ALEX AZAR

Lawmakers vowed to continue investigating consulting firm McKinsey’s company after a hearing scrutinizing the company's for the Food and Drug Administration even as it advised opioid drugmakers on boosting sales.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who recently tested positive for COVID-19, told AP on Thursday that he's urged former President Trump "to be aggressive and say, 'Take the vaccine'" to increase vaccination rates.The big picture: Some Republicans have pushed Trump, who was vaccinated in January, to become more vocal in pushing his supporters to get the vaccine. Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for freeAlex Azar, who served as Health and Huma

As he recovers from a breakthrough infection of the coronavirus, Sen. Lindsey Graham says he has urged former President Donald Trump to press his supporters to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

Trump's vaccine 'architect' calls vaccine hesitancy a 'frustrating irony'

Trump kept trying to end the call with then-HHS Secretary Alex Azar, who had been warning him about the coronavirus, according to a new book.

The time Trump reportedly unwittingly called Jared Kushner an idiot

The U.S. will donate 750,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses to Taiwan, Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) announced after arriving in the capital, Taipei, on a bipartisan congressional visit Sunday.Why it matters: The island state is facing spiking coronavirus cases, and officials say their efforts to obtain vaccines are being impeded by China's government, which considers Taiwan to be part of its territory.Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free.The visit by Duckworth and

A lawyer, not a doctor, his main experience with the health care system came through helping to pass the Obama-era Affordable Care Act and defending it when Donald Trump was president. AdBecerra also will also be the point man on Biden's health care agenda, which includes insurance for all Americans, deputizing Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices and tackling persistent racial and ethnic disparities in the health care system. Prescription drugs and health insurance will lead to major legislative battles. “It’s a different time and it’s a time of tremendous opportunity in health care,” he said. But during committee hearings several indicated a willingness to work with on prescription drugs, rural health care and other matters.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a press conference at the Great Hall of the People on June 14, 2018 in Beijing, China. WASHINGTON – The Chinese government on Wednesday slapped sanctions on former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former national security advisor Robert O'Brien and former trade advisor Peter Navarro, along with other members of the Trump administration. The move came after Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States. "China has decided to sanction 28 persons who have seriously violated China's sovereignty and who have been mainly responsible for such U.S. moves on China-related issues," the statement also said. The Chinese government also named former deputy national security advisor Matthew Pottinger, former Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, former U.S.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying speaks during the daily press briefing at the Foreign Ministry in Beijing on Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Liu Zheng)WASHINGTON – China imposed sanctions on nearly 30 former Trump administration officials moments after they left office on Wednesday. On Tuesday, Pompeo announced that he had declared China's repression of Muslim ethnic minorities a “genocide," possibly opening the door to new U.S. sanctions against Chinese officials. The Trump administration had steadily ramped up pressure on China since last year but had increasingly so over the past several months. During its last weeks in office, the administration had hit numerous officials with sanctions for their actions on Tibet, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the South China Sea.

President-elect Joe Biden's Covid Advisory Board member Dr. Celine Gounder slammed the Trump administration's piecemeal Covid response as some states across the U.S. scramble to get the vaccine doses they need. “I think we've already had too much of a patchwork response across the states," Gounder said in a Monday evening interview on "The News with Shepard Smith." Andrew Cuomo said the federal government is sending his state 50,000 fewer doses of the vaccine than the week before. On Monday, Cuomo sent a letter to Pfizer asking if the state of New York could buy vaccines directly from the company. "We will have distributed 250 million doses of vaccine by the end of April," said Azar.

More shots have gone into people’s arms per capita across West Virginia than in any other state, with at least 7.4% of the population receiving the first of two shots, according to state data. “Little old West Virginia, that was thought of for hundreds of years, you know, as a place where maybe we were backward or dark or dingy,” Justice said last week. Instead, it turns out that “West Virginia has been the diamond in the rough,” Justice said on CBS’ "Face the Nation" on Sunday. The federal partnership involving both companies would have allowed Washington officials to dictate the terms of nursing home vaccinations, said Marty Wright, the head of the West Virginia Health Care Association, which represents health care companies. The governor wants in-person learning to resume at as many schools as possible by Tuesday, long before teachers will have received their second vaccine doses.

Several Democratic governors are criticizing the Trump administration for apparently misleading public health officials about holding a stockpile of Covid-19 vaccines in reserve. The newspaper, citing state and federal officials, said the Trump administration had already started shipping its available supply in December. The Democratic state leaders say the lack of a federal reserve will upset plans to increase the speed and scope of their vaccination campaigns. It's time for the Trump administration to do the right thing and help us end this pandemic," the governors wrote. We started releasing those second doses at the end of December so people could get their second doses.

Federal officials said they will stop holding back the second dose of vaccine for each person who gets a first shot. But that surge could be suppressed, or even reversed, by an aggressive vaccination campaign that reached 1 million Americans a day. AdvertisementWith 38 million doses produced to date and 12 million already administered, some 26 million doses are up for grabs, with several million more coming off production lines in the coming week. “Based on the science and evidence we have, it is imperative that people receive their second doses on time. Black and brown communities will now compete for scarce vaccine doses with highly motivated, better resourced communities of older white people.

The 311 deaths reported in the week since Jan. 10 were a pandemic one -week high for Nevada, surpassing the 299 deaths reported the previous week, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported. The state health department on Saturday reported 3,621 coronavirus cases and 27 deaths for confirmed totals of 351,665 cases and 2,952 deaths. It ranks third globally with 8.9 million confirmed cases in a nation of 211 million people. India has registered 10.5 million cases, second highest in the world behind the U.S. at 23.5 million. The Department of Health Services reported 8,715 cases and 208 deaths, increasing the pandemic totals to 666,901 confirmed cases and 11,248 confirmed deaths.

There had been speculation Azar might not finish out Trump's term after he condemned the attack on the Capitol as it was taking place. But Azar, in a letter dated Jan. 12, said he believed it was in "the best interest of the people" to remain in office until Biden is inaugurated. Azar, in a subsequent Twitter post, said every political appointee in the administration had to hand in their resignation letters last Tuesday. "The attacks on the Capitol were an assault on our democracy and on the tradition of peaceful transitions of power that the United States first brought to the world," Azar wrote. The mob descended on the Capitol building on Jan. 6 shortly after proceedings began to count the Electoral College votes and confirm Biden's election.

