Yet another new variant of the coronavirus has been found, this time in New York according to researchers. The first emergence was as far back as last November. After the United States passed its grim milestone of half a million deaths amid a downward trend in infections and deaths, some epidemiologists are now worried about a new surge in March due to more transmissible mutations of the virus. As the United States scrambles to vaccinate its population through a confusing labyrinth of local and state initiatives, the prioritizing of nursing homes appears to have paid off. Once experiencing the worst outbreaks in the nation, deaths at nursing homes are falling faster than the general population—a trend that coincides with the vaccine campaign. President Joe Biden on Thursday marked the 50 millionth vaccine dispensed in the U.S., to highlight his promise of 100 million vaccinations in his first 100 days. Meanwhile a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) examining fitness centers found strong evidence of the virus’s spread, largely as a result of poor mask wearing. Indoor gyms where people hyperventilate while engaging in strenuous activities created the perfect storm for transmission. 

As many children remain stuck at home attempting to get through digital schooling, a new poll by Pew Research found that a majority of Americans think all teachers should be vaccinated before schools can reopen in person. Interestingly lower income people of color are more likely to back waiting until all teachers who want the vaccine get it before reopening. The nation’s second largest school district, LAUSD, is reportedly getting 40% of all vaccines for teachers in Los Angeles County to ensure that public school teachers and support staff can obtain them. And, the LA County Board of Supervisors this week voted to give all grocery store workers a $5 an hour “hero” pay raise for as long as the pandemic continues. The latest Labor Department figures on unemployment show a slight easing of economic pressure with 110,000 fewer workers filing for new jobless benefits last week. The total number, 730,000, is still extraordinarily high. 

President Biden on Wednesday finally revoked Presidential Proclamation 10014, the green card ban that his predecessor had enacted last April under cover of the pandemic that effectively stopped most legal migration to the U.S. The ban was set to expire on March 31st and impacted hundreds of thousands of people. In a