses pile up-politico:  Governors face a growing outcry over inflexible vaccine policies that are now being blamed for leaving millions of doses to pile up in freezers — and some to land in the trash.

Hospitals say syringes supplied by feds waste vaccine doses

Hospitals say syringes supplied by feds waste vaccine doses-politico:  Hospitals are throwing out doses of Pfizer’s coronavirus vaccine because the federal government is giving some of the facilities syringes that can only extract five doses from vials that often contain more.

‘It’s all fallen apart’: Newsom scrambles to save California — and his career

‘It’s all fallen apart’: Newsom scrambles to save California— and his career-politico:  California is running so low on oxygen that officials are telling emergency crews to conserve supplies. Ambulances in Los Angeles are backed up outside emergency rooms, sometimes for hours.  Californians are frustrated, tired and sick. And in the midst of the unfolding catastrophe, Gov. Gavin Newsom — confronting a burgeoning recall effort, on top of a year of wildfires and civil unrest — is under siege.

Democrats aim to move health care agenda despite slim majorities

Democrats aim to move health care agenda despite slim majorities-rollcall:  The outlook for Democrats’ health care priorities was boosted by the party’s two final Senate victories in Georgia this week, yet exactly what the party may accomplish remains to be seen.  President-elect Joe Biden said in a statement Wednesday that “the bipartisan COVID-19 relief bill passed in December was just a down payment,” signaling that another pandemic response bill is on tap.

Congress certifies Biden’s win after day of chaos and violence

Congress certifies Biden’s win after day of chaos and violence-politico:  A beleaguered Congress finalized President-elect Joe Biden's victory early Thursday morning, capping a day of riots that turned deadly and briefly ground the nation's most powerful institutions to a standstill.

Warnock win puts Democrats on the brink of Senate control

Warnock win puts Democrats on the brink of Senate control-politico:  Democrats are on the cusp of taking the Senate majority after Rev. Raphael Warnock won his special election runoff in Georgia Tuesday night, defeating GOP Sen. Kelly Loeffler as Georgia’s other Republican senator remains locked in a too-close-to-call runoff.

House rules would exempt coronavirus, climate bills from budget limits

House rules would exempt coronavirus, climate bills from budget limits-rollcall:  The new rules package for the 117th Congress unveiled by House Democrats on Friday would grant a sweeping new exemption from deficit controls for legislation related to the coronavirus pandemic or efforts to curb climate change.

Trump misses 20 million Covid shot target

Trump misses 20 million Covid shot target-politico:  The calendar will flip over into 2021 with the U.S. well short of its goal of vaccinating 20 million Americans against the coronavirus.  With the pandemic still raging, at least 2.6 million have received the first of two Covid shots while over 12.4 million doses have been delivered to the states, according to the Centers for Disease Control's most recent figures.