5 things you need to know before March 23: Boulder, Covid-19, Israel, White House, China

The AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine is gaining momentum after the company releases new efficacy data. A US-based clinical study showed that the vaccine was 79% effective against symptomatic illnesses and 100% efficacy against serious illnesses and hospitalization, although an independent US board expressed concerns about whether the data is complete. Still, the Biden government will lend approximately 4 million AstraZeneca vaccine doses to Canada and Mexico as the shots await approval in the US. The president of South Korea has just received the AstraZeneca vaccine himself, and as of today, adults 65 and older in his country can do that too. While there is still concern that travel and mass gatherings could fuel a new wave in the US, experts estimate that vaccine use has already saved about 40,000 American lives.

Israelis are going to the polls today for the country’s fourth general election in less than two years. Political leaders have failed to form a decisive government after the last three elections, and there is no guarantee it will be any different. Most likely, the vote will mainly serve as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. While he has won praise for recent diplomatic deals and his handling of the pandemic, the country’s 15-year leader is also on trial for bribery, fraud and breach of trust. While Netanyahu’s Likud party is likely to take the top spot this time, polls show that as many as 13 parties could win seats in the 120-seat Knesset, which would make forming a cohesive government all the more difficult.

White House advisers are expected to present a $ 3 trillion two-part jobs and infrastructure proposal to President Biden this week. The massive plan is part of the economic agenda Biden promised during his campaign and represents the second phase of his “rescue” and “recovery” strategy (after the coronavirus relief bill). One part of the new plan focuses on infrastructure and clean energy, and the other on what’s called the “care economy” – things like early childhood education and childcare. No final decisions have been made on the plan yet, but Biden says he will work with Congressional Democrats to find the best way forward.

The US and several international allies announced coordinated sanctions against two Chinese officials for “serious human rights violations” against Uyghur Muslims. The announcement, in conjunction with the European Union, Canada and the United Kingdom and others, is a collective motion condemning Beijing’s repression of Uyghur Muslims and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang Province. China immediately retaliated, announcing sanctions against 10 EU politicians and four entities for “maliciously spreading lies and disinformation.” This recent salvo is likely to be a big topic of conversation when Chinese and Russian officials meet in Beijing this week, as both countries are bitter about the international community’s sanctions.

And when you travel, can you act like a normal person and not an adventure-starved hermit who has lived in the shadow of a pandemic for a year?

They just want you to do it, but only at specific stores and websites.

A reminder that it’s only March, and there are LOTS of potential donuts.

Taste that crunchy, juicy American culture.

Gosh, they don’t have to brag.

That’s roughly the number of unaccompanied migrant children detained at the southern US border between February 28 and last Saturday, eclipsing the number of minors detained in February. Biden senior officials traveled to Mexico yesterday to discuss migration management with government officials as the rise continues.

Houthi Deputy Secretary of State Hussin Al-ezzi, in response to Saudi Arabia’s embrace of a proposal to end the six-year conflict in Yemen between the Saudi-led coalition and the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. The plan also includes lifting a Saudi-imposed sea and air blockade in the region.

With the time and talent it takes to create these sweet works of art, they are just too beautiful to eat! They’re also clay, so … they’re definitely not edible anyway. (Click here to view.)