At a White House press briefing today, CDC director Rochelle Walensky confirmed that there would be new guidance for COVID-19 vaccinated individuals "soon." Per Walensky, "these are complex issues, and the science is rapidly evolving." In other words - vaccination is not a go-anywhere, do-anything pass for the person that's been vaccinated - it's not that simple.
In March of 2021, a bill in the Senate contained an order for a third economic stimulus check for citizens of the United States. As posted online by the United States Government in documentation on its way to a final vote, this is the third such check since the start of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Payments in this bill are very similar to those in the past two bills, and adjust SLIGHTLY for some of those individuals at the high end of eligibility.
I went to get my first of two COVID-19 vaccine shots this week, and I was surprised at how low-tech the whole situation ended up being. Any other time I've needed and received a shot of any sort in the past, it's been inside a doctor's office, so I wasn't sure what to expect, heading in to a decommissioned Shopko location utilized by local medical officials for this COVID-19 vaccination event.
As anticipated, Johnson & Johnson has received an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the FDA for its single-shot Janssen COVID-19 vaccine. With this authorization in place, Johnson & Johnson's product is the third COVID-19 vaccine to be distributed in the United States, one that can be stored in a refrigerator, which reduces the logistical burden.
After losing out on a Space Force contract, private space company Blue Origin has announced that its New Glenn maiden flight will be bumped to the fourth quarter of 2022. The company says that it hopes it will be able to launch National Security Space Launch (NSSL) payloads in the future in addition to civil contracts, among other things.
Despite laws against these substances, psychedelics have resurged in popularity, with anecdotal reports claiming everything from increased productivity and creativity to migraine remission, depression relief, and an increased sense of wellbeing. Amid this popularity, California has introduced one of the most ambitious bills related to these drugs.
The small Central American nation Nicaragua has voted to form a new department called the National Ministry for Extraterrestrial Space Affairs, The Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, a mouthful that underscores the country's new focus on space and all the mysteries it holds. The ministry will be controlled by the Nicaraguan military, and it remains unclear exactly what they have planned for it.
The US has officially rejoined the Paris Agreement, with President Biden bringing America back into the collective of countries and states attempting to curtail rising global temperatures and the impact of climate change. The US initially joined the Agreement in 2016, but withdrew under the previous Administration.
According to the National Weather Service here in the United States, a whole lot of the USA is covered by snow right this minute. If we drop in on the latest model based on nationwide reports, the area of the United States currently covered by snow is a whopping 71.3%. That's up from 31.2% just last month.
A significant part of the US is currently covered in snow, which means many consumers are dusting off their snow blowers or purchasing one for the first time. If you're counted among those people, you should check out the US Consumer Product Safety Commission to make sure you don't have one of the recently recalled units, which potentially have a dangerous defect.
Are you tired of the ordinary, boring, and otherwise saccharine-sweet Valentine's Day cards you can pick up at the store? If so, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has some cheesy satellite-themed Valentine's Day cards for you to tweet, email, or hand-deliver to your favorite people.
DARPA has announced the three companies it selected to develop concepts for its LongShot program. The agency didn't reveal the financial details for its selection, but did state that the contracts are for concepts on a UAV that would be launched in the air, after which point the drone would be able to launch its own air-to-air weapons.