FILE - In this Dec. 15, 2020, file photo, a droplet falls from a syringe after a health care worker was injected with the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at Women & Infants Hospital in Providence, R.I. Uncertainty over the pace of federal COVID-19 vaccine allotments triggered anger and confusion Friday, Jan. 15, 2021, in some states where officials worried that expected shipments would not be forthcoming. (AP Photo/David Goldman, File)Governors bitterly accused the Trump administration Friday of deceiving the states about the amount of COVID-19 vaccine they can expect to receive as they ramp up vaccinations for senior citizens and others. Late Friday, Oregon health officials said a case of the variant had been diagnose in the Portland area in a patient who had no travel history. “What we’re seeing is fully in line with the dysfunction that has characterized the Trump administration’s entire response to COVID-19.

Security surrounds the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Friday, Jan. 15, 2021, ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. Azar says he will resign at noon on Jan. 20, when President-elect Joe Biden is sworn in. TSA is also providing officers to help the Secret Service screen people along the parade route and attending Biden’s inauguration Wednesday. Pence’s call comes less than a week before President-elect Joe Biden and Harris are set to take office. President Donald Trump hasn’t reached out to Biden and has repeatedly questioned the legitimacy of Biden’s win.

The State Department cancelled a planned visit to Taiwan by Craft, as well as several other trips planned by senior officials. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)TAIPEI – The U.S. State Department canceled the planned Taiwan visit by its U.N. ambassador that has drawn strong opposition and a warning from China. China had already warned the U.S. would pay a “heavy price" in response to the planned visit. Cabinet official to visit since the U.S. switched formal relations from Taiwan to China in 1979. Wu also noted that current policy moves could be reversed, pointing to the historic meeting between former Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou and Chinese leader in 2015.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar announced two major changes to the federal government's COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan on Tuesday: States are now directed to vaccinate anyone 65 or older, as well as anyone below 65 with comorbidities, and required second doses of vaccine will now be released to states. "We are calling on our governors to now vaccinate people aged 65 and over, and under age 65 with a (health condition) because we have got to expand the group," he said. The Trump administration pledged to vaccinate 20 million Americans by the end of 2020. President-elect Joe Biden has set a goal to vaccinate 100 million people during his first 100 days as president. Osterholm said the main issues slowing down vaccinations are coordination with private companies and equitable distribution among health care workers who are simultaneously battling a surge in coronavirus patients.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar announced two major changes to the federal government's COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan on Tuesday. "We are calling on our governors to now vaccinate people aged 65 and over, and under age 65 with a (health condition) because we have got to expand the group," Azar said. "Going forward, each week, doses available will be released to first cover the second doses and then cover additional first vaccinations." He added that "there was never a reason why states needed to complete vaccinating all health care providers before opening vaccinations to older Americans and other vulnerable populations. Osterholm said the main issues slowing down vaccinations are coordination with private companies and equitable distribution among health care workers who are simultaneously battling a surge in coronavirus patients.

States aren't currently reporting vaccinations in a timely matter, Azar said, adding that vaccine doses "are sitting in freezers in hospitals." Vaccine doses were previously allocated based on the number of adults in each state. But U.S. officials are complaining the pace of vaccinations has been too slow as the supply of vaccine doses exceeds demand. As of Monday morning, more than 25.4 million doses had been distributed across the U.S., but just over 8.9 million shots have been administered, according to CDC data. The CDC recommended immunizing health-care workers and nursing homes first, but states can distribute the vaccine as they see fit.

The Trump administration on Tuesday issued new guidelines that expand coronavirus vaccine eligibility to everyone age 65 and older as well as to those with comorbid conditions, like diabetes. "The states are being told immediately they need to expand to 65-plus as well as those under 65 with comorbid conditions," the official said. President-elect Joe Biden's transition team announced Friday that his administration planned to release all doses held in reserve. As of Monday morning, more than 25.4 million doses had been distributed across the U.S., but just over 8.9 million shots have been administered, according to CDC data. The CDC recommends immunizing health-care workers and nursing homes first, but states can distribute the vaccine as they see fit.

WASHINGTON – Facing a slower-than-hoped coronavirus vaccine rollout, the Trump administration abruptly shifted gears Tuesday to speed the delivery of shots to more people. The move to increase the supply of vaccines better aligns the outgoing administration with the new Biden-Harris team. Some critics say the administration's planning should have extended into helping states administer the shots after they were delivered. Biden has set a goal of 100 million shots administered in his first 100 days. Local public health officials were surprised by Tuesday’s announcement and scrambling to figure out how to implement the changes, said Adriane Casalotti of NACCHO, the National Association of County and City Health Officials.

A CVS pharmacist gives the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to a resident at the Emerald Court senior living community in Anaheim, CA on Friday, January 8, 2021. Senate Democrats on Monday demanded the Trump administration make changes to its Covid-19 vaccine rollout strategy, saying it has "failed" states by not providing detailed guidance on how to effectively distribute the potentially lifesaving doses to Americans across the country. Trump administration officials have acknowledged vaccine distribution has been slower than they had hoped, citing the recent holidays as a potential factor. State and local health officials have said they are strapped for cash. Democrats said the Trump administration should issue a "comprehensive national plan," which would include guidance on vaccine administration and how it will support states with supplies and the workforce needed to administer shots.

FILE - In this Nov. 24, 2020, file photo, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks to the media prior to meeting with Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Ahmad Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Sabah at the State Department in Washington. There was no immediate comment from the Chinese government on Pompeo's decision to end State Department restrictions on how U.S. officials can interact with Taiwan, which he said had been implemented to appease the Communist regime in Beijing. Under the one-China policy, the U.S. recognizes Beijing as the government of China and doesn't have diplomatic relations with Taiwan. “We are expressing our gratitude toward the U.S. for speaking out and supporting Taiwan,” Premier Su Tseng-chang told reporters. Pompeo said that the U.S. maintains relationships with unofficial partners around the world, and that Taiwan is no exception.

The Trump administration has sought to strengthen bilateral relations with Taiwan. In August, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar became the first Cabinet member to visit Taiwan since 2014. Pompeo said that the State Department has created complex restrictions when it comes to contacts between the two parties. It has been using its diplomatic clout to stop Taiwan from joining any organizations that require statehood for membership. Pompeo said the U.S. maintains relationships with unofficial partners around the world, and Taiwan is no exception.

