AstraZeneca announced Sunday a comprehensive review has found "no evidence" that its COVID-19 vaccine causes an increased risk of blood clots.
Why it matters: Authorities in Ireland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway and Iceland have paused administering the vaccine because of clotting concerns, per Reuters.
Uncertainty about why only 75% of the House is confirmed as vaccinated against the coronavirus is fueling a debate about when the chamber can return to its normal rules of operation.
Between the lines: The other 25% of members have either refused to get the vaccine, have not reported getting it at home or are avoiding it because of medical conditions. Until the Office of Attending Physician is clear about this, it can't make recommendations "regarding the modification or relaxation of existing social distancing guidelines."
Lily Adams, a veteran of Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential bid, is joining the Treasury Department to help promote the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan and the administration’s broader plans to combat income inequality.
Why it matters: Touting Biden’s stimulus package will be a government-wide effort, with a coordinated communications strategy. Treasury is taking the lead on implementing it, and Adams will play a key role.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) says he's not questioning his accusers' motives but he believes his growing chorus of critics could have many motivations to make allegations against him.
NIAID director Anthony Fauci told "Fox News Sunday" that "it would make all the difference in the world" if former President Trump urged his supporters to take the coronavirus vaccine.
Why it matters: Republicans — particularly men in the party — are the least likely demographic to say they plan to get vaccinated against the virus, recent pollssuggest.
A winter storm has revealed issues in Jackson, Miss.' aging water supply system, leaving thousands of residents without water service since mid-February, NBC News reports.
Why it matters: While water supply has been a recurring challenge for Jackson residents, "this year’s outage is one of the worst in recent history," NBC writes. It would take hundreds of millions of dollars to restructure the system to make it resilient enough to withstand harsh climate, mayor Chokwe Lumumba told the outlet.
Based on everything we knowabout New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's psyche, it's impossible to imagine him resigning unless he knows he has no way out. The only Democratic figure who could plausibly persuade Cuomo to resign is President Biden.
The big picture: Unlike manyof his other Democratic critics, Cuomo respects and likes Biden. The two men have had good relations — during the transition, there was even (far-fetched) talk that the governor would be considered as Biden's attorney general.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) did not call for New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) to resign on Sunday, but said he "should look inside his heart...to see if he can govern effectively."
Voting rights advocate Stacey Abrams told CNN on Sunday that a slew of bills introduced by Georgia Republicans that generally restrict voter access in the state are "a redux of Jim Crow."
Why it matters: Republicans in the state say the measures aim to curtail voting fraud. They would make it harder for people to vote in a state that recently gave Democrats power in the Senate with a 50-50 split and flipped blue for Biden in the 2020 presidential election.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is looking at data that suggests "3 feet are okay under certain circumstances," for social distancing guidelines, NIAID Director Anthony Fauci said on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday.
Why it matters: One of the biggest hurdles for school administrators and a barrier to reopening is making sure students stay the recommended 6 feet apart. Fauci said "it won't be very long" for the CDC to potentially adjust official guidelines on social distancing policies, if the data suggests 3 feet of distance won't negatively affect people's safety.
British police have opened a preliminary investigation into allegations that Asma al-Assad, the wife of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, "incited and encouraged terrorist acts" in Syria, the Times of London first reported Sunday.
Why it matters: While it's unlikely she'd obey a court summons in the U.K. if prosecuted for war crimes, she could face loss of British citizenship if convicted. The news comes two days before the 10th anniversary of Syria's civil war.
Hundredsmarched in Louisville, Kentucky, on Saturday to mark one year since the police killing of Breonna Taylor, an unarmed Black woman.
The big picture: The families of other Black and Brown people shot by police, including Jacob Blake, Danny Ray Thomas and Sean Monterrosa, joined Taylor's family in Louisville to remember the 26-year-old and renew their calls for justice.
The Biden administration announced Saturday it has directed the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to go to the southern border and help care for increasing numbers of unaccompanied child migrants arriving there.
Why it matters: The record number of child migrants crossing the border has been overwhelming the administration's stretched resources, Axios' Jonathan Swan and Stef Kight note.
