Wake Up To Politics - April 7, 2021

Good morning! It’s Wednesday, April 7, 2021. Election Day 2022 is 580 days away. Election Day 2024 is 1,308 days away.

The pandemic’s awkward phase

So can they travel? The CDC has waffled on this one as well, another in a string of recent messaging mix-ups for the agency. The latest guidance says that fully vaccinated people can safely travel domestically and internationally, but Walensky undercut those recommendations hours after they were released. “I would advocate against general travel overall,” she said last week, sparking fresh confusion about what is and isn’t safe after being vaccinated.

Is it time to ease restrictions? President Biden has repeatedly urged states to reinstate mask mandates and other public health restrictions. “This is not politics,” he said last month. But, like almost everything, it has been a political debating point for months now, as Republican-led states have led the way in lifting their pandemic restrictions while Democratic governors push back.

A study published in March found there was a link between lifting state policies towards Covid-19 and a higher rate of cases and deaths from the virus, but some examples from the latest phase of the pandemic show that the situation is more muddled. According to the New York Times, the states with the most coronavirus cases per capita in the past week have been Michigan (67 cases per 100,000 residents), New Jersey (46 cases per 100,000 residents), and New York (39 cases per 100,000 residents). But a WalletHub analysis found that they are among the 11 states with the most Covid-19 restrictions. On the other hand, the two least-restricted states — Iowa and Florida — have significantly lower levels of new cases (17 cases and 26 cases per 100,000 residents, respectively).

With the connection between statewide restrictions and case counts uncertain, some blue states are moving to open up as well: California announced Tuesday that it would lift most restrictions on businesses on June 15. A recent article by The Atlantic suggested that, in this new pandemic phase of divided vaccination status, the disparities in coronavirus outcomes will be seen more county by county than on the state level. “The pandemic is or will soon be over for a lot of people in well-resourced, heavily vaccinated communities,” the magazine reported.

“In places where vaccination rates are low and risk remains high, more people will join the 550,000 who have already died.”

So can they travel? The CDC has waffled on this one as well, another in a string of recent messaging mix-ups for the agency. The latest guidance says that fully vaccinated people can safely travel domestically and internationally, but Walensky undercut those recommendations hours after they were released. “I would advocate against general travel overall,” she said last week, sparking fresh confusion about what is and isn’t safe after being vaccinated.

Is it time to ease restrictions? President Biden has repeatedly urged states to reinstate mask mandates and other public health restrictions. “This is not politics,” he said last month. But, like almost everything, it has been a political debating point for months now, as Republican-led states have led the way in lifting their pandemic restrictions while Democratic governors push back.

A study published in March found there was a link between lifting state policies towards Covid-19 and a higher rate of cases and deaths from the virus, but some examples from the latest phase of the pandemic show that the situation is more muddled. According to the New York Times, the states with the most coronavirus cases per capita in the past week have been Michigan (67 cases per 100,000 residents), New Jersey (46 cases per 100,000 residents), and New York (39 cases per 100,000 residents). But a WalletHub analysis found that they are among the 11 states with the most Covid-19 restrictions. On the other hand, the two least-restricted states — Iowa and Florida — have significantly lower levels of new cases (17 cases and 26 cases per 100,000 residents, respectively).

With the connection between statewide restrictions and case counts uncertain, some blue states are moving to open up as well: California announced Tuesday that it would lift most restrictions on businesses on June 15. A recent article by The Atlantic suggested that, in this new pandemic phase of divided vaccination status, the disparities in coronavirus outcomes will be seen more county by county than on the state level. “The pandemic is or will soon be over for a lot of people in well-resourced, heavily vaccinated communities,” the magazine reported.

“In places where vaccination rates are low and risk remains high, more people will join the 550,000 who have already died.”

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The Rundown

GAETZGATE: Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), under investigation for potential sex trafficking violations, sought a blanket pardon from former President Donald Trump in the final weeks of Trump’s term. (New York Times)

CLIMATE: Carbon dioxide concentration has reached a critical milestone, 420 parts per million, for the first time in recorded history. (Washington Post)

IN THE STATES: Former Olympic athlete and reality TV star Caitlyn Jenner is reportedly considering running as a Republican in the race to succeed Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) if he is ousted in an upcoming recall election. (Axios)

COVID RELIEF: About 30 million Americans who should have automatically received their $1,400 direct payments are still waiting, including many people who do not normally need to file income taxes, so their information is not on file at the IRS. (Washington Post)