Instead, it would accelerate shipment of first doses and use the levers of government power to provide required second doses in a timely manner. It's seen as a prudent approach, since both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines require a second shot after the first vaccination. Of 21.4 million doses distributed, about 5.9 million have been administered, or just under 28%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Biden announced his plan after eight Democratic governors wrote the Trump administration on Friday urging it to do as much. ___This story has been corrected to show that 21.4 million doses of vaccine have been distributed, not 29.4 million.

Ambassador to the United Nations Kelly Craft speaks during a news conference at the U.S. State Department in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, File)TAIPEI – Taiwan said Friday it welcomed the visit of the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in the closing days of the Trump administration, in a move that brought China's renewed condemnation of Washington. Kelly Craft will visit Taipei, the island's capital, on Jan. 13-15, a week before the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden. In defiance of China's warnings, Congress and the Trump administration have pushed for more visits by sitting government officials, along with arms sales and political support. ___Associated Press writer Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.

That's far short of previously stated goals by federal officials of vaccinating 20 million people in December. He called on Azar and HHS to communicate more often and clearly with state, local and hospital officials. And many hospitals across the country are currently overwhelmed treating Covid-19 patients, Pollack said hospitals cannot also vaccinate the public without help. Pollack asked for more details about the administration's plan to include pharmacy chains in the broader vaccine rollout. Pollack emphasized that the goal of the vaccination campaign is to reach herd immunity and bring the outbreak under control.

Mexico has reported a new daily high in coronavirus cases. ___MEXICO CITY — Mexico continues to see record increases in coronavirus cases, with a 24-hour caseload of 13,734 confirmed infections setting a new high for the second consecutive day. ___CARSON CITY, Nev. -- Nevada officials are reporting the most new coronavirus cases in a single day since the start of the pandemic. Nevada has consistently rewritten its record books for coronavirus cases, deaths and hospitalizations throughout the months-long surge that has spared no county, rural or urban. The Ontario government says coronavirus cases are continuing to rise at an alarming rate.

The officials, however, stopped short of criticizing the president, who had urged his supporters to take action. Trump, during a rally earlier outside the White House, had encouraged thousands of supporters to march to the Capitol to protest what historically have been ceremonial proceedings. Trump returned to the White House after his speech and later told supporters in a tweeted video "you have to go home now" but he didn't condemn the violence. In a series of tweets Wednesday evening, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called the storming of the U.S. Capitol "unacceptable." In a tweet Wednesday evening, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin wrote "Violence is always unacceptable.

"There is no reason that states need to complete, say vaccinating all health-care providers, before opening vaccinations to older Americans or other especially vulnerable populations," Azar told reporters during a news briefing. The number is a far cry from the federal government's goal to inoculate 20 million Americans by the end of 2020 and 50 million Americans by the end of this month. U.S. officials acknowledged vaccine distribution has been slower than they had hoped. Besides manufacturing enough doses, states and territories also need enough needles, syringes and bottles to complete the vaccinations. Vaccine distribution is going "very well," he said, adding officials are still working to improve the process.

His South Carolina counterpart warned health care workers they have until Jan. 15 to get a shot or move to the back of the line. If health workers aren’t lining up fast enough, he said, it is OK to expand eligibility to lower-priority groups. Across much of the nation, health care workers and nursing home residents are being given priority for the initial, limited supplies of the vaccine at this stage. Henry McMaster of South Carolina warned that health care workers will lose their place in line if they don't move quickly to get their shots. But Cuomo immediately shot down that idea, saying, “We need to get the health care population done first because they are the front line."

(AP Photo/Mark Baker)CANBERRA, Australia — Australia is advancing the start of its coronavirus vaccination program to mid-February, with plans to inoculate 15% of the population by late March. Mexico’s vaccination effort continues at a glacial rate, with about 7,500 shots administered Wednesday, a rate similar to previous days. John Bel Edwards and public health officials said Wednesday that efforts are being made to speed up vaccinations for the coronavirus. So far, state officials have administered 126,602 of the 522,550 doses the state has received. More than 329,000 people have been vaccinated in Florida — or about 1.5% of the population — almost all of them either health care workers, residents in care homes, or people over the age of 65.

Photographer: Patrick Semansky/Associated Press/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesThe slower-than-expected Covid vaccine rollout in the United States has been disappointing, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Officials from Operation Warp Speed, President Donald Trump's vaccine program, had said the country would immunize 20 million people with the first of the two-dose Covid-19 vaccine in December. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that of more than 12.4 million doses distributed, just under 2.8 million have actually been administered. "We would've liked to have seen it run smoothly and have 20 million doses into people today, by the end of the (year) 2020, which was the projection. States and counties need more resources to accelerate the pace of vaccination, Fauci said.

The National Institutes of Health is holding a livestreamed vaccination event to kick-off the organization's efforts for its employees on the front line of the pandemic. Photographer: Patrick Semansky/Associated Press/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesDr. Anthony Fauci warned on Sunday that an already-rising tide of coronavirus infections may get another boost as Americans flock together for Christmas and New Year's celebrations despite warnings from public health officials. "We very well might see a post-seasonal — in the sense of Christmas, New Year's — surge, and as I've described it, as a surge upon a surge," Fauci said on CNN's "State of the Union." "I share the concern of President-elect Biden that as we get into the next few weeks it might actually get worse," Fauci said. Initial indications suggest that the mutation will not affect the efficacy of the Covid-19 vaccine and that it is not "more serious virus in terms of virulence," Fauci added.

Washington — Pfizer and BioNTech will supply the U.S. with an additional 100 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine under a new agreement. Pfizer already has a contract to supply the government with 100 million doses of its vaccine, which requires two doses per patient. Under the $2 billion deal announced Wednesday, the companies will deliver at least 70 million of the additional doses by June 30, with the remaining 30 million doses to be delivered no later than July 31. The government also has the option to acquire up to an additional 400 million doses. "With these 100 million additional doses, the United States will be able to protect more individuals and hopefully end this devastating pandemic more quickly," said Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla.

(Youngrae Kim/Chicago Tribune via AP, Pool)WASHINGTON – Pfizer said Wednesday it will supply the U.S. government with an additional 100 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine under a new agreement between the pharmaceutical giant and the Trump administration. The government also has an option to purchase an additional 400 million doses. The cost to taxpayers: $1.95 billion for the additional 100 million doses. To aid vaccine production, the government said it is using its authority under a Cold War-era law that allows it to direct private manufacturing. The government began shipping the Pfizer vaccine to states last week, and the one from Moderna this week.

Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci, U.S. Health Secretary Alex Azar and other top health officials are slated to receive Moderna's Covid-19 vaccine Tuesday morning. NIH said six health-care workers from the NIH Clinical Center will also be given the Moderna vaccine, which the Food and Drug Administration authorized for emergency use last week. It is the agency's first shipment of 100 doses, NIH said, and after the public event, additional health-care workers from the NIH Clinical Center will receive the vaccine. The agency said it expects to receive a larger shipment from the state of Maryland for more of its frontline health-care workers next week. Fauci has long said he will publicly take the vaccine as soon as it's available to him to encourage Americans to get the vaccine.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, who for many became the face of the federal government's COVID-19 pandemic response, rolled up his sleeve and didn't flinch as he got his first dose of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine Tuesday. Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, was joined by Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Francis Collins and several NIH Clinical Center frontline health workers. Dr. Anthony Fauci gestures after receiving his first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 22, 2020. Moderna's vaccine is the second vaccine the Food and Drug Administration has so far authorized for emergency use. "Americans can be confident in this vaccine and each vaccine the FDA authorizes for COVID-19.

Health Secretary Alex Azar on COVID-19 vaccine distribution, getting vaccinated Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar joins "CBS This Morning" to discuss the latest in coronavirus vaccine development and distribution. He and Dr. Anthony Fauci are set to be vaccinated publicly Tuesday.

Health Secretary Alex Azar on COVID-19 vaccine distribution, getting vaccinated Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar joins "CBS This Morning" to discuss the latest in coronavirus vaccine development and distribution. He and Dr. Anthony Fauci are set to be vaccinated publicly Tuesday.

In mid-September, the panel requested transcribed interviews with seven officials from HHS and the CDC, as well as documents. "Even though witness testimony has already slammed shut the notion of any political interference in CDC scientific reports, Democrats continue to search for imaginary evidence of improper political influence in the Trump Administration's whole-of-America pandemic response," Scalise said in a statement. Emails obtained by the panel also found Caputo, who took a leave of absence from the department in September, "bullied and retaliated" against CDC officials who spoke to the press without his permission. Clyburn said senior administration officials, including Redfield, were aware of Caputo's behavior but did not take action until the subcommittee started its investigation. Democrats have criticized the Trump administration for its response to the coronavirus pandemic, including efforts by Mr. Trump to downplay the severity of the virus.

The subcommittee also released new emails that show political appointees at HHS attempting to alter the CDC's prestigious Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Reports, or MMWRs. In another example of alleged political interference, HHS officials in July received a draft summary of an MMWR on a Covid outbreak at a Georgia summer camp. In response, CDC officials agreed to edit one line of the report to remove mention of schools. "Hi Michael, as requested, here is the piece to rebut that poor CDC MMWR," he wrote. Other emails released by the subcommittee show Caputo threatening CDC personnel for arranging interviews between CDC officials and the media.

Trump administration political appointees tried to block or change more than a dozen government reports that detailed scientific findings about the spread of the coronavirus, according to a House panel investigating the alleged interference. New York political operative and Trump loyalist Michael Caputo was installed as the department's top spokesman during a period of high tension between White House officials and Azar. — Intensely challenged articles that detailed scientific findings on the spread of COVID-19 among children. The HHS public affairs office that Caputo once headed “is not a science or medical program office," wrote Hall. Redfield responded at the time that he had told CDC staffers to ignore Alexander's email, and that he is fully committed to maintaining the independence of the MMWR health reports.

Perna's briefing came after the Food and Drug Administration authorized the Moderna vaccine for emergency use on Friday evening. Perna said that Operation Warp Speed would not "cut corners" in distributing the vaccine. The Moderna vaccine has been authorized for people aged 18 or older. The Moderna vaccine is expected to be about 94.1% effective, similar to Pfizer's vaccine, which was approved last week. But unlike Pfizer's vaccine, Moderna's does not need to be stored at sub-zero temperatures.

State health officials reported 272 new deaths due to COVID-19, bringing Texas’ death toll to 25,226. On Saturday, the state reported 9,796 people hospitalized with the virus, an increase of nearly 23% over the last month. ___THE VIRUS OUTBREAK:The United States reached a record of nearly a quarter million coronavirus cases reported in 24 hours. ___BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The United States added a record of nearly a quarter million coronavirus cases in the past day. Almost 17,000 people are hospitalized in California and health officials are scrambling to find enough beds for patients.

But when the latest shortfall hit the local allotment of new COVID-19 vaccine doses, Washington's neighboring states pitched in to help make up the difference. In a heartening demonstration of interstate collectivism, Maryland and Virginia are each sending 8,000 vaccine doses, more than tripling the amount available for health care workers in the nation's capital. The dosage allotments were based on population, but many of Washington's health care workers live in the intertwined neighboring communities of Maryland and northern Virginia. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser had sent a letter to U.S. health officials claiming the “one-size-fits-all formula for distribution” would prove “woefully insufficient.”Govs. None of the three jurisdictions will receive anywhere close to enough doses in the first batch to cover all their health care workers.

The first report shows that 35 states are "red," an indication of a severe outbreak. Jose Arrieta, who served as chief information officer for HHS when the government launched HHS Protect, the agency's warehouse for Covid-19 hospital data, said the new report is "certainly a step in the right direction" toward transparency. "We've been pushing for transparency, transparency, transparency ... and they're doing a good job of doing it," she said. A federal clash over data transparency began this summer, when the CDC's data infrastructure proved inadequate to meet the demands of the Covid pandemic. Orlowski said the detail of the new public report is a demonstration of what HHS Protect is capable of and is a testimony to the progress made by the U.S. in public health data collection during the pandemic.

The Pentagon has authorized nearly 50 top civilian and military leaders to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in the coming weeks to prove to the shots are safe and effective. Indoor restaurant dining will continue to be barred under the new state health department order that takes effect Monday. Laura Kelly is expressing little concern over a smaller-than-expected second shipment of a coronavirus vaccine for the state. The state also reported total 2,341 COVID-19 deaths, adding 88 to the tally since Wednesday. ___BERN — The Swiss government is ordering the closure of restaurants, bars, cultural venues and sports facilities next week because of increasing coronavirus cases.

