Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday

Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday

Jan 5, 2019 - Health

Pharma plays defense

Illustration: Aïda Amer / Axios

If there’s any area where the Trump administration and a Democratic House majority could find common ground, drug pricing may be it.

Why it matters: Pharma is on its heels, in a way it hasn’t been for years. And it will stay on the defensive for the next two years.

Be smart: President Trump has scrambled all the usual alliances.

On policy, Trump is basically aligned with Democrats, and congressional Republicans are in sync with industry.
Politically, Democrats aren’t inclined to help Trump notch a win on a critically important issue. And congressional Republicans are torn between their donors and their party’s most powerful leader.

Go deeper: These are the pharma companies hiking drug prices in 2019

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10 mins ago - Politics & Policy

8 Senate Democrats vote against adding $15 minimum wage to COVID relief

Photo: Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Eight Democratic senators on Friday voted against Sen. Bernie Sanders' amendment to ignore a ruling by the Senate parliamentarian and add a $15 minimum wage provision to the $1.9 trillion COVID relief package.

The state of play: The vote was held open for hours on Friday afternoon — even after every senator had voted — due to a standoff in negotiations over the next amendments that the Senate will take up.

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Marisa Fernandez

13 mins ago - Health

CDC: Easing mask mandates led to higher COVID cases and deaths

Customer at a supermarket chain in Austin, Texas. Montinique Monroe/Getty Images

Easing mask restrictions and on-site dining have increased COVID-19 cases and deaths, according to a study out Friday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Why it matters: The report's findings converge with actions from governors this week easing mask mandates and announcing plans to reopen nonessential businesses like restaurants.

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Updated 1 hour ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios

Vaccines: U.S. ahead of pace on vaccines — Public desire for vaccine increases to 69%, but with partisan divide — The rise of vaccine passports.
Health: Lessons for trapping the next pandemic.
Economy: U.S. economy added 379,000 jobs in February — Workers are getting a really bad deal.
Politics: Hours-long reading of 628-page COVID relief bill delays Senate debate — Republican governor of West Virginia says there's no plan to lift mask mandate.
World: In AstraZeneca spat, EU fights hard for a vaccine its hardly using.

Go deeper (1 min. read)