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More than half of all Americans now partially vaccinated, one third fully jabbed up, CDC data shows
More than half of all American adults have had at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, and a third have been fully inoculated. Yet some groups are still holding out, and the Biden administration is pressing them to get jabbed. Some 50.4% of Americans aged 18 and over have received at least the
Former Donald Trump adviser Roger Stone sued by US Justice Department
The US Department of Justice is suing Roger Stone for about $2 million in unpaid federal income taxes it claims is owed by the close ally of former president Donald Trump. The civil lawsuit, filed in federal court in Florida, alleges that Mr Stone and his wife, Nydia, used a commercial entit
J&J COVID-19 vaccine pause to be reviewed by U.S. panel next week
A U.S. panel will meet again next week to discuss whether the pause on the use of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine should continue, after delaying a vote on the matter earlier this week. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advisory panel will meet on April 23, a top
US Congress panel backs slavery reparations for African Americans
A US congressional panel has voted in favour of a bill that if ratified would form a federal commission to consider and dispurse reparations to African Americans for the historic injustice of slavery faced by their ancestors. After hours of late-night discussions on Wednesday the House Judiciary
Wendy Sherman confirmed as US deputy secretary of state
Wendy Sherman, the lead US negotiator for the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, has been confirmed as deputy secretary of state. On Tuesday, the US Senate voted 56-42, mostly along party lines, to confirm President Joe Biden’s nominee for the number-two position at the State Department. While the vo
Trump think tank keeps America First agenda alive
Former officials from the administration of former president Donald Trump on Tuesday launched a think tank to advance his policy agenda. The non-profit America First Policy Institute reportedly has 40 staff and a $20 million first-year budget. Plans for the institute, based in Arlington, Virgini
US to pause Johnson & Johnson vaccine distribution amid clotting concerns
The US Food and Drug Administration and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention called for a pause in the use of Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose Covid-19 vaccine. Six women in the US between the ages of 18 and 48 developed a disorder involving blood clots about two weeks after th
Crowd of 23 candidates floods special congressional election in Texas
The race to succeed the only sitting U.S. congressman to have died from COVID-19 has drawn a free-for-all of 23 candidates in a Republican-leaning district of north Texas, where Democrats have made gains in recent years. Representative Ron Wright, a Republican, died of COVID-19 in February. The M
Pfizer, BioNTech seek U.S. emergency nod for COVID-19 vaccine in adolescents
Pfizer Inc and its German partner BioNTech SE on Friday asked U.S. regulators to allow the emergency use of their vaccine in adolescents aged 12 to 15. The vaccine is currently authorized for emergency use in the United States for people aged 16 and up. The companies said on Friday that the
Pfizer asks US for emergency approval for Covid-19 vaccine use by adolescents
Pfizer and BioNTech said on Friday that they have filed an emergency use authorisation request with the US Food and Drug Administration for use of their Covid-19 vaccine among adolescents aged 12 to 15. The move marks a big step towards vaccinating more of the population, especially as cases are
U.S. allotting 85% less J&J vaccines to states next week, data shows
The U.S. government will allot nearly 85% less Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines to states next week, data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed. Only 785,500 J&J doses will be allocated, compared to 4.95 million doses this week. The U.S. Department of Health and
White House rejects Covid-19 vaccine passport concept as debate heats up
The Biden administration says there will be no federally mandated system for people to show their Covid-19 status amid fierce debate over vaccine passports as states reopen and travel increases. "The government is not now nor will we be supporting a system that requires Americans to carry a crede
US Covid vaccine drive hits record 4 million immunisations in one day
More than four million vaccinations against Covid-19 were administered in the US in a single day at the weekend, showing an acceleration in the country's vaccine distribution programme amid an ongoing rise in coronavirus cases. Andy Slavitt, the White House senior adviser on the Covid-19 response
U.S. Supreme Court brings end to Trump Twitter fight
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday brought an end to a legal fight over former President Donald Trump’s effort to block critics from following his now-frozen Twitter account, deciding the dispute was moot and throwing out a lower court’s decision that found he had violated constitutional
U.S. says 165 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine been administered so far
The United States has administered more than 165 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines in the country as of Sunday morning and distributed nearly 208 million, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Sunday. That is up from the 161,688,422 vaccine doses the CDC said had gone
US Capitol attacker was young man with a troubled history
The man who rammed his car into a barrier outside the US Capitol had been behaving erratically, according to his brother. Law enforcement officials identified the man as 25-year-old Noah Green, who killed one police officer and injured another in the attack on Friday afternoon.
Elections officials fear Georgia law could politicize voting operations
Election officials in conservative and liberal parts of Georgia say a new law allowing a Republican-controlled state agency to take over local voting operations could make the process too partisan. Voting rights advocates have also warned that the provision, part of sweeping voting restrictions s
COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among Black Americans drops - poll
The percentage of U.S. Black adults who say they have either received a vaccine shot for COVID-19 or want one as soon as possible rose to 55% in March from 41% in February, a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) showed. Overall, 61% American adults reported being vaccinated or intended to
