Illustration: Sarah Grillo/AxiosAll the things that could prolong the COVID-19 pandemic — that could make this virus a part of our lives longer than anyone wants — are playing out right in front of our eyes.The big picture: Right now, the U.S. is still making fantastic progress on vaccinations. But as variants of the virus cause new outbreaks and infect more children, the U.S. is also getting a preview of what the future could hold if our vaccination push loses steam — as experts fear it soon might.Driving the news: The British variant is driving another surge in cases in Michigan, and Gov....…Illustration: Sarah Grillo/AxiosAll the things that could prolong the COVID-19 pandemic — that could make this virus a part of our lives longer than anyone wants — are playing out right in front of our eyes.The big picture: Right now, the U.S. is still making fantastic progress on vaccinations. But as variants of the virus cause new outbreaks and infect more children, the U.S. is also getting a preview of what the future could hold if our vaccination push loses steam — as experts fear it soon might.Driving the news: The British variant is driving another surge in cases in Michigan, and Gov....WW…

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesThe Congressional Budget Office doesn't expect much from House Democrats' plan to temporarily expand health care coverage through the Affordable Care Act.The big picture: According to , Democrats' proposals would cover fewer than 2 million uninsured Americans — at a cumulative cost of over $50 billion.Details: Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee want to make more people eligible for the ACA's premium subsidies and increase the value of those subsidies for people who already get them. Both changes would...…House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesThe Congressional Budget Office doesn't expect much from House Democrats' plan to temporarily expand health care coverage through the Affordable Care Act.The big picture: According to , Democrats' proposals would cover fewer than 2 million uninsured Americans — at a cumulative cost of over $50 billion.Details: Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee want to make more people eligible for the ACA's premium subsidies and increase the value of those subsidies for people who already get them. Both changes would...WW…

Illustration: Annelise Capossela/AxiosNo matter how hard you squint, or what angle you look at it from, the coronavirus vaccines are a triumph. They are saving lives today; they will help end this pandemic eventually; and they will pay scientific dividends for generations.The big picture: The pandemic isn’t over. There are still big threats ahead of us and big problems to solve. But for all the things that have gone wrong over the past year, the vaccines themselves have shattered even the most ambitious expectations.The vaccines represent a “stunning scientific achievement for the world …...…Illustration: Annelise Capossela/AxiosNo matter how hard you squint, or what angle you look at it from, the coronavirus vaccines are a triumph. They are saving lives today; they will help end this pandemic eventually; and they will pay scientific dividends for generations.The big picture: The pandemic isn’t over. There are still big threats ahead of us and big problems to solve. But for all the things that have gone wrong over the past year, the vaccines themselves have shattered even the most ambitious expectations.The vaccines represent a “stunning scientific achievement for the world …...WW…

 Tuesday, Jan 19th 2021| 139 The French government has warned that cloth face masks may not protect people from new  variants. With two new strains of Covid-19, from the UK and South Africa, confirmed to be in France, the government has begun to amend its guidance on mask-wearing.Although not formally published, 's health advisory council, Haute Conseil de  Santé Publique, has said homemade cloth masks may not be the safest option.Instead, people should stick to wearing professionally-made masks such as disposable surgical masks, or FFP2 filer masks of the kind that have become mandatory in...… Tuesday, Jan 19th 2021| 139 The French government has warned that cloth face masks may not protect people from new  variants. With two new strains of Covid-19, from the UK and South Africa, confirmed to be in France, the government has begun to amend its guidance on mask-wearing.Although not formally published, 's health advisory council, Haute Conseil de  Santé Publique, has said homemade cloth masks may not be the safest option.Instead, people should stick to wearing professionally-made masks such as disposable surgical masks, or FFP2 filer masks of the kind that have become mandatory in...WW…

The U.S. is now averaging nearly 250,000 new coronavirus cases per day — a crisis of staggering proportions, even though many Americans have tuned it out.The big picture: It's not even sufficient to say the pandemic is “still going on,” as if it’s a fire that hasn’t finished burning out. The pandemic is raging. Its deadliest and most dangerous days are happening right now. And it keeps getting worse.Everywhere you look, day-to-day vigilance is fading.But at the same time Americans are taking the virus less seriously, it is becoming more serious.What’s next: This will keep getting worse...…The U.S. is now averaging nearly 250,000 new coronavirus cases per day — a crisis of staggering proportions, even though many Americans have tuned it out.The big picture: It's not even sufficient to say the pandemic is “still going on,” as if it’s a fire that hasn’t finished burning out. The pandemic is raging. Its deadliest and most dangerous days are happening right now. And it keeps getting worse.Everywhere you look, day-to-day vigilance is fading.But at the same time Americans are taking the virus less seriously, it is becoming more serious.What’s next: This will keep getting worse...WW…

