NEW CORONAVIRUS cases nearly tripled over the past two weeks (Shutterstock)

The coronavirus pandemic is resurging across the United States, the increases fueled in large part by patients who were not vaccinated.

According to the Associated Press, COVID-19 cases have “nearly tripled” over the past two weeks. The seven-day rolling average has risen to over 37,000 on Tuesday, compared to fewer than 13,700 on July 6.

Public health officials blame the steep rise on the impact of the Delta variant and the persistence of people who are either hesitant or refusing to be inoculated against the disease.

Political, religious and health concerns are among the reasons that large numbers of people – primarily young and in rural areas – are skipping the process. The New York Times reports that 56.2 percent of Americans have received at least one “jab.”

The sharp increases have begun to strain hospital capacity in some areas, according to the AP.

Bumpy road continues for infrastructure

BIPARTISAN efforts for infrastructure funding are on a rocky road (Shutterstock).

President Joe Biden’s efforts to pass legislation to improve and modernize the nation’s roads, bridges, electric grid and more continue to hit some bumpy spots.

Republicans on Wednesday threw a filibuster into the path of a bipartisan agreement that would have advanced a vote on the appropriation of almost $1 trillion, saying there were still details to be resolved.

“We have made significant progress and are close to a final agreement,” said the 11 Republican and 11 Democratic senators in a statement, adding that the process could be completed “in the coming days,” according to the Associated Press.

Democrats have a slight advantage in the Senate with 50 votes, plus the tie-breaking power of Vice President Kamala Harris. But they require 60 votes to overturn a filibuster.

Life expectancy in U.S. drops by 1.5 years

LIFE EXPECTANCY in the U.S. in down by 1.5 years, largely because of the coronavirus (Shutterstock).

How long do you expect to live? Statistically speaking, the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lopped off 18 months in a report issued Wednesday.

The CDC’s estimate of life expectancy was reduced from 78.8 years in 2019 to 77.3 years in 2020, according to United Press International, ascribing the decline to the impact of the coronavirus, which has killed over 600,000 Americans, as recorded by Johns Hopkins University.

It was the biggest drop in life expectancy since the Second World War. Under this latest report, men can expect to – on average – live 74.5 years and women 80.2 years. Factors affecting actual life spans include diet, weight, genetics, accidents, homicide or suicide, dangerous occupations or practices, drug and alcohol abuse and disease.