The New York Times

Faith, Freedom, Fear: Rural America’s COVID Vaccine Skeptics

GREENEVILLE, Tenn.— “So, have you gotten the vaccine yet?” The question, a friendly greeting to Betty Smith, the pastor’s wife, lingered in the air as the four church women sat down for their regular Tuesday coffee and conversation at Ingles Market. Smith hesitated, sensing a chilly blast of judgment from a never-mask, never-vax companion. She fumbled through a nonreply. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times Recalling the moment later, she sighed, “We were there to get to know each other better, but the first thing on the table was the COVID vaccine.” The subject

Amid a decline in the U.S. daily rate of coronavirus vaccinations, down from its peak levels two weeks ago, the focus has turned to young adults who may be resistant to getting vaccinated against the deadly disease.

Although a dip in vaccinations is expected to some extent — as more Americans become vaccinated, logically at some point the demand would go down — some health experts worry that this slowdown may be happening prematurely, considering that eligibility is now open to every American over the age of 16 and that supply doesn’t seem to be an issue. Medical experts have acknowledged that young adults seem to be getting vaccinated at

WASHINGTON — The last time a sitting president addressed both chambers of Congress, few Americans had heard of the coronavirus. The unemployment rate was 3.5 percent. The intersection of Chicago Avenue and 38th Street in Minneapolis, had not yet become the epicenter of a racial awakening that would shake the world.

The date was Feb. 4, 2020, and President Trump was delivering the final address of what he hoped would be the first of his two terms as president. The “great American comeback” he’d promised when running for president had been achieved, Trump claimed. “The American adventure has only just begun,” he later said.

The last 14 months have been an

On the day Joe Biden became president — Jan. 20, 2021 — the U.S. was averaging nearly 200,000 COVID-19 cases and 3,000 COVID-19 deaths each day. More than 400,000 Americans had already succumbed to the disease; just 4 percent of the population had been vaccinated. Biden was acutely aware that history would judge his first 100 days, and perhaps his entire presidency, on how well he handled the COVID crisis. So he and his team set to work.

“This first 100 days is unlike any of the typical first 100 days of any administration,” said Yahoo News Medical Contributor Dr. Kavita Patel, a practicing internist, Brookings Institution health scholar and

The Daily Beast

OMG, I Want to Rent That House: Tuscany, Italy

Courtesy VRBOPodere La Specola, Tuscany, Italy (Vrbo): The Roaring Twenties are back, baby! Or so we are all desperately hoping. Summer 2021 is the time to trade in your flapper-girl fringe and coupe of champagne for a mask with fringe and vaccination records… and a coupe of champagne (not everything has to change in 100 years). And then (safely) book a trip somewhere fabulous. For those whose tastes lean towards da Vinci, this is a Tuscan getaway that will have you bringing out the oil paints and doing your best impression of Mona Lisa. Courtesy VRBO Let’s talk about

WASHINGTON — Face masks no longer have to be worn by fully vaccinated people in most outdoor settings, said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday, updating its previous guidance to reflect a new understanding of how the coronavirus spreads, as well as the increasing vaccination rates nationwide.

“Today is another day we can take a step back to the normalcy of before,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said in introducing the new advice on when people should wear masks. That guidance says vaccinated people don’t need masks while eating outdoors at restaurants, gathering in small groups or conducting outdoor activities like hiking.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky. (Erin Clark/Pool/Getty Images)

Unvaccinated

The Daily Beast

OMG, I Want to Rent That House: Tuscany, Italy

Courtesy VRBOPodere La Specola, Tuscany, Italy (Vrbo): The Roaring Twenties are back, baby! Or so we are all desperately hoping. Summer 2021 is the time to trade in your flapper-girl fringe and coupe of champagne for a mask with fringe and vaccination records… and a coupe of champagne (not everything has to change in 100 years). And then (safely) book a trip somewhere fabulous. For those whose tastes lean towards da Vinci, this is a Tuscan getaway that will have you bringing out the oil paints and doing your best impression of Mona Lisa. Courtesy VRBO Let’s talk about