Global Roundup
Contributed by Miles Hession

The U.K. and the E.U. are sparring over supply delays of the AstraZeneca vaccine as new links between the drug and blood clots have come to light. E.U. official Thierry Breton suggested that the UK has been given preferential treatment in its allotment of doses of the life-saving vaccine. Breton pointed to disruptions in the supply of the vaccine to the E.U. that have not been seen in the U.K., despite similar delays in British supply chains. Differences in the contracts that the U.K. and E.U. signed with the pharmaceutical company have been pointed to as the source of the disruption in the E.U. The row cements another dimension to post-Brexit Europe as the U.K. and E.U. clashed earlier this year over the efficacy of the vaccine. Oxford trials of the vaccine in children were paused after European officials concluded there is a link between the drug and rare blood clots, which is likely to decrease the already low uptake of the vaccine in the E.U.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison admitted failure in dealing with a toxic and misogynistic work environment in the Australian parliament. The catalyst for this concession comes from former political advisor Brittany Higgins, who weeks ago shook the foundations of Australian politics by alleging a senior colleague raped her in the office of the Defense  Minister. Following this allegation, many other women who worked in parliament, either as staffers or members, came forward with similar allegations painting a picture of a toxic work environment. The allegations reached the current government, with cabinet minister Christian Porter being accused of rape 30 years ago. Morrison, facing lagging poll numbers, responded to the historic backlash by reshuffling his cabinet and promoting several female lawmakers to new positions, but critics lament that more must be done to change the culture of parliament.

Mozambique’s military has retaken the town of Palma following occupation by jihadist militants. Palma was overtaken in a raid by a group that referred to itself as al-Shabab, shocking the country and the world as the insurgents laid waste to the town. While the military regained control a little more than a week later, the scars left by the insurgency have created fear of future attacks in the region. Buildings were destroyed, shots were fired indiscriminately, and residents fled in the chaos, leading to concerns of famine and further insecurity in the country’s northern region. The ten-day military campaign to restore order to the town underscored the strength of the militants and the threat they continue to pose.

China paved the way to enact a new resolution that would bar “unpatriotic” candidates for office in Hong Kong. The resolution, which cleared the National People’s Congress (NPC) and the NPC Standing Committee, would give Beijing new authority in rejecting candidates that do not exhibit sufficient Chinese patriotism in the government’s eyes. It would also limit the number of directly elected lawmakers to Hong Kong’s legislature and increase representation from business interests that are traditionally Beijing-aligned. Critics of the resolution have warned that this would spell the end for any effective opposition in the territory. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reaffirmed a Trump-era stance limiting trade to Hong Kong in light of the recent encroachments and past violations of Hong Kong’s autonomy.

More global headlines:

• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel was given the first chance to form a government after recent elections, though those efforts look likely to fail.
• In his Easter Address, Pope Francis called for broader access to Covid vaccines for poorer countries.
• Following a mass resignation by senior military leaders and surging coronavirus cases, President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil is facing a compounding political crisis.
• Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia announced a withdrawal of troops from Eritrea in the Tigray region as further reports of atrocities committed by soldiers came to light.
• Mass protests have erupted in Turkey following the country’s withdrawal from a treaty that sought to prevent and combat violence against women.
• Niger has undergone its first democratic transfer of power despite a failed coup attempt.
• Iran and the U.S. have agreed to indirect talks to restore the Iran nuclear deal following a new cooperation treaty between Iran and China.
• Jordan has banned all news and media coverage of a dramatic royal rift between the king and crown prince.

Daybook

All times Eastern.
Executive Branch
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will receive the President’s Daily Brief at 9:50 a.m. Later, at 1:45 p.m., Biden will deliver remarks on the American Jobs Plan, his $2 trillion infrastructure proposal, with Harris in attendance.

First Lady Jill Biden will hold a virtual event at 11:30 a.m. to relaunch Joining Forces, the initiative to support military families that she founded with former First Lady Michelle Obama in 2011. Biden will then travel to Arlington, Virginia; at 1:30 p.m., she will tour the Military OneSource call center, which provides 24/7 support to service members and their families.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo will hold a press briefing at 12:15 p.m.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and other U.S. public health officials will hold a press briefing at 10:30 a.m. on the COVID-19 response effort.

Legislative Branch
The House and Senate are not in session.

Judicial Branch
The Supreme Court is not in session.

The Hennepin County District Court in Minnesota will hold the eighth day of the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin at 10:15 a.m. Chauvin has been charged with second-degree murder in the May 2020 killing of George Floyd.

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