Why it matters: The U.S. faces a range of health care flashpoints — unaffordable drugs, opioids, vaping — as we debate whether to adopt universal care. For now, the Affordable Care Act is the law of the land, but Republicans want to issue it a final death blow.
Photo: EuropaNewswire/Gado/Getty Images
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced on Monday that New York City's 488 public high schools will reopen for some in-person classes on March 22, after months of distance learning.
Why it matters: It's a key pandemic milestone for the biggest public school system in the country, which is made up largely of low-income and minority students, according to the New York Times.
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
The COVID Tracking Project, a volunteer group of data analysts, researchers, and journalists brought together by The Atlantic, published its final daily update on Monday — the one-year anniversary of its founding.
Why it matters: The project quickly became a vital resource for news media, academic researchers, and everyday Americans to track COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in the absence of reliable and public data from the federal government.
Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
Colorado is shifting the focus of its COVID-19 vaccine distribution to equity now that supply is increasing.
Why it matters: The new approach is designed to reach racial minorities hit hard by the coronavirus and rural areas with less access to care.
Minnesota is now releasing COVID-19 vaccination data by race and ethnicity — and there's work to be done to achieve equity in distribution.
Why it matters: While COVID-19 has sickened and killed people of color at higher rates than whites, early data shows members of many of those demographic groups aren't getting as much access to vaccinations.
Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at the opening of the Conservative Political Action Conference last month in Orlando. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said "the state was not involved" in helping to vaccinate 1,200 residents of the super-rich Ocean Reef community in January.
Why it matters: DeSantis has faced increasing criticism for directing vaccines toward wealthy communities.
Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
Some large employers are receiving permission from public health officials to vaccinate their employees at work, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Why it matters: This could remove barriers to getting the vaccine for some workers in high-risk industries. But it also increases the competition for shots while they're still scarce.
Barbara Thomas of Tampa lost her husband of 37 years to COVID-19 on Jan. 22. Photo: Octavio Jones for Axios
When Tampa's Barbara Thomas signed up to get her COVID-19 vaccine, she didn't think she'd be getting the shot six days after the virus killed her husband, Larry.
Why it matters: Her story is similarly playing out for hundreds of thousands of families nationwide who can never truly have a return to normal without those lost during the pandemic.
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios
The verdict from Americans trying to get the COVID vaccine is in: the sign-up websites are awful.
Why it matters: Appointment systems are a vital part of getting Americans vaccinated, but a series of missed opportunities, at every level, left local governments scrambling. And the frustrating, confusing process now carries the risk that some people will simply give up.
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla. Photo: "Axios on HBO"
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla tells "Axios on HBO" that he recently received his first of two doses of the company's coronavirus vaccine.
Why it matters: Bourla told CNBC in December that company polling found that one of the most effective ways to increase confidence in the vaccine was to have the CEO take it.
Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla told "Axios on HBO" that it "will be terrible for society" if the price of coronavirus vaccines ever prohibits some people from taking them.
Why it matters: Widespread uptake of the vaccine — which might require annual booster shots — will reduce the risk of the virus continuing to spread and mutate, but it's unclear who will pay for future shots or how much they'll cost.
Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Students in the U.K. will return to in-person learning on Monday after being closed for two months.
Why it matters: The British government is reopening schools as the first step to lift all COVID-19 restrictions by June, the AP reports. Students will be tested for the virus frequently, with high schools and colleges to reopen in phases, allowing students to be tested several times before returning to regular classes.
Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves (R) defended his decision to revoke the state's mask mandate on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday, describing the move as backed by data and a necessary step to boost the state's economy.
Why it matters: Although hospitalizations have dropped, Mississippi had the largest increase in the average of new coronavirus cases over a seven-day period in the country as of March 2, according to Axios' weekly tracker.
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Addressing homelessness has taken on new urgency in cities across the country over the past year, as officials grapple with a growing unhoused population and the need to preserve public safety during the coronavirus pandemic.
Why it matters: It’s led to tension when cities move in to clear encampments — often for health and safety reasons — causing some to rethink the role of law enforcement when interacting with people experiencing homelessness.
The 43rd Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on March 6. Photo: David Gray/AFP via Getty Images
Some 36,000 people turned out for the 2021 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade celebrating the LGBTQ community in Australia Saturday, per Nine News.
The big picture: For the first time in its 43-year history, organizers moved the event from Oxford Street to the Sydney Cricket Ground because of the COVID-19 pandemic. New South Wales, of which Sydney is the state capital, has reported no community cases for 50 days.
Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry at the White House in January. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry will travel to London, Brussels, and Paris next week to "work with European allies to strengthen global climate ambition" ahead of two key summits on the issue, his office announced Saturday.
Our thought bubble, via Axios' Ben Geman: Kerry's trip is a sign that team the U.S. is seeking tangible outcomes from President Biden's Leaders Summit on Climate next month, not just talk and vague calls to get serious about tackling climate change.