The Wider World

Biden: Vaccines for 300 million

ENOUGH VACCINE doses for 300 million Americans should be available by the end of summer, according to President Joe Biden (Shutterstock).

If you’re having trouble getting your coronavirus vaccination, help is on the way, according to President Joe Biden.

Enough vaccine doses will be available by the end of summer to inoculate 300 million Americans, the president announced on Thursday, the Associated Press is reporting. Earlier, the new president had pledged to have 100 million vaccine doses given within 100 days of his taking office. Three weeks into that period, over 26 million “jabs” have been performed.

Speaking of the 300 million goal, “That’s just the floor,” said Biden. “Our end goal is beating COVID-19.” He made his remarks during a visit to the National Institutes of Health complex outside of Washington, D.C.

In a related story, USA Today is reporting that as many as one-third of Americans are skeptical of the vaccinations. Those expressing the most concern about the need and safety of the inoculations are younger people, those without a college degree, and African Americans.

The latest numbers on the coronavirus show over 27.2 million Americans have confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection and 471,000 have died. Worldwide, the case count is over 107.4 million, with 2.35 million deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.

News: Democrats wrap up case vs. Trump

Democrats from the House of Representatives concluded making their case against former president Donald Trump on Thursday, some making the allegation that he was a continuing threat to democracy.

THE IMPEACHMENT trial of former President Donald Trump may end by Saturday (Shutterstock).

“My dear colleagues,” Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Maryland) said, “is there any political leader in this room who believes that if he’s ever allowed by the Senate to get back into the Oval Office, Donald Trump would stop inciting violence to get his way?” If the Senate convicts him – considered unlikely – it could prohibit him from ever holding public office.

A vote on the single charge of  “incitement to insurrection” in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S Capitol could come as soon as Saturday, according to The New York Times.

Space X and the Moon: SpaceX, a private space exploration firm based in Hawthorne, has been chosen to launch NASA’s Lunar Gateway space station, which will service future manned missions to the moon, including the eventual creation of a lunar base. Americans are scheduled to return to the moon in 2024.

Business: The Mouse is still mighty

A lot of businesses have taken a beating during the year-long coronavirus crisis.  Some of them were entertainment firms, but one defied the odds and showed a surprise profit. The Walt Disney Co. announced a first quarter profit of $17 million, despite the closing of its signature amusement parks, including Disneyland and Disney’s California adventure in Anaheim. How was it done? The Disney + streaming service has gathered over 95 million subscribers.

Wall Street still uncertain: Are these good times for investors or not? The major stock indexes offered differing advice on Thursday. The Dow Jones Average slipped 7.30 points to 31,430.70, but the other two showed gains. The S&P 500 rose 6.50 points to 3,916.38, and the Nasdaq climbed by 53.24 points to 14,025,77

Sports: Knee surgery for Tom Brady

TOM BRADY 

The seven-time Super Bowl champ Tom Brady may be timeless, but he’s not invulnerable. The Tampa Bay Times is reporting that he will undergo a “minor surgical procedure” this off-season. Which knee was not identified.

Brady wore a brace on his left knee during a Super Bowl boat parade. However, it’s reported that the five-time Super Bowl MVP also wears it when golfing and engaging in other recreation. Brady led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 31-9 victory over the favored Kansas City Chiefs in the last Super Bowl game for the NFL championship.

Weather: Into each life ….

A little rain must fall. The forecast for West Orange County is for showers Friday morning with a daytime high of 68 and a low of 49. Saturday will be partly cloudy with a high of 64 (47), warming up to mostly sunny and a high of 69 (47). Cloudy conditions are expected to remain until Wednesday when the sun comes shining through and daytime highs should reach into the low 70s. Along the coast – Huntington Beach – daytime highs are expected to be four to five degrees cooler.

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