Pfizer has a deal with the U.S. to supply 100 million doses of its vaccine as part of Operation Warp Speed, enough to inoculate 50 million Americans since the vaccine requires two doses three weeks apart. Pfizer is also negotiating with the U.S. for an additional 100 million doses. It said that the company has also "continuously shared" information in weekly meetings with HHS and Operation Warp Speed through on "every aspect of our production and distribution capabilities." The first doses of Pfizer's vaccine began shipping across the U.S. over the weekend, and Americans began receiving shots on Monday. Initial doses of Pfizer's vaccine are limited as manufacturing ramps up, with officials predicting it will take months to immunize everyone in the U.S. who wants to be vaccinated.

If you experience severe side effects after getting a Covid vaccine, lawyers tell CNBC there is basically no one to blame in a U.S. court of law. "It is very rare for a blanket immunity law to be passed," said Rogge Dunn, a Dallas labor and employment attorney. Nicholas Kamm | AFP | Getty ImagesDunn's clients who run businesses serving customers in person or on site are most interested in mandating a Covid vaccine for staff. But experts specializing in vaccine law say it is difficult to navigate. People who are harmed by a Covid vaccine deserve to be compensated fast and generously.

The Trump administration will withhold $200 million in Medicaid funding from California in the first quarter of 2021 over the state's mandate that health insurance providers include coverage for elective abortion, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar announced on Wednesday. The Trump administration maintains that California does not have the constitutional right to make such a requirement. And unless California amends its policies we will seek to withhold an additional $200 million every quarter until it complies." California Governor Gavin Newsom said the Trump administration is threatening health for "cheap political points." "It's wrong that the Trump administration would threaten Californians' health just to score cheap political points – and during a global pandemic.

“If you do not have to be on the roads, please don't travel,” said New York Gov. “This is the fastest rate of snowfall I've ever encountered,” he said. Boston had more than 9 inches (23 centimeters) of snow early Thursday morning, breaking the previous record for the date of 6.4 inches (16.3 centimeters) in 2013. Parts of northern New England saw as much as 7 inches (18 centimeters) of snow per hour, said Margaret Curtis, meteorologist for the National Weather Service. Snow totals topped 3 feet across a wide swath of New Hampshire, and Maine's southernmost county saw 1 to 2 feet.

The Trump administration will withhold $200 million in Medicaid funding from California in the first quarter of 2021 over the state's mandate that health insurance providers include coverage for elective abortion, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar announced on Wednesday. An additional $200 million in funding will be withheld for each quarter in which the state continues with that policy, said Azar, failing to recognize that the Trump administration ends on January 20. The Trump administration maintains that California does not have the constitutional right to make such a requirement. Accordingly, we plan to withhold $200 million in federal Medicaid funds from the state in the first quarter of 2021. And unless California amends its policies we will seek to withhold an additional $200 million every quarter until it complies."

But a month into their distribution, the opposite problem has emerged: the drugs are not getting used. Policymakers expected to need to ration the antibody drugs. They're complicated to manufacture , and Regeneron said there were only enough doses for 80,000 Americans by the end of November. When President Donald Trump got sick with Covid-19 in October, he credited an antibody drug from Regeneron with making him feel better "immediately." Another issue is that the drugs need to be given early in the course of the disease.

Operation Warp Speed has financed the development, manufacture and distribution of millions of doses, with the goal of providing a free vaccine to any American who wants one. Pfizer was not as closely involved with Operation Warp Speed as other manufacturers, preferring to retain control over its own development and manufacturing. But the government did enter into a contract to buy 100 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the first of which were shipped this week. At issue is the purchase of another 100 million doses for delivery as early as the middle of next year. “We of course would welcome having another 100 million doses,” said Slaoui, adding that it's his expectation that negotiations with Pfizer will be successful.

A woman waits for a Long Island Rail Road train in the Queens borough of New York as snow falls at the start of an oncoming snow storm, Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020. Snow was falling from northern Virginia to points north of New York City by late afternoon. “Our theme today ought to be, ‘If it’s not one thing, it’s another,’” New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said as he gave residents storm guidance that's new this year — mask up if you help your neighbors shovel. In New York City, officials braced for the biggest storm in about three years.

Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told "The News with Shepard Smith" that most Americans can expect to get the coronavirus vaccine as soon as late February. Azar added, however, that the timeline for vaccinating the general public could be even earlier if the approval of the AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson vaccine comes soon. "It [the antibodies] can dramatically reduce the risk, for us, of hospitalizations at a time when our hospitals are getting very crowded with people with Covid," Azar said. The record-breaking number of hospitalizations keeps growing daily with more than 110,000 Covid patients in hospitals right now. Covid cases, deaths, and hospitalizations all hit record highs today, according to the Covid Tracking Project.

(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli, Pool, File)KANSAS — A western Kansas mayor announced Tuesday that she is resigning, effective immediately, because of threats she has received after she publicly supported a mask mandate. Brian Kemp and Public Health Commissioner Kathleen Toomey visited Savannah as the first four shots were administered to local health care workers. ___TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Florida’s largest hospital system said it was on track to immunize nearly 20,000 health care workers against COVID-19 as Gov. He traveled to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., on Monday and was given the first dose of Pfizer-BioNTech’s coronavirus vaccine. Several health care workers at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in the eastern part of the state also received injections.

Surgeon General: "Today is truly an historic day" as COVID vaccine arrives Surgeon General Jerome Adams and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar spoke at George Washington University Hospital in Washington as the first doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine began rolling out to frontline health care workers. Watch their remarks.

U.S. surgeon general: "Today is truly an historic day" as COVID vaccine arrives Surgeon General Jerome Adams and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar spoke at George Washington University Hospital in Washington as the first doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine began rolling out to frontline health care workers. Watch their remarks.

The effort comes after President Donald Trump tweeted on Sunday that White House aides should receive the COVID-19 vaccine “somewhat later in the program.” Still, doses are expected to be administered at the White House, Capitol Hill and other facilities within the week, according to senior administration officials. Public distribution of the shot is initially limited to front-line health workers and people in nursing homes and long-term care facilitiesThe exact number and role of officials set to receive the vaccine is classified, according to senior administration officials. Among those expected to receive initial doses are military aides to the president, Situation Room watch officers, Secret Service agents. Biden said earlier this month that he wants take the vaccine in public under guidance of his chief medical adviser, Dr. Anthony Fauci. “We will follow the guidance of scientists and get vaccines to those most at-risk,” Biden said last week.

