Month: February 2021

A third COVID-19 vaccine could receive emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration this month. The vaccine made by Johnson & Johnson is 66% effective in preventing moderate to severe disease, according to a global study.

Combined with the two vaccines currently in circulation, the U.S. could have three vaccines that are all highly effective at preventing death or hospitalization due to COVID-19.

Despite that promising news, NPR’s Richard Harris reports on why the journey to herd immunity still won’t be easy.

And Rae Ellen Bichelle goes inside a Colorado long-term care facility that has vaccinated nearly all of its residents. They say the initial steps to a return to normalcy feel great.

Additional reporting in this episode on the spread of coronavirus variants from NPR’s Allison Aubrey.

In participating regions, you’ll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what’s going on in your community.

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For months, Myanmar’s military party has claimed — without evidence — that its poor performance in the country’s November parliamentary elections was the result of voter fraud. This week, when the new Parliament was scheduled to convene, the military launched a coup, detaining top civilian officials including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi.

Michael Sullivan reports from Thailand on the uncertainty over what happens next. Washington Post columnist Fareed Zakaria explains why the coup represents a test for the Biden administration. Zakaria is the author of Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World.

In participating regions, you’ll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what’s going on in your community.

Email us at [email protected].

This past week, President Biden signed executive orders that represent his administration’s first actions in the fight against climate change. Some changes will take longer than others — and many more will not be possible without help from Congress.

Correspondent Lauren Sommer of NPR’s climate team explains the likelihood of that happening — and what Biden could do if it doesn’t.

NPR’s Kirk Siegler reports from Wyoming on Biden’s ban on federal oil and gas leasing. Most of the oil and gas drilled in Wyoming comes from federal land and communities there are bracing for job losses and school funding cuts.

In participating regions, you’ll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what’s going on in your community.

Email us at [email protected].