The border crisis is reaching the geopolitical stage. The U.S. special envoy to Haiti has resigned, citing the “inhumane and counterproductive” decision to deport Haitians from the border. He says Haiti is unable to provide basic services and security to its citizens, and that will have consequences for the United States and its neighbors. This comes as the Biden administration looks to Guantanamo Bay to help house asylum seekers.
The FDA has green-lit Pfizer’s booster shot for Americans 65 and older and some considered high-risk. Next up is the CDC, voting Thursday. And as for the global vaccination effort, President Joe Biden announced the United States will donate another 500 million doses to foreign nations. Biden also announced a vaccine partnership with the European Union Wednesday to work more closely on expanding global vaccinations. Another goal is to boost vaccine manufacturing capacity in other countries.
And for those not complying with the vaccine mandates, Pennsylvania State University is suspending over 100 students for not following the weekly testing requirement; a hospital system in North Carolina suspends hundreds of employees for failing to get the shot; and members of the military could face discharges. But four Republican senators introduced a bill on Tuesday to ensure those troops would receive an honorable discharge only. And the University of Alabama at Birmingham health system has stopped forcing health care workers to be vaccinated, as the health care group faced a lawsuit. They said they'll wait for federal guidance before implementing the mandate.
Tune into Deep Dive as we explore these topics and more.
