October 9, 2024

Biden’s COVID-19 vaccine goal, NYC mayoral race, voting rights bill, cryptocurrency crash. It’s Tuesday’s news.

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The Biden Administration is turning its vaccination focus on the under 30 population, as the country isn’t expected to meet the president’s July 4th deadline in getting 70% of the population vaccinated with at least one shot. (June 22)

AP Domestic

President Joe Biden won’t hit his July 4th vaccine goal, but it’s pretty close. Voters in NYC headed to the polls to pick their next mayor. And a cryptocurrency crash wiped out gains.

? It’s Laura, and I’ve got a whole slew of news for you on this fine Tuesday.

But first, he’s got magic legs. ✨ An IndyCar owner, paralyzed from the neck down after a crash, got up and danced for the first time in 21 years – for the father-daughter dance at his daughter’s wedding. Please pass me a tissue.

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US won’t hit Biden’s July 4 goal

Just a few more weeks, and they’d have had it. The White House conceded Tuesday that it would fall short of its goal to get 70% of Americans at least partially vaccinated against COVID-19 by the Fourth of July, although it said some age groups will hit the target. At least 70% of Americans ages 30 and older have received at least one shot, and based on current estimates, the administration is on track to hit the 70% target for those age 27 and older by the Fourth of July weekend. Getting at least one shot into the arms of 70% of all adults will take a few more weeks, said Jeff Zients, the White House coronavirus response coordinator. Where the country has more work to do, he said, is among 18- to 26-year-olds. “The reality is many younger Americans have felt like COVID-19 is not something that impacts them, and they’ve been less eager to get the shot,” he said.

What happened in Arvada?

A police officer, bystander and suspect were killed in a suburban Denver shopping district, and authorities tried to determine Tuesday what prompted the shooting spree. The shooting Monday afternoon in Old Town Arvada came two days after Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed three gun control bills in response to a gunman’s rampage at a Boulder supermarket 20 miles away that killed that 10 people three months ago. Arvada police provided few details on the carnage.

In Missouri, at least three people were killed and four were injured Monday night in a shooting in St. Louis’ Greater Ville neighborhood. Police found the bodies of two men with gunshot wounds outside a convenience store. A third man’s body was found in a nearby schoolyard with gunshot wounds to his torso. Four more people, ages 28 to 47, were found with gunshot wounds. St. Louis Police Chief John Hayden said there is no known motive for the shooting.

What everyone’s talking about

New Yorkers cast votes for mayor

It’s a big deal in the Big Apple. New Yorkers headed to the polls Tuesday to pick their next mayor in what could be one of the most consequential elections in the city’s recent history. The winner of the crowded Democratic primary in New York City is all but sure to win the general election in November, and voters will pick the nominee using ranked choice voting, a new twist to the mayoral election. Coupled with the ranked choice system and the tightly contested race, an increased number of absentee ballots means the winner won’t be announced on election night. New Yorkers will probably have to wait until July for a full count.

  • New York City mayoral race: What to know about the candidates, issues and why a ‘progressive’ isn’t leading the way.

Real quick

Senate considers voting rights bill

As Democrats sought unity on voting rights legislation Tuesday, Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., said he’ll vote in favor of advancing the For the People Act, but his decision isn’t likely to overcome Senate Republicans’ opposition.  Democrats say the For the People Act is necessary because Republican-led states introduced a slew of voting restrictions that civil rights groups fear could suppress marginalized groups and make it harder to vote overall. Republicans slam the legislation as overreaching, arguing elections should be left to the states, not the federal government. 

  • Early voting, redistricting: What’s in the Democrats’ voting rights bill going up for a vote in the Senate?

Crypto crash wipes out gains

Extending a run of wild swings, cryptocurrencies gyrated sharply Tuesday, and for the first time since January, bitcoin – the world’s most popular digital coin – briefly dropped below $30,000. It erased its gains for 2021 before recovering to trade at $32,453.90, according to CoinGecko, a crypto market data site. Bitcoin shed more than 10%, losing more than half its value since hitting a record high in April. That’s after a tremendous performance in 2020, when the digital currency surged more than 300%.

A break from the news

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