Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.
Here’s what you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day. (You can also get « 5 Things You Need to Know Today » delivered to your inbox daily. Sign up here.) 1. Coronavirus A new coronavirus variant first found in South Africa has now been detected in more than 30 countries, including the US. Another variant, first found in Brazil, has showed up in Minnesota. While all these variants aren’t necessarily surprising, a few of them have scientists worried because they seem to be more transmissible and so could tax health care systems even further. In a worst-case scenario, they could also evade the protection of vaccines. Scientists are also still trying to figure out how to treat « long Covid, » a condition in which patients experience prolonged symptoms after their initial infection has passed. Meanwhile, a team of investigators from the World Health Organization is currently in China, visiting labs, hospitals and markets to look into the origins of the pandemic.2. Domestic extremism The chief judge of the federal court in Washington delivered a scorching rebuke to Capitol riot suspects during a hearing, calling their actions an assault on American democracy. Chief Judge Beryl Howell also ruled that the man photographed with his feet on a desk in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office should stay in jail as he awaits trial. The enmity and violence laid bare by the Capitol riot has continued to fracture trust among federal lawmakers. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi warned of the enemy « within » that is threatening security, in an apparent reference to some pro-Trump Republicans. Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez accused GOP Sen.