This wave of coronavirus infections is hitting rural areas especially hard. While big cities have more total cases, rural areas are seeing more cases per capita — and they're at greater risk of running out of hospital capacity as cases pile up.Why it matters: What started as an urban problem in the spring is now everyone's problem.Between the lines: Rural communities in the U.S. have more vulnerable health care systems and more vulnerable populations. Many are on the verge of becoming overwhelmed by coronavirus patients as caseloads continue to grow. Zoom in: Childress County, Texas, has...…This wave of coronavirus infections is hitting rural areas especially hard. While big cities have more total cases, rural areas are seeing more cases per capita — and they're at greater risk of running out of hospital capacity as cases pile up.Why it matters: What started as an urban problem in the spring is now everyone's problem.Between the lines: Rural communities in the U.S. have more vulnerable health care systems and more vulnerable populations. Many are on the verge of becoming overwhelmed by coronavirus patients as caseloads continue to grow. Zoom in: Childress County, Texas, has...WW…

“Can you come to this meeting?” No. “Yes.”“Are you free on Saturday night?” No, I’m watching Spiral. “Yes.”“Can I borrow your black jacket?” No. “Yes.”“Would you like pizza?” No. “Yes.”“Have you got five minutes?” No. I don’t have five seconds. “Yes.”“Can you pick me up?” No. “Yes.”“Make me a coffee while you’re at it.” Sod off. “Sure.”Every time I want to say no, I start to worry about inconveniencing the person doing the asking. Or upsetting them. Or disappointing them. (How much do I hate that word, the bane of my life: I’m not cross, I’m just – pause for effect – disappointed.) Or...…“Can you come to this meeting?” No. “Yes.”“Are you free on Saturday night?” No, I’m watching Spiral. “Yes.”“Can I borrow your black jacket?” No. “Yes.”“Would you like pizza?” No. “Yes.”“Have you got five minutes?” No. I don’t have five seconds. “Yes.”“Can you pick me up?” No. “Yes.”“Make me a coffee while you’re at it.” Sod off. “Sure.”Every time I want to say no, I start to worry about inconveniencing the person doing the asking. Or upsetting them. Or disappointing them. (How much do I hate that word, the bane of my life: I’m not cross, I’m just – pause for effect – disappointed.) Or...WW…

 Saturday, Oct 24th 2020| 184 A businessman is fulfilling his bizarre passion for stuffed creatures by creating 'bad taxidermy' models using random body parts from different animals.Jack Devaney, 26, creates his figures and creatures using both dead animal parts and a selection of other materials.In the modern age, Jack doesn't believe that traditional taxidermy has much of a place in the world because of how easy it is to search on the internet to see what animals look like.In response to this he launched his business The World Around Ewe, which sells unique products including his...… Saturday, Oct 24th 2020| 184 A businessman is fulfilling his bizarre passion for stuffed creatures by creating 'bad taxidermy' models using random body parts from different animals.Jack Devaney, 26, creates his figures and creatures using both dead animal parts and a selection of other materials.In the modern age, Jack doesn't believe that traditional taxidermy has much of a place in the world because of how easy it is to search on the internet to see what animals look like.In response to this he launched his business The World Around Ewe, which sells unique products including his...WW…

Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty ImagesAn outbreak of COVID-19 has struck the White House — including the president himself — just weeks before the 2020 election. Why it matters: If the president can get infected, anyone can. And the scramble to figure out the scope of this outbreak is a high-profile, high-stakes microcosm of America's larger failures to contain the virus and to stand up a contact-tracing system that can respond to new cases before they have a chance to become outbreaks.COVID-19 positives: COVID-19 negatives: TBD: Among Democrats: Editor's note: This article has been updated...…Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty ImagesAn outbreak of COVID-19 has struck the White House — including the president himself — just weeks before the 2020 election. Why it matters: If the president can get infected, anyone can. And the scramble to figure out the scope of this outbreak is a high-profile, high-stakes microcosm of America's larger failures to contain the virus and to stand up a contact-tracing system that can respond to new cases before they have a chance to become outbreaks.COVID-19 positives: COVID-19 negatives: TBD: Among Democrats: Editor's note: This article has been updated...WW…

Judge Amy Coney Barrett. Photo: Matt Cashore/Notre Dame University via ReutersPresident Trump is preparing to nominate federal appeals court Judge Amy Coney Barrett of Indiana, a favorite of both the social conservative base and Republican elected officials, to succeed Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Republican sources tell Axios. Why it matters: Barrett would push the already conservative court further and harder to the right, for decades to come, on the most important issues in American politics — from abortion to the limits of presidential power. If confirmed, she would give conservatives a...…Judge Amy Coney Barrett. Photo: Matt Cashore/Notre Dame University via ReutersPresident Trump is preparing to nominate federal appeals court Judge Amy Coney Barrett of Indiana, a favorite of both the social conservative base and Republican elected officials, to succeed Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Republican sources tell Axios. Why it matters: Barrett would push the already conservative court further and harder to the right, for decades to come, on the most important issues in American politics — from abortion to the limits of presidential power. If confirmed, she would give conservatives a...WW…