Federal Budget Deficit Expected To Hit Second Largest Since World War II

Congressional forecasters expect the federal deficit will hit the second largest in decades, even without factoring in President Biden's proposed $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan.

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Instagram Bars Robert F. Kennedy Jr. For Spreading Vaccine Misinformation

"We removed this account for repeatedly sharing debunked claims about the coronavirus or vaccines," says a spokesperson for Facebook, which owns Instagram.

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Germany's Merkel Warns Coronavirus Variants Could 'Destroy' Gains Against Pandemic

The German chancellor defended her government's decision to extend a COVID-19 lockdown into March, as she issued a stark warning about fast-spreading new strains.

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European Commission President Says Late Approval Of COVID-19 Vaccine Slowed Rollout

"We are still not where we want to be," Ursula von der Leyen told European Parliament lawmakers in Brussels on Wednesday.

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Electronic Health Records May Be Delaying COVID-19 Vaccinations

The same electronic systems used to record when patients get a physical or go to the ER are also used to log data when coronavirus vaccines are given. But the systems don't share information easily.

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CDC Now Recommends Double-Masking For More Protection Against The Coronavirus

New research found that wearing a cloth mask over a medical mask significantly boosts protection against droplets that can transmit the virus. Tying knots on the ear loops of medical masks also helps.

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WHO: 'Very Unlikely' Coronavirus Leaked From Lab, More Study Needed To Trace Source

The coronavirus is "very unlikely" to have started in a Chinese lab but its path from animals to humans needs further investigation, a World Health Organization team said after visiting Wuhan.

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White House COVID-19 Adviser Andy Slavitt Says There Are No Vaccine 'Silver Bullets'

Slavitt tells NPR that getting more vaccines out quicker will involve lots of "small steps." He says people will have to be "more patient than they want to be," but supplies are increasing.

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House Democrats Renew Investigation Into Trump-Era COVID-19 Response

House Democrats cite fresh evidence of potential political interference by the Trump administration in the government-wide response to the coronavirus pandemic.

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Global Initiative To Start Shipping Vaccines To Africa, Where Supplies Are Low

Dr. Katherine O'Brien of the World Health Organization says poor countries are able to get their populations vaccinated — they just need the doses.

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