Were you too caught up in school and other activities last week to pay attention to the news? Do you want to be informed about current events? Well, you’ve come to the right place. Here’s what you missed last week.
Trump’s second impeachment
Formally starting a trial over the attack at the Capitol, House Democrats have delivered the article of impeachment against Trump to the Senate. The article charges Trump with “incitement of insurrection.” The trial is slated to start the week of February 8, giving the Senate a couple weeks to focus on confirming Biden’s Cabinet nominees and to work on a coronavirus relief package. This break also gives Trump time to prepare his defense. This trial looms over the Senate as Republicans weigh whether to break with Trump. Many Republicans fear that if they vote to impeach the former president, they will lose their supporters and face reelection challenges. If the Senate ends up convicting Trump, there could also be a vote to bar him from holding public office again; however, a conviction requires 67 votes, and it is unlikely that 17 Republicans will join every member of the Democratic caucus to vote to convict Trump, and as of now, only five Republicans have shown their support for the trial.
2. Biden’s 100 million vaccines in 100 days plan
January has been the deadliest month for Covid deaths in the US. Biden has promised to get “at least 100 million shots into the arms of American people in the first 100 days.” The problem that Biden faces is the production and distribution of shots and syringes. There has been a lack of communication between the federal government and state/local health departments. There also hasn’t been sufficient funding for large-scale vaccination efforts. States have to pay for creating the systems, training, staffing, and other efforts that go into distribution; however, many of these problems may be fixed with the Covid stimulus bill. Biden’s administration has also prioritized getting more vaccine shipments, and Biden plans to amp up efforts to increase testing and vaccinations across the country.
3. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers from Mexico
The FDA has placed alcohol-based hand sanitizers from Mexico on “import alert.” The agency has seen a sharp increase in hand sanitizer products from Mexico that are labeled as ethanol but tested positive for methanol contamination. Methanol can be toxic when absorbed through the skin but deadly if ingested. From April to December 2020, the FDA found that 84% of the analyzed samples were not in compliance with its regulations, and over half were found to contain toxic ingredients such as methanol and 1-propanol at dangerous levels. So, for the time being, alcohol-based sanitizers from Mexico will be subject to heightened scrutiny, and the FDA staff may detain shipments.
4. Super Bowl LV
Two weeks ago, the Chiefs beat the Bills, and the Buccaneers beat the Packers. So, the two teams going to the Super Bowl are the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Super Bowl will take place Sunday, February 2nd. As for COVID restrictions, there is a limit to in-person attendance of about 22,000 people. The NFL has invited about 7,500 vaccinated health care workers for free!
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