Tipsheet: Trump fires up vaccine tensions

View in your browser     Trump fires up vaccine tensions By Tal Axelrod and Max Greenwood   Former President Trump is touting his administration's work in developing life-saving COVID-19 vaccines, putting him at odds with a portion of his base that is skeptical or opposed to the vaccines.  Read the full story here     Domestic travel vaccine mandate back in spotlight By Alex Gangitano   The debate over requiring COVID-19 vaccines for domestic travel is back in the spotlight this week, despite pushback from the business community and the potential for strong backlash if the Biden administration imposes a mandate. Read the full story here     Fauci: Early data show omicron not as severe as delta for the vaccinated By Nathaniel Weixel   Early data show the omicron variant of the coronavirus appears to be less severe than the delta strain among people who are vaccinated, Anthony Fauci said Wednesday. Read the full story here     Biden to hold another call with Putin on Thursday By Jordan Williams   President Biden will hold another phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday amid ongoing tensions with Ukraine and ahead of upcoming discussions on Moscow’s security demands. Read the full story here       Jury finds Ghislaine Maxwell guilty on five counts By Joseph Choi   Ghislaine Maxwell, the British socialite and longtime associate of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, was convicted on five counts on Wednesday by a jury after about a week of deliberations. Read the full story here     Ex-White House, DOJ officials urge Supreme Court to reject Trump effort to stymie Jan. 6 probe By John Kruzel   A group of former executive branch lawyers on Wednesday urged the Supreme Court to reject an effort by former President Trump to hamper the House committee investigation into the deadly Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. Read the full story here     Biden asks Supreme Court to hear case on 'Remain in Mexico' policy By Joseph Choi   The Biden administration on Wednesday asked the Supreme Court to review its case seeking to end the Trump-era "Remain in Mexico" policy. Read the full story here     Spanberger, one of most vulnerable House Dems, announces she'll run in redrawn Virginia district By Max Greenwood   Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D) announced on Wednesday that she will seek reelection in Virginia’s newly redrawn 7th District after the commonwealth’s Supreme Court approved a new political map that substantially changes her current one. Read the full story here     Advocates call EPA 'forever chemical' testing announcement insufficient By Rachel Frazin   The Biden administration will require new testing on some “forever chemicals,” but advocates are disappointed in what they characterized as insufficient requirements.   Read the full story here     Walensky: New CDC guidance is 'what we thought people would be able to tolerate' By Nathaniel Weixel   Federal health officials said the recommendation to shorten the isolation period for people with asymptomatic COVID-19 was aimed at striking a balance between making sure essential services can continue to function and how long people can reasonably be expected to stay isolated. Read the full story here     The COVID-19 endgame may be here By Michael Van Beek   OPINION | After a nearly two-year obsession with the COVID-19 pandemic, many Americans seem to be ready to move on from social distancing mandates. Their appetites for lockdowns and the like are low, and some politicians are paying attention — only a few are issuing new mandates in the face of increased viral transmission and the new dominant omicron variant. This may signal the endgame for the government’s response to COVID-19. But why did it take so long to get here? Read the full story here     Growing use of at-home tests could lead to an undercount of omicron cases By Steven Findlay, MPH   OPINION | The omicron surge has triggered a rapid increase in the use of at-home coronavirus tests. Supplies of those tests are now running low, even as access to PCR tests (which are sent to a lab for results) is strained amid rising demand. Read the full story here     Bloomberg: Maxwell now faces another criminal trial for perjury By Patricia Hurtado   Ghislaine Maxwell’s guilty verdict is likely not the last trial result she will face. Read the full story here     The New York Times: Officials said early data suggested Omicron symptoms were milder, but cautioned deaths could be lagging behind cases By Noah Weiland   Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky and Dr. Anthony S. Fauci cautioned that hospitalizations and deaths could be lagging behind case counts. Read the full story here     Los Angeles Times: LAPD officer who fatally shot 14-year-old girl along with assault suspect is identified By Kevin Rector and Richard Winton   The Los Angeles police officer who killed an assault suspect and a 14-year-old bystander in a shooting at a Burlington store in North Hollywood two days before Christmas was Officer William Dorsey Jones Jr., according to multiple sources. Read the full story here     CBS News: Severe storms and record-breaking warmth forecast to hit parts of the South By Tori B. Powell   Damaging winds, tornadoes, isolated hail and flash flooding are possible Wednesday for certain southern states as the area continues to see record-breaking warm temperatures, according to the National Weather Service. The forecasted severe weather could touch down just weeks after deadly tornadoes ravaged the South and Midwest earlier this month. Read the full story here     USA Today: Hundreds of drivers get stuck in the snowy Sierra Nevada after trying to bypass closed highways By Amy Alonzo   Despite warnings to avoid travel after a massive snowstorm that started Christmas weekend closed major highways, thousands of people insisted on trying to drive into or out of the socked-in Sierra Nevada.   Read the full story here         Did a friend forward you this email? Sign up for The Hill Tipsheet       Forward this Tipsheet   You Might Like       Privacy Policy  |  Manage Subscriptions  |  Unsubscribe  |  Email to a friend  |  Sign Up for Other Newsletters   The Hill 1625 K Street, NW 9th Floor, Washington DC 20006 ©1998 - 2021 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved.

Link