After striking deals with the federal government, pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens will help administer the coronavirus vaccine -- first to health care workers, long-term care residents and staff, and eventually to the general public. They are going to make sure the vaccine gets to where it needs to go," Feifer said. "By the middle of the month of March, we will have had enough vaccine doses to immunize at least 100 million Americans," Slaoui said. "By the end of the month of May or the middle of the month of June we will have produced enough vaccine doses to immunize the totality of the American population." Last week, Los Angeles County pulled out of the federal vaccine program, instructing nursing facilities to take over their own vaccine administration, a move Wasserman encouraged.

The rate of infection at nursing homes has been spiking in recent weeks, which makes that a potentially costly delay. There [are] 50,000 new infections in nursing homes every week right now, probably more than that. And we know 20% of people in the nursing homes who are infected will succumb to the infection. So, there's a lot of death happening in these nursing homes," he said on "Face the Nation." Staff at those long-term care facilities can also receive vaccinations at the on-site clinics.

The rate of infection at nursing homes has been spiking in recent weeks, which makes that a potentially costly delay. There [are] 50,000 new infections in nursing homes every week right now, probably more than that. And we know 20% of people in the nursing homes who are infected will succumb to the infection. So, there's a lot of death happening in these nursing homes," he said on "Face the Nation." Staff at those long-term care facilities can also receive vaccinations at the on-site clinics.

As soon as they receive vaccine, this is according to the governors telling us to ship to them, we can have every nursing home patient vaccinated in the United States by Christmas," Azar said on "Face the Nation." "It's a really remarkable, remarkable prospect for all of us who have loved ones in nursing homes that we may approach Christmas with that level of comfort, that our loved ones have gotten some initial protection already." CVS, which along with Walgreens will administer the COVID-19 vaccine to residents and staff of nursing homes, expects to receive its allotment of doses in the coming days. "And we will be getting CVS and Walgreen vaccinating our nursing home people — almost 100% of our nursing homes have signed up with that program, for a turnkey vaccination operation." Azar said the federal government is being "very aggressive" with distribution of Pfizer's vaccine and shipping "all that we have."

The following is a transcript of an interview with Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar that aired Sunday, December 13, 2020, on "Face the Nation." MARGARET BRENNAN: Operation Warp Speed told Pfizer to ship out just short of three million doses this week. AZAR: So- so they're about- they're about 6.4 million doses. And we're shipping half of the remaining, so that's 2.9 million doses going out. That was actually the new part, which said we have 900 million doses under guaranteed contract for the United States.

Azar says all nursing home residents could be vaccinated by Christmas Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar says 2.9 million doses of the vaccine will be distributed by the end of the week.

Officials say vaccines should be available to everyone by the middle of next year. For now, only Pfizer's vaccine, which the Food and Drug Administration greenlit Friday, is being shipped. Since the Pfizer vaccine requires two doses, the government is holding back the second shots to ensure people can get them. Colorado, for example, says it's supposed to get 46,800 doses of the Pfizer vaccine in the first round, with more expected in the weeks that follow. Officials say they might adjust once they become more confident about the flow of future supplies.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense are holding a public briefing with Operation Warp Speed on COVID-19 vaccine distribution Saturday. How to watch COVID-19 vaccine distribution briefing todayWhat: Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense hold a briefing with Operation Warp Speed on COVID-19 vaccine distribution. Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense hold a briefing with Operation Warp Speed on COVID-19 vaccine distribution. ET Location: U.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesU.S. Department of Health and Human Services Online stream: Live on CBSN in the player above and on your mobile or streaming deviceHealth and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said the vaccines will ship via UPS and FedEx. Deputies will be stationed at several points in the distribution process to protect storage stockpiles, manufacturers, transports, and receiving facilities.

President-elect Joe Biden's Covid advisory board member Dr. Atul Gawande told CNBC that the Covid-19 vaccine rollout "is a Herculean operation" with potential hitches along the way as Pfizer's Covid vaccine just took a big step toward FDA approval for emergency use. "The biggest challenge is going to be both production and then getting it into people's arms," Gawande said. "The whole chain of getting it out on those trucks, but then, the whole chain of getting them into hospitals." He added that "we expect" 100 million vaccinations total by the end of February. Former FDA Commissioner Dr. Mark McClellan highlighted that Congress will play a big role in efficiently distributing Covid vaccines.

A U.S. Marine Corps band performs in the Entrance Hall of the White House during the 2020 Christmas preview, Monday, Nov. 30, 2020, in Washington. The D.C. Health Department can’t do much more than track the numbers and hope its virus guidelines are being followed. But the White House and other federal properties are not required to comply with those rules. On Wednesday night, Trump hosted about 200 guests at the White House for the annual Hanukkah celebration. Bowser's government has generally avoided direct confrontations with the Trump White House over virus protocols.

At issue is what happened last summer to an email sent to the CDC from a now-departed HHS adviser, Dr. Paul Alexander. Kent testified that she believed the order to delete the email came from Redfield. Redfield said Thursday in a statement that “regarding the email in question, I instructed CDC staff to ignore Dr. Alexander’s comments. “I considered this to be very unusual,” she said, according to the partial transcript released by Clyburn. Certain “persons in the agency, like center directors and the director, their email, you know, cannot be deleted,” she said.

– A federal judge in Maryland has denied the Trump administration's request to reinstate a rule that would require women to visit a hospital, clinic or medical office to obtain an abortion pill during the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that public health risks for patients only have grown worse. U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang, who agreed to suspend the rule in July, refused Wednesday to lift or limit the scope of that order. The judge concluded that the rule imposes a “substantial obstacle” to abortion patients and likely is unconstitutional under the pandemic's circumstances. Chuang’s ruling allows health care providers to arrange for mifepristone to be mailed or delivered to patients during the pandemic. “The Trump administration’s argument that this travel mandate for abortion patients no longer poses significant COVID-19 risks is violently out of touch with reality,” ACLU attorney Julia Kaye said in a statement Wednesday.

Alex Azar says he's sure FDA will ask Pfizer about U.K. vaccine allergic reactions Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar says he is sure FDA experts will ask Pfizer about two allergic reactions that were reported from its COVID vaccine in the U.K. CBS News chief Washington correspondent Major Garrett joined CBSN's "Red and Blue" with more on his interview with Secretary Azar.

FILE - In this Oct. 10, 2020, file photo, President Donald Trump speaks from the Blue Room Balcony of the White House to a crowd of supporters in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)WASHINGTON – The Trump administration is trying to revive the president's stalled election-eve plan to send millions of Medicare recipients a $200 prescription discount card. White House spokesman Judd Deere confirmed the administration is continuing to move forward. “It’s simply good policy, and demonstrates President Trump is continuing to deliver on his promises to our nation’s seniors to lower drug prices." Pallone dismissed the latest White House push.

Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Tina Smith, D-Minn., have informed the secretary of Health and Human Services they have discovered "significant gaps in COVID-19 testing capacity." In a letter this week to HHS chief Alex Azar, Warren and Smith said they made the discovery after contacting five of the worlds largest Covid testing labs: Quest, BioReference, ARUP Labs, LabCorp., and Mayo Clinic. They said the labs informed them that they experienced a "large spike in COVID-19 diagnostic testing needs" during the summer surge. The letter also touched on a separate probe into the availability of coronavirus pediatric testing. Warren and Smith, acknowledged that pediatric testing is becoming more widely available but "most retail providers are not offering testing for young children."

Pfizer's vaccine recommends two doses about three weeks apart. The FDA has indicated it would authorize a vaccine that's safe and at least 50% effective. The FDA is expected to decide on whether to authorize Pfizer's vaccine within days. Emergency use authorization means the FDA will allow some people to receive the vaccine as the agency continues to evaluate data. Pfizer submitted its Covid vaccine data to the FDA on Nov. 20.

President-elect Joe Biden speaks during an event at The Queen theater in Wilmington, Del., Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020, to announce his health care team. – President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday called for urgent action on the coronavirus pandemic as he introduced a health care team that will be tested at every turn while striving to restore the nation to normalcy. But Becerra, 62, will face questions in his Senate confirmation about whether he possesses sufficient health care and management experience. Accepting his nomination via video link, Becerra called it a “breathtaking opportunity” to help shape the future of health care. Sen. John Cornyn of Texas argued that Becerra was unqualified because he lacked ties to the health care or pharmaceutical industries.

Trump led Tuesday's White House event celebrating “Operation Warp Speed,” his administration's effort to produce and distribute safe and effective vaccines for COVID-19. Pfizer developed its vaccine outside of “Operation Warp Speed,” but is partnering with the federal government on manufacturing and distribution. Trump administration officials insist that such plans have been developed, with the bulk of the work falling to states and local governments to ensure their most vulnerable populations are vaccinated first. The Food and Drug Administration’s panel of outside vaccine experts is to meet Thursday to conduct a final review of the Pfizer vaccine, and it will meet later this month on the Moderna version. Plans call for distributing and then administering about 40 million doses of the two companies’ vaccines by the end of the year — with the first doses shipping within hours of FDA clearance.

As California's attorney general, Becerra leads the nation's largest state justice department, an influential perch from which he's fought Republican efforts to roll back health coverage. Becerra, 62, tweeted Monday that in Congress he helped pass the Affordable Care Act and as California’s attorney general he has defended it. “As Secretary of Health and Human Services, I will build on our progress and ensure every American has access to quality, affordable health care — through this pandemic and beyond,” he wrote. Defending California’s implementation of the Affordable Care Act was a key priority, but he also focused on protecting young immigrants from deportation and defending California’s climate change laws. As attorney general, Becerra helped lead a coalition of fellow state attorneys general who sued over the Trump administration’s child separation policies.

The Food and Drug Administration could authorize a coronavirus vaccine as early as the end of this week. The move would be a pivotal moment in the pandemic, as public health officials say the U.S. is likely to face its worst public health crisis in history this winter. James Hildreth, a member of the committee, told NBC's "Weekend Today" on Saturday that an authorization could come as early as Friday. Emergency use authorization means the FDA will allow some adults to receive the vaccine as the agency continues to evaluate data. "This is not just the worst public health event.

In October, a panel advising the federal government suggested setting aside 10% of the vaccine supply to distribute as an extra boost to the states with greater shares of disadvantaged groups. Vulnerable people will face more rationing in states such as New Mexico that have higher shares of vulnerable people. The analysis shows 15 states and Washington, D.C., have the largest shares of vulnerable, low-income minorities. A federal set-aside is not the only way to get vaccine to vulnerable neighborhoods. In their vaccination plans, 18 states have said they will consider race and income as they map out vaccine distribution.

(UNTV via AP)TANZANIA – The U.N. chief warned Thursday that the social and economic impact of COVID-19 “is enormous and growing” and said it’s foolish to believe a vaccine can undo damage from the global pandemic that will last for years or even decades. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said additional funding for the ACT-Accelerator is needed and a worthwhile investment, pointing to progress on developing vaccines “which gives us reason for hope." “It is crucial that the vaccine or vaccines to address coronavirus be declared by the United Nations and by the World Health Organization as global public goods,” he said. Foreign Minister Wang Yi of China, where COVID-19 was first identified, said vaccines “should be for global public good and accessible and affordable for developing countries." “Our call for the vaccine to be a global public good must be loud and clear,” Ghani said, stressing that the role of multilateral organizations in distributing vaccines “will be critical.”The Afghan leader said not everything about the pandemic is negative.

TANZANIA – Nearly 100 world leaders and several dozen ministers are slated to speak at the U.N. General Assembly’s special session starting Thursday on the response to COVID-19 and the best path to recovery from the pandemic which has claimed 1.5 million lives, shattered economies, and left tens of millions of people unemployed in countries rich and poor. “The world is looking to the U.N. for leadership. The two-day special session will not be raising money to finance vaccine immunizations or taking any political action, and there will be no final declaration, just a summary document from Bozkir. “The real point of this special session is to galvanize concrete action to approach our response to COVID-19 in a multilateral and collective way,” General Assembly spokesman Brenden Varma said Wednesday. “The vaccine needs to be treated as a `global public good’ and that will be the basis of the secretary-general’s message” on Thursday, Dujarric said.

Panel members are waiting to hear FDA's evaluation and to see more safety and efficacy data before endorsing any particular product. It also includes home health care workers and paramedics. The government estimates people working in health care account for 12% of U.S. COVID-19 cases but only about 0.5% of deaths. Experts say it’s imperative to keep health care workers on their feet so they can administer the shots and tend to the booming number of infected Americans. Still, governors and local officials may have to decide which health care workers or regions get shots first, Schwartz said.

