Walter Cronkite Has Died

The New CPAC Makes the Old CPAC Look Like the #Resistance

By Ben Jacobs

Trump critics are out, election truthers are in.

7:59 a.m.

Evidence that COVID survivors may only need one vaccine dose

For people who have had Covid-19, a single dose of the Pfizer vaccine is enough to provide robust protection from the coronavirus, according to two new studies from Britain that were published late Thursday in The Lancet, a prominent medical journal.

The studies, among the first fully vetted papers to weigh in on how to vaccinate people who have had Covid-19, added strong evidence to the case for giving just one dose of the Pfizer vaccine to people who already have antibodies against the virus.

Single dose of Pfizer vaccine offers robust protection for those who have had Covid-19, studies find.

—New York Times

7:00 a.m.

pandemic

Unions Aren’t the Obstacle to Reopening Schools

By Sarah Jones

Teachers can’t wish away the consequences of underfunding public education.

Biden Approves U.S. Airstrikes on Iran-Backed Militias in Syria

biden administration

By Matt Stieb

The Pentagon claims the airstrikes were in retaliation for a prior strike on U.S. forces, and were not intended to escalate hostilities with Iran.

The House Has Passed the Equality Act

By Claire Lampen

The bill, which has Biden’s support, prohibits discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.

$15 Minimum Wage Is Dead for Now Thanks to One Unelected Official

Biden must decide whether to change the rules or change the subject.

Mitch McConnell Would ‘Absolutely’ Support Trump If He Were the 2024 Nominee

gop

By Matt Stieb

Once again, he backs the man who has physically mocked him, called on the party to replace him, and arguably cost him his Senate majority.

Republican Senators Haven’t Represented a Majority of Voters Since 1996

The anti-majoritarian nature of the Senate has helped Republicans block progress for many years.

De Blasio Calls for Probe Into Sexual Harassment Allegations Against Cuomo

By Nia Prater

The mayor called the allegations “disturbing” and joined a bipartisan group of New York lawmakers demanding a probe.

Tanden’s Nomination Won’t Make or Break the Biden Presidency

neera tanden

Some Beltway pundits are inflating this story well beyond its significance.

Republicans Return to Old Voter-Suppression Playbook

voting rights

Trump shifted the focus to phony vote-by-mail fraud claims, but Republicans tried to limit all kinds of voting pre-2020 — and they’re at it again.

Everything We Know About the Coronavirus Variant Spreading in New York City

coronavirus

By Matt Stieb and Paola Rosa-Aquino

Two new studies suggest that the variant B.1.526 detected in New York City could dampen the effectiveness of some vaccine candidates.

2/25/2021

Jennifer Granholm has been confirmed as energy secretary

Former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm won Senate confirmation Thursday to be President Joe Biden’s energy secretary. The vote was 64-35.

Granholm, who served two terms as governor in a state dominated by the auto industry, will be a key player in Biden’s vision for a green economy as the United States fights to slow climate change.

Former Michigan Gov. Granholm confirmed as energy secretary

—AP

‘You Only Let a Bully Go So Long’: Marie Newman Takes on Marjorie Taylor Greene

By Ben Jacobs

The Democrat explains why she planted a transgender pride flag across from Greene’s office, and says she finds her response “absolutely hysterical.”

The Republicans’ Long War to Roll Back the New Deal Is Finally Over

the national interest

By Jonathan Chait

A decades-long quest quietly perishes.

2/25/2021

The Biden administration is shifting language used by the government

At the Department of Homeland Security, the phrase “illegal alien” is being replaced with “noncitizen.” The Interior Department now makes sure that mentions of its stakeholders include “Tribal” people (with a capital “T” as preferred by Native Americans, it said). The most unpopular two words in the Trump lexicon — “climate change” — are once again appearing on government websites and in documents; officials at the Environmental Protection Agency have even begun using the hashtag #climatecrisis on Twitter.

And across the government, L.G.B.T.Q. references are popping up everywhere. Visitors to the White House website are now asked whether they want to provide their pronouns when they fill out a contact form: she/her, he/him or they/them.

It is all part of a concerted effort by the Biden administration to rebrand the government after four years of President Donald J. Trump, in part by stripping away the language and imagery that represented his anti-immigration, anti-science and anti-gay rights policies and replacing them with words and pictures that are more inclusive and better match the current president’s sensibilities.

The Words That Are In and Out With the Biden Administration

—New York Times

2/25/2021

Pfizer is looking at ways to make its COVID vaccine more effective

Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech have begun a study testing in people whether the companies’ Covid-19 shot can provide protection against emerging strains of the coronavirus.

The companies said Thursday they have started the small study to see whether a third dose of their authorized Covid-19 vaccine would increase its effectiveness against new variants, such as the strain first identified in South Africa.

The approach differs from that of Moderna Inc., which said Wednesday it had made a new vaccine targeting the strain found in South Africa and shipped doses to U.S. government researchers for human testing.

Pfizer and BioNTech said they are also in discussions with U.S., European and other health regulators about studying a tweaked version of their vaccine that researchers designed to protect against the variant found in South Africa.

“We are taking multiple steps to act decisively and be ready in case a strain becomes resistant to the protection afforded by the vaccine,” Pfizer Chief Executive Albert Bourla said in a statement.

Pfizer and BioNTech Studying Third Covid-19 Vaccine Dose to Fight New Strains

—Wall Street Journal