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 1, 2018

The legalized marijuana era begins in California

Rochelle Brodin / WireImage via Getty

"California pot shops prepare for their first day of legal recreational marijuana sales," by L.A. Times' Angel Jennings and Sarah Parvini:

The nation's largest state today marks its first day of legal recreational marijuana sales, after voters approved legalization in 2016.
Robert Taft Jr., founder of the medical marijuana dispensary 420 Central in Santa Ana, "brought in five new cash registers and hired six additional 'budtenders.'"
"To sell cannabis commercially in January — for recreational or medical use — marijuana businesses must have local approval and a state license."
Per AP: In general, the state will treat cannabis like alcohol, allowing people 21 and older to possess up to an ounce of pot and grow six marijuana plants at home."
Bummer: "Los Angeles has delayed accepting applications for legal sales until Jan. 3, and it will be weeks before any shops open."

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Jonathan Swan, Rebecca Falconer

15 mins ago - Health

CDC to cut guidance on quarantine period for coronavirus exposure

A health care worker oversees cars as people arrive to get tested for coronavirus at a testing site in Arlington, Virginia, on Tuesday. Photo: Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

The CDC will soon shorten its guidance for quarantine periods following exposure to COVID-19, AP reported Tuesday and Axios can confirm.

Why it matters: Quarantine helps prevent the spread of the coronavirus, which can occur before a person knows they're sick or if they're infected without feeling any symptoms. The current recommended period to stay home if exposed to the virus is 14 days. The CDC plans to amend this to 10 days or seven with a negative test, an official told Axios.

The CDC did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

1 hour ago - Health

CDC panel: COVID vaccines should go to health workers, long-term care residents first

Hospital staff work in the COVID-19 intensive care unit in Houston. Photo: Go Nakamura via Getty

Health-care workers and nursing home residents should be at the front of the line to get coronavirus vaccines in the United States once they’re cleared and available for public use, an independent CDC panel recommended in a 13-1 emergency vote on Tuesday, per CNBC.

Why it matters: Recent developments in COVID-19 vaccines have accelerated the timeline for distribution as vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna undergo the federal approval process. States are preparing to begin distributing as soon as two weeks from now.

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Sara Fischer, author of Media Trends

2 hours ago - Politics & Policy

Obama: Broad slogans like "defund the police" lose people

Snapchat.

Former President Barack Obama told Peter Hamby on the Snapchat original political show "Good Luck America" that "snappy" slogans such as "defund the police" can alienate people, making the statements less effective than intended.

What he's saying: "You lost a big audience the minute you say it, which makes it a lot less likely that you're actually going to get the changes you want done," Obama told Hamby in an interview that will air Wednesday morning at 6 a.m. EST on Snapchat.

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