Homeland Security investigators are working with Pfizer, Moderna and dozens of other drug companies racing to complete and distribute the vaccine and treatments for the virus. “We're all very excited about the potential vaccine and treatments,” said Steve Francis, assistant director for global trade investigations with Homeland Security Investigations. Homeland Security Investigations started using its 7,000 agents in tandem with border, FDA and FBI officials to investigate scams, seize phony products and arrest hundreds of people. Homeland Security Investigations made more than 1,600 seizures of products worth more than $27 million and made more than 185 arrests. Meanwhile, Homeland Security investigators and others are trying to send the message now to the public before the vaccines are approved and begin distribution.

President-elect Joe Biden introduces nominees and appointees to key national security and foreign policy posts at The Queen theater, Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2020, in Wilmington, Del. – Declaring "America is back," President-elect Joe Biden introduced his national security team, his first substantive offering of how he’ll shift from Trump-era “America First” policies by relying on experts from the Democratic establishment to be some of his most important advisers. Still, Biden's nominees were a clear departure from Trump, whose Cabinet has largely consisted of men, almost all of them white. Muir said the first meeting with Biden's team was held virtually on Tuesday morning and that he expected daily meetings to come — some virtually and some in person. He said normal accommodations for the Biden team have been made, including provision of briefing materials, video-teleconferencing capabilities, and office space inside the Pentagon.

An administration official said logistics on when and where Biden will first receive the briefing were still being worked out. It also came as an increasing number of Republicans were publicly acknowledging Biden’s victory, after weeks of tolerating Trump’s baseless claims of fraud. At the same time, he warned staffers who are not specifically authorized to interact with the Biden team against contact with the incoming administration. “We are immediately getting them all of the pre-prepared transition briefing materials,” Azar said. “HUD career officials have begun the process of scheduling briefings with the Biden transition team in response to their requests," said a spokesperson for the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

WASHINGTON — President-elect Joe Biden's transition team has been briefed on America's response to the Covid-19 pandemic, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar told reporters Tuesday. Azar said that on Monday evening Rear Adm. Erica Schwartz, the official leading the transition planning effort, briefed the Biden team on Operation Warp Speed, which aims to get a coronavirus vaccine to the public in record time. The Biden transition team did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment. The Trump administration has been criticized as not doing enough to control the spread of the deadly disease. The agreement, which is part of Operation Warp Speed, allows the U.S. to acquire an additional 500 million vaccine doses.

TAIPEI – The U.S. and Taiwan are stepping up cooperation in a newly created economic dialogue, in another move from the outgoing Trump administration to increase official exchanges with the self-ruled island. The two sides signed a five-year agreement establishing the U.S.-Taiwan Economic Prosperity Partnership Dialogue, which is meant to be held annually. The deal falls short of a long-desired bilateral trade agreement, but is a significant step that increases ties between Washington and Taipei. “The U.S.-Taiwan economic dialogue signifies that not only is the United States-Taiwan economic relationship strong, but it continues to deepen and grow,” said Brent Christensen, director of the American Institute in Taipei, the de-facto embassy. Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu called the dialogue an “important milestone” and “the highest level regular economic dialogue between the U.S. and Taiwan."

WASHINGTON – Trying to close out major unfinished business, the Trump administration issued regulations Friday that could lower the prices Americans pay for many prescription drugs. The Trump administration disputes that and says its rule could potentially result in 30% savings for patients. Trump has taken other action to lower prescription drug costs by opening a legal path for importing medicines from abroad. Also, Medicare drug plans that cap insulin costs at $35 a month are available during open enrollment, currently underway. The Food and Drug Administration has put a priority on approving generics, which cost less.

That comes as Biden is just days away from unveiling the first of his Cabinet picks, which are subject to Senate confirmation. Also Friday, McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, proposed that Congress shift $455 billion of unspent small-business lending funds toward a new COVID-19 aid package. Psaki said Biden, Pelosi and Schumer had already begun working together on COVID-19 relief even before Friday's meeting. “They’re in lockstep agreement that there needs to be emergency assistance and aid during the lame-duck session to help families, to help small businesses," she said. Trying to bypass the Trump administration altogether, Biden on Thursday met virtually with a collection of Republican and Democratic governors.

Not far behind is competitor Moderna Inc.’s COVID-19 vaccine. Its early data suggests the shots are as strong as Pfizer’s, and that company expects to also seek emergency authorization within weeks. “We don’t know what that vote’s going to be,” said former FDA vaccine chief Norman Baylor. EMERGENCY USE ISN’T THE SAME AS FULL APPROVALIf there's an emergency green light, “that vaccine is still deemed investigational. A decision on Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine won't affect other COVID-19 vaccine candidates in the pipeline, which will be judged separately.

The economic package also includes $20 million in rental assistance and $15 million in utility payment assistance for those with low income. But he has not implemented a statewide mask mandate as coronavirus cases continue to surge across the state. ___PORTLAND, Ore. — Oregon has reported a record number of coronavirus cases Friday, with hospitalizations at their highest since the pandemic began. The U.S. is now averaging more than 1,300 COVID-19 deaths per day — the highest since the calamitous spring in New York City. ___BISMARCK, N.D. — North Dakota has surpassed 70,000 confirmed coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic.

“It's extremely unusual for there to be simultaneous contrary messaging,” said John Auerbach, who heads the nonpartisan Trust for America's Health. But Trump continues to ridicule masks and mask-wearing as he insists the U.S. has turned the corner on the virus. “How about California ... where you are supposed to eat with the mask (and) can’t take it off?” Trump said. The health officials do not invoke Trump in their warnings, and they sidestep questions that might lead them into anything that could be perceived as a direct criticism. But their message reflects a different view of reality than what's coming from the president and senior White House officials.

A related Trump administration price disclosure requirement applying to hospitals is facing a federal lawsuit from the industry, alleging coercion and interference with business practices. The idea behind the new regulations on insurers is to empower patients to become better consumers of health care, thereby helping to drive down costs. “The final rule will work to reduce competition and push health care prices higher — not lower — for American families, patients, and taxpayers,” Matt Eyles, president of America's Health Insurance Plans, said in a statement. "This is precisely the opposite of what Americans want in their health care." If the Trump rules withstand legal review, it’s unclear to what degree patients and their families will become a force reshaping the market.

This photo combination shows from left: musician Christina Aguilera in Los Angeles, March 29, 2012, comedian George Lopez in Los Angeles, Dec. 25, 2012, and actor Jack Black in Las Vegas, April 25, 2012. Public relations firms hired by the Department of Health and Human Services vetted the political views of hundreds of celebrities, including Aguilera, Lopez, and Black, for a health education advertising campaign on the coronavirus outbreak. That's according to documents released Thursday by a House committee.