SpaceX launched a crew of four astronauts to the International Space Station on April 23. The astronauts originated from three countries: the United States, France and Japan. Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur work for NASA; Akihiko Hoshide is a member of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA); and Thomas Pesquet…
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FDA, CDC lift pause on Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine
United States health officials lifted their recommended pause on the Johnson and Johnson (J&J) vaccine April 23, after 11 days of the hold. After conducting a review of available data and reaching out to healthcare providers across the U.S., the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Centers for Disease…
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Democrats mull potential changes to the Supreme Court
On April 14, Congressional Democrats proposed legislation that would expand the Supreme Court to 13 justices, as opposed to nine – the longstanding standard since 1869. This proposal is the first significant effort to overhaul the Supreme Court since President Roosevelt attempted to expand it in his second term. The…
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Biden aims to address “Shadow Pandemic”
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect many aspects of daily life by bringing about unexpected societal outcomes, such as the notable increase in sexual violence. Domestic abuse is becoming increasingly prevalent during the pandemic, a consequence of the many stay-at-home orders instituted throughout the past year. As people face worsening…
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Vaccine effectiveness against COVID-19 variants
As we pass the one-year mark of COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 continues to mutate, causing variant strains to emerge and spread across the globe. Currently, the main coronavirus variants of concern have been identified as originating in Britain, South Africa, Brazil and California. COVID-19 vaccines scheduled to be approved at the end…
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Debate over secularism and Islam divides France ahead of 2022 presidential election
Critics allege recent amendments approved by France’s Senate to an anti-separatism bill infringe on civil liberties and reflect rising Islamophobia among French political elites. The amendments were offered to a broader anti-separatism bill backed by French President Emmanuel Macron in response to recent terrorist attacks. The bill is intended to…
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Key provisions of the American Rescue Plan passed by Congress and signed by President
After weeks of debate, President Biden officially signed his historic $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill. The massive financial relief package is the first major piece of legislation that President Biden signed into law. As the pandemic still rages on across the country and globe, the bill was designed to be…
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New allegations emerge concerning New York Governor’s behavior
In less than a year, Governor Andrew Cuomo, (D-N.Y.) has gone from being widely praised and talked about as a potential Democratic presidential nominee in 2024, if President Biden elected not to run again, to facing calls to resign from senior Democratic lawmakers in Albany and Washington. The three term…
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Third coronavirus vaccine approved by FDA
On Feb. 27, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued another emergency use authorization for a coronavirus vaccine developed by Johnson & Johnson. This is the third COVID-19 vaccine that has been approved by the FDA for emergency use. With the approval, hopes rise for expanded vaccine outreach.…
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