Three things for March 1
1. CDC panel endorses COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson
A U.S. advisory panel from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has unanimously endorsed the vaccine from Johnson & Johnson, making it the third COVID-19 vaccine option available in the U.S. Shipments go out later this week.
After authorization by U.S. regulators, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted 12-0 to recommend the vaccine for Americans 18 and older.
J&J plans to send out its first doses this week, and AP News reports plans for 16 million delivered shots by the end of March and 100 million by the end of June.
The same panel has recommended vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna authorized in December, and panelists said Americans should take whichever vaccine is available to them.
2. Trump gives first speech since leaving office
At the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, former President Donald Trump called for Republican Party unity and stated his intention to remain a part of it.
“We’re not starting new parties,” Trump said. “We have the Republican Party. It’s going to be strong and united like never before.”
AP News reported Trump claimed he won November’s election, criticizing President Biden’s actions and hinting at another campaign in 2024.
“I stand before you today to declare that the incredible journey we began together … is far from being over,” Trump said.
The conference, which began in 1974, was held in Orlando this year instead of the Washington D.C. area due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Other speakers included Senator Ted Cruz and Donald Trump Jr., with notable absences from former Vice President Mike Pence and Senator Mitch McConnell.
3. Cuomo harassment allegations increase
On Saturday, Feb. 27, the New York Times reported a second former aide stepped forward with allegations of sexual harassment against New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
The aide Charlotte Bennett, who worked as an executive assistant and health policy adviser in the Cuomo administration until November, spoke in an interview with The New York Times.
After the accusations, Cuomo released two proposals for an investigation into his case; Attorney General Letitia James rejected both before Cuomo allowed her to investigate it herself.
“I do not accept the governor’s proposal,” said James. “The state’s Executive Law clearly gives my office the authority to investigate this matter once the governor provides a referral.”
For the first time, on Sunday, Feb. 28, Cuomo acknowledged that some of his behavior with women “may have been insensitive or too personal” and said he would cooperate with a sexual harassment investigation.
This is not the first allegation against Cuomo. Bennett’s account follows another detailed accusation published on Wednesday by Lindsey Boylan, a former state economic development official who said Cuomo harassed her on several occasions from 2016 to 2018.
