Good morning, NBC News readers.
Today we continue to monitor the impact of severe winter weather sweeping across large parts of Central and Southern America. Plus, President Biden's push to vaccinate the country faces new hurdles.
Here is what we're following this Wednesday morning.
Texas and other Southern states brace for another round of winter weather
Millions in Texas were left without power for a second night in a row, as severe winter weather brought bitter cold and the looming threat of more ice for a swath of the state and parts of the South.
Unable to turn on heaters in freezing temperatures, Texas residents were forced to resort to other means such as huddling beneath heavy blankets.
The storm has led to at least 28 deaths and put Texas — a state whose energy infrastructure was not built for this sort of weather — in a state of emergency.
The crisis has made Texas' energy grid the focus of fresh scrutiny, primarily due to the state's shirking of federal regulations that require cold-weather capabilities, critics say.
The electricity crisis offers warning signs for the U.S. as the Biden administration seeks to prepare for a future in which extreme weather is a greater risk and America is almost entirely powered by renewable energy.
Some state lawmakers want to block vaccination mandates
As the U.S. continues its vaccine rollout, the storms are just one potential new stumbling block.
The pandemic has also sparked a newfound interest in vaccination legislation among some legislators, with lawmakers and public health experts across the country looking at whether new legislation can or should mandate vaccinations. But while some want stronger vaccination enforcement, others want to block such requirements — many of whom also pushed back against mask mandates and other prevention measures.
Meanwhile in Latino-heavy Miami, elected officials are calling for more vaccines for its senior citizens. Despite having the largest number of deaths in Florida, the county is lagging in the number of over 65-year-olds that are being vaccinated.
A number of Biden allies have begun publicly raising concerns about aspects of the administration's pandemic response.
A bipartisan group of governors sent a letter this week saying better coordination is needed between the federal government and states in distributing vaccines.
And a group of public health experts, including several who advised Biden on Covid-19 during the presidential transition, is urging the administration to enact stronger mask requirements to protect workers.
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Plus
- Former President Donald Trump blamed Mitch McConnell for the GOP's troubles, calling the Senate minority leader a "hack" who lacks "political insight." With the stage set for a battle over the party's soul, some of Trump's supporters are eager to see him in the 2024 race after his acquittal.
- The U.S. still hasn't ruled out the possibility of a laboratory accident as the origin of Covid-19 because China has not been transparent, according to Western intelligence officials.
- NY Gov. Cuomo is facing mounting calls to apologize after his office deliberately withheld data about Covid-19 nursing home deaths from the public.
- Experts fear a recent Supreme Court ruling could prove a bitter blow for hundreds of Jewish families seeking restitution as Germany struggles to atone for its Nazi past.
THINK about it
India's farmers have been protesting en masse for months. Supreet Kaur, assistant professor of economics at UC Berkeley, explains why in an opinion piece.
Live BETTER
Have you lost power because of the winter storm? Here’s what to toss — and what to keep — in your fridge when the powers out.
Shopping
The first ever set of facemask standards has finally arrived, allowing for approved brands to add the certification to their product.
Quote of the day
“It was not easy going, it was challenging,”
— 90-year-old Seattle woman Fran Goldman said after she trekked through six miles of snow to get a Covid-19 vaccination.
One fun thing
With a rare winter storm hitting millions in Texas and throughout the South, one college student took advantage of the snow and cold. Towed by his friends in a pickup truck, Corbin Antu snowboarded through streets of Lubbock, Texas and compared the conditions to the slopes in Colorado.
Thanks for reading the Morning Rundown.
I'm filling in for Petra Cahill while she takes a week off. If you have any comments — likes, dislikes — send me an email at: yasmine.salam@nbcuni.com.
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Thanks, Yasmine Salam
