The News You Need to Know for the Week of April 12th

As vaccines are rolling out nationwide, the federal government is reconsidering how vaccines should be distributed. The states of New York, New Jersey, Michigan, Florida, and Pennsylvania collectively reported 44% of all new COVID-19 infections. Should these states receive more doses of the vaccine? Many argue that it would be unfair to make states that have been successful at slowing the spread wait for more doses of the vaccine. Instead, should states with higher case numbers place more restrictions? Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan says she does not plan to tighten restrictions. With the light at the end of the tunnel looming nearer, it is easy to want to jump the gun—- loosen social distancing restrictions and return to life as normal. However, patience, as we wait to get vaccinated, will ultimately keep everyone healthy. Currently, the Biden administration has announced they plan to have all adults eligible to receive the vaccine by April 19th. Fingers crossed for a healthy and happy summer! 

As Meghan Markle and Prince Harry disassociate from the British Royal Family, they have recently revealed the debut of a Netflix docuseries “Heart of Invictus.” The series will showcase injured military personnel and veterans competing in sports. The Invictus Games, of which Prince Harry is a patron for their foundation, are set to take place in The Hague, Holland in 2022. 

In response to a new voting law that has been recently passed in Georgia, the MLB has made the decision to cancel plans to host the MLB All-Star Tournament in the state. The new law “adds greater legislative control over how elections are run and includes strict identification requirements for voting absentee by mail. It also limits the use of ballot drop boxes and makes it a crime to hand out food or water to voters waiting in line, among other provisions.” Supporters of the MLB’s decision argue that it was a choice that fights back against systemic racism because voter ID laws will disproportionately disenfranchise people of color. Opponents claim that the decision was based on misinformation; the laws, they believe, are not racist and that the decision to move the game will ultimately harm the Atlanta community.

Republican governor Asa Hutchinson has vetoed a proposed bill that would prohibit doctors from performing gender-reaffirming procedures. The bill has found support from the conservative community, but Hutchinson vetoed the bill for the reason that it would involve the government in young people’s personal medical lives in an unprecedented way. The bill could theoretically still be passed through a simple majority in the Arkansas legislature

Thursday morning, President Biden announced six new executive orders aimed at controlling guns in the United States. Among these orders are regulations on the creation and sale of homemade guns as well as other resources for gun control. The AP argues that these regulations fall short of Biden’s campaign trail promises and points out that some of the legislation on “ghost guns” (a type of homemade firearm) had already been in the process of creation under the Trump administration.

This week, the number of unemployment claims reported by the U.S. Department of Labor rose. According to Reuter’s however, the numbers are likely not an indication of job market recovery; the authors suggest that seasonal adjustments, spring break, and Easter, among other things, may have contributed to the rising unemployment claims but that the number of available jobs is actually rising as more companies return to